“I am 100% sure this is child endangerment,” Dante spoke, his arms crossed as he walked down the street.

After retrieving Dante, the trio headed deeper into the city’s heart. By then, people were sitting on the sidewalk, unable to come to terms with everything. Some hid in the backseat of their cars, and there were even bodies lying around. Nearby buildings had scorch marks and blood splatter, windows had been shattered along the block, leaving shards of glass lying on the sidewalk. The shards emitted a low crunching noise as they walked over them. Dante was constantly looking over his shoulder. He spotted large footprints leading down the street, too large to belong to any person.

“If there were another way, I’d never actively bring you somewhere like this,” Velle states. She, too, had her head on a swivel, looking out for any threats nearby. 

“As much as I don’t have any faith in Raiah… I’d rather be with you two, than at some dusty school.” Dante saw a body lying in the street and averted his gaze, covering his mouth. 

“Gee, thanks,” Raiah states while leading the pack. Her back is hunched over, and every little noise causes her to peer in its direction. 

“So how are we supposed to get stronger again?” He asks. 

“W-well… We need to search for c-characters.” She explains. “It’s the only way we’re gonna get stronger.”

“And where do we find them?” He asks.

“If all of fiction’s come to life, then… There’s a character I think would have a good phrase for Velle.” Raiah states. “Old York is like his backyard.”

As they walked through the car-filled street, most of which were abandoned, a red sedan flew through the air above them, crashing into a nearby building. The wall’s integrity was compromised, causing it to fall over with the car.

“Heads up!” Velle shouts. The trio ran into the street to avoid the collapse. Dust and debris go flying as the group ducks behind a car. Car windows shatter from the shrapnel the building shot out. Raiah nearly falls over from the loud noises startling her and her hand lands in a pool of liquid. She looks down to see a pool of red and the body lying next to it. A hole had been bored through their chest. Raiah began backing away until she collided with a taxi behind her. She stared at the blood coating her hands as her expression contorted into despair and worry.

“I was stupid to think that a world like this was made for someone like me…” Raiah thinks.

A wide swing from a tree-like limb broke through the cloud of dust. Raiah was absorbed in her world, while Velle and Dante hid behind the other car.

“Rai!” Velle shouts.

Her words fall on deaf ears as she looks up at the shadow standing over her, a giant man wrapped in brown cloth, with lighter fur around his collar and a large pair of horns sitting atop his head. He had circular metal plates running down the back of the outfit that gleamed in the sunlight. 

“The Buffalo spots his next prey. A poor weak woman, shocked by what she sees.” He kneels beside her, his booming voice thick and heavy. “Puny woman not built for this world. The Buffalo will crush her.”

He stands up and raises his humongous foot over her. Velle reaches out for Raiah, but Dante holds her back. Raiah stares at the dead body before her and slowly her senses return. The rapid beating of her heart now reached her ears, her eyes looking up at the danger above her.

“I’m still alive!” She dives forward as his foot slams down onto the ground causing it to crack and even pushing the taxi back. Raiah goes flying into the car across from them and lands beside the dead body. She coughs as she struggles to her feet and turns invisible.

“What is this? The girl turns into the air?” The Buffalo mutters.
But his confusion changes as he spots Velle and Dante.

“Will you play with the Buffalo?” He questions.

“No!” Velle says as she and Dante start running.

“If I catch, I kill!” He exclaims.

Raiah grabs a rock from a nearby mound and throws it at his head.

“L-leave them alone!” She shouts.

The Buffalo turns to see her standing atop a car.

“Pink one has spirit.” He says.

The Buffalo picks up a car and Raiah’s body slumps down.

“O-oh…” She murmurs.

He chucks the car at her, sending it hurtling at her at high speed. But before the car strikes her, she’s swept up by a mysterious masked figure wearing red jeans and a blue shirt.

“Buffalo you never learn. How many people do you have to harm before you’re satisfied?!” He exclaims.

“Buffalo like damage. Buffalo like destruction. Buffalo no like you!” Buffalo chucks another car at them as they swing through the air, on a web held by the man’s feet. He carried Raiah and dropped down onto the middle of the street with her. Landing on his feet, he rises and sets her down. The Buffalo was angrily crushing cars at the fact that he was thwarted. 

“T-thanks! Y-you’re Web Boy, right?!” She exclaims.

“That’s right!” He exclaims triumphantly with his hands on his hips. “Whaddya say we do some Co-op?”

“Huh?!” She does a double take at Web Boy.

“Let's take Buffalo down together!” He exclaims.
“Sounds like a good idea!” Velle says as she and Dante approach them.

“I’m cooked!” Raiah frames her face with her palms.

Dante looks at the buffalo up and down with an almost piercing vision. His gaze locks on his knee as Dante grins. A floating red crosshair appears over his knee within everyone’s vision nearby.

“This is completely irresponsible.” Dante groans.

“Yeah, you say that, but you were the first to use your phrase,” Velle says.

“But if we’re going to do this then, why wouldn’t I reveal his weak point?” Dante adds.

“I-It’ll help immensely. It’s not like we’re skilled fighters or anything.” Raiah adds. 

“Enough chatting, guys, here he comes, and he’s mad as ever.” Web Boy states.

Buffalo runs down the block, knocking into cars and sending them flying into the nearby buildings. Dante runs to the side, rock in hand as he aims at the red mark on Buffalo’s leg.

He takes a pitcher’s stance and launches the rock at the Buffalo’s leg. It crashes straight into his knee, causing the Buffalo to grunt and reach for his knee. Web Boy slingshots himself straight toward the same knee. Dante continues pelting Buffalo’s knee with rocks from afar, each with the same pinpoint precision.

“You see that Rai, that's the arm of a future MLB player!” Velle says like a proud parent.

“You’re telling me, I wish I could see weak points like that!” Web Boy exclaims as he flies straight into Buffalo’s knee, Buffalo intercepts his launch with his giant meaty hands and jumps into the air with him before slamming him into the pavement. The shockwave causes the ground to shake and the group almost falls over. Buffalo flies into a blind rage and turns all his attention to Web Boy as he begins pummeling him into the pavement, each blow cracking it and revealing the dirt underneath.

“I hope my health insurance covers this!” Web Boy shouts as he tries to break free from the Buffalo’s grasp. “Have you been working on your grip strength?”

“I’ve practiced crushing cars, to crush you!” Buffalo exclaims, causing another tremor with a slam. 

Velle leans over the trunk of a car, singing it to support herself. She reaches into the trunk, pulls out a large monkey wrench, and runs over to the Buffalo. Raiah, however, looks at the car Velle entered, and an idea flashes in her head. She runs over to the trunk, pushing multiple items aside until she finds what she wants.

“D-Dante, I need your help!” Raiah shouts.

Dante sighs and runs over to assist her as Velle runs to the Buffalo. She starts hammering the back of his knee with the monkey wrench. Buffalo groans and with a swing of his arm, he smacks Velle and sends her flying into a sedan. The car almost flipped over from the impact before slamming back into the ground. Velle rubs her back as she lays on the ground.

“Ouch…” She mutters. 

“Sis! Raiah, this better work!” Dante exclaims.

“I-I’ll make it work.” She says. “You check on Velle!”

Dante rushes over to Velle as Raiah disappears.

“Augh! My back!” Web Boy exclaims.

“I’ll break more than your back spider.” He raises both his hands into the air, clasping them together. “Goodnight, spider.” 

Raiah reappears behind him, holding two separate jumper cables in her hands. Even with the rubber guards, she felt a tingle. The hoods of almost every car on the street were open as multiple pairs of jumper cables linked each car battery.

“L-Lightning Style: Overload!” She exclaims.