“I’m sorry.” Scarlet whispered as she waded through the water, the lights of the buildings around her flaring out. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t... I couldn’t stop him.” She added as she pushed through the bloated corpses floating in the water. Coming to a roundabout, Scarlet caught sight of something lurking in the darkness before it backed away into the shadows.
“I let you down.” Scarlet stated as she stepped onto the roundabout, bone walls rising around her to form a skull, the huntress standing on the upper jaw of the deathly manifestation.
“You killed them, Scarlet!” The skull boomed, shrapnel spitting out of its mouth with every word. “You killed them all.”
“I know I did; I let them all down.” Scarlet replied as the shrapnel whirled around her before forming binder around her hands, chains reaching out of the skull and dragging her, unresistant, into the mouth of the skull.
“Stand down!” A voice ordered as Scarlet slammed into the concrete of the police plaza. Groaning, she got to her feet and looked towards the building where a young girl of nine or ten, a scream twisted onto her face, was slumped over a woman’s body, a crossbow bolt stabbed through her skull.
“Mum.” Scarlet screamed as police officers came running down the stairs before a wave of stone splinters slashed through the officers.
“You are death.” A voice hissed as an infernal light akin to those of Lotan’s mouth shone on her. Blinking Scarlet stepped off the road just as a car barreled past her, its horn blaring. Pulling off her helmet and arm guards, Scarlet dropped it, streams of green flame dripping off her body in beads of sweat.
“Oh no.” Scarlet gulped as the El Paso skyline went dark, the power sparking out due to the surge of water. "No, why…why didn’t it…” She stopped as the same shadowy figure rose up behind her, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her into the asphalt, the road tar melting and swallowing her up into darkness. Struggling against her attacker, Scarlet surfaced, pulling herself onto the grassy verge, her face covered with blood.
“I deserve this.” Scarlet whispered as she scratched her skin, opening a healed cut as screams echoed around her. Looking around, Scarlet saw people rush past, fleeing from a wall of darkness. “I belong here.”
“You do.” A voice coughed as Scarlet saw a figure walk in front of the darkness and click his finger, the wall of darkness burning off. “Scarlet, you are having an attack. Remember what I taught you.”
“I screwed up.” Scarlet cried as she scratched her face, four black slash marks cutting into her cheek. “Lotan, Lisette…you.”
“None of these were your fault.” The figure stated as an old man with long grey hair tied into a ponytail dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans. “Take control of your magic; they flare with your panic and distress; they bring her back to the forefront.” The man stated as the flames coalesced into a humanoid figure, horns and bat-like wings sprouted from its body.
“Do not listen to him!” The burning figure screamed as Scarlet shuffled backward away from her. “Only I can bring Lotan to heel; it should be a pet to us, not a mountain for us to suffer on.” The burning figure hissed, a heat haze washing over Scarlet, causing her to wretch, hives erupting like live coals on her face.
“I caused so many to die.” Scarlet sighed as part of her face melted off to reveal burning skin. “Lotan will…”
“For every life lost, what do we do?” The old man asked as he placed a hand on Scarlet’s shoulder, blue lightning arching up and down her arm.
“We light a candle, and then we take those flames and use it to burn those who are responsible for their deaths.” Scarlet answered as the fires on her face extinguished, causing the figure wreathed in flame to look at her in horror. Turning away from her, Scarlet shook her head, the world swimming into view as she snapped back into reality. “Thank you.” She whispered as pain gripped her body.
"Ma'am, you were lucky; someone spotted you after a car hit you; the driver didn’t stop.” A voice stated this, causing Scarlet to shake her head and spot the paramedic tending to her. Whatever you were wearing seemed to take the brunt.
“Can I walk?” Scarlet asked as she looked towards the dark skyline of the city.
“I wouldn’t recommend it; we would take you to the UMC, but a flash flood has hit the city with a 3m tidal surge.” The paramedic announced. “As such, we are taking people to emergency evacuation shelters on the outskirts of the city. The nearest one to here is the Church of Christ’s Glory.”
“The pastor.” Scarlet whispered as she balled her hands.
“Is there someone we can contact, ma'am?" The paramedic asked as Scarlet sat up and got to her feet, a pained look upon her face.
“Detective Raina Chavez, tell her to meet me at the church in an hour, that it is about Lotan.” Scarlet ordered as she placed two fingers on one of the scald marks on her arm, blue sparks arching up and down, causing the burns to fade. “She will know who I am and what I’m talking about.” She added as she began walking towards the flooded city centre.
"Ma'am, that way is flooded.” The paramedic called only to see Scarlet disappear into a mirage of rippling heat. “I need to go back to my therapist when this is done.” He mumbled before picking up his radio.
**
Scarlet shimmered into her apartment and walked to the window. The street below was flooded with three or four bodies floating among the debris. Grimacing, she turned and headed into the lounge, throwing the bar mace on the floor before grabbing a duffel bag by the sofa.
“I need enough power to burn Lotan to cinders, but I can’t just plug him into the Texan power grid.” Scarlet mumbled as she went into her kitchen and grabbed a glass jar of sling bullets and scooped them into the bag. Heading back into her longue, she grabbed a slab of rock with a fossil ammonite off a shelf, accidentally knocking a photograph off. Continuing her hunt, she entered her bedroom, opened her walk-in closet, and pulled a pair of insulated gloves off one of the shelves, followed by a pair of hatchets, the weapon heads glowing slightly in the darkness.
Heading back into the lounge, Scarlet stopped and bent down to pick up the photograph, one of herself with the man from her magical meltdown.
“Thank you, Guillermo; I hope I’m making you proud.” Scarlet whispered as she zipped up the bag and shouldered it. “If Lotan won’t come to the sub-station, then the sub-station will go to Lotan.” She added, before placing the photograph back on the shelf, “Time to light those candles.” She continued the last words, warped as a heat haze engulfed the apartment, and she shimmered away.
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