The twins stood amongst a total silence, seemingly unaware of the attention. "I am Nisha Mehta."

"And I am Diya Mehta."

"As you can see, we are twins."

"As twins we actually share a class: Radiant Shadowmancers." She paused and let that settle on the crowd.

"That is a seriously cool name," Madison murmured.

"We share the powers of light and darkness. Since we are twins we have a shared powerset that we can activate together, but we also have individual powers we can access. We share both light and dark and it manifests differently for each of us," Nisha said. "For both light and dark I am primarily offensive, although I do have some defensive powers. I am a close-to-medium range fighter and will be most effective against many weaker creatures or a single powerful one."

"And I," Diya picked up without a pause, "can cast illusory light magic and some minor healing. When I am darkness I have far greater powers for taking on large numbers of lower-level creatures as well as minor teleportation magic within the range of my shadows."

Tess nodded as they stepped back. "Okay, we have crowd control, healing, a few powerhouses. How about you?" She turned to face the Toys.

The small girl's mask lit up in a dizzying array of shapes and colors before the pixels finally coalesced into two purple eyes and a huge animated smile. Even that only lasted a few seconds before one of the eyes winked and it all exploded before reforming into a heart. She jumped forward, flipping, cartwheeling, and tumbling to the center of the stage. She popped up at the end with both arms in the air like a gymnast finishing her routine.

"I am Slinky, and I am bouncy! And sharp!"

She looked around the silent crowd, scanning the faces, then dropped her arms and head in an over dramatic display of disappointment.

There was a chuckle from a lean member of the group as he strode to the middle of the stage, his walk and posture the very essence of a showman. He placed a hand on Slinky's shoulder and waved to the crowd.

"My friends! It's so wonderful to see you all here. You ask what we can do? Why we are here? Who we are? Well then, let me answer."

"We," he said with a wide sweep of his hands, "are here to give you all a show. A show filled with spectacle, entertainment, and blood." He thumped his chest with each word, his mask exploding in light each time.

"As for what we can do? You've met Slinky, our bouncy friend. When she says she is bouncy, that is an understatement. She is fast, unpredictable, and pure chaos in motion." Slinky was upright again, hands clasped to her chest and her digital eyes blinking coquettishly. "And when she says she is sharp…" he chuckled, shaking his head dramatically. "Let me just warn you, boys, don't put anything you want to keep near her without her permission." He held his hand up to his mask, talking behind it as if to hide the loud words from the girl. "She likes to get all close and personal, and she always leaves with more parts than she showed up with, if you know what I mean."

There were nervous chuckles and a few barks of laughter. Tess could see he was winning the crowd over with his showmanship.

"And next we have our friend Beyblade," he waved to the man who raised a nonchalant hand to the crowd. "Don't let his looks fool you, what Slinky does up close he does from far away. If you make an enemy of him I would love to say that your best course of action is to run away, but that only means you'll die tired." He heard murmurs and realized he was speaking to them as if he were going to face another team, not monsters. He changed his tack. "BUT! My friends, he is who you want standing behind you when you have something big and nasty with too many teeth chasing you. His projectiles could take the manhood off a fly at 100 paces, sure, but they can send even the biggest baddies limping away, wondering why they have so many more holes than they showed up with."

The crowd laughed more raucously now and he began pacing the stage. "That's right! And now you may ask about this mountain of a man here." He danced over to Rock'Em, pulling the reluctant man out to the middle of the stage.

"Oh my," Nisha said and Diya only nodded.

"This gentle giant is a man of few words - well, no words, if I'm being honest. You want tall, dark and handsome? This man is all of that and more! Many have tried to climb this giant," he leaned forward and everyone caught the wink they couldn't see. "But all who have tried, be they monster or man - well, woman if we're being technical - find they have trouble walking after. He has the power to take on the characteristics of whatever material he touches. Fists of stone, hands of iron, spikes of glass or wood - if he touches it, it's his."

"I'll say," Diya said and Nisha nodded.

"And what about me, your simple host, you may ask? You could say I'm the leader of this motley crew, but a better title is friend - brother. I take the hits, and I give them back even harder. You've all heard of Weebles, right?"

There were nods - most of the people here were old enough to remember the toys from their childhoods.

"I asked if you remember Weebles!" He cocked his head, holding a hand to his ear. This time there were a few shouts.

He shook his head in dramatic disapproval. "Well, it seems we have a dead crowd. Perhaps a little demonstration is in order. Rock'Em! Come on up, my friend."

Rock'Em sighed but walked to the center of the stage. Weeble patted him on the shoulder then faced the crowd. "Who here has something that my big friend could touch?"

Both of the Mehta sisters took a step forward before realizing. They stepped back with small laughs.

"You!" Weeble pointed to Leon. The man looked around and behind him, then pointed a finger to his own chest. "Yes, you! Please come forward."

Leon stepped forward with a questioning look on his face. Weeble reached out and ran his hand along the head of the massive hammer, its beautiful, industrial intricacy a masterwork of what appeared to be shining steel, heavy brass, and silver threads. "Yes, this will do nicely! This is a masterwork, by the way. Yours, I'm assuming?" He looked to Madison who only nodded shyly.

"Really," he said, "this is incredibly well done. I am very excited to see what else you've come up with. But I digress! Rock'Em, would you please?"

The large man stepped forward and pulled his sleeves up to his elbows, the cuffs barely stretching over the massively corded muscles in his forearms. Leon looked at them with envy as Rock'Em reached out and touched the head of the hammer. The crowd gasped as silver and copper streams began to run down his finger, then his hand, eventually covering his entire forearm. In the span of a few seconds his arm was a tapestry of multi-colored metal that still managed to look like living flesh somehow. He raised his fist in the air for all to see, gasps and exclamations come from the crowd.

While the crowd was distracted Weeble stepped close to Tess and whispered. "How much do you care about the stage or that tower?"

Tess knew a demonstration when she saw it and realized it'd be worth the cost in wood to get the crowd onboard with the newcomers. "Do what you have to do, but don't hurt anyone."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

She felt the smile and wink behind his mask before he danced off. How does he do that? I can't even see his face?"

"It is quite the mystery, but somehow he conveys facial expressions. Very interesting."

"Not now, Fara."

Rock'Em stepped to the center of the stage and took on an attack stance, his newly-enhanced arm cocked back. Weeble stopped just out of range. "My friend, I think this stage could use a little remodeling. Would you please do the honor?"

Rock'Em spun in place, far faster than a man his size should, and punched the stage at enough of an angle that the entire thing rippled. Everyone on it stumbled as the force of the blow caused the wood to erupt, a long channel of wood exploding in an instant as it traveled, the wood on the end of the stage exploding outward in such a massive spray that the entire side of the stage facing away from the crowd collapsed, knocking the whole thing at an angle. There was a breathless silence as everyone saw the furrow of shredded wood that bisected the now ruined stage.

Before they could start cheering Weeble dramatically waved his arms in wide circles, seemingly trying to catch his balance. He leaned backwards, then forwards, then paused, arms held out to each side. Then he slowly stood up and the entire crowd could feel his smile.

"Amazing, am I right? But we're not here to showcase my brother, he had his turn." They felt the wink. "No, my friends, we're here to show you what this humble man can do." He tapped himself on the chest. The crowd was breathless, each one enraptured by the show.

He waved to Rock'Em. "Come, my friend. Let's show them my little trick."

Rock'Em moved to stand in front of Weeble and adopted his attack stance again. Tess heard gasps as they realized what was about to happen. One person even cried out 'No!'

Weeble waved the cry off with a casual flip of his hand. "I asked you all if you remembered Weebles. Do you?" He held his hand up to his ear. This time there were more cries of affirmation.

"Well, there's a little something about Weebles. Now, I want you to say it with me." He stood directly in front of Rock'Em, hands in his pockets, his posture as casual as if he were taking a stroll through a park. He nodded to Rock'Em and the man shot his fist forward in a blur. The crowd gasped as the massive fist landed on Weeble's chest with a resounding thunk, his mask lighting up in a shower of sparks.

"WEEBLES," he shouted.

Rock'Em struck again.

'WOBBLE," he shouted.

Rock'Em struck again, then again, and again. His fist became a blur as he pistoned it into Weeble's stomach and chest over and over, the mask lighting up like a fireworks display. Gasps and cries were coming non-stop now as Weeble bore the punishment. Just as the man began to stumble backwards Rock'Em stopped and stepped forward, hand out, but Weeble waved him off.

He turned to face the crowd fully now. "WEEBLES WOBBLE!" He shouted.

"BUT THEY DON'T FALL DOWN!" The crowd shouted and cheered, fists punching into the air.

"BUT THIS ONE KNOCKS SHIT DOWN!" He yelled and turned to face the tower, a lance of the purest power shooting out of it in a beam a foot wide. The tower exploded, the top 20 feet shooting into the distance, clearing the wall of the Bouchard compound and landing with a massive crunching sound.

"Eh what the fuck??" They heard Owen yell and the crowd erupted in laughter and cheers.

When the excitement had died down the visitors, now members of the community, walked the crowd, shaking hands and getting to know their new neighbors. Tess smiled as she felt the good will and camaraderie that was building. She knew they would need it. The Cryptid Challenge would start in a few days and it was going to push them all to their limits. She knew it would make them stronger, but she also knew many of them would die. They would need every bit of hope they could muster.

Later that night she, her family, friends, and the visitors were gathered in the living room of her home. Nostalgia flooded her at how much had changed since they'd sat as a family, watching movies and talking about their days. She wiped away a tear that went unnoticed by the group as they talked amongst themselves in small groups. She let it go on for a few more moments, then interrupted.

"Again, thank you all for coming," Tess began, her voice steady, though the weight of the moment pressed against her chest. She took a breath, meeting each of their eyes, her gratitude plain and genuine. "What we have coming up is going to be hard, but I feel a lot better about our chances now that you're all here. There are some things we can't prepare for, no matter how much we plan or how strong we think we are. The Cryptid Challenge is coming, and it will test us in ways none of us can predict."

A heavy silence hung in the air, each person present absorbing the reality of what lay ahead. Tess paused, her gaze sweeping over the faces before her - their hope, their nerves, their readiness.

She leaned forward, her voice unwavering. "We're not just facing monsters and challenges. We're facing ourselves. The fear, the doubt, the exhaustion - they'll try to break us. But we're not alone in this. We've got each other, and together, we're more than the sum of our parts. This fight will test our limits, and it will push us harder than we've ever been pushed. Some of us may not make it. I can't lie about that. But those who do - those who survive - will be stronger than we ever imagined."

Her gaze softened, and a slight smile touched her lips. "But even in the face of that, we can't let fear take hold. We have to stand together, to fight like we've never fought before, not just for ourselves, but for each other. When it gets hard, we'll remember that. And when we doubt ourselves, we'll lean on the strength of the ones beside us."

Tess took another breath, her voice quiet but full of conviction. "We're about to step into something that will change us, and it's going to be a long, hard road. But it's a road we'll walk together. And that, my friends… that is the most powerful weapon we have."

The room fell silent again, the gravity of her words sinking in, but this time, it felt like something else lingered too - an unspoken promise. They could do this, together.

"Wow, that was a great speech, Mother!"

"Thank you, Fara."

Tess and Lady Tutu

Tess followed Maisy into the clearing. The cat had come for her that evening after everyone had gone to the homes they'd been assigned. As they stepped into the woods Tess could hear Maisy's thoughts as the cat explained the situation.

"She is strong, the strongest of any I have here, but she is unpredictable and too difficult to manage. She is… not a dumb kitten - well, not a kitten. She is…." Tess had never heard Maisy at a loss for words and was trying to process the complicated emotions she was getting from the cat. "She is… too much."

"And what is it you want me to do about it?"

"I need you to take her. Her domain is destroyed so she cannot go back, but she cannot remain here."

"You want me to take your problem child from you? You did this Maisy, this is your problem to deal with."

Maisy's tail flipped in annoyance but Tess felt affirmation across their bond. "This is true, but I ask you from one huntress to another. I ask you… what is the word?"

"A favor?"

Maisy tasted the word and found it appropriate. "Yes, a favor."

Tess sighed but knew she didn't even have to consider it, not really. "Of course I will help you, Maisy. You're my sister - packmate - I would do anything for you."

Maisy's tail flipped her across the face and Tess heard her purr. They had reached the clearing then and Tess saw the ugliest beast of a dog she'd ever witnessed, and it was - was it wearing a tutu? It was snuffling around the clearing, digging its snout into the dirt and carving holes in random areas. Maisy actually sighed then and made a sound that got the dogs attention.

The dog snorted, hopping in place and spinning in the air to face them. She landed with a grunt, pawing at the ground. Maisy stepped to her gingerly, dodging Lady Tutu's nips and bites. With a frustrated growl she smacked a paw down on the dog's head, forcing it into the dirt. Lady Tutu struggled, her butt in the air and her back paws digging furrows into the dirt.

"STOP." The mental command held the power of her dominion and Tess froze in place. Lady Tutu froze - for a second, then began struggling. Maisy leaned down and took the dog's neck in her jaws, pressing her teeth into the dog's neck until it stopped struggling and began to whimper. After a few moments of that Maisy slowly released her bite and stood, Lady Tutu cowed and sitting on the ground.

"New mother." Maisy said, getting a confused expression from Lady Tutu. She repeated it, then again, then a third time. The thought finally penetrated and Lady Tutu looked at Tess with a suspicious, challenging gaze, the drool from her tongue creating a puddle of mud which Lady Tutu licked up.

"So, do I just take her?"

"Yes, but first you must establish dominance."

Tess almost asked what she meant but realized that she knew. With a sigh she began removing her weapons.

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