Showdown
Beth rushed through the woods. The three officers behind her. Even with their level of tiredness still able to keep close to her. They had travelled for most of the night. When a noise in the distance made them all pause.
They were fully sure if it was the Camarilla or Reinforcement that Raelle had mentioned. Beth turns to them and whispers, “stay here, if i don’t return in, 5. Leave. Keep going until you find a military base”
Beth walked through the woods. Stay low in the bush. She can hear movements coming toward her. And before she could really defend herself she was surrounded by. Four women, wearing dark grey and brown.
She placed her hand on her gun, but didn’t do anything else. Just watched them, until an older woman came though. Seeming to be the leader of them.
“What are you doing here Cadet?”
“Who are you, foe or ally?”
With a smirk she knelt down, “I’m batgirl but right know you can me Nicta Batan”
Her eyes widened but only a little.
“This too easy, but Raelle said, your early and your defence is weak”
Nicta straighten up “is there anyone else with you”
“Yes, three officers that we save form the Camarilla”
“Get them”
Seeing her not move, she looked at her more closely. She can see the tell tell sign of Raelle working. And so shifted a little with how she approached this Cadet.
“You have completed your task, you and the officer need rest. Right?”
Beth nobbed yes.
“Then get them, i have the perfect place for you to rest”
And without waiting Beth darted toward the officers she left behind. The cession witches followed Nicta lead, but didn't stop her. They all know of their leader, Raelle, work would do to people and Witches.
“You all hear her, the Camarilla have a bomb. Get our defence up. And quickly. I don’t think we are ready. So change that and get ready.”
With waiting to be dismissed the Cession Witches. Nicta also whispered her seed, making the bats squeak and flitter around. Getting some feedback, they informed her about the layout, and how far away there are, etc.
Beth and the three officers quickly arrived back. The officers quickly pulled out their weapons as they recognised who Nicta was.
“You're the leader of the spree,” the leader said.
“I’m not, anymore, it's been over 15 years since i was. Know do you want to live past this night”
They didn’t move a muscle.
“Stand down”
“Never”
With a heavy sigh, Nicta nobs her head. And just like that all the officers fell to the ground. The Cession witches had sneaked up behind them and knocked them out using a sleep seed. She over at Beth.
“They're not dead, just asleep. And for the record. I was Spree once. I am and forever be a Cession witch, one of the founders. And the second in charge of this army. Only follow by two, Thalma Bearkiller and Raelle Collar”
Beth just nobs along, not really sure what to do.
Quickly they get the makeshift camp up and running. Putting the sleepy witches safely in the middle. Beth was tasked to protect them. Which she does, grateful that she didn’t need to do much, still overwhelmed with everything.
She didn’t know how long it was until the early morning sun came through the trees. Everyone rushed around more, she was paying attention.
The ground beneath them all, rumbled loudly. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. ‘This isn’t good’ she thinks.
Everyone looks at the world turned bright white, blinding them all.
****
They had travelled through the woods with ease. Founding many Camarilla dead bodies from the attack from Alder ordered. Which took them all by surprise. Thank the goddess.
Tally whispered to Abigail, “it looks like there got them by surprise”
“Yea, it does”
There followed all of them in silence. It wasn’t until there got to the field with the helicopter that Glory, Tally's childhood best friend spoke up.
“Are we leaving? '' she asked out loud to knowone specifically.
M the group leader said nothing. The third in the M’s unit, she understood that M wouldn’t respond as it wasn’t directed to them. She spoke up.
“Yes, we have an order to take all of you back to base. Back to Fort Salem. And before anyone asks, we don't know anything about you passing or not. All we know is that the base is being evacuated.”
Everyone understood.
They Are all thankful that they are able to leave. Even with the bomb threat, it was a hard day. Four of their fellow witches have died. In real combat. Abigail the one holding her combat medal, to return to her mother. Two were injured, only minor. And the rest was just worn out.
They all climb into the helicopter. M and Greogrio taking the helm. Two other units climb on board alongside the Cadets. Only talking with M. Tally Overhearing them, heard that there were orders to come along. And to protect them if anything went south. Well more south.
As they fought in the sky, they could see seven other helicopters. She looked out as the morning sun came up.
“Home, soon” Abigail said.
With a deep frown, Tally didn’t say anything. She could tell something wasn’t right. But now could she tell how she was feeling, when she didn’t know herself. Abigail could tell there was something on her mind, she was about to respond when the world turned white, blinding them all, briefly.
****
She could feel her body freeze.
This wasn’t how this was meant to go. She thinks to herself.
“Doc, it's been awhile. I see, even with the damage I have caused to your production. You managed to impress me. With a flatter bomb”
She slowed clap at him. Getting a growl from him, and a cold stare. Even with his cold stare or this little chat. Didn’t stop him from doing what he was doing. Which Raelle couldn’t tell. She just watched him, from down below.
It wasn’t until he was about to leave when Raelle spoke up.
“I didn’t say you could leave”
He paused, and looked back at her. “Your wind and whispers can’t affect me hear”
With a smirk Raelle creating her moved used seed by this point. “I will not leave, i have dealing with you”
This gave him pause, she watched as he tried to move. With a grunt he shouted, “you said it would work”
Then a vice she had hear in so long come back, “it will stop most of her work, Honey”
‘Honey’ a voice in the back of her mind said.
She watched as her dead mother walked out. She was just as she remembered. Her dark hair, grey blue eyes. Pale skin, with a hint of colour. Her clothes betrayed her. Black clothes, head to toe. With a red patch on her shoulders. Nothing else. But that voice triggered something inside her. It reminded me of something but she could place it yet.
She watched as she walked over to Alban Hearst and kissed him tenderly.
“You portrayed your people for him”
Willa finally broke the kiss and looked down at her daughter.
“I didn’t portray anyone, Daughter. We are making a new world, and some people might die for that to happen. Join us”
“Join you, that killed a whole town and airfield, used the witch plague to do most of the work. You might off gone mad, since I saw you last.”
Willa didn’t mind being called mad. All the good creators of the world at some point are called mad. She turned to Alban, and whispered to him, ‘it time, do you think’. Raelle for her part didn’t hear what she said.
But listen to Willa spit out, “Join, or this time we will make sure you die. And stay that way”
That was it, that was the missing piece of her puzzle. That voice, from the box. The one ordering the doctors on what to do. While she lay strapped down to the table, her own mother helped them do this. No, she was part of the master plan from the get go.
“You did this to me”
Willa looked down at her daughter, “your welcome, it was about time you learnt the truth or connected the dots. But know, you know” she smirk at her, “i was behind it all and without my import you wouldn’t be as powerful as you are”
Raelle couldn’t help but laugh, and the whole thing was funny. It was true she was powerful before everything. But the slumber party, killing them all or hunting them down gave her purpose. In live and something to move forward with.
“You think that ripping me apart, helped you. Or making my friend betray me. Or breaking William and Edwin's hearts.” her breathing was getting heavy. The memories she long to forget coming back in loops. The pain in her body, tingling her arms and legs.
“Yes” Willa smears out.
Her heart breaks, this wasn’t meant to meet like this. No, not her mother. Not the lovely mother that she told she was gay too. Or her many dreams too. That woman was standing there. No this woman wasn’t her mother at all, but her faceless enemy she had countless nightmares over.
Tears would have run, like a waterfall. If only it was a different time.
With another laugh, “then you never knew me, because if you did. You would know, i wasn’t bothered by your deals with the spree or Camarilla. Want bothered me, was. The people that ripped me apart.”
“What are you talking about”
“I think you forgot, Willa. I'm not stupid like most that surround you. I know you. But you don’t know me. I only wanted to be a Detective within the Cession. And I was granted that, I wasn't going to join the army, or leave. I was just going to have a simple life.”
She rolled her shoulders. “It wasn’t until the slumber party aftermath. That, I got invested in the Camarilla and the spree. That you took over and then lied to everyone saying Nicta was the leader still. When you clearly were.”
She was as Willa's face dropped with that.
“You said she was interfering with our work” Willa smeared at Alban.
“She had been, YES”
As they bickered among themselves. Raelle wondered if this was their plan all along. But there is no rush to leave it would seem that way. The second voice in her head said.
“You know being the witch bomb, hunting down your people was really fun.”
That stopped them. They looked at each other for a long moment before looking at Raelle, “I’m the witchbomb,” she said with a smile.
“Really you, killed them, stopped our work from transporting in the Cession. Created that founder group that stopped us at every turn in our development. That stopped every slumber party we ever created.”
With a big grin, “i am, and i killed so many, you too are next”
And with that Toot who had been hidden in the shadows that Raelle had noticed a moment ago. She could tell that Toot was a little out of breath.
She jumped out and pushed Willa. Making her stumble over the railing and onto the bomb. Yelping as she goes over. As that happens six men. Come running toward Raelle. That she hadn’t noticed entering. The lower half.
Too distracted she fought them off. Them not allowing her to think. To create work. She was quickly overwhelmed after killing four of them. Out of breath. She was forced to her knees. Willa and climb down to her level. A small cut above her right eye. Raelle could see any other injuries.
She finally looks up to see Alban holding Toot. She try to move to get out. But this two big guys holding her down were stopping her. She could use her words. As she about to, a sharp pain raced through her body.
“No more of that” a voice said.
She gasped, she looked down at her body. A knife sticking out where her shiner mark was located. After a moment the first shiner breaks. Quickly followed by the second. Her scars showing themselves to everyone around.
She looks up at her, “tell her go” she manages to get out. The third seal is still holding if only by a thread.
“No,” Willa said, tuning back to Alban.
He smirks down at Raelle, and squeezes his hand around Toot's neck. Before with a little effect thought over the rail onto the floor below. Making a sickening thud. That ran through Raelle. Blood started out of Toot head. But she didn’t move, or even make a sound.
That was it, the final strew, oh that was her mistake. That was their mistake.
With the last gasp of air. She pushed up and made the two guys stumble back. Going gathering them by surprise and then quickly pushing the knife further in. Making her fall back, on her back. Her breathing was heavy and uneven.
She looked up at her mother, “you can come out know”
The last thing was the satisfying surprise and fear in her mother's face as the world turned white. The ground cracking around them. And then everything went black.