Mason opened his eyes in his own bed, seeing Becky’s sexy body sprawled at some ridiculous angle near his legs. Naya and Ayet slept cuddled against his sides. Lodie had apparently already gotten up, probably to start on some project. Haley, Rosa, and Lexi would be sleeping in the nursery.

It had been the kind of birthday night sex that once would have shattered his young, male mind, but was now kind of ‘routine’. A very good routine. A bed full of beautiful women. All his. All eager and pleased to be there, up for whatever he wanted.

It was just before dawn, and with nothing critical screaming at him, he was about to wiggle himself back down into the pillows. Or possibly lean over and slap Becky’s exposed ass and start a morning round. He hadn’t quite decided.

But something in the air drew his attention. Like a change in the temperature before a storm. He blinked and looked at his timer, that had a very clear seven days remaining.

It was his last thought before the timer clicked over a nine. And then started draining.

His gut plunged as the numbers rolled. It wasn’t even an official counter—just his personal timer showing how much time the system had given them in its message. But he felt it. Sensed it. Then there was a sound in his ears. No, in his mind. Like a smoke-stack had learned how to laugh.

He was up and blinking, pinching himself, testing for a dream. It wasn’t. He rushed out of the hall in a second, covering himself with Spring’s Embrace as he stepped to the edge of a platform, staring out at the canopy of the great forest, scanning with all his senses.

Everything felt…wrong. Harder to reach. Coated by some new substance floating on the air. The sky was turning color without the sun. And not just reds and oranges. He saw greens and purples like the northern lights. Where was the damn sun?

[New Event: Planar Re-alignment: In progress. Planar incursions to begin shortly. Please observe event objectives. This will be the final event of the game. Congratulations on your ongoing survival, and good luck!]

Mason gripped the rail. Their overlord was starting a week early, changing its mind, maybe just fucking with them. Of course it was. Life isn’t fair, his brain reminded him bitterly. A lesson the system seemed hell bent on driving home.

Would it let them get right to the end, then simply wipe them out anyway? Maybe the final theme of their synthetic tormentor was ‘haha, fuck you’. Maybe this was all the cosmic joke of a bully with a magnifying glass, frying ants because he was bored.

But he had to try. To pretend it might be otherwise. Because if not he’d lie down and die, and do the work for his enemy. Maybe it was petty, stubborn spite, but he was at least going to make this fucker go through the effort of killing him.

Players were running out and looking around all over Nassau. Becky had managed to get on her boots and wrap a sheet around her waist, but only had an arm over her chest. Mason looked her up and down and grinned.

“Maybe you should put on some shorts if you want to fight evil today.”

Her eyes widened as she grinned.

“Is that a movie reference? From you? I loved Mystery Men!”

It was. He’d seen it, actually, one of the few. He couldn’t remember why or when but no doubt Blake had made him. He kept a poker face.

“Nope. What the hell is Mystery Men?”

Becky blinked. “Aw come on.” She looked skeptical but still unsure as she quirked her head. “You messin’ with me? You really didn’t see it? I mean what are the chances you’d say that. Ain’t no way.”

He shrugged like he didn’t care, then stepped on the rail and jumped, Wild Shaping some wings. He snatched the sheet off Becky’s waist at the last second. She shrieked and fled back to the hall. He spread his wings in practiced ease, whipping out over the settlement.

The moment he stopped measuring reality to his expectations, his mood improved.

No more waiting. The fight was here. The event and moment he’d been preparing for throughout the game, and maybe his whole life. The second biggest bully imaginable preparing to show its face.

Maybe he couldn’t get at their robotic master. But he could break the shit out of its favorite goon.

**

“The time loss is irrelevant,” Phuong said at the central beacons. “We have already called everyone back. All players are in place except the field teams. Want us to take initial positions now, Patron? Or wait to see what happens next?”

That was Phuong speak for: To see what unexpected bullshit happens, and see if we have to change our whole plan.

Mason looked over the elite players he was trusting to help lead the defense. Men who’d been at his side now through some of the craziest shit imaginable, and come out stronger on the other side.

Carl, Phuong and Garet stood waiting like the soldiers and leaders they were. Carl would stay in Nassau and defend it if needed, as well as coordinate the whole world (with civilian help) from the Nexus. Phuong and Garet would lead the ‘roamer’ teams. Chinua was already at the holy city with a good half of the world’s players. Blake was at his tower, but made it clear he could move wherever.

“Let’s go now. Take your mobile beacons and cover your areas. The scouts will tell you where they need you.”

“And you’re sure you don’t want help with the forest?” Garet raised an eyebrow and the question for the third or fourth time. “I know you’re…you. But that’s a hell of a big forest, chief. We could at least give you some scouty eastern players.”

Mason shook his head.

“Get your people and kits, and meet at the gate. Let’s move.”

His officers knew by now when he was done planning and ready to act. They took off to their jobs, and the next hour was pure scramble as Nassau readied for war.

Defensive structures came to life all over the tree city. The ‘tree guardians’ inside every tree were primed and ready in Mason’s profile, totally formed and grown for battle. He’d invested in mannable turrets as well, sort of like self-loading, giant crossbows even civilians could aim and shoot.

His House’s Nexus Defender status improved everyone, players and civilians. It also promised some kind of ‘armory’ that would open if the Nexus was truly under attack. What that meant exactly he wasn’t sure, but hoped it was something simple enough for civilians to use, because he wasn’t sure his players would be available.

He said goodbye to his girls, giving each a hug. New mothers or not, they all had jobs, too. Rosa, Lexi and Haley were all with Carl at the Nexus. They’d help him coordinate communication with the entire world—no small task, especially when shit hit the fan.

But they recognized they only had a last moment with their husband now. That he was almost gone and becoming the other thing, the thing they were sometimes afraid of, the thing that was required. Most of his mind was far away already, imagining defence, dreaming of violence.

“I shouldn’t have done this,” Demi said miserably, holding her swollen belly as he kissed her cheek. “I’ll be so much less useful. It’s so frustrating. I want to be with you.”

“You didn’t do it alone.” He managed to give her a private smile. “And you know I’m fine by myself. Stop worrying. Defending Nassau is exactly where I want you. Blow shit up. Heal people. Look calm and collected. You don’t need to be out there running a marathon to be useful.”

She nodded, and he gave her a last kiss, then exchanged a few words with all the others, finally ending with Haley.

He saw the overwhelmed look in his first wife’s eyes. They both knew how much he’d be relying on her in the days ahead. To make decisions when he was away, to use his points and authority if needed. To make sure he knew what was going on and message him even during intense violence. All with a brand new baby waiting on her, who did not give a shit what else she was up to.

He took her arms and looked in her eyes.

“You can do this. You’re not alone. Rely on Sylvie and Carl and the other girls. You don’t have to be perfect, you just do your best.”

She smiled for him, but he could see the anxiety. There wasn’t much he could do about it. He just pulled her in and hugged her, kissing her temple.

“Are you afraid?” she whispered, searching his eyes when he pulled back. He smiled because no, he wasn’t. And maybe seeing that helped her more than anything he could say. Though he was glad she didn’t know why he wasn’t afraid.

The truth was, he wasn’t thinking about consequences anymore. About failure and the end of the world. He was thinking about how many demons he could rip apart with his bare hands. Testing his new power. How much he was going to love every second of it.

“I’ll inspect the troops,” he said, giving his ‘command’ team a wave as he made for the gate. “Then I’ll be on the move. Relax. Save your worrying and strength because it has to last a week. But don’t get complacent. And I’m not saying it.”

“We all hear it anyway,” Carl shouted.

Be ready for anything.

Mason grinned and flew to his player teams.