Opening Night
The gates of Solmere had never seen this many people.
Light spilled into the streets.
Lanterns floated overhead—
Hundreds of them—
Drifting into the night sky like newborn stars.
Music filled the air.
Laughter followed.
For the first time in weeks—
There were screams.
But not of fear.
Children ran through the streets, shouting and playing, their joy echoing between buildings that had once known only struggle.
Tonight—
Solmere lived.
Jax and the Vixens
Jax moved through the crowd like he belonged to it.
Because he did.
He greeted vendors by name when he could.
By respect when he couldn't.
Owners.
Workers.
Didn't matter.
To Jax—
They were all part of what Solmere had become.
He stopped at stalls, sampling food, inspecting crafts, asking questions.
And when he found something interesting—
He shared it.
"Try this," he said, handing Bunny a wrapped burrito.
"Add a little of that red sauce first."
She tilted her head.
"Why?"
"Trust me."
She did.
A bite.
A pause.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh. Oh that's dangerous."
Nyxian smirked.
"Let me guess—he's right again?"
"He's always right," Bunny said, already reaching for another bite.
"Don't encourage that," Nyxian muttered.
A few steps later—
"Dip this in the cheese," Jax said, handing Zee a fried pretzel.
"Then add a little salt."
Zee blinked.
"…both?"
"Both."
She followed his instructions.
A bite.
Her expression softened into quiet amazement.
"…how do you know these things?"
Jax shrugged.
"Experience."
Nyxian leaned in.
"From your old world?"
Jax smirked.
"…and a little trial and error."
The Business Behind the Festival
Jax's own booths were overwhelmed.
Lines stretched down entire streets.
One in particular—
Was chaos.
Powdered sugar filled the air.
Golden fried dough.
Fruit.
Syrups.
Creams.
This world's first taste—
Of something dangerously close to a funnel cake.
And they loved it.
Jax slipped in through the back.
The workers froze.
Then immediately straightened.
"Sir—!"
"Relax," Jax said with a grin.
He watched for a moment.
And immediately saw the problem.
Inefficient.
Everyone doing everything.
Tripping over each other.
"Stop."
They froze.
Jax stepped forward.
"You—batter."
"You—fry."
"You—toppings."
"You—serve."
They blinked.
He demonstrated.
Fast.
Clean.
An assembly line.
One order.
Then two.
Then five.
Within minutes—
The chaos turned into rhythm.
The line started moving.
Fast.
The workers looked at each other—
Then at Jax—
Smiling.
"Keep it tight," he said. "You'll double output."
As he turned to leave—
"And if you hit your target early?"
He glanced back.
"Bounce Out."
They grinned.
They knew what that meant.
If they hit their sales goals, they could leave the night early with pay and management would take over.
The Legends of Solmere
As they moved through the streets—
They started noticing them.
Paintings.
Posters.
Statues in progress.
The Vixens.
Jax.
Depicted as heroes.
Some… impressively accurate.
Others—
"…are my breasts really that large?" Bunny asked, staring at one.
Nyxian crossed her arms, analyzing it.
"Not quite," she said.
A pause.
"…but awfully damn close."
Bunny blinked.
"…I don't know if that's a compliment."
A few stalls later—
Zee tilted her head at another.
"…is my hair really that… uneven?"
Jax squinted.
"…they made you look like a startled bush."
Zee looked mildly offended.
Nyxian groaned at another.
"I look like a cheap goth caricature."
"You kind of are," Bunny said.
"I will hex you."
The First Warning
Llandra felt it first.
A shift.
Subtle.
But wrong.
Her eyes moved.
Scanning.
Tracking.
She looked at Jax.
He met her gaze.
And smirked.
He already knew.
That alone made her pause.
If he wasn't reacting—
There was a reason.
The Arrow
Pixelle stepped up to the strength game—
Hammer raised with all her tiny might.
The crowd leaned in.
And then—
A whisper in the air.
Too fast for most.
An arrow.
Straight for Bunny's head.
Jax caught it.
Between two fingers.
Inches from the back of her neck.
No effort.
No urgency.
Just—
Gone.
He looked at it briefly.
Then crushed it.
Wood splintered like paper.
Without even turning—
He raised one finger behind his back.
And wagged it.
No.
The message was clear.
Not tonight.
He dropped the pieces into a nearby bin.
The Rooftops
Llandra's eyes shifted upward.
Movement.
Multiple figures.
Rooftop to rooftop.
Encircling.
Watching.
She looked at Jax again.
He didn't move.
Didn't tense.
Didn't care.
And that—
Was terrifying.
The Masks
They revealed themselves.
Not fully.
But enough.
White masks.
Curved smiles.
Sharp, feline eyes.
Cheshire.
Jax almost laughed.
Of course.
The Standoff
Behind his back—
Jax lifted a single finger again.
A warning.
I see you.
The leader froze.
"How…" one of them whispered.
They didn't know.
Couldn't know.
But their cover was gone.
"Stand down," the leader ordered.
Reluctantly—
They obeyed.
The Mistake
One didn't.
Arrogance.
Or stupidity.
He drew.
Fired.
And triggered everything. Many other fired as well after seeing the first launch.
Thirty-two arrows filled the sky.
Poison-tipped.
Lethal.
The Response
Jax moved.
Not fast.
Effortless.
He stepped.
Turned.
Shifted.
Each arrow—
Caught.
One by one.
Like plucking fruit from the air.
Behind him—
Zee.
Bunny.
Nyxian.
Pixelle.
Lexi.
Untouched.
Llandra Unleashed
Llandra moved.
Her bow appeared—
As if it had always been there.
She fired.
Not one.
Not two.
Dozens.
Each arrow—
Perfect.
Piercing shadows.
Striking targets mid-motion.
No misses.
No hesitation.
Bodies dropped from rooftops.
Clean.
Silent.
Precise.
The End
Jax placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Enough."
She paused.
Scanning.
Several remained.
Including the leader.
Jax didn't pursue.
He smiled slightly.
"Let them run."
The Real Decision
Because they had already lost.
The moment they attacked—
They were marked.
Jax didn't move.
But something else did.
Shadows.
Across the city.
Watching.
Waiting.
The Cleanup
As the assassins scattered—
Trying to blend.
Trying to vanish—
They were met.
One by one.
Silent.
Final.
No chaos.
No spectacle.
Just…
Gone.
Back to the Festival
The music never stopped.
The laughter never faded.
The lanterns still rose.
And no one knew—
How close death had come.
Bunny grabbed Jax's arm again.
"You still owe me three more food stalls."
"…three?"
"Minimum."
Jax sighed.
"…worth it."
Above It All
One figure remained.
Watching from afar.
Not Cheshire.
Something else.
Hidden deeper.
"…interesting," they whispered.
A pause.
"…very interesting."
And then—
They disappeared.