Their chosen path made for quick travel. The undergrowth strangling the area had turned halfway to dust, creating crunchy organic gravel between leafless tree skeletons. To either side plentiful plant life bloomed. As they covered ground, Hector couldn't help but think of his father.

Thinking about how close he'd come to unleashing an Ogre on Earth. Despite the stab of longing to see his old man again, Hector found himself grateful that Terry Thoreaux went out on his own terms. Becoming a creature of hunger who destroyed entire ecosystems… that wasn't his dad. Fortunately, Terry had been a good man.

What about Hector himself, though? He'd been justified in his anger at the beast kin who attacked him. Then he'd gone and struck at them with the version of racism rampant on Eden. He might not be from this world, but he had been able to intuit which sore points to poke at. He'd come to hate the 'savage' label applied to Xian even when he wasn't born that way. He regretted how he handled that encounter. Also, he didn't like how their mission dictated they ignore the Ogre. Of course the priority had to be closing rifts. They couldn't let Eden fall like Aes had. But that didn't mean ignoring the Ogre was the right thing to do. Maybe they could take the thing out during their down time, assuming they had any.

"Hey Hector, did you ever hear this one? Heaven is where the police are Titans, the cooks are Arahants, the mechanics Jinn, the lovers Alfar and it's all organized by the Orisha. Hell is where the chefs are Titans, the mechanics Alfar, the lover's Jinn, the police Orisha and it's all organized by the Arahants."

Hector grunted. "That's a lot of stereotypes packed into one joke, Fred."

"Exactly! You've got to make fun of everyone equally. Titans eat minerals, so you don't want them making your food. The Alfar generally can't tell a screwdriver from a socket wrench. Jinn are said to be cold as intimate partners. Orisha of course are averse to placing themselves in physical danger. And Arahants in power spend all their time whoring for attention."

"Very funny," Hector said.

"Are you upset there aren't any references to Xian in there? It's because Union Central doesn't have a large population of your kind. I didn't invent the joke, you know. It's been around for years."

Hector glanced at the Rover beside him. "You think I want to hear stereotypes about Xian?"

"No one wants to be excluded," Fred said. "I'm really not sure if the idea of Xian police or Xian politicians sounds worse. What would be the thing people would like Xian to do in society?"

Nestor sighed. "There are no good stereotypes about Xian, Fred. Just give the jokes a break."

"I know! Delving!" Fred paused. "Good thing we have socially acceptable targets to kill."

Cleo interrupted the conversation by smacking her hand on the top of Fred. "Something up ahead. Sounds like people talking."

Fred slipped back into serious mode. "Hector, scout ahead. Titans stick close."

"What about me? I can jump over there faster than a Xian."

"You stay right where you are, Leroy. I might need you to leap somewhere. But wait for me to tell you where. Sound good?"

"Sure thing, Fred!"

Hector sprinted forward. He was prepared to flare his aura if necessary, but 'people talking' didn't sound like an Ogre readying an ambush. His interaction with the cougar kin left him feeling confident about interacting with the locals. He just had to keep his temper in check.

The gritty floor of the desiccated forest path brought him directly into a small village. One step he was surrounded by walls of greenery to either side. The next he was among primitive wattle and daub houses, mud layered over top of woven branch walls, each one covered by a thatched roof. Death surrounded each of those houses. Hector felt a stick snap under his foot and looked down to discover a fragile femur bone – one that was far too small for an adult. He removed his heel carefully and chose his next steps carefully to avoid another display of disrespect.

Hector's face had become a stone mask. This Ogre needed to die. As soon as the miasmic monsters were handled, it would be the human monster's turn. Trees were uprooted to lean against their neighbors, making the abandoned village a death trap.

He found a handful of people arguing in a clearing at the center of the village. They were standing over a large stone, one man holding chisel and hammer. He stood patiently while the other three held an angry debate.

"We can't go to Breadfruit Village! Would you have us bend knee to Mila? She would drain us as outsiders to keep her loyal flock strong." That came from a wizened old woman who hopped around as she spoke, surprisingly spry.

A tall young man with broad shoulders countered her. "I don't fear Mila more than the Ogre. If it returns, we all die. The only reason anyone escaped last time was because it couldn't chase us all. We need strength."

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The old woman squatted and pounded the rock with the palm of her hand. "Trout Village will treat us well. Even if Mila can fend off the Ogre, she will drain us!"

"Mila might rob our strength, but at least we would still live," the young man said.

The large guy with the hammer glanced in Hector's direction and his eyes went wide. "Demon! Hell's fury, bad news comes in threes for sure!"

Hector raised his hands to show he meant no harm. "Hello. My name is Hector. I'm on Eden with a task force to fight off a monster incursion. We're friends."

Everyone had spun to regard him. The young man sized Hector up in an instant. "He's a demon for sure. What say you, elder?"

The old woman squinted. "There are different kinds of demons. The ones who engage in trickery have a prickly feel to them. This one is hard and sharp like an arrowhead. His kind slaughter. If he speaks instead of attacks, then we are not his prey."

The young man nodded. "Are you peaceful towards us, Demon?"

The superstition felt a bit thick in the air for his tastes. He decided to try cutting through all the 'demon' nonsense. "You know, I just told you my name is Hector."

"We do not share our names with demons," the old woman shot back. "I am to be called Elder, this one is Hunter, that one is Chisel, and she is Child. No names, Demon. Just in case."

Hector sighed. "Fine. Are you aware of the monster invasion? We helped close one rift already, but there is supposed to be another in this direction." He pointed in roughly the direction they had been told to travel.

The large man carrying the hammer and chisel gave a dramatic shrug. "There is a taint on the air. We can't say more about monsters or rifts than that. Our problem is an Ogre."

Hector bowed his head. "I'm sorry for your loss. Once the monsters are taken care of, I'll help you hunt down the Ogre."

Hunter snickered. "You think we are going to hunt the Ogre? Demon, do you see the state of our village? The attacker was a level ten Ogre, able to drain our life energy without even touching us."

"I have no life energy for it to steal," Hector said.

"Then chase after it yourself. You cannot miss its trail."

"After the rifts are closed," Hector said. "I'm going to bring my squad forward now. Stick around if you want to talk. Take off if you feel threatened. No one will chase you."

Elder tilted her head at him. "We aren't leaving yet. We still have to leave a message for anyone who returns to our village."

A couple minutes later, Hector's sprint brought him back to Misfit Squad. "Four Alfar are in a village up ahead. They're survivors of an Ogre massacre."

Fred made a humming sound, which came across as a bit odd from a mechanical creature. "Did they know anything about the rift we're hunting?"

"I think they could detect some miasma but they didn't even know what was causing it."

"Let's go say hello, then," Fred decided.

They rolled into the village and found the four surviving Alfar waiting. Elder's lips turned down in displeasure. "All kinds of demons working together."

Hunter took half a step forward before stopping. "Your cart has a soul of its own!"

"Look at that, Leroy, we found you a friend," Fred said.

"Who? That guy? Fred, you are a real silly truck!"

"Truck. Cart. Rover. Human. So many labels. It's enough to give a guy an identity crisis. What do you think, Hector? What do you call your good buddy Fred?"

"A failed comedian," Hector shot back.

Fred made a gasp sound. "Who told you about my short-lived stand-up career?"

The young girl that Elder had introduced as Child spoke suddenly. "What is that thing? He's talking and making jokes."

"Demons take many forms," Elder explained.

"Ah, the sweet taste of racism," Fred said. "Call me a demon some more, please. And maybe question my humanity. That always feels good."

Ajax entered the conversation with his bass rumble. "These people just endured a tragedy. Can we be more sympathetic to them? Or at the very least more professional?"

Elder stared at the Titan. "What are you? I never heard tell of such dense power in a demon."

Ajax responded with a gentle patience. "We are all humans from other worlds. Our powers are different, but we cooperate for the good of everyone. There is a great war against the monsters. My world has been fighting them for half a century now. We came here so that your people won't endure the same fate."

Hunter studied each member of Misfit Squad in turn, determination firming on his face. "You six are strong as an entire army. Will you protect us on our way to Breadfruit Village?"

Elder huffed. "We are not agreed on our destination yet."

"I go to Breadfruit Village," Hunter declared.

"We should all remain together," Chisel said.

"Why? My family are gone, devoured. What ties me to you three?" Hunter bared his teeth. "You worry Mila might use us? I would volunteer for my strength to strike back at the Ogre."

Elder wrapped her arm around Child. "We cannot make the same decision."

"Then further discussion is pointless," Hunter said. "I will guide the demons to Breadfruit Village. You three go to Trout Village."

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