CHAPTER 138

"Oh, this is going to be too fun," War declared, then poked at Jenny with the tip of his sword.

Ouch! That hurts my feelings! Jenny sounded very much like an upset four-year-old.

"I'm going to hurt a lot more than your feelings," War growled. "When this is all done, I'm going to rip the stuffing out of you and use you as a fuck toy."

Beth covered her mouth in horror, half expecting Jenny to fly into a blind rage. Instead, the rocking horse retreated to a safe distance from the others.

Stay away from me, mister. Jenny's voice was barely audible. Or I'll tell a grown-up.

War and Famine both chuckled at the doll. Pestilence may have done the same, as the buzzing sounds coming from them sounded slightly higher in pitch. They were underestimating Jenny, which was perhaps the dumbest thing they could do.

In a flash of light, Murray now stood before them.

"This is a game of strategy," he declared. "The rules of the game are still the same, and your corporeal forms are still sitting around the table. In here, I have created a simulacrum of the planet and everyone living on it. They are non-combatants, and will provide no in-game benefit."

"Then why are they here at all?" Beth asked.

"You offered a game of conquest." Murray gestured at the Earth. Golden lines made of light cut across its land, separating the planet into territories. "When you choose your territory, you may dispose of its occupants however you like. They are here purely for flavor and can provide no benefit."

"That's barbaric! Why can't we just have armies or whatever?" Beth hadn't expected Murray to replicate Earth's population.

"That's how conquest works, sweetheart." War let out a loud whoop. "You see, it isn't just about how we fight each other. It's also about collateral damage. When we fight, you'll get to watch people die. Even the act of occupying unclaimed territory lets us get our rocks off!"

"It is what you promised," Famine added. "The game inside here would present itself as we see fit. And it's what we want to see."

Appalled, Beth looked away from them toward Reggie.

"You must harden your heart, Lady Beth." His mech put a fist to its chest in a salute. "After all, it is family game night. And we take no prisoners."

Tensing her jaw, she turned back to Murray. "So how does this work, exactly?"

"In the real world, you are all rolling to see who gets to go first." Murray waved his hand and the space in front of him filled with light as it became a portal to the real world. Through it, Beth saw that she and the others were sitting at the table, their eyes glassy as they took turns rolling a single six-sided die. There must have been a tie for first, because Reggie and Famine both rolled again once everyone had a turn.

"Oh, shit," she muttered when a golden light appeared over Famine's head. If she remembered right, play would proceed to the left, which meant War and Pestilence would get a turn before Jenny did. If the three of them were coordinating at all, it would give them an opening advantage.

"Ah, let's see!" Famine slapped his hands together and looked at the Earth. It rotated once every few seconds, allowing them to see every available territory. The world stopped moving and they descended almost instantly to hover over South America.

Of course. Australia and South America only had four territories apiece, making them the easiest to conquer. Owning a continent gave a player extra troops at the start of their turn. The word Peru appeared in golden letters across the western side of the continent.

"It's go time!" Famine declared, and they were now on the ground. Beth looked around, curious about their destination. They were in a large city, teeming with people.

"Lima," War informed her. People were milling about a city filled with both old and modern structures, some taking in the distant mountain views while others went about their day with nary a care.

Dark shadows swirled along the ground before bursting forth from the soil beneath. Horrific beings made of teeth and claws tore into the local populace, spraying the streets with blood.

"What the hell are those things?" Beth recoiled as one came near her.

"The Hunger." Famine grinned. "Made them myself."

Aghast, Beth watched as Famine's shadow troops formed after devouring the people of Lima. As their screams quieted, the group shifted back into space so suddenly that Beth felt her head spin.

"My turn!" War cackled and pointed his sword at the Earth. Their viewpoint shifted slightly, and the words Central America appeared across Mexico. When they zoomed in, they were standing on the beaches of Cozumel.

Tourists on the beach began screaming when men emerged from the sea wearing high-tech ballistic gear and firing guns. War's soldiers could easily be men from any continent, and their liberal use of bullets and explosives turned the beach into a bloody mess. War himself joined in, cleaving people in half as he ran them down.

Beth turned away and held her ears, doing her best to fight back tears. In her head, she knew none of this was real, but she could easily distinguish the anguished cries of men, women, and children as their beach vacation was turned into a blood bath. War's turn seemed extraordinarily long, and by the time it was over, she found that her ears were ringing from the sounds of violence.

Back above the planet, she watched Pestilence pick North Africa. Down on the surface, Pestilence unzipped their hazmat suit, releasing ominous yellow pollen. People dusted with it grabbed at their heads in agony until large fungal colonies burst from their eyes. Instead of wiping out the locals, Pestilence made them into an army of zombies that groaned in agony as they were controlled by their new hosts.

It was Reggie's turn next. He looked over at her, his whiskers twitching in anticipation.

"Where should I pick?" he asked.