Disclaimer: I do not own any DC characters or locations. All rights belong to DC Comics. I do, however, retain the rights to all characters and locations of my own creation, which include: Rebecca Chavez, Holly Sanders, Apathy/Ruby, Sophie, Jeremiah Belmont, Michelle Blanchett, Isaiah Slaton, Michael Kubrick, Zaria (as well as her Celarian race), Shao Shen, Trance, Police Chief Gerald Palmer, Officer Stevens, Officer Harrow, Emilia Marconi, Francis Baldoni, Arnold Pavoni, Senator Thomas Greene, Agent Croft, as well as Silverstone City and all its interior locations of my own creation.

Rating: T+

Note: The eleventh arc in my Ravager series to be remastered into prose format and edited to make it better. Been... a bit of a while since the last one, but I'm hoping to finish the rest of them soon now that I have a spark of motivation again. Also, since the new site layout has made putting things in spoiler blocks kind of a pain, nor does it look as neat anymore... yeah, it's a giant wall. That will probably deter a whole lot of people, but then this is for someone who is already reading it, so... whatever.

My Fan-Fic Archives: http://www.comicvine.com/myvine/ravager4/ravager4s-fan-fic-archives/87-79374/

---

Chapter #77

It was a peaceful day, a nice day. The sun shined brightly with not a cloud in the sky, and a cool breeze blew gently through Silverstone Park. Rose closed her eyes momentarily, taking time to enjoy the wind whipping through hair. It seemed like such a long time since she had actually been able to just relax and enjoy a day like today.

“Next,” the vendor said.

Opening her eyes again, Rose took a step forward up to the hot dog cart. “One with onions and relish, and one with everything.”

“Coming right up.”

When the vendor handed over the pair of hot dogs, Rose paid for them and then walked back across the grass towards the picnic table. There, Circe waited, watching the two girls, Holly and Lyta, having fun over on the playground a short distance away.

Sitting down across from the woman, Rose handed over one of the hot dogs. “And there you go, one with everything.”

“Much appreciated,” Circe said, taking a small bite. “You know, it's quite remarkable how much of a taste I've developed for these things. Such a simple food, yet so... savory.”

“Well, that cart does sell the best ones in the city, from my experience.”

The two ate quietly for a moment, though it didn't take long before Rose put her food down and released a long sigh.

“Something wrong?” Circe asked, giving her friend a curious look.

“No, that's the thing. Everything is... great,” she replied, pointing her gaze down at the picnic table. “I mean, as good as they can be, anyway.”

Circe lifted an eyebrow, a shade of confusion finding its way to her face. “Yes, well... some people would be happy about that.”

“And I am. There's just... a lot of things on my mind, is all.” Rose paused, breathing out another sigh. Slowly, she looked up at Circe. “You know, I still don't think I've thanked you for before, for setting me straight. So, thanks.”

“Please, I was only doing my duty as your friend,” Circe said. “Nothing more.”

“Yeah, well I still appreciate it. I think I really needed that slap.”

At this comment, Circe grinned slightly. “Now that part was a pleasure.”

Smirking slightly, Rose lifted her hot dog to take another bite. “If I ever act even remotely like that again in the future, promise you'll slap me harder.”

“Oh, I'll do more than just slap you. Count on it.”

Several more moments passed as the two finished their lunch. Eventually, Rose brought a hand down to the table and absently tapped her fingers, looking intently at Circe. “You know, I just realized something. We've known each other for quite a while now, and I still don't know much about you. Well, other than the fact that you used to be a deranged sorceress with god-like power.”

“And that's all there really is to know,” she said quickly. “Trust me, my history is a long and complicated one, and I'd very much like not to go into it. The past is the past, and that's where I want to leave it.”

“Guess I can't fault you for that,” Rose said, shrugging. “You were, like, a big Wonder Woman foe, though, right? I think I recall Wonder B*tch mentioning something about that before.”

Circe cleared her throat, then took a brief sip from her water bottle. “Yes, Diana and I have a... long and sordid history with one another.”

“But you aren't going to elaborate on that, are you?”

“Not a chance.” Retaining her cool demeanor, Circe leaned back in her seat and folded her arms, sighing. “Though, I imagine that if she could see me right now, see how far I've fallen, she'd have herself a good laugh.”

“I don't know...” Glancing to her left, Rose watched Holly and Lyta for a moment, both girls traversing the monkey bars. “Can you really call living a happy life with your daughter 'falling'?”

Circe, too, looked over at the two girls again. After watching them for several long moments, she finally exhaled a deep breath and curled a small smile onto her face. “No, no I suppose I can't.”

Rose smiled, too, watching the girls for a couple more moments before giving Circe a sly look. “So, now I'm not usually the one to pry on these things, but I'm curious. Are you ever going to get a date?”

At this question, Circe let out a very amused, very genuine laugh. She widened her smile, holding a hand to her face and shaking her head.

“Didn't realize I was telling a joke,” Rose muttered.

“I'm sorry, but the concept of mingling with these mortal men is just so... ridiculous,” Circe said. “I may be a mortal woman now, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give myself to any of these weak minded, self centered pigs.”

Rose thought a moment, lifting an eyebrow. “Well... I suppose when your former partner is the god war, it's hard to find someone who really measures up, huh?”

“Quite. I've yet to meet a man who I find worthy of my affections, as if I even have many affections to give.”

“I'm sure there's somebody out there for you.”

Circe shrugged. “Perhaps, but I've yet to find him. One of your fellow superheroes, maybe, should I ever meet one. Some of them seem like they could be rather... virile.”

It was Rose's turn to laugh, though hers was a much quieter, more reserved sort of laugh. A broad smirk snaked across her face, as she shook her head and let out a long sigh. “I will say, you are a unique woman.”

“Something I pride myself on very much, thank you.”

As they continued to sit there, watching their daughters play, Rose's phone rang. She didn't want to answer it, but for all she knew it could be Dick calling about something important. Best to just pick it up. Finally pulling the phone out of her pocket, she held it up to her ear.

“Hello? Uh, yes, this is she... yes, I know a Ruby Lawson. She's what?!” A brief burst of panic exploded in her gut. Quickly, she stifled it and calmed herself. “O- okay, I'll be right there. Yes, thank you.”

Circe lifted a curious eyebrow, as Rose hung up and stuffed the phone back in her pocket. “Who on earth was that?”

“That was the hospital,” Rose said. “Ruby's in their intensive care wing, admitted last night.”

“Isn't that the woman who messed with your emotions these past couple weeks?”

Rose shrugged. “So what if she is?”

“Well, then why should you care?” she queried, eyes narrowing. “I say, good riddance.”

“She isn't a bad person,” Rose said. “She just made bad choices. That's something we're all guilty of. Anyway, I have to go. Can you let Holly know what's going on? I'll be by to pick her up later.”

Exhaling deeply, Circe merely shrugged her shoulders. “Of course. That's what I'm here for, isn't it?”

---

After pushing her way through the hospital entrance, Rose hurried up to the front desk in the main lobby. She hadn't realized that she would be this worried over something happening to Ruby like this, and yet she could already feel a sense of anxiety setting in. Ruby really wasn't a bad person; yes, she made some bad decisions and did some bad things, but who hadn’t? Rose was guilty of that a hundred times over throughout her own life. She'd be a hypocrite to condemn the woman for that.

“Hi, I just got a call about a friend admitted here last night,” Rose said. “Her name's Ruby Lawson. What room is she in?”

The secretary briefly glanced up at her, then turned to the computer, pulling up the information. “Let's see... here it is. Ruby Lawson, room 38B. I'm going to need to ask you to sign in on the visitor's list, please, while I alert Doctor Watson that his patient is expecting a visitor.”

Rose quickly signed off her name on the clipboard, along with her time of arrival, and then hurried off to the elevator. She hit the third floor button, then leaned back against the elevator wall and uttered a long breath, one hand brushing her hair out of her face. When the doors finally opened again, she moved out down the hallway, keeping her eyes on the numbers. When she finally made it to 38B, a doctor was already standing outside, waiting to greet her.

“Dr. Watson?” she asked.

The doctor looked up from his clipboard, putting the pen into his front pocket and extending his hand. “Miss Wilson, I presume?”

Reaching forward, she briefly shook the man's hand. “That's me, yeah. How is she?”

“Well, she's stable right now, but her injuries are rather severe,” he explained. “I'm not going to lie, she's lucky to even be alive. We barely managed to stop the bleeding before we could get her in for an emergency transfusion and surgery. We've been working on her all night.”

“Uh, okay, so... do you know what happened?”

Dr. Watson huffed out a small breath, shaking his head. “I haven't the slightest clue. She quite literally appeared out of thin air in our waiting room last night, around midnight. Bleeding everywhere, too— the janitorial staff is still scrubbing the carpets.”

Flipping through his clipboard, he pulled out the medical report and let Rose take a look. “Six puncture wounds; three through her abdomen, two through her chest, one through the shoulder. Miraculously enough, most of her vital organs went undamaged; that's the only thing that saved her. She would have bled out in a matter of minutes, though, if she hadn't... I don't know, teleported here when she did.”

“Who could have done this to her?” Rose uttered, mostly just thinking out loud, as she looked over the details on Ruby's injuries. The doctor was right; Ruby was lucky to be alive.

“I'm afraid that isn't my area,” the doctor replied. “Best leave that to the police. Though, if I had to make a guess, I'd say some gangbanger got a hold of her. When she arrived here, she was dressed in some fancy costume like those superhero folk. Maybe she just got unlucky.”

“Yeah... maybe,” she said. Not a chance. No way some random goon takes out a teleporting empath.

A few moments later, she glanced back up from the notes and asked, “By the way, how did you know to contact me?”

“Oh, right, almost forgot.” Rummaging through his pockets momentarily, Doctor Watson eventually pulled out a small, crumpled, and bloody slip of paper. “Before she passed out, she managed to scribble this down, said to call you when we got a chance.”

Rose tentatively took the paper from him, opening it up and staring at the writing. Parts of it were barely legible beneath a thick, dry crust of crimson, but she could still read it. In addition to her name and number, there were another two words: 'They're coming'.

They're coming? Who's coming?

She stared at the paper for a few more seconds, then turned it over. On the other side was an address: 586 Fiske Avenue. “I don't suppose she's awake right now, is she?”

“Out cold, and will be for a while,” he said. “You can go in and see her if you want, but be brief.”

“Right... I'll just be a few minutes.”

Giving her a nod, Doctor Watson headed back down the hall to attend to his other patients. Rose uttered a long sigh and pushed through the hospital room door. It was exactly what she had come to expect from this place by now: dark, quiet, heart monitor beeping methodically... she really hated that it felt so familiar, with how much she'd been in this place over the past couple years. Rose sat at the bedside, just staring at the patient beneath the covers. An oxygen mask was fixed around Ruby's mouth, and of course the multitude of wires and tubes keeping her alive.

Eventually, Rose bowed her head, staring at the floor. “What did you get yourself into, Ruby?”

For a few long moments, she sat there in silence. Each passing minute, the feeling welling up inside her grew more intense. At first, she didn’t know what it was, but she soon she understood: anger, with a little dash of determination. And maybe guilt. She hadn't felt quite like this in a long time, and now that she felt it again, she knew exactly what she had to do.

Raising the bloody note back up to her face, she stared at the words written on it. Her eyes narrowed, and then her fingers clenched, crumpling the paper into her fist. I don't know who did this to you, Ruby. I don't know who they are... but I'm damn sure going to find out.

---

Setting the glass of water on the nightstand, Rose leaned forward and gave Holly a gentle kiss on the forehead. The girl smiled, settling down against her pillow and gazing back up at her mother. For a brief moment, the two just looked at each other, until finally Rose stood up straight.

“Alright, you know the drill by now,” Rose said. “Security system is up, doors are locked, and if anything happens, you know where the panic room is.”

Holly playfully rolled her eyes. “I know, Mom, I'll be fine. Not the first time we've done this.”

“Yeah... just like old times, right?”

“Right.”

The two smiled at each other again, and then Rose made her way back over to the door, flicking the light switch off.

Before she could leave the room, however, Holly stopped her. “Hey, mom?”

“Yeah, hun?”

“I'm glad you're helping people again.”

Rose smiled, holding a hand gently against the door frame. “It's like you said, Holly: if you can help people, you should. Well, I can. So I will.”

A small laugh found its way out of Holly's throat. “You said that, remember?”

“But you reminded me.”

A brief silence went by, and then Holly's tone grew a little more solemn. “You're gonna find the guys who hurt Ruby, right?”

Rose nodded firmly. “Yeah, I am.”

“Promise?”

Rose paused a moment, then reached up and slid the faceplate down over the front of her helmet. “I promise.”

Holly gave another smile, reassured by those words. If her mother said it, then it had to be true. “Good.”

---

Ravager stopped outside the front of the building, gazing up at it carefully. From the looks of things, it was pretty deserted. As a matter of fact, it looked more like it was condemned, with how run down it was. It certainly didn't look like any place important... so then why was the building's address on the note that Ruby had left for her?

After taking a calm look around the area to make sure that no one else was in the immediate vicinity, she walked up to the front of the building and gazed inside one of the boarded up windows. Through a small gap in the wood she could see the interior. As she thought, the place was just about empty, and pretty dark, too. She didn't really see what kind of clue she was supposed to find by breaking in there. But there had to be a reason that Ruby sent her here.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she took a step backwards, paused, and then looked up, a thought suddenly coming to her. I wonder...

Moving around the side of the building, Ravager found the rusted over fire escape and hoisted herself upward, scaling towards the roof. When she made it to the top, she paused momentarily and looked around. There wasn't a lot up here, just an access door leading inside the building, an old air conditioning unit, and a few stray pipes. Narrowing her gaze, she continued moving forward across the roof, further examining things.

That's when she saw it: a large, dark brown stain near one corner of the roof, the remains of a thick pool of blood. Kneeling down close to the stain, she tentatively dabbed it with her gloved fingers. It was still wet and sticky in some areas, mostly beneath the dried surface. The pool had been quite thick in some areas.

Definitely lucky to be alive... what the hell did this to you, Ruby?

Lifting her gaze, Ravager took another long look around, trying to find anything that could be considered a clue. Ruby had gone out of her way to send Ravager to the place where she'd been attacked, so there had to be something she could use. Her gaze stopped on the top of a second fire escape across from her. Looking closer, she noticed something curious. Caught in the metal of the hand rails was a small tuft of brown hair.

Interesting...

Could it belong to the attacker? Approaching the fire escape, she leaned closer to examine the hair. Before she got a chance to take the evidence, however, she suddenly stiffened up as another presence arrived. It looked like she would have to deal with this before she can continue her investigation.

Uttering a long, annoyed sigh, Ravager turned around and stared at the figure standing across from her. “I was wondering when you'd make your move. You've only been following me since Levitt Street.”

“Disappointed I didn't attack sooner?” Lady Shiva asked.

“Disappointed you even decided to come back,” she replied. “Seriously, is this your new thing now? Showing up randomly when I'm in the middle of something more important?”

Lady Shiva's eyes narrowed, her arms folding across her chest. “Yes, well... we were interrupted last time, if you recall. I loathe having my fights interrupted.”

“And so now you're back to 'settle' things, right? Took you long enough.”

“I would have returned sooner, had I not ended up in Hong Kong before regaining my drive to combat you,” the assassin explained. “I don't know what that woman did to me, but if I ever see her again...”

“—she'll probably end up doing the same thing, so don't waste your time.” Turning her back on the woman, Ravager moved her attention back to the tuft of hair caught in the hand rail. Reaching into her belt, she pulled out a small plastic bag and placed the sample inside it. “Anyway, I don't really have time to 'settle' things right now, so why don't you come back later? Book an appointment with my secretary and I'll get back to you. I think I have an opening next Tuesday...”

“Oh no, you do not get off again that easily,” Lady Shiva said. “Our rematch has been delayed quite enough, and I sense that you've recovered from the depression that held you back last time. We finish things now.”

With no further hesitation, Lady Shiva sprinted across the rooftop, ready to attack. Ravager breathed outwardly, eyes narrowing and head slightly turning back to look at the approaching woman. When Shiva lunged in with an expert, vicious palm strike to the back of the head, Ravager idly sidestepped, spun around, and caught the woman's arm.

“Big mistake.”

Chapter #78

Shiva's eyes went wide, as she suddenly flipped around through the air. Instinctively, she twisted her body to land on her feet in a crouch, only to then raise her arms to defend against an incoming knee strike. The force of the blow knocked her backwards regardless. As she stumbled off balance, she turned and rolled, springing back up to her feet again in an instant and taking a defensive stance.

“Now that is what I expected from you,” she said, sucking in a deep, slow breath.

“Yeah, I got better,” Ravager stated, eyes narrowing behind her mask. “A lot better.”

Shiva paused a moment, shifting her stance and spreading a very small smile across her face. “So you have. Good, then my time won't be wasted here.”

She lunged forward again, this time leading with a quick side kick. Ravager leaned to the side, pushing Shiva's leg away, then countered with a spinning kick of her own. Lady Shiva ducked, pivoted, and then lashed out with a lightning quick uppercut. The attack struck only air, though, as Ravager moved around the strike with ease, then delivered a powerful kick to the gut that sent the assassin reeling.

Lady Shiva recovered quickly, ignoring the throbbing in her stomach as she rushed in again. This time, she was done testing. This time, she unleashed everything she had into a series of vicious, relentless strikes meant to cripple her opponent.

It wasn't nearly enough.

Ravager did more than keep up with the attacks; she was one step ahead the entire way. She didn't even need her precog to tell her where the strikes were coming from, instead blocking and dodging with pure skill and reflexes, which had risen to completely new levels ever since her training in Nanda Parbat. She played on the defensive for a few moments longer, then decided to finish things.

Leaning away from one attack, Ravager spun around her opponent and drove her elbow into the back of Shiva's head. When the blow didn't put the woman down, she kept going, throwing a hard kick to back of the leg, causing Shiva to stumble to one knee. Then, she grabbed one of Shiva's arms, twisted it around, and jerked it violently backwards. With a loud snap, it broke.

A surprised cry of pain erupted from Lady Shiva's throat, but she stifled it a moment later, just kneeling there on the roof and clutching her broken arm.

“I may not be wasting your time, but you're wasting mine,” Ravager said. “I have better things to do right now.”

Shiva said nothing for several moments, instead examining the odd angle that her arm had been bent. An injury like this... her arm would never be the same, even she managed to reset the bones properly. “That was... impressive. I've not seen anyone fight like that since my daughter.”

“Your daughter...” Ravager paused a moment, thinking. “You mean Bat Chick, right? Cassandra? Yeah, I beat her. Funny enough, she wants another rematch, too. Must run in the family.”

Stifling a groan of pain, Lady Shiva slowly rose back to her feet, turning to give Ravager a long look. “Where did you train this past year? I knew you had potential, but you could not have accomplished this level of improvement on your own.”

“A very long way from here.”

A small moment passed between them, as a sudden sense of understanding found its way to Shiva. “I thought I recognized some of those movements. You trained with Dragon, didn't you? For how long?”

Ravager shrugged, turning her gaze to the streets below. “Hell if I know. A month and a half, out here. In there... I don't know, years, maybe. However you want to calculate the time warp thing.”

“I see...” Lady Shiva's lips slowly curled into a very slight, barely noticeable smirk. When she spoke again, it was barely more than a whisper, a statement meant mostly for herself. “Congratulations, Richard... you found a way to beat me.”

“Anyway, are we done here yet?” Ravager asked. “I have places I need to be.”

“Of course,” she replied. “I, too, have other obligations that must be taken care of.”

“You mean assassinations.”

“Do I?”

Ravager's eyes narrowed. “Count yourself lucky that I have something more important to do right now than drag you to prison.”

With her smirk widening ever so slightly, Lady Shiva turned and headed towards the ledge of the roof. Her broken arm didn't appear to be slowing her down very much. Before jumping down to the fire escape below, she glanced back over her shoulder and gave Ravager a subtle nod. “Until next time, Rose.”

---

The heavy, reinforced door slid open after Rose inputted the security code. The panic room/command center was cleverly hidden inside her apartment, the entrance disguised as part of the far wall in her living room. Just another thing she owed Dick and could never pay him back for. She wasn't in here for the computer system or the protection, though. Rather, she was here for the more scientific aspects, specifically the small lab station. She had never needed to use it before, but right now it was sure going to come in handy.

Moving over to the work table, she took out the small plastic bag and removed its contents, the clump of brown hair. She could use it to get a DNA sample, then maybe have Dick run it through a database and see if it brought up any suspects. At least, she hoped that would work. She wasn't exactly an expert at this whole detective thing. Her specialty involved beating people to a pulp.

After taking off her gloves and helmet, she lifted up the hair and closely inspected it, felt it between her fingers. Something about it seemed... off. It was quite shiny, and very soft. Either the person it belonged to used amazing conditioner, or...

It's not hair at all... it's fur.

But what kind of fur? The more she thought about it, the more her hopes sank. She probably just got a sample of some stray animal, and that wasn't going to help her cause at all. Though, if it did belong to a stray, like a dog or maybe a cat, then what on earth had it been doing on the roof? Narrowing her eyes, she reached over and grabbed the nearby microscope, then pinned the tuft of fur down on a slide and put it in place to be inspected.

During the next twenty minutes, Rose carefully examined the fur, while cross referencing its microscopic appearance with records in the computer system next to her. She'd have to thank Dick later for such an extensive database on... well, just about anything she could ever need, really, even the composition of different animal furs.

Eventually, she had her answer. Wolf fur? That can't be right. What the hell would a wolf be doing in—?

Her thoughts suddenly ceased, as an unfortunate revelation came to her. No, it couldn't be. Could it? Breathing outwardly, she hurried out of the command room and made her way into her bedroom. There was one way to find our for sure. Entering the passcode on the wall panel, she waited for the back wall to turn over, revealing all her gear on the other side. And by all, that meant all, including any equipment that had been damaged in the past. She never threw any of it away, because she never knew when she might have a use for it. Like now, for example.

Pulling open a small box, she reached in and grabbed the sword hilt. It belonged to one of her old, broken blades, with only maybe a few inches of sharp steel still attached. But the blade itself wasn't what she was after. Rather, she was after the crimson substance still plastered on the blade: dried smears of blood. In seconds, Rose exited the room and arrived back at her work station.

“Alright... I'm going to need some help with this,” she said to herself.

Reaching into her belt, she pulled out that special communicator that Dick had given her so long ago. She just hoped that he wasn't busy right now. Pushing the button, she waited for a response.

“Whoever this is, I can't talk right now!” the voice responded, after several moments of silence.

In the background, she could hear the sounds of fighting; some yelling, some grunting, some crashing. “Dick, it's me. I need your help with something.”

“Rose?” Some more shouting. Some goon shouted about his nose, and another crashed through what sounded like glass. “Give me a minute!”

Rose waited patiently, tapping her fingers against the table as Batman finished up with whatever it was he was doing. Several minutes later, things finally quieted down.

“Alright, I'm done,” Batman said.

“Sounds like one hell of a party you're throwing down there.”

“It's a regular blast,” he muttered. “What do you need?”

“I need you to walk me through how to do a DNA match,” she said.

Batman paused briefly, an unsettling silence coming in over the comm link. “...don't you have those manuals I gave you?”

Clearing her throat slightly, Rose absently twirled a stray strand of hair around her finger. “I, uh... might have neglected to read them. I don't have the time right now, either. Please, this is urgent.”

“Alright... give me a bit,” he said, with a small sigh. “I still have to check out this area, then I'll walk you through it.”

Two hours later...

Rose leaned back in her chair, just staring up at the large screen in front of her. She'd been sitting like this for the past hour now, after going through the whole process of getting the materials prepared for sequencing. All that was left to do now was wait... though she could be waiting for a while. Right now, the progress bar read: 17%. Uttering a long yawn, she glanced at the clock. It was 3:24 in the morning. At least she didn't have to be up in the morning, with tomorrow being Sunday.

Several minutes later, a tired voice came from behind her. “Mom?”

Spinning around in her chair, Rose saw Holly (looking absolutely adorable in her pink pajamas and mussed up hair) standing in the doorway. The girl let out a long yawn and rubbed her eyes, before walking into the room.

“Hey, what are you doing up?” Rose asked. “You should be sleeping.”

“I had to go to the bathroom, then I saw the light.” Holly approached the computer station, looking up curiously at the screen. “Whatcha doing?”

“Well, right now I'm waiting for a DNA analysis to finish,” she said.

Holly furrowed her brow, tilting her head slightly to the side. “What's a DNA analysis?”

“Here—” Rose reached down to help the girl up into her lap, then turned the chair around back to the computer and started pulling up a screen of information. “— I'll explain in just a second.”

“Will it help you catch who hurt Ruby?” Holly asked, leaning forward against the desk.

A long breath seeped out of Rose's lips. Tenderly, she brought up a hand to brush back Holly's hair. “I hope so, sweetie. I hope so.”

---

The parking garage was mostly empty, save for a few cars scattered here and there. At this hour, very few people were out and about. One couple, however, Billy and Dana, drunkenly stumbled their way across the third level towards their car, the only one in the immediate vicinity. They were both all smiles and laughs, after having enjoyed yet another late night out partying. Neither cared that they were in no condition to be driving home.

“You was totally kickin' tonight, babe,” Billy said, holding his arm around her shoulder.

“Mmmhm, I know I was,” she said, giggling softly under her breath.

As they reached their car, Billy suddenly moved in with an aggressive kiss to her neck. Even more aggressively, he pushed her back against the car and started slipping his hands beneath her skirt. Dana giggled again, playfully attempting to push his hands away.

“Hey, easy there bad boy,” she said. “Someone might see us.”

“All part of the fun, babe. Come on, just a quickie; ain't no one around.”

A shadow abruptly moved across the open space of the parking garage, slipping behind one of the pillars lining the center of it. Dana caught this out of the corner of her eye and recoiled sharply, uttering a startled gasp.

“Oh, sounds like I got ya all revved up already,” Billy said, grinning widely.

“No, I think... I think I saw sumtin'. Over there.”

Looking back over his shoulder, Billy narrowed his eyes and took a close look at where his girlfriend pointed. Of course, with how blurred his vision was at the moment, he wasn't seeing much of anything. With a drunken smirk, he turned back around and started pulling down her skirt. “You're jus' seein' things.”

“No, Billy, I really thought I-”

Crunch.

Something big and heavy landed atop their car, caving in the roof. Dana uttered another shocked yelp, while Billy slowly looked upwards. When he saw the thing standing there, his eyes went wide with disbelief.

“What the f—”A large furry arm suddenly lashed downward and grabbed onto his throat. With one swift jerk, the arm pulled him up and over the car, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

Dana screamed in horror, briefly falling to the ground in a panic. “BILLY!!!” When her legs finally started working again, she fought her way back up to her feet and ran (or rather staggered, in her inebriated state) across the parking garage. Rounding the corner of a nearby pillar, she pressed herself flat up against the concrete and closed her eyes. “Omigod, omigod, omigod.”

After several moments, Dana opened her teary eyes again and sniffled, looking back around he edge of the pillar. She saw nothing but an empty lot. Maybe the attacker was gone? As soon as that thought ran through her head, however, a shadow cast over her. Blinking, she eased her gaze upward to see some kind of horrifying, scaly shark creature crawling its way along the upper half of the pillar.

“No, no! AAAHHHH!!!”

Her scream abruptly cut off, as the creature descended upon her, claws and teeth ripping into flesh, blood spraying everywhere. Within seconds, the creature dragged Dana's lifeless corpse back into the shadows and began to consume her.

---

A short while later, two naked figures stood casually in the shadows of one corner of the parking garage. The man licked his bloody fingers clean, savoring the flavor. The tattooed woman, on the other hand, turned her head and spat out a thick glob.

“I hate drunks,” Zaria said, grimacing slightly. “Can taste the alcohol in their blood.”

“Tasted fine to me,” Kubrick replied, with a small shrug. “And since when have you hated alcohol?”

“Always, when it's in my food. Makes the blood bitter.”

“Huh, different taste buds, I guess.”

Leaning back against the wall, Zaria folded her hands over her bare chest and gave him a hard look. “You did remember the change of clothes, right?”

“In the car,” he said. “You know... one of these days I'd like to find an outfit that doesn't shred every time I wolf out.”

“What's the matter, embarrassed?”

Kubrick returned her gaze, a small grin forming across his face. “I got nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Slowly, Zaria's gaze drifted downwards, her own amused grin forming. “Clearly.”

Moving forward, Kubrick lashed out a hand and took hold of her by the throat, then leaned in and planted a lustful kiss on her lips. She returned the act in kind, pressing back firmly against him, only for him to then turn her around and force her up against the wall. Bringing himself up close behind her, he roughly bit into her shoulder, drawing blood. The sharp, sudden twinge elicited an excited gasp from Zaria's throat.

“Mmm... just how I like it,” she groaned.

“That's why you're with me, Zee.” Kubrick spread his grin wider, as he took a step back and pushed her farther forward, bending her over. His eyes were already starting to change into something more feral. “I know how to give it to ya.”

Chapter #79

Rose uttered a tired groan as she awoke the next morning. Shifting up straighter in her chair, she stretched her arms out and opened her mouth wide with a heavy yawn, then rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out. As her vision began to clear, she realized that she wasn't alone. Holly still sat in her lap, leaning forward against the desk with her eyes locked onto one of the three computer screens.

“Holly? You're still up?” The young girl didn't answer at first, instead using the computer mouse to scroll down the information on the screen. Now fully awake, Rose sat completely upright and brought a hand up to Holly's shoulder. “Holly?”

“I'm just reading still,” she said, without looking away from the screen. “There's a lot of interesting stuff on this computer.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Like, it tells you all about how to be a detective, and there's a bunch of files on bad guys, and it says whether they're in jail or if someone still needs to catch them, and all sorts of stuff!”

Rose narrowed her eyes slightly, looking past her to the computer. “And you've been reading all night?”

“Yup,” Holly replied, smiling widely. “I'm not even tired or anything.”

Leaning forward, Rose gently took the mouse from her daughter. “Hold on a second, hun, I need to check on the DNA thing.”

“ Oh, that? That finished hours ago.”

“It did?”

Holly nodded. “Uh huh. It said the match was positive. So... that means the blood on your knife and the hair you found came from the same person, right?”

A cold, numb sensation sank into her gut at the information. She had been hoping that her initial guess was wrong, but apparently she wasn't that lucky. Not that she couldn't handle him, because she could. Quiet easily, in fact. That wasn't the problem, though. The problem was the kind of damage he can cause before she found him.

“Yes, Holly, that's exactly what it means.”

So, Kubrick's back in Silverstone. And where he is, so is his shark b*tch. They're not so bad by themselves, but together they're a problem. A big problem.

But why had they come back? Were they just looking to leave their mark on the city again, to stake out their previous territory, or were they back for something more? Revenge, perhaps? They did know who she was—at least she assumed they did, since they had been working for Jerry in the VRA—so maybe they were looking to get back at her for the trouble she had caused them. If that were the case, though, then why hadn't they made a move on her already?

“Come on Holly, let's get going,” she said. “Why don't you go take a nap, and then we can go see Ruby in the hospital later today, alright?”

“Awww, but I told you, I'm not even tired!”

“No arguing, Missy, you were up way too late. Go take a nap.”

Releasing a disappointed breath, Holly slid off the chair and started heading back to her room. “Alright...”

Rose, too, got up from her chair and headed back into the main apartment. After falling asleep in her Ravager uniform, she could really use a shower. A few minutes later, she stripped down and relaxed beneath a spray of hot water.

Ruby wrote on her note that 'they're coming'. So she must have meant Kubrick and Zaria. But if she knows those two, then that means she was working with them when she was trying to break down my emotions along with Trance. Narrowing her eyes, Rose took a glob of shampoo and began to scrub her long white hair. But that doesn't make any sense. Only Kubrick and Zaria would have a grudge against me out of that group, and psychological warfare is definitely not a part of their M.O. No, someone else is pulling the strings here... but who?

When Rose got out of the shower, the phone rang. Putting a towel around herself, she walked out of the bathroom and answered. “Hello?”

“Wilson, morning. It's Palmer.”

“I know your voice, Chief,” she said. “Why are you calling?”

“I just arrived at a crime scene,” he explained. “A very... strange crime scene.”

“And why are you telling me this? I'm not a cop anymore.”

“When I say it's a strange crime scene, Wilson... I mean it's a strange crime scene.”

Rose furrowed her brow, rubbing her forehead tiredly. “That doesn't exactly tell me anything.”

“Let's just say I could use your special kind of expertise, and pronto,” Palmer said. “That is, if you're feeling up to it.”

Pausing for a moment, Rose sat on the edge of her bed and bowed her head, contemplating. “Uh... yeah, sure, whatever you need. Where are you?”

“The parking garage next to the Keifer Chemicals building, third level. Just get here as soon as you can.”

When the chief hung up, Rose uttered a small sigh and then placed another call, waiting a few moments before someone picked up. “Hey, Circe? Yeah, what are you and Lyta doing right now? Listen, could you come over for a while and watch Holly? She's asleep right now and I have... business I need to take care of. Great, thanks.”

---

The third level of the parking garage was crawling with squad cars and police officers, as well as several unmarked vehicles and a forensics team. As Ravager drove her bike up to the scene, all eyes turned towards her, some curious, others cautious, and others still concerned. Bringing her ride to a stop, she slid off and headed over towards where Chief Palmer was standing, behind a wall of police tape.

Before she could cross the line, however, a familiar officer ran up to stop her. “Hey, hold it there, Ro— uh, Ravager. This is a police line, you can't cross.”

“Stevens... I see they gave you your job back,” she muttered.

“Yeah, well, when they found out I was being mind controlled, they kind of let me off the hook. But I still can't let you—”

“Cool your jets, Stevens.” Palmer approached the two, waving Ravager across the tape. “I called her.”

Taking a step back, Officer Stevens blinked at the chief, confused. “Oh, ah, I didn't realize, sir. Was that necessary?”

“Go take another look at the bodies and then ask me that question again.”

“Uh... right, sorry.”

Stepping past the police line, Ravager walked with Palmer towards a lone car with its roof caved in. “So what's the deal?”

“Some poor sap found a couple of Does this morning,” he explained. “It's pretty brutal.”

“Chief, I appreciate that you want my help,” Ravager said, “but if you start calling me in for every homicide, I'm never going to get a break.”

“This isn't exactly what you'd call a normal homicide, Ravager. This is... well, see for yourself.”

As they came around the other side of the car, Ravager froze, gaze lowering towards the ground. Her stomach turned over briefly, but she fought the nausea down. Huge splatters and pools of crimson were everywhere, while the man's limbs and head had been torn off, and chest cavity ripped open and emptied.

Taking in a deep breath, Ravager folded her arms. “I see what you mean...”

“We figured this was weird enough to get your attention,” he said. “You should see the other one, she's in even worse shape. Any idea who—or what—did this?”

Ravager paused a moment, narrowing her eyes. “I might have a few ideas.”

“Care to share?”

She glanced back over her shoulder, eying the other officers carefully—in particular, Stevens, who was still hovering over them. “I'll explain tonight, when we can be alone. In the meantime... stock up on silver.”

---

When Ravager parked her ride in the dirty, dank alley, she sat up straight and took a careful look around. Definitely the right spot. It might have been a long time since she had been here, but she remembered it well enough. Hopefully, she could find some more clues here, too.

“Alright, I'm here,” she said.

Palmer's voice crackled over her comm link in response. “You know, Wilson, when you said you'd explain things when we were alone, this isn't quite what I had in mind.”

“What, you didn't expect me to take you to dinner and tell you over a bottle of wine, did you?”

“Hardly,” he muttered. “I just wasn't expecting you to break into my office again, leave behind a headset, and then take off.”

“You want me to work with you, we do it my way,” she insisted.

Palmer breathed out a small sigh. After a brief moment, he asked, “So you're serious about this? Detective Kubrick, a werewolf?”

“Hold a second.” Knocking on the door, she waited for the little window slot to slide open, revealing a beady pair of eyes on the other side. Those eyes went wide a second later, as Ravager gave a mocking wave, then spun and kicked the door off its hinges. Moving inside, she swiftly knocked the man out cold and then proceeded down the hallway. “To answer your question, yes, he's a werewolf. You never wondered where he disappeared to?”

A frustrated groan came in over the line. “Damn it, well that's not good.”

“Well if that isn't stating the obvious,” she said. “You seem rather quick to believe in werewolves, though.”

“Let's just say, I have experience with monsters.”

As Ravager reached the top of the stairs at the end of the hallway, she paused, holding a hand to her ear in order to hear more clearly. “What do you mean?” The only response she received was stone dead silence. “Chief?”

Another moment of silence passed before he answered her. “Never mind, it's not important. Just keep moving and do your thing.”

Narrowing her eyes, Ravager pushed the thought to the back of her mind. If it wasn't something he wanted to talk about, then she couldn't force him. Right now, she had more important matters to take care of. When she descended the steps into the underground pool hall, the patrons immediately ceased their activities and looked her way, most caught somewhere between surprise and confusion.

“Hello, boys,” she said. “Which one of you b*stards can tell me where to find Zaria?”

The three nearest men instantly lunged in to attack her. They knew who she was, and they knew that she knew who they were. Not specifically, maybe, but only the biggest criminal scum of the city found their way down here. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know just how hopeless their attack was. It didn't take very long for her to put down the initial few assailants with a few hard, crippling blows. Even when the rest of the place swarmed her, she didn't break a sweat. She barely even had to move from her spot to beat them all senseless. By the end of things, broken, unconscious bodies were strewn everywhere amongst snapped pool sticks and upturned tables and chairs. The only person left standing was the bartender, behind the counter.

“So, tell me, where's Zaria?” Ravager asked, leaning against the counter. “She used to own this joint, didn't she?”

“Uh... I have no idea, really,” he said, giving a nervous smile. “I just sort of picked the place up when she vanished. But, can I interest you in a shot of my finest vodka?”

Reaching back behind her, Ravager drew one of her swords and swung it at him, halting the razor edge just inches from his throat. “Here's how it works. Either you tell me where Zaria and that flea ridden boyfriend of hers is, or I start making incisions.”

The bartender's face suddenly went into full on panic mode. “W-what the- but I told you, I don't know! I haven't seen her in months!”

“Wilson, what the hell are you doing?” Palmer asked, his voice echoing in her ear. “You can't just torture the guy!”

“I'll do what I have to in order to get the information I need,” she said. “Those two have to be found.”

The poor bartender was terrified, practically in tears over the sharpened blade pressed to his throat. A hair's breadth closer and it would be drawing blood. “P-please, man, I don't know! I swear!”

As if that weren't enough, Palmer continued shouting into her ear. “You're walking an extremely thin line here, Wilson! Keep in mind, I will not hesitate to put you in cuffs if you go too far!”

Several moments later, Ravager uttered a frustrated breath and pulled her sword back, sheathing it. Still glowering, she turned from the cowering man and marched away. “Well, this was a waste of time.”

---

A short time later, Ravager found herself back outside again, perched atop one of the many low roofs of the surrounding apartment buildings. Leaning forward against the parapet and holding herself up with her arms, she took in a long look around the neighborhood. After a brief moment, she hung her head and lets out a heavy sigh. “Sorry for getting carried away back there. It's just... this is personal.”

“No matter how personal something is, you can't let it control you,” Palmer replied. “Take it from a man who knows. Lose your cool and you'll likely lose your head.”

“Yeah, right,” she muttered. “Just wish I could clean up all these loose ends I still have hanging around. Even with Jeremiah gone, there's Kubrick, Zaria, and god knows who else out there still gunning for me.”

“We'll find them, Wilson. Don't you worry.”

Exhaling another long breath Ravager hoisted herself up on the ledge of the roof and jumped over to the next one. “I need to figure out a better way to track them down...” She paused a moment, thinking carefully. Suddenly, an idea came to her. “And I think I might know how.”

---

An hour later...

The bartender frowned to himself, as he swept up some of the broken wood and glass littering the floor. Whoever that b*tch was, she had certainly left behind one hell of a mess for him to clean up. And of course that was before threatening to slice and dice him for information that he didn't have. He never would have taken over this bar if he had known something like this was going to happen. This wasn't the kind of thing he liked to deal with.

As he started sweeping some of the glass and wood into his dustpan, he suddenly became aware that he wasn't alone. Looking up sharply, he saw two figures standing there, one a large man with shaggy, unkempt hair and the other... well, the other was all too familiar. Those tattoos, that body, that ass... really hard to forget.

“Zaria, you're back!” he exclaimed. “W-where have you been?”

“None of your concern, Jason.” Pausing, she took a moment to look around the place. Her eyes eventually settled back on him. “I can't say I like what you've done with the place.”

“Oh, it's not my fault, I swear! There was some crazy chick in here looking for you, she tore the place apart, beat up the customers.”

Zaria lifted an eyebrow, glancing back at the man next to her. “Is that right? I believe that sounds like someone we know...”

“So, she knows we're here,” Kubrick muttered. “Doesn't matter; won't do her any good either way.”

“And I didn't tell her anything, honest,” Jason said. “Not that I could have anyway. I mean, I didn't know anything at all. But I looked after the place just like you asked me to!”

Folding her arms across her chest, Zaria uttered an annoyed breath and gave Kubrick a sidelong glance. He simply shrugged, then started heading behind the bar counter, paying no more attention. Eventually, Zaria's gaze found its way back to Jason, while she licked her lips. “Yes, Jason, you've done your part, and I must thank you for doing such a good job.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure. No trouble at all.”

He flashed her a big smile, just happy that she had recognized how well he had taken care of her bar for her. Maybe if he was lucky, she'd give him some 'special' thanks later! Of course, that didn't happen. Instead, his smile quickly shifted into a horrified, slack-jawed expression, as he witnessed Zaria abruptly begin transforming into her more monstrous, threatening form, clothes shredding from her body.

“W-wha the hell?! No, no! S-stay back! NOOO!!!!”

His voice cut off sharply, replaced by a bloody gurgle, as claws ripped open his throat. A second later, Zaria pounced, knocking him to the floor and tearing his body apart. From behind the bar, Kubrick merely poured himself a glass of whiskey while he watched, an amused grin on his face. Midway into the festivities, though, his phone rang.

“What is it?” he said, holding the phone to his ear. He paused a moment, listening to the commands coming in from the other line and uttering a sigh. “Yes, of course... right away. Whatever you say.”

Hanging up the phone, he placed it back into his pocket and went back to his glass of whiskey. Several minutes later, Zaria approached the counter and sat down on one of the stools, now back in her human form. Thick, wet splotches of crimson stained her naked body, most of it concentrated around her mouth and chin.

“Was that him?” she asked.

“Who else would it be?” he said.

“So then it's time.”

A pleasant grin found its way across Kubrick's face. “Let the fun begin.”

Chapter #80

Sitting quietly at the living room couch, Circe sipped from a warm cup of coffee while reading the newspaper. This was how most of her afternoons went, at least on her days off. There was peace to be had in the simple things, like relaxing and catching up on current events. For a long time, she had isolated herself from the world, but now she took a great interest in keeping up with it.

Turning the page, she took in a deep breath and set her mug down on the coffee table in front of her, then sank back into her seat and lifted the newspaper closer, carefully reading a front page story. No sooner than did she get invested in the story, though, a knock sounded on the apartment door, drawing her attention away. She uttered a deep sigh, as she got up from the couch.

“I swear, Rose, what is it you need this time?” Circe said, as she opened the door, fully expecting Rose to be standing there. But it wasn't not Rose. Rather, it was a man, a man she recognized instantly. The hair was a bit mangier than she remembered, and his face covered with more stubble, but she never forgot a face. “You!”

The man grinned widely, bringing a hand up to smack her violently across the face. Circe tumbled to the floor, her cheek throbbing. If she still had her magic, she could fry him in an instant, or turn him into a pig, or otherwise horribly mutilate him... but she didn't have her magic anymore. She was mortal now, the price of freedom from Tartarus.

“You remember me,” Kubrick said. “I'm flattered.”

Still dizzy from the blow, Circe crawled back towards the living room. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you think I'm doing here? Getting a little revenge, is all. When I heard you were hanging around with that Wilson b*tch, I jumped at the chance to take care of you personally.”

“You sound a little upset. What's the matter, couldn't handle the fleas?”

Narrowing his eyes, Kubrick reached down and lifted Circe up by the throat. “You turned me into a monster! For a crime I didn't commit!”

“But that you had every intention of committing,” Circe countered. “You just picked the wrong target.”

“Shut up!”

With an angry shout, he threw her across the room. She landed on the glass coffee table, crashing through it and hitting the floor hard. For several moments, she could barely move, groaning and lying there in a pile of broken glass and splinters.

“Do you have any idea what it was like? Having to go through what you cursed me with?” Moving forward into the living room, Kubrick stood over her briefly and then delivered a hard kick to her gut. She recoiled sharply, a pained grunt bursting from her lips. “I've come to terms with it now, sure. Hell, I even enjoy it. But for five long years, I hated myself. The things I did, the things you forced me to do... I wanted to die. I wanted to off myself and be done with it, but I couldn't. Too much of a coward, I guess.”

Circe finally managed to right herself, getting on her hands and knees and breathing deeply. Her hands were cut up from the broken glass, and her stomach bubbled with nausea, but she had to concentrate. Somehow, in spite of her daze, she looked up and found the end-table. Kubrick struck her again, this time a kick to the face, but at least it pushed her closer.

“But I'm not a coward anymore, no,” Kubrick said. “I'm a monster, and I love it. The power is... unreal. Looks like your little curse came full circle and backfired big time, doesn't it?”

Sniffling back a trickle of blood, Circe slowly pushed her way back to her feet, using the end-table for support. “That may have been a lack of foresight on my part, I admit. Should have just turned you into a warthog while I had the chance.”

Smirking, Kubrick came closer and grabbed her again, pulling her by the hair. Circe managed to make a desperate reach for an object on the end-table, the only thing that could help her right now. “But you didn't, and now you get to suffer for—AAAHHHH!!!

He recoiled violently, dropping Circe and staggering backwards. With horrifying agony ripping through his body, he glanced downward to see the back end of a letter opener sticking out of his chest. A silver letter opener. Falling to one knee, he grabbed at it, tugging. It barely moved. By now, the wound was starting to burn, emitting small wisps of smoke.

“What was that about suffering?” Circe asked.

“You... goddamn... b*tch!”

Leaning up against the couch momentarily, Circe took in a deep breath and wiped her nose clean. Then, she began hobbling towards the exit. She had to get away, had to find Rose.

“NO!” Kubrick's body suddenly began to change, going through the rapid transformation into his werewolf form. Doing this with a silver blade jabbed into his chest, though, caused him excruciating agony, a pained howl ripping from his throat as his larger, clawed hand took a firmer grip on the letter opener. With one final yank, his massively increased strength ripped it from his body. Then, he turned his gaze over to the retreating Circe, his wolf eyes glowering with pure hate. “Where do you think you're going?”

In a single leap, he pounced on her, knocking her to the floor and slicing his claws into her backside, opening long wounds and shredding most of her shirt. Instantly, Circe's muscles tensed up, eyes closing and throat erupting with a loud scream of pain. She could already feel the warm blood beginning to flow down her back.

“You know, I was just going to kill you. But since you had to go and be difficult—” Bringing his snout in closer, a low growl emerges from his mouth, his hot breath stinging the back of her neck. “—I might as well commit the crime you already condemned me for. Then, I can enjoy ripping you limb from limb.”

---

The hospital room was, as usual, dark and quiet. Ruby still hadn't awoken yet since her attack, lying now motionless in bed. A short time later, her doctor entered the room, clipboard in hand. At least, it was supposed to be her doctor. It was a man dressed in a doctor's uniform, but the round glasses and bald head did not belong to the one who normally checked in on her.

Moving forward silently, the man lifted a filled syringe and jabbed the needle end of it into Ruby's IV bag. When the contents of the syringe completely emptied into the bag, the man turned away and left as quickly as he came, glancing back only briefly to give the woman a long glare.

“Sorry, my dear, but it is necessary,” he said, before disappearing.

The hospital room remained largely quiet for several minutes after he was gone. Eventually, though, the beeping from the monitor rapidly began increasing, as Ruby's heart rate picked up. A short few moments later, her body began to spasm uncontrollably. A small team of doctors and nurses suddenly rushed into the room in a panic, checking on her status and working to calm her down.

It didn't work.

Within seconds, the monitor flatlined, and her body settled down. The most prominent sound in the room now was the high pitched whining of the monitor, a very loud and unceremonious death knell to the newly departed.

---

As school got out for the day, Holly and Lyta walked across the front lawn in search of their mothers. Normally, neither Rose nor Circe were ever late in picking the girls up, but neither seemed to be here at the moment.

“I don't see my mom's car, do you?” Lyta asked.

“No, and I don't see mine, either,” Holly replied.

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Lyta scratched the side of her head. “That's odd... my mom's never late.”

Before they could become too concerned, however, a friendly voice called to them. “ Hey!”

The girls looked over towards the far side of the school lawn to see Rose running up to them and waving. “Sorry I'm late, got caught up in traffic.”

Holly smiled a large smile, coming forward to give her mother a brief hug. “S'alright, we weren't waiting too long.”

“Hiya, Rose,” Lyta said, giving a wave. “Have you seen my mom anywhere?”

“Oh, yeah she just had something she needed to take care of. I'll bring you home.”

The group moved around towards the back of the school, which was mostly deserted at this time. Even the parking lot contained but a few cars scattered here and there. None of them, however, belonged to Rose.

“Where's the car?” Holly asked, looking around curiously.

“I had to park on one of the back streets,” Rose said. “I was so late that I couldn't get around to the front of the school before it all filled up, and this lot was a lot fuller five minutes ago, I swear.”

They continued along, turning onto a very deserted side street. There wasn't another person in sight, and the only car parked nearby was a large van with tinted windows.

“Wait a minute,” Lyta said. She gave the van a hard look, not recognizing it. “That's not your—”

But her voice cut off abruptly, as a damp cloth came up over her mouth and nose. Before Holly would react, the same thing happened to her. Her instinct was to fight back, but consciousness quickly slipped away, leaving her without a chance to do anything. In seconds, both girls were out cold. Wrapping an arm around either girl, Rose lifted them up effortlessly and carried them towards the van, a wicked grin forming across her face.

“There, that's better.”

---

Palmer uttered a long breath, as he pushed his way into his apartment with his phone pressed to his ear. After numerous unanswered rings, he groaned and hung up, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. He really wished that Rose would pick up her phone more often; it was starting to become a real guessing game when it came to getting ahold of her. She had said that she'd check in again tonight, but by the time midnight had rolled around he still hadn't heard from her.

Pulling out an odd assortment of food containers from the refrigerator, Palmer just stared at them for a moment. Eventually, a disappointed sigh escaped his lips. “Leftovers it is.”

After filling out a plate of various leftovers, he popped it in the microwave and waited calmly. Nearby, on the counter, was a small picture frame with a photograph inside. The photograph depicted Palmer, as well as a woman and a young girl, smiling at the camera. It had been taken a long time ago.

When his food was done heating up, he took the plate of food and headed into the living room, where he intended to watch the late night news while he ate. Things didn't exactly go as he expected, however. The moment that the living room came into view, he dropped his plate of food and pulled his gun, aiming it at the woman sitting on his couch.

“Hey there, Chief. How's the family?” Zaria gave him a malicious grin, lounging almost lazily on the couch.

“You!” he exclaimed. “What the hell are you doing back here?!”

An anger that he hadn't known in a long, long time began to bubble up in his chest. He had though he'd managed to put these emotions behind him after moving on, but then again he never thought he'd see her again.

“Please, put that thing away before you hurt someone,” she said, giving him a flippant wave. Of course, Palmer's aim didn't budge. With a huff, she stood up and walked calmly towards him. “So serious.”

“They never believed me when I told them what killed my family.” Palmer's finger grazed the trigger of his pistol, a mere hair's breadth away from firing. “But I knew. Oh, I always knew. You don't forget something like that. You don't forget a monster!”

Finally squeezing the trigger, Palmer fired off a shot. But his target was already moving out of the way, avoiding the bullet before the gun even went off. He tried to follow her with his aim, but her movements were too quick, too inhuman. She ducked behind the couch, then suddenly leaped over it, flipping through the air and knocking the gun from his hand with the barbed tail now protruding from her lower back.

“I thought I told you to put that away,” she growled.

Raising her leg, she smashed her foot into his chest, sending him flying backwards into the wall behind him. The plaster cracked and caved inward upon impact, and for a brief moment he remained there, embedded into the wall. Soon, though, he eventually fell forward to the ground, barely holding himself up on his elbows and knees.

“Oooh, that looked like it hurt.” Zaria reached downward, grabbing the top of the man's skull and lifting him upwards with a single hand. “Your wife was delicious, by the way. Sweet, savory... but the girl, mmm. Better than the finest veal on the market.”

Palmer promptly spit directly in the woman's face, the glob of saliva hitting her in the corner of the eye. “Go to hell, demon.”

An amused grin slowly spread along Zaria's face. Holding her free hand up, she transforms it into its natural appearance, large claws extending from her fingertips. “You first.”

Wasting no more time, she swings her hand forward, slashing her claws through man's neck. A short second later, Palmer's body dropped away from his head and crumpled to the floor. Zaria then held one of her clawed fingers forward, catching out a few drops of blood dripping down from the severed skull. She licks the blood clean, eyes closing and breath exhaling through her nose.

“Mmm... delectable.”

---

Rose groggily opened her eyes, flinching briefly at a sharp pain in the back of her head. It felt like a damn sledgehammer hit her, with how hard her skull was throbbing. Looking around, she uttered a small groan, having no idea where the hell she was; everything was dark and blurry at the moment. When she tried to move, she realized that she was strapped in and restrained vertically against a wall.

The lights abruptly turned on. For a short moment, she flinched at the intense brightness, only amplified by the migraine assaulting her head. Fortunately, she managed to fight through it and blink away the haze, vision clearing up. What she saw, though, caught her instantly off guard. She was looking at... herself? No, it was just her reflection... a mirror or something.

However, that theory was instantly squashed when the face just half a foot away from her began to speak. “Wakey, wakey, Rose.”

Rose's eyes went wide. “What in the...?”

A delighted sneer formed across the impostor's face, eyes narrowing wickedly. “We have so much we need to discuss.”

Chapter #81

A cold, numb sensation began to well up in Rose's chest. For a long moment, she just stared at the impostor standing in front of her in stunned silence. This didn't make any sense, none of it did. How could she be staring at herself right now? She didn't know anyone who could do this that would have a bone to pick with her. So what the hell was going on?

“This... this isn't possible,” she uttered.

“Oh, but isn't it?” The clone turned away and began walking over to a nearby table, where a few garments of clothing resided, including a long coat, a fedora hat, and a pair of round glasses.

Rose narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”

“Come on, Rose, you're not that dense,” she said. “You already know the answer; you just don't want to believe it.”

Deep down, she did. That stabbing sense of dread in her gut didn't lie. She knew who this was... but that didn't mean she wanted it to be true. “You were dead. I killed you... I cut your goddamn head off.”

“No, you killed a stand in-” The impostor began to put on the long coat, followed by the hat. “-with a very specific neural stem designed to replicate my personality. The appearance was not difficult to accomplish for someone of my... talent.”

Turning towards Rose again, the impostor slipped on the glass and grinned, as her face began to morph and change into something different, along with the rest of her body. Within seconds, someone else stood in her place, someone very familiar. Sickeningly familiar.

“What's the matter?” Jerry asked. “You didn't think you'd really seen the last of me, did you? No, you're too much fun.”

“So what, I ruined your big scheme and now you're falling back on petty revenge?”

“Petty, is it?” He lifted his eyebrows in mock surprise. “As I recall, you delivered your own petty revenge not too long ago, when you thought you killed me. Calling the kettle black, are we?”

Rose clenched her jaw, but said nothing, merely staring back at the man.

“But no, this isn't just simple revenge,” he assured. “This is so much more than that; this is the absolute mutilation of a person's life. When we're done, you will be begging for me to end it.”

“So that was you orchestrating Ruby and Dr. Atkinson, to tear me down psychologically.”

“Yes, so it was. But, when that failed, I had to move up the next stage of the plan.”

“Which is...?”

A wicked sneer curled its way across Jerry's face. “Tearing away from your life everything and everyone that you hold dear. Which, I have to say, was an amazing success.”

Rose paused, stiffening up at the declaration. No, he was bluffing. He had to be. “I don't believe you.”

“I thought you might not, so I brought a few things for you.” Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out three items: two photographs and a written document. He held them up one at a time. :You recognize the apartment in this picture, yes? It belongs to your friend, Circe, the witch turned mortal. What do you suppose that bloody stain on the carpet is?”

Her jaw clenched up again, a numb knot tightening in her throat. She tried not to let her shock show, her grief show.

“Not even a guess?” Jerry pursed his lips, glancing back down at the photo. “Well, if you're curious, that stain is all that's left of her. I did ask Kubrick to leave behind some evidence, but I guess he was hungry.”

Though her mind tried to deny it, Rose's gut was already telling her that Jeremiah was telling the truth. It sickened her, but she believed him.

“And this picture is a little more graphic, but... well, it speaks for itself.”

The image depicted a head, just a head, severed from its body. It was Palmer, the Silverstone City Police Chief, also a friend. The numbness in her throat grew, eyes beginning to water.

When Jerry felt that she had looked at the picture enough, he pulled it back and then held up the document. “And this is Ruby's death certificate. She died yesterday afternoon when her heart gave out. An unfortunate turn of luck, because last I heard she was due to make a full recovery.”

Finally, Rose closed her eyes and turned her head, her entire body burning with a burning blend of anger and grief. “The girls...”

“What's that?”

“Where are the girls?!” she screamed, snapping her gaze back towards him. “What did you do with them?!”

“Ah, yes, the girls. I figured you'd want to see them, so I had them prepared. Just a moment.” Turning away from Rose, Jerry made his way over to the door at the back of the small, empty room. When he opened the door, he stuck his head out and motioned with his hand for someone to come in. “Right this way now, don't be shy.”

Returning into the room, he was followed by two more individuals. Holly and Lyta walked obediently behind him, their faces expressionless. They simply stared blankly forward, standing straight and rigid.

Rose's muscles tensed up at the sight, her hands curling into tight fists. “What did you do to them?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Jerry said. “I merely used up the last couple of stems I had lying around. I think they'll make good pets, don't you?”

“You son of a b*tch! I'll kill you for this!”

“You already tried that once, remember? It didn't go so well.” Smirking, he slowly walked around behind the two girls and put a hand on either of their shoulders. “The witch girl shows the most promise, of course, with what I've seen of her magic so far. But this Holly girl has some real talent, too. You've already trained her very well, and with the stem increasing her bodily functions, well... I'm sure I can find a use for her.”

Rose's gut churned, rage fueling her body. “Get your hands off them, you twisted freak!”

“Please, you worry too much,” he replied, waving off her comment. “I'm not Pavoni. No, I think I'll make them into my personal bodyguards. I'll raise them, train them further, and eventually they'll be unstoppable. We'll be unstoppable.”

“Unstoppable for what?”

“For the next stage of the plan, of course.”

Rose slowly narrowed her eyes. “And just what the hell is that?”

“The city.” Holding his arms out wide, a large smile twisted across his face. “Your city. I'm going to raze it to the ground, burn it into ash, and then when it's gone I'm going to show it to you, so that you can witness just exactly how much of a colossal failure you really are, to this city, to the people who trusted you, and to yourself. Then, when you've finally realized just what a pathetic waste of air you are, I will kill you. It will be slow, and it will be excruciating. The entire time, you will be begging for me to simply end it, but I won't. I will drag it out, make you suffer, and only once I have finally destroyed who you are as a human being, will I finally put you out of your misery.

A small flash flickered in front of Rose's eyes, and suddenly she wasn't held captive anymore. No, instead she was kneeling in the middle of rubble. Just rubble. The skeletal remains of a few buildings still stood, but for the most part the entire city was no more than a smoldering pile of steel, concrete, bricks, and bodies. For a long moment, she just stared in disbelief, her gaze slowly circling the area.

The sky was dark and cloudy, opening up a sudden downpour that soaked her to the bone. She didn't make a move to get out of the rain, though. She couldn't; her legs simply wouldn't let her. All she could do was kneel there in utter defeat, horrified at what she was seeing. Silverstone City, the place she had called home, the place that she had built a life for herself, was gone, all its people dead. Anything and everything that she had held dear no longer existed, and she could feel the pain of it in her chest, the absolute mortification of guilt consuming her.

She caused this. Everything she had done here in this city, it had all led up to this moment, her biggest failure. Jeremiah had not just beaten her, he had destroyed her, as promised. Swallowing a hard lump in her throat, Rose bowed her head in shame, hands digging into the bloody dirt beneath her and eyes squinting shut. As she did this, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Such a touch should have been one of comfort, of condolence. But it wasn't.

All she felt was malice.

“Isn't it grand?” Jerry asked, gripping her shoulder tighter. “Of everything you've accomplished in your life, this is what you will be remembered for.”

She said nothing, instead sinking her head lower and holding a hand up to her face.

“It's over, Rose. I win.”

“No...”

Lifting an eyebrow, Jerry slowly lowered his gaze at her. “I'm sorry, what was that?”

“You haven't won... not yet.”

“Look around you, Rose. Of course I have.”

Rose shook her head. “No.”

“Yes... I have,” he insisted, tilting his head in confusion.

“No!”

“Do stop saying that.”

“No! No! NO!”

---

“NOOOO!!!”

Eyes snapping open, Rose took in deep, heavy breaths, chest heaving. She was sitting cross legged on the floor, dressed in a pair of gym shorts and a tank top, with a thick sheen of sweat beading across her body. Falling back on her hands, she stared blankly forward for several moments, then squinted her eyes shut again.

That vision... it felt so real. Too real.

And extensive, far more so than any other vision she had ever had before. It hadn't just covered a small period of time, it had covered days. It had shown her the exact layout of a possible future, what could happen if she failed. She knew that now, and she knew that she had to stop it. Otherwise, everything she loved would disappear in a cloud of smoke and ash.

Opening her eyes again, she glanced up at the clock and cringed. It was one o'clock. Scrambling back up to her feet, she rushed into her bedroom and flipped her gear wall around. She didn't have a lot of time before things started.

You're not going to beat me, Jeremiah. Not this time. Not ever.

---

Ravager sped down the street, weaving in and out of traffic on her bike. She wasn't messing around right now. Clicking a button on her handle bar, she pulled up the phone application on the screen built into her dashboard. She clicked another button, dialing one of the numbers on her speed dial, which activated the built in communication system in her helmet. The phone rang, and rang, and rang...

Come on, come on, pick up!

“Hello?” Circe's voice came in crystal clear.

“Circe!” she exclaimed, relief flooding through her body. “Listen to me carefully!”

“Rose? What is it?”

“It's Kubrick, he's on his way to your apartment! He's going to kill you!”

A small pause came in on the other line before Circe responded. “Is that so...? A shame I don't still have my magic. Though, I do believe I have a silver letter opener I could-”

“That won't work!” Ravager insisted.

“Then what do you propose I do?”

“Don't worry, I've already called a friend,” she said. “She should be there shortly to help you.”

“And what are you doing?”

“Heading to the school! It's Jeremiah; he's still alive, and he's going to abduct our daughters and turn them into his personal slaves!” She swallowed a hard knot in her throat, then sharply turned her bike down another side street. “He also means to have Ruby and Palmer killed!”

“Oh my—” The woman's voice cut out in surprise. When it came back, she sounded shaky, afraid. “H-how do you know all this?”

“I saw it.”

“What do you mean, 'you saw it'?”

“I had a vision,” she explained. “I'm pretty sure I've figured out how to have them at will now; just requires a little time and meditation.”

“...What are you saying, Rose?”

“I'm saying, I'm not just a precog anymore.” Gunning the engine, she turned another corner of a street continued her mad drive through traffic. She could see the school in the distance. “I'm a seer now.”

---

Circe blinked down at her phone as Rose hung up. A seer? Did she say that she was a seer? As in, one who can foretell the future? Ridiculous, such an ability could not be acquired by a mortal girl like her, certainly not without some connection to magic forces. Gaining brief glimpses of the future with precognition is one thing. Seeing full blown visions of things to come, and doing it at will, was on a completely different level.

But Circe couldn't dwell on that right now. Kubrick was on his way, after all. She had to deal with him first. Glancing down at the end-table next to her, she stared at the silver letter opener for a brief second, then reached out to grab it. If Rose's friend didn't get here in time, it may be her only way to defend herself. Of course, no sooner than did she grab the letter opener, a small flash flickered in the room, accompanied by a quiet boom of thunder. When everything went quiet again, another woman was standing there.

Circe blinked in surprise, narrowing her eyes at the woman. “You...”

Grinning, the magician took a bow, removing her top hat and holding her arm in front of her chest as she did so. “Zatanna Zatara, at your service.”

---

As school got out for the day, Holly and Lyta walked across the front lawn in search of their mothers. Normally, neither Rose nor Circe were ever late in picking the girls up, but neither seemed to be here at the moment.

“I don't see my mom's car, do you?” Lyta asked.

“No, and I don't see mine, either,” Holly replied.

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Lyta scratched the side of her head. “That's odd... my mom's never late.”

Before they can become too concerned, however, a friendly voice called to them. “ Hey!”

The girls looked over towards the far side of the school lawn to see Rose running up to them and waving. “Sorry I'm late, got caught up in traffic.”

Holly smiled a large smile, coming forward to give her mother a brief hug. “S'alright, we weren't waiting too long.”

“Hiya, Rose,” Lyta said, giving a wave. “Have you seen my mom anywhere?”

“Oh, yeah she just had something she needed to take care of. I'll bring you home.”

They never got the chance to head back to the car, however. Within moments, as they turned to leave the school, the roaring sound of a motorcycle engine erupted in the air. Turning towards the road, they saw a small figure in the distance rapidly approaching: Ravager speeding along atop her bike like a bat out of hell. In a panic, Holly and Lyta ran out out of the way, screaming. Rose, on the other hand, just stood there, glaring intently at the incoming Ravager.

In mere seconds, Ravager reached the school grounds. In a single, deft motion, she flipped herself backwards off the bike, hitting the ground hard and rolling several yards before springing back up to her feet. The bike, on the other hand, rocketed straight forward and crashed with a thunderous explosion as it smashed into Rose, the impostor Rose.

“ROSE!” Holly screamed, running forward in horror. She soon realized, however, that her distress is misplaced, when she noticed that the apparent attacker was dressed in her mother's familiar costume. “..mom?”

“It's me, Holly,” Ravager said, giving a small nod. “But that was not.”

She focused on the burning wreckage, positioning herself between it and the girls. She was ready for anything. A few moments later, several larger pieces of her ruined bike scattered and flew through the air. A silhouetted figure emerged, tendrils of flesh twisting and rippling as it pulled itself back together.

“Holly, Lyta, run,” she commanded. “Get as far away from here as you can, and look out for each other.”

Holly looked up at her mother, eyes brimming with worry. “But mom—”

“Just do it, Holly! Run now!”

But the girl was still frozen in fear, watching the scene with wide eyes and shaking legs. However, a sudden wave of comfort filled her, when a hand reached out to grab her own. Turning her head, she saw Lyta standing there next to her, giving a caring and consoling look.

“Come on, Holly,” Lyta urged. “Your mom can handle herself.”

Swallowing nervously, Holly nodded in affirmation, then quickly ran away from the school with her friend, holding her hand tightly for support. When the two were safely gone, Ravager moved forward and reached back over her shoulders, drawing both of her blades.

“Did you really think I wouldn't figure out who was behind it?” she asked. “Did you really think I'd let you destroy my life?!”

Walking out of the wreckage, the now fully regenerated Jeremiah Belmont clasped his hands behind his back and glared at her. “Once again, Rose, you do not fail to impress. But I'm afraid those girls weren't my only targets.”

“Oh, yeah, you mean Circe, Palmer, and Ruby, right? I wouldn't worry too much about them. I have a friend on the job.”

This comment actually caught Jerry off guard. Lifting an eyebrow, he straightened himself and then slowly formed a grin. “Clever girl.”

Wasting no more time, Ravager sprinted forward, both blades extended and ready for use. “Let's finish this, Belmont! Just you and me!”

Chapter #82

Circe narrowed her eyes at the magician woman, then folded her arms across her chest and frowned. She didn't like this one bit, having to be aided by another magic user that would have been inferior to her own power, if she still had any power. “You must be joking. You're the one she called to help me?”

“You sound surprised,” Zatanna said, holding a contemplative finger to her chin.

“Disappointed,” she replied. “With all the other hero friends she has, I would have expected someone... different.”

Zatanna smirked a little. It was almost satisfying, seeing a once superior, villainous sorceress put off like this. “Considering what I can do and how I can help, she thought I was best for the job. Now, if you're done complaining, I believe you have a wolf problem that needs taken care of, yes?”

Circe paused, looking off to the side. “So I do...”

“From the sound of things, he should be here soon. I wonder if—” A knock on the apartment door suddenly drew their attention. “Ah, that should be him now. Shall we let him in?”

Eying Zatanna for another brief moment, Circe then glanced over to the door and sighed. Might as well get this over with. “It's open!”

The door abruptly flew off its hinges, crashing into the floor. Kubrick stepped into the apartment, a wicked grin slashing across his face. “Circe! Remember me?” He got halfway into the living room before he saw Zatanna, causing his eyes to instantly widen. He hadn't forgotten their last encounter. “Son of a—”

“Teg kcab!”

Kubrick suddenly lifted off his feet and rocketed backwards, crashing into the kitchen table and breaking it in half. He continued across the floor until smashing against the refrigerator, causing it to topple over on top of him.

“Would you watch what you're doing?!” Circe exclaimed. “That's my apartment you're destroying!”

“Uh... whoops,” Zatanna stated, clearing her throat. “I'll fix it in a minute, soon as I'm done with big ugly here.”

The fallen refrigerator suddenly burst upright, launching forward through the air. Circe and Zatanna lunged out of the way, both narrowly avoiding the massive projectile as it crashed against the nearby china cabinet, sending shards of broken glass and wood everywhere.

Circe sat upright, mouth dropping open in anguish at the broken china. “Damn it all, that cost money!”

“Quit your whining,” the magician said. “I told you I can fix it.”

Kubrick lunged through the air, now in his werewolf form. He went straight for Zatanna, knowing that he'd have to take her out first if he was to have any chance at getting to Circe. Unfortunately for him, getting to Zatanna was going to be its own challenge.

The magician woman was ready for him, already standing back on her feet with a hand held forward. “Nruter ot namuh!”

Instantly, Kubrick reverted back to his normal form and crashed into an end-table, his jaw smacking against the edge. He probably should have seen that one coming, considering she had done the exact same thing to him the last time they fought. Groaning, he slowly pushed himself back to his feet and wiped the blood from his chin.

“Mangy b*tch,” he growled. “I'll tear you heart out, I swear.”

“Yeah, I don't think so. Teg kcab!”

Once again, Kubrick flew backwards as though struck by some incredible, invisible force. This time, he launched directly against the back wall of the apartment, which just happened to be the wall that faced the street. Bursting through the wood and plaster, the man plummeted down ten stories into the streets below.

Zatanna blinked, a little surprised. “Uh... oops. I might have put a little too much 'oomph' into that.”

“Did you just... kill him?” Circe asked, slowly approaching the hole in her wall.

“Nah, I'm sure he'll be fine. Mostly.”

---

The disturbance down on the city streets was extremely abrupt, as a body smashed atop a car parked on the sidewalk, caving the roof inward and literally exploding the windows apart. People screamed and ran in a panic, though a few more curious individuals rushed over to see just what the hell had happened.

“Someone call an ambulance or something!” a woman yelled.

Lying there atop the ruined vehicle, Kubrick uttered a very long, very weak groan, coughing out a small mouthful of blood. He may have been much more durable than a normal person with his werewolf physiology, but that really hurt.

“Stupid... b*tch... ugh.”

---

The hospital room was, as usual, dark and quiet. The only sound breaking the silence was the familiar, steady beeping of the heart monitor, assuring that the patient lying beneath the covers was very much alive. A doctor soon entered, clipboard in hand. At least, it was a man dressed in a doctor's uniform, but the round glasses and bald head did not belong to this patient's doctor. Rather, they belonged to one Hugo Strange.

Moving forward silently, the man lifted a filled syringe and jabbed the needle end of it into Ruby's IV bag. When the contents of the syringe had been completely emptied into the bag, the man let out a heavy breath and looked over to the form beneath the covers. “Sorry, my dear, but it is necessary.”

“And what, exactly, is so necessary?”

Blinking in surprise, Strange spun around to look behind him. Standing there in full costume was Ruby Lawson, otherwise known by the superhero alias of Apathy. She leaned casually against the far wall, arms folded across her chest, while staring at the man from behind the shadowed face covering of her hood.

“What in the name of—” Briefly, he turned back to the bed and threw off the covers, only to reveal a row of pillows beneath, not the patient that should have been there. “How is this possible? You should be crippled!”

“Shoulda, coulda, woulda,” she said, with a flippant hand wave. “But I'm not. Hell, I'm feeling better than ever.”

Narrowing his eyes, Strange reached into the front pocket of his lab coat and pulled out another syringe, this one full of the same substance he had just injected into the IV bag.

Apathy responded with an amused, snorting laugh. “Pfft, really there, doctor? What exactly do you hope to accomplish with that?”

“I have a job to do, my dear. I won't let one small set back keep me from it!”

“Keep talkin', buddy.”

Before Strange could act, Apathy vanished in a small puff of smoke, only to then reappear right behind him in the middle of a spinning kick aimed at the back of his head. He stumbled forward, trying to maintain his balance, but Apathy teleported again, this time to his side while delivering a hard punch to his face. She repeated this several more times, beating the crap out of him. By the end of it, Strange lay motionless on the floor, unconscious.

“Y'know, I could have drained your will to fight, or made you quiver in the corner in utter terror,” she mused, “but that was so much more satisfyin'.”

---

Ravager spun quickly, evading Jerry's incoming bladed arm. Whirling her swords around, she sliced them towards his neck, but he ducked and jumped back a bit to put distance between them. He then extended his other arm, shaping it into a whip and lashing outward. Ravager jumped over the initial strike, while throwing one of her swords at him. The blade plunged straight into his chest, forcing him to take a couple steps backward.

“Please, Rose. You should know by now—” Reaching up, he grabbed the hilt of the sword in his chest and effortlessly pulled it from his body. It didn't cause him any pain or even draw any blood. With an amused grin, he tossed the blade back at his opponent's feet. “—that isn't going work.”

“Then I'm just going to have to find something that does!” Retrieving the fallen weapon, she sprinted towards him again. “If I recall, taking your head off should be pretty effective!”

This time, Jerry didn't move. He simply stood there with a large smirk on his face, watching Ravager's blades swing forward at his neck. Just as they were about to lop off his head, however, he raised up a cone shaped shield from his surrounding flesh, hardening it plenty enough to block the weapons from cutting through. He then formed one of his arms into a large mallet and clobbered Ravager across the chest, sending her flying back through the air. The blow only slightly stunned her, though, as she flipped around in mid air to land back on her feet.

“You didn't think I was actually going to let you take my head this time, did you?” Jerry asked.

Ravager frowned. “I'll get it eventually... one way or another.”

“Your determination is... admirable. Futile, but admirable.”

Taking in a few deep breaths, Ravager briefly contemplated her next plan of attack before sprinting towards him again. As she lunged in, swinging her blades, Jerry pulled back his hammer-hand in preparation. In mid leap, Rose threw one of her swords at him, forcing him to deflect it. In that brief instant, her now free hand flew to a compartment on her belt, and when she reached him, she braced herself for impact, while extending that same hand forward. The hammer bashed into her chest again, sending her rolling across the ground.

“I thought we just went over that,” Jerry said. “That isn't going to work.”

“Then it's a good thing I tried something different.”

Narrowing his eyes, Jerry slowly turned his gaze down to his shoulder, where a small, round device had been attached. The device blinked rapidly with a red light. “Clever g—”

His voice cut off abruptly as the device exploded, causing Jerry to become engulfed in a fireball. Ravager held her arm up in front of herself, trying to shield herself from the wave of heat that followed. She had never used those explosives before... apparently they were highly potent. That was good. She needed potent.

When the smoke and flames begin to clear up, she saw Jerry kneeling there on his hands and knees. A good deal of his flesh dripped from his body, as if melting. It also looked as though he was actually in pain, something he hadn't expressed since acquiring his new abilities.

Standing up, Ravager took in a deep breath and walked over to him, holding her blade up against his throat. “Not so tough now, are you?”

“That was... well played, Rose,” he uttered, coughing out a melted glob of flesh from his throat. “Well played.”

Suddenly, police sirens filled the air. Ravager briefly glanced to the side, noticing a swarm of cop cars speeding towards the school grounds. In that instant, Jerry lashed one of his arms out, forming another hammer that smashed against her chest and stumbled her backwards. He took this opportunity to hobble back up to his feet and then sprint away. His flesh was already starting to reform itself.

“We'll finish this another time, Rose!” he called, disappearing around the side of the school.

Ravager briefly contemplated chasing after him. By the time she got back up to her feet, though, the cop cars were pulling up next to her. Officers burst out of their vehicles a moment later, pointing their weapons at her. They didn't know the details, after all. All they knew is that she had caused a couple of explosions on a school's front lawn.

“Down on the ground!” one of the officers shouted.

Before Ravager could comply, however, another voice interrupted them.

“Weapons down, damn it!” The chief of police, Gerald Palmer, made his way forward past the line of other cops. They reluctantly obeyed, lowering their guns. “You'd better have a damn good explanation for this, Wilson! What in the hell is going on here?!”

“It was him,” she stated, jaw clenching. “Jeremiah Belmont.”

A small, shocked pause passed between them. Eventually, Palmer's gaze narrowed. “Belmont? You mean the guy behind the VRA sh*tstorm?”

“That's the one.”

“I thought he died. Twice.”

“Looks like he keeps finding a way to come back.” Ravager placed her hands on her hips and stared at the ground, sucking in a deep breath. “I caught him here trying to abduct Holly and her friend. He also had his goons attempt to kill two more of my friends, and a third later tonight.”

“And you're sure of that?”

She nodded. “Chief, I've never been more sure.”

Palmer paused again, taking a careful look around at the scorched schoolyard. The remains of Ravager's bike were still burning just a few yards away. “This guy really has it out for you, huh?”

“You don't know the half of it. But he's gone for now... I threw another wrench in his plans. In the meantime, I need to talk with you.” Her gaze slowly moved back over to the other surrounding cops. “Privately.”

---

The interior of the apartment was dark and silent. After all, the owner wasn't due to get home from work for another hour or so. That gave the infiltrator ample time to get in and make herself at home before getting to work. At least, that was what she expected, as she opened the window and slipped inside from the fire escape.

Closing the window behind her, Zaria took in a deep breath and grinned. “Oh this is going to be fun.”

No sooner than she said that, the lights flickered on. Palmer, standing by the light switch, glared at her. “You're right, it is.”

Zaria immediately stiffened in shock, glancing rapidly from person to person. Not only was Palmer there waiting for her, but also Ravager, Zatanna, and Apathy. This was definitely not supposed to happen!

“What's the matter?” Ravager asked, arms folding across her chest. “Didn't expect to see us?”

Without saying anything, Zaria turned and tried to get the window open again so she could retreat. She didn't get very far, though, before a backwards spell stopped her in her tracks.

“Pots!” Zatanna exclaimed.

Instantly, Zaria's actions ceased, as she froze up like a statue. She could still move her eyes, though, which she did to carefully glance back over at them.

“Well, that was rather... anticlimactic,” Apathy stated.

“I'm not complaining.” Moving forward, Palmer walked right up in front of the immobile alien woman, glaring at her with pure, intense hate. In a quick motion, he drew his gun and pointed it against her forehead. No one made an attempt to stop him. “This b*tch murdered my family. By all rights, I should blow her away right now.”

Ravager cleared her throat and casually turned her head away. “I'm not seeing anything.”

After a long moment of silence, Palmer breathed out a sigh and pulled the gun away. “But I'm better than that.”

“We have a team ready to take her to a place where they have the equipment necessary to hold someone like her,” Zatanna informed. “Same place we sent Kubrick to earlier.”

“And I can have her there in a second,” Apathy said. Moving forward, she took a hold of the woman's arm. “Literally.” A second later, they both disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

Once they were gone, Palmer released another heavy breath and then sank into a nearby arm chair. “Well, that's one less weight on my shoulders. Thanks.”

“You couldn't expect that I would have just let her kill you, could you?” Walking over farther into the living room, Ravager sat down on the living room sofa, then reached up to remove the faceplate and helmet of her costume. “But you're welcome. And speaking of thanks—” She turned to look over at Zatanna now. “—I owe you a big one for helping out with Circe and healing Ruby.”

“Please, happy to help,” the magician stated, with a smile. “How are the girls, by the way?”

“They're with Circe now,” she replied. “A little shaken after what happened today, but they'll be fine.”

“Ah, well that's good. Hey, mind if I grab a glass of water?”

“Please, help yourself.” Palmer said, waving her towards the kitchen.

When Zatanna left the room, Rose glanced over at the end-table next to her and noticed a framed picture of Palmer and two other people, a woman and a young girl, probably around Holly's age. Curiously, she lifted it up to take a better look.

“This them?”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, that's them.”

“They're beautiful.”

“Yeah... they really were.” Another long breath escaped Palmer's lips, as he sank further back into his seat, holding a hand up to his forehead.

“Listen, Chief... I'm sorry about what I said before,” Rose said, giving the man an apologetic gaze. “When I... well, I didn't realize...”

“Don't worry about it, Wilson. You weren't yourself then.”

“Still doesn't excuse it, and I'm still sorry.”

Slowly turning his head to look at her, Palmer gave a subtle nod. “Thank you.”

A brief moment later, Apathy reappeared in the center of the living room. “Well, that's all taken care of. Those two should be locked up for a good long time, same with that crazy doctor who tried to off me.”

Walking back into the room, now with a glass of water in hand, Zatanna smiled and sat down on the sofa next to Rose. “So, what's next on the agenda, then?”

“Anyone up for drinks?” Apathy suggested. “I'm buyin'.”

A gruff laugh emerged from Palmer's throat. “I could use a whole damn liquor cabinet right about now.”

“Well, she did say she was buying,” Rose said.

“Well in that case, I'm in.”

“Can count me in, too,” Zatanna said, quickly downing her glass of water.

Apathy grinned from behind her mask, hands coming to hips. “Then what the bloody hell are we still doin' here? Let's get a move on!”

---

Jerry stood in front of a mirror, carefully inspecting his face. His flesh was still partially melted from the explosion, and wasn't healing as fast as it normally did. “Interesting... it appears that fire creates instability in my new molecular structure. I'll have to remember that.”

From behind him, an a woman standing in the shadows uttered an amused laugh. “She really took it to you, ah?”

“I underestimated her.”

“Again.”

Jerry frowned, looking back over his shoulder. “I was careless.”

“Need I repeat myself?”

Taking in a small breath, Jerry turned to the woman behind him and folded his arms across his chest. “And not only that, but I lost three of my best people today. It's just you and me now.”

“Oy, sounds like a real party,” the woman said, rolling her eyes.

“We'll have to move up stage three of the plan,” he said, rubbing his chin contemplatively. “Contrary to what she thinks, Rose hasn't won. Not yet.”

“But she's pretty damn close, ah?”

Narrowing his eyes, Jerry turned back to the mirror, prodding his scorched flesh tenderly. “When the time comes, you will take care of her, won't you?”

The woman nodded. “That's my job, isn't it?”

“I wasn't asking if you'll follow the order. I was asking if you can handle it.”

A small pause passed, as the woman slowly curled her lips into a smirk. “Si, I can handle it.”