Magic was hard. Sure, the spellforms came to her with the instincts built into her ability. It was like being given a manual or in this case, a spell book. She had a mountain of spells she’d never even tried before. Hundreds of different ways to use the blue energy that permeated her body and gave her the strength to do the things she did. But that didn’t mean the spells weren’t difficult to actually perform. It was easier said than done. She could rattle off exactly how to create a dome of magic that could cover the ey of Brooklyn, but could she do it? Not anytime soon.

  Even so, Bluestar roud of the progress she’d made sihe fsh. She’d been one of the first people to hop to a when the monsters started appearing. Azure bolts came incredibly easily after a little trial and error and they were good enough to put a stop to most hounds. Her barriers had e when she had moved to protect a group of people ered by hounds. It had been a bit harder, and the mental strain was weightier, but she’d pushed through and saved a few lives in the process. The gratitude in that little boy’s eyes was something she’d carry with her for the rest of her life.

  Good feelings and pride, however, were not enough to keep you going during an nearly endless surge of nightmare beasts from another dimension. While she was like most other heroes, her powers always ready to go and the magic that powered them seemingly bottomless, her body wasn’t as resilient. The energy had to use her body as a duit of sorts and while it didn’t hurt, it did wear oamina over time. That was another reason why she hadn’t tried any of her bigger spells. At least not until just that moment.

  Everything had happened so fast.

  One moment they were riding on the high of having quered floor after floor of this mysterious interdimensional dungeon. Thanks to Firestorm having a greater trol over fire than their enemies, most of their attacks had been rendered useless. It was ve, but it also meant that they’d had a handicap the eime. She wondered for the huh time if they could handle a dungeon of this same difficulty without su advahe answer had been a resounding no. That worry had weighed on her as she tried to rest ahead of the final room, and it had distracted her as they stepped inside.

  I should have seen it. I should have se. It’s presence is so intense. How did I miss it? She chastised herself even as Firestave the order to scatter. That doubt made her hesitate, again, but she mao get her feet moving as the creature roared. Sure, Firestorm was in charge when they were fighting on the field, but she was supposed to be the guildmaster. Some guildmaster I am. She thought as she hurried to cover behind one of the many pilrs that circled the room. She turned around to check where the others had ended up a her heart bottom out tuts.

  Firestorm was still there.

  Nibsp;

  The scuffle was so fast she could barely process what she’d seen. Firestorm threw his bato it, trying to get the creature to back off. Then it pinned him to the window. She heard him scream and she saw Lifesaver move to keep him alive despite the agony. Bst it away, burn it’s eyes, something! e on Nick! Move! Do something! Yet all he could do was struggle, try to move, try to survive. It was s. Why was it s? She saw bck arrows pelt into its body but it barely flinched, its focus entirely on the more signifit threat that was Firestorm.

  He ’t focus enough to use his powers, she realized. He needs breathing room.

  Without a sed thought she hurried out into the dead ter of the room, getting a full view of the creature’s back. Plenty of area to hit with her azure bolts. She fired one off, then another, and another, dozens of bolts ing out in a stream that spshed uselessly against its skin. e on! e o! Do something! Stop hurting him!

  “Let him go!” She screamed, unleashing again, but the only sound that came was another d scream from her friend.

  They aren’t enough, but… She chewed her lip. I even do it?

  “Blue! What are you doing?” Came a shout from her left. Bandit. She g him and cracked a smile, getting a worried look from him.

  She focused on the creature a out a breath, This is… probably going to hurt. She licked her lips and took a stance, holding out both hand and trating on the monster’s back. She tried to aim for the ter, where its heart probably was. She didn’t know for sure, just a guess at this point. It didn’t matter. As long as it hurt it. She took a deep breath a her instincts guide her, she felt the energy in the air draw into her body as the energy inside of her mixed with it, creating that illustrious blue light. She felt her body process it, refi, vert it, her very being a vessel for it.

  She called up her mental manual, her instinctive study guide, and flipped through the pages. Something that hurt it, I here! She settled on a spellform, a bst of raw energy trated into a drical beam of light. It was way more advahan anything she’d ever attempted, but it was the first one she found that her gut told her would have a ce to pierce it’s skin. She sidered what state using it would leave her in and dismissed the thought out of hand. She was a hero, heroes saved people, if they got hurt in the process so be it.

  More importantly, Firestorm was her friend, her rade. Like hell she would let him suffer any longer.

  She called up the spellform.

  “Grk!” She gasped, the magic burning into her body even faster, she felt a wave of exhaustion pass over her. It was like she’d run a marathon in an instant. Her muscles ached and burned as the energy collected at her palms, but she didn’t relent, even as blood oozed down her nose and her eyes watered. “e on… e on… fuck it isn’t that bad!” She snarled with bloody teeth, the strain pushing her body to its limit. And then, just like that, it stopped.

  She blinked for half a sed, w if she’d failed to cast the spell when a flicker of light bloomed on her palms. She gasped and hurried to make sure she was aimed at the right spot only to be knocked off target by the sheer force that came .

  WHOOOM!

  The bst of energy erupted from her palms, ng out and pierg straight through the beasts side. It let out a howl of pain as the light faded, leaving a perfectly circur hole in its side. It looked down at the wound as she felt her knees buckle, exhaustioaking her. She watched it pull its hand away from Firestorm a out a sigh of relief. He’ll be fine, yeah, Lifesaver’s got it. Now I just got to… She trailed off as she felt her numb legs and looked down at her shaky, burned hands and fingers. Oh… that’s not good.

  She looked up into the beasts eyes. It had already raised its hammer.

  She heard someone shout.

  At least he’s okay.

  The beast swung.

  Ahh… I was having a lot of fun as Guildmaster too. Sonya’s going to be so mad.

  She closed her eyes, she wasn’t sure why she felt at peace, but it was better than being afraid. Right?

  FWIP!

  Something caught hold of her robe and pulled, she felt herself get lifted off the ground and opened her eyes in shock. The hammer barely grazing her nose as she was carried bodily across the room by something. She tried to e her head to see what it was but was instead dazed by the sudden impact of her body against the wall furthest from the beast. She blinked, her head spinning, her body ag, and looked down at her feet. She was hanging? From what? She tilted her head and looked up and saw a thick bck arrow stig out of her robe and embedded in the wall behind her.

  Bandit…

  Before she could look for him, the hulki let out a roar of indignation and stomped its feet. Its eyes still fixed on her. She felt a chill run up her spine. I am suddenly a lot less okay with fag that thing now! She thought hurriedly and tried to will a spellform into shape to cut herself down. That was about as successful as getting water out of a stohe magic was there, in the air and inside of her, but her body just wasn’t willing to put up with it. She grit her teeth and trated as the creature’s booming footsteps approached. Oh e on! She snarled inwardly.

  –

  Bandit let out a breath of relief. He hadn’t tested the heavy arrow on anythiely like what he’d just done for Bluestar, so he’d been a little worried about whether or not it could lift her. He was happy to see that he’d been wrong. Still, That crazy girl! What was she thinking?! I’m gonna shake her whe back, I swear to god! He grumbled and looked back at the beast. It seemed to be looking for him, too bad for it he’d already e and gone. He was the fastest among the group, even Firestorm not able to keep up when he was at full speed. Getting down from his perog an arrow, firing it, and using his beloved ASTA made grappling hook to get back up took no more than a few seds.

  Now he was ba the upper level, the shadows his shield, his bow already drawn. The lighter arrows hadn’t worked, and while a heavy arroierced its flesh, it hadn’t done more than superficial damage. With Firestorm still rec and the big bastard’s focus returning to Bluestar, that left keeping the big baddie distracted to him. Great. I’d like to remind you all, I am not a frontline fighter! He groused and gnced up at the ceiling. He sighed, Fine, I guess I’ll show off a little.

  He took a few prepatory steps bad fixed his eyes on a spot on the ceiling. He took a breath as the darkness began to billow around his feet. He darted forward, rag towards the guard rail he’d been hiding behind and with a single leap stepped on it. He threw as much strength as he was willing to into it, kig off the rail and flipping on the air. He took a deep breath as he found himself upside down and kicked his legs out. He felt resistahe ceiling, and with a thought he adhered to it. He looked up, or rather, down, at the beast as it began it’s charge and drew another arrow.

  If my usual arsenal won’t work, it’s time to improvise. He took a sharp breath as he drew the string back, a dark arrow f. He trated and increased its size a before densing it. Heavy, but fast, He frowned as he felt the dark material start to weave together, coiling in on itself in an attempt to maintain its size despite the increased mass. He shifted his focus to the arrowhead. Sharper, sharper, even sharper, I to go deep, I he wound to st, fester, hurt. The arrowhead stretched and narrowed, looking more like a bodkin arrow. He took aim, the shaping taking pce over just a few heartbeats.

  He didn’t notice the billowing smoke trailing off of it. Not until he released the arrow. Eat shit asshole.

  The arrow flew through the air and struck, a direct hit just at the spot between the shoulder and throat. It dug deep and the beast let out a pained howl. It thrashed ond then looked at it’s shoulder. Something bck spreading from the wound. It looked almost fused for a moment before looking up from where the arrow had likely e from, straight into Bandit’s eyes.

  “Uh… sup?” He said stupidly and the creature let out a roar. Fire began billowing in it’s mouth. He g Firestorm and saw Lifesaver o him. He’d be up in a sed, but not fast enough. “Oh shit, here goes… let’s hope this works this time…” He whined and with a bit of trepidation released the adhering nature of his shadows from the ceiling. He took a step forward and pnted his foot again, adhering it before releasing his back foot. He repeated the process, release, step, adhere, release, step, adhere. , , !

  He gnced down at the beast just as it released a trated bolt of fire that smmed into the ceiling right behind him. He stumbled, but caught himself. “Fuck!” He shouted, pushing himself forward, moving faster, faster, letting his instincts carry him. Before he realized it, he was running along the ceiling. He blinked and gasped, letting out a ugh. “Aha! Ahahahaha! I’m doing it!” He let out a howl and drew his bow, looking down at the fused monster as it watched some tiny bck shape scurry around the ceiling.

  That was when another of those very painful arrows hit it in the shoulder. Then another in the chest. Then another and another.

  “Those hurt don’t they!” Bandit shouted, ughing, “How’s the weather down there? Hail huh? That sucks!”

  The beast howled in rage and took a step, trying to get Bandit in its field of view but instead, it stumbled. Bandit blinked, “Huh?” He squinted and finally noticed the weird bess spreading from the various wounds. Am I poisoning it? He looked at his bow. Freaking cool!

  The beast tried to lift its hammer but found its arm growing darker and darker. It whipped its head up from its clearly worsening body and gred in accusation at Bandit. It opes mouth again and drew in even more power. Flickers of heat spread out and Bandit got the distinct impression that this attack wasn’t going to be siarget. No dodging this one. He thought and drew another one of the arrows. But if yoing to make your mouth an easy target, then cool. Let’s see who’s faster!

  He drew his arrow, bck smoke billowing as he trated on making the most horrific arrow he could imagine. Long, serrated, with that pierg quality, oh and pack extra poison into it-or whatever the hell it was. He grit his teeth as he felt his arm ache from the draw. He squi his target, Fly!

  The arrow flew. The creature’s mouth flickered and fmes began to burst out. Everything slowed for a moment. Shit, those fmes are gonna burn it up!

  SNAP!

  The fmes vanished.

  The arrow struck, driving itself directly into the beasts mouth, all the way through, pierg the back of its skull. Bandit stared, then gnced over at Firestorm who had a single hand held up in the air as if he’d just snapped his fingers.

  BOOM!

  Bandit looked back at the body of the monster as it fell face first to the ground. He stared at it for a long time before turning back to Firestorm who shot him a tired thumbs up.

  “...we won?”