Step Right Up

New Jersey Pine Barrens. 16:00

Eddie loved road trips, especially on quiet roads like these. As tall pines flew by on either side of the station wagon and Black Sabbath crackled through the car speakers, his mind drifted to memories from the drive from Los Angeles to Coast City he and his Aunt Marla used to take every year. Eddie’s heart skipped for a second - he wondered what Marla was doing now. Probably producing some new blockbuster, hopefully not worrying about him too much. Maybe once all of this was over he’d be able to visit.

“Eddie, are you alright?” Jennie put her hand on his shoulder.

Eddie broke from his train of thought, “Oh, yeah, totally. Just zoned out for a second. Hey, how far are we from that lady with the ghost in her library?”

Alice, the enigmatic sharpshooter with black pistols grumbled from the passenger seat. “Better be close. The faster we leave Jersey, the better.”

Eddie noticed Traci repeating something under her breath and moving her hands in precise gestures. He was more interested in Alice’s opinion. She was still a mystery and finding out anything about her felt like another clue to cracking it.

“What’s wrong with New Jersey?”

“It's-” Alice was cut off by a sudden flash of purple light from the backseat.

Grant gripped the wheel, “Christ!” The station wagon swerved to the left before stabilizing. He turned to the backseat with a scowl,

“You could’ve killed us!”

Traci sunk into her seat, mumbling out an apology.

“No magic in the goddamn-” thunk

The car bounced, throwing everyone upwards. Eddie groaned as his head bumped against the roof, his horns punching two circular holes.

With lightning reflexes, Grant cut the wheel and the sound of screeching tires filled the air. Before the car could finish its spin, Alice had already drawn her pistols, Traci had a defensive ward up, and Jennie’s fists pulsed with green light.

The car came to a stop a few feet in front of a bloody pile of meat and fur. Grant furrowed his brow,

“Looks like a raccoon.”

Eddie stared at the two holes in the car’s cabin, “A raccoon did that?”

Traci stuck her head out the window, “Wait. I think - I think it’s moving.”

Alice sighed and popped open her door, walking towards the animal, “I’ll take care of it.”

“Take care of it?” Jennie didn’t waste any time rushing out of the station wagon and after Alice.

“It’s in pain.” Alice replied, not hesitating in her stride towards the red puddle on the asphalt.

“So we help it! Take it to an animal hospital, or something.”

Alice spun around, “We rolled over it with two tons of steel. We hunt the kind of doctors that could help that thing.”

Eddie stepped out of the car with Traci. He wondered if the raccoon could actually be helped. A quick glance at its mangled bones, squashed eyes, and talons - raccoons have talons, right? - told him the answer was probably no.

Jennie was silent for a second, “Just do it quickly.”

Alice nodded and raised a foot, ready to crush the raccoon.

Eddie’s bright orange eyes went wide, “Stop!” He’d seen Old Yeller. “You can’t just step on it! You’ve got to shoot it, so it doesn’t feel pain.”

“Is this the fucking Red Cross?” Alice drew one of her pistols from its holster and pointed it at the raccoon. “Even if the guns could shoot-”

BANG The raccoon went limp.

A look of shock suddenly hit Alice’s in a way that unnerved Eddie. She slid her gun back into the holster and whispered,

“What the fuck?”

Everyone looked to Alice, waiting for an explanation.

“The guns only work on things that deserve to be dead. I - It’s difficult to explain, but this thing is far viler than an ordinary raccoon. It’s something...malevolent.”

Eddie coughed, “Like, a really evil raccoon?”

“If it’s not a raccoon…” Traci walked towards the corpse, “I might have a spell for this. ”

Alice stepped aside, allowing Traci to place her palm on the bloody asphalt and chant,

“Nochdadh dhomh tùs a ’chreutair seo.”

As she spoke, darkness crept through the blood until the deep red pigments were replaced with black. Traci’s eyes suddenly flashed open,

“It’s a psychopomp...but-”

Jennie leaned in closer to the corpse, “What is that?”

“From what I read online, they’re spirits. They’re meant to guide souls after they pass. Usually, they look like animals. But Alice, your gun shouldn’t have worked on it.”

Alice raised an eyebrow, “The guns can kill anything.”

“That’s what I mean. Psychopomps aren’t alive. You can’t kill what’s already dead.”

“If anything could, it’d be the guns.”

Eddie’s face scrunched up, “So if the guns only work on evil and these Sicko-pumps help dead people, how does that make sense?”

Grant rolled down the driver window, “Stop wasting time on a dead raccoon.”

The screeching of hundreds of birds kept anyone from responding. The treeline rattled with the sound of trampled brush. For a moment, everything was silent. Then, the treeline exploded with a stampede of alien woodland creatures. Rabbits with pulsing red eyes and horns, squirrels coated in yellow scales.

Eddie could only stare at the riot of color and chaos before something glinted in the corner of his eye. A massive stag - easily the size of the car, and with glittering gemstone antlers - charged towards him. Without thinking, Eddie dug his heels into the ground, relying on muscle memory to position himself. The stag rammed into him like a semi, but Eddie held his ground, gripping the beast by its enormous antlers. As Eddie struggled to hold the weight, his veins pulsed with bright orange blood.

He took a breath and lurched forward, tightening his grip on the antlers. With a massive heave, Eddie yanked the stag to the ground, snapping off one of the gemstone antlers in the process. The stag writhed on the ground and Eddie turned his head, Grant had already taken aim at the beast with a pistol and unloaded a quick staccato of eight bullets into its head. The stag relaxed, but it still twitched unpredictably every few seconds. Grant gave the hint of a smile and pat Eddie on the back,

“That’s why we train.”

With a quick glance to his right, Eddie saw the girls were dealing with their own problems. They were in the center of the stampede with the animals flowing around them or facing the combined blasts of light and magic. Still, they struggled to keep up with the barrage of magical creatures slowly overwhelming them.

Eddie knew he needed to act. He rushed forward and spewed hellfire from his lungs into the side of the stampede, diverting the creatures to the left or fusing them to the asphalt.

The animals surged past the group and into the forest. After a few seconds, things were as silent as the had ever been. Without warning, Alice fired on each of the disabled, struggling animals with extreme prejudice, putting an end to them. She huffed, “I hate New Jersey.”

Jennie turned to Traci, “What was that?!”

“I- They were psychopomps, but - they’re not supposed to travel in groups. There’s usually just one or two.”

Grant tucked his pistol into his belt, “They’re headed North. You said they bring souls to the afterlife?”

“Yeah.”

“Eddie, get the map from the glove compartment. Traci, get ready to run that tracking spell. I want to know who they’re coming to collect on.”

Eddie nodded and ran to the car, pulling open the passenger side door and digging around in the glove compartment until he saw a map labeled ‘Haunted America: Astounding Sights from Coast to Coast.’ Eddie wasted no time handing it over to Traci, who placed it on the ground and printed her still-bloody hand onto its surface. Just like on the plane, small points on the map began to sizzle and burn away until one spot held prominence.

Alice kicked a rock, “Damnit.”

⬣ ⬣ ⬡ ⬣ ⬣

Trenton, New Jersey. 17:00

“Come one, come all to Winters Carnival. Don’t let the name fool you. We offer excitement for the family all year round!”

A man walking on stilts in rainbow-striped pants called out to the ground. A large sign lit with red bulbs hung above him which read, ‘Winters Travelling Carnival’. A large crowd of people surged through the sign’s arch into the carnival proper where the sound of laughter and smell of bacon grease emanated.

Grant stood at the entrance with the rest of the group, trying to parse why a pack of spirit guides would be attracted to a place like this. He called up to the man on stilts.

“Hey, I need to talk to whoever runs this place.”

“And who are you, guy?”

“I’m-”

Traci quickly interjected, “We’re a new act looking to audition.”

The stilt-man surveyed the group for a few seconds, his eyes lingering on Eddie’s red skin before he nodded, “Soon as you get through the arch, turn right. Mr. Winters’ office is in the blue trailer.”

Traci nodded and immediately strode through the arch with the rest of the team. Grant raised an eyebrow prompting Traci to speak, “Seventeen years of lying to my dad, I better be good at it.”

The team squeezed past a big top tent to a clearing with a blue trailer sitting off to the side. Engraved on a plate bolted to the door was the name ‘Jasper Winters’. Grant raised his fist up to the door and gave three quick knocks.

From the other side of the door, a raspy voice spoke, “Come- cough come in!”

Grant pushed open the door and headed inside. Immediately, his eyes scanned the room. Every nook and cranny was packed with some strange curios. An antique clock. A bright pink boa. A half-eaten jar of pickled eggs. A large dark wood desk sat in the center of the room.

Jasper Winters himself was a tall man slouching from a finely made leather chair. A snow white cloak hung from around his neck and a small patch of greying hair decorated his chin. He grabbed a styrofoam cup of coffee from the desk and took a sip,

“So how can I help you folks?”

Grant leaned against a bare patch of wall, “We’re… exterminators. We were wondering if you’ve noticed anything strange recently. Odd-looking animals, in particular.”

“Hmm… Well, we’ve got no shortage of animals eating out of our trash, but that comes with the deep fried oreos. Nothing comes to mind.’

Traci pushed her way past Grant, “And does the word ‘psychopomp’ mean anything to you?”

Jasper pursed his lips for a moment, “No. Now was that all? I have work to do.”

Grant considered pushing the issue, but figured giving the old man a hard time was more trouble than it was worth, “No, that’s everything. Thank you for your time.”

Grant headed out of the trailer with the rest of the team. As soon as Jasper’s door clicked shut, he went to work on a plan.

“So, something or someone here is drawing all of those creatures. I say we split up in teams, sweep the carnival, and figure out just what’s going on. Jennie, you’re with me.”

Eddie’s face scrunched up, “C’mon, Grant, we’re at a friggin’ carnival. Let’s take some time to relax before we go all fists of fury on the place.”

“We’ve got a job to do.”

Traci reached into her purse, “Actually, Eddie might have a point.”

She pulled a few lengths of string from her purse, “I was looking into it some more on the way here. If that many psychopomps are headed here, somebody is trying some seriously advanced, dangerous magic. If we start kicking down doors, whoever’s attracting the monsters is gonna catch wind.”

Grant crossed his arms, “So what’s your solution.”

“I can set each of you up with charms that alert you when you get close to whatever’s attracting the psychopomps. So, we walk around the carnival for a while and when one of the charms goes off... “

Alice nodded, “We deal with it.”

Grant held the bridge of his nose, then sighed. He didn’t like the idea of wasting time at a carnival, but Traci had a point. “Alright. We’ll do it your way.”

Eddie gave a fist pump as Traci went to work setting up the charms. She took a length of red string and tied it around Grant’s wrist, “When it goes loose, that means you’re close. Now try not to tug on it.”

⬣ ⬣ ⬡ ⬣ ⬣

Winters Carnival, Trenton, New Jersey. 17:30

Eddie held a look of pure awe on his face as his neck craned upwards to the bell atop a ‘Test-Your-Strength’ machine. A comically sized rubber mallet leaned against the machine, begging him to give it a swing.

“I used to love these things as a kid!” Eddie quickly called backwards to Traci before snapping back to the machine.

A large man in overalls clomped over to Eddie, sporting a finely maintained handlebar mustache, “Nice costume, kid. You lookin’ to give it a try? Five bucks a pop.”

Eddie tilted his head, “Costu- Oh!” He suddenly remembered the horns. And the red skin. And the bleached white hair. And the amber eyes. And-

The man took a step forward, towering over Eddie, “Well, you givin’ a try or not?”

Eddie’s hand flew to his pocket, “Oh, totally!” He handed over a five.

The man lifted up the mallet and passed it to Eddie before walking over to a large set of shelves filled with knick knacks, “Alright. Just for playing, you get a prize from the bottom row. You make it past the halfway, second row. If you manage to hit the bell, you get any prize you want. No do-overs on your swing.”

Eddie nodded, his eyes narrowing with determination, “Wish me luck, Traci.”

Traci gave a thumbs up and Eddie began to wind up for his swing. With one mighty blow, the mallet sent the machine’s ringer rocketing upwards. A single metallic DING! rung out.

The man in overalls looked bewildered, “Wha-”

Eddie dropped the mallet and turned his head over to Traci, “Hey Trace, what’s your favorite animal?” “Uhh. I like cats.”

Eddie smiled, cleared his throat, and put on the most prim and proper British accent he could muster, “One cat beanie for the lady!”

The man grumbled and shuffled over to the prize rack, grabbing a knitted hat depicting a cat’s face with small white ears poking out of the top and two long tassels hanging down either side. “Here.”

Eddie took the hat from the man and tossed it over to Traci. She slid it on her head, “Thanks.”

Eddie hardly took a moment to bask in his victory before mentioning, “I heard there’s this ride here called the Devastator that goes through so many loops that a guy died on it last year. You wanna give it a try?”

⬣ ⬣ ⬡ ⬣ ⬣

Shooting Gallery, Winters Carnival, Trenton, New Jersey

Grant wouldn’t stop scanning his surroundings. Traci’s magic was powerful, but he knew the value of a keen eye and focused mind. Eddie proved how easy it was to get distracted in a place like this, with bright lights. He was grateful to have someone else on the team just as focused, “Alice, have you noticed anything yet?”

“Other than deep fried diabetes? No.”

Grant was about to reply when an old man’s voice cut through the crowd, “You two come here to stand around looking angry?”

Grant turned to see a geriatric man hunched on a stool in a large carnival booth marked ‘Wild West Shootin’’. Wrinkles ran from the top of his balding head to the bottom of his flabby chin. Air rifles lined the countertop separating the crowds from the man.

Maybe the team was right. Being on the move, fighting and training non-stop over the past few months was stressful.

Grant did a double take at the booth. Alice was already sat at the counter holding one of the rifles in her hands. Grant hurried to catch up, placing a few dollars on the counter and taking aim with an air rifle.

The old man grabbed hold of the countertop and lifted himself up, “I’m Abe. This is Wild West Shootin’. Rules are simple. Hit as many targets as you can in a minute.”

Grant glanced at Alice. She was laser focused on the small moving targets against the back wall of the booth. Grant readjusted his grip, “Good luck.”

Abe sat back down, “Go.”

In an instant, a half dozen targets were down. A cacophony of pops filled the air, each one signalling another target down. Digital score counters ticked up on both sides at a breakneck pace. Grant was determined to win. As the countdown timer drew closer to zero, he doubled down, pulling ahead of Alice’s total. When the buzzer finally rang, Grant noted the final score as ‘Alice - 98. Grant - 112’ He stood up from the booth with a quiet smile on his face,

“Maybe next time.”

As Grant started to walk away, he decided to ask Abe, “You wouldn’t happen to know about any strange animals roaming around, would you? We’re exterminators.”

Abe took a moment’s pause, then smiled a toothy grin, “Damn good shot for exterminators. Yeah, I’ve seen some crazy shit lately. Why’dya ask?”

⬣ ⬣ ⬡ ⬣ ⬣

Funhouse Mirrors, Winters Carnival, Trenton, New Jersey. 18:00

Jennie wandered through a long hallway with one of its walls covered in mirrors. Not long after coming inside, she realized this wasn’t the most popular of attractions. The rooms were covered in splatters of rainbow paint from floor to ceiling. She considered turning around, checking somewhere else, but an empty carnival attraction seemed like the perfect place to hide whatever was attracting the psychopomps.

Jennie headed further inside, only taking a moment’s pause as the mirrors distorted her figure. The mirrors bent, stretched, and squashed her figure, reflecting her green skin back in alien shapes. Something about the twisted images in the mirror unnerved her. Staring in mirrors had a way of making you question how people saw you. Jennie felt her breath draw short as she continued through the funhouse. She decided not to waste anymore time inside, instead hurrying toward the exit until-

“Spirits! Hear me!” A man’s voice called out from around a corner.

Jennie halted. She jolted as something brushed against her wrist. A quick glance showed Traci’s string lying on the ground. This was him. She took a breath and rounded the corner,

“Don’t move!”

Jennie wasn’t prepared for what she saw. An eagle was splayed on the floor, bearing a cloven hoof in place of each of its talons. A psychopomp, Jennie realized. Strange sigils were carved into the floor surrounding the creature. Jennie was brought back to reality by the sound of running. A man in a white cloak was fleeing through a set of massive purple funhouse doors. Jennie started after him, trying to make out who it was. As she pushed her way through the heavy doors, a blast of pressurized air hit her in the face. The man’s raspy voice called from down the hall, “Leave me alone!”

Jennie suddenly realized. White cloak. That voice. It was Jasper! Jennie nodded to herself and sprinted after him, but the funhouse’s constant tricks slowed her down. Just as she began to gain ground, the floor shook beneath her or an optical illusion threw her off balance.

When Jennie finally made it out of the funhouse onto the carnival grounds, Jasper was gone, lost in the crowd. She frowned and took out her phone. She had to tell the team.

⬣ ⬣ ⬡ ⬣ ⬣

Jasper’s Office, Winters Carnival, Trenton, New Jersey. 18:30

Grant’s fist pounded against the door of Jasper’s office.

“Open the door! I’m not asking a second time.”

Grant really didn’t like it when people lied to him. Hell, secrets were what put him on this path with Jennie and the others. Grant took a step back, ready to kick down the door while the rest of the team prepared to face whatever Jasper was doing to attract the psychopomps.

Then, the door swung open. Standing in the threshold was Jasper Winters in his signature white cloak. A sour expression clung to his face,

“I don’t know what in the hell you kids think you’re doing, but it needs to stop.”

Jennie shouted from the back of the group,

“I saw you with that creature in the funhouse. Whatever you’re doing, you’re not going to get away with it!” * Jasper gripped his hand tight into a fist and Grant braced for the blow, but it never came. Jasper released his fist, took a breath, then spoke slowly and deliberately,

“I want all of you off my property now. I am calling the police.”

Grant glared, “Touch that phone and-”

The voice of an old man, Abe, interrupted him,

“You can’t make ‘em leave, Jasper.”

Jasper stopped, taking a moment to recalibrate before returning to his usual confidence.

“And what makes you say that, Abe?”

Abe spit in the dirt, “They’re an act. I hired them. They stay.”

“You hired them? Why in the hell?”

“That’s my job. I’m part owner, same as you boy. You call the po-lice, try and challenge that, we’ll see what happens.”

Jasper fumed, “They’re not a goddamn act! They’re meddling children.”

Abe was cool as a cucumber, “We’ve taken in younger.”

“They’re an act? They don’t even have a name.”

Grant looked back at Abe. Why is he doing this for us?

Abe grunted, “They do. They’re called Night Force.”

Jasper’s face suddenly went pale as a ghost. He stammered, “I-I- If they’re an act, then they’re performing tonight. I want them ready into two hours or they’re gone.”

Abe smiled and Jasper slammed the door shut.

Grant started to ask Abe why he intervened, but Abe just waved the team over.

“Come with me.”

The group walked in silence, contemplating what had just happened. After a few minutes, they reached a quiet spot sequestered away from the main fairgrounds. Once they arrived, Abe started to explain.

“Years ago - when Jasper was a young man - he and some friends of his got wrapped up in something.” He paused, “Aw, I’m not gonna mince words. They hunted monsters. Just like I’m betting you all do now.”

Grant raised his eyebrows. It was bizarre to imagine anyone, especially Jasper, doing what he did with the rest of the team. Grant still took the surprise better than Eddie, whose jaw was hanging open. Abe continued.

“It was Jasper, a crack shot named Vanessa, Donovan Danger the boxer, Sarah - who was a poet - and my son, Jack. They traveled with the carnival and fought for years. It was Jack who picked the name. I always thought it was too dangerous, but once that boy put his mind to something…” Abe shook his head,

“Well, Night Force was fighting something. I don’t know the details, but they were gone for months, and then… only Jasper came back. To this day, I don’t know what happened to them. To my boy. But Jasper was… too broken to not knowing something. At least more than he let on. He never told me what they were fighting.” Abe’s voice crackled, “He never told me how my boy died. Whatever he’s doing now, you need to stop him. Tonight after the carnival closes, do whatever you have to.”

Alice took a step towards Abe, “If what Jasper has done is as terrible as you say, we can stop him right now.”

Abe shook his head, “There are children here. I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt.”

Traci shrugged, “Soooo what are we supposed to do on stage? We’re not The Ineffable Night Force.

⬣ ⬣ ⬡ ⬣ ⬣

Big Top, Winters Carnival, Trenton, New Jersey. 21:00

“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be amazed by...THE INEFFABLE NIGHT FORCE!” The crowd roared as the ringmaster - Jasper Winters - announced the next act through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, the big top went dark. For just a few seconds, everything was black. Then, the darkness exploded into brilliant emerald light. Lights danced through the air, briefly revealing the faces of Night Force in the dark and a large hoop suspended above the ground.

Jasper gestured from his platform to Jennie on the ground below, “Featuring the Viridian Lightshow: Jade!”

The large floodlights hummed back to life, revealing Grant and Alice standing back-to-back.

“Fastest guns East of the Mississippi...The Ravager and the Crimson Avenger!”

Behind them, Traci held two playing cards in her hands - the Queen of Hearts and King of Spades. She muttered incantations.

“Mistress of Magic, Traci Thirteen!”

Grant and Alice took a few paces away from each other before turning. In that moment, the playing cards flew into the air above Grant and Alice, shrouded in a faint purple light. The sound of gunfire filled the big top and when the playing cards drifted the ground, there were six bullet holes in the cards.

The crowd erupted into applause. At its peak, Jasper threw his arms open and exclaimed to the crowd, “And the Invincible Kid Devil!”

A spotlight came down on Eddie, who ran through the audience with a smile. As he reached the stage, Eddie cried “Hello New Jersey!” to thunderous approval. He took a step towards the hoop fixed a few feet above the ground and ignited his breath. Fire streamed out of Eddie’s mouth, lighting the hoop aflame. A chorus of gasps came from the audience. Eddie turned from the hoop, bent his knees, then sent his body flying through the hoop with reckless bravery.

When he emerged out the other side unscathed, Jasper continued,“We have a thrilling show for you tonight, so get re-”

A chilling screech reverberated through the air. Eddie suddenly felt unsteady on his feet. The ground was shaking. Alice immediately threw her show revolver to the ground and drew the guns from their holsters.

Eddie’s expression dropped, “What’s happening?!”

A crack slowly cut across the ground in the center of the big top, pulling itself open and pulling chunks of rock into the new ravine. The crowd panicked, screaming and trampling each other to get away. Traci raised open palms toward the ravine and glowing runes etched themselves across her skin, “Psychopomps. So many of them.”

Grant drew his tellurium sword and held it in front of himself, prepared for whatever crawled out of the ground. The dust kicked up by the tremor caused his helmet to slide shut. The sound of scraping rock told him the creatures were close. He shouted, “Night Force! Hold your ground!”

Alice rolled her eyes, both pistols fixed on the ravine, “We’re not seriously calling ourselves that?”

Grant didn’t have time to answer before psychopomps surged from the hole in the ground. A bear with blood red fur leapt towards Grant with incredible ferocity. He felt air hit his face as the claw narrowly missed him. As soon as Grant managed to steady himself, he buried the blade in the bear’s midsection. Somehow, the creature didn’t seem phased as black ichor flowed from the wound.

Grant looked around at the other members of Night Force. Traci and Jennie were standing back to back, using their combined firepower to keep the horde of psychopomps from tearing into them. They were doing well, with Traci suspending the creatures in the air and Jennie blasting them back into the ravine. Grant remembered when Traci used that technique on him. The beads of sweat forming on Traci’s forehead told him she couldn’t keep it up long.

Alice was doing better, with each shot sending a psychopomp limp to the ground. The creatures seemed to recognize the power of the guns, focusing dozens of demented woodland animals to take Alice down. Eddie was facing off against a puma with orange and black stripes that seemed to pulse with light. If it was anything like the bear that put Grant on the defensive, Eddie had his work cut out for him. But with Eddie’s boundless confidence, Grant didn’t think he cared.

Grant took his left hand from his sword and drew a pistol from his side. He quickly unloaded into the bear. It still managed to lurch forward, ignorant of its injuries. Out of the corner of his eye, Grant saw the puma leap at Eddie.

“Watch out!”

But Eddie was ready for it. His fist slammed into the puma’s side with a left hook, flinging it into the hard rock of the ravine’s walls with a thunk! Eddie slowly turned his head towards his fist in astonishment.

“Worldstar!”

Grant breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn’t have time to rest. After a quick glance at the bear, he wracked his mind trying to think of a solution. Then-!

“Eddie, Shishkebab!” Grant extended his sword arm to the bear.

Eddie nodded and made his way to Grant before taking a deep breath. Fire cloaked the bear and sword alike. The heat hitting Grant’s hand was intense, but he managed to keep his grip through the pain with gritted teeth. The bear staggered backwards, but remained upright. Grant swung his sword through the air, now bright yellow with heat, and cleaved into the bear. It sliced clean in two and the creature toppled, soaking the ground in black ichor.

Grant couldn’t celebrate. The tide of psychopomps wasn’t letting up. They were doing well, but Grant knew it was a losing battle.

Then, an echoing voice broke through the chaos of battle.

“Sigillum Dei Inferno!”

It was Jasper, facing the ravine and gesturing wildly. The psychopomps halted their advance immediately and began sliding backwards as if they were being pulled by an unseen force. Any of the creatures that didn’t fall to Night Force tumbled into the ravine, unable to resist Jasper’s spell. As the final psychopomp plummeted into the depth, the Earth began to shake once more as the fissure in the ground sealed itself.

As quickly as the attack had begun it was over. An instant after that, Grant’s pistol was pointed between Jasper’s eyes.

“Explain.”

Jasper nodded with a broken look on his face.

“I’m sure the old man told you about Night Force.”

Traci growled, “And how you killed them!”

“I didn’t-I wasn’t-” Jasper went silent, then took a deep breath, “I went on a mission by myself. They tried to talk me out of it, but I told them not to worry. On the mission, I was wounded - mortally. I didn’t want to die.

A demon-lord named Neron came to me. He said he could save me if I made a deal with him. He would heal me, but if Night Force didn’t stop five hundred monsters in five years, he would get the souls of everyone on my team. Everyone but me.”

Eddie’s voice trembled, “You…”

“I thought we could do it. I knew we could do it. So, I accepted. When I made it back, I never told anyone about the deal. I was afraid. Part of me worried if I told them about the deal, Night Force would split up and my friends would be doomed. But more, I was ashamed. We came close to five hundred. Damn close. Another few hours and -

Neron took their souls. Their expressions when they learned I betrayed them are burned into my mind.”

Jennie lowered her gaze to the ground, “So the psychopomps-?”

“I was trying to free my friends from Neron. To save them from damnation. The creatures seem to think I’m perverting the natural order.” Jasper buried his face in his palm, “They didn’t deserve this.”

It was impossible for anyone to respond for a long time. Then, finally, Traci spoke with a tender voice, “This can’t go on. If Neron is powerful enough to do what you said, trying to free your friends now will only get people hurt.”

Jasper nodded, wiping moisture from his eyes, “I know. I just-”

Alice glared at Jasper. The guns trembled in her hands. “This stops now, or I end you.”

“I understand.”

Traci spoke something under her breath, then addressed the group, “I put a ward on this place. So long as Jasper doesn’t try his ritual again, the psychopomps shouldn’t attack again.”

Grant put his pistol away, “I’m taking you at your word.”

After a solemn nod from Jasper, the group headed for the big top exit in silence. Before they stepped out, Jasper called to them, “Good luck...Night Force.”

⬣ ⬣ ⬡ ⬣ ⬣

Al’s Diner, Trenton, New Jersey. 23:00

The newly christened Night Force was packed into a booth at Al’s Diner. It wasn’t clear if the checkered floors, prefab style, and jukebox were meant to be retro, or if the place just hadn’t renovated since the 50s.

Jennie raised an eyebrow, “Seriously? That sounds disgusting.”

Traci shook her head, “It’s delicious. You have to try it.”

Everyone staring at Jennie, waiting for her to make a decision. That is, except for Eddie, who had been poking at his fried egg for the past few minutes. Jennie finally reached a decision.

“Alright, I’ll do it!”

Jennie grabbed a fry from the center of the table, dunked it into her chocolate milkshake, then ate it whole. The tension that built in the air while the team waited was so thick, Grant might’ve been able to cut it with his sword. Then, Jennie smiled.

“It’s not bad actually!”

Traci and Grant erupted into cheers and even Alice smiled a little. Eddie was strangely silent, to the point Grant asked, “Hey, what’s wrong? We won!”

Eddie let out a deep exhale, “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Jennie stopped caring about the new flavor combination, “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t want to say anything, but after today, I think I should. My powers - I.”

beat

“I got them from Neron.”

Alice slammed her hand against the table, “What?!”

Jennie put a hand on Alice's shoulder, then turned back to Eddie, “What do you mean?”

“I always wanted to be a hero. When I was just a kid, I saw Superman and The Flash saving the world and I wanted to be just like them. Pretty stupid, I guess. I was never anything special. After my mom and dad died and I went to live with Aunt Marla, I wanted to be a superhero more than ever. To y’know - save people just like The Justice League did.

Well, I got my wish. Neron told me he’d give me powers so I could be just like Superman. All I had to do was become a hero in a year and I could keep my soul. With powers like Superman, I thought it’d be easy. I tried to help people. Then, HIVE found me, and well, you know the rest.”

Grant lowered his head, “Eddie. When did you make this deal?

“Four...yeah, four months ago now. I’m sorry for lying to you all. If you want me to leave, I understand - I just, after what happened at the carnival - I - I should go.” Eddie stood from the booth and started to leave until Traci grabbed his arm.

“Eddie. Don’t.”

Alice gripped her hand into a fist, “Fuck. Neron.”

Jennie nodded along with her, “We’ll help you become a hero Eddie, no matter what. Right, Grant?”

“Neron’s ruined enough lives...You know what seems heroic to me? Doing the world a favor and stopping him. Together.”

Eddie turned to face the team with tears welling up in his eyes. As soon as one ran out from his eye, it sizzled away, “You guys…” Eddie tone flipped to pure, unadulterated joy.

“Go Night Force!”

Eddie wrapped his arms around Traci in a hug, who managed to squeak out a, “Go Night Force.” as Eddie squeezed most of the air out of her.