The Raven Part 6: End of the World

Chapter 6

The tension in the room was palpable as members of Goth’s royal guard filed into the room. Jake looked around in an attempt to gauge just how many of them there were. He gave up counting after the third set of twenty rushed in. They were surrounded, and there was no telling how many more were waiting outside. He glanced over at Jason who was clutching the pistol in his left hand, “Hope you’re ready for a fight.”

“I said moving was suicide, but I guess we’ve all go to to die sometime, right?” he seethed before turning to Rebecca, “If you think that we are going to just lay down and give up, then you’re in for a rude awakening!”

“Jason, my dear sweet substitute,” she chided, “Did I not just say that I was hoping for a show? I want your little rag-tag group of heathens to show me a good time. Which one of you wants to go first? I’ll be merciful and let my maidens have the first crack at your worthless lives.”

“On your command, Goddess,” one of the women said.

“Pathetic little drones,” Havoc growled as she stood up, “It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the people of this city will fall and follow someone in power. Mindless sheep just looking for someone to lead them to slaughter!”

“Let’s see,” Rebecca said, crossing her arms and looking around, “Havoc, Kaitlyn, Footgirl, Pamela, Elizabeth, Jason, Sally, and Samantha. If ever there were a more pathetic and desperate group, I’ve never witnessed one in all my years wandering this pathetic marble. Whenever you’re ready, ladies. Make them suffer, that is my only request.”

“Yes, Goddess!” a chorus of voices exclaimed as several women prepared to charge.

Beth looked over at Pam and Sally, “Guess there’s no avoiding it,” she said, drawing her pistols, “Let’s fuck them up.”

“Now you’re talking!” Sally agreed, drawing her own pistols and stepping up to stand beside Beth before looking over at Jake, “Bird-Brain, you better have a plan to go with that newfound backbone of yours!”

“Focus on the fight, Sally,” Pam said, stepping forward and summoning various chains that wrapped around her arms, “One step at a time. We first need to survive this little onslaught and show them that we are not some weaklings to be bowled over.”

“Zoe, catch!” Beth yelled, tossing one of her handguns to her, “The kickback on that baby is rough, but I trust you can handle it!”

Zoe caught it, checked to make sure there was one in the chamber, and nodded at Beth, “I might be phoresics, but I got perfect marks at the academy too. I’m with you all, let’s do this!”

“Enough talk!” one of the guards bellowed, “Time to die, you heretics!”

Sammie rolled her eyes and drew her pistol before firing it at the woman in question. The bullet drove into her skull as she stepped forward without fear, “Nobody was talking to you, you dumb cunt,” she said with a glare, “Who’s next?”

Rebecca laughed, “You all lack nothing in confidence. Let’s see just how long that lasts!”

Havoc and Kait had heard enough, and the two of them exchanged a look before Havoc grabbed Kait and threw her into the crowd. Kait drew her sword and shield as she landed, and proceeded to bash one of the guards with her buckler before slashing at another. Their surprise attack worked well enough to catch one off guard, and Kait’s sword glided across the woman’s throat just as Havoc leapt into the air and slammed down beside her. The shockwave of Havoc’s landing was enough to shake the ground, and she quickly snatched one of the guards’ faces in her palm. She lifted the poor, screaming woman up and slung her into one of her teammates. They were surrounded by ten guards a piece, and those that remained quickly regained their nerve and began attacking.

Kait was a master combatant with both hand to hand and sword and shield, so deflecting the spears of the guards women was child’s play for her. She proceeded to cut a bloody swath through their ranks without mercy. She parried with her shield to create an opening, and with a simple flourish of her sword capitalized on the break in their defenses. She ducked under a spear that was aimed at her shoulder, swung her sword in an upward arc, and rolled over the wounded woman and into another with her boot slamming into the side of her head. She grinned as she watched their faces shift from confidence to worry. It had been too long since she’d been able to literally cut loose, and if these simpletons wanted to fight, she was happy to oblige.

Havoc’s approach was much more barbaric than her counterpart. She let one of the guards drive her spear into her shoulder, but she didn’t even flinch as it cut through her suit. She proceeded to grab the spear and lift the woman into the air. She ripped it from her shoulder without a second thought, and spun it around to slam her attacker into the ground with backbreaking force. She marched towards her next victim, stomping her boot down on the broken guard’s skull and shattered it. She batted away several spears that were aimed at her, and launched herself forward with blinding speed and a flying knee that broke their formation. She continued stalking forward and cracked her knuckles as she readied herself for some much needed exercise.

Zoe and Sam moved close together, and the two of them provided suppressing fire and cover for the more melee focused fighters. Jason held his position towards the front, and worked with a combination of fist fighting and his guns. He had resolved to keep as many of the guards away from their firesupport as possible during this battle. That meant having to deal with many of Goth’s maidens as they approached. He stepped back and pistol whipped one before throwing his knee up and into her gut. He blew her head off with a quick shot before returning fire on another group that was approaching him. He ducked and spun on the ground to avoid a high swing from one of their spears, and he opened fire in an arc that cut into several knees. His pistol was empty, but rather than reload, he holstered it and grabbed his rifle off of his back.

One of the guards tried to bring her spear down across his face, but he raised his rifle to block it and counter. He held it in the air before rushing forward and jerking his body, and the butt of his rifle, to the side and slamming it into the side of her head. He quickly shouldered it and switched it to automatic before opening fire. He didn’t care about actually taking out anyone right now, as long as he bought everyone some time to move and hopefully stay alive. There were several screams that echoed out as his bullets found a home in several guards.

“This is getting tedious,” Rebecca sighed, “Open fire on them, girls, now!”

“Goddamnit!” Jason yelled, realizing that the tide of battle was about to shift, “They’ve got artillery! Pam, shield! Alexis, find them and take them out!”

Kait heard Jason’s warning and quickly dropped with her shield facing up. A hail of bullets came crashing down just as Pam raised a barrier around everyone. Kait felt several of the bullets ricochet off of her shield, and after a moment they stopped. “They’re reloading!” she yelled, “Move up and do some damage!”

“Beth, they need you on the frontlines,” Pam ordered, “Remember what we worked on, and for the love of all that is sacred, don’t do anything stupid.”

“On it,” Beth said, “Be careful, and focus on keeping everyone else alive. I can take care of myself, Pam. I did it for years before I met you.”

“Beth,” Pam said, hesitating as she heard the familiar sound of slides being locked, “I love you, be careful out there.”

“Love you too,” Beth smiled as she focused on her right arm, “Just keep our side alive. We don’t stand a chance if anything happens to you.”

“Sweet as this is, we got work to do, Kitty-Cat,” Alexis cut in, “Let’s kill some bitches!”

“Not sure how I feel about your enthusiasm, but yeah, let’s get to work,” Beth sighed as she and Alexis charged off in opposite flanks.

Jake had been fighting a battle with his own nerves since Rebecca arrived. He could feel a difference in her, something that was somehow worse than when he had last seen her. His hatred was all that was driving him as he fought off the guards that threatened to close in on his and Jason’s position. His body was still sore, but his adrenaline and the promise he had made kept him going. The women he fought were nothing compared to the ones he now fought alongside of, and keeping them at bay was easier than he expected. When Jason had yelled out that they were about to start shooting, he had dove for the ground. He had unclipped a flashbang grenade from his belt and lobbed it into the nearest crowd. The thundering boom had bought him just enough time to disappear and try to get the drop on Rebecca.

He grit his teeth as he tried to decide if it was wise to try a full frontal assault on her, but in the end he decided that stealth was his best bet. He didn’t know what was different about her, but whatever it was, she was clearly stronger than ever. If he was going to have any hope of beating her in battle, he was going to have to do it by surprise. He pulled out his grappling gun and fired it up at one of the beams above. He would have to provide cover with his birdarangs from an aerial point of view. He just hoped that it would be enough to keep his team alive.

Beth and Alexis scaled a stack of crates on opposite ends of the building to try to get closer to the railings where Goth’s firing squad was positioned. Thanks to their increased agility, the two of them were able to clear the vault with relative ease. They moved on opposite ends, but they mirrored each other without meaning to. Both women moved along the walkway in a hurried crouch towards their targets. There were at least twelve women with guns up here on each side, and there was no telling how many more were waiting in the wings. Their similarities drew to a close as they approached with each woman opting for a different approach.

Beth made the first move. She focused on the energy in her right arm like Pam had instructed her, and the Northwind Blade materialized in her palm with a blue glow radiating off of it like a fog. With her sword in one hand and her pistol in the other, she charged forward and opened fire. The first set of shots took down two guards and sent them falling over the railing, but the rest turned to face her. She was hoping that her instinct was correct as she continued charging forward. They opened fire on her, and she let her right arm move of its own accord. Against all odds, she began deflecting the bullets that got close to her as they flew through the air. She ducked, dove, and dodged her way closer to the next guard before slashing at her throat and ending her life. She used her body as cover as she returned fire before taking off towards her next target.

Alexis broke into a sprint as soon as Beth opened fire, and she quickly wrapped an arm around the guard closest to her. She kicked the back of her knee and brought her to the ground. With a simple twist of her wrist, she snapped the girl’s neck, but she picked up her body and raced forward. She tossed it at the next guard as she drew closer, and launched into a flying kick that knocked her over the railing. Her screams alerted the others that there was more than one problem, and the remaining ten guards turned to face her. She zigged and zagged her way along the walkway while laughing maniacally as she did so. The sound of the bullets soaring past her had her adrenaline pumping, and she felt the rush of endorphins as she got close and disarmed one of the guards. She grabbed the gun, elbowed the girl in the face, and kicked her over the edge before spraying fire at the others on the walkway.

“I want everything you’ve got!” she cackled as she ran forward while firing blindly.

Beth was taking cover behind a crate and heard Alexis shout with glee. She rolled her eyes and mumbled, “Idiot.”

The attention was now fully diverted between trying to stop the psychopath with an automatic, and trying to keep from falling at the hands of The Feral. Pam stood below and concentrated on protecting the rest of the team. She could feel a surge of panic beginning to overwhelm Rebecca’s forces. They hadn’t been anticipating the level of insanity and power that their group brought to the table. The gunfire was beginning to die down, and she took it upon herself to try to move up and unleash her own assault in an attempt to fully turn the tide in their favor. The chains that had coiled around her arms fell as she began taking steps forward.

“Pammy, what the hell are you doin’?” Sally asked as she continued firing into the crowd.

“Driving home just how far outclassed these women are,” Pam replied, “Time your shots carefully, and make sure that none of our forces get hurt. It’s time to end this.”

Sally nodded and ejected the clip in her pistol before slapping a fresh one in. She yelled at Zoe and Sammie what Pam had said, and the three of them began slowing their fire rate and aiming more more carefully. Pam thrust her arm downward and sent a chain burrowing into the ground. She guided it underground for a moment before pulling it upward and through the jaw of one of Goth’s maidens. She used the poor girl’s body as an extension of her ethereal weapon and began whipping her around. She stopped a small group from surprising Havoc and Kait as she approached, but her eyes were focused solely on Rebecca. She needed to act quickly if they were going to bring her down. She was most vulnerable while overconfident, and the window of opportunity was quickly closing.

Pam could sense Jake up above plotting a similar strategy. If she could draw her attention, then maybe Jake could sneak up and deliver the fatal blow. If they could end this without having to enact the rest of his crazy plan, then they would be incredibly fortunate. Rebecca locked eyes with her and grinned. She held up a hand and motioned for her to step forward. Pam saw red for a second before stuffing it down and attempting to maintain her composure. Anger was something that would only make her careless, and Rebecca knew this better than anyone. Her power flared around her as she summoned her transformed state. She entered the Archon form, and the other facets of herself began pouring out to provide backup for her attack.

“Honestly, Pamela, this trick again?” Rebecca mocked, “I think you’ll find that I’ve grown well beyond the woman you once knew. It failed in Hell, and it will fail thrice as hard here. By all means, though, prove your foolishness by unleashing this meaningless attack.”

Her rage transformed into a bolt of crimson energy, and roared as it flew towards her, “Shut up, you arrogant whore!”

Rebecca held up a hand to stop the crimson copy from getting to her, but the force that it carried pushed her back a couple of inches. It wasn’t enough, though, and with a simple increase in her power she forced the raging beam back. A large green spear flew towards her in the blink of an eye, but amazingly, it seemed to pass right through her. Pam’s eyes widened as she realized that somehow Rebecca had more than tripled her speed from before. Her eyes started to glow as she telepathically commanded her emotions to form a calculated strike against her. Her sorrow and sadness pooled along the ground and slowly inched their way towards Rebecca’s ankles. Rage shattered into countless burning skeletons that cackled as they charged towards her, and Courage grew into a titan that prepared to crush her. Wisdom created a barrier around them all to prevent any of their magic from spilling out onto the battlefield, and Lust created a proverbial torrent of spinning blades that swirled around her.

Pam rushed forward with two chromatic orbs in each hand, but Rebecca hadn’t even flinched. With a snap of her fingers, Pam was suddenly frozen in place for a moment. She paid the raging skeletons little mind as she raised her hand up to block the oncoming fist from Courage. The rest of the warehouse froze at the display of magical power before them, and to everyone’s shock, Rebecca managed to catch the titanic fist with one hand. “Is this your best?” she asked with a dark chuckle, “You’re even more pathetic than I remember.”

Sorrow began snaking her way up her legs, but Rebecca simply let her own power flare outward and turned the watery sadness into steam. She continued to hold Courage’s fist at bay, even as the titan readied another blow to come, and formed several runic symbols in the air. The ground beneath them burned with the symbols, and several skeletal warriors climbed out from the depths of the earth. Their weapons in hand, they charged at the small skeletons and began battling it out with them. When Courage brought her second fist down, Rebecca was gone and her fist created a crater in the ground. The whirlwind of lustful blades continued swirling around her, but Rebecca hadn’t received a single cut from any of them yet. Was she really this fast?

Rebecca appeared on Courage’s shoulder and slowly walked over to the green titan’s head. “You know the thing about increasing your size, dear?” she whispered as the tip of her finger began glowing a sickening greenish black, “It makes you twice as slow, and unbelievably unobservant. Remember this the next time you decide to try such an attack on someone beyond your own lowly capabilities!”

Rebecca thrust her finger into Courage’s neck, and her entire body froze before it started to change color. Her body cracked and fractured as it turned black and a deafening scream could be heard throughout the warehouse as the projection of Pam’s emotion was shattered. Pam felt the blow, and instantly regretted sending her emotions out. They all suffered as a result of Rebecca’s attack, and she knew there was only one source of power that could do that: necrotic energy. Lust’s blades began to falter, and Rage’s skeletons froze just long enough for Rebecca’s to deliver the finishing blows to them. Every time one of her emotions was destroyed, Pam could feel the pain as they returned to her. However, she refused to give up and give into the pain and failure.

Pam broke free from whatever spell Rebecca had cast on her to keep her in place, and she hurled the two orbs in her hand at her former mentor as she landed. Rebecca’s malicious grin never wavered as she practically blinked out of existence for a second and dodged. She snatched one of Lust’s knives as she disappeared and reappeared again and again. Pam tried to keep a lock on Rebecca’s position, but every time she disappeared she couldn’t sense her. Whatever form of magic she was using, it was something new that she hadn’t ever seen her use before. She tried to catch her in her chains, to hit her with blasts of raw energy, but time and again she managed to evade all of her attack with an ease that infuriated her. It wasn’t until she appeared right in front of her that she realized her mistake. She felt the cold steel of Lust’s blade as it was driven into her stomach.

Rebecca leaned in and whispered, “Foolishness, Pamela, foolishness. I gave you and your little whore the chance to join me, but you still choose to resist me. Oh, the things I am going to do to her. You’ll watch as I break her spirit in half, and then I’ll shatter everything that makes her that annoying little pest you love,” she paused and placed a glowing hand on Pam’s face, “This is just a taste of what I’m going to do to her, and I want you to know that it is all because of you.”

Pam screamed as she fell to her knees. Horrible visions of herself bound as Rebecca cut, beat, and abused Beth without mercy and with that same terrifying smirk flooded her mind’s eye. She could hear Beth screaming for mercy, pleading for her to save her, but she was powerless to do anything to help her. The visions shifted from Rebecca whipping her, raping her, forcing her to worship her body, and allowing others to play with her at a disorienting rate. All the while, she could do nothing but sit there and watch. Anger and outrage formed a pit in her stomach as she continued to watch the horrific show that Rebecca had given her.

Beth heard Pam scream, and she readied herself to jump down to help her. Whatever Goth was doing, she had to try to stop her. She leapt over the railing with her sword in hand, and she landed behind Rebecca. She sliced at her back, and her blade drew a sickening and distorted blood from her back. Rebecca growled as she wheeled on Beth and glared, “You are one stubborn little bitch, Elizabeth. I see your mistress managed to teach you one final trick. Too bad it will be the last time she teaches you anything. I am going to enjoy breaking you.”

“Get bent, you overgrown tyrant!” Beth screamed as she raced forward and went on the offensive.

Rebecca was surprised to see the blade that she had previously ran the girl through once again in her hand, but it was a magical weapon. She just hadn’t expected Elizabeth to be able to conjure it like she had. It was truly a pity that they had chosen to stand against her. The girl was a nuisance, but it was becoming painfully clear that she had the potential to be molded into something more than what she was. She dodged Beth’s attacks with ease, but she silently lamented that she had come a long way in only a few days. More than once, she came close to suffering a painful cut, but she had come too far to fall to the likes of this wretched harpie. She sidestepped and swatted the blade away before moving in and blasting Beth with a powerful surge of arcane energy to her midsection. Beth backflipped in the air and landed on her feet. The determination was almost admirable, but it was undoubtedly foolish.

Jake dropped down onto Rebecca’s back as she prepared to attack Beth. He could see by her stance that she was getting ready to end their fight, and he couldn’t afford to waste another second. “What the?!” Rebecca demanded, “Jake?! What are you doing?!”

He pulled out his birdarang and drove it down into her shoulder. It was his last blessed one that he had left, and it earned a shocking reaction from Rebecca. She howled in pain and quickly threw him off of her. He rolled as he landed and took a fighting stance. She was hunched over and panting as pain surged through her body. “Stopping you, whatever the cost,” he replied, “It’s over, Rebecca. Stand down, tell your people to give up, and nobody else has to get hurt.”

“Over?” she repeated as she ripped the birdarang from her shoulder, “You think one lucky shot means you’ve won?! I gave you everything, and this is how you repay me?! I am going to make an example of you, Jake. You will earn your place as my Raven again, but only after I’ve ensured that you never forget your place! You want me to order my troops to stand down? Fine! I’ve had enough of this game! Nobody is going to make another move! They are mine, all of them!”

“Would you shut up?!” Beth growled as she charged forward, but she was stopped as a massive ball of purple energy began forming in front of Rebecca and pulling everyone in.

“This is a new ability I’ve been working on,” Rebecca laughed, “I call it a singularity orb. I've been just dying to test it out, so why don't we see how well your little resistance can handle it?!"

"Goddamnit, focus fire!" Jason ordered as he reloaded his rifle and took aim.

Sally, Sam, and Zoey took aim and opened fire on Rebecca. The orb began pulling everyone towards her, and all she had to do was hold up a hand to halt the bullets before they hit her. They quickly began fighting to keep from being drawn into her attack. Havoc and Kait were also fighting a losing battle to keep their footing. Beth took a grenade and hurled at Rebecca in an attempt to break her concentration, but she laughed as she caught it in an unseen grip and threw it at Jason. It exploded and sent him and the others flying to the ground. The orb continued to grow and pulsate, and it wasn't long before the upper levels of the warehouse began groaning in the face of its monstrous pull. The walkways along the top snapped, and Alexis was sent tumbling to the ground alongside the rest of her teammates.

The orb exploded without warning, and everyone, Goth's followers included, was caught in the backlash of the explosion. Rubble and debris were sent flying around the warehouse, and Pam was all but buried beneath it. Havoc and Kait took several parts of the heavy walkway to their back, and the two of them were pinned beneath the rubble. Jake and Beth were on their backs as Rebecca walked forward. She smirked as she stood over Jake and lifted her foot to stomp on his chest. He coughed and cried out from the sudden stomp, but she didn't give him a second before stomping down once again. She was merciless as she repeatedly slammed her boot down on his torso. She finally reached down and grabbed his throat before lifting him off the ground.

"Do you see now, Jake?" she asked, "All of this could have been avoided if you had just given me your submission. The deaths of all these people are on your hands."

She was squeezing the life out of him, but he managed to croak out a reply, "You killed your own people. You're more of a monster than I thought."

"They died helping to usher in a new era!" she screamed, "Their deaths will be mourned, but they died in service to their Goddess."

He felt blood pooling in his mouth, and he spit it at her face. She winced as it hit her cheek, and she quickly threw a hard punch to his gut. "It would seem you still have much to learn, beloved," she said as she hit him a few more times and tossed him to the side, "Perhaps it will be better if I use your little friend to prove my point. Pity, I was going to break her in front of Pamela, but it seems that not everything goes according to plan."

"No, don't!" he pleaded, "Your problem is with me, not them! Let them go, Rebecca!"

"I am the Goth Goddess!" she roared, "Rebecca is more. You made sure of that, Jake. Now, let's begin by breaking those little limbs of hers, shall we."

Alexis pulled herself from the rubble, and she winced as she felt one of her ribs ache in response. She looked on in horror as Goth slowly walked towards Beth. They were done for, and there was nothing she could do about it. She stood up, and she noted that one of her ribs, if not several, were definitely bruised. Her head snapped to the side where Pam was buried as she felt something in the air. Could it be? She watched as several small rocks tumbled down the pile, and she grinned as she realized that they still had a chance. She just needed to buy some time. Why did she have to be the only one able to move? This was going to hurt, but she couldn't let everyone die when there was still a chance!

She got a running start as before yelling, “Hey, you undead cunt! This isn’t over yet, let’s do this!”

Rebecca growled as she turned around to see the familiar face of Alexis racing towards her. The girl was clearly in bad shape, but it seemed that she wanted to die by her hand. “You really are an insane little thing, aren’t you?” she laughed, “If you really want to die so quickly, then who am I to stop you?”

“Fuck you!” Alexis screamed as she leapt towards her with her leg extended.

Rebecca grabbed her ankle, and quickly slung her over her shoulder before slamming her into the ground. Alexis groaned as she felt one of her ribs crack. Her day was getting better and better, but she wasn’t ready to give in. Just a little longer, and then maybe they could turn this thing around. “Alexis, stop!” Jake begged.

“How many times do I have to tell you people?” Alexis wheezed as she got to her feet, “Footgirl does what Footgirl wants. I don’t answer to anyone, and I’m not in the business of taking requests! Let’s go, Goth, I’m sick of your arrogance and bullshit!”

Rebecca put her hands on her hips and laughed, “I admire that spirit, Alexis. If you had only chosen to side with me, you would have gone far. Alas, you simply cannot teach those who refuse to learn.”

“Go to Hell!” Alexis yelled as she stumbled forward and tried to strike Rebecca only to have her sidestep and knee her in the gut.

Rebecca followed her attack with an elbow to the back of Alexis’ neck that sent her careening to the ground. She tried to stomp the life out of her, but Alexis managed to roll out of the way. She pushed herself up onto all fours to try to get up, but Rebecca simply kicked her across the floor. She walked forward, hands still on her hips, and grinned, “Why are you so eager to die, little one?” she asked.

“For one thing,” Alexis panted as she got to her feet, legs shaking from the pain and exhaustion, “It means I don’t have to hear your shitty voice and that stupid fucking accent. People say I’m a monster, a villain, but people like you prove that there’s good in everyone. It’s no wonder why Jake hates you so much.”

Rebecca growled and glared as she charged forward and threw several punches into Alexis’s stomach and chest before uppercutting her. She caught her by the throat as she soared through the air and proceeded to apply pressure. She pulled her close to her face and said in a menacing tone, “You would do well to watch your words, girl. I can make your death as slow and painful as I please, and if you say one more word about my Jake, then I will make sure that your death is as painful as possible!”

She was stronger than Alexis remembered. Her grip was like iron, and she couldn’t remember the last time she felt something like this. Even Havoc was weak compared to this sociopath! She fought through the pain and swung her legs back before driving her feet into Rebecca’s chest. It loosened her grip just enough that she could throw her head forward and slam her forehead into the pretender’s nose. She howled in pain as Alexis replied, “He’s not yours. He actually fights for the people he cares about, but you just send the people who care about you to their death. You’re a monster, and you’ll die alone without anyone to love or mourn you!”

Rebecca tightened her grip and slammed Alexis down into the cement. She groaned as she was lifted back up and Rebecca readied a definitive blast in her other hand, “This time, I will make sure there is nothing left of you to see an afterlife. There will be no coming back for you, and I will erase your name from this world and the next! You will suffer in the void between world for all eternity, and I will only pull you out to make you watch as I have my way with everyone you have ever cared about!”

Alexis felt the air shift again, and she began laughing. It was hoarse and difficult, but she couldn’t stop herself, “You really are stupid.”

“What was that?!” Rebecca demanded pulling her closer, “What’s so funny, you simpleton?!”

The pressure around her throat continued to grow, and it became incredibly difficult to form her reply, “You’re so…focused on you and your ego that…you can’t see what’s happening right in front of you. You really are…the queen of overconfidence and arrogance…I hope she pulls your fucking soul to pieces like she did Abigail.”

“What?!” Rebecca said, but she paused as she finally felt it and looked over at the rubble where Pam had been buried, “No, it can’t be.”

“That’s right,” Alexis said, “This is going to hurt, and I am going to enjoy every second of it.”

Rebecca growled and tossed Alexis to the side. She landed with a thud and a roll beside Jason and the others. She stared at the rubble as suddenly the entire foundation began to shake. There was no way, it was impossible! The air began to take on a static charge, and small bolts of lightning began crackling around the rubble. Jason looked over at Alexis and asked, “What the hell is going on?”

Alexis was exhausted, but she managed to point to where Pam had been, “Watch and see,” she said, “If I’m right, this might be over sooner than we thought.”

The sound of Pam’s scream echoed throughout the warehouse as it continued to shake, and several of the windows shattered in response to the sudden influx of power. There was a blinding flash of light as the rubble and debris were blasted away, and in their place stood a much different Pam. Her body was surrounded in a silvery glow, and her hair seemed to be standing up as though suspended by some unseen source of power. Her eyes glowed a solid shade of purple, and her clothes were tattered beyond repair. Her cloak, the only thing that was left untouched, billowed out behind her as she continued to scream in rage. Rebecca felt a touch of fear for the first time in a long time, and she fired several balls of energy at her old apprentice. Her fear was amplified as she watched the energy wrap around her and somehow get absorbed by her very being.

“Is that…Pam?” Sammie asked.

“Someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on?” Kait asked, finally pulling herself free from the rubble.

“Ascension,” Alexis breathed.

Kait tried to walk over to everyone, but the rubble had crushed her ankle and she quickly fell back to the ground. “Don’t give me that crazy bullshit,” she said, “If you know what’s going on, then tell us.”

“I’m not bullshitting you,” Alexis said, “I spent a long time in the libraries of Hell. I’m not magically inclined in the least, but there’s a level that certain mages can obtain if pushed far enough. I’m guessing that’s what we’re seeing here, and if I’m right this is going to be one hell of a show.”

“You are nothing compared to me!” Rebecca screamed at Pam as she fired a massive orb of necrotic energy at her, “Know your place and die, you lowly little worm!”

Pam had stopped screaming, and she looked up at the ball of energy hurtling towards her. She canted her head to the side, and held up a hand to stop it. To everyone’s amazement, including Rebecca’s, the orb froze against her palm. Rebecca cried out as she poured more power into it, and grinned as it proceeded to push through Pam’s defenses and engulf her body. This would surely be the end of her. She had channeled her demonic power into a singular necrotic blast that was sure to erode the very flesh from Pam’s body. She might not have been able to make Pam watch as she broke Beth, but at least she could force Beth to watch the death of her beloved mistress. Her grin dropped and her eyes widened as she watched the orb begin to shrink in size around Pam. It was impossible! No one should have been able to withstand such an attack, no one!

She looked on in awe and terror as Pam brought her arms to her side and took a deep breath. She was drawing the power of the orb into herself! It continued to shrink around her, and after another minute it exploded in a controlled blast that was pulled into her body. Pam looked down at her hands for a moment before looking up at Rebecca and saying, “It’s over, Rebecca. This is where you fall.”