(Prologue)

The sun rises. Cointropolis is in a warm glow. Steve walks on the sidewalk, phone in his ear, holding a cake that says "For Marla..."

"Yeah, I just want to make things right. I want Marla to know I'm not that frustrating teen anymore."

His phone drops. The cake drops.

SPLORCH.

Steve gasps. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no."

"Hello? Steve? Can you hear me?" Bradley asks.

Steve grabs his phone. "Ha-ha! Yes. I'm at her apartment. Bye!" He hangs up.

Nearby, Lil Bot walks while Abel follows.

"So, boss. How are we gonna kidnap Steve?" Abel asks.

Lil Bot faces Abel. "Just like that."

Abel pulls out his green gun. "This! Bang! Bang!" He pulls the trigger. 7 green balls burst into the sky like fireworks.

Lil Bot walks and bumps into Steve. They both scream.

"AAAAAH!"

Steve throws the cake at Lil Bot. SPLASH!

"Oh... it's you." Steve sits cross-legged. "Lil Bot, can you help me? I wanted to make amends with Marla and now I have nothing."

Lil Bot walks toward him. "Steve, you did nothing wrong. If anything, you should make amends with your friends."

Steve sighs. "I just don't want anyone to hate me. John is right... no one wants to root for me. I'm a bad leader."

Lil Bot laughs bitterly. "That's why you can't respawn. The universe is asking if you deserve a second chance."

Steve stands. "Then I should make amends with the gang. I need to find the pieces!"

Lil Bot signals Abel. Abel flies with green guns. "Hasta la vista, baby."

Steve screams and grabs a stale pizza box as a shield. Abel shoots 7 bullets. Steve rolls forward. He hides behind Lil Bot.

"Protect me, Lil Bot!"

Lil Bot punches Steve. BANG! He shape-shifts into a snake, tying Steve into a sphere.

"Lil Bot... what are you doing?"

"Betrayal."

(CHAPTER 1)

At Rita's, Tiffany watches an ad for the Gossip Girls. She remembers a dark memory: Sophie slamming her into lockers, breaking her phone.

"You big bully," Tiffany whispers.

The doors open. Rosie and Matthew walk in drunk.

"Hey... Tiff," Matthew slurs.

Rosie adds, "You look like that person who forgot to eat for 6 months."

John shouts from afar. "Where is Steve? Bradley, what do you know?"

Bradley sits on the couch. "I give up. I'm tired of babysitting him."

Rita is shocked. "He's your brother!"

"He takes advantage of the care. He has to grow up."

Shaun bursts through the window on his skateboard. "Emotional Intelligence! You don't have it!"

Player Police and Rent Police burst through the window.

Rita shouts, "Great. Now I have to pay 6 thousand in window damages."

John gets in Bradley's face. "Steve might be lost, dead, or following Marla again!"

Bradley puts the newspaper down. "He's 19. Let him be curious. You need to stop infantilizing Steve, John."

"How do you know that?!"

"Because I'm a therapist."

John crosses his arms. "Oh, fine!"

Tiffany taps Rita. "Can you help me fight the Gossip Girls?"

Rita smirks. "Alright then."

(CHAPTER TWO)

In Abel's cold lab, Steve is tied to ropes. He wakes up dizzy.

"What's going on?" Steve shouts nervously. "Do you want an autograph? I had a NordVPN sponsor on TikTok."

A shadow drops from the ceiling. Lil Bot holds a cloth.

"So, where should we start?" Lil Bot asks.

Steve screams. "Don't trap me like that!"

Abel turns from repairing a motorbike. "The point about... I don't understand."

Lil Bot's eyes flash red. "Why are you so obsessed with Marla?"

Steve sighs. "In middle school, I was anti-social. Marla was the new girl. She helped me with math, shared her lunch, took me to concerts. She made me feel free. Then she moved to Louis's."

"And then me and Brad also moved to Louis's. I was excited to see her after 5 years. But she was an Enemy. I never said the L word until it was too late."

Steve rubs his hair. "That obsession overtook my personality. I became selfish and frustrating. For that, I'm sorry."

Silence. Abel is shocked. Lil Bot facepalms.

"We wanted to fix your respawning problem! But we failed, so leave!"

Steve says, "I want to stay here. I'm not ready to see the gang again."

Lil Bot resigns. "Alright. Only for 3 hours."

At Rita's, Bradley reads a book. He hears muffled sounds, opens a door, and finds Matthew and Rosie kissing on a bed. He shuts the door, terrified.

Bradley bumps into Jennifer, a gothic girl.

JENNIFER HAYWAY
AGE: 22
POWERS: BLACK MAGIC
WEAKNESSES: THERAPY

Jennifer hands over a cage with baby Marla sucking her thumb.

"That's how Steve defeated her?!" Bradley asks.

Jennifer looks in awe. "Steve did that? Too bad, because I need him."

Bradley stands firm. "You're an enemy."

Jennifer puts a finger on his lips. "Shh, handsome. Did Steve ever tell you... we dated?"

Bradley's eyes widen. "What's Steve's deal with dating Enemies?"

He grabs his hammer. "But I'll never let an enemy take my brother."

Jennifer crosses her arms. Black magic sparkles. BOOM – a black hammer forms.

(CHAPTER 3)

BRADLEY WATSON VS JENNIFER HAYWAY
FIGHT!!!

Bradley runs and throws his hammer. BAM! Jennifer swings her black hammer.

"Octopus!" She claps. Black tentacles spring out, tying Bradley, swinging him into walls.

SMASH!

He drops on the ground with a large scar.

"You're weak, Bradley. Only one weapon," Jennifer whispers.

Bradley looks up. "I have a good heart. But that's useless in this world."

Jennifer forms a black sword and hits him. CLANG!

Bradley is gone. Jennifer is shocked.

WHACK!

Jennifer drops on the ground. Bradley holds his hammer, smirking.

"Didn't expect that?"

Jennifer laughs, standing. "Bring it on, Watson."

She runs. Bradley disappears, teleports behind her, and swings.

BANG!

Jennifer flies far, breaks a window, and lands in another building.

She gets up, turns into a black tornado, dissolving the building. She stands over rubble, bleeding. Bradley taps her shoulder.

"I'm not gonna fight you. You need healing," Bradley says softly.

Jennifer is shocked. "But I'm an enemy."

"The system is screwed. I don't like fighting people. I want a stable life."

Jennifer stares, then laughs softly. "You're not bad yourself, Brad."

They walk away together. On the rooftop, Marla is back to normal, red energy buzzing.

"Oh, I'm coming for Round 2, Stevenson."

(CHAPTER 4)

Outside Gossip Girls headquarters, Rita and Tiffany stop.

"Tiffany... Steve might have had a thing with Sophie," Rita says.

Tiffany is confused.

Rita shouts, "Steve dated Sophie a few months ago!"

Tiffany's jaw drops. "What is the deal with Steve dating Enemies?"

"Steve is a dumbass. He banged her in a trailer."

In the Gossip Girls tower, Sophie and Marie sit in an indoor pool.

Tiffany enters, holding a glowing pink sword. "Why did you cheat on Steve with Bill, Sophie?!"

Sophie scoffs. "Hey, Marie. It's that bitch Tiffany."

Bill turns to Sophie. "Is this true?"

Sophie laughs nervously. "No, babe! It's a lie!"

Bill gets angry. "I know you're lying."

Sophie shouts, "Your academic performance has declined!"

Bill shouts back, "I get paid to write reviews for IGN!"

Sophie swings a blue-charged punch. But she gets pink-electrocuted and faints. Tiffany puts her finger down.

"No, you shut up."

TIFFANY AND RITA VS THE GOSSIP GIRLS.

Rita runs at Elijah. He grabs her knuckles and throws her down. She sweep-kicks him, headbutts him, and he flies away.

Tiffany runs on walls, jumps to Marie. Marie forms blue screens that bounce Tiffany. Tiffany creates a bubble, flies, pops it, and punches Marie.

Marie types on a keyboard, forming Demon Tiffanys. Tiffany slices them and throws one in the pool.

Tiffany charges pink energy and punches Marie. BOOM!

"Tiffany!" Rita shouts. Sophie holds Rita captive with a blue gun.

"If you move, I'll kill her."

Tiffany gets angry. "That girl you slammed on the locker is gone. My friends don't manipulate my kindness like you do."

Sophie throws the gun. "Screw this!"

Tiffany jumps from the balcony. Sophie punches her. HP: 40/100

Rita opens her wings. Yellow bullets shoot at Sophie. Rita up-kicks her, punches her down.

Tiffany runs, pink energy buzzing. "And that was not an—" She punches Sophie hard. "—autograph!"

Sophie is weak. Bill holds a baseball bat. BONK!

"Our relationship is over." He bonks Sophie again. She forms into a blue diamond.

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED
FIRST DIAMONDS
3/7 DIAMONDS COLLECTED.

(CHAPTER 5)

Outside Rita's at sunset. Bradley and Jennifer hold soda cans.

"So, you're gonna leave?" Bradley asks.

Jennifer chuckles. "Sadly, yes. Deadlines."

Bradley sighs. "I had fun with you."

Jennifer smiles. "I might come back. And when I do, you'll love it."

"So, you're not gonna kill me?"

Bradley laughs. "No. You're amazing. I wouldn't want a diamond from you."

Jennifer blushes. "Are you sure?"

Bradley clears his throat. "I... lo—"

CLANG!

Jennifer drops on the ground. John holds his swords.

"What did you just do?!" Bradley shouts.

John twirls his sword. "I was ordered."

"By who?!"

John points at Steve standing from afar. Bradley runs to Jennifer.

"No! Jennifer, please!" She's already a black diamond. Steve gets it.

DIAMONDS: 4/7
NEW ACHIEVEMENT!

Bradley runs at Steve and slaps him.

"Why did you do that?! She wasn't evil!"

Steve pats his shoulders. "She's an Enemy, Bradley. If we don't defeat them, we won't earn the Diamonds of Egress."

Bradley grips Steve's shirt. "You never changed! You're still a frustrating piece of crap that will never respawn!"

He throws Steve on the road.

Steve looks up with tears. "I understand what it's like to have a deep connection taken away. I'm doing this because I need to."

Bradley grabs Steve, kicks him, punches him. Steve curls into a ball.

"Bradley, brother. She will respawn. You will find her."

A single tear drops from Bradley's eye. He slaps Steve one last time.

"I don't want to be your brother anymore."

Tiffany and Rita enter, gasping.

Steve shouts, "Well, fine. You can leave."

Bradley grabs Steve by the tie. "You will never change, Steve. Leave the gang. I'll be the new leader."

On the monitors, Stan watches, sipping coffee.

"Sharon. The G.A.E 9 group is now Top 3. They're close to getting the 7 diamonds."

Stan stands, his face turning to static. "If you defeat the last two enemies, then... You will defeat me, the final boss."

Back with Steve and Bradley, Paul appears.

"We will settle this with a fight," Paul says.

TO BE CONTINUED
IN VOLUME 5.

BONUS CONTENT

COMING UP NEXT ON VOLUME FIVE

blurry vision disappearing.

‘’What the…’’ Steve mutters confused. He tries to get up but fire strings tied to his arm pull him back.

YANK!

BAM!

Steve hits the couch, shocked. ‘’What is this?’’ He looks around panting heavily. Shaun pats Steve’s head, ‘’Relax, kid. It’s temporary.’’

Steve looks at Shaun with horror in his eyes, ‘’What do you mean temporary? I can’t move! I can’t be left with my own thoughts; they swallow me alive!’’

Shaun chuckles softly, ‘’You really have a bad memory, kid. You and Bradley fought remember?’’

Shaun’s smirk widens as he walks, humming. He then opens the door and finds Rejji Vasquez standing before them, cracking his knuckles.

REJJI VASQUEZ

AGE: 26

POWERS: MUSCLE, SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH.

WEAKNESSES: PREDICTABLE ATTACK MOVES.

Shaun gasps, ‘’Oh my god. It’s you, Rejji Vasquez. My idol, my inspiration. My reason to be…someone.’’

Rejji cracks his knuckles, ‘’First of all, I’m flattered. Second of all, how do you feel about a superstar kicking your ass?’’

Shaun is confused, ‘’Wait, What?’’

Rejji walks towards John with his heavy footsteps, ‘’You want some of this?’’ John is silent, reaching for the katana from his pocket, ‘’Uh…no…’’

He then swings it, aiming for Rejji’s chest, but Rejji grabs the katana and crushes it. Shards streaming from his hand. John is shocked.

‘’No, No, No! Not my katana! That was my special weapon! It was a gift from my master!’’

‘’Where are Rita’s, when you need ‘em?’’ Shaun says, weak.

 VOLUME FIVE: G.A.E 9 VS THE DEMONS

COMING SOON...