The Manaverse

Slatewell Casino Ballroom

Granite City

The musicians played many more songs. From fast paced, dance music that got the crowd's blood pumping to slow and whimsical melodies that allowed couples to cling to one another. All of the hunters seemed to be having a great time. They all needed to relax.

Jut managed to only step on Kit's foot a time or two during the last few songs. It was fair, as she did the same a couple of times herself. Each time, the offender would apologize profusely, yet they kept dancing together, laughing it off.

Around their sixth song together, they decided to step off the dance floor for some refreshments. After receiving a cup of drink from Jut, Kit was spirited away by some of her girlfriends and party members for a girls only dance.

Jut wasn't the least bit surprised when he felt Diggy's fist bump into his arm.

"Jut, man. Pretty awkward moves you got going on out there, dude. At least that hottie doesn't seem to mind much."

Jut cringed, feeling bashful. "The last time I danced was in high school, bro. Leave off."

Diggy chuckled and punched Jut's arm again. "Just razzin' you, bro. In all seriousness, you two look good together."

Jut blushed a bit deeper, his mind flashing to their last slow dance.

"It's only because she looks so good." Jut said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

The doors to the dance hall burst open and a hunter Jut had never seen before tumbled in, looking panicked. Two Safe Zone staff members were trying to drag the man back out of the room, but his voice was loud, loud enough to make the music stop. Every hunter turned to look at the struggling man.

"It's a flood! A flood of Monsters!" The man yelled at the top of his lungs, his fear echoing through the room.

Jut's imagination fired up. He could see that massive group of Monsters again and what devastation they would cause if they rushed the Safe Zone.

"Everybody stay calm. We have this under control." One of the staff members who was trying to pull the scared hunter back out said. "The population is already being evacuated to the bunkers and into the towers."

The crowd began to hum and chatter. Some were scared and unsure what to do. Others were trying to get more information. Many were pushing their way out of the ballroom in a panic.

A booming voice cut through the noise. It was another Safe Zone staff member who had entered behind the others. "Hunters. We have an entrance to the bunkers on the first floor. Please proceed there now. We will guide you."

Jut looked at Diggy seriously. His friend looked just as serious back at him.

"We've got to go." Brick said as he stepped over to the pair. "Our team is out there."

Jut nodded and they began moving towards the doors together.

"I'm going, too. Some of my team is also out there." Diggy said, following Jut and Brick.

The three men were cut off by a group of women, Kit at their head.

"Count us in. We want to help." Kit said, crossing her arms and daring Jut to argue. The women surrounding her nodded fiercely in agreement.

Jut did the only sensible thing when faced with a group of determined women. He nodded and led them on without a word to the contrary.

The large group followed the masses through the exit door. The gathering of hunters followed the attendant down the stairs. When the staff members banked right at the bottom, a majority kept following them. A stream of panicked and scared civilians met their group and were being escorted to safety.

Jut and Brick's group split off from the rest, moving faster towards the front doors. Safe Zone staff members appeared in front of them, stopping their progress.

"Please proceed to the bunkers. We cannot allow you to leave the building. As many people as possible need to be secured." The middle staff member said.

Jut's mind raced trying to figure out what he needed to say to make them let his group pass. Just as he was going to say something, Brick stepped forward, pulling his dual clubs from his inventory.

"Then let us go out there. We will bring more civilians here. Or, are you the first Monsters who need to be put down?"

The staff members looked angry for a moment before their looks changed to fear. Jut looked around in surprise. All of the hunters in his group had also pulled out their weapons. They all looked ready to help Brick take the staff members out.

The bigger surprise was how many of the evacuating hunters had followed his group toward the doors. There had to be over two hundred hunters, now armed to the teeth.

Fredrick emerged from the group. He squared up to the frightened but unyielding staff members.

"Let us do our jobs," Fredrick said before resting a hand on Brick's shoulder in support. "A hunter must save the innocent."

Brick had the largest smile on his face Jut had seen from the man. "Well said, Commander. So, how about it? Are you going to let us by or do we need to move you?"

With grudging anger, the group of Safe Zone staff members moved out of the way. They immediately turned and began directing the flow of civilians to the bunker.

Brick led Jut and his group outside, the mass of armed men and women following behind them quietly.

The sight and sound sent a chill through everyone. Civilians were running towards the casino from all directions. Screams could be heard in the distance. Amongst the flood of civilians were hunters who had not joined in the event. They were intercepting monsters to allow the civilians to escape. Monsters were everywhere, charging in from the northeast. They would attack any civilian they could without hesitation. Amongst the chaos, an announcement could be heard blaring across the intercoms on repeat.

"All civilians of the Safe Zone, please proceed to the Main Casino Building. This is an emergency."

Fredrick looked at Brick who had turned to address the group. "What are your orders, Hunter Almight?" It wasn't lost on anyone in the group that the highest-ranking military member in the Safe Zone had ceded command to Brick.

"If we run out there with no goal in mind, we will be swallowed whole. I need a group to stay here and protect those who are running to safety. Another, larger group needs to make a perimeter, keeping the monsters at bay. Lastly, we need to form strike groups to venture into the tent city to the northeast and find the hunters out there. They can then escort and direct more survivors here. I will lead a strike team myself."

Without argument or asking for clarification, the group of hunters all separated themselves into groups. Some immediately dashed for nearby Monsters. Others moved towards the stampede. In moments, only Jut, Fredrick, Diggy, some of his team, Kit, the Vixens, and a few obvious parties were left standing around Brick.

"Let's go. We should split up by parties to have a better chance making it through the streets to the edge of the Zone. Jut and I will accompany the Iron Fist members so we can meet up with our parties." Brick said.

"What should we do?" One of the Vixen women asked. "Plan on meeting up with you there, or do you have something else for us?"

"That sounds good to me." Brick said, but Jut stepped in.

"Actually, Brick. Could you take the girls to the orphanage?" Jut said in a near panic. "There's no way Magatha could get the children through to the casino on her own."

Brick returned Jut's concerned look with a nod. "Then bring the party to us. We will hold down the orphanage until then unless we can get everyone here. Everybody, let's move out."

Jut followed Diggy and the other Iron Fists. They made their way northeast. Whenever a monster attacked them, the offending beast was dealt with swiftly. Jut could see why the Iron Fists were ranked so highly.

The last time Jut saw Kit and Brick was just before they disappeared down a different street.

The group couldn't sprint all out once they passed the makeshift perimeter made by the other hunters. They had to move cautiously or risk being swarmed. Anytime a monster or group of monsters attacked them, glowing skills flashed in the darkening night, obliterating the attacking monsters.

Once they had moved up a few streets, Diggy spoke to Jut.

"Are you sure you want to let a beef cake like Brick protect your girl, man? I'm sure you could have handled that mission."

Jut shook his head but never stopped scanning for monsters as they kept moving. "Not true. While Brick does have a pension for the ladies, and he is a good looking dude, if there is anything I do trust him with, it's completing the mission. Besides, he isn't one to make a move on a woman his teammate is in to. Add to that, Kit isn't my woman so she can do what she wants."

"She isn't your woman... yet. That's why you should be the one escorting her." Diggy refuted. "Women love that shit."

"That's just it, Diggs. If I had gone with her, that would have been my main concern. Kit's safety. But, what is the mission?" Jut asked.

Diggy sighed. "To rescue the orphan kids."

"Exactly. I sent the right man for the job. I couldn't say that if I had gone, especially after tonight." Jut smiled in victory.

"If you say so, dude." Diggy huffed again. "Heads up." He shouted and brought the double edge of his giant war axe down on a Dog Monster's head, splitting it in two.

"Whoa. Where did you get that?" Jut asked.

Diggy smiled proudly. "One of my teammates made it a couple days ago. I have named her Big Bertha."

Jut couldn't help his chuckle. "Of course you did."

This time, it was Jut who attacked a monster. His club glowed blue as he swung it up into a cat monster's chin with a sickening thud. The cat collapsed instantly.

The group didn't stop to loot their kills. They kept moving.

"Besides, Diggy. If I had gone with Kit, you and I wouldn't get to fight together." Jut said, holding a closed fist up to Diggy.

"That, my friend, is the first statement you've made I agree with." Diggy said back, bumping his own fist back into Jut's.

Despite making good time, their group was still moving slower than Jut liked. Yet, there weren't as many Monsters as Jut pictured there would be. He expected a massive horde, not a trickling stream.

That was when he discovered why that was. As they reached the edge of the Safe Zone, Jut could make out a line of hunters holding back the horde of Monsters he had expected. They couldn't stop some from leaping over their line and sprinting past them, but they had managed to keep a majority of the Monsters back. Given how many Monsters they had seen along their way here, it was a stark contrast.

Jut knew that if their line broke, the Safe Zone would be doomed.

A deep voice drew Jut's attention. A burly man wielding a shield and a giant club turned to him.

"About damn time you made it here, Zoak." Jonny said, blocking an attack. "Thought I was going to have to come get your ass."

"And let you have all the fun, Jonny. No way." Jut shot back as he took up his position next to his mentor.

Diggy stepped up on Jut's other side, the rest of the Iron Fists spreading out to take up a spot in the line. Tired and wounded men and women stepped out to let them take over so they could catch their breath.

How long until the Lock down? Jut thought, not wanting to take his focus off of the fight. Just as he expected, his Guide brought up the timer.

3 hours, 45 minutes, 17 seconds.

"Better conserve Mana. We have a little under four hours." Jut announced to the hunters around him as he activated his skill briefly for an attack.

What he got back was a battle cry as as another wave of Monsters lunged in to attack the fresh group.