B1 — 21. Plight of the Whimsical Queen
An unusual clarity came to Fiona as her eyes opened to the blood dome that protected them; it was as if all her fear, anxiety, and pain were being pulled into a machine to be torn apart and used as fuel.
Maria and Scarlet were already out, a look of disbelief on the vampire’s face as she stared right through the unicorn.
“…mean that bitch is outside?” Maria snarled, unable to shift in the tight space to see behind her. “What happened to the hare chica? Aye, c’mon! Quit spacing out on—shit…”
Scarlet didn’t answer her, left fang punctured into her black bottom lip as the veil of crimson split into bars, giving Fiona a full view of the scene. One of the paper doorways was wide open, revealing Relica, Luis, Eliza, and Margaret.
Relica’s dress, shoes, and left arm seemed a tad dirty as if falling into a semi-dried patch of mud. She didn’t show any discomfort upon addressing them, and Fiona could feel chilled spikes entering her veins with every word she spoke.
Breathing out a long stream of air, she reached for her sugar, calmly scooping up grains to eat as she listened; her current sugar level was 104%. She paused a second while they talked to look at her fingernails, glowing between red and light blue; her base white hair mirrored the color variants and streaks.
[Plight of the Whimsical Queen] was flipping her urges from hot to cold, yet both directions ended the same way. Should she go on a rampage? If she did, they could hurt Erika. She could hurt Erika. Doing nothing wouldn’t save her, though. They’d killed and tortured dozens of people and should be punished.
Caught in the middle of unfamiliar and familiar impulses, one on a cliff to her left and the other to her right, she dangled over a bottomless chasm, feeling pulled side-to-side; the unfortunate part was that her feet weren’t touching ground: below her was a chasm of ice and fire, welcoming her to let go of the rope and embrace the fall into freedom.
“Ah! It took you long enough to notice us,” Relica snickered, arms folded under her bust. “I’ll make this simple. What—”
“Where’s Rachel?” The growl in Scarlet’s tone made everyone but the black-haired terrorist back away a step. “What did you do to her?”
Relica’s lips peeled back into a half-smile, yet her fingers twitched shortly after, gaze drifted to the unicorn. “I trapped her. Give me Maria, and maybe we can make a—”
“Lying bitch,” Maria interjected. “You don’t believe that.”
“Hmm? Well, heh, I suppose I don’t know what happened to her. My guess, she’s about to die—oh!”
The blood underneath them flooded out, dropping Maria onto her butt. Fiona’s butterfly-like wings automatically flared out of her back, keeping her airborne; the bag hit the wooden planks and sank into them, making her sigh; it seemed 123% was the max her sugar pool would get with the time she had.
[Disaccharides (Sugar) Pool I - Advanced to D-tier]
Luis and the others darted into side rooms, shouting in fear, but Relica didn’t flinch at the spears surrounding her.
“You’re lying! Rachel promised me she wouldn’t—she won’t die! She promised her mom!”
“Ack! Dammit…” Maria grumbled, forcing herself up. “Uh… she believes it. We should get—”
“No,” Scarlet whispered, hands knotting against her chest. “No, Rachel’s misfortune ability… I trust her. She won’t die!”
“Kill me if you think I’m lying. Can you? I’ve heard you don’t want to kill anyone.”
Relica chuckled and tapped a finger against the crystalized blades pinning her to the spot; she didn’t have much breathing room. However, the weapons redirected to Maria as she grabbed Scarlet’s shoulder, pulling her back.
“Don’t kill the bitch! Shit… Aye, look, she has this link with a bunch of kids. If you kill her, the kids die!”
Scarlet’s frame became shaky. “What… am I supposed to do?”
“Let’s take this nice and easy…”
Akio appeared from a wall, the doors on all sides flying open to reveal hostages; none of them were Erika, but it made Fiona breathe a sigh of relief.
[Warpath] Activated
“Maria, Scarlet.” Fiona floated higher in the air, drawing their attention. Everyone except for the frightened women went silent, scrapes and bruises could be seen across their skin and through their ripped clothing. “You two go free those kids. Okay? I’m going to save my friend.”
“Pfft!” Eliza snorted. “What’s a useless enchanter like you going to do? We got hostages, sweetie.”
“Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm.” Tilting her head left and right as she gave a thoughtful, musical hum, Fiona stretched her hands high above her head; her belly showed as she leaned left and right in the air. “How about some buffs?” she chimed, flashing her teeth.
“Hey, Lizzy, shut up,” Margaret hissed, the panther woman’s ears folding back. “Something’s up with this pixy—I’ve got a bad feeling.”
[Emotional Surge I] Activated
A light breeze cycled around Fiona, fluttering locks shimmering jade and gold, static sparking around her frame from [Elemental Enchantress I]; it expanded to wrap around Maria and Scarlet, causing their frames to illuminate for a moment with the elements she’d granted them. Electricity snapped from Maria’s fists, and wind lifted Scarlet off the floor.
Fiona’s hues of green and yellow colors faded as a chill escaped her tiny frame, the atmosphere plummeting with the light blue shades taking their place. A thought came with the pale aura that embraced her, heart beating at an even tempo.
[Sweet Magic Boost I] Activated
“You have hostages, so we can’t do anything, right?”
Scarlet stepped to the side as the liquid in the air around them condensed into snowflakes from the dense magical energy gathering. “W-What are you doing, Fiona?”
“Aye, they got kids,” Maria hissed, but Fiona’s thoughts and heart were elsewhere.
[Fae Queen’s Ire I] Activated
[Ephemeral Grace I] Changed to Active
One particular piece of wisdom came from the arctic gale that brought out a part of her that she’d never had to use in her happy and positive life.
“What’s she doing,” one of the men holding a knife to a bound woman’s abdomen mumbled. “Stop it! Stop it!”
Luis leaned closer to Eliza, whispering, “I feel something’s different about the—”
Fiona focused on the nervous man threatening to kill the hostage if she didn’t stop. “You can’t negotiate with terrorists; one hostage turns into two, and it only increases until the root of the problem is dealt with.”
Hand rising into the air, the magic leaking out of her body collected above her fingers, enhanced by her many active Feats, high sugar pool, and frigid emotional state; within two seconds, jagged crystals formed into an ice javelin two and a half meters long.
Without hesitation, she smiled at the stunned man. “I appreciate you making this easier on me.”
A blast of biting wind sent the projectile into the man’s eye, out the back of his head, and ripping through paper wall after paper wall beyond it; the hole where the spear had punctured began to ice over, freezing what was left of the man’s brain.
Relica’s brow furrowed. “How… did Rachel manage to put into motion this misfortune? Her powers grow by the minute.”
“Aaaaah!” The woman he’d held screamed, shoving the dead gangster’s body away as she tripped and scrambled away.
Fiona didn’t feel a thing as her wintry blue eyes surveyed the crowd for her next target, another javelin forming in her hand, yet the doors slammed shut as Akio sighed, flipping the rooms around. A slight smirk lifted Fiona’s cheeks, though, as they stopped.
Crying and curses were heard in the distance, but that didn’t bother Fiona. She’d already heard where they were keeping her best friend, and this instinctual clarity from the cold side of [Plight of the Whimsical Queen] filled her with delightful thoughts.
“Aye, what the hell was that?!” Maria snarled, but Fiona pointed at the hole in the ceiling. “They could… Oh.”
Scarlet’s eyes widened, hand flying to her ear. “Astra? Astra—what? No, I have Maria and Fiona, but… but we need to rescue the kids. Huh?!”
Fiona floated down to pat the floundering girl on the cheek to grab her attention. “Hey. It’s okay. Mhm. You and Maria go after Relica with her purifying power; I will rescue the hostages and draw their attention.”
Maria caught on quickly. “Aye, you’re loco, chica, but don’t go dying on me. Okay? Damn. Let’s go, fangs!”
“H-Huh?! She just—in his head!”
“Shit!” Akio floated after her, trying to change more rooms around to confuse her, but she saw a glaring weakness in the ‘endless’ rooms. “Luis, Eliza, get her ass!”
Waving at the vampire, she flapped her wings, shooting toward the hole; straightening, her energy-like wings vanished, allowing her to go straight through. Reforming, she flipped in the air, gravity changing in the new space.
A bright light sparkled to Fiona’s left; she spread her wings, resistance flipping her out of the way as a beam of energy grazed by her leg. Spear forming, she shot it at the cursing elf woman; the doorway snapped shut, carrying her away, and Maria called out.
“Hijo de puta! Aye, watch it!”
Fiona huffed at the smirking ghost; he’d likely swapped rooms to make her hit Scarlet and Maria. Yet, she met his grin while stabilizing herself, a spur of manic energy blooming within her as the blue aura flipped crimson, and she summoned the power of mayhem.
“What are you going—shit, don’t!”
If a ghost’s face could go ashen, Fiona was sure Akio’s certainly would have as her fingernails sparkled a ruby hue; a fireball the size of a beach ball blazed into being.
[Elemental Magic I] Advanced to E-tier
“Love the paper wall aesthetic, but you really didn’t think this through.”
“No!!!”
Fiona launched it at the corner of the room as Margaret jumped out of the floor doorway, claws extending and glowing with brilliant light. She used all six surfaces to reposition and try to cut her to ribbons; Akio seemed to try and help her by flipping the room. Maybe he was bringing someone to put out the fire she’d started, but she didn’t care since she could just make more.
Margaret was fast and agile, yet Fiona felt like she’d been born with her wings; she had full maneuverability in the air, unlike the panther. Timing the launches, her inferno shot for the woman’s face, making her ears fold back.
Luis jumped out of the shadows in the corner to tackle her out of the way. Fiona laugh while sending another ball of flames after them; the door didn’t close fast enough, erupting on the other side.
“What have you done?!” Akio cried, and she giggled upon seeing him holding what appeared to be a burned place on his arm. “You’ll kill everyone; you’re insane!”
Her hair was ablaze with red hues as Fiona entered the inferno. Her clothes lit like a tinderbox, eating away the plastic-like fabric. All Fiona felt was the liberating scintillation of freedom. She wasn’t just falling into this chaos but dancing in the flames.
Explosions followed her path, and the paper hallways flickered, melting away as Akio likely fled; it seemed his essence was tied to whatever he haunted, and he didn’t appreciate being slowly flayed.
Fire alarms accompanied the cries and cursing from the gangsters and hostages in the next room. Akio appeared to be gone as she turned the room he was in into a hellscape, or perhaps it was Maria’s doing. Without the specter’s support, there was no one to protect them from her wrath—it was open season.
Blowing the door off its hinges in a ball of fire, she left the sea of flames behind her as the sprinklers turned on. Smoke started to haze the area, making it difficult for her to see, but the smog didn’t affect her lungs.
The heated aura she carried was smothered by a light rush of frost and light blue colors; Choking between screams, she spotted two screaming and fleeing men, having left the hostages by the corner.
An unfamiliar, cruel laugh came from her throat with the arctic forces pulled out from the torture they’d caused her; it was Ben and another one of his friends, the one that enjoyed implementing toothpicks in Fiona’s suffering. Thin spikes pierced their calves, digging into the tile ground and causing their bodies to jerk from the sudden shift in momentum.
“Haha! Not so fond of pointy things now. Are we?” she mused, floating closer to the choking and hyperventilating men as the ice froze their bone to the marrow in place. “How much do you want to live? Will you find a way to cut off your own legs before the fire comes, or you suffocate? I don’t think the sprinklers are stopping it. Hehe.”
“P-Please…”
Fiona’s frosted eyes and frozen smile shifted to the hostages as they huddled beside each other. “Oh! Wonderful. I need you two to come with—” A bright light hit her on the side of the head; it didn’t make her move that much, but it did sting a little. “Huh?”
Looking to the left, another one hit her dead in the forehead. Her teeth flash upon seeing the holes in the wall from the light-based arrows. Fiona’s dense magic condensed above her head while waiting for the next blast, ice javelin forming from her rapidly diminishing Sugar Pool.
“Elemental attacks, hmm? I’m sure that must be very powerful against most people, Elfy. Sadly… not against me.”
“Watch out!”
Fiona’s sapphire eyes darted left at the terrified women, spotting movement out of the corner of her eye. Her free left hand lifted in that direction, spear forming. Luis’ shadowy figure emerged two meters away, only for Fiona’s spike to enter his chest and impale him on the condensing ice.
“Bitch!!”
Margaret ran out of the room she’d just left on all fours. She was fast, but Fiona’s speed in the air dramatically increased with the use of her wings. [Ephemeral Grace] seemed to be more than just etiquette; when airborne, her speed, agility, and quickness dramatically increased, helping her maneuver.
[Ephemeral Grace I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Divine Fae Sense I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Emotional Surge I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Sweet Magic Boost I - Advanced to E-tier]
She laughed at the furious cat’s attempts to reach her near the ceiling, the hair on her neck standing up and her face changing from rage to horror as Fiona dragged the panther man through the air with them. His arms struggled against the jagged ice that had likely punctured a lung.
“As I understand it,” Fiona snickered, “it’s not good to pull something out after it enters an organ. Ooh. Running now?”
Margaret spun in the air, foot coming down on the spear to break it in half; she lost control over it, and the panther melded into the floor with the woman.
Fiona sent a swiftly formed one-meter shard at them, only for Margaret to snatch it out of the air with her teeth before it could enter Luis’ eye. An arrow of light struck Fiona’s back, sending her flying forward before she could launch a follow-up attack, prompting Fiona to use the momentum to flip around and fire another spear in Eliza’s general direction.
“Dammit! She’s practically as invincible as Conner… And this smoke and water! Agh!”
She chuckled at the elf’s comment, retreating to regroup with Luis and Margaret. Her shimmering blue eyes shifted to Ben and ‘toothpick buddy’ as they wept.
“P-Please… I-I’m sorry—I just did what I was told… I can’t feel my legs.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”
Fiona hummed, wearing a strained smile as she skated through the air to the terrified women in the corner. “Sorry for the scare. I’m… not entirely myself right now. I don’t know; maybe I am? Anyway, why don’t you go grab those guns over there? Oh, look at that! A window. We better hurry; the smoke is getting thicker.”
Ignoring the mumbling gangsters, she coaxed the coughing women to follow her; she had them open it and climb through to the fire escape. Sadly, two of the hostages she’d seen had been killed as she went room by room, clearing people out on her way to the kitchen.
Eight gangsters had the joy of experiencing what it felt like to burn alive. Five Fiona left spiked to the wall or floor to suffocate on the growing fire. She missed her target twice due to poor visibility, killing two terrorists by accident; it was a shame.
Her thoughts and emotions drifted from hot to cold, depending on the situation in this hatred-fueled [Warpath] she was on. Thirty-seven hostages were saved, and she eventually caught up to Eliza, Margaret, and Luis in the kitchen; her Sugar Pool had reached 13% in less than ten minutes of ruthless carnage and fickle mania.
Ice spear breaking the glass window of the double doors, Fiona held her hands at her front while floating through to meet the three; they weren’t alone.
Eliza didn’t even have her bow ready, instead holding a frying pan; Fiona had to admit it was an intelligent choice. Lasers weren’t working, and they already knew physical attacks did a number on her.
“F-Fiona…”
“Hmm.” Fiona’s mouth drew in as she hovered in the doorway; this wasn’t good.
Blood stained Margaret’s claws as lines dripped down Erika’s throat to her front. Her black-furred fox friend was trembling with Luis holding a machine gun rather than using his powers. The weapon was aimed at even more hostages, making a happy ending impossible. She’d taken too long, which was her whimsical nature’s fault, not these evil people’s.
Erika’s ears were pulled back, fluffy tail wrapped around her leg in terror. The giant ice box was open behind them, showing fifteen women inside, half of which appeared to be Fae or Beastkin. None of them likely knew how to use their powers correctly, as Scarlet had taught her, or else they would have probably been strong enough to escape on their own.
“Don’t so much as, ack—t-twitch,” Luis snarled, choking, but any blood that would have filled his lungs was frozen by the ice shard still stuck inside his chest; he took the pain well, yet the ice affinity was making him shiver.
“Not looking so hot there, bud,” she chuckled. “It’s okay, Erika. If they hurt you, I’ll kill them; they don’t want to die. Isn’t that right? So… let’s see, you can leave or die. What’s worth more, making me suffer and die or saving Luis? Tick-tock.”
Margaret forced Erika toward the rear exit. “We’re going to leave with your friend as insurance. Heh. Do you negotiate with terrorists now that it’s your friend?”
[Grade Advancement - Fae Queen’s Ire II Unlocked]
Fiona hummed, ice in her veins as she spoke words she’d never said aloud. She could see the uncertainty in Erika’s eyes, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. Fiona had a war to win, and the fire in her chest came out with a spiteful, grinning tone.
“Dryshite. What a little wagon hoe. Well, bollocks, it seems ya got me,” she sighed, Irish accent thickening as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Sure. Lizzy…”
“Go on, ya sorry saps. The sea won’t give ya a second wave; don’t let misfortune kick ye on yer arse on the way out. Langers.”
“This bug is insane; I’m watching her! Shit, I need to get a slingshot for this bitch. Damn, shrimp. I swear…”
“No! I hear pounding outside; something’s coming. It’s been pretty intense out there, though, so it’s probably…”
All three froze as the back door opened behind them, introducing a new player to the board; Fiona wanted to dart forward, but luckily, her colder half won out.
“Huh. I hope I’m not interrupting anything? Hey, that’s not nice,” a woman encased in black plates said in a monotone voice.
Margaret flipped around as a scaled hand covered in red liquid grabbed the panther’s wrist, applying pressure; she let go, shoving Erika forward with a growl as she tried to contend with the newcomer. The fish-tailed woman easily pushed the elf and black-furred man to the side.
“Wha—”
Monstrous, turquoise eyes made the cat’s ears fall back as a tail with a wicked blade broke part of the wall in an agitated flip, sending dust and concrete pieces scattering across the tile floor.
“Are you a bad guy? You look like one. A black cat Beastkin, Astra?”
“N-No…” Margaret whimpered, unable to break the girl’s grip; Erika’s tail curled under as she skipped away, running to Fiona’s side. “L-Luis, s-she’s—fmging strong! Get off!”
“The hell?!”
“Let’s go—”
Eliza drew her hands back and smacked the back of the girl’s head as Margaret clawed her face; the woman didn’t even flinch, but the pan bent, and the cat hissed as her glowing claws didn’t so much as leave a mark. The woman turned to look at the stunned elf, her dull gaze asking if she were serious.
“I’m a leviathan, shrew.”
One backhand sent Eliza flat against the wall, brain checked out after a single gasp. Luis dropped to the ground beside her, eyes practically bugging at the elf’s broken face; he held up his hands in surrender.
“Look, we give up! Okay?”
Fiona met Erika and hugged her neck as the fox woman began to cry.
“F-Fiona, I—what is…”
“Shh! Shh! It’s okay. It’s okay… Umm. Who are you, by the way?”
With a smile, the woman held Margaret’s hand in the air, making the cat Beastkin hiss, unable to do anything to so much as budge the leviathan.
“I’m the invincible warrior of the seven seas, Selvaria the Super Babe Leviathan—the name’s a work in progress, Astra; shut up.”
Unable to fully enjoy the moment due to [Warpath], Fiona floated down and took Erika’s hand, guiding her a bit away from the woman as the others cowered in the meat locker. Erika was smart enough to listen intently instead of start babbling.
“Okay, so who… are you with, exactly?”
“Help!” a few of the women in the freezer whimpered, shivering from the chill and making Sevlaria frown.
“C-Can you let go of my wrist?” Margaret cried, mirroring the hostage’s tone from Selvaria’s pressure, yet the leviathan ignored her.
“Hmm? Oh, right. I’m with the side of justice! Uh, you’re the fairy, so that means Rachel and Scarlet wanted to find you. Where is Scarlet?”
The scene of the showy monotone woman and terrorists was so pathetic, with Luis surrendered on the ground, Margaret’s hand being used as an extension for the leviathan, and the unconscious Eliza possibly suffering brain damage, at least judging by the drool and blood leaking out of her mouth, that Fiona didn’t even see them as worth her attention any longer.
[Divine Fae Physiology I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Prismatic Lumination I - Advanced to B-tier]
[Emotional Surge I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Sweet Magic Boost I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Elemental Magic I - Advanced to D-tier]
[New Element Selectable]
[Warpath - Advanced to E-tier]
[Warpath] Deactivated.
“Super Babe Leviathan, can you guide us out of… Who’s Astra?” Fiona questioned as she talked to some other random person, only for Selvaria to hold her free hand to her ear and turn toward the door as a humming drone floated down.
“Astra, you’re not dead… Cool. No boom? Oh. How big of a boom. Cool. Not cool. Of course, I have the fairy here. I’m the heroine of the sea. Uh-huh. Okay. I’ll save the hostages. No. I don’t like the bull guy. Yeah, I got a present for my mom.”
“Selvaria?” Fiona tentatively asked, feeling her strength beginning to leave her as all the emotional energy faded. “Are we leaving?”
“Oh, right. Escort mission. I’m good at these—well, except for last time… Stupid rubber banding. Stay close. Oh, and a villain escort quest, too? This is my first! Let’s go. March—oh, you can’t,” she mumbled, staring down at the shivering panther man. “He doesn’t look too good. Let’s—”
“Aaah!”
Luis detonated in a rush of blood, bone, and guts, Selvaria taking the brunt of that shrapnel that pelted her front.
“Luis, n-no… Relica, p-please…” Margaret whimpered, Selvaria mechanically shifting her toward the door in case she was next.
“Move!” Fiona screamed, pulling Erika behind the counter just as Eliza exploded, shortly followed by the panther woman.
“This is insane!” Erika cried, head covered and bristling tail wrapped close to her body.
Selvaria forced a smile, clearly trying not to think about the gore that now blanketed her. “Heh-hehehe. I hate you, Puffy Tail… I’ve been cursed. Dammit. I hate villains. Okay, let’s get you guys out of here before you all explode. Oh, you need sugar, too, right? Let’s get you sugar.”
The plated woman snatched a half-bag of sugar from the counter and waved for them to follow her. “Come with me if you want to live. No. I’m not quoting a movie, Astra. Am not. Not! Okay, you got me… I kicked the bull’s butt, though. I don’t know what you’re on about. The freaking British.”
Fiona settled on Erika’s shoulder, feeling somewhat spent and sleepy; a wave of sickness came over her from everything she’d done. Smoke was sweeping through the club, but Selvaria guided them out.
At least Erika’s safe… We’re safe.
[Level Up - Level 6]
The world hazed and went black.
* * *
Selvaria weaved through the water, chomping on fish in her passing. Her chest still hurt from the free fall into shallow water, but it wasn’t that bad. Her waterproof bag was a bit tricky to find afterward, though. So, she was a bit behind schedule.
[Kaiju Leviathan Physiology I - Advanced to A-tier]
Poking her head out of the water every so often, she found the place Astra had shown her; she was on bank robber duty. She swapped into her human form near the shore, throwing the soggy backpack over her shoulder.
Huh. Has everyone already started?
Not seeing anyone on the beach, she scanned the ocean and spotted all the navy and coast guard ships in the water; their sonars tickled a bit when she was in the sea. Yawning, Selvaria unzipped the bag and found the earpiece with a huff.
I can’t believe they thought I’d lose it. Wait, maybe I would if I changed forms.
“Hmm.”
Putting the device in her ear, her eyes dulled as Astra’s British voice came over the coms. “Alright, mate? Feelin’ a tad bit knackered after the dip?”
“I’m doing fine. So, I just gotta go in there and take out the bull guy, right?”
“Blimey, I can’t believe yer not out of it with a fall like that! Yup, ya just need ta’ march in there and clobber the bloke. Once yer done, we can have a good fag and celebrate.”
Selvaria’s tail dragged along the sand as she made her way toward the back of the bank, bending the fence with her weight to get through. “I think that’s a bad word, mate.”
“Eh? Haha! Fag’s a cig here in London, hun. I got a drone en route—aww, shite, I lost contact with Little Tooth. Bollocks. Supernatural shite. Uh. She’ll be fine. Right?”
“Uh. Probably not,” Selvaria sighed. “Want me to go check on her?”
“No. Stay on mission, Mighty Dragon! Gah. It’s all gone pear-shaped. Hmm. Just focus on that gobby shite stalker. Did I mention he’s a stalker, and not in the good way!”
Selvaria’s face turned red as she struggled to pull herself up a chest-sized rise to reach the building, managing to roll herself over. “Mmgm! Ugh… Haaa. Haaa. I’m too heavy sometimes.”
“Hehe. What was that, mate?”
Face turning red, Selvaria cleared her throat and got to her feet. “Nothing. What is a good stalker?”
“Oh, love. If ya know, heh, ya know.”
“Uh-huh… I think you’re crackers.”
“There ya go, Selv! Get inta the British spirit! Uh. Rachel is mad! You should hear the mouth on this lass? She be takin’ the piss all over the curtain twitcher!”
The hum of a drone floated down as she made it to the bank’s back door, a speaker projecting Astra’s voice. She already knew Rachel had a few screws loose, but that was what made her fun; plus, she really needed more friends.
“I’m with ya, Tails!” he chimed. “Once you’re done moppin’ the floor with this wanker, we’re on ta help Cuddle Bat. Best be quick! We don’t want the gobsmacked fangs to get capped.”
“Onward to victory!” Selvaria cheered, kicking the door in; it flew down the hall and out the window, shattering the glass. After a rather unmanly shout, silence ensued for a few seconds, leaving Astra to snicker.
“You are so over the top.”
“The heroine always has to make an entrance,” Selvaria grinned, strolling in like she owned the pace as her tail weaved left and right.
“What if you hit someone?” Astra asked, following her in with the drone.
“I wouldn’t have—wait,” she stopped dead in her tracks to glare at the hovering machine. “Why did I need an earpiece if you had a drone?”
“Because you’ll lose it. Hehe. Good luck!”
As it left, she glared after the drone, and a gruff voice called out from down the hall.
“Haha! Well, I expected… more.”
Selvaria licked her lips, tail slapping the floor and shattering the tile as she faced the smug, shirtless man; he was more than two meters tall, had bull horns, a weak tail, and hooves for feet. “Hehe. Looks like I will have a barbecue tonight. Let’s fight!”
B1 — 21. Plight of the Whimsical Queen
An unusual clarity came to Fiona as her eyes opened to the blood dome that protected them; it was as if all her fear, anxiety, and pain were being pulled into a machine to be torn apart and used as fuel.
Maria and Scarlet were already out, a look of disbelief on the vampire’s face as she stared right through the unicorn.
“…mean that bitch is outside?” Maria snarled, unable to shift in the tight space to see behind her. “What happened to the hare chica? Aye, c’mon! Quit spacing out on—shit…”
Scarlet didn’t answer her, left fang punctured into her black bottom lip as the veil of crimson split into bars, giving Fiona a full view of the scene. One of the paper doorways was wide open, revealing Relica, Luis, Eliza, and Margaret.
Relica’s dress, shoes, and left arm seemed a tad dirty as if falling into a semi-dried patch of mud. She didn’t show any discomfort upon addressing them, and Fiona could feel chilled spikes entering her veins with every word she spoke.
Breathing out a long stream of air, she reached for her sugar, calmly scooping up grains to eat as she listened; her current sugar level was 104%. She paused a second while they talked to look at her fingernails, glowing between red and light blue; her base white hair mirrored the color variants and streaks.
[Plight of the Whimsical Queen] was flipping her urges from hot to cold, yet both directions ended the same way. Should she go on a rampage? If she did, they could hurt Erika. She could hurt Erika. Doing nothing wouldn’t save her, though. They’d killed and tortured dozens of people and should be punished.
Caught in the middle of unfamiliar and familiar impulses, one on a cliff to her left and the other to her right, she dangled over a bottomless chasm, feeling pulled side-to-side; the unfortunate part was that her feet weren’t touching ground: below her was a chasm of ice and fire, welcoming her to let go of the rope and embrace the fall into freedom.
“Ah! It took you long enough to notice us,” Relica snickered, arms folded under her bust. “I’ll make this simple. What—”
“Where’s Rachel?” The growl in Scarlet’s tone made everyone but the black-haired terrorist back away a step. “What did you do to her?”
Relica’s lips peeled back into a half-smile, yet her fingers twitched shortly after, gaze drifted to the unicorn. “I trapped her. Give me Maria, and maybe we can make a—”
“Lying bitch,” Maria interjected. “You don’t believe that.”
“Hmm? Well, heh, I suppose I don’t know what happened to her. My guess, she’s about to die—oh!”
The blood underneath them flooded out, dropping Maria onto her butt. Fiona’s butterfly-like wings automatically flared out of her back, keeping her airborne; the bag hit the wooden planks and sank into them, making her sigh; it seemed 123% was the max her sugar pool would get with the time she had.
[Disaccharides (Sugar) Pool I - Advanced to D-tier]
Luis and the others darted into side rooms, shouting in fear, but Relica didn’t flinch at the spears surrounding her.
“You’re lying! Rachel promised me she wouldn’t—she won’t die! She promised her mom!”
“Ack! Dammit…” Maria grumbled, forcing herself up. “Uh… she believes it. We should get—”
“No,” Scarlet whispered, hands knotting against her chest. “No, Rachel’s misfortune ability… I trust her. She won’t die!”
“Kill me if you think I’m lying. Can you? I’ve heard you don’t want to kill anyone.”
Relica chuckled and tapped a finger against the crystalized blades pinning her to the spot; she didn’t have much breathing room. However, the weapons redirected to Maria as she grabbed Scarlet’s shoulder, pulling her back.
“Don’t kill the bitch! Shit… Aye, look, she has this link with a bunch of kids. If you kill her, the kids die!”
Scarlet’s frame became shaky. “What… am I supposed to do?”
“Let’s take this nice and easy…”
Akio appeared from a wall, the doors on all sides flying open to reveal hostages; none of them were Erika, but it made Fiona breathe a sigh of relief.
[Warpath] Activated
“Maria, Scarlet.” Fiona floated higher in the air, drawing their attention. Everyone except for the frightened women went silent, scrapes and bruises could be seen across their skin and through their ripped clothing. “You two go free those kids. Okay? I’m going to save my friend.”
“Pfft!” Eliza snorted. “What’s a useless enchanter like you going to do? We got hostages, sweetie.”
“Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm.” Tilting her head left and right as she gave a thoughtful, musical hum, Fiona stretched her hands high above her head; her belly showed as she leaned left and right in the air. “How about some buffs?” she chimed, flashing her teeth.
“Hey, Lizzy, shut up,” Margaret hissed, the panther woman’s ears folding back. “Something’s up with this pixy—I’ve got a bad feeling.”
[Emotional Surge I] Activated
A light breeze cycled around Fiona, fluttering locks shimmering jade and gold, static sparking around her frame from [Elemental Enchantress I]; it expanded to wrap around Maria and Scarlet, causing their frames to illuminate for a moment with the elements she’d granted them. Electricity snapped from Maria’s fists, and wind lifted Scarlet off the floor.
Fiona’s hues of green and yellow colors faded as a chill escaped her tiny frame, the atmosphere plummeting with the light blue shades taking their place. A thought came with the pale aura that embraced her, heart beating at an even tempo.
[Sweet Magic Boost I] Activated
“You have hostages, so we can’t do anything, right?”
Scarlet stepped to the side as the liquid in the air around them condensed into snowflakes from the dense magical energy gathering. “W-What are you doing, Fiona?”
“Aye, they got kids,” Maria hissed, but Fiona’s thoughts and heart were elsewhere.
[Fae Queen’s Ire I] Activated
[Ephemeral Grace I] Changed to Active
One particular piece of wisdom came from the arctic gale that brought out a part of her that she’d never had to use in her happy and positive life.
“What’s she doing,” one of the men holding a knife to a bound woman’s abdomen mumbled. “Stop it! Stop it!”
Luis leaned closer to Eliza, whispering, “I feel something’s different about the—”
Fiona focused on the nervous man threatening to kill the hostage if she didn’t stop. “You can’t negotiate with terrorists; one hostage turns into two, and it only increases until the root of the problem is dealt with.”
Hand rising into the air, the magic leaking out of her body collected above her fingers, enhanced by her many active Feats, high sugar pool, and frigid emotional state; within two seconds, jagged crystals formed into an ice javelin two and a half meters long.
Without hesitation, she smiled at the stunned man. “I appreciate you making this easier on me.”
A blast of biting wind sent the projectile into the man’s eye, out the back of his head, and ripping through paper wall after paper wall beyond it; the hole where the spear had punctured began to ice over, freezing what was left of the man’s brain.
Relica’s brow furrowed. “How… did Rachel manage to put into motion this misfortune? Her powers grow by the minute.”
“Aaaaah!” The woman he’d held screamed, shoving the dead gangster’s body away as she tripped and scrambled away.
Fiona didn’t feel a thing as her wintry blue eyes surveyed the crowd for her next target, another javelin forming in her hand, yet the doors slammed shut as Akio sighed, flipping the rooms around. A slight smirk lifted Fiona’s cheeks, though, as they stopped.
Crying and curses were heard in the distance, but that didn’t bother Fiona. She’d already heard where they were keeping her best friend, and this instinctual clarity from the cold side of [Plight of the Whimsical Queen] filled her with delightful thoughts.
“Aye, what the hell was that?!” Maria snarled, but Fiona pointed at the hole in the ceiling. “They could… Oh.”
Scarlet’s eyes widened, hand flying to her ear. “Astra? Astra—what? No, I have Maria and Fiona, but… but we need to rescue the kids. Huh?!”
Fiona floated down to pat the floundering girl on the cheek to grab her attention. “Hey. It’s okay. Mhm. You and Maria go after Relica with her purifying power; I will rescue the hostages and draw their attention.”
Maria caught on quickly. “Aye, you’re loco, chica, but don’t go dying on me. Okay? Damn. Let’s go, fangs!”
“H-Huh?! She just—in his head!”
“Shit!” Akio floated after her, trying to change more rooms around to confuse her, but she saw a glaring weakness in the ‘endless’ rooms. “Luis, Eliza, get her ass!”
Waving at the vampire, she flapped her wings, shooting toward the hole; straightening, her energy-like wings vanished, allowing her to go straight through. Reforming, she flipped in the air, gravity changing in the new space.
A bright light sparkled to Fiona’s left; she spread her wings, resistance flipping her out of the way as a beam of energy grazed by her leg. Spear forming, she shot it at the cursing elf woman; the doorway snapped shut, carrying her away, and Maria called out.
“Hijo de puta! Aye, watch it!”
Fiona huffed at the smirking ghost; he’d likely swapped rooms to make her hit Scarlet and Maria. Yet, she met his grin while stabilizing herself, a spur of manic energy blooming within her as the blue aura flipped crimson, and she summoned the power of mayhem.
“What are you going—shit, don’t!”
If a ghost’s face could go ashen, Fiona was sure Akio’s certainly would have as her fingernails sparkled a ruby hue; a fireball the size of a beach ball blazed into being.
[Elemental Magic I] Advanced to E-tier
“Love the paper wall aesthetic, but you really didn’t think this through.”
“No!!!”
Fiona launched it at the corner of the room as Margaret jumped out of the floor doorway, claws extending and glowing with brilliant light. She used all six surfaces to reposition and try to cut her to ribbons; Akio seemed to try and help her by flipping the room. Maybe he was bringing someone to put out the fire she’d started, but she didn’t care since she could just make more.
Margaret was fast and agile, yet Fiona felt like she’d been born with her wings; she had full maneuverability in the air, unlike the panther. Timing the launches, her inferno shot for the woman’s face, making her ears fold back.
Luis jumped out of the shadows in the corner to tackle her out of the way. Fiona laugh while sending another ball of flames after them; the door didn’t close fast enough, erupting on the other side.
“What have you done?!” Akio cried, and she giggled upon seeing him holding what appeared to be a burned place on his arm. “You’ll kill everyone; you’re insane!”
Her hair was ablaze with red hues as Fiona entered the inferno. Her clothes lit like a tinderbox, eating away the plastic-like fabric. All Fiona felt was the liberating scintillation of freedom. She wasn’t just falling into this chaos but dancing in the flames.
Explosions followed her path, and the paper hallways flickered, melting away as Akio likely fled; it seemed his essence was tied to whatever he haunted, and he didn’t appreciate being slowly flayed.
Fire alarms accompanied the cries and cursing from the gangsters and hostages in the next room. Akio appeared to be gone as she turned the room he was in into a hellscape, or perhaps it was Maria’s doing. Without the specter’s support, there was no one to protect them from her wrath—it was open season.
Blowing the door off its hinges in a ball of fire, she left the sea of flames behind her as the sprinklers turned on. Smoke started to haze the area, making it difficult for her to see, but the smog didn’t affect her lungs.
The heated aura she carried was smothered by a light rush of frost and light blue colors; Choking between screams, she spotted two screaming and fleeing men, having left the hostages by the corner.
An unfamiliar, cruel laugh came from her throat with the arctic forces pulled out from the torture they’d caused her; it was Ben and another one of his friends, the one that enjoyed implementing toothpicks in Fiona’s suffering. Thin spikes pierced their calves, digging into the tile ground and causing their bodies to jerk from the sudden shift in momentum.
“Haha! Not so fond of pointy things now. Are we?” she mused, floating closer to the choking and hyperventilating men as the ice froze their bone to the marrow in place. “How much do you want to live? Will you find a way to cut off your own legs before the fire comes, or you suffocate? I don’t think the sprinklers are stopping it. Hehe.”
“P-Please…”
Fiona’s frosted eyes and frozen smile shifted to the hostages as they huddled beside each other. “Oh! Wonderful. I need you two to come with—” A bright light hit her on the side of the head; it didn’t make her move that much, but it did sting a little. “Huh?”
Looking to the left, another one hit her dead in the forehead. Her teeth flash upon seeing the holes in the wall from the light-based arrows. Fiona’s dense magic condensed above her head while waiting for the next blast, ice javelin forming from her rapidly diminishing Sugar Pool.
“Elemental attacks, hmm? I’m sure that must be very powerful against most people, Elfy. Sadly… not against me.”
“Watch out!”
Fiona’s sapphire eyes darted left at the terrified women, spotting movement out of the corner of her eye. Her free left hand lifted in that direction, spear forming. Luis’ shadowy figure emerged two meters away, only for Fiona’s spike to enter his chest and impale him on the condensing ice.
“Bitch!!”
Margaret ran out of the room she’d just left on all fours. She was fast, but Fiona’s speed in the air dramatically increased with the use of her wings. [Ephemeral Grace] seemed to be more than just etiquette; when airborne, her speed, agility, and quickness dramatically increased, helping her maneuver.
[Ephemeral Grace I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Divine Fae Sense I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Emotional Surge I - Advanced to E-tier]
[Sweet Magic Boost I - Advanced to E-tier]
She laughed at the furious cat’s attempts to reach her near the ceiling, the hair on her neck standing up and her face changing from rage to horror as Fiona dragged the panther man through the air with them. His arms struggled against the jagged ice that had likely punctured a lung.
“As I understand it,” Fiona snickered, “it’s not good to pull something out after it enters an organ. Ooh. Running now?”
Margaret spun in the air, foot coming down on the spear to break it in half; she lost control over it, and the panther melded into the floor with the woman.
Fiona sent a swiftly formed one-meter shard at them, only for Margaret to snatch it out of the air with her teeth before it could enter Luis’ eye. An arrow of light struck Fiona’s back, sending her flying forward before she could launch a follow-up attack, prompting Fiona to use the momentum to flip around and fire another spear in Eliza’s general direction.
“Dammit! She’s practically as invincible as Conner… And this smoke and water! Agh!”
She chuckled at the elf’s comment, retreating to regroup with Luis and Margaret. Her shimmering blue eyes shifted to Ben and ‘toothpick buddy’ as they wept.
“P-Please… I-I’m sorry—I just did what I was told… I can’t feel my legs.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”
Fiona hummed, wearing a strained smile as she skated through the air to the terrified women in the corner. “Sorry for the scare. I’m… not entirely myself right now. I don’t know; maybe I am? Anyway, why don’t you go grab those guns over there? Oh, look at that! A window. We better hurry; the smoke is getting thicker.”
Ignoring the mumbling gangsters, she coaxed the coughing women to follow her; she had them open it and climb through to the fire escape. Sadly, two of the hostages she’d seen had been killed as she went room by room, clearing people out on her way to the kitchen.
Eight gangsters had the joy of experiencing what it felt like to burn alive. Five Fiona left spiked to the wall or floor to suffocate on the growing fire. She missed her target twice due to poor visibility, killing two terrorists by accident; it was a shame.
Her thoughts and emotions drifted from hot to cold, depending on the situation in this hatred-fueled [Warpath] she was on. Thirty-seven hostages were saved, and she eventually caught up to Eliza, Margaret, and Luis in the kitchen; her Sugar Pool had reached 13% in less than ten minutes of ruthless carnage and fickle mania.
Ice spear breaking the glass window of the double doors, Fiona held her hands at her front while floating through to meet the three; they weren’t alone.
Eliza didn’t even have her bow ready, instead holding a frying pan; Fiona had to admit it was an intelligent choice. Lasers weren’t working, and they already knew physical attacks did a number on her.
“F-Fiona…”
“Hmm.” Fiona’s mouth drew in as she hovered in the doorway; this wasn’t good.
Blood stained Margaret’s claws as lines dripped down Erika’s throat to her front. Her black-furred fox friend was trembling with Luis holding a machine gun rather than using his powers. The weapon was aimed at even more hostages, making a happy ending impossible. She’d taken too long, which was her whimsical nature’s fault, not these evil people’s.
Erika’s ears were pulled back, fluffy tail wrapped around her leg in terror. The giant ice box was open behind them, showing fifteen women inside, half of which appeared to be Fae or Beastkin. None of them likely knew how to use their powers correctly, as Scarlet had taught her, or else they would have probably been strong enough to escape on their own.
“Don’t so much as, ack—t-twitch,” Luis snarled, choking, but any blood that would have filled his lungs was frozen by the ice shard still stuck inside his chest; he took the pain well, yet the ice affinity was making him shiver.
“Not looking so hot there, bud,” she chuckled. “It’s okay, Erika. If they hurt you, I’ll kill them; they don’t want to die. Isn’t that right? So… let’s see, you can leave or die. What’s worth more, making me suffer and die or saving Luis? Tick-tock.”
Margaret forced Erika toward the rear exit. “We’re going to leave with your friend as insurance. Heh. Do you negotiate with terrorists now that it’s your friend?”
[Grade Advancement - Fae Queen’s Ire II Unlocked]
Fiona hummed, ice in her veins as she spoke words she’d never said aloud. She could see the uncertainty in Erika’s eyes, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. Fiona had a war to win, and the fire in her chest came out with a spiteful, grinning tone.
“Dryshite. What a little wagon hoe. Well, bollocks, it seems ya got me,” she sighed, Irish accent thickening as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Sure. Lizzy…”
“Go on, ya sorry saps. The sea won’t give ya a second wave; don’t let misfortune kick ye on yer arse on the way out. Langers.”
“This bug is insane; I’m watching her! Shit, I need to get a slingshot for this bitch. Damn, shrimp. I swear…”
“No! I hear pounding outside; something’s coming. It’s been pretty intense out there, though, so it’s probably…”
All three froze as the back door opened behind them, introducing a new player to the board; Fiona wanted to dart forward, but luckily, her colder half won out.
“Huh. I hope I’m not interrupting anything? Hey, that’s not nice,” a woman encased in black plates said in a monotone voice.
Margaret flipped around as a scaled hand covered in red liquid grabbed the panther’s wrist, applying pressure; she let go, shoving Erika forward with a growl as she tried to contend with the newcomer. The fish-tailed woman easily pushed the elf and black-furred man to the side.
“Wha—”
Monstrous, turquoise eyes made the cat’s ears fall back as a tail with a wicked blade broke part of the wall in an agitated flip, sending dust and concrete pieces scattering across the tile floor.
“Are you a bad guy? You look like one. A black cat Beastkin, Astra?”
“N-No…” Margaret whimpered, unable to break the girl’s grip; Erika’s tail curled under as she skipped away, running to Fiona’s side. “L-Luis, s-she’s—fmging strong! Get off!”
“The hell?!”
“Let’s go—”
Eliza drew her hands back and smacked the back of the girl’s head as Margaret clawed her face; the woman didn’t even flinch, but the pan bent, and the cat hissed as her glowing claws didn’t so much as leave a mark. The woman turned to look at the stunned elf, her dull gaze asking if she were serious.
“I’m a leviathan, shrew.”
One backhand sent Eliza flat against the wall, brain checked out after a single gasp. Luis dropped to the ground beside her, eyes practically bugging at the elf’s broken face; he held up his hands in surrender.
“Look, we give up! Okay?”
Fiona met Erika and hugged her neck as the fox woman began to cry.
“F-Fiona, I—what is…”
“Shh! Shh! It’s okay. It’s okay… Umm. Who are you, by the way?”
With a smile, the woman held Margaret’s hand in the air, making the cat Beastkin hiss, unable to do anything to so much as budge the leviathan.
“I’m the invincible warrior of the seven seas, Selvaria the Super Babe Leviathan—the name’s a work in progress, Astra; shut up.”
Unable to fully enjoy the moment due to [Warpath], Fiona floated down and took Erika’s hand, guiding her a bit away from the woman as the others cowered in the meat locker. Erika was smart enough to listen intently instead of start babbling.
“Okay, so who… are you with, exactly?”
“Help!” a few of the women in the freezer whimpered, shivering from the chill and making Sevlaria frown.
“C-Can you let go of my wrist?” Margaret cried, mirroring the hostage’s tone from Selvaria’s pressure, yet the leviathan ignored her.
“Hmm? Oh, right. I’m with the side of justice! Uh, you’re the fairy, so that means Rachel and Scarlet wanted to find you. Where is Scarlet?”
The scene of the showy monotone woman and terrorists was so pathetic, with Luis surrendered on the ground, Margaret’s hand being used as an extension for the leviathan, and the unconscious Eliza possibly suffering brain damage, at least judging by the drool and blood leaking out of her mouth, that Fiona didn’t even see them as worth her attention any longer.
[Divine Fae Physiology I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Prismatic Lumination I - Advanced to B-tier]
[Emotional Surge I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Sweet Magic Boost I - Advanced to D-tier]
[Elemental Magic I - Advanced to D-tier]
[New Element Selectable]
[Warpath - Advanced to E-tier]
[Warpath] Deactivated.
“Super Babe Leviathan, can you guide us out of… Who’s Astra?” Fiona questioned as she talked to some other random person, only for Selvaria to hold her free hand to her ear and turn toward the door as a humming drone floated down.
“Astra, you’re not dead… Cool. No boom? Oh. How big of a boom. Cool. Not cool. Of course, I have the fairy here. I’m the heroine of the sea. Uh-huh. Okay. I’ll save the hostages. No. I don’t like the bull guy. Yeah, I got a present for my mom.”
“Selvaria?” Fiona tentatively asked, feeling her strength beginning to leave her as all the emotional energy faded. “Are we leaving?”
“Oh, right. Escort mission. I’m good at these—well, except for last time… Stupid rubber banding. Stay close. Oh, and a villain escort quest, too? This is my first! Let’s go. March—oh, you can’t,” she mumbled, staring down at the shivering panther man. “He doesn’t look too good. Let’s—”
“Aaah!”
Luis detonated in a rush of blood, bone, and guts, Selvaria taking the brunt of that shrapnel that pelted her front.
“Luis, n-no… Relica, p-please…” Margaret whimpered, Selvaria mechanically shifting her toward the door in case she was next.
“Move!” Fiona screamed, pulling Erika behind the counter just as Eliza exploded, shortly followed by the panther woman.
“This is insane!” Erika cried, head covered and bristling tail wrapped close to her body.
Selvaria forced a smile, clearly trying not to think about the gore that now blanketed her. “Heh-hehehe. I hate you, Puffy Tail… I’ve been cursed. Dammit. I hate villains. Okay, let’s get you guys out of here before you all explode. Oh, you need sugar, too, right? Let’s get you sugar.”
The plated woman snatched a half-bag of sugar from the counter and waved for them to follow her. “Come with me if you want to live. No. I’m not quoting a movie, Astra. Am not. Not! Okay, you got me… I kicked the bull’s butt, though. I don’t know what you’re on about. The freaking British.”
Fiona settled on Erika’s shoulder, feeling somewhat spent and sleepy; a wave of sickness came over her from everything she’d done. Smoke was sweeping through the club, but Selvaria guided them out.
At least Erika’s safe… We’re safe.
[Level Up - Level 6]
The world hazed and went black.
* * *
Selvaria weaved through the water, chomping on fish in her passing. Her chest still hurt from the free fall into shallow water, but it wasn’t that bad. Her waterproof bag was a bit tricky to find afterward, though. So, she was a bit behind schedule.
[Kaiju Leviathan Physiology I - Advanced to A-tier]
Poking her head out of the water every so often, she found the place Astra had shown her; she was on bank robber duty. She swapped into her human form near the shore, throwing the soggy backpack over her shoulder.
Huh. Has everyone already started?
Not seeing anyone on the beach, she scanned the ocean and spotted all the navy and coast guard ships in the water; their sonars tickled a bit when she was in the sea. Yawning, Selvaria unzipped the bag and found the earpiece with a huff.
I can’t believe they thought I’d lose it. Wait, maybe I would if I changed forms.
“Hmm.”
Putting the device in her ear, her eyes dulled as Astra’s British voice came over the coms. “Alright, mate? Feelin’ a tad bit knackered after the dip?”
“I’m doing fine. So, I just gotta go in there and take out the bull guy, right?”
“Blimey, I can’t believe yer not out of it with a fall like that! Yup, ya just need ta’ march in there and clobber the bloke. Once yer done, we can have a good fag and celebrate.”
Selvaria’s tail dragged along the sand as she made her way toward the back of the bank, bending the fence with her weight to get through. “I think that’s a bad word, mate.”
“Eh? Haha! Fag’s a cig here in London, hun. I got a drone en route—aww, shite, I lost contact with Little Tooth. Bollocks. Supernatural shite. Uh. She’ll be fine. Right?”
“Uh. Probably not,” Selvaria sighed. “Want me to go check on her?”
“No. Stay on mission, Mighty Dragon! Gah. It’s all gone pear-shaped. Hmm. Just focus on that gobby shite stalker. Did I mention he’s a stalker, and not in the good way!”
Selvaria’s face turned red as she struggled to pull herself up a chest-sized rise to reach the building, managing to roll herself over. “Mmgm! Ugh… Haaa. Haaa. I’m too heavy sometimes.”
“Hehe. What was that, mate?”
Face turning red, Selvaria cleared her throat and got to her feet. “Nothing. What is a good stalker?”
“Oh, love. If ya know, heh, ya know.”
“Uh-huh… I think you’re crackers.”
“There ya go, Selv! Get inta the British spirit! Uh. Rachel is mad! You should hear the mouth on this lass? She be takin’ the piss all over the curtain twitcher!”
The hum of a drone floated down as she made it to the bank’s back door, a speaker projecting Astra’s voice. She already knew Rachel had a few screws loose, but that was what made her fun; plus, she really needed more friends.
“I’m with ya, Tails!” he chimed. “Once you’re done moppin’ the floor with this wanker, we’re on ta help Cuddle Bat. Best be quick! We don’t want the gobsmacked fangs to get capped.”
“Onward to victory!” Selvaria cheered, kicking the door in; it flew down the hall and out the window, shattering the glass. After a rather unmanly shout, silence ensued for a few seconds, leaving Astra to snicker.
“You are so over the top.”
“The heroine always has to make an entrance,” Selvaria grinned, strolling in like she owned the pace as her tail weaved left and right.
“What if you hit someone?” Astra asked, following her in with the drone.
“I wouldn’t have—wait,” she stopped dead in her tracks to glare at the hovering machine. “Why did I need an earpiece if you had a drone?”
“Because you’ll lose it. Hehe. Good luck!”
As it left, she glared after the drone, and a gruff voice called out from down the hall.
“Haha! Well, I expected… more.”
Selvaria licked her lips, tail slapping the floor and shattering the tile as she faced the smug, shirtless man; he was more than two meters tall, had bull horns, a weak tail, and hooves for feet. “Hehe. Looks like I will have a barbecue tonight. Let’s fight!”
