Meg'ante had found her stride. She followed her first contact with a second, catching Reed's shoulder as he failed to block fully. The giantess strode forward, pressing Reed back in a defensive posture.

Her clip to his chin had been staggering. Reed knew he needed to get out of there. Unfortunately, he was too drunk to make good decisions at the moment. The longer he stayed, the more tired he was going to be and the less likely he was going to get away.

Behind him, he could feel an odd buzzing, the same as he'd felt when Saffron had geared up to cast her water spell.

On a hunch, Reed dove to the side as Meg'ante threw another jab that blurred her fist in the air.

Ice hit the ground Reed had been standing on, coating Meg'ante's legs to her shins. "Saffron!" she screamed.

"I was aiming for him!" Saffron defended.

"I don't need your help!" Meg'ante argued back.

Since the pair were distracted, Reed rolled to his feet and made a break for the the door that led to the street.

Amel'issa slid into his path, claws out, half-dried tail poofy. "Oh no you don't!"

He didn't stop. Even though he knew he was about to get mauled. Catching her hands, Reed slid in the mud as he turned. She was a lot lighter than he expected, but she wasn't expecting him to twist around, pulling her hands over his shoulder as he put his back against her wet front.

Yowling in shock, she flew over his head and flailed midair. He was a bit impressed by her cat-reflexes. She landed on all fours, tail lifted, ears pinned back. This wasn't going to work.

Bella zipped between him and Amel'issa, distracting the cat-girl.

Reed made like a banana.

Claws latched onto his back. She landed her feet on the backs of his thighs. Unbalanced, Reed toppled to the ground.

"Fuck!"

Wrapping her arms and legs around him, Amel'issa nibbled his ear. "I caught you!"

Reed flinched. Where the wet t-shirts hadn't gotten him... That had.

Thankfully, Amel'issa didn't weigh much. He pushed to his hands and knees, then started running again, the cat-girl clinging to him like a soggy backpack. He supposed it was fine if he ended up taking one of the princesses with him. He could ditch her somewhere when her guard was down.

"Slow him down!" Meg'ante shouted.

Amel'issa gripped harder with her claws, drawing blood through his shirt.

Reed burst through the line of guards that stood confused. He leapt down the stairs to the street. "Forchunkt!" he called.

He wasn't far enough, apparently.

The sky boiled with black clouds that swirled in from nowhere. Wind kicked up, blowing dust and leaves.

"She's back!" Amel'issa cried in horror, clutching him tighter, but with less claws.

A blast of lightning struck the ground in multiple places in the city before a blast of heat and light hit mere feet away.

Blinded, Reed slid to a stop and tried to backpedal.

A hazy shape took form in his blue-dot-special. Hands slapped on either side of his face, holding him in place.

"You're hurt!" a husky alto woman gasped. "Who... did this?" she demanded. "Was it you?"

The weight on Reed's back dropped away.

"You heathens," she growled, yanking him forward.

His vision had cleared enough to make out the Demon Lord's face before he was smashed into her low-cut top and suffocated in her breasts.

"My love," she crooned. "I won't let them hurt you anymore!"

Reed flailed, grabbed her hips, and pulled back slightly to gasp, "Slow down, honey!"

She squeaked like a balloon letting a little air out. At least her grip eased slightly, and he pulled back further.

"We're just playing." He didn't dare look back to see if the princesses were going to nod in agreement to this.

"Well." The Demon Lord, now that he was getting the opportunity to actually look at her, was gorgeous, with black lipstick, long lashes, and a tiny mole next to her eye. She was alternating between displeased and excited. "Well, they've gotten their fun. It's my turn now!"

Her wings spread with a rustle like sheets unfurling in the wind. They wrapped around him.

Oppressive darkness swallowed everything, and the ground dropped out from beneath his feet.

***

Loki dropped to the couch beside Freya and grinned, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Hello, my dear sister. Enjoying the show?" The sitting room of the twins, Freya and Freyr, was spacious, as befitting gods but the center of the room was taken by a spinning globe of a beautiful world. The Queen of Asgard lounged against the arm of her couch, eyes focused on their pet project.

Freya pushed away Loki's uninvited contact and straightened in her seat. "You weren't invited," she informed him sternly. "And I'm not your sister." She should have known he would show up. This whole situation seemed like something he would set up, then come to gloat and watch the fallout. Most of the time his pranks were inconsequential, but others…

She still hadn’t forgiven him for Baldur.

"Sister-in-law, but who's keeping track?" Loki shrugged. Leaning forward, he put his elbow on his knee, chin propped in his palm as he stared down at the world of Oria. "They're fighting? Aren't they supposed to be on the same team?" He grinned.

"You know very well what's happening, and why,” Freya said coldly. This world had been a project Freyr had wanted to do, but instead of getting to focus on the aspect he’d designed the world for in the first place, they were instead forced to constantly defend it against the ugly seed Loki had tossed into the world while they weren’t looking.

Loki chuckled, sitting back against the other arm of the couch, crossing his legs.

"When will you stop getting involved in our project?" Freyr asked turning to frown at Loki.

"You say that, but admit it. I spiced up your little game. It isn't as if they don't always pull through in the end."

Freyr bristled, about to speak. Freya spoke over him. "Well, this time, you went too far." She curled a lock of her golden hair around a finger, refusing to look at him.

Freyr sat back, folding his arms. "Bad enough that you put that Demon Lord into our world, but now you've stolen the Astralitar."

"I didn't steal him. The Demon Lord took him," Loki defended, then laughed. "And I have just as much influence over him as you do. Which would be effectively zero.” He tapped a finger to his chin. “Though I have to say, you couldn’t have picked better this time. He's perfect for punishing those princesses. They're getting exactly what they deserve! Look at him go. Making those girls just eat themselves up with jealousy!"

Freya sighed gustily.

Gripping the back of the couch, Loki leaned toward her. "Admit it... It's funny."

Pressing her lips together, Freya turned her face away to try to hide her smile. She didn’t want to admit that Reed was incredibly funny. Not to Loki. And certainly not to Freyr, since Oria was his project to begin and Loki had ruined it.

"Don't you dare laugh," Freyr objected, staring at his sister.

Freya smiled at him, indicating she was going to keep her peace.

Loki's smile widened into a grin. He sat back. "What do you say we make a bet?"

"On what?" Freyr grumbled. "We've lost all our pawns. You've got the Demon Lord still."

"I don't, actually," Loki admitted cheerfully. "She's been charmed by the Astralitar and is no longer under my control. You do still have Bella."

"Then what's there to bet? Which one he'll choose?" Freyr demanded.

"That man would never choose anyone on his own," Freya dismissed. "He's a stray cat."

Loki pondered. "We can bet on whether the world collapses or if Reed finds a way to create a balance that includes the Demon Lord."

Freyr sat back, folding his arms. "I just wanted to build a perfect civilization. Why does everything have to be a game with you?"

"Because if you wanted perfection, why are you using mortals?" Loki retorted. "Just make a world full of rocks and be done with it."

"Because civilization requires people!"

"And people are messy," Loki didn't raise his voice to match Freyr's irritation. His calm retort was more infuriating.

Freya lifted her hand. "Loki's right," she said, much as it irritated her to say so. She looked at Loki. “If he finds a solution that balances all five kingdoms, will you leave this project alone forever?”

“Forever?” Loki gasped. “That’s a very long time!”

“At least until I’ve achieved what I was trying to do?” Freyr asked, rolling his eyes.

“Alright,” Loki said and smiled. “I won’t interfere in any way. I’ll forget it exists.”

“Do we tell them about the change in goal?" Freya asked.

"Absolutely not," Loki said triumphantly. "Let's see what they do on their own."

Freyr glowered in irritation. “Leaving it all up to the whims of one human? You’re guaranteed to win.”

"Either way, I'll stop interfering," Loki said, "You can do what you want with your toy world, regardless of who wins."

"After it's been torn apart?" Freyr demanded. "Freya!" He turned to his sister for support.

"You each choose a tool. Freyr, use Bella to guide Reed into making better choices," Freya suggested. "Loki, make an avatar to influence him your way."

Loki snorted as he looked down at the portal again. "Honestly don't think I even need to. He's a wreck already! But fine. Do you agree, Freyr?"

"And what about you?" Freyr asked his sister. "Are you going to interfere?"

"I won't. I'm happy watching," Freya said.