INTERLUDE: The Game is Afoot

The woman entered the darkened chamber and dropped the bound form of a teenage girl before her mistress.

"You have done well, my child," the hooded woman whispered.  "We cannot rely on our new new allies to see our plans through.  They badly bungled the task of obtaining this girl.  In the future, we will take matters into our own hands first when it comes to this girl's...  kind."

The shrouded figure's blue-skinned protege bowed before her.  The mistress smiled in the depths of her hood.  It was ironic that this one should have impersonated the mortal telepath, given their personal history.  It was only one more enjoyable detail of this endeavor, one more exquisite strand woven into her growing web of intrigue.

"But, mistress," the younger woman said, the fear in her voice palpable.  "The male has escaped-"

The hooded one cut off her report with a sharp waive of her hand.

"It does not matter, Raven," she replied.  "He was immaterial to my designs, and as he was never brought here, he does not know where here is.  We will deal with him in due course."

"Go now," she continued.  "Return to your other identities.  I will summon you when I need you again."

The blue skinned woman bowed again and left her mistress' presence.

After the younger woman had gone, she mused in silence.

The vampires had been building a campaign against the growing number of metahumans in the city.  An unsurprising choice, as they were now under repeated pressure by these self-styled heroes.  The maneuverings of the strigoi were of no concern to her, they were little more than pawns in a much greater game she was playing.  For now, their interests were aligned.  That was enough.

Where once the supernatural had held sway unchallenged, the power of the mortal gene had been unleashed, and now wherever the undead creatures went, they were resisted.  This was not the ancient resistance that relied on the trickery of wooden stakes or holy water or the break of day to win the battle.  These beings met force with force.  A fascinating development.

Yet now, her current employer had identified three humans who were both children of the atom as well as the arcane.  Three mutant witches, mortals who were as the Fates reborn.  In these three, the power of the multiverse might be harnessed.

And the first of these now lay helpless before her.

The Soreceror Supreme thought he had shielded these witches from all prying eyes.  Yet another mortal conceit, she mused.  When she was on the hunt, no creature could escape her.

She stood and laughed grimly.  Let the mad titan chase his infinity stones.  This was a game far too subtle for that one.  And while her former lover's schemes would surely draw the attention of this planet's most powerful champions sooner rather than later, her own machinations would go unnoticed...  until it was too late.


(published June 7, 2014)