Royale

Chapter 1
         Roy Franser was never an average person. In fact, he was below average. He got bad grades in school, he wasn't athletic, and he never really contributed to society. But his mind was bright. It was brighter than anyone else's. He just couldn't use it right. The sun was only just peeking above the horizon when the doorbell rang. Roy had just gotten kicked out of his parents' house, so he found a cheap apartment to stay in while he searched for a job. Roy stumbled out of bed and through his small apartment to the front door. He groggily pulled the door open, still rubbing his eyes. His old English teacher stood in front of him, wearing a simple black and white suit.
         Roy jumped back in surprise, hastily rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up completely. His English teacher, Drew Ranik, was a man that Roy greatly respected. He was relatively young, and his perfect smile could have blinded Roy. He chuckled as Roy panicked. Roy was never a class favorite, nor was he a particularly amicable person, yet Mr. Ranik tried his best to help Roy through his last year of school, taking time out of his days and nights to tutor him in all of his subjects.
         "It's okay, Roy, I know it's a bit early, but I've got a busy day today. There's just something we have to talk about. Go get dressed. Let's take a walk." Mr. Ranik waved Roy off and leaned against a cement pillar in front of the door.
         As Roy shut the door, he sighed loudly. What was so important that Mr. Ranik couldn't just come when he wasn't busy? He began searching for a clean set of clothes in the mess of his bedroom. Dirty laundry and crumbs littered the carpet. Empty soda cans lay in a scattered pile in the corner. Roy was never a neat person, and living alone didn't help.
         "Aha," Roy smiled as he held up a relatively clean gray shirt and a pair of black jeans. "I hope he doesn't expect me to dress like him." He muttered, slipping out of his dinosaur pajamas and into the clothes he found. He heard a knocking on the door, and hurriedly tied his sneakers. He rushed to the door and apologized as he opened the door. "Sorry, Mr. Ranik, I haven't completely woken up ye-" Mr. Ranik was no longer outside his apartment. "Mr. Ranik?" Roy called out. There was no answer. Wearily, he started stepping away from his front door.
         The whole complex was dead silent, and the chilly morning air gave Roy a shiver. He took a step onto the parking lot, then heard the sound of electricity behind him. He spun around on his heel to see the telephone pole near the apartment building surging with a pale blue lightning. He gasped and jumped back. He reached for his phone in his pocket. It was empty. He had forgotten his phone in his apartment, which was past the overloading telephone pole. Frantically, he looked around for anyone that could help him. A fire could start, and if anyone saw him at the scene, he could become the prime suspect. Looking for his English teacher at 5 AM wasn't a good alibi at all. Beginning to panic, Roy turned to run, when he heard Mr. Ranik.
         "Wait," Roy turned to look for the source of the voice. Mr. Ranik was still nowhere to be found. "Let me just try to fix this." Mr. Ranik's voice resonated over the static. Roy scanned the area.
         "Fix what?" Roy asked. He yelped as the electricity struck the ground, scorching the concrete.
         Mr. Ranik's voice sounded closer. "This stupid gateway." Was his voice was coming from the lightning? No, that was impossible.
         "Gateway?" Roy furrowed his brow and looked closely at the electricity. His eyes widened as he made out the faint silhouette of Mr. Ranik within the electricity. In a bright blue flash, the static stopped, and as Roy's eyes readjusted, he saw Mr. Ranik standing where the electricity had struck. Mr. Ranik smirked.
         "Now, let's talk." He began strolling towards Roy, who stood in awe. "I know you're probably scared, or shocked. Don't worry, I'll explain everything."
         "Wha- what was that? How did you do that? Was that ma- magic? That's impossi-" Roy stammered.
         "Don't worry about that. There's not much time, so there are some important things I have to tell you." Mr. Ranik interrupted. "There's another world out there, Roy. It's not that much different from here, but you have to understand that it is a surprising place for people like you."
         "Like in movies or books? That kind of world?"
         "Something like that. But this world is in a constant loop. The only purpose of the inhabitants is to fight, and wage war. And once someone wins, the world resets, with new people, but the same purpose. Time is told in cycles." Mr. Ranik picked up a small piece of gravel and began tossing it up and catching it. "The world only contains 54 people at a time."
         "The world must be pretty small. 54 people is hardly a war."
         "It's just as big as Earth. However, the people are all different from normal humans. They have access to Talents that put them at a level of power that can surpass the most physically fit human being on Earth. With that power, the world seems a lot smaller. Roy, can you tell me something on Earth that contains 54 of something?" Mr. Ranik absentmindedly started pacing away from the parking lot.
         54 was an oddly specific number. Roy pondered for a moment, following closely behind Mr. Ranik. He would've immediately dismissed what his old teacher was saying, but what he had just seen with the lightning made him less skeptical. They had reached the main road. Cars zipped past as they ambled along the sidewalk. Countless objects went through Roy's head as he considered the answer to Mr. Ranik's question.
         "A deck of cards. There's two jokers." He finally answered.
         Mr. Ranik caught the piece of gravel and stopped walking. There was a grin on his face. "Correct. You never disappoint, Roy." The sidewalk split off into a small nature trail ahead, and Mr. Ranik followed the trail. "Each person in the world corresponds to a card in a regular deck of playing cards. The higher the value, the more powerful the person. Each suit, Spades, Diamonds, Hearts, and Clubs, is engaged with the others in a constant war, until only one is left." He started running his hand along the line of bushes running along the trail.
         "What about the Jokers?" Roy asked, processing everything he was hearing. He still had so many questions, but he'd allow Mr. Ranik to explain things his way.
         "They fight on their own side. Even though they're heavily outnumbered, they're always smart, and killing makes them stronger. Whenever they kill, they absorb their victim's power, or Talent."
         "You keep saying Talents. What does that mean?"
         "Each suit has a different Talent. It's a sort of special thing that they can do. The Jokers don't start with any Talent. Obsidian, or the blackstone, as it's called there, nullifies Talents on contact, and they start with a block of it. We've had eight cycles, and somehow, the Jokers have won every single one."
         Roy stopped abruptly, mouth agape in surprise. "The Jokers have killed everyone, in every single cycle?"
         Mr. Ranik nodded. "But this cycle, only one Joker has shown himself, and we believe the other one didn't appear for some reason. This is our chance for a suit to finally win. Surviving a cycle means you move on to the next cycle, and the suits want to live, Roy."
         "How do you know all this, and why are you telling me? I don't have anything to do with this war, or this world." Roy raised his voice. The shock of this information was finally starting hit him.
         Mr. Ranik turned around to face Roy. He smirked as he reached into his pocket, and retrieved a playing card. Roy looked closely at it. It was an Ace of Hearts. He looked up at Mr. Ranik, wide-eyed.
         "You're one of th- them, but you've been here for years. You taught me for a whole year. How did you even get here?" Roy stepped back, still in shock.
         "Hearts have a Talent, Roy. It's the Talent of Illusion." Mr. Ranik's voice grew slightly higher, fluctuating as he spoke. His image seemed to blur.
         Roy rubbed his eyes lightly, wondering if he was going blind. The figure of Mr. Ranik warped more and more until it was nothing but a cloudy mess of color. Then, the cloud faded away, and left in its place was a man dressed in a white tracksuit, decorated with red iron plates. He was definitely younger than Mr. Ranik, probably mid-20s. His brown hair sported a dark streak of red running down the middle. At this point, Roy was too shocked to display any more emotion. He simply stood watching Mr. Ranik become this stranger.
         "I'm not Mr. Ranik." He grinned. "A year ago, I came here to see if there was anything to find that could help us defeat the Jokers and eventually the other suits. Guns weren't operating in our world, and nothing else helped us much. Then, I found you. You weren't outstanding in most areas, but you're determined, and intelligent. Everyone else I saw had some sort of flaw that could have ended really badly, but you only have mediocrity to hinder you. I saw your respect for Mr. Ranik, and I knew what I had to do."
         "You want me to fight in your war? My purpose in life isn't to fight, like you." Roy retorted. "I haven't ever been in a fight in my life.
         The man glanced at the ground next to him, and his face displayed urgency. "There's not much time left, Roy. You have to come with me. You'll be fine in the war, we'll help you."
         "I won't get anything out of this war. I'm not made to fight."
         There was a loud static noise as an azure flame erupted from the ground, next to the Ace of Hearts. Roy sheepishly cried out, and the Ace of Hearts frowned.
         "Roy, these gateways only open on one day every year. This is the day. You say your purpose isn't to fight, but I learned something about you. You don't have a purpose in life, and you want one. I'm giving it to you. Fight with us, if not for glory, then fight because you have nothing better to do." The Ace was visibly frustrated. The flame had begun blazing higher, and his eyes betrayed worry.
         Roy sighed. The Ace was right, but he didn't want to admit it. Maybe they needed him, and he couldn't leave them alone just so he could continue living his pathetic life. Maybe this would work out for him, and he'd be the slayer of the Joker. He smirked. "Fine, Ace. I'll come with you, but you better make this worth it."
         "Of course, Roy. Just follow me, and we'll get you acquainted with the world." The Ace beamed. He beckoned Roy over, and took a step into the fire.
         Roy gingerly walked forward, and slowly stuck his foot forward. The fire was still hot, and Roy could feel the intense heat, and felt burning, but he wasn't physically being burned.
         "Oh, don't be a baby." The Ace chuckled as he grabbed Roy's arm and pulled him into the blue fire.

Chapter 2

In the world of the Ace, the Joker had already begun his assault on the Diamond fortress, an almost impregnable castle. He had managed to fight through it with ease, and the Diamonds had come close to extinction. Only a few were left alive.
The once-magnificent fortress was in ruins. The walls were torn apart, and debris was scattered across the marble floor. Flames licked the wooden tables and smoke billowed into the sky through the collapsed ceiling. The ruins were devoid of life, except the great hall, now reduced to nothing but walls and debris. Within the walls stood a handful of people, one was dressed colorfully, while the others wore simple coats decorated with silver. All of their garments were considerably damaged, and covered in dirt and dust.
"It's over, Joker! You can't go anywhere!" One of the plain individuals addressed the vibrant man, a small blade in his hand. The young man was visibly inexperienced, and his face betrayed worry. His eyes darted between his allies on either side of him, and the grip on his blade tightened. The Joker frowned and glared at the man, and then sprinted straight for him.
The vibrant man moved with elegance and inhuman speed, and caught his target by the throat. He lifted the young man off of his feet, blue eyes filled with fear. A smile appeared on the Joker's face as a cloud of smoke expanded in his free hand, and formed a curved black blade of obsidian. The others stepped forward instinctively, beginning to move to assist their ally, but a voice yelled out behind them.
"No, he'll just kill all of you! Just run, I'll keep him occupied." A man stepped towards the Joker, stopping in front of his comrades. His coat was damaged, but considerably more decorated with silver pieces of armor on his torso and arms. Tattered white gloves covered his hands, and his face was bruised. He reached into his coat, and pulled out a playing card. With a smile, he displayed its face to the Joker, an Ace of Diamonds. "Is this what you're looking for?"
The Joker's face lit up, and he dropped his victim. "Yes, actually, how nice of you to give yourself up for me." He chuckled, taking long strides towards the Ace. "Unfortunately, I'm not that nice." He stopped abruptly, and spun back around to look at the man on the ground. The young man was wheezing, and struggled to breathe. As he looked up to see his assailant, he cried out and began frantically pushing himself backwards, eyes wide with dread. A grin stretched across the Joker's face as he raised his blade, and brought it down on his prey.
The man let out a chilling scream, and the others looked on with dismay as their friend perished, some stepping backwards in fear, others moving forward, furious. The Ace hung his head, holding his arm out to stop them from going any further. "Jack! No!" A woman cried, attempting to push past the Ace. She continued screaming as tears ran down her face. The Ace kept her back effortlessly, before finally shoving her backwards. "The Jack did his job. King, restrain your Queen." The Ace said emptily. The woman attempted to run at the Ace again, but a man behind her stepped forward and restrained her arms. The Queen looked back incredulously, still sobbing uncontrollably. The Ace nodded as he placed the card in his coat.
"Are you ready to die, Ace?" The sneering voice rang in the Ace's ears with the Jack's bloodcurdling scream. He looked up to watch the flamboyantly dressed man grinning at him as he pulled his blade from another casualty of war. As the Jack's body fell limp to the floor, a red light pulsed from the center, and as the light subsided, only a pile of dust remained, a playing card sitting atop it. A streak of red light streamed from the card and into the Joker, as he inhaled deeply. The Joker reached down and picked up the Jack of Diamonds, a smirk on his face. The Ace scowled as the maniacal laughs of the Joker echoed through the hall.
"You've lost, accept it." The Joker teased. He approached the Ace, brandishing his blade, snickering. They made eye contact, and the Ace saw only destruction in those crimson eyes.
"There's still more of us, you can't win alone." The Ace retorted. "It would be an honor to take out the Joker and finally give this world a bit of peace." He smiled, and held his hand out behind him.
The King released the Queen, who promptly fell to her knees, still despondent. "Give me the blade," The Ace commanded, carefully watching the Joker as he drew closer. The King nodded and unsheathed a pristine broadsword from his belt. A single diamond adorned the hilt and gold accentuated the center of the sword. He carefully tossed the weapon to the Ace.
"The other Joker's just late. It's too bad you'll be too dead to see him," The Joker's voice was endlessly condescending. "And the Diamond's Talent will be mine."
The Ace smirked. "You have nothing but your crude blade. This weapon was forged by our best smith, the 10. Our strongest steel, edged with diamonds." He gave the blade a quick slash, slicing the air.
"The 10? You mean that pile of dust over there, blowing in the wind?" The Joker cackled, gesturing to a pile of dust behind him. He had already taken the 10 of Diamonds.
The Ace grimaced in frustration. There were only three Diamonds left, and dying to the Joker would only make him stronger. The Joker dashed towards the Ace in a flash, arriving with his blade at the Ace's chest. The Ace gasped, and jumped backwards. The Joker followed nimbly, raising the sword up as to beckon the Ace into combat. "King, I might need you on this one." The Ace called.
"I'm ready." The King nodded.
With a loud cry, the Ace raised his blade up and charged at the Joker, reaching a speed that could match the Joker's. The heavy blade didn't deter him in the slightest, and he swung it powerfully at the Joker. The Joker raised his blade with one hand and parried the blow, snickering. As the Ace's blade bounced off of the Joker's obsidian, there was a single moment where the Ace saw an opening in the Joker's stance. His arms were too far apart to defend from this attack. The Ace allowed his blade to swing backwards as he brought his fist into the Joker's stomach. The Joker wheezed as he fell over. The Ace brought his blade up and prepared to finally end the Joker.
"This was too easy, Ace, be careful." The King warned. The Joker had to have another trick up his sleeve.
The Ace nodded, and brought the diamond edged sword down. A brilliant golden light appeared over the Joker, and blocked the swing. The Ace gasped as the Joker stood up, the golden barrier disappearing. "You forgot that I killed the rest of your suit? I always thought that the Diamond's Talent was the best."
The Joker snapped, and in a flash, the gold energy formed plates of armor on his body. "Can you beat the combined energy of your entire suit?" He mocked, crouching into a fighting stance.
"I can help you, Ace." The King reassured the Ace, who had worry on his face.
The Ace was visibly shaken as he realized that the majority of his suit was gone. The Joker seized this opportunity and swung his saber at the Ace. The King reached out and a gold barrier rippled into being in front of the Ace, and pulled him backwards, out of the Joker's range. The Ace was not fit to fight any more. The King raced towards the Ace and grabbed him by the arm. With his free hand, he created a forcefield that split the hall in half, isolating the Joker. The Joker cackled wildly as he watched the King drag his remaining two suit member away from the fortress. The gold armor he had created faded away, and he calmly strolled to the forcefield. He touched the rippling energy with his obsidian blade, and it immediately dissipated. He could make out the figures of the Diamonds quickly fleeing from the ruined fortress, and briskly followed them, grinning.

Chapter 3

Roy screamed as him and the Ace of Hearts landed on a soft patch of grass. The Ace landed gently on his feet, while Roy tumbled loudly onto his back. He grabbed the Ace's outstretched hand and rose to his feet. "Does it always hurt that much?" Roy asked.
"Only when it's fire. You get used to it though."
Roy groaned as he cracked his back, breathing deeply. "How many times have you jumped between worlds?" He questioned, surveying the surrounding area. The grassy field rippled as the wind blew through the meadow. Huge white flowers sprouted from the ground, towering above Roy, almost 15 feet. He gawked at the beautiful landscape stretching around him, the green hills stretching past the horizon, dotted with the white flowers. The sun floated high in the sky, and Roy looked up quickly, and noticed the blue hue from the sun. It wasn't overpowering, but it was definitely noticeable.
"Twice now. As soon as the cycle started I went to your world, and just now was my second time. I hope everything's okay on our side." The Ace scanned the area. "These are the rolling hills of the Spades. They're all gifted with the Talent of Creation, and these fields were made by the fourth King of Spades, right before the Joker found him and ended the cycle." The Ace shook his head, smiling. "It's so strange that a place so pretty was a site of something so ugly."
Roy frowned. The serenity of the field was suddenly replaced with the thought of murder. The dark side of this world had shown itself considerably quickly. "Well, where are we headed?" Roy wanted to get away from this field.
"The City of the Spades," The Ace pointed south. "The Spades will give us safe passage back to the Forest of Hearts."
Roy was still pumped on adrenaline, but he was sure that once it wore off, he'd be in for a great shock. He nodded to the Ace, and they began a steady pace towards the City of Spades.

The pale blue sun was beginning to dim as the pair reached the edge of the meadow, and the green grass turned to a light sand. Roy and the Ace had walked in silence for the most part, with the occasional "Ooh" or "Ah" from Roy as he marveled at the landscape of the world. Roy looked ahead and saw an endless sandy desert, with no vegetation at all, a clear contrast from the grassy fields they had just passed. Several large dark brown rocks were placed pointing upwards around the desert, and a light breeze cast a seemingly perpetual sandy veil over the area.
"It just changes like that?" Roy asked. He frowned as the Ace remained silent and began walking into the light sandstorm. Roy quickly followed. "Hey, Ace? Can you hear me?" He raised an arm up to cover his eyes from the sand constantly blowing around them. The Ace seemed unfazed, however. "Ace!" Roy raised his voice and the Ace of Hearts immediately turned around and tackled Roy to the ground, covering his mouth to muffle Roy's grunt. His striking crimson eyes stared into Roy's angrily.
The Ace put a finger to his lips. "Shhhh," He slowly removed his hand from Roy's face and stood back up, grasping Roy's arm to pull him to his feet. He began speaking in a low whisper. "The fields are supposed to go on until we reach the City. This desert shouldn't exist."
Roy furrowed his brow, stepping forward beside the Ace. Looking through the veil of sand, he tried to decipher what had happened. His ears perked up as he heard a distant laugh. It had a clear underlying insanity to it, and he felt unsettled just by the sound itself. He spun around, searching desperately for the source of the sound, and he saw the Ace's eyes widen. There was fear in his eyes.
The Ace feverishly began listening for the source of the sound. The laugh continued on, and the longer it went, the paler the Ace became, and the more disturbed Roy felt. "Th-the Joker is here. But why now?" The Ace stuttered, still panicked. He stopped abruptly, and looked directly into one direction. Roy looked, and saw a distant silhouette, and it was getting closer. The laugh was beginning to become louder. "Run!" The Ace screamed as he grabbed Roy's arm and began sprinting through the desert. The laugh became even more maniacal and Roy glanced backwards to see the figure rapidly approaching, even as they ran. "Ace, he's gaining on us!" He gasped.
"Just keep running, Roy!" The Ace yelled back, still trying to cover his eyes from the dust. "I don't even know how this happened." He muttered, beginning to slow down, breaths becoming thin.
"Ace, we have to go!" Roy yelled, watching the Joker's figure become even closer. He was shaking, and he felt more afraid than he had ever felt in his life. "I just got here, Ace! I thought you said we could win this cycle!"
The Ace turned around and faced the Joker, panting. "We can."
The Joker became more than a silhouette as he approached. Roy could make out his colorful clothing, and his bright red eyes. The smirk on his face made him uneasy. He walked towards them slowly, taking long strides. The Ace of Hearts reached into his pocket and retrieved a small silver knife, adorned with a heart made of ruby on its hilt.
"Ah, the Ace of Hearts, how unusual." The Joker chuckled. "Usually the Hearts are the last to die. What makes you so brave?" The signature black blade appeared in his hand. Roy watched the man closely, ready to flee at any sudden motion.
"I know you won't break the tradition." The Ace's grip on the knife tightened. "Spades come first, Hearts come last."
"That's quite the gamble you're taking. Normally that would be true, but if you haven't noticed, this cycle is full of surprises. Look, you even brought an outsider." The Joker's voice was unexpectedly proper, and it seemed impossible that the insane cackling that Roy had heard moments ago had come from this same man. "And who might you be?" The Joker gestured to Roy.
Roy swallowed, sweat running down his forehead. "Um, I'm Roy." He managed. "You must be the J-Joker." Roy was surprised at his own lightheartedness while speaking to a renowned murderer.
"That I am. So, can you do anything special?" The Joker grinned.
"Um, no, I'm just normal. I'm completely average."
"Oh, that's a shame. Don't worry," The Joker lunged in front of Roy at a blinding speed, his face to the side of Roy's so that he was whispering in his ear. "I'm sure you'll find your Talent."
"Get away from him!" The Ace yelled and lunged for the Joker with his knife. As he brought the blade down, a bright golden light flashed and the golden barrier parried the blow. The Ace gasped and jumped backwards. "The Diamonds? How? You couldn't have already finished the rest of the Suits. The Spades and Clubs come first!" He screamed.
"Full of surprises." The Joker repeated. "I felt like the Diamonds could be more useful first. Tradition isn't everything, my friend."
"You finished off all of the Diamonds?" The Ace's voice quivered.
"No, there were a few that managed to get out, unfortunately." The Joker said longingly, audibly disappointed. "It's okay though, I don't need them." He stepped away from Roy, who was frozen in fear.
"What is this? This desert!" The Ace screamed. "Diamonds can't do this, all they have is their Barrier."
"Oh, I forgot, you still see a desert, don't you?" The Joker laughed and waved his hand in the air, and as he brought it down, the sandstorm receded. Roy and the Ace brought their arms down, and watched in astonishment as the sand beneath their feet changed to the same pale green as the field, and the familiar tall flowers reappeared. The field was never gone in the first place.
"I-illusion..." The Ace stared in disbelief at the field around him. "What did you do to my Hearts?" He jumped at the Joker and brought his knife to the Joker's throat, eyes burning with rage. "Tell me!"
"Oh calm down, it was just the King. Careless idiot, he was wandering outside of your silly forest." The Joker snickered, staring right back at the Ace.
The Ace let out a primal howl and thrust the knife into the Joker. Roy looked away instinctively, expecting a gruesome scene to be waiting for him when he looked back. As his eyes closed, he heard the familiar laughter of the Joker, and as he opened his eyes again, he saw the blade of the Ace's knife, shattered on the ground. The Ace was gaping at his broken weapon in despair. The golden glow of the Barrier illuminated the Joker's face as it covered his neck.
"Don't let your King's death be in vain." The Joker teased, and snapped his fingers. In an instant the desert, and its accompanying sandstorm, returned. Roy didn't bother covering his eyes, as he knew it wasn't real. The Ace looked slowly up at the Joker, only to see him snap again and disappear. The only signs of his remaining presence was the footsteps appearing in the sand as he departed.
"Roy, you have to get to the City. Just let the Spades guide you. I have to go another way." The Ace said blankly, eyes fixed on the Joker's path.
"You can't seriously be trying to fight the Joker by yourself!" Roy retorted, stepping forward. "He just broke your only weapon!"
"My knife is not an issue, Roy. I will avenge my King, weapon or no weapon." The Ace started following the Joker's footsteps. "My Talent will be enough. If I am to fall at the hand of the Joker, at least it will be fighting for my Suit."
"You're not thinking straight right now! Just come to the City with me, and the Spades can help us. The rest of your Suit's still alive. Maybe we can even get their help!" Roy yelled. The Ace refused to turn around, or even stop.
"You can't stop me Roy."
Roy knew the Ace was right. He was too weak, and he had no idea what the Ace could do with his Talent. If the King of Hearts could make a desert appear to him, the capabilities of the Ace must have been extremely potent. "Good luck, Ace. I'll make sure that we get to you as fast as we can."
The Ace raised his hand up in a halfhearted attempt at a farewell. Roy sighed as he watched his only companion in this unknown world walk away from him. With a deep breath, Roy turned around and began his trek to the City of Spades, alone.

Chapter 4

The desert had faded after only a few minutes of walking, and as the illusion dwindled, the green hills returned, and Roy abruptly collapsed into the soft, pillowy grass. The grass had a texture similar to feathers, and Roy relaxed as he allowed himself to be engulfed in the velvety meadow. He inhaled the fresh air, and the grass gave it a sweet aroma. Maybe this world wouldn't be so bad after all. Besides the murder, the world itself was full of magnificent landscapes and the concept of Talents intrigued him. He looked up at the sky, and its blue sun, taking in the full beauty of the world.
"Having fun there?" A voice asked behind him. Roy shot up to his feet and turned to face the stranger, fists clenched. In front of him stood an older man, with brown hair that was beginning to give way to grey, and a warm expression in his light blue eyes. He was older, but he couldn't have been over 40 in human years. He was wearing a black coat, reaching down to his ankles, and underneath was a matte black plate of metal. The armor reminded Roy that the world was at war. "You're Roy, aren't you? Don't worry, I'm the King of Spades."
Roy relaxed as he heard the man's identity. "Roy Franser, uh, your majesty." He was unsure of how to address the King. He dropped down to one knee awkwardly.
The King chortled at Roy's formality. "We're at war, boy. There's no need for you to be so polite. Just call me the King."
Roy stood up quickly. "Sorry sir. Er, I mean, King." Roy became flush with embarrassment.
The King chuckled a little. "Oh, it's alright. Welcome to our world!" He said enthusiastically. "Where's that good old Ace of Hearts?" He scanned through the field, searching.
Roy hung his head, worry returning to his mind. "While we were on our way, the Joker found us."
"What? He couldn't have been killed already!" The King exclaimed.
"The Joker's already killed off most of the Diamonds and the King of Hearts. The Ace left to avenge his King." Roy explained morosely.
"We have to set out to help him immediately!" The King announced loudly, beginning to walk towards the City. "He'll be killed if he tries to face the Joker alone! Especially if the Joker already has the golden Barrier, and one of the strongest Illusion Talents."
"I agree, but I think we should retrieve the Hearts too, to reinforce their leader." Roy said, following closely behind.
"Oh, of course, we'll get on that immediately. We have to work quickly!"

They had been walking for about half an hour when Roy spotted the City of Spades. It was a shining silver city, with buildings of various sizes and shapes. Some buildings towered above others, and some took a square shape, and others took on the shape of a sphere. In the center of the city, a huge citadel pierced upwards into the sky, high above the rest of the city. A large black Spade sat on its front, made from a black crystal. A golden wall surrounded the metropolis, and the whole City almost looked like a castle. Roy stared in awe, finding himself once again dumbstruck by the amazing sight that stood in front of him. The King smiled at Roy as they approached the gates.
"We're going to be working extremely quickly, Roy, so try to keep up." The King explained.
A large steel gate ascended as they neared the wall, allowing them entrance to the city. As they passed inside, Roy caught a glimpse of two men, clad in black armor, watching him from atop the wall. He expected a huge bustling city inside, full of people and activity, but the streets were empty. The city was eerily quiet, and the lack of inhabitants and noise caused the whistling of the wind to become incredibly audible. Roy had forgotten that there were 54 people in the entire world now, and only 13 were Spades. They were headed for the citadel. Their footsteps echoed through the whole city, ringing loudly. They walked in silence, and Roy would occasionally catch the moving shadows in the corner of his eye. He was being watched.
"Roy, if you had to pick a Talent, which would you choose?" The King asked, breaking the silence.
"Well, all I know is that Hearts can manipulate minds and Spades can create. I've seen the Diamonds' barrier, but I don't exactly know all of its functions. The Clubs are a mystery to me, too." Roy replied, examining the buildings they passed, noting their strange shapes.
"The Diamond barrier is capable of cancelling out the other Suits' Talents, and the Clubs are able to destroy things down to their molecular level. Diamonds keep the other Suits in check without an offensive ability of their own, while the Spades and Clubs can constantly balance the other. Hearts usually keep to themselves." The King clarified. "You should also know that the Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of each suit has their own special bonus."
"Bonus?"
"The Ace of Hearts is able to make gateways, like the one that brought you here."
"He told me that those gateways opened once a year." Roy said, irritated.
"He had to give you some sort of pressure. You wouldn't have made the choice as quickly otherwise." The King beamed knowingly at Roy.
Roy nodded. The Ace of Hearts was smart, and Roy knew that. "Could he make a gateway here, if he needed to?" He asked, a hint of worry in his tone.
"Yes, he's always welcome here. But he doesn't seem like the type to run." The King shook his head. "I don't think we have any other choice than to help him."
"What about the other bonuses?"
"Aces usually have the most unique Talents. The Ace of Diamonds can stop himself from being injured, and the Ace of Clubs can, well, let's just say she can make you vanish. Poof." The King chuckled.
"What about the Ace of Spades?"
"You'll see, Roy."
They had made it to the citadel, and up close it was even more intimidating. Roy stared up to the top of the citadel, and then stumbled backwards, feeling dizzy. He heard several sounds behind him, and looked back to see three cloaked figures standing, waiting.
"These are the 5, 6, and 7 of Spades. They're my personal guard. They may seem intimidating, but they can warm up to you." The King waved at them. They nodded in response, and the King approached the large door at the base of the tower. He pushed it open with ease, and Roy followed him inside.
The inside of the citadel was completely made of gold, it seemed. Small golden lamps lit the interior of the tower, and the light shined off of the golden surface of the walls and furniture. A column of white light shined down from the low ceiling, focused on the center of the room. The King gestured to it, motioning for Roy to step into it. Apprehensive, Roy carefully stepped into the light, and the small circle that the light shined on immediately rose up, and took him past several floors in the tower. It stopped abruptly at a brightly lit floor. The giant Spade on the citadel was actually a window, and through it, Roy saw the entirety of the city, and the blue sun was setting. The sight was breathtaking. It took Roy some time to notice the man standing at the window.
He wore a black coat like the King's, but as he turned around, Roy saw that he was much younger. About the same age as the Ace of Hearts, with black hair and striking amber eyes. Under his coat was leather, fastened by metal clips. A blade hung on his belt. "Roy...Franser." He said slowly, walking towards Roy, who stood his ground, though he was shaking. His heart beat quickly. For some reason he was incredibly intimidated.
"Yes, sir." Roy said shakily.
"I'm the Ace of Spades." The man began. "And I've heard that you're here to help us win this war."
"Yes, I'll try my best."
"Well, if we can get to the Ace of Hearts in time, I'd say we have a pretty good chance." The Ace grinned. "I've already sent a Spade to the Hearts, and the rest of us are readying for this battle. If we can defeat the Joker, the rest of the war should be easily won."
Roy exhaled, relieved. "That's great, when do we leave?"
"After you receive your Talent." The Ace put his palm to Roy's chest. Roy looked at his hand in surprise when he made the connection.
"That's your bonus. Giving Talents. But that seems so useless when everyone already has one." Roy stated.
"That's true, but Spades are already considerably strong without any special wild card. Now, which Talent would you like?"
"They all sound great, I couldn't pick all of them?" Roy joked. He realized the time wasn't right to joke, and quickly sobered. "Um, your Talent seems the easiest to harness. Creation, please."
The Ace nodded and a warm orange light appeared at his palm, and Roy felt a tingling surge into his body, and spread throughout. "If you can imagine it, it will appear. Just keep in mind, your Earth technology does not function here, and you can not create living things." The Ace described the ability. He retracted his hand and snapped his fingers. The floor they were standing on split from the rest of the platform and dropped down, descending back to the ground level.
"We're ready, Ace." The King and his guard stood waiting.