SSV: Project S.T.A.T.I.C.- Part 2

Prologue

Metropolis, a city of heroes and villains. A bustling hub filled with intrigue, chaos, pain, hope, and mystery. The concrete jungle was always changing, but had evolved over the last year into a new animal. Yes, the city was indeed alive. It was a living, breathing organism that housed both the most dangerous and awe-inspiring people in the country. From demons, psychopaths, and sadists, Metropolis was home to some of the most unexplainable phenomena imaginable. However, it was also home to many good people, but more importantly, it was home to three heroes. The Raven, The Feral, and another that people had dubbed The Specter all called the city their home.

Today was an average day for the people, albeit a quiet one. The citizens didn't mind the quiet, though. After the events of last month, peace was a welcome change. The madness unleashed by the former Blackridge Inc. employee, Courtney Tellar, was still fresh in everyone's mind. Her threats to bomb and devour the city were like open wounds, but the city had been eerily silent as October came to a close. The calm was a welcome change, but it carried a sense of unease on the chilling November winds. The criminal element that plagued the city had been still, though. For now, the people enjoyed the peace while it lasted.

In the upper floors of one of downtown Metropolis' apartments, two of the city's heroines sat at their dining room table. Pam Lavely sipped at her tea while perusing the paper. "Honestly, where do they come up with these names?" she asked as she read a headline above a blurry picture of her hidden behind her cloak, "The Specter, really? Am I some sort of ghost?"

"I thought you'd like it, considering how many of those stupid paranormal shows you watch," Beth remarked as she chewed on a strip of bacon, "Why do you even read that, anyways? You know we have a subscription on the tablet, right?"

"Don't talk with your mouthful," Pam chided her pet, "It's unbecoming of someone of your caliber, and your mistress doesn't appreciate it either. As for your question, I read it because I enjoy the feeling of a paper in my hands. You didn't answer my question, though. Where do they come up with these names? Jake's I can understand, although I've never understood his penchant for birds."

Beth resisted the urge to roll her eyes and swallowed her food before answering, "I don't know, they just sort of pick them. I got mine because of some gangsters that Rebecca was working with. There's worse names out there that they could have picked, though."

"Thank you for swallowing before speaking," Pam said, genuinely glad that Beth still minded her, "Exactly what could be worse than The Specter?"

"The Mistress, The Bimbo, The Magician," Beth replied, listing the names as she counted, "Just to name a few off the top of my head. Also, you're welcome, and sorry for forgetting my manners."

Pam's eye twitched at the various ridiculous names that Beth had spouted off. She sighed and shook off the idiocy that her girlfriend rattled out, "I suppose that is a fair assessment, although annoyingly accurate as far as potential nicknames go. Don't apologize, Kitten, just try not to let it happen again. You're still my pet, and you're a reflection of your mistress."

"You're in a bit of a mood this morning," Beth remarked, quickly adding when Pam shot her a look, "I just mean that you're acting awfully dominant, nothing bad! I don't mind it, it's just that I haven't heard this side of you outside of the bedroom in a while. Is everything okay? The last time you did this was before we went after Abigail and that stupid book."

Pam smiled as she stirred her tea and set the paper down, "I'm fine, Kitten, I swear. Sometimes I just like to remind you of things to see if your conditioning is still working."

"What conditioning?" Beth asked.

"The many lessons I gave you when we first got together, dear," Pam replied, "Have you forgotten all the times we spent developing your control, endurance, and understanding of your role? Perhaps you need a little refresher."

Beth's cheeks flushed and she choked on her orange juice. "N-no, I think I'm good," she stuttered out as her cheeks burned and Pam's grin grew wider.

Pam took a sip of her tea, laced her fingers together, and rested her chin atop her hands. She'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to see her pet squirm. "No?" Pam repeated, delighting in Beth's subtle shifts, "Hmm, I think it could be a fun way to spend the afternoon. We haven't received any calls requesting our aid, and the city has been peaceful without our help for once. I think that revisiting our roots would do us both some good, don't you?"

Beth fidgeted in her chair as Pam spoke. Why was this affecting her so much? Maybe it was the tone in Pam's voice. "Uhm, h-have you heard from Jake?" Beth asked, trying to change the subject, "I-I think that maybe we should, you know, check in on him."

"Nonsense," Pam said, standing and sauntering around the table to put her hands on Beth's shoulders, "Jake is a big boy, and he's more than capable of taking care of himself for a day. I think that you and I should have a little fun."

"M-mistress," Beth stuttered, slipping into an old habit as Pam bent down and tickled her neck with her warm breath.

"Mm, I love hearing you say my title, Kitten," Pam purred, eliciting a shiver from Beth, "Almost as much as I love seeing you squirm. You're too cute for words, my lovely little pet. Did you know I went shopping the other night?"

"N-no, ma'am," Beth stuttered, biting her lip as Pam nibbled on her neck.

"Mmhm," Pam purred, "I picked up a few things that I think you'll really enjoy. Now, are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

Beth swallowed as everything started to feel hazy, "Dammit, how do you still have this effect on me?"

"Years of practice, Kitten," Pam chuckled, "Now, are you going to be a good girl, or do you want to find out what sort of toys I bought for a naughty girl?"

Beth's phone buzzed, and she all but jumped up to answer it. She didn't even bother checking to see who it was before sliding her thumb across the screen and exclaiming, "Hello!"

Pam frowned and crossed her arms. "Five minutes, Kitten," she said sternly, "One second over, and I will be very displeased. Every second you make me wait, I'll be adding another minute to your punishment. Hurry up, and meet me in the bedroom when you're done. The clock is ticking, my lovely little pet."

"Beth?" Jake's voice asked on the other end of the line, "Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah," Beth stammered out, glancing back at Pam who held up five fingers to solidify her point before walking off, "What's up? Do you need something?"

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jake asked, "You sound flustered."

"Yeah, yeah, totally!" Beth lied, trying to get her heart rate under control, "Just, uhm, getting some morning exercise in."

"Okay," Jake said, clearly not believing her, "I'm gonna let that go, but mostly because I'm not sure I want the details on whatever is going on. Anyway, I just wanted to call and let you know that I'm heading out of town to check on a lead I got last week."

Beth sobered up instantly and asked, "What have you got? Anything on Murray?"

"Nah, she's still in the wind, miraculously," Jake replied, "I received notification that someone purchased the old Ravenfalls site outside of Metropolis. I want to see if the stories I'm hearing are true."

"What are you talking about?" Beth asked, walking over to the window and forgetting about her time limit, "What stories, and who would buy that disgusting shit hole?"

"Remember Dutchess?" Jake asked.

"You're shitting me," Beth said, "What the hell does she want with that place? Pam nearly leveled it when we left, and how could she even afford to buy the entire town?"

"That's what I'm checking into," Jake replied, "Word is, she's set up some kind of BDSM retreat there. I have no idea how she is funding it, and I don't know if I believe that it's everything she's advertising it to be. I'm going to see if I can find out anything that might be illegal; whether that be kidnapping, or if she's laundering money for her operation."

"Are you going as Jake, or The Raven?" Beth asked and added, "Do you need backup?"

"Nah, I'm going as myself," he answered, "If anything about it smells off, then I'll clue you and Pam in and we'll pay her a visit. Since everything seems to be calming down in Metropolis, I figured now is as good a time as any to check into Smother Ranch."

"Oh my God, that is not what the place is called," Beth asked and cringed.

"Yeah, fits her perfectly, doesn't it?" Jake asked with a laugh, "Zoey will contact you and Pam if she needs anything, but I'll be gone for the day."

"Are you sure you're not looking for another lead on that gem thingy you keep pestering Pam about?" Beth asked, referring to Jake's latest obsession, "From what I understood, Abigail only had the one book from the castle."

"No," Jake said, "I'm not holding my breath on discovering anything about that. I'm still combing through the pages of that last tome Pam loaned me. This is strictly business."

"Be careful, Jake," Beth said, "Dutchess has a weird obsession with you."

"Believe me, I know," Jake sighed, "Ash isn't fond of me going, but she's trusting me on this. Worst case, I'll let her out and remind them that I'm not someone to mess with."

"Sounds like you two are getting along better," Beth remarked, "Pam said you guys were having some issues a little while ago. Oh, how's things with Alexis?"

"We're getting better," Jake said, referring to Ashley and himself, "I haven't been able to schedule a second date with her yet. I feel like an ass, but I've been keeping in touch with her. Amazingly, she's only showed up at my house three times."

"That's a lot of restraint for her," Beth said, just as surprised as Jake.

"Yeah, and she's been keeping her head down to boot," Jake laughed, "I've got to make time for her, and I'm thinking that this weekend might be good. Oh, could you call her and check in with her later today? I'd do it, but I'm not sure it would be wise given where I'm going."

"Yeah, I can do that," Beth replied.

"Thanks, it's the least I can do," Jake said, "Just, please, don't mention the date. I don't want to get her hopes up when I don't know for sure I can keep it."

"Boy, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were actually trying to make this work," Beth said slyly.

"I'm giving it a chance," Jake said, honestly, "I'm not committing to anything, but it's the least I can do after everything she's done for us."

"I'm almost proud of you, man," Beth smiled, "This is a big step for you, and I'm not saying that because you're giving Alexis a chance. I'll call her here in a couple of hours."

"Thanks," Jake said, "I'm still not one hundred percent, but I'm trying to get back to myself. If you haven't heard from me by this time tomorrow, trace the signal from my car. I don't expect anything to go wrong, but things rarely go according to plan with us."

"Ain't that the fucking truth," Beth sighed, recalling the copious times they'd been caught off guard, "Alright, I'll let Pam know, and…shit."

Beth remembered her time frame, and glanced down at the timer on her phone. Seven minutes, quickly approaching eight. "What's wrong?"

Beth bit her lip as she made her peace with whatever was waiting for her in the bedroom. "It might be a little while before I can call Alexis," Beth sighed, "I've got to go. Pam wants us to spend some time together, and I think it's gonna be while. I'll let her know what's going on, though."

"Okay?" Jake said, not quite following what Beth was talking about, "Are you sure everything is alright?"

"Peachy," Beth sighed, "Seriously, I've got to go, man. Be careful out there, and call us as soon as you have an update or get back."

"Will do," Jake said, "Have fun with Pam."

"Always," Beth said, hanging up and sighing, "Dammit, this is probably gonna hurt, and I doubt she even let's me explain…"

Beth stuffed her phone into her pocket and resigned herself to whatever Pam had planned. Her mind raced as she walked down the hallway to their bedroom. Even though Pam was going to punish her, Beth still felt a surge of excitement. There was no doubt that there would be some discomfort, but she knew Pam wouldn't seriously hurt her. Her girlfriend would push her limits, sure, but Pam was experienced and talented as a domme. Beth would be Pam's good girl once again, even if she had to earn it. Maybe Pam was right, maybe it would be good for the two of them to get closer to their role roots.

—-------------------

Jake pulled to a stop outside of what was left of Ravenfalls. The old sign had been removed and a gaudy and ornate Welcome to Smother Ranch sign had been put in its place. He hesitated as he put the car in park. He didn't like this, but if Amelia was up to something, he had to find out what. He put his reservations aside as he stepped out of the car. He hadn't been completely honest with Beth about exactly how he'd found out about the compound. A letter sat in the passenger seat of his car, one signed and sealed by Dutchess herself. An invitation welcoming him to join her little commune, and the first sign of life from a foe he thought long gone.

"Why exactly are we here again?" Ashley asked, appearing on the hood of his car, "And tell me why you felt the need to lie to Beth about how you found out about this little operation?"

"I didn't lie to her, I just left out a few details," Jake defended, "We're here because it's not every day you get a letter from a dead woman."

"Spoken like a noble little idiot," Ashley sighed, "Jake, I've seen what this woman has done to you. How quickly you forget that we share a mind. I've seen what sort of horrors the witch put you through at The Tower. This is clearly a trap, just as that was, so why are you so hellbent on reliving such a mistake?"

"Ash, I can't risk innocent people getting hurt," he sighed, "If something is going on, I need to put a stop to it."

"But why do this alone?" Ashley asked, scooting to the edge of his hood.

"I'm not alone, I've got you," Jake countered.

"Don't be cute," Ashley spat, "You know what I meant. This is something that you don't need to do without backup. This woman is almost as obsessed with you as Alexis or the witch!"

She wasn't wrong. Amelia and her cronies had been more than a band of highbrow thugs focused on robbing banks and jewelry stores. Dutchess was obsessed with breaking Jake, ever since Alexis had mistakenly introduced the two of them. Amelia had discovered his submissive tendencies, and she claimed that she wanted to help him embrace his innermost desires. However, Jake wasn't a fool, even back then. Her claims were lies to cover up her true intentions: ruining him. Amelia wanted the finer things in life, and Jake was her golden goose. She had no interest in anything healthy or consensual.

"It'll be fine, probably," Jake shrugged her off, "Ash, Beth knows where I'm at, and you heard me tell her to come find me if I don't report back in."

"You're going to get us killed one day," Ashley sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Very well, but promise me you'll let me out if things go sideways."

"I'm not exactly known for putting my own well-being first, Ash," he said, "It comes with the territory of being a hero. But, you have my word that I'll let you loose if shit goes south."

"That's all I needed to hear," Ashley sighed, fading into his mind, "Let's get this over with then."

The main gate to Smother Ranch was made of salvaged wood from houses in Ravenfalls, and the bars were fresh bronze. Twin cherubs sag atop the posts on the side of the gate, and a large wooden sign that read Welcome Home was hanging above the gate. Jake walked through the gate and sighed to himself. He could feel Ashley's disgust already in the back of his throat. Sharing a body was still taking time to get used to for him. Whenever Ashley felt a strong emotion, he always got an unusual taste in his mouth. Lust and adoration were sweet like honey, hate and rage tasted spicy, and disgust was bitter. It was the little things like these that were perhaps the strangest.

The majority of the buildings and homes had either been torn down or repurposed beyond the gates. Amelia was clearly putting a lot of work into rebranding the area, but Jake wondered where she had gotten the money for it. Moreover, he was worried that she was using forced labor for the rebuilding. The main street was still a dirt road, but there were only a handful of women wandering about. There were three that Jake recognized, and their eyes were locked on him like he was a piece of meat. He didn't know them personally, but he recognized them as being former servants of Rebecca's. Honestly, he was surprised to see them, but he could tell they were excited for his arrival. He shifted his weight as he came to a stop; he was ready for a fight or a retreat if necessary.

“Well if it isn’t the little canary.” The large one with purple hair mocked him as a grin spread across her face. “Duchess said you’d be around at some point. Come to finally accept your place?”

The rest of the girls standing around giggled menacingly. Jake tried to place their names, but he couldn't remember for the life of him. "Your boss sent me an invitation," he said cooly, "It would be rude not to see an old acquaintance. I'm mainly here to make sure she's going to stay out of my hair, and seeing you three again tells me I made the right choice. I realize that you all probably had some fun running Metropolis under Goth, but let's remember that the sheriff is back in town. So, which one of you is going to step aside, or make yourself useful and tell me where Amelia is hiding?"

"That's Dutchess to you, man-thing!" the slender Raven haired woman growled as she stepped forward, "You'd do well to remember your place, Raven. You're outnumbered, and you've got no idea of the odds. It could be just three to one, it might be ten to one, or it could be over a hundred to one! You won't know until it's too late, slave-boy!"

Ashley's voice growled in the back of his mind, "Let me out, Jake, these three are trying my patience. I won't let them speak to you like this, and I can have them in shreds before they blink."

"No, that won't be necessary," Jake replied aloud, "They're more afraid of me than I am of them. All they're doing is putting on a show."

“Crazy little Raven still talks to himself, huh?” A blonde who was just barely within range of being called fat, with somewhat piggish features scoffed, "The Goddess certainly did a number on that head of yours.”

"And I was sure to return the favor, or maybe you forgot because you were too busy running scared," Jake countered, blatantly referencing Rebecca's demise and their cowardice, "Who said I was talking to myself, anyways? No, I was just conversing with an old and powerful friend. You three would be smart to put a little stock in the rumors going around about me. You know the ones, something about me not being quite human anymore."

Jake made a point to flash his fangs in the sunlight a little bit as he trailed off. As far as he knew, he didn’t possess much of Ashley’s actual vampire powers, but the fangs did make for a nice visual. If Jake wasn’t an expert at reading body league for interrogations and questioning, he would’ve missed the small flinch out of the blonde. The girl with the black hair huffed and put her hands on her hips. “Fine, follow me.”

Jake did as he was told, and followed the girl through the town. He kept his eyes peeled for any signs of an ambush, but all he saw were empty streets and shadows. The deeper into the small town, the more Jake could see the scars from Pam's rampage. Amelia had clearly been trying to repair the lands and homes, but Pam's magic had warped patches of land. He spotted a few men and women wearing overalls and collars working on rebuilding a home. They carried planks of salvaged houses, hammered in nails as they worked, and kept their mouths sealed tight as they did so. He noticed there was nothing beneath their overalls, and he saw a pile of unusable wood off to the side. There were either holes punched through them, burns, or splinters lining the pile.

The main house in what used to be Raven Falls was destroyed in Pam’s rage. Smaller, newer, homes surrounded the remnants of Abigail's manor. Where the main house had stood, a large, vibrant garden, filled with flowers, fruit bushes, and other various plants took its place. Jake saw maybe fourteen men and women, clad in collars, chains, and little else, tending to the plants. In the center of the garden, a large throne acted as a centerpiece. Sitting on the throne was a familiar, tall, imposing, and regal figure. Golden blonde locks rested gracefully on broad, elegant shoulders. A wide, ruby red grin spread across her face. Amelia Ritters sat before him with excitement and glee dripping off of her.

“Jake Blackridge. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?” Amelia greeted him, crossing her legs and sitting propping her cheek upon her fist, “You didn’t forget I knew who you are, did you? After our time spent together in prison, I would’ve thought it hard to forget.”

Jake felt a tightening in his chest, as he stopped his approach, the girl with the black hair who led him here looking him up and down, laughing. He knew she knew who he was, but something about the way his name rolled off her lips was enough to get the panic center of his brain firing on all cylinders. She was referring to the time he managed to have her arrested, but through expert manipulation of the guard staff, she managed to take him hostage in her cell. That was always the most dangerous thing about Amelia. She had a knack for manipulation. Whether it was a magical power, pheromones, or just the convincing manner in which she spoke, he was never quite sure. She had an uncanny ability to bend others to her will.


“Just surprised to see you, is all. There were rumors going around that you were dead, Amy.” He could tell the girl who’d led him here was seething with rage, not just because Jake was using her actual name, but because he dared to shorten it to be even more informal.

Amelia simply found it amusing though, chuckling as she stood up from her throne. “Riley, leave us. Me and Mr. Blackridge need to catch up," Amelia said sternly, and the black haired girl huffed and took her leave, as Amelia stood and began to circle Jake, “You’ll have to excuse them. The girls learned of your visit this morning and they’ve been antsy ever since. Nyx especially spent most of breakfast talking about how much she’d love to smother you to death under her ass. I believe Riley mentioned something about shoving her strap-on down your throat. Don’t worry, though. No harm will come to you today… not unless you want it to, of course.”

Amilea’s grin returned as she ran her tongue across her porcelein teeth. “I’m good, thanks.” Jake asserted, before looking around at the men and women all forced to work the garden. “Why invite me here Amelia? Why now? You've been missing for over a year, and yet you suddenly resurface and reach out. Was it just to show me you’ve kidnapped a handful of people? You know it’s well within my rights to have you arrested for hostage taking.”

Amelia laughed again, and rested a hand on Jake’s shoulder. It was the closest she’d been to him so far, and as her strong hand gripped his shoulder, it was clear Amelia wanted Jake to get a firm reminder of her stature. Amelia stood eye to eye with Jake and his entire six foot two inch frame. Jake’s files on Amelia never indicated any sort of hand to hand training, but then her file was still lacking. In fact, one of Jake’s disadvantages when it came to Amilea was always the lack of information on her. Somehow, despite her prominent and open nature, Amelia was something of a ghost. There was next to nothing in any databases on her, and what information he had had been pieced together after weeks of research and painful encounters with her.

“It’s not, actually. All these men and women here are here under their own free will," she chuckled, "I have signed papers to back that story up. For once, Blackridge, I’m innocent. I’m merely allowing these people to accept their true nature, and live out their fantasies to their fullest extent. I’m a release, freedom from society's judgement. This is a safe place Jake…”

Jake was starting to get a sinking feeling as to just why Amelia called him here. He shook his head as the pieces fell into place, “You-you called me here to proposition me…”

Amelia giggled and pulled away, before walking back over to her throne, reaching around the back of it, giving Jake a small peek up her skirt at her gigantic bubble butt. She turned back around to reveal a special collar and leash, decorated with diamonds. From a glance, the leash looked to be some sort of carbon fiber. “Tell me, Jake. Did Rebecca ever present you with a collar as beautiful as this?" she asked sweetly, "I tried to find a collar fitting the most powerful man in Metropolis…”

"Don't say her name," Jake warned, trying to sound tough, but feeling his knees beginning to shake.

Amelia’s eyes grew dark, and her grin grew sinister as she took a step forward. “Let’s be honest with ourselves here, Jake. There’s only two ways your story ends," she said, her tone suddenly much more threatening, "Either someone, much worse than me, takes your freedom, your city, and maybe your life… or, you give in. You embrace your true nature. You give yourself to a woman who’s truly superior to you. Come on Jake… since the day we met one another, you and I both knew you were supposed to submit to me. I know what Rebecca did to you. I know how that changes a man. You feel incomplete, and inadequate without the guidance of a domme. You’re either going to run yourself into the grave… or you’re going to put on this collar, and become my slave. Let me give you what we both know you need”

Jake didn’t realize he’d been hyper fixated on Ameila’s voice and eyes until Ashley’s voice cut into his head and snapped him out of it, “Jake! We’re getting out of here. This bitch does not have your best interests at heart. She only cares for herself, and she wants nothing more than to ruin you! Don't listen to her honeyed words and let her in your head. She's not worthy of winning against you!"

Jake shook the haze from his head and took a step back. Amelia, sensing his apprehension, frowned for a moment before her grin returned, “You’re scared, or there’s something telling you not to accept. I get it. You’re not ready, not yet…. but you will be. I know you better than you know yourself, Blackridge. I’ve been studying you extensively since your little sabbatical. One day… you’ll be back, and when that day comes I'll be waiting. Return to me again, and I'll take that as you accepting your rightful place amongst us."

"If I come back, it'll be to shut you down," Jake countered, slowly coming back himself.

Amelia replied as she walked away to put the collar back in its box, "I assure you, Mr. Blackridge, that everything here is well above board. I dare say that I have more permits than even one of your questionable establishments back in the city."

"I'll be sure to check into that," Jake scoffed, "You'll forgive me for being hesitant to take the word of a criminal at face value. Business practices, I'm sure you understand."

Amelia frowned at his jab, but she kept her cool as she returned to her throne, "By all means, do your homework, Jake. I'm going to allow you to walk out of here this time, Blackridge. Just know that the next time you cross the gates to Smother Ranch, I will be personally showing you why I’ve renamed it that. Your associate may have destroyed the main house, but I assure you, the dungeons remain intact. I was sure to restore them to full working order as well. If, or should I say, when you come back, I’m taking you for myself. That’s a promise…”

Jake narrowed his eyes at her as she smirked at him, "We see each other again, and it ends with you back behind bars, Amy."

Ameila’s smirk subsided as she lounged back in her throne, and whistled, summoning Riley again. "We'll see about that, won't we?" Amelia asked as she shooed him, “Riley will see you out. I’m looking forward to seeing you again, Jake. Mark my words into, I’ll be watching and waiting.”

Jake didn’t say anything as he turned and followed Riley out of the garden and back through the town, until finally, he walked back through the gate. “Next time I see you, I’m bending you over and turning you into my little Songbird,” Riley taunted as she pulled the gate closed behind him.

He turned around one more time to see Riley, Nyx, and the blonde waving goodbye to him as he turned and walked back to the car. Nyx stuck her hips out to showcase her large ass, and the others blew kisses and laughed as he walked away. Their mocking laughter echoed as he walked back towards his car. "Well, that went better than expected," he sighed, knowing Ashley was still on edge.

“Please tell me you’re not considering taking her up on her offer.” Ashley remarked, appearing and walking beside him, “You know I’ll always respect your choices, but that Amelia woman is little more than a snake. She wants you for your power, nothing more. She wants to destroy you, not to nurture and respect you like a proper domme. Nothing like how I would, how Pam is with Beth, hell, even Rebecca at least cared for you!”

Jake sighed as he opened the door to his car, “Ash, you’re in my head. You know I’m not seriously considering her offer. She’s just… I don’t know. She’s got a weird way of making people get lost in her words. I’m not going to take her up on her offer. If anything, I’m gonna try to figure out how to get her behind bars again."

"How exactly do you plan on doing that?" Ashley asked, appearing in the passenger seat as Jake sat down.

Jake frowned as he closed the door and put the key in the ignition. "Still figuring that part out," he replied, "I'll start by checking into the permits she's claiming to have. Assuming everything checks out, my next step is going to be figuring out how she's affording this place. Food, supplies, the cost of the land, all of that adds up. She might be laundering money, working with other criminals for funding, or something illegal. I'll shake down some of the local gangs and look for a connection in bank robberies after I find out if everything really is above board."

"I say you call Beth and Pam, and turn them loose on this little commune of lies," Ashley huffed, "You might not agree with Beth's methods, but she gets results and that woman wouldn't be an issue for anyone anymore. She's employing women that served the witch while she was completely under demonic influence, for crying out loud!"

"I know, but we can't afford to hurt our reputation anymore right now, Ash," Jake sighed, "After the entire debacle with Courtney, people are still struggling to trust us. We have to do this by the book, and I'm sure that Amy has something that we can use to bring her down."

"You are too naive, Jake," Ashley sighed as he turned the key and prepared to leave, "Sometimes the greater good demands sacrifice, love."

"I won't resort to that, if I can help it," Jake said, "In the meantime, why don't we see if anything is happening back home?"

"Yes, let's ignore the threat sixty feet back in favor of local news," Ashley said, clearly bitter at his choice not to act.

"Ash, I'll handle this," he assured her as he shifted into drive and switched the radio on, "One thing at a time."

"I know," Ashley sighed, relenting and relaxing, "I just worry that your inaction will get you hurt, or worse. I trust you, though. Just promise me you won't try to do this alone."

"Well, we saw where that got me last time," Jake chuckled, "I swear, I'll be sure to keep Beth and Pam in the loop, Ash."

The radio was tuned to a local station I'm Metropolis, and the announcer came on with energy and enthusiasm in her voice, "Hey, boys and girls, this Katrina Cordell coming at you with a quick news update between our music. Our men and women in blue have reported regarding the recent decrease in criminal activity. While crimes seem to have dropped, they are still urging people to act cautiously in light of the events of the mysterious Ms. Tellar. This is Metropolis, after all, and anyone who calls this great city home can tell you that there's no telling what's waiting around the corner! There have been reports of a renegade clown lady, you heard that right folks, a clown lady running rampant through downtown off and on. Police urge anyone who sees this colorful crazy to keep their distance. She is considered armed and incredibly dangerous, but what else is new, am I right? First demons, then witches, then zombies, and now we've got killer clowns!"

"Did she say a clown?" Ashley asked, "What in the world is in the water around here?"

"Looks like we've got our next assignment," Jake sighed trying to figure out who this new player might be.

"In other news, it's election time again, folks!" Kat continued on as the radio started to fade in and out, "The primaries are underway, and it looks like upstart ttzzzcht tzz Myers may be pulling ahead in the race for mayor. Bloomington and his constituents have refused to comment, but the polls are open and the public seems ready for a change. The results should be in soon, and who knows if we'll end up with some fresh blood? Tzzcht tttzzcht has promised change if she's elected into office, but is that always such a good thing? I'll be taking calls on this subject and looking to get your feedback on the issues within the hour. This is Kat Cordell, and let's get some music going, ladies and gentleman!"

"Did she say Myers?" Ashley asked.

"I think so," Jake answered, frowning as he recalled his meeting with the dead woman, "It could be a coincidence, but I haven't been following politics with everything that's been happening. What are the odds of two ghosts in one week?"

"For most, low, for you, abysmally high," Ashley sighed, "How I managed to fall for someone with such dreadful luck is beyond me."

"It is a common last name, though," Jake offered, "But you've got a point. I guess I'll have to add checking into the mayoral race to the list of things to do. I can-"

His phone buzzed, and he stopped to pick it up. The second he answered Zoey's voice spoke, "Raven, where are you and the others?!"

Jake frowned at the tone in Zoey's voice as he replied, "I'm heading back to the city now, but I haven't heard from The Feral in a couple of hours. I think she might be a little tied up, possibly literally. I had to check into a potential lead. What's going on?"

"Dammit, that explains why she's not answering my calls," Zoey sighed, "I haven't tried Pam, so that one's on me. I'll call her once I get off."

"Careful, you might be keeping Beth from that," Jake laughed, thankful his friend couldn't hear his joke, "Is everything alright?"

"We've got a situation developing with this new girl in Metroplaza," Zoey replied, ignoring his crude joke, "Reports have been coming in about a hostage situation, and I need some help getting the hostages out and bringing this woman down."

"I'm forty-five minutes out, but I can be there in fifteen," Jake said, his tone shifting to serious, "This is the woman dressed up like a clown, right? Can you tell me anything about her?"

"That's the one," Zoey answered, "We don't have much, but her movements indicate she's either a gymnast or an acrobat of some kind. The few times that I've heard her, she's got some kind of accent."

"Fuck," Jake sighed, "Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can. Let me know if you hear back from Pam. I've got my suit in the back, and I'll get changed before I make my move."

"Will do, but be careful," Zoey said before hanging up the phone.

"Dammit, what is that woman's name?" Jake sighed, "You know the one that you didn't like and Beth threatened. I think it started with an s."

"Not even close," Ashley replied, "Claudia, dear, her name is Claudia."

"Right, right, am I a bad person for not remembering that?" Jake asked.

"That woman was insufferable, so my answer is no," Ashley replied before adding, "Although I am a bit biased considering that I don't like jesters."

"I guess that's fair enough," Jake sighed, pushing the pedal to the floor, "Here we go again. If it's not one thing, it's another."