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Wonder City Stories II #65
Sep. 27th, 2011 02:38 pmHope Like Hell That Man Is an Evil Man
Megan shouldered Meteor aside and leapt over the contorted body of the serial killer they'd chased and through the doorway. She felt Meteor follow via the link. In a corner of her mind, Megan was very impressed with Renata's power -- not every telepath could maintain contact with multiple minds through a dimensional gate, even initiating new links on the other side of the gate. In fact, Megan couldn't think of a single telepath in the literature who could.
Sator's a showier mage-type than we thought, she reported to Watson.
Sator was inspecting his opponents coolly from his vantage point, hovering well above the floor. "Ah, you," he said, his gaze falling upon the Equestrian. "I wondered when she would send you my way."
"You can hardly imagine that she'd ignore what you've been doing here," the Equestrian said, rolling a green glowing ball from hand to hand.
You knew what was going on? Nereid exclaimed in the link.
Of course not, the Equestrian said.
What is going on here? Simon asked, and Megan could hear an echo of the question from Suzanne and Watson.
If evidence can be believed, the Equestrian said, he's collected hundreds of human souls to power an interdimensional engine.
"She rarely cares about the outskirts of her realm," Sator said.
"She cares when you start rearranging the furniture in her house," the Equestrian said, gesturing upward.
"Oh, she'll like the results," Sator said with an unpleasant smile. "For about five minutes. And then I'll destroy her."
The Equestrian looked over at Maelstrom. "Where've we heard that one before?"
"Only every two-bit pretender that's come along," the horse, now much more horselike, said.
I think you all should probably back out slowly, the Equestrian said. We're used to dealing with blokes like this.
Sophie! Nereid and Wire said simultaneously, and Megan noticed, for the first time, the bell jar containing a tiny version of Brainchild.
Dammit, the Equestrian said, and there was an edge of dawning horror from her mind. She's probably the linchpin to kick his machine into high gear. There are few things more powerful than a disembodied living human spirit in this realm.
Bugger, Maelstrom said, and stepped in front of the Equestrian again just as the room became a fireworks show of multicolored magics.
"Where did you get this many souls, Sator?" the Equestrian said, gesturing a magical shield into existence.
"I've been here a long time," Sator said. "And humans -- particularly paranormals -- are very useful for fetching and carrying."
Like the serial killer? Suzanne said. I wonder if he demanded the victim type switch for some magical reason.
"Like the poor chump you've been using lately?" the Equestrian said, raising blue vines from the floor to entrap Sator.
"Oh, he was a killer to start with," Sator said, creating a shredding whirlwind around himself that took the vines to pieces. "He came to me, pathetic thing, wanting to know how to get rid of the ghosts that were following him. So I took them away, and tucked them here for safekeeping. And he went off to make more."
"Not all girls, though," the Equestrian said. Maelstrom kicked a ball of fire up at Sator.
"Oh, it was some Oedipal thing," Sator said, flicking the fireball away. "He didn't get to kill his father, so he wanted to kill his father. I promised to raise his father so he could kill him -- imagine me going to all that trouble for a foolish little creature like that -- and he went out to fetch more souls. But temptation took him back to his original targets. Humans are so predictable."
There you go, the Equestrian said to Suzanne.
That's terrible, said Suzanne.
At least there won't be any more, Ira said comfortingly.
By this one, Suzanne said.
Megan looked around as she ducked the lightning and fire and wind. There was a big, heavy control panel nearby, behind Sator. She ran to it and found herself face-to-face with Meteor, who apparently had the same idea. They nodded to each other, bent, and jammed their fingers underneath the solid mass of steel and lights.
Megan counted, One... two... THREE! and they both heaved with all their might.
The panel tore free of its moorings and slammed into Sator's back, exploding into more lightning and fire and wind.
Sator lost concentration, apparently, as his part of the fireworks ceased for a moment. There was a whirring, whining sound that cut through the air, and Wire's trademark wires, which she reputedly never used on living things, lashed out to wrap around Sator.
His clothing was reduced to ribbons, but his skin was impervious. He pursed his lips and raised a hand. The wires rebounded, lashing back toward their creator.
Wire leapt aside just a fraction of a second too late, and her left arm just... fell off below the elbow.
Megan felt Renata clamp down on Wire's reaction, but she saw the blood burst onto the floor. Wire fell, clamping her remaining hand over the stump. Somehow, Wire stayed silent against some sort of desperate panic that Megan didn't understand.
Worse, the churning, spinning wires kept on and slashed through the glass bell jar that hovered above the funnel, sending glass fragments everywhere.
Nereid screamed as Brainchild's spirit slipped toward the abyss of the black cone.
---
Note from the Author:
Ten commenters get you the next episode on Thursday!
And remember to vote for WCS!
Megan shouldered Meteor aside and leapt over the contorted body of the serial killer they'd chased and through the doorway. She felt Meteor follow via the link. In a corner of her mind, Megan was very impressed with Renata's power -- not every telepath could maintain contact with multiple minds through a dimensional gate, even initiating new links on the other side of the gate. In fact, Megan couldn't think of a single telepath in the literature who could.
Sator's a showier mage-type than we thought, she reported to Watson.
Sator was inspecting his opponents coolly from his vantage point, hovering well above the floor. "Ah, you," he said, his gaze falling upon the Equestrian. "I wondered when she would send you my way."
"You can hardly imagine that she'd ignore what you've been doing here," the Equestrian said, rolling a green glowing ball from hand to hand.
You knew what was going on? Nereid exclaimed in the link.
Of course not, the Equestrian said.
What is going on here? Simon asked, and Megan could hear an echo of the question from Suzanne and Watson.
If evidence can be believed, the Equestrian said, he's collected hundreds of human souls to power an interdimensional engine.
"She rarely cares about the outskirts of her realm," Sator said.
"She cares when you start rearranging the furniture in her house," the Equestrian said, gesturing upward.
"Oh, she'll like the results," Sator said with an unpleasant smile. "For about five minutes. And then I'll destroy her."
The Equestrian looked over at Maelstrom. "Where've we heard that one before?"
"Only every two-bit pretender that's come along," the horse, now much more horselike, said.
I think you all should probably back out slowly, the Equestrian said. We're used to dealing with blokes like this.
Sophie! Nereid and Wire said simultaneously, and Megan noticed, for the first time, the bell jar containing a tiny version of Brainchild.
Dammit, the Equestrian said, and there was an edge of dawning horror from her mind. She's probably the linchpin to kick his machine into high gear. There are few things more powerful than a disembodied living human spirit in this realm.
Bugger, Maelstrom said, and stepped in front of the Equestrian again just as the room became a fireworks show of multicolored magics.
"Where did you get this many souls, Sator?" the Equestrian said, gesturing a magical shield into existence.
"I've been here a long time," Sator said. "And humans -- particularly paranormals -- are very useful for fetching and carrying."
Like the serial killer? Suzanne said. I wonder if he demanded the victim type switch for some magical reason.
"Like the poor chump you've been using lately?" the Equestrian said, raising blue vines from the floor to entrap Sator.
"Oh, he was a killer to start with," Sator said, creating a shredding whirlwind around himself that took the vines to pieces. "He came to me, pathetic thing, wanting to know how to get rid of the ghosts that were following him. So I took them away, and tucked them here for safekeeping. And he went off to make more."
"Not all girls, though," the Equestrian said. Maelstrom kicked a ball of fire up at Sator.
"Oh, it was some Oedipal thing," Sator said, flicking the fireball away. "He didn't get to kill his father, so he wanted to kill his father. I promised to raise his father so he could kill him -- imagine me going to all that trouble for a foolish little creature like that -- and he went out to fetch more souls. But temptation took him back to his original targets. Humans are so predictable."
There you go, the Equestrian said to Suzanne.
That's terrible, said Suzanne.
At least there won't be any more, Ira said comfortingly.
By this one, Suzanne said.
Megan looked around as she ducked the lightning and fire and wind. There was a big, heavy control panel nearby, behind Sator. She ran to it and found herself face-to-face with Meteor, who apparently had the same idea. They nodded to each other, bent, and jammed their fingers underneath the solid mass of steel and lights.
Megan counted, One... two... THREE! and they both heaved with all their might.
The panel tore free of its moorings and slammed into Sator's back, exploding into more lightning and fire and wind.
Sator lost concentration, apparently, as his part of the fireworks ceased for a moment. There was a whirring, whining sound that cut through the air, and Wire's trademark wires, which she reputedly never used on living things, lashed out to wrap around Sator.
His clothing was reduced to ribbons, but his skin was impervious. He pursed his lips and raised a hand. The wires rebounded, lashing back toward their creator.
Wire leapt aside just a fraction of a second too late, and her left arm just... fell off below the elbow.
Megan felt Renata clamp down on Wire's reaction, but she saw the blood burst onto the floor. Wire fell, clamping her remaining hand over the stump. Somehow, Wire stayed silent against some sort of desperate panic that Megan didn't understand.
Worse, the churning, spinning wires kept on and slashed through the glass bell jar that hovered above the funnel, sending glass fragments everywhere.
Nereid screamed as Brainchild's spirit slipped toward the abyss of the black cone.
---
Note from the Author:
Ten commenters get you the next episode on Thursday!
And remember to vote for WCS!
