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Murder God snapped her fingers and the Awakened found themselves in a gymnasium, wearing gym clothes.
“Alright, everyone, I hope you liked high school PE because today we’re going to be playing a friendly game of dodgeball. To build spirits, and friendship, and everything!” she said.
Thorin gasped. “I love dodgeball! Ooh, ooh, can I be on your team Yugo?”
“Yeah, how do these teams work?” Ezra asked. “Like do we pick teams, or?”
“Let me explain. Now normally I’d introduce you all but I think the team picking process will do a good enough job of that on its own. First I’m going to need you to vote two people as team captains, who will then pick the teams,” the embodiment of fate replied.
“Okay, so the obvious choices here are Hailey and Ezra, right?” Tommy said, raising a hand. “I mean, they’re the most obviously athletic out of all of us, and I’m pretty sure they would have played dodgeball before.”
Ezra looked at him. “Dude, I’m in a wheelchair.”
Tommy shrugged. “At least you know how to play.”
“Fair,” he responded.
“I don’t mind being captain,” Hailey contributed, stepping forward. “If people want me to, at least. I did play a bit of dodgeball back in high school.”
“Okay, so let’s just get this over with, does anyone else want to be captain or are we all fine with these two?” Vincent asked.
“Guess that’s settled then!” Vincent said at the lack of a response. “Ezra, who do you pick first?”
Murder God held up her hands. “You can’t just do that! We have to have a vote!” she squawked.
Vincent narrowed his eyes. “Do we really, Lottie?”
“Well, I mean, I… Okay fine!” she conceded. “Hailey, pick first!”
Hailey jumped a little, startled. “Okay, uh, let’s see here…”
“Ooh! Pick me! Pick me!” Thorin said, jumped up and down while raising his hand.
Hailey smiled. “Alright then. I pick the ankle biter. Ezra?”
Ezra looked around. “Junior, you up for this?”
Junior nodded. “Sure.”
Hailey pondered for a moment. “Alright, next I’m gonna have to go with… Vinny!”
“Seems reasonable,” Vincent said, walking over to stand with her and Thorin.
“Uh, Yugo, you played dodgeball?” Ezra asked.
“A few times, in high school,” Yugo replied. “Can’t say how good I’ll be though.”
Ezra shook his head. “Doesn’t matter, you’re on the team.”
Hailey paused, then said, “Sherlock! Let’s go.”
Grace blinked. “Me?”
“Yeah, come on Grace!” Thorin replied.
Grace shook her head, before walking over to their side. “Very well then.”
“Okay, let’s go with Percy, then,” Ezra said, with Percy walking over to him, a goofy grin on the farmer’s face.
Hailey looked over the remaining Awakened. “Alright, come on Val!”
Valencia smiled. “Thank you for choosing me to be on your team. I can’t guarantee I’ll do very well since I don’t know this game but I’ll certainly try.”
Ezra looked over the two remaining people. “Alright, Stephen, Tommy, do either of you actually know how to play dodgeball? Or do either of you want to sit out?”
Stephen sighed. “Well at least someone remembers I exist. Though I have never heard of this ‘dodgeball’, I believe I can surmise the basic premise. And I must say it is not one that particularly interests me. So if Mr. Gwendolyn is fine with playing I will be more than happy to sit out.”
Ezra looked at Tommy. “Tommy?”
The stalwart nodded. “Yeah. I mean I do know how to play at least.”
Murder God held up two flags coloured red and blue, one in each hand. “Alright, let’s begin then!”
“Um Miss M?” Percy said, raising his hand. “Some of us don’t exactly know how this here game works.”
“Shut up Percy,” Murder God said. “It’s fucking dodgeball, figure it out.”
She snapped her fingers and the teams appeared on each side of the gym, with a row of five dodgeballs appearing on the center line. Ezra, Junior, Yugo, Percy, and Tommy’s shirts were now accented red, while Hailey, Thorin, Vincent, Grace, and Valencia’s were accented blue.
“Three, two, no, you know what, this countdown was stupid, just go,” Murder God announced.
Immediately Thorin and Hailey ran towards the middle to grab a ball each, with the red team hanging back.
“Okay,” Ezra murmured to his teammates. “I can’t exactly dodge very well like this but if y’all can get me a ball I can definitely hit these guys. I assume Junior can do the same, right?”
Junior nodded. “Yeah.”
“So the plan is to funnel balls to you and Junior?” Tommy asked. “Fine by me.”
“Everyone understand?” Ezra asked.
Yugo grinned. “I think I’m catching what you’re throwing, yeah.”
Ezra rubbed his hands together. “Just try and catch what they’re throwing.”
Thorin immediately threw his ball at the cluster of red players, which went slightly too low and missed them. He quickly ran to get one the remaining dodgeballs, while Hailey kept hers and backed up.
Yugo ran to the center line on the opposite side to Thorin to grab the other balls, throwing them back to his side which Junior collected, passing one to Ezra.
Thorin threw his ball to Grace, who had her arms crossed. “Here Grace! You try!”
Grace did a double take, dropping the ball. “Oh no, Thorin, I don’t think I could.”
Thorin’s eyes turned pleading.
Grace sighed. “Oh, fine!”
She leant down and went to pick up the ball, as a ball from Junior sailed directly over her.
“Sorry Grace!” he called.
Grace’s eyes narrowed as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, swiping the ball. “Oh it is ON.”
She threw the ball at Junior as hard as she could. Junior quickly dodged out of the way but the ball soared past him directly into Percy who had been standing behind him.
“Eheh, sorry y’all,” Percy said sheepishly as Murder God blew a whistle and raised a blue flag.
“Point for blue team!” she called as Percy walked over to the sidelines.
“Dodgeball doesn’t have points?” Tommy said, cocking his head.
“Who’s the referee here, Tommy?” she replied.
Meanwhile, Valencia had managed to dodge one of Ezra’s throws, now holding the ball.
“So I just have to hit them with this?” she asked.
“Far as I can tell.” Vincent replied, holding a ball of his own.
“Ezra’s definitely the best player on that team though,” he said. “But, he can’t dodge as quickly. And I’m pretty sure he couldn’t dodge if we both threw one at him.”
Valencia rested her chin on a finger. “Isn’t it a little mean to team up on him because he’s in a wheelchair, though?”
Vincent shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s just a game. Plus he’s my nephew, so he has to take something like this sometime.”
Valencia nodded. “Alright then.”
They both aimed at Ezra who was currently preoccupied with aiming at Hailey, and threw their balls.
“Noooooo!” Yugo yelled, as he jumped in the way of the balls, blocking them and collapsing on the ground.
“Yugo!” Thorin cried, seeing his body lying on the ground. “No!”
Murder God blew her whistle again. “Another point to the blue team!”
“Let us grieve!” Thorin yelled back.
“It’s alright Thorin,” Yugo said. “It’s just a game.”
Ezra currently had three balls, and threw them in rapid succession at Hailey, Grace, and Valencia. Hailey and Grace managed to dodge, but Valencia just barely couldn’t move out of the way in time and was taken out, taking a seat on the side next to Percy.
“Darn!” she said, as she walked off the court and Murder God blew her whistle again.
Meanwhile, Hailey had noticed Tommy just idly standing at the back of the court.
“Tommy!” she called, throwing a ball at him. “You playing?”
“Huh?” he replied. “Oh, yeah, totally!”
He turned to face her just in time for the ball to impact his face.
“Oww…” he moaned as he shambled off the court.
Murder God blew her whistle again. “You know, I should really carry a whistle around me all the time. This is so much fun!”
At the same time, Junior had managed to catch a throw from Vincent, getting him out, and leaving it 3v2.
Junior then proceeded to throw the ball at Grace while she was distracted, fully living up to what the media once called him.
“JUNIOR!” Grace yelled.
“Sorry Grace,” he replied. “Should’ve been paying more attention.”
Grace bristled, stamping off the court.
Currently, all the balls were on the blue team’s side, with Hailey and Thorin stockpiling all of them.
“You gonna throw those back?” Ezra asked.
“Just a sec!” Hailey replied.
She knelt down on one knee, looking Thorin in the eyes, and speaking in a low tone. “Alright, ankle biter, we’re gonna do a trick I like to call the fastball special. You ready?”
Thorin nodded enthusiastically.
“Alright, then. Here we go!” Hailey yelled, picking up Thorin, who held a ball in each hand.
“Wait what are you doing?” Ezra asked, stunned into not moving as Hailey threw Thorin.
Thorin sailed through the air, finally landing on Ezra and tapping him with a ball. “Gotcha!”
“Point for the blue team,” Murder God announced.
“That is so not fair,” Ezra mumbled as he rolled off court.
“Oh also, Thorin, since you went out of bounds your team’s disqualified,” she continued.
“Aw man,” Thorin said. “What the fuck?”
“Thorin!” Murder God said as he high fived Ezra.
She cleared her throat. “Anyway, red team wins. Hope you had fun!”
She snapped her fingers and everyone disappeared.