The Devil's Foundry

For a moment, the noose snapped tight around my neck.

My eyes bulged, arms spasming. I thought I was about to hear the sickening sound of my own spine snapping in two, followed by darkness.

I’d always been afraid, you know, of the dark.

Then the last strand of rope snapped. I dropped to the ground, collapsing in a heap as my hands scrambled frantically at the noose. My fingers pulled, and the rope gave. I heaved in a breath of air, chucking the rope away.

“Jesus Christ!”

I glanced up at the words. Electra had likewise yanked off the noose. General Tock had cut through hers cleanly on the first go. “Did you think you could cut it a little closer, Empress?”

I rubbed my neck. “I think I did, actually.”

I pushed myself to my feet, as Electra snorted. “Great. Perfect. Grade-A showmanship.”

I held out the arm with the mana inhibitor on it. “Showwomanship.”

She rolled her eyes, shattering the shackles with a controlled burst of electricity. The metal gave a whine as it crumpled open, and I felt my skills return. “So, please tell me that you have a plan.” She popped her own shackles a moment later.

“Of course I have a plan.” I looked around. The two of us were isolated beneath the scaffolding of the gallows. Around us, I could see the crowd almost frothing as people stampeded from the square. Blue was still causing chaos above.

“First,” I said. There was a thump as Delia dropped through the floor of the gallows, “…we deal with that.”

“You are totally pulling that out of your a— out of your butt.”

“You can swear, Electra.” I buffed my nails as Delia glared at the both of us. “The big bad PR team can't hurt you here.”

Electra squawked. “That was one time!”

“How fitting.” Delia twirled her spear. “You were a thorn in my side until the very end.”

“Oh, honey.” I sighed. “You don't seem to know who's driving this thing.”

Delia growled and lunged. I waved my hand. My mana pool drained to half, pulling dozens of demons into existence. The redheaded adventurer slid to a stop right before a hobblefiend eviscerated her.

“You—!”

“What, you thought this old thing would slow me down?” I tapped the twisted remains of the inhibitor cuff, and it fell to the ground. “Oops!”

At my side, Electra grinned. “Not so much fun now that the shoe’s on the other foot, huh?”

Delia ground her teeth, settling into a defensive stance. “It will take more than some second-rate skills to beat me.”

“Why do they always say that?” I shook my head. With an effort of will, half of my little army of demons spilled up through the gallows. They'd handle the rest of the guildies in the square, and cause… a little bit of chaos before they were killed.

Like all good employers of questionable ethics, I didn't need to pay my new demons if they died before they'd fulfilled their contractual obligations.

“You'll regret taking me lightly.”

I snapped my fingers. “No, that’s what they always say, isn't it?”

“Well.” Electra shrugged. “People don't really have genre awareness in this kind of setting, you kn—”

She snapped backwards just in time to avoid Delia's spear.

I threw out a demon-itize. The inky-black bolt raced through the air, only for Delia to bat it contemptuously aside. “Didn't I already tell you?” She yanked her spear from the wood of the scaffolding, cutting a demon in half with a negligent flick. “It will take more than some second-rate skills to beat me.”

I frowned. “Fucking power creep.”

Now that I'd seen a skill, Delia’s class description changed, morphing to show her second class.

“Still not a rare class?” I clicked my tongue. “No wonder you were so jealous.”

The woman flourished her spear. “Come a little closer, darling, and I'll show you exactly how I feel about you.”

“You guys really were destined to come to blows, huh.” We both stopped, turning towards Electra. The blondes nodded sagely. “The main cast can't support more than one ‘ara ara’ type.”

“Electra?” I said.

“Yeah?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Then Delia skewered the closest demon, and the fight was back on.

I ducked back away from a sweep. For now, I just had to let my mana pool keep refilling. I'd grind her down through sheer attrition.

“Buzzer Bolt!” I felt my hair stand on end as Electra’s spell raced through the air.

Delia met it head on, cutting through the lightning with her spear. I grimaced as she danced through my horde of hobblefiends, leaving only fading corpses in her wake.

I continued backstepping, and she pursued. Her face was calm, almost placid, but the spear was anything but.

“Kia!” She spun, unleashing a blast of air from her weapon, blowing my diminished horde backwards. I hissed when I saw another blast of magical electricity veer into the scaffolds. The Buzzer Bolt blew off a piece of wood, and I grabbed it, throwing it up in front of me just in time to block a thrust from Delia’s spear. The wood stung my fingers from the force.

She yanked her weapon back. “Pierce!”

I threw the two by four at her face.

The woman ducked, spear flashing up. Its blade glowed red, and the skill cut through the wooden beam like butter. With a huff, I dumped the rest of my mana into another round of demons. Somehow, I found my way to Electra’s side in the press.

“Any ideas?” Electra scowled. “She keeps blocking my spells.”

“What about your real lightning?” I asked.

“Think it'll work?” She cast an eye at me. “Her gear’s gotta have some other enchantments on it.”

Left unsaid was that they might block her electricity just as well as her magic.

“We are quickly running out of alternatives.” The dissolving corpse of a hobblefiend slid to a stop at my feet.

“Right.” Electra shook out her hands, hair sparking blue. “Least she's swinging around that big metal spear.”

“Yes,” I said as Delia cut through the last of my demons, “because this would be so much more difficult if she were unarmed.”

I guess quality had a quantity all of its own. Haah.

I let out a low breath as I felt the last of my demons perish. All I had left was Blue. Well, along with Mr. Burns and Coaline, much too far away to be any sort of help.

“Is that all you've got?” Delia flicked her hair out of her face. Despite her bravado, I could see the beads of sweat on the woman's brow. If I had the mana for another round of demons, we might have worn her down after all.

But, only heroes worried about could-have-beens.

“You got us.” I raised my hands, shifting on my feet. “We are in awe of your superior ability, please, do whatever you—”

I fell to the side as Delia lunged through the space I'd just been. My hand snapped down onto the haft of her spear.

She raised an eyebrow, and then kicked me so hard I saw stars.

I hit the far side of the scaffolding with a crack that I felt more than heard. It drove the air from my lungs, snapping my head back. My vision went white.

Then there was a flash, the crack of thunder, the burnt smell of ozone.

I slumped to my hands and knees, trying desperately not to throw up my own esophagus. By the time I managed to stagger back to my feet, the scent of burnt flesh was already filling the air.

On the far side of our little cage match, Delia was face down on the cobblestone. Wisps of gray-black smoke rose up from her unmoving corpse.

Runes on her armor sparked one last time. They shattered, protection spent, far short of what she’d needed in the end.

Electra stood next to the body, the tips of her hair still arcing with leftover charge. It occured to me then, as I saw the tips of her usual updo dip slightly with perspiration, that we'd been in this world for quite a long time.

I took in the pallid expression on my partner’s face.

Time made monsters of us all.

I took a raspy breath, forcing myself to my feet. “Good shot.”

Electra gave a sharp shrug. “Not like I could miss.”

I clenched my fists, fingers still trembling. I could feel the bruise starting to form on my back.

Just another day in the life of the most attractive and successful super villain in the continental United states.

I pulled Delia’s spear from unresisting fingers, then I checked for a pulse. Nothing. “She's dead.”

Electra huffed, looking away. “I didn't know how much current to use.”

I nodded. “You did what you had to do.” Then I took the spear and chopped Delia’s head clean from her corpse.

“Empress!”

I tossed the weapon down at my feet. “A bit late for that, don't you think?” I turned toward the gap in the top of the gallows. “Just because she's dead doesn't mean she'll stay that way. Who knows what kind of resurrection magic this world might have.”

Elektra bit her lip. “Wouldn't that…”

I shook my head. “I don't leave daggers pointed at my back.”

She let out a long, slow breath. “Yeah.”

“Come on.” I clapped her on the shoulder. “Next time, I'll take care of it.” Electra grimaced, but nodded sharply.

“You were never the type to make someone else do your dirty work.”

I gave a small smile. “You know me so well.” I jerked my head upwards. “Now let's go. We're not done yet.”

She drew in a deep breath. It was hardly her first brush with death, even if it might have been her first time dealing with it, but Electra was made of tougher stuff than your average hero.

“Need a boost?” she asked.

“Bitch.” I rolled my eyes. “You know it.”

It was why she’d lasted so long against me.

She formed a step with her hands. I hopped up, bracing my hand against her shoulders. “Was it always like this, for you?” she mumbled into my stomach.

I huffed, grabbing the floor of the gallows. “It’s never like anything.” I hauled myself up, kicking off her shoulders for that last little boost. Rolling over, I lowered my hand.

Electra looked up at me. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that as a villain, you never have a safety net. You never have a bottom line.” I gave a sharp smile. “No two jobs are the same, and at the end of the day, the only person you have to live with is yourself.”

She clasped my hand. “Sounds… kinda sad, not gonna lie.”

She jumped, I pulled. A few moments later, I got her up onto the platform. I shook my head. “Why do you think I have you and Rel?” She quirked her lip into an almost-smile. Then we both pushed ourselves to our feet and took stock of the damage.

The square was empty of people. I saw the corpses of Delia’s little crew, proof that my demons had done their job. Besides that, no casualties. Just like I’d ordered before my little monsters had no doubt run into the guards and died.

I didn't imagine I'd be welcome here in Silverwall for much longer.

A stillness lingered in the air. I could hear people yelling and screaming as the fight between the rest of the Guilds continued back and forth across the city. But here, for this little moment, it was calm.

“Busy day.” I murmured.

“Here comes the rest of it.” Electra pointed. I turned to see Arlo and the Tarnished come around a corner towards the square. My fellow gang leader looked to be in high spirits despite the narrow gash on his temple. I spotted the rest of my boys and girls with his gang as well, looking no worse for the wear.

My eyes sought out Rel unerringly.

She smiled as she met my gaze.

I gave a little wave as the victorious raiders came into the square. Shouts of surprise went up as my gang caught sight of me.

“It’s Lady Via!”

“Boss!”

“Empress, it's the Empress!”

I smiled a little wider at that, taking a seat on the edge of the gallows. “What, you didn't think I was gonna let you have all the fun, did you?”

A ragged cheer went up from my equally ragged band. It grew louder as Blue bounded up from the stage behind me, preening pridefully. We’d done it. We defeated the Adventurers Guild. With their biggest force taken out by Arlo and Rel, and Delia’s reserves felled by my hand, the rest of the Guild would be mopped up piecemeal.

Of course, an enterprising villain knew to never rest on her laurels.

Rel split from the crowd, coming forward to clasp my hand for a brief moment. “Did I do well, Mistress?”

I raised an eyebrow, and the woman blushed. Still, credit where credit was due. “Perfectly.”

Rel smiled wider.

The Tarnished, the very same gang that had attacked me all those weeks ago, came to a stop a bit further away. Oh, but how the tables had turned, for us and the city both. We had about even numbers between their gang and my little empire, with blades and grins still dripping crimson from the carnage.

We were all of us, red in tooth and claw.

“Arlo!” I waved cheerfully. “How’d things go on your end?”

The gang leaders’s salt and pepper beard twisted sharply around the answering grin. “Couldn't have planned it better myself. The Guild doesn't have a man left on his feet from here to the high wall.”

I grinned back. “Excellent.” I paused for a moment. “But, my friend, I couldn't help but notice that your boys are all wearing my colors.” Black and gold, obviously. “What happened to that thing you had going, with the… Silver Bands, was it?”

“Well.” his grin turned even sharper. “Only one band of hired thugs was invited to join the Guild. It's just how these things go.”

“And the fact that I'll be taking all the blame for this little escapade?” I fluttered my eyelashes at him. “I thought we were friends, Arlo.”

Some of his rogues and cutthroats shifted at my words, but Arlo just kept laughing. “Can't handle a little heat, girly?”

“Oh.” I kicked my feet idly in the air. “Don’t worry about me.”

Because the day had been… all according to plan.