"At least I'm not a helpless weakling who happens to be very naïve and childish!"

I rolled my eyes at Sin. "Real mature. Just accept your role as being a tree."

"It's not a tree. I'm a nymph." He said reluctantly, wincing.

"Yes, yes, a very manly nymph, now go out onto the gameboard we don't have time!" Wire's rushed voice came and she appeared before us. Her green eyes were brought out with the green dress she wore, Renaissance-royalty-style. Golden ivy patterns and a gold crown on her brown hair, set in waves to frame her face.

The crown was plastic.

I think you should know that.

I don't know why.

Anyways, Wire pushed us out from behind the curtains out into the game board. A large table, like that for table tennis except it was electric-blue and there was a clear glass screen in between two sides, with electric-blue luxury seats to both sides.

We were participating in a game resembling Jeopardy! only wearing fairy tale disguises. My face had been powdered up and rosy-cheeked. Sin just sorta looked green, with a few leaves in his hair. Poor guy really did get a disadvantage. Hunter was moping as the asker of questions, and had been made the huntsman from the Snow White tale. Ironic, I know.

Me and Sin sat across from one another. I gritted my teeth, my competitive side kicking in as I stared him down.

"Okay, first question, to be answered in-character, is this: How many apples are involved in the Snow White story?" Hunter asked. I thought about it, seeing Sin begin to raise his arm and I slammed my hand down on the button that would let me answer first. "One. The one she eats." An eeghn! noise sounded. "Wrong. Sin, do you have a different response?" He nodded. "Two. One before the Queen poisoned it. The one after wasn't the same apple. It was different through magic. The pure apple's essence died to create the poisoned one."

I bit back a scoff.

Ding!

"Correct! Now, the fun part. Every correct answer comes with a live simulation. Here goes this one." I was curious. A simulation? That was new. But we couldn't do any physical training without a missing member. At least not as a Squad. So then we must be doing this alone.

"Shift, go through the red door. Sin, go through the blue door. You will each face the same enemy, but there are many ways to beat it. Quickest one to kill the enemy, gets the answer point." I lit up. I still had a chance.

I remembered how Hunter had dragged us all away after realizing Mask wasn't coming, and then we'd entered the Simulation Room to this. It was all a bit strange, but with the way the AIAA administrators were acting, I wasn't too surprised.

I got up, and walked towards the red door on my right. I opened it, and through the corner of my eye saw Sin doing the same.

I walked into the simulation.

•

The first thing I noticed was that the whole room looked like a forest. Tall towering trees with such dense leaves that they didn't allow any light save for the occasional small dot of sunlight.

I winced at the resemblance to Pine Woods. That place wasn't good. At all. I shook off the memories and focused. There's a threat here. Somewhere. Now I have to find it. I scanned my surroundings.

There was nothing but open ground and trees. Reminding myself to treat the forest like any old bunch of trees-not Pine Woods-and to stay wary of anything.

I walked over the fallen leaves, red, orange, yellow and burnt green. The crunch of the dry leaves under my feet calmed me. A bit. I began to walk in the right direction. They made me enter from the right, and I had a gut feeling that I'd find something. It was worth a shot.

As I walked, the cool breeze made me curse my clothes. A light and stretchy grey fabric graphic tank and black skinny jeans really weren't cut out for fall weather alone, and I'd left my jacket back in the Simulation Room, on my seat. I was wearing a royal blue dress-playing a proper fairytale princess-and I was tripping over branches. My hair was out today, long wavy brown hair with blonde highlights at the tips.

I heard the crack of something hitting the forest floor, and my instincts made me whirl, bracing myself to fight.

It was just a doe, light brown fur and big soft hazel eyes, blinking at me like I was crazy. She had an unusual scar across her snout, but maybe deer got into a lot of fights. Putting myself in her hooves, I probably was crazy, though. I relaxed, and turned to walk on. A clearing, with an abundance of light was ahead.

It seemed like either a trap, or a signal. Either way, it was from Hunter. Besides, the same old peaceful trees landscape was getting boring.

I walked into the clearing, looking down at the dirty hem of my soft blue dress. Well, crap. That would be difficult to coordinate. Before I moved any further, I picked up the hem and tried to rip the cloth from one side, freeing a leg like the action heroines did in the movies.

No dice.

Damn you, action movies. Liars.

I sighed, letting it fall back around my feet.

I could take the dress off, but skinny jeans weren't much better, and I figured there'd be some sort of disqualification.

I resigned myself. I'd have to run or something. I crossed my fingers.

Hey, Lady Luck, be on my side for once and give me an easy puzzle that involves, like, zero movement. Please?

The leaves rustled on the forest floor. I looked for the source of movement, finding none and drawing closer hesitantly. I felt like a gazelle, trying to outrun a pack of lions, thy weren't even visible. But out poked the doe with the snout scar, blinking up at me.

This time, I narrowed my eyes. I hadn't encountered any other animals in the big ol' forest, so this doe showing up again seemed a bit weird. I waited, all tense, for it to do something.

I dunno what I was expecting. For it to bust out some dance moves and start a dance-off, or explode, or jut start going cray-cray, but Snout Scar did nothing.

After a few minutes, I had to get moving. If the doe really wasn't deadly, I needed to solve the challenge, and win. Sin couldn't beat me at this. No one could.

It would ruin my rep.

I moved ahead, crunching on more poor leaves, until I spotted a glint and stopped. Maybe some gold or something. Or not. I didn't stop about it, walking past that and towards the spot where it'd been. As I leaned in, trying to he closer look by running my hands down through the grass blades, searching for something solid, a hand tapped my back.

I froze.

It might've just been a leaf that hit me though the wind. It could just be the doe.

But I distinctly felt that it was a hand.

"Hey, darlin', whatcha lookin' for? I'm right here."

I clenched my jaw, straightened and turned.
That solved that problem. I reminded myself this was a simulation. I needed to stay calm. Cool. Collected.

Cool as a cucumber.

Calm as a queen.

Collected as a bank.

Okay, the last one didn't make much sense but still, I turned, maintaining a casual look as I began to analyze my opponent.

A woman, with black hair, silky smooth and curling at the bottom, stood in front of me, red lipstick over full lips, long black eyelashes, blue eyes, and a black spade tattooed on her cheek, the tip of it at the bottom of her eyelid, ending a little shorter than the bridge of her pointed nose. She had an elegance, a watery one to her. She was flashing pearly-white teeth, contracting with her lipstick well and was wearing a strange sort of short dress surrounded by nets o varying lengths that trained down behind her.

She reminded me of a mad witch. But a pretty mad witch.

"The hell?" I managed to get out, my eyes widened. I probably looked exactly like Snow White right now. Damn.

She pouted. "Aw. I was expecting something...more romantic, sweetheart." She drawled, coming closer. I backed up a few steps. I didn't want her near me. She was giving of vibes. Bad ones. And the fight with the TTT and the current state of my clothing would make it impossible for me to fight back if she decided to attack. Plus, I got the feeling that even if I did have everything in good shape to fight, her power would blow mine out of the wwater and I probably wouldn't make it out.

At least not alive.

Just a Simulation. You're not dying. It's okay. You're okay. You're fine. It's not real. It's not real. Shift, it's not real.

I opened my eyes, ready.
"Hey there, Botox. That's your name right? Your face makes me think that must be your power." I spat out, finding my insult weak. I needs to get back on my game. I was the queen of the fight right now. The queen. No, I couldn't lie. I'm the peasant, that's what I am. I need to survive.

There's always a rebellion against monarchy anyways.

She frowned sadly, her long pale fingers clutching her face, red painted fingernails reminding me of blood across snow. "Oh, Shift, Shift, Shift. How could you say such words, darlin'? Don' you know how stuck you are right now?" Her accent reminded me of that crazy driver prisoner chick from that prison TV show. Orange Is The new Black, that was it. It was such a bad show, but a girl gets bored sitting around and Netflix entrances even superheroes.

Oh yeah, Witch Chick.

Ahem.

I tensed, and tried to appear as menacing as possible. I wasn't backing down without a fight. And a good one at that. "Who are you, Witch Bitch?"

Ooh, buuurn. I'm a savage.

She pursed her lips and wagged her index finger at me. "Now, now. Don't get sassy with me. I'm just a bit . . ." She giggled, teetering and taking another unbalanced step towards me. ". . . a bit Happy."

I frowned. "What are you, Giggles the Clown?" She laughed. "Oh, darlin', I might as well be. No, - no, my - name!" She was speaking through gasps of giggles. "My name - is Happy!" Her red lips smacked together as she pulled her game face back on.

I pulled a face too. What? "Who's named Happy? That kinda sucks for you. Sorry." She waved a hand dismissively. "Oh no, I shoul' be apologizin' ta' you, gorgeous." I braced myself into a crouching position, or as much of one as I could get into wearing skinny jeans and a dress. "Why?" She flashed a killer smile, eerie, dark, and sending chills down my spine.

It's not real.

"Because I'm here to kill you, precious."

And then she jumped. A sudden fluid movement, o her right leg bending down and her body shooting up and then she was gone. I turned in circles, wildly. She had to be upwards. Where did this Happy go? I didn't want to die. She said she could kill me. I didn't want to. Where is she? Where is she?

A cackle made me snap my head to the right. Nothing. I jerked towards the left. Nothing. Up. Nope. I grimaced as I realized my mistake. "Ah, ah, ah. Haven't you realized after all your training, little monster?" A voice sounded.

"You should always check where you expect the less." Happy a voice slithered, or at least, if a voice were a snake, it would be Happy's whisper.

"What?"

Cold, long fingers wrapped around my leg and I let out a screech. And then I was jerked downwards into the dirt, and I couldn't see anymore. Was I blind? It felt like thousands of cold little bugs were walking over every inch of bare skin, of every fabric covering my body. And then, I realized I was underground. Not even that, I was buried.

But then why was the dirt moving?

I couldn't open my eyes, my heart thudding. It was okay. Not real. Not real. I could use this time to plan a strategy, find a way to attack Happy.

But I couldn't think of any.

Finally, after thousands of seconds of minutes of hours, I settled on a technique.

It would depend on where I ended up when we inevitably ended up-obviously-in that epic villain-hero showdown. It was a Simulation. No way thud do anything different.

Why does it feel so real if it's fake?

I was thrown off balance the moving sort halting abruptly an vanishing, a harsh light turning the insides of my eyelids red. I didn't want to open my eyes. I didn't want to face Happy.

But I was a superhero.

And I had to face her.

I inhaled, freezing for a minute, getting my mind ready like a runner gets ready before a marathon.
And then I opened my eyes.

It was a flurry as my gaze flickered over every part of the scenery. It was morbid, and smelt rank. We were in a room, no different than that of a house. If I didn't know any better I'd think we were in a house. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all black. They disoriented me, and I knew fighting here would be nothing but a mistake.

Happy was glaring at me with a sadistic grin on her face. "Annie, darlin', c'mere!" She yelled. Out of the side of the room, another girl appeared. Her skin had been painted over obsidian, an her eyes matched that. She wore black clothes.

I couldn't. See. Her.

Then I saw Sin. He didn't look disoriented. I didn't question it.He looked determined, his jaw set, his grey eyes piercing and directed at Happy. "This is Annie. She my lil' robot friend from the labs! Her official name is Dopey, but that's such a bore." She said brightly. "She's a hoot! But," Happy turned her attention back to us, pulling two large thin knives from behind her, resembling claws. "She's also great at making a killing." Annie slowly turned her head sideways to look at Happy, before turning around to us, and smiling. "Hello, friends."

"Shit, we always get the freaky ones, don't we?" I muttered, trying to keep my hands from shaking. "This would be a good time t-" Sin began. "RUN!" I said, breaking into a pace, seeing the door as my way out.

"Who are you, Doctor Who?!"

If I couldn't get out like tis, Od just turn into, like, an elephant. An elephant could get through...
But if I tried then I might end up being a mammoth forever.

Dammit.

I kept running. "That's an amazing show, shut up." I retorted, not changin pace or position. Happy's mad laughter made me run faster. "You're not gonna make it!" She screeched shrilly, and her footsteps thudded after ours, a much speedier, supernatural pace.

I had to get to the door.

My legs were slowing, but I was getting more and more desperate. Dopey, was thudding slowly, Happy was gaining on us, her heels clicking the floor like a typewriter, and Sin was right behind me.

The door.

As I felt my balance tipping, I put every last bit of energy into reaching it, but steel met me, heaving the air out of my lungs and making me wheeze. It wasn't the door.

It was a wall.

Happy giggled, as she slowed. "You were so confident, gorgeous. I like that. But see, I almost believed you too! And then, and then the wall!" She giggled louder. "The wall!" I slows against it, too tired to fight. I couldn't, I'd lose. Sin knelt down. "Oi. You said we'd take our place by deserving to be heroes. Show me, Wonder Woman." I remembered our weird conversation on the plane. I felt hypocritical, more than anything else.
Exhaustion buried my muscles and fear burdened my bones. I couldn't get up. I couldn't. There was no way that I'd survive. "I can't, I...I can't do it." I said, watching as Happy matched Dopey's slow pace and came closer, spinning the knives in the air in excitement. "Yes you can. Fight or die fighting. That's the AIAA's real motto. That's every hero's real motto." I shook my head, awaiting the cuts. I was sure it wouldn't be too bad. Maybe I made Happy laugh, she'd finish it quickly let me die fast. But then a cool, detachedness sank in. "I don't want to die." I whispered.

It was true.

I'd seen what death did, how the dead made the living feel. I knew how the dead were remembered and the forgotten, mere figments of the past. I knew about the hundred nights of crying to sleep. I knew about the hundred-and-first night, when there were no tears. And then I'd be forgotten. I needed to finish my life, get to my goals. I needed to live.

But to live, I needed to do something.

I needed to fight.

"Shift. It's not real."

And the spell was over. I leaned on the steel wall, turning around, my back hitting the metal. Dopey's thuds were closer, and the room wasn't so big either. The automaton snapped the scissors in her hands. Happy was clicking along right next to Dopey.

"You're not going to die. I won't let you."

Dopey thudded closer.

Man, these guys had bad luck with names.

Sin stared at Happy, and as she was within hitting distance, her red-and-black hair moving past her, the little spade tattoo glittering in the light. I flipped, remembering my training. Three years worth of practice. I balanced on the tips of my toes, the soles of my sneakers flat against the steel. And then I pushed off, ignoring the amount of energy it took. I really needed to work on my endurance...

I had leaped, readying myself to swivel midair, stretching my legs and flipping so as to kick Happy in her pretty little face. But she threw the knives high on the air, latching onto my ankles, throwing me around, all in time to to catch the knives as they landed. I glanced back to see Sin merely staring. "Sin?! A little help would be nice, you know?" I managed to get out, annoyed. He didn't answer. I wanted to throw my hands out in exasperation, but they were busy dodging the knives being "No, No, you're wrong. You most definitely are goin' to die. But sadly, this is just a Simulation."

Her voice became automated. I scrunched my eyebrows, lowering my arms. Dopey's scissors of Savagery fell to the floor with a clank, as nut and bolts began to clatter to the poor.

Dopey fell apart.

Literally.

All the metal pieces fell out of line, nothing more than a pile of robot rubble. Happy's beautiful appearance began to melt, and in a matter of seconds she was melted mess on the floor.

I tried not to puke.

"Sin?" I asked faintly, uncertain of the creepy silence in the all-black room. "Yeah?" He asked, glancing back at me. "Why is it that we haven't gotten an old-school weak little robber to beat?" He shrugged. "I think it's got something to do with balance. With so many sudden superheroes, there's bound to be just a many villains to match them."

I nodded.

"Really re-thinking this whole superhero thing."

"Me too."

---

There you have it.

Another chappie of WDWT!

Yep.

Oh! If you want this book to win the award for the Wattys, be sure to Tweet out on Twitter with We Don't Wear Tights and #MyWattysChoice2015 somewhere in your tweet! Then comment with your username there. Doing a massive RT and follow back spree.

-Dexx