Simone slammed down hard on concrete, knocking the wind from her lungs. She gasped and choked as an aural assault of something loud jolted her out of it.

Hoooooooonnnnnkkk!

Honk!

Hooooooooonnnnnnkkkk!

Honk!

Simone’s eyes pulled wide and her breath left her again. Hundreds of knoblins filled a packed city street full of cars, lights, and…holy shit, weeaboos!

She was standing in the middle of a crowded crosswalk in front of an anime con. All eyes were on her skimpy ranger’s clothing and her…wait. Shock hit her. She reached down the front of her pants…she was in her in game body.

“Can I sniff that?” A random voice from the crowd of neckbeards snapped her out of it. They blocked her way back, so she had to run toward the con. She would be safe inside. She could blend in and figure out what the fuck is going on.

Her heart pounded as she dodged a knoblin mob terrorizing a group of furries while someone dressed as One Punch Man was on about his seventh or eighth as the knoblins mauled his Achilles tendons, as they do. The crowd at large seemed to start getting the picture and dispersing about the time Pikachu took a couple knoblin shots to the face. The crowd outside panicked and ran out. Simone ran in. Once she was inside, she made her way deeper into the con where panic hadn’t yet reached and just…breathed. She was a woman. On Earth. This is exactly what she’d wanted for as long as she could remember. She made her way down rows quickly, skipping any that weren’t immediately interesting because she knew she didn’t have much time. She imagined herself in the costumes she passed and on the arms of the hotties, and she just wanted to go home. As much as she could do it, this world had hurt her too bad. Robbed her of her agency, her life, and for what? To tell her she was delusional or make people hate her for no reason? Nah, she was ready to find the first portal back.

“That’s her!” A voice called from behind Simone.

She turned to see one of the neckbeards pointing at her with two big burly piggies radioing for backup.

She rolled initiative. “Fuck the police!”

With a quick motion she drew her bow and knocked and arrow, letting it fly, precisely striking the radio from his shoulder, pinning it to the wall behind him. She charged and jumped, placing a foot on the other cops chest and she pushed off and danced across the high panel walls and bootths of the con. Her higher vantage point showed her the evacuation happening. Police and swat swarmed and chased the knoblins. She needed to think quick and decided to go back toward where she started. She didn’t have a junior in portal mechanics but she thought that was sound, but she couldn't be direct. She took the first chance she could to jump down into the main thoroughfare of fleeing cosplayers and followed through the doors.

They flooded out into the entryway and parking lot of the arena and she made her way toward the intersection where all the cops were. As she made her way forward, she saw two police brute forcing someone into the back of a cruiser. Her blood boiled. She looked at their hips. Safariland level two’s with Sigs. She couldn’t get involved. Not with firepower like that. She kept her eyes on the spectacle as she jogged, and she heard a familiar voice.

“Getch’er fuckin’ hands off of me,” A dirty black braid whipped back against the door, and Simone’s jaw dropped.

“Lacuna?” She puzzled.

“Yeah!” She fired up and started kicking the officers. “Let’s get these fucks!”

Simone sprang into action. In three steps she leapt, bringing her bare foot down on the back of the cop’s knee, bringing him to the ground. She moved with lighting speed, pressing the release on the Safariland, rolling it forward, and drawing the gun. Before he could react, she slammed the butt into the side of his head, knocking him back, and leveling the gun at the other officer, who immediately raised his hands, knowing he was beat. Lacuna came out of the seat, hands cuffed.

“Don’t move.” Simone held the gun on him with predatory resolve.

She moved in and released his holster and took his gun and moved back, holding one on each officer as the first began to rise. “Unlock her.”

The officer begrudgingly unlocked Lacuna. As soon as the second cuff unhitched, she lunged, punching him in the dick, bringing him down to her level, and grabbing his collar. “Never touch women like that, creep!”

She shoved him back and spit. “Let’s go. Chino’s waiting for us!”

Simone held firm another moment, drinking in the power she held in her hands. She could remove two stains from society and disappear back home. But more would come. They were a hydra. She spit at their feet. “All cops are bastards.”

Lacuna dashed into an alley. Simone lowered the weapons and ran behind. Simone followed Lacuna down a city block, and back to the other side of where she came through. “He’s back there. Behind that Taco Bell.”

They ran across the street dodging piles of knoblin spit, and behind the dumpster that smelled like every shit she’d ever taken after eating Taco Bell.

“Ready?” Chino asked.

“Fuck yes.” Simone said, tucking the guns into her pack. “How do we get home?”

“Hearthstone.” Chino said, passing one to Simone.

“I keep forgetting Mark was a WoW nerd.”

[SYSTEM ALERT: Encounter Cleared.]

[SYSTEM ALERT: Interdimensional travel achieved.]

[XP Awarded: 24,000]

[Level Up Available! Unspent Attribute Points: 12]