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

Chapter 16

Chasity led Jake and the others through the back alleys of Metropolis. They'd managed to avoid getting into any fights or confrontations thus far, but they'd had to resist the urge to help police and other EMS personnel. The streets were chaotic as they snuck through the masses and mobs. Pam had elected to use a cloaking spell for them to allow them to move with relative ease. A low-level illusion field that made others practically ignore them unless they directly approached someone. It had done wonders to get them this far.

"Through here," Chasity said as they came to a manhole in the alleyway, "Can one of you gimme a hand?"

"Allow me " Pam offered, her hand glowing purple as she telekinteically grabbed the cover and removed it, "There's no sense in wasting energy when we could be walking into an ambush."

"Good thinking," Jake commented, squatting down to prepare for the descent.

Pam held up her other hand and conjured a ball of light that she dropped down into the darkness. She didn't say a word as she watched it fall, and waited for Jake and the others to climb down. She eyed Chasity suspiciously, though, but was careful to hide it. Something didn't feel right about this. She couldn't detect any deceit from Chasity, but therein was the problem. There was virtually nothing coming from her. No fear, anxiety, sadness, nothing that betrayed any hint of emotion from her. To be such a blank slate after what had happened, not to mention what was currently happening, was unreal. It was possible Pam was overthinking things, but given what they'd already endured, she couldn't be too careful.

Pam entered the manhole last after Beth, and carefully climbed down the slick steel rungs. The stench of the sewers was immeidate, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust as it hit her. "This is grotesque," she said, holding her hand up for another spell, "I'm not going through this and burning my nostrils if I can help it. Everyone stand still for a moment."

A small flicker of white light flashed from her palm, and it dissolved into a fine powder that drifted over to Jake and Chasity. To their surprise, they found themselves suddenly unable to smell the putrid stench of filth and waste from seconds ago. "What did you just do?" Chasity asked.

"A simple sensory deprivation spell," Pam replied, "I usually reserve this spell for whenever Beth and I are engaging in a bit of fun, but it seemed appropriate for the time being."

"Pam!" Beth exclaimed, blushing behind her helmet, "Can you not tell everybody and their mother what we do when we're alone?!"

"All this time, and yet still so easily embarrassed," Pam smiled, "It's not like I'm telling them anything they don't already know. I could be far more explicit. For example, how I've used this spell to heighten your sense of smell and touch. If memory serves, the last time you acted up we used this spell to enhance your spanking, at your request I'd add."

"Okay, okay!" Beth snapped, suddenly much hotter under the confines of her helmet, "Can you just stop, please?"

"Can't handle a little teasing?" Jake asked with a grin.

"Shut it, toe-sucker," Beth snapped at him, "Or do you want us to tell Chasity about your slutty dresses in the back of your closet?"

"I nearly forgot about those," Pam chuckled and added, "The red one was actually quite flattering, Jake. A bit of blush, some lipstick, and eyeliner, and you'd almost pass for a real woman. That does remind me, though, I believe you wanted some tips on applying and removing makeup, right?"

"Okay, we can change the subject," Jake said quickly, realizing he didn't have much of a leg to stand on.

"You guys are weird," Chasity remarked.

"Let's get back to the task at hand," Jake sighed, "Chasity, you said you knew the way to the crypts from here?"

"The cemetery, but yeah," Chasity nodded, "It's a few miles out, but we should be safe for the most part."

"Let's move then, sissy-boy," Beth said, slipping back into her usual self.

"Fuck you," Jake scoffed.

The four of them began their advance through the muck and grime of the sewers. The moment of levity had been nice, but their minds were quickly brought back to the threats at hand. Within the darkness, the only sounds were that of running water and their footsteps. However, they knew that chaos was still overtaking their city up above. Jake felt himself become more on edge the further they walked. Worry about his sister, and confusion over what was happening crept back to the forefront of his mind. Sam was in danger, and she had been for days on end. He still couldn't understand why, though. Why had they targeted his family, let alone him? What possible purpose could any of this serve?

Then there was the question of the Brunswick name. Emily and her company had been dissolved when he was still just a boy. It had been nearly two decades since her company had even been mentioned. Outside of his own company, nobody spoke about the forgotten family. Even then, it was only members of his board that knew about the remnants of her legacy tucked below in the basements and warehouses. Yet, somehow groups had sprung up and managed to dig up information on a dead woman. Even bypassing the how, he couldn't understand why her of all people. There were plenty of other companies that were thriving and competing for his market share, but they'd chosen one that had been all but extinct.

A thought occurred to him that rattled him more than he cared to admit. What if Emily had somehow survived? The very idea made him shudder in fear. He'd watched her take her last breath, the edge of his original bostaff driven through her exposed chest. Nobody should have been able to survive that, but Emily wasn't just anybody. She'd transcended realities and become something inhuman. She'd called herself Voidfoot, but she'd also referred to herself as the World Eater. Selfish didn't even begin to describe her, and it was her belief that everyone and everything existed to serve her. Lives were nothing to Emily; they were merely toys in her sadistic and twisted pursuit of selfish joy. If she'd somehow managed to return, Jake wasn't sure the three of them could handle her.

"Is this woman truly such an indomitable monster?" Ashley asked, appearing beside him, "Something so frightening that even the witch pales in your mind."

"She's the most powerful being I've ever encountered," he replied, "She's dangerous, cruel, vindictive, and stronger than anyone we've ever dealt with. Lilith may be the only creature that scares me as much as her, but even she's limited to her dimension. Emily could leap between universes, tear the fabric of reality, and she could see into your soul. Even at Rebecca's worst, she was still only a fraction of what Voidfoot was. We were young then, but even with everything we've learned, I don't know if we could handle her."

"Do you really think she could come back from the grave?" Ashley asked.

"That's the thing, I don't know," Jake said, "It's that fact there that scares me more than anything else, though. I don't see how anyone could come back, but if anyone could, it would be her."

"Necromancy is something that is, unfortunately, very real, Jake," Ashley sighed, "I'm not trying to make your fears worse, but look at me, my love. You watched her die, but she was taken by the very void she named herself after, yes?"

"The portal that swallowed her body," Jake nodded, remembering the inky darkness that had swallowed her whole as she faded into the abyss, "I didn't know what it was, I still don't, but something took her body and nearly erased her from existence. Her work was left here, but it was like all memory of her had just vanished. Pam called it memory distortion, but I don't think that's what it was."

"What are you thinking, then?" Ashley asked.

"I think that her tampering with reality caused her to be forgotten," Jake replied, "The thing is, I'm not so sure it wasn't intentional on her part. Maybe that was what she wanted in case she was defeated. I don't know, but I've seen enough craziness over the last year alone to know better than to assume anything. Hell, for all I know, Lilith could have resurrected her to torture me and get me sooner."

"That one is unlikely," Ashley said, "Someone as powerful as this Emily woman would have been recruited to work for the Citadel. Although, from what you've told me, it seems likely she would have waged a war against Dorothy. Regardless, a presence such as hers would have been felt in the underworld, and neither Alexis or myself ever detected a force of that caliber."

"I don't know, Ash," he sighed, "This whole situation just has me more and more on edge. Something isn't right, but I don't know what it is. I hate not knowing."

"I know, my love, but as we've already said, one problem at a time," Ashley spoke softly, trying to ease his troubled mind, "We find and save Samantha, stop whatever this cult is doing, and then we can focus on the bigger picture. A puzzle can only be solved one piece at a time."

"You're right," he admitted.

"I'm always right," Ashley smirked.

The four of them neared a large intersection within the sewers. A large circular section with several branches spread out and a large disgusting pool of filthy water. The water rushed and swirled from different channels and into the center. “This way,” Chasity said, gesturing to the tunnel jutting out to the far right, “This should take us to an old chamber that’s below the cemetery.”

Jake and the others followed behind her. “How is that you know this, Chasity?” Pam asked, her skepticism continuing to grow as they’d followed wordlessly, “You mentioned that you and your sister worked for the city, but this section of the sewer system seems to have been neglected for some time now.”

“We were part of the team that was responsible for securing this infrastructure down here,” Chasity replied without missing a beat, “It was us and a few others that worked down here to make sure that it wouldn’t crumble into ruin. We found an old passageway down here, and we were always more curious than most. There’s a small passage that’s partially hidden in the walls. We should have probably sealed it up, but I couldn’t bring myself to do a proper job. I was young and lazy, if I’m being honest. Lucky for us now, though.”

“It would certainly seem so,” Pam said before asking, “I’m curious, though. You mentioned a chamber at the end of the passageway, right? What was in this chamber?”

For the first time since Beth and Pam had arrived at Chasity's apartment, Pam felt something from the young woman: frustration. It was brief and faint, but it was definitely there. However, it was gone just as quickly as it came. She returned to her strangely blank state as she replied, “It was weird. It was like some kind of strange library underground or something. A bunch of old scrolls, books, and engravings on the walls. We didn’t know what it was, hell I still don’t, but it led up into the cemetery.”

“I see,” Pam nodded and asked yet another question, “And, tell me again how you managed to overhear that the cultists were holding Samantha in the cemetery?”

That frustration came back for a split-second, stronger this time, but it was gone again before Chasity replied, “After they got Avery, they were coming after me and shouting about the old cemetery.”

Beth leaned over and whispered to Pam, “What’s with the third degree?”

“Something is amiss here,” Pam quietly replied before speaking to Chasity once again, “There were quite a lot of them there for just you, though. What exactly have you been up to since we last saw each other, Chasity?”

“Just trying to get back to a normal life,” Chasity answered, her response coming across shorter than she originally intended, “What are you implying here, Pam?”

“I’m just trying to understand why they chose to send so many after you,” Pam answered, “While we’re on the subject, why was Avery at your apartment as well?”

“We were friends,” Chasity said, getting marginally more defensive with every passing second, “They probably sent so many because we were working for Goth and helping you three.”

“Okay, everyone take a breath here,” Jake spoke up as the conversation continued to become more and more tense, “We’re all on the same side here, right? Chasity was attacked in her home, and she was lucky enough to overhear some crucial information.”

“Yes, you’ve got a point, Jake,” Pam nodded, “I guess I’m just curious about a few things, and I’m looking to fill the silence beyond the sound of running sewer water. It wasn’t my intention to offend or ruffle any feathers with my questions. My apologies, Chasity if I’ve offended you in any way with my curiosity.”

Chasity kept her composure as she spoke, “No worries, Pam. I guess all of us are a little on edge with everything going on.”

Pam could feel Beth lagging behind a bit, and she let Jake pass her to get closer to Chasity. “What is your deal?” Beth asked in a hushed tone, “It’s not like you to try to start shit.”

“This doesn’t feel odd to you?” Pam countered, “The entire city goes mad, and the Children of Darkness send nearly thirty members to deal with two women? Avery and Chasity may have served on Rebecca’s guard, but what sense does it make to send such a large number after them? Jason, Kaitlyn, Alexis, or any of us, I can understand, but these two were simply bystanders in our war.”

“Are you really trying to understand why crazies do anything?” Beth asked.

“Isn’t that part of your job, Kitten?” Pam countered once again, “It seems like overkill, in my opinion. If you’ll remember correctly, part of my old position in Rebecca’s inner circle was handling and eliminating threats. Whether that be on a large or small scale.”

“What are you saying, Pam?” Beth asked, “You think there’s some kind of conspiracy happening here?”

“I’m simply considering the possibility that there's more here than we are seeing," Pam replied, "The entire time we've been chasing leads on this case, we've overlooked crucial details, failed to consider other possibilities, and it's put us a step behind time and again. I can't feel anything from Chasity, either, Kitten. There's nothing there, and that's unusual for someone on a normal day, let alone someone who was attacked in their own home."

"Okay, I get that," Beth admitted, "But she's our only lead right now. Let's say you're right about whatever it is you're suggesting, okay? We don't have a clue where we're going, what's waiting for us, or how to get there. Now that I'm saying that out loud, it does sound like a good tactic for an ambush, though."

"Precisely my point," Pam said, "If I were looking to eliminate three threats to my employer, then this is a tactic that I would use. You're right, though. We don't know the way, but we can still keep our guard up."

"Fair enough," Beth sighed, "Safety is off on my pistols already, but now you've got me wishing I'd have swapped to live rounds."

"We'll make due with what we have," Pam assured her, "We always do, but we need to be wary of what might be lurking around the corner."

"Guys, it's through here!" Chasity called back to them as she pointed at a section of the tunnel that was walled off, "Can one of you knock this section down?"

Chasity pointed a small section of the wall out. "Stand back back," Pam said, stepping up and using her telekinetic powers to isolate and dismantle the weak wall.

Jake and Beth watched as the bricks began to shift and shake before one by one they were pulled loose. Pam placed them in a pile a few feet from them, and she was finished in moments. She gestured for Chaisty to lead the way. Another tunnel system, this one much musiter and danker than the sewers, was revealed. Chasity motioned for them to follow behind her. The four of them made their way through the darkness and the twists and turns of the unknown. All the while, Pam's uneasy feeling continued to grow. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't dismiss, but she couldn't act on it now. Beth was right, they still needed Chasity to find Sam.

“It’s right down here. If they have it written where they’re keeping your sister, it's likely to be somewhere in there.”

Chasity pulled out the keys she kept on her belt, unlocked the office doors, and opened it. She ushered Jake, Beth, and Pam inside. Just as Chasity had described, it was a large underground chamber with books, papers, scrolls, and strange carvings in the walls. Most of the parchment was either dusty, disintegrating, or covered in mold. The air was thicker here. The scent of moisture and ancient secrets seemed to linger in the air. The trio was briefly reminded of Rebecca's castle libraries, but this was somehow much smaller yet felt more dangerous. They spread out in the small chamber to try to see what they could find. A large round table sat in the center, and stacks of paperwork there seemed newer than everything else.

Pam renewed her illumination spell as they walled in. The orb swelled and rose to the center of the room. While Jake went to the table to investigate the papers, Pam's focus was on the walls and old books. What was this place? Why was it here? The symbols on the wall seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She'd seen them before, but where? They were runic in nature, but she couldn't recall the purpose. They weren't active either. Still, someone had taken the time to carve out runes in an attempt for some sort of warding on this chamber.

As they moved deeper into the room, though, the rest of the lights kicked on, to reveal a literal firing squad. More of the Children of Darkness cultists, all of whom had machine guns trained on the trio, lined the wall. Chasity chuckled as she pulled out her own pistol and aimed it at the trio, “Those rounds are armor piercing. I’d suggest against making any sudden movements… Raven, Feral, weapons on the table.”

“You little double-crossing bitch!” Beth growled from behind her helmet, tossing her pistols on the table, and putting her hands up. “You have the balls to stand up to Goth when she’s taking over the fucking world, but not stand with us against a fucking politician?!”

Chasity’s serious facade broke briefly as she laughed, “Oh, Beth, it’s a really good thing you’re pretty, because you really are too simple. I’ve never been on your side! For a short while, your interest and the Children’s aligned. Joining your little rag-tag group to help bring down Goth was for our benefit. After all, I was already a double agent against her, and you know what they say, in for a penny, in for a pound! I figured it couldn’t hurt keeping an eye on your little group of rebels as well. I really thought my cover would be blown when Jay decided to recruit The Raven, but apparently Goth’s strap-on scrambled Jake’s brains enough that he couldn't recognize me!”

Jake’s brow furrowed as he took a good, long hard look at Chasity, and tried to figure out what she was getting at- and then it hit him. The survivors group, the attempt on his life. “You…” Chasity couldn’t help but cackle at the disbelief on Jake’s face. “You’d think a guy would remember a girl who tried to claw his eyes out! Then again, I guess you get that a lot, don’t you, Blackridge?”

“Let us go, right now, or so help me-ack!” Pam threatened, only to cry out as she felt a burning sensation run through her entire body.

She clutched her side and sneered as she looked around the room. The runes on the walls had started to glow red. She cursed herself for not recognizing them sooner. Those runes were a dampening field. Their sole purpose was to eliminate all access to the weave. "Pam!" Beth shouted, seeing how much pain her girlfriend was in.

"Awe, what's the matter, Pammy?" Chasity asked in a condescending tone as she smiled, "Feeling a little limited, Pam? What were you saying? Ah, right, you were going to threaten us! What exactly do you think you're going to do? A card trick, puull a rabbit out of a hat? Bad news, Pammy. We’re a lot smarter than the usual idiots you three deal in. I wouldn’t have walked you three into a kill box without first making sure this room was magic proof. No teleporting in or out, and I’m sure you’ll find the rest of your powers are significantly dampened in here as well.”

“So what’s the point, Chasity?” Jake snarled. “You got us. You gonna put a bullet in all three of us for Myers? I would’ve figured if you all wanted me dead, you would’ve been smart enough to do it while I was in prison.”

Chasity put her gun away, and began to pace, “Oh Jake, don’t be so dramatic. You’re right, if we wanted you dead, you’d be dead. All these big fancy guns right now are just to make sure you don’t try anything stupid, that both of us are going to regret later on. We don’t want you dead, you’re worth more alive to our leader…”

“What does Myers want?!” Jake demanded, clenching his fists in rage, “None of this makes any goddamn sense! Running for office while running a cult that holds her up as some sort of God, kidnapping my sister, the petition, you little cult freaks rioting all over Metropolis, what the hell is Myers planning?!”

Chasity stared at Jake for a moment, before cocking her head to the side. “Supposedly Metropolis’ Greatest Detective, and yet, he can’t see what’s right in front of him," she chuckled, "I suppose you’re right, from your angle, it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Jake-…” Pam spoke up, having just come to a realization. “Jake, I don’t know how we overlooked it… but I think we need to start entertaining the possibility that this isn’t Meg’s cult…”

Chasity starts giggling like a child with a secret. “Oh, Pamela, you get a gold star today…," Chasity smiled, her tone as patronizing as ever, "So wrapped up in his little Meg Myers conspiracy that the great detective couldn’t see what was right in front of him, this entire time…”

Jake slowly began to put the pieces together himself, and looked down at the table in front of him. There were even more copies of the Children’s petition. The petition with the aim of restoring operating licenses to…

“Brunswick…” the name escapes Jake’s lips as if he was choking on it.

Chasity’s grin shifted from playful to sinister, “Brunswick Corporation. A Light In The Darkness. That is until our woman of light, the lone guiding light of the world out of the dark ages, into a technological golden age, was struck down by her jealous little beta-boy of a competitor….”

“You fucking psychos worship a dead billionare turned monster?” Jake glared, looking around the room, “Well I’ve got news for all of you. Your fucking messiah isn’t coming back. I saw to that personally.”

“Oh Jake, I have some bad news for you…" Chasity giggled, "We don’t think she’s coming back… she is back!”

“The journal, from Raven Falls…” Pam said, her outrage at her oversight growing, “That was all dated to the week we were there. Jake, I think that was Emily’s journal…”

“And when she’s all done with you and your sister, Jake, that electrified cock cage she’s gonna put on you is gonna look tame by comparison!" Chasity proclaimed with a maniacal laugh, "Now I promised you I’d help you find your sister, Miss Myers is waiting with her now. Keep your hands where we can see them and follow us, you three. Try anything funny, and you’re all getting turned to Swiss cheese.”

The trio didn't have a choice other than to comply with Chasity's demands. "Grab my pistols, shithead," Beth snapped at one of the cultists, earning an annoyed look from him, "Those things cost more than your shit suit, and I want those back when I kick your asses."

"Still so confident despite being trapped like rats," Chasity mocked.

"Shut the fuck up," Beth growled, "You think this is the first time we've been caught in a trap? We're going to get out of this, and when we do, you're going to beg me to kill your sorry double-crossing ass."

"Oh, I am going to enjoy watching you get broken, Beth," Chasity chuckled, "Better still is going to be watching Pam pout and cry because she can't do anything about it!"

"I'd watch yourself, girl," Pam warned, "Have you forgotten what can happen if I'm pushed too far?"

"You mean your fluke power-tap against Goth?" Chasity scoffed, "A one-off doesn't warrant concern from us, Pammy."

"Jake, Beth, she's mine," Pam proclaimed, her tone more serious than either of them had heard in months as she pointed at Chasity, "I'm going to show you the true meaning of pain and suffering, Chasity."

"I'm absolutely shaking in my boots," Chasity cackled, but Jake and Beth shared a look of genuine surprise as they watched Pam, "Shut up and follow me, idiots. Grab the bitch's pistols. They'll make excellent trophies for Ms. Myers."

Beth watched as the man she'd barked at grabbed her guns. She made a mental note to remember him when the time came. She was going to break his nose first, and then she'd deal with anyone else stupid enough to get in her way. While Beth was sizing up their opposition, Jake was making notes of the area. He'd been carefully analyzing the way here as Chasity led them through the darkness. He'd been careless in his emotionally tormented state, but he was still intent on rescuing Sam. He was counting on his opponents making the same mistake they always did in these situations. Overconfidence in the face of victory usually brought an opportunity for him to break free. From the sound of Pam's tone, she was waiting for a similar moment, and he knew Beth was doing the same.

They walked through the musty tunnel system and remained underground. The swarm or cultists remained behind them with their guns raised and trained on them. They had numbers, but they'd faced the impossible before. They walked for what felt like almost a half hour, but the path never branched. They came at last to an opening in a large and expansive chamber. Torches were lit with strange green flames that cast odd and dancing shadows. A large circular well sat in the center of the room. Jake spotted Sam tied to an old wooden chair. Her hair was messy and matted, and what little of her face was covered in bruises, cuts, and dried blood. She was trembling, so he could tell she was alive, but she was absolutely terrified. Jake wanted to run to her, but he knew it would be suicide right now.

"Jake Blackridge," the voice of Meg Myers called out of the darkness, "You are a difficult and resilient young man."

Out of the darkness, Meg Myers walked forward with a twisted grin on her face. Her bleach blonde hair hung past her shoulders, and she was still wearing that pristine white pantsuit. She sauntered up and looked the three of them up and down. "If you wanted a meeting, you could have just called," Jake said, trying to keep his composure as he forced himself to look away from Sam, "FYI, kidnapping my family and torturing them isn't the best way to make a good impression."

Meg walked behind Sam and slapped her hands down on her shoulders. She bent down and spoke with her face inches from Sam's, "Oh, but we've been having so much fun together, right, Samantha? She's been telling me so much about her estranged sub of a brother."

"J-Jake," Sam whimpered, shaking as she forced herself to look up.

"I didn't tell you to speak!" Meg screamed at her as she slapped Sam across the face, "Honestly, some people simply cannot follow instructions."

"Don't touch her!" Jake growled, stepping forward before freezing at the sound of the machine guns sliding.

"Or what?" Meg asked with a smirk, "Make one move, and you and your little friends are full of holes. Clearly, stupidity runs in your family."

"What the hell do you want, Myers?" Jake demanded, leveling a stern glare at her, "Your little psycho group already told me they believe Emily is back, but what do you get out of this?!"

"Do you take me for a fool, Jake?" Meg asked with a grin, "Why would I tell you something like that when I can torture your fragile little psyche? It's not knowing that's driving you mad, isn't it?"

"I know you're a psychopath," Jake snapped.

"My, my that attitude is oh so poor, Jake," Meg chided, "What would your mother say about that, hmm?"

"Leave my mother out of this," Jake warned, "This is going to end one way, Myers. You're going to jail, your little cult is going to be dismantled, and I'm taking my sister home."

"Quite the confidence for someone who's back is against the wall!" Meg laughed, "I like that, Mr. Blackridge. Ever the optimist, eh? It'd be endearing if it weren't for coming from you. I'm curious, Jake, how exactly do you plan on stopping me? Go on, let's hear your grandiose plan."

"As if I'd tell you," Jake spat, genuinely unsure how he was going to get out of his current predicament.

"That's a clever way of saying that you don't know," Meg chuckled, walking back to the well to have a seat, "Why don't we make this interesting? Let's give you a fair shot, shall we? Everyone, lower your weapons."

"Ma'am?" one of the cultists asked.

"I said lower your weapons!" Meg barked, "Keep the others in your sights, but let's give Mr. Blackridge a chance."

One by one, the guns trained on Jake were lowered. Jake looked around and shook his head, "Typical, you're just like every other villain I've faced; too confident for your own good."

"Quite the contrary, Mr. Blackridge," Meg countered, glancing down at her knuckles, "I'm unlike anyone, or anything, you've ever faced before."

"Keep telling yourself that," Jake growled.

"There's that attitude again," Meg smirked, "I think that we should consult someone else, don't you? I already asked you what your mother would think, and-"

"And I told you to leave her out of this!" Jake snapped.

"Let me finish, boy!" Meg screamed before taking a breath to compose herself, "Why don't we ask her? Oh, Rose~, come on out!"

Jake froze as he watched a hulking figure step out of the shadows. He tried to maintain his composure as he laid eyes on an all too familiar deep blue and gold suit. The sinister smile of The Amazon came into the light as she stepped out and grinned. Her suit brought back painful memories that Jake deeply wished to forget. "What have I told you about watching your mouth, Jake?" she asked as she stepped into the light.

"You fucking cunt!" Beth barked, stepping forward, no longer caring about the guns aimed at her, "I should have killed your ass when I had the chance!"

"Tut, tut, Ms. Thompson," Meg said, "I didn't say you could move, did I?"

"Fuck you!" Beth spat, clenching her fists before reaching into her coat and launching a throwing knife at the throat of one of the cultists and dropping to a crouch, "You think I'm gonna listen to you, you fucking freak?!"

Beth's question was drowned out as the roar of machine guns cut through the silence. Pam grimaced as she fought through the pain of the wards and raised a weak barrier to shield the three of them. She started to scream as her body began to ache and burn from the strain. Every ounce of power she expended filled her body with a throbbing sensation, but she had to push through it. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast!" Pam shouted as the pain continued to mount.

"Oh ho, this should be good!" Meg cackled as she sat back to watch the fireworks begin.

Beth charges forward and tackled one of the cultists. She rolled forward and wrestled the gun from his hands. Pam continued to fight against the runes, still dampening her powers, as she tried to tap into an ability she hadn't used in months. She screamed as she pushed a translucent field out of her body. Time began to distort and wane as it spread out. The bullets slowed to a snail's pace as it grew, but Beth, Jake, and herself remained unaffected. She couldn't hold it for long, but she could buy Beth enough time to make her move. Beth ripped the gun from his hands and fired it blindly at the crowd of cultists. Her shots took down half of them, and the others were forced to scatter slowly in the field Pam had created.

Pam couldn't hold it any longer, and she released the spell she'd been fighting to maintain. The pocket of distortion disappeared, and time began to flow normal once again. However, Beth was once again armed, and their opposition had been significantly cut for the moment. As Beth got to her feet, The Amazon smirked and stepped forward to slam both of her fists into the stone. A thunderous shockwave shot out from her forceful blow, and the ground shook and knocked everyone off their feet. Meg grinned as she got to her feet and quietly transformed her right arm while everyone was distracted. She snaked it around Sam to prepare to carry her off into the darkness. Sam cried out as she felt herself being pulled down a nearby hallway, and everyone turned to watch Myers, Sam, and The Amazon prepare to retreat.

"Come and get her, Jake!" Meg called as she faded away, "This game is just getting started, and your dear mother is getting tired of waiting!"

"Get back here!" Beth shouted as more cultists' footsteps could be heard coming from behind.

"Come to mommy, Jake!" The Amazon cackled as she followed behind Meg.

"Jake, go," Pam said, her breath labored as she stood beside Beth, "We'll handle the reinforcements and catch up once it's safe. You don't have to win, just keep them in place until we get there."

"Pam, that lunatic has-" Beth started.

"I know," Pam cut her off, "I can still feel Jake's emotional state, and that behemoth is playing hell on him. Even so, I can feel Jake's desire to save Samantha. Tell me you want us to go and you stay, Jake, and I'll happily oblige."

"No," Jake swallowed, forcing himself to face his own fears, "I've run for long enough, and I'm not letting either of those women torture Sam any longer. Just promise me that you two will be okay, and that you'll catch up before too long."

"On my life," Pam assured him, "Now, go, before they get too far!"

"Right," Jake sighed as he steeled himself for what was sure to be a horrid confrontation.

Jake took off in a sprint down the corridor that Meg and The Amazon had run into. He wasn't sure how he was going to handle the psycho claiming to be his mother, but he didn't have a choice anymore. He'd experienced what she was capable of many times before, and he wasn't going to let Sam suffer any longer. She'd endured long enough, and he was as ready as he'd ever be to face down his alleged mother. He just hoped that Beth and Pam would be back by his side sooner rather than later, but he'd already faced much by himself. However, he knew help was on the way. He reminded himself that he didn't have to win, just survive, as he raced into the darkness.