Chapter Eight – “Band of Sisters”

The ruby tips of Elise’s jet-black hair waved in the breeze as the helicopter’s rotor started up. The blades of the luxury copter cut through the air with a methodical thumping that sounded like the steady beat of a heart. She sighed as she looked upon the members of her rescue team. Three people, and they’re all female; I don’t know what Robin was thinking. Does he really think that we’re going to be able to rescue the men with this? Elise lamented. She stared at Simone and Jenette in particular. Just the night before, Robin brushed her off when she inquired as to the origin of these two, and now they were supposed to be members of her team with barely an explanation.

“You’re supposed to be a demon?” She spoke, staring Jenette directly in the eyes. “No offense, but you look a little soft.”

“And you look like another jealous flat girl. You’re not going to whine the whole time like the last one, are you?” Jenette retorted. “Because if you are, I could help Ani pick out her next meal instead. I can find plenty of stuff to amuse me without trekking off into the middle of the jungle.”

Elise took another step down the line, ignoring the demon’s questions. She kept a stoic exterior even as Jenette yelled at her for her indifference. She was already looking at Simone, as if trying to size her up. The larger woman looked different from the last time she saw her. Her clothes were no longer torn, and she wore a tank top and a pair of jeans that were both in her size. I wonder where they found such big clothing, Elise thought.

“Simone, right? I’ve seen you staring at that Ravenlock girl that’s been hanging out with Mr. Blake lately. I don’t want you on the team if you’re going to be distracted the whole time,” Elise shouted up at the girl, “even if you are the heavy hitter on the team.”

Indeed, the woman’s slate grey eyes focused on her blonde friend who currently sat in the cockpit of the helicopter, chatting with Damon Blake. She suspired, and then tilted her head down at the short woman in front of her.

“No Ma’am, I want to help in any way I can. As soon as we have Brute hooked up to the harness, I’ll be ready to go!” She said confidently.

Elise nodded and moved on to the last member of her squad. The short redhead in front of her had her hair drawn back in a ponytail. The girl in the yellow Weezer t-shirt was shorter than Elise was, maybe only five feet tall, and was the only member of the group that nobody knew anything about. The girl seemed distant too, as if she was not quite paying attention to what was happening. Her eyes never met Elise’s, instead looking off into the foliage that surrounded them on the convention center’s roof.

“As for you, Robin didn’t tell me anything about you. Care to tell me your name and what you’re doing on my team?” Elise prodded for information.

“You can call me Wolfie. That’s what all my friends call me, and well I’m stronger than I look I guess.” The girl responded.

“Wolfie? What kind of name is that?”

“It’s a name.” Wolfie responded in a lackadaisical manner.

Marvelous, I get a smart-mouthed demon, a love struck giant and a petite coma patient on my team. If this isn’t a suicide mission, I don’t know what is. Note to self: kick Robin in the testicles if we come back alive. Elise mused. The racing pulse of the chopper’s blades made it hard to hear herself think, and even harder to bark out any orders to her team members, but it was time to go.

“Move out!” She shouted, waving her arm to direct traffic.

Simone ducked low, not wanting to take any chances that she was tall enough to get her head caught in the blades. She also did not want to mess up the new short bowl cut that Anne helped her with the night before. After her, the other two filed into the helicopter’s cabin. Elise turned to follow when she heard a ringing in her ears.

“Wait for me!” A girl with wavy blonde hair tucked in underneath a dusty looking fedora shouted as she came running through the exit onto the roof.

“Who in the bloody hell are you?” Elise glared at the girl, wondering whom Robin and his witch were sticking her with now.

“Huh?” The girl responded, as if she was confused as to why Elise did not recognize her. “Oh, right, you wouldn’t recognize me! Andrew Frost, codename: Andrea, reporting for duty Ma’am!”

The girl saluted Elise, who rubbed her temples at hearing the girl’s name.

“Frost, what are you doing here? And care to tell me why you’re a girl?”

“Well, you see Robin said that you needed an all female team because there was no telling what the Amazons were doing to the men, and I really wanted to come along, so we had Anne–” Andrea started.

“Fine, I get it!” Elise interrupted with an annoyed looking scowl on her face. “Why would you want to come on this mission so badly though? I never took you for the get in the face of danger type.”

“Oh, well, I just wanted to keep abreast of the situation.” Frost said with a grin on her lips. “Don’t you worry none. I’m in tit-top shape!”

“Son of a bitch, you’re worse than the other three. Just get on the helicopter and don’t say another word.” Elise grumbled.

Frost, who was wearing a red t-shirt with the Flash logo on it, ran towards the copter, only to have her fedora blown off by the force of the wind from the blades. Before she could react, it went sailing into the tree line.

“Damn it, I was going to be like Indiana Jones!” She complained, as Elise shoved her in the back.

The two girls entered the cabin and shut the door behind them. As soon as it shut, the thundering sound of the blades quieted to no more than a ceiling fan’s whir.

“Soundproof cabin,” Damon Blake called out from the pilot’s seat, “I spared no expense.”

The passengers certainly believed it too. The inside was spacious, with plush seating for at least eight. It was not even remotely close to the ride any of them expected. There was a flat screen television up in the corner of the cabin, and while it was currently blacked out due to their situation, it was still impressive to see. Everything was monogrammed B&L, which stood for Blake & Lockheed. Before they took off, Elise remembered seeing it emblazoned on the site of the chopper in large blue lettering.

Andrea’s head shot around the cabin like a cat trying to locate a bug flying in the air. Elise leaned back, crossing one army boot covered foot over the other, trying her best not to pay attention to her strangely hyperactive companion. This was all slightly out of character for Frost, but she thought it just a side effect of her transformation.

“Hey, I just thought of this, but we’re a lot like the Birds of Prey.” The former Andrew started. “Think about it. Simone is like Big Barda, I mean, before she was dead of course. Jenette could be like Hawkgirl. Then we’ve got Judomaster down in the corner there.” She said, referring to Wolfie. “Elise could be like Huntress, and well that leaves me. I’d be like–”

“Didn’t I tell you to be quiet Andrea?” Elise stopped her. “If you don’t want to end up crippled like Barbara Gordon, I suggest you not get on my nerves the entire way there.”

 

***

 

“You have no idea how wonderful it is to be amongst the trees again,” Shota chirped. “The air is fresh, clean, and totally devoid of that musty book smell. I can hear the sumac singing. Is it not glorious, Sekkai?”

“Yep, fantabulous even. We really should keep on our toes though,” the cat girl answered. “This is all Professor Ilamaral’s territory now, and I’m not sure which of his creations will remain loyal to him.”

“Do not worry my kitten. Now that I am out, free to congregate with my siblings, we will be safe. The shrubbery will warn us if anything means to do us harm. Plants pick up on bad intentions,” The woman explained. “It is a shame that these humans treat them as if they were nothing but scenery. That is how I ended up in this situation in the first place.”

“We’ll have everything back to normal soon, Shota. Once the Professor has been defeated, you’ll be able to do more than just listen to the trees.”

“That is good. I will be happy once I can commune with nature in the way that was intended,” She ranted. “As impressive as making an origami flower is, it is no substitute for growing a rose from the palm of your hand. Paper is not the medium a dryad, such as myself, is supposed to work with.”

“Do you ever talk in anything but exposition?” Jason interjected. “I’m not being paid enough for this. I wonder if San Diego pays any better.”

“You do not like my manner of speech, Jason Grey? Very well, consider yourself cut off from all future storytelling. It is a shame. You will miss out on the story of how I met my darling Sekkai.” Shota said in a haughty tone.

“The gods really do exist! What do I have to say to get you two to stop blathering completely?”

Shota’s eyebrows furrowed. She stopped in her tracks and changed direction, blocking Jason’s path. The moment he was close enough, she swatted the air just to the side of his cheek, letting only her fingertips brush against his flesh. The swipe left a thin red line behind, which trickled blood.

“Ow! What did you just do, give me a paper cut?” Jason wiped away the thin line of blood.

“Yes, that is exactly what I did! If you would like to receive another, feel free to continue with your disrespectful attitude”

“Well gee; I don’t know if I can handle that. Paper cuts sting so mildly, that I don’t think I will ever recover.” He said with a grin.

“You,” Shota glared at the man with the sandy brown hair. “Your remarks seem caustic in nature. What is it that you are doing there?”

“He calls it sarcasm,” Sekkai jumped in. “I thought it was a kind of food at first, but apparently it’s another way for humans to be rude.”

Shota readied her next swipe, but stopped when she saw Sekkai’s ears perk up. She listened intently to the ambiance. It was hard not to notice the usually talkative pair suddenly go mute, so even Jason halted and listened. It started faintly, off somewhere down the golden-lined path, but soon the noise came closer. Clip, clop, clip, clop; it was instantly recognizable. The skeptical man was just surprised to hear it in the middle of a tropical rainforest. He squinted, trying to make up for his usually poor vision, looking off down the path.

A long snout was the first thing visible as the beast rounded the corner. It was followed by a wavy blonde mane that looked as if it belonged on a Hollywood starlet rather than an animal. The tan coat gave the breed away, even for a non-horse expert like Jason. It was a Palomino. The man thought better than to question as to how this horse ended up here, and who its stylist was. It stared at him with doe-like eyes, as if expecting something.

“Well, are you going to give me a sugar cube or not?” The horse suddenly spoke, in a rather soothing feminine tone. “That’s the price for entry into the Professor’s woods. Even the children of Athena know that. The penalty for noncompliance is a set of hooves to the chest, so which will it be?”

“Um…” Jason paused, not sure how best to answer.

“Whoa, it’s me Glock. Simmer down.” Sekkai shouted, getting the horse’s attention.

“Oh, I didn’t see you there Sekkai. What are you doing in these parts of the woods?” Glock asked the cat girl. “You didn’t happen to bring any of those extraordinary delicacies with you, did you? I believe the Professor called them chili dogs, if I’m remembering right.”

“No, sorry, I’m not on official business today. In fact, I’d get in a lot of trouble if he knew I was out here with these two.” She hushed her voice, giving the horse a wink.

“Ah, all part of the secret plan then? Well then, that means that introductions are in order. My name is Glock, the Horse of a Different Color, and the Professor’s first experiment. As you can see, other than giving me spectacular hair and the ability to speak, the experiment was pretty much a failure.” The horse grinned at Jason.

“You’re the same color as every Palomino I’ve ever seen.” Jason muttered.

“Incorrect, my coat is 12% lighter than your average Palomino. I wouldn’t expect a human to notice the difference though. Who is this insolent little whelp, Sekkai?”

“Oh, that’s Jason. He’s always rude, so don’t worry about him.” She smiled. “Oh, and this is Shota. She’s a dryad, but she can’t connect to the trees anymore. Also, she’s my special someone!”

Shota smiled widely as she stroked Glock’s mane. It was introduction enough, as the horse whinnied to show her appreciation. Jason just stared at the Glock, particularly at the horse’s back, and then down at his own feet as if trying to hint something. He was not suited for this sort of hike like the others were after all.

“Nobody rides the Horse of a Different Color. Please do not ask, or else I might step on your toes.” The blonde horse threatened, then clip-clopped down the path, leading the merry group of adventurers.

 

***

 

“Ba-da-da-da-duh.” Andrea sang as the helicopter came over a ridge and up upon the Amazon city.

“This is not Apocalypse Now. Please stop humming the Flight of the Valkyries,” Elise demanded.

Slowly, the copter descended as dust and burned out embers rose in a cloud around them. The village was vacant other than the remnants of the battle that nearly leveled it the day before. One by one, Elise’s rescue team hopped out of the helicopter. Simone pointed to the apex of the temple steps where they could see Brute’s discarded body standing in the same spot they had left it, glistening in the light of midday.

Elise nodded and then the team ascended the steps, following her lead. Frost’s current overabundance of energy remained quite apparent as she zigzagged her way amongst her team members, running up a few steps then looking back at the rest of them like a child waiting for her slow parents. Andrea was not the only one buzzing about at that moment though. As the crept closer to Brute’s resting place, they could hear the overwhelming buzz of flies. An overpowering stench hit them next, the scent of a gigantic animal rotting in the humidity.

“Oh god, it smells like a sun-dried elephant!” Elise withdrew, pulling her head back from the direction of the smell.

“How do you know?” Jenette asked. “It’s not that bad. Obviously you’ve never been around Nergal when he has bad gas.”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this, that’s how I know,” Elise said in a grouchy tone. “And please, keep any stories about Hell to yourself. My world view has been shattered enough over the last few days without hearing more.”

“Stop right there, humans!” A tiny female voice echoed from amongst the buzzing of the flies.

Three tiny beings were floating in front of Elise’s eyes, their tiny dragonfly-like wings beating a mile a minute to keep them hovering. Each looked like a person scaled down to about three inches only with wings attached. The one in the center wore a hand-stitched dress that looked like it might have been made out of rose petals. She had curly peach hair that fell in loose curls about her shoulders, and although it was difficult to make it out, green eyes.

“There is a dangerous beast up ahead!” She pointed to Brute, who was maybe five steps up from their current position, and had a battalion of pixies circling around him. “My kin are keeping it at bay, but we fear it could strike at any moment. Please do not put yourselves in harm’s way.”

“I think we can handle–” Elise started.

“No, you do not understand! It is unnatural, something that should not be. Whoever comes in contact with it will almost surely die!” The pixie warned.

Elise sighed, turning her head to peer back at her team, most of which were staring off into space and were not taking the mission seriously. Through the crowd though, Haley came rushing up the steps urgently.

“Excuse me, but that is not a dangerous beast. It is my robot, and we’re here to remove it.” Haley explained in a calming tone.

The pixie seemed perplexed. She did not know what a robot was, but if these humans were here to take it away, then they were obviously helping. She turned and whispered to her companions, who hastily zipped back to the rest of their tribe. Soon, the entire group of pixies withdrew from Brute’s side and joined their leader.

“We have discussed it, and we believe that you are telling the truth,” the leader remarked. “In gratitude for removing the monster from our woods, we would like to offer a reward. Do you accept?”

The team members looked at one another and then to Haley, as if waiting for her to answer for the entire group.

“Um… sure, I guess that–”

Before the inventor could finish her sentence, the pixies swarmed around Simone. Their bodies crystallized, making them look like a flock of flying diamonds. Light caught hold of their jeweled flesh, reflecting off it in a prism that blinded everybody, including the tall woman at the center of the swarm.

“What’s going on?” Simone whimpered in a helpless voice, as if she already knew what her fate would be. “Please stop! I don’t want this.”

Even with her objections, the pixies continued to buzz around her form, which slowly began to shrink. Her muscle tone disappeared, and her body felt like it was swimming in the clothes Anne provided her with. Her chest flattened, and the bulges that were once there seemed to migrate south. She could vaguely make out strands of red hair falling from her head, so it was no surprise that when the huddle concluded, Simon was left standing in Simone’s place.

“There,” the lead pixie grinned, “we have suppressed the magic that altered your form. The potion that those women use is strong, so we were not able to remove it entirely, but at least it is locked inside now. No gratitude is nec–”

Simon angrily swatted at the pack of pixies, his clothes falling off him as he stumbled about.

“I didn’t want to change back! I’m weak and useless like this.” He shouted, forcing Haley to grab onto his shoulders and hold him still.

“Calm down Simon. You’ve never been useless.” Haley held him tight, stroking his cheek as she would a child.

“But–”

“Listen, if you really want to change back, you can talk to Anne when we get back. This is sort of her thing after all.” Haley smiled at the bald man, trying to comfort him.

“Did you just say Anne?” The pixie asked. “As in Anne Onymous?”

Haley nodded as the team, minus Simon attached a harness to Brute that was attached on the other end to Damon Blake’s helicopter.

“My name is Irene. I have business with this Anne Onymous. You will take me to her in your shiny bird!” She demanded, eliciting only a shrug from Haley who only wanted to get Brute back to the Triumph.

As Haley lead Simon and Irene back to the helicopter, Elise watched on with her team. The number of flies at the top of the stairs was nearly all consuming. It was as if they were a single black mass buzzing around the dead basilisk’s head, nearly covering it from view. The helicopter took off once again, and Elise gave the harness one last tug to make sure it would hold as it lifted Brute into the air, dangling precariously.

“It looks like we just lost a team member, and now we’re on our own, in the middle of nowhere. I suggest we start by figuring out where the Amazons went.” Elise ordered. “Split into teams of two, Wolfie with me, Andrea with–”

“They went this way.” Jenette blurted out, pointing towards the inner sanctum of the temple.

“What makes you say that? You can’t just point in any old direction and say that’s where they went.”

“I can smell them. What, you can’t?” Jenette questioned. “Oh, that’s right. You’re human. Your senses aren’t as finely tuned as a demon’s. Guess we know who should be leading this team.”

“Fine, so you’re as useful as a dog. Hooray for you. Let’s get going now, and remind me to find a gun and shoot you when we get back.”

 

***

 

Kacie tugged on the laces of her navy blue Skechers as she sat in the hallway outside of the hotel’s indoor pool. Slipping the shoes off, she could hear the faint sound of scraping, like metal against concrete. The thought of someone intruding on her self-imposed solitude did not cross her mind, at least not as she removed the cute ankle socks she wore from her feet. She paused to wiggle her petite digits before standing. Pain shot into her right cheek as she rose to a crouch. She could feel her flesh searing beneath her scar, and see the faint orange glow that it emitted. That was the moment that she realized she was not the only one looking for a midday dip.

Kacie touched the fiery blemish, which was just large enough to prevent her from hiding it. A loud splash came from the poolroom. Carefully, she pried open the double doors just enough so that she could peek through them. She was cautious to make sure that she did not inadvertently give away her position by her glow.

The crack in the door showed her very little. The Triumph’s poolroom had the benefit of arch-shaped windows, which allowed enough light in to make shadows dance on the walls.

“Keep your eyes on the water,” came the first whisper. “It’s got to come up for air soon.”

“I’m watching. Don’t tell me what to do. I think I can handle one demon.”

It was just dim enough that the two men could not see what lied beneath the placid surface. They jumped at shadows with their pistols at the ready should the creature emerge from the depths.

“Are you sure that thing’s a succubus, Agent Midea?” Cronocke whispered to his partner.

“I think I know a succubus when I see one. What other kind of demon would wear a black rubber cat suit and have tits that size? Succubi are some kinky mother fuckers you know.”

“Have you ever even seen a succubus before? I’m pretty sure they’re not the size and shape of sea cows. Just because it has the fashion sense of a cheap hooker doesn’t mean it’s a succubus.”

“Look, if I’m wrong, you can select the next game we play.” Midea offered.

The black shape broke the surface as the water careened off the shiny black rubber. A long jagged tail followed behind the demon, which reminded Kacie of a xenomorph. A sharp ping sounded as Midea fired off a round. It was not the bang that the blue-eyed girl expected. Clearly, the man’s gun had a silencer on it. The shot seemed to do little other than to anger the demon, as it burst forth from its watery shelter, with a wrathful howl.

A torrent of bullets erupted from the agents’ guns, pelting the womanly-shaped beast countless times until it slammed against the ground a few feet away from Cronocke. It was dead before it had another chance to strike. Agent Cronocke kicked the carcass and it barely moved.

“This thing’s made entirely out of rubber. I win the bet. I should have known better than to trust somebody who doesn’t like Oblivion because it’s not a traditional RPG.”

“Hey, I like games with story lines. You can keep that off-the-rails shit to yourself.” Midea shot back.

“You know, there’s this thing called a book. You should check one out sometime.” Cronocke said with a grin. “Anyway, let’s bag this thing. It might not have been our target, but it should prove as some valuable training when we find the real Anibelle.”

Kacie cursed underneath her breath and then quickly shut the door. In a flash, she was running down the hall without a care that she left her shoes and socks behind. After all, this was her second chance to rescue Ani.