Gwen's fingers wove an intricate rune in midair, and with a soft pop, a vast purple dome blossomed overhead, its shimmering barrier stretching from the ground up to the mall's glass ceiling. The shoppers and hypnotized volunteers inside blinked in surprise as the dome's glow painted their faces lavender.
Fred stepped back, wincing as magic light rippled around him—then his form blurred into EMEAT, a squat quadruped alien shaped like a glossy yellow orb. Two oversized eyes with vertical pupils blinked inquisitively. EMEAT abilities were rare: it could emit powerful sonic blasts from its gaping maw, generate beams of luminous energy, swallow surrounding light or energy, and unleash supersonic burps that ricocheted like concussive shockwaves. Though it resembled a buoyant frog, it leapt across walls and even the air itself, clinging to surfaces as easily as a gecko.
Gwen grunted, shielding her eyes. "Fred, a heads-up would be nice before that flash!"
EMEAT tilted its head and let loose a blinding beam of pure white light. Within the dome, the hypnotized crowd cried out, stumbling in confusion as the hypnotized bunch stumbled and fell.
As the last dazed volunteers staggered, Fred's form twisted into Stinkfly. He vaulted between tables, wings buzzing, and unleashed a torrent of sticky slime that gummed up wrists and ankles, pinning the newly awakened hypnotized to the spot. The air reeked of bile-sweet resin as Stinkfly dove and twirled, strings of goo flying and binding the rest of the hypnotized people.
But before he could bind the last of the bystanders, two searing crimson lasers drilled into Stinkfly's thorax. The blast singed wing membranes and hurled him across the concourse. He crashed into a directory, detonating glass shards that skittered in every direction. Dazed, Stinkfly de-morphed after crashing, back to Fred's human form.
Gwen spun, eyes narrowing. "Oh—right. Ben got hypnotized, too."
On the shattered tiles, Ben's figure contorted. Panels of red biometal hissed into place, metal unfolding from his spine: Gax had arrived. His fists crackled with raw strength as he stood, claws poised. Sublimino, grinning from behind a half-shredded curtain, clapped slowly.
"I don't know what you guys are but it seems your friend got caught in the hypnotic wave," he sneered. "Get them, my loyal servant!"
"Y~es, Master," Gax intoned in a metallic undertone, launching himself at Gwen in a single bound.
Gwen shot a pink mana shield into being with a sharp gesture—Gax's claws scraped sparks off its surface. But before he could press the advantage, another Gax streaked in—Fred, now in his own Gax form, fists blazing. With a thunderous punch, Fred slammed into Ben's midsection, spinning Gax across the floor like a living top.
Wide shot: Red and green aura flared against the mall's polished tiles. Close-up: Ben's red eyes flashed in shock. He rose, charging with a spine-jab that cleaved air, only for Fred to duck and deliver a spinning back-kick that cracked the directory. Panels flickered off.
They bounced off walls in rapid succession—wide-angle to show kicked-out store fronts, broken mannequins strewn like fallen soldiers. Close-ups captured sweat beading on their biometal foreheads. Speed lines rippled as they traded blow for blow: Gax claws shredding, Gax fists knuckling.
Fred roared over his shoulder: "Gwen! Find that hack's device!"
Sublimino called from behind a snack kiosk, voice moaning with indignation. "Hey! I'm not a hack!" He dove behind plastic pastries, pressing a trembling ear to a hidden pocket watch that buzzed with violet circuits.
Gwen drew a deep breath, channels of mana sizzling at her fingertips. She formed a levitation rune on her palm and whispered, "Levitas Ventus!" A burst of wind lifted her above the fray.
Above the stage lights, Gwen spied a small, cracked pocket watch buried under debris. She swooped down, snatched it, and held it aloft. "It's broken!" she called.
She spun the watch in her other hand, chanting arcane syllables:
"Renovo Lux, tempera motus!"
The watch's fragmented casing reknit itself in a shimmer of gold light—hinges snapped, dials clicked, circuitry purged of static. Brand-new and flawless, it gleamed in her palm.
"Now to clean this mess," Gwen declared. She brought her hands together, forging a magenta beam of raw energy that snaked across the floor. The beam coiled around Sublimino and yanked him off his feet, lifting him to her height.
"How do I undo the hypnosis?" Gwen demanded, flaring her mana in tight, controlled sparks.
Sublimino's mask contorted. "Hah! As if I'd tell you!"
Gwen's grip tightened. She directed the beam like a lasso, holding him aloft. "Really? No answer?" The beam pulsed, lifting Sublimino higher.
The hypnotist's voice cracked. "Y…y…Press that little—button there!" He pointed a trembling finger at the watch.
Gwen's eyes narrowed. She pressed the tiny red button on the watch's side. A wave of hypnotic frequency rolled outward—wide shot of violet ripples across the dome, close-up of shoppers blinking awake, shaking their heads.
Inside the dome, volunteers stirred—yawns and blinks as the trance released. Fred and Ben ceased their sparring mid-swing, turning wide-eyed as the crowd returned to reality.
In a flash, Fred transformed back to human. He seized a stunned Ben by the collar. "Ouch—why'd you do that?" Ben grumbled, rubbing his jaw.
Fred shrugged, a grin creeping across his face. "Story for later." He turned to Gwen. "You got it?"
Gwen held the watch triumphantly. "Fixed and delivered."
Fred nodded, chest heaving. "Looks like this hypnosis guy was more than a sideshow." He pointed at Sublimino, bound in shimmering mana ropes. "What were you up to?" he demanded.
Sublimino squirmed, guilt and fear flickering in his eyes. He refused to answer.
Suddenly a frail voice piped from the Stinkfly slime still clinging to a group of shoppers: "Excuse me—we're stuck down here!"
Fred cracked his back with a sigh. "Oh, right. The rest of them." He opened a palm; a small aqua-blue circle of glyphs spiraled into being on the floor. "Time for a quick clean-up." He rubbed his hands together, releasing a ripple of mana that liquified the viscous slime and lifted it away in a glowing stream.
Gwen rolled her eyes in mock resentment as she helped free each dazed shopper. Together they whispered spells to erase memories—touching foreheads with glowing fingertips. Erasing security footage aswell.
In minutes, the volunteers were safe, the stage cleared, and Sublimino sat grim-faced, half his memory's of today missing. The mall's day resumed, as if no hypnotic army had ever plagued it.
Exhausted, the trio trudged back to the rust bucket. Ben smoothed his hair, still tasting energy drink. "Man, I hate the cleanup part of hero work."
Gwen brushed a stray hair from her face. "Yeah—wish there was an easy button."
Fred flopped onto the bench by the door. "Good thing I can't do magic—otherwise I'd look like you guys."
Max popped his head in, carrying a tray of gyro wraps and fresh baklava. "Who's hungry? Got everything at a discount—just for you."
Ben perked up. "We already ordered pizza…"
Max laughed, setting down the tray. "Pizza's for dessert. Let's have dinner first."
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