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Post Game 1
United and the Thunderbirds were left standing on the field in an empty, silent stadium. Oliver looked around, taking hold of Spencer’s hand. Rammy and Mariya were still in the stands, but no one else. The scoreboard flashed and then shut off, followed by the lights, leaving an ethereal glow from the field itself. The two teams gathered, looking around the arena. A few players from both teams grabbed bats from the dugouts.
GAME ONE. IS THAT THE BEST YOU’VE GOT?
A lone figure appeared in the outfield.
HONESTLY, WE EXPECTED BETTER FROM PENNANT WINNERS.
Elliot and the Thunderbirds’ witch, Nikki Monstress, started towards the figure.
“This is not part of the agreement!” Nikki said. “You can’t play with our lives.”
WHO’S GOING TO STOP US? YOU?
Elliot drew shapes in the air with her finger, neon lines shimmering in the dark. She pushed the shapes, and a blast of bright energy lashed out at the figure. There was a flash, but the figure hadn’t budged.
CUTE. AND FITTING. YOU NEVER HELPED. YOU NEVER SAVED ANYONE.
It laughed at Elliot, at the despair that washed over her face.
MY TURN.
The figure pointed at Elliot, sending a pulse of energy at her. It hit her in the chest, and threw her across the arena. Oliver screamed and ran to her smoking body.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO TRY TO BE SO BOLD?”
Nikki stared.
The figure laughed, its voice haunting, echoing. Oliver could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to shake Elliot awake.
WE THOUGHT NOT. ANYWAY, WE BORE OF THIS. NO NEED FOR A SERIES.
The figure waved its hand.
WE GOT NEXT.
One by one, members of United blinked out of existence. Spencer looked up at Oliver, their breathing shaky, their eyes panicked. “Oh no,” they said, and before Oliver could grab them, they were gone.
Amylee screamed, angry, furious, standing alone. She turned to the figure, starting forward. “GIVE THEM BACK.” Nikki caught her before she could get too close.
YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS BACK? DON’T WORRY. YOU’LL SEE THEM AGAIN.
The lights came back on.
GET READY. WE’LL BE BACK SOON.
The figure vanished. Oliver sat on the field, stunned, tears welling in his eyes. Amylee found him, kneeling down next to him. She didn’t say anything, just hugged him. They stared at the spot where the figure had been. Nikki stood guard.
“Are you alright?” Amylee asked.
“No,” Oliver said. “Are you?”
“No. And I’m going to make sure these Regents are not alright too, when I see them again.”
Oliver hugged her, not knowing what else to say.
Elliot screamed and sat bolt upright. She looked around, looking into Oliver and Amylee’s startled faces. “Oh gods, what’s happened?”
“You’re…” Oliver said.
“I’m fine,” Elliot said. “I-” she held her hand up, transparent and luminous. She shouted. “Ah!”
“What… what happened?”
“Ah fuck, I died again.” Elliot looked around. “Where’d my body go?”
“The Regents took it,” Amylee said. She furrowed her brow at Elliot. “Are you a ghost?”
“Looks like it!” Elliot said. She stood. “Okay, working on it. Sorry, donut, but it looks like I’m on the injured list.”
“It’s alright?” Oliver said. He stood with Amylee’s help. “Are you… going to be alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Elliot said. “This is just annoying. I’m going to see if I can reach out to the other witches and figure out what’s happening. And then maybe find my body.”
The Thunderbirds all began talking at once. Nikki, still in front of all of them, flexed her hand, and it began to glow bright. Oliver tracked her stare to United’s bullpen. The door opened and a head slowly leaned out.
It was her. It was Elliot. Her face, her body, but not her expressions, not her eyes. The eyes glowed dimly. It tilted its head at the watching team, and then smiled, a contorted, unnatural smile, and began to tentatively step out onto the field.
“OH FUCK YOU,” Elliot said.
The thing in Elliot’s body looked at her ghost, just staring and smiling. It motioned for her to come to it.
“You think I won’t do serious harm to my own body?” Elliot said. “You have never seen what I eat. Come to me, coward. Let’s talk about it.”
The false Elliot instead just turned back to the bullpen.
“I have a hunch,” Amylee said grimly, “that that is what those things meant when they said we’d see our friends again.”
“I’m going to throw up,” Oliver said.
“HEY!”
Rammy and Mariya had come down to the front row. “What the hell is happening?” Rammy shouted.
“I think,” Elliot said slowly, “that this is it. This is the end game.”
“You think they’re going to…” Rammy didn’t finish.
“Possibly,” Elliot said. “The other witches are coming. We’re working on the magic, but we might be too late.”
Rammy sighed, closing her eyes. Mariya put her arm around her.
“You’ll figure it out,” Mariya said, sweetly, sadly. “And Amylee will be there to fight.”
“I’ll do my best,” Amylee said, nodding. She looked at her team, who began to stream into the locker room to prepare for the next game. “I have to go. I will see you both when this is all over.” She left to join her team.
“You might as well get off the field,” Rammy said to Oliver. “Come join us in the stands.”
Oliver nodded. The only way out was through the Birds’ locker room or the United’s. He set his jaw, took a deep breath, and tried to will away the empty expanse of the locker room, the conspicuous quiet, the absence of his entire team.
Rammy and Mariya waited for him outside the locker room. No one was around to turn them away. They both hugged him, lingering, not wanting to let go. And when the two minute warning sounded, they went to go find a place in the stands.
-g
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