by Al K. Line
There's always someone more powerful than you, that's a given, and I wasn't too proud to acknowledge that. But I knew I was better than her, that I should have won, and it was the damn doll that had been my downfall. I pulled the tattered thing out and stared at it in accusation, but then I did the strangest thing.
Right there, standing next to Mack, body broken, unable to come to terms with falling from the building, I cried. Stupid, but then again, maybe not. It had been such a trying time, and I'd let myself be beaten because of an attachment to stinking bits and pieces that made up the little doll, but if we can't cling to our humanity then what's the point?
"Swift, you okay?" asked Mack. "Your eyes are leaking. Did they get injured?"
"No, Mack, they're tears. You know about it, don't try to be funny."
"Sorry, thought it might help."
"What will help is killing that bloody woman up there," I said, wiping my eyes and pointing to the top window where Blue peered out to get an eyeful of my broken body. It was only then I noticed the smashed corpse next to us, squashed by Mack in his haste to save me.
Death. Always death.
"You bitch," screamed Blue, face a mask of rage, easy to discern even from a distance.
"You want her dead, then dead it shall be." Mack bent down low, muscles bunched along his thighs, then ran at the building, roaring as he went.
"Mack!" It was no use, he slammed into the structure with a meaty shoulder, brick disintegrating beneath the force. Again, and again, he smashed into it, but he was no match for such a large and reinforced building. Sure, he was trashing it, but it wouldn't fall.
He ran back, looking sheepish. "Thought it would fall over," he said, nonplussed.
"Muppet," I said, laughing despite myself. "Unless you're Superman, then let's just wait for her to come down." I was hoping it wouldn't be too soon. I could have curled up and slept right there and then.
"Aha, I love Superman! Don't worry, Lois, I'll deal with this." And with that, he crouched again, only this time he didn't run, he leapt, and hell if he didn't jump at least six stories up. He used ledges and shattered windows like a ladder and crawled up the building like it was nothing but a little fun at a kids' park. He was up at the tenth story in seconds flat, smashing the wall away with his fists so he could get inside.
I could picture Blue's shock when Mack's face appeared through the wall as he shouted, "Here's Johnny," before he disappeared.
Screams and magical disturbances filled the air as bits of wall melted, colors leaked out the gaps, and then all was quiet.
Mack being quiet is disturbing. You just know he's doing something unexpected. What I hadn't expected was for him to appear holding Blue like she'd held Mr. Moppet. Dangling by an arm out the window, her screaming for Mack to let her go, then screaming as he did, just for a second. He caught her easily, smiling down at me, enjoying himself and the joke he'd played.
"Should I drop her or smash her up?"
It was tempting, it really was, but I was a Justice, and even after all the things Blue had done there had to be a satisfactory end to this. Let somebody else deal with her. I'd had enough. I think I'd had enough death for the day, maybe for a lifetime.
Revenge is often all-consuming, and I would have happily let her die, but sense took over and I shouted, "No, Mack. Just bring her down. And don't let her go," I added, not that he would.
Sinking to my knees, I began to shake, the reality finally hitting home. I'd come so close to death, closer than I think I ever had before, although there'd been a lot of near misses over the years.
Maybe I was getting slow in my old age, or maybe I'd done pretty well, considering. You can't win them all, not without help, and boy was I glad of it right about now.
Mind reeling, body burning and hurting like I couldn't believe, I wandered around to the entrance and waited for Mack.
I waited, and I waited, and I waited some more. I could hear a lot of damage being done up above, and it was only then I remembered that my rather large friend wouldn't be able to just walk down the stairs—not many architects design their buildings with demons in mind.
There was a loud thud behind me and I turned to find Mack, holding Blue under his arm like a small parcel.
"You humans need to build bigger homes," he said, then dumped Blue down in the dirt.
"No! Don't let her go."
Too late. Blue mumbled under her breath and our world erupted in a fierce blast of shattered concrete as the ground exploded.
Catch that Witch
As the dust cleared, Blue was nowhere to be seen. Damn, what was with this woman? She was more slippery than a silk negligee covered in baby oil, and I cursed myself for thinking naughty thoughts about Pumi as I coughed and spluttered.
Mack stomped about ineffectively, unable to see anything even with his height advantage, but it also meant Blue would be running blind, too.
"Find her," I shouted as I stumbled out of the dust to get some air I could breathe.
I caught sight of her loping across the dust bowl, heading back to the center of the city, hoping to lose herself amid the chaos of the disintegrating forest. She was making slow progress because of the water that lay on the clay-heavy soil like a shallow lake. But she splashed through and was soon on higher ground, speeding up as she ran. This woman had some serious energy. Wasn't she tired?
"Mack, Mack, over here," I called, and he lumbered over like a gray shadow, covered horn to claw in cloying dust.
"Let's go get her," I shouted, the buzz of the chase and the need to finish this the only thing keeping me going.
"Put the siren on, let's catch this mo-fo. Woo-woo." Mack grabbed me and dumped me on his shoulders, whooping like a siren as he chased Blue. Bouncing me up and down so hard I screamed as pain lanced up my arm repeatedly and my brain rattled around my skull like a peanut in a glass.
He ate up the distance across the emptiness in seconds. We gained on Blue as she pumped her arms and legs for all she was worth, while Mack gambled along. Now whistling a theme tune I didn't know, just sure it would be from a cop show he'd taken a liking to.
Over a rise, sliding down a pile of smashed concrete, and we were at the edge of the city again. Houses springing up and then dense as they weaved their way this way and that in little order. I saw Blue heading down a narrow street, turning to check on us before sprinting away. We had her. No way could she outrun Mack.
"Go get her, Mack." I held on tight as he sped up—she'd be ours in seconds.
"Ugh, babes, I'm running out."
"Running out of what?" I didn't like the sound of this, and as he spoke he faltered, pace slowing to a walk and then nothing. "Mack, Mack," I goaded, trying to gee him up by grabbing his horns and rocking him like an oversized horse.
"Feeling funny. Not good," he mumbled, sinking to his knees.
I jumped down, body so pained I couldn't think of a spot that didn't hurt, wasn't screaming for rest and nourishment. "I thought you could do what you wanted in our world now?"
"Me too. Guess there are limits. It's all still pretty new, hon. Need time to adjust, to get used to..." Mack keeled over on his side and shifted an arm under his head to prop himself up enough so his horns were accommodated. He began to snore.
"So much for my knight in demonic armor," I said to no one in particular. Mack had gone past the limits, but at least he'd been able to help, and I owed my life to him. I left him to his slumber, knowing he'd be fine. After all, there's nothing you can do to an immortal apart from maybe annoy it if you try something funny.
I glanced up into the evening sky, smiled at the clear dark blue, not a cloud in sight. There was no rain, no giant-sized hail stones, no thunder or lightning or anything else out of the ordinary. The temperature was pleasant, the jungle was almost gone, and a sense of peace pervaded the air, no volatile energies manipulating the populace.
Life was returning to normal for Strangetown. Slowly but surely we'd get over this and a time would come when we'd
look back on it and wonder at the raw power of magic and the insane six months we'd all lived through.
Some of us would, anyway. But one wayward witch would never see the city return to its peculiar peace, as I intended to stop her, today.
"I'm coming for you, Blue."
I got a strong sense of deja vu, like I'd been down this road before. But such is the life of a Justice in Strangetown, and although I was battered and tired beyond belief, I still smiled. This was my job, after all.
Pint, Please
The going was treacherous as the jungle sank to the ground, and I slipped and slid every other step, finding it nigh on impossible to gain purchase and increase my speed as we weaved between the terraced rows of houses, getting closer to the city center.
I neither gained nor lost distance on Blue, just kept on going, mind empty. My world was the beating of my heart and the moving of arms and legs. Could she keep this up indefinitely? I sure hoped not as I was about ready to drop, only stubbornness keeping me going.
We were in the shopping district now, Blue dodging the rather disappointed shoppers who'd come out in their hordes, rather oddly expecting the stores to all be brimming with goods. People milled about, mumbling about the fact most businesses remained closed, or came out of the ones that were open, grumbling about the lack of stock and wondering when there would be deliveries. Hell, give it a chance, people. It's only been a few hours since the jungle went and we haven't exactly got back to normal yet.
I dodged a troll—for some reason more of them than any other species had remained. I'd seen at least a half dozen since the Rift claimed most Strange, and wondered if they liked us more than I'd realized.
Blue disappeared, leaving a trail of shouts as she shoved her way through the crowds. I followed, slowing to a walk. There was nowhere to hide now. I had her.
I knew where she was heading, and my heart leapt into my mouth. What the hell? Yuki Ye's? What made her come here?
Mustering what little energy I had left, forcing my body to obey my orders, I nudged open the door to Yuki's, the roar of the revelers and the smell of alcohol as welcome as always. But the clientele weren't welcoming, and neither was Yuki. Almost every head turned as I entered, and then they shifted their attention to Blue and Yuki standing behind the bar. Blue talking hurriedly to the bare-chested man that had served me more pints of beer than I'd had hot breakfasts in Strangetown.
"Outside, Blue. Now!" I ordered, trying not to pant too badly or bend over and scream because of the cramps and the exhaustion.
I watched, bewildered and confused, as she leaned in close to Yuki and whispered in his ear.
"She says you're trying to kill her. Is this true, Swift?" asked Yuki, wiping over the counter with a clean rag, scrawny frame with his faded tattoos at odds with the power I knew lay beneath the ancient, wrinkled body.
"Trying to kill her? She's been trying to kill me. I'm here to take her in. This is Justice business, Yuki, you know how it goes."
"I know exactly how that goes, Swift. It means you haul her in and nobody sees her again."
"And you know well enough how things work for us. All Strange know. She's unstable, out of control. She's been going around killing and is planning to take over the city. I can't let that happen. She has to pay for her crimes. Not to mention the ones she's inflicted on me. She locked me in a bloody coffin. Stole Mr. Moppet." Okay, it sounded daft, even to me, but she did. I patted the lump in my side where the doll had ridden low.
"I've heard the rumors, Swift. Heard that Blue has been a rather naughty girl." Yuki turned to her as he spoke, as if chastising a wayward child not a cold-blooded killer out to cause mayhem.
"Look, Yuki, I'm sorry to bring this to your door but she came in here, and I have business with her. Would you please eject this woman from your premises so I can leave you all in peace and do my job?"
I had a very bad feeling about the whole situation. Blue and Yuki were way too familiar with each other, and the people in the bar were staring at me in a way I didn't like one bit. Come to think of it, they were looking downright hostile. And there was a definite vibe in the air. Like I'd disturbed them, and not just from drinking. The men and women, all Strange, were in small groups spread around the room, plus several loners looking as confused as me.
Almost as if... It was, this was a meeting, or would be. I got the distinct impression that most had gathered with a specific purpose in mind and were waiting for something before they got down to business.
"What's going on here, Yuki? Please don't tell me you're involved with Blue?"
"Swift, my dear, there comes a time in every man's life when he must stand up for what he believes in. I have stood by silently as this city has changed beyond belief, but there is much wrong with it and the Rift has given me the chance to think. Blue has been carrying out orders, cleaning up the city for us. It's time we took it back."
"Took it back? From who? What are you talking about?" My head was spinning and I wondered if I'd misheard. Yuki was a gangster, or had been many years ago. His faded Yakuza tattoos testament to that. But he'd always been nice, was a real friend, and had shown no interest in anything but running his pub and serving a decent pint.
I felt my shoulder vibrate. The damaged connections had healed well while I ran, although nowhere back to normal. Robin was close, the tingling telling me she'd be here any minute. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing I wasn't sure—I didn't want her getting hurt on a job I'd been tasked with. But it seemed we were inextricably tied to the aftereffects of the Rift, crossing paths and helping each other more than for decades.
Then my shoulder pulsed hard twice, and Robin stepped through the door like a summer breeze, her perfume wafting ahead, giving the stink of beer a run for its money.
Behind her was Pumi, looking all kinds of gorgeous and manly.
"You okay?" he asked, holding out his hands for mine. I winced as I lifted my right but it was worth it for the warmth and the connection it gave.
"Been better, but you didn't have to come."
"We just found Mack, woke him up for a second or two. Sounds like you've been having fun." He winked, trying to hide his concern.
"If you can call being chucked out a window and having your arm trashed and Mr. Moppet used as a freaky voodoo doll to try to kill me fun, then yeah, it's been a blast."
"She did that?!" asked Robin, incensed.
Everyone gasped as we spoke. I turned to face them, more specifically Yuki and Blue. "Yeah, that's right. She used an idol to inflict harm from a distance. You all know that's taboo, that we don't use magic in ways that corrupt the Pool and everyone else along with it. What the hell is this about, Yuki? Why are you protecting her? Why are you all gathered here like a sneaky plot is being... er... plotted." Sometimes you can't find the right words when you need them the most. Hey, I was tired.
Yuki waited patiently while I spoke, muscles in his right arm tensing a little as he gripped tight to Blue who was clearly trying to get away from him. She was panicking a little, or maybe a lot, but trying to conceal it and doing a bad job.
"Is this true?" he asked Blue.
"Maybe. She has to go, we all know that. Her sister, too. And that thing." Blue pointed at Pumi.
"There was a plan, and you go too far. There are things we do not do, must not do, if this is to succeed."
I was confused as hell and couldn't quite get the words to make sense. They'd been planning something together? Yuki and Blue? Someone shifted from a seat over in a corner then walked across the room nervously. An old-timer who was a permanent fixture at the bar.
"Sorry, my friend, but nobody leaves." Yuki vaulted the bar and was beside the old man in a moment. He punched out hard and fast with rigid fingers and the man dropped, clutching at his throat, gurgling noisily. His legs spasmed violently before he was still.
I watched, aghast, as Yuki stepped forward and Blue joined him a moment later.
So did nearly every other "customer" in the
bar. A few lone men were dispatched quickly by the groups of Strange—I guess it was a bad day to come for a pint unless you were in on whatever Yuki had in mind.
"Sorry about this, Swift, but it's for the best."
"My mother, right?" I said with a sigh.
"Afraid so. She has to go, and so do you. All of you."
Yeah. Gulp.
A Warning
"What's happening, Swift?" asked Robin, more at a loss than me. Pumi remained silent and brooding. Very brooding.
"Seems Yuki here has decided there's to be a new boss in town and the Queen, and us, are to be eliminated."
"I got that, but why? And why has she been killing people? What's the point?"
"Good question. Why don't you tell us, Yuki? After all, this is it, right, the final showdown?"
"Swift, my dear, you know it doesn't work like that. What, you want it in bullet point form or the whole story? It doesn't matter. Too many Strange are fed up with the way things are. All this coming out to the world was a terrible idea and we aren't happy with how it's been handled. Look what's happened. The Rift is because of the magical disturbances caused by so many Strange congregating in one place. No, things need to return to how they were, how life was before Normals knew of us."
"You can't put the cat back in the magic bag, Yuki, you know that."
"I know," he said with a sigh. "But things can be managed better, especially without that woman, the Queen, in charge."
"You gonna replace her, are you?"
"For now. Then we'll see."
"Not much of a plan, dude," said Pumi, talking to Yuki for the first time. I glanced at him, saw the signs—he was ready to unleash the monster.
