Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 4: Worlds Apart

Beth crashed to the ground and into a pile of rubble. Her body ached from the painful trip through Voidfoot's portal, but her mind was still spinning. The journey through dimensions was something she had little experience with beyond her and Jake's previous battles with the monstrous woman, but it was never pleasant. She pushed herself up and threw up what little was left in her stomach. Interdimensional travel was way worse than teleporting with Pam. She spit the last chunks out of her mouth and frowned. She'd lost her beloved girlfriend and mistress, and she'd failed to avenge her. Worse, she'd been sent hurtling through the void into a world she knew nothing about. She was alone and would have to find some way to survive and return. It was easier said than done, though, and she didn't have a clue where to start. 

Wherever she was, it was dark. She recognized a few buildings around her, but they were crumbling or badly damaged. She was in downtown Metropolis, but it wasn't anything like she remembered it. First Metro Bank was close by, but the windows were shattered, the brick was scorched, and she swore she saw dried blood splattered on the wall. The streets and sidewalks were all in disrepair too. Street signs and traffic lights were either bent or torn down completely. Looking down, she noticed that it wasn't rubble she'd landed in, but rather bones of some long dead and poor soul. She grimaced as she got to her feet and heard the sound of a skull cracking beneath her boot. Someone had done a real number on this place.

She sighed as she looked up, expecting to see streetlights, but her jaw nearly dropped when

she saw the sky. It was the strangest thing she'd ever seen. The sky was tinged with hues of crimson and black clouds, and the sun looked to have some sort of strange shadowy eclipse stuck over it. The glow from it was eerie, dark, and stained the area in deep shades of red and purple. It wasn't night, not by the look of things, but rather day time. Yet, somehow the sun had been blotted out of the sky. The reflective rays from the sun were dulled into next to nothing, and the air carried an unnatural chill to it. A sense of unease and dread started to form in the pit of Beth's stomach as she looked around. 

“What the hell is going on?” she whispered to herself, looking around for any sign of movement or life, “What happened here?”

Anxious and alarmed, Beth checked her equipment and slowly walked down the street. The silence was almost deafening as she headed deeper down the street into the city. The shadows of the buildings seemed to stretch on longer than normal as well, but that could have been her nerves playing tricks on her. Either way, the silence was unnerving. No cars, horns, chatter, only a void of unnatural quiet that blanketed the usually lively city. Where were all the people? More importantly, where was she supposed to go? Maybe Jake was alive in this universe. What about Pam? Was there another version of her lover somewhere here? Then again, it was doubtful that this universe's Pam was like hers. After all, they'd been enemies before they were a couple. 

Beth sighed as she started to realize the depth of trouble she was in. So much had changed in her world over the last year. Enemies had become friends, or more, family ties that had been mended, and many obstacles that had been overcome over the period of a year. Alexis, Sally, Sam, Pam, Kait, and even Jason were more than likely all very different in this world than hers. The odds of any of them helping her were slim to none, not without some sort of transactional benefit for them. Jason was a possibility, but that was assuming he was even alive in this world. No, Jake was her only hope here, but clearly things had gone awry somewhere in this place. The sky was proof enough of that, so who was to say if Jake was alive and well? The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the odds weren't in her favor here. More than likely, she was alone against whatever force this universe called its ruler. That was also something she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

Unsure what else to do, Beth decided that the first place she needed to go was home. Not the apartment she lived with Pam in, but her old one bedroom flat. It was where her life had first changed, and it had been her home for years after high-school. More than that, it was where her new journey had begun what felt like a lifetime ago. The place where Catgirl had died and The Feral had risen in her place. This was assuming that the place was hers in this world too, but she'd find out soon enough. She could still remember the old address, and with a destination in mind, she quickened her pace through the dead city streets. 

It was strange, Beth felt almost like she was being watched as she quickly hurried through the city streets. There was nobody around, though, so it didn't make sense. There were a few old CCTV cameras around, but she wasn't sure they worked anymore. She rounded a corner and ducked into an alleyway that led behind her old apartment complex. The building had always been in a sorry state, but now it seemed somehow worse. Several broken windows, few lights on, and the bricks were chipped more than usual. Luckily, the fire escape was still intact. That was her way up just beyond the old dumpster. She could still remember her first outing as The Feral here; the gang members she'd brutalized in this very alley so long ago. 

A colony of bats rose up out of the shadows as she approached the rickety old ladder, but Beth paid them little mind at first. That was until a few of them tried to bite her. It was strange and unlike anything she'd dealt with. She swatted them away before any of them could sink their fangs into her, but it was weird seeing so many and how hostile they were. They screeched before circling back around and coming back at her. This was new. Alarmed, Beth hurried up the ladder as fast as she could to the fifth floor that she'd called home for years. The bats flapped and swarmed around her, but she climbed as fast as she could. Her feet hit the old fire escape and it groaned against her weight. She raced up the stairs towards what was once her room as the bats continued trying to attack her. Her hope was that the lock was still broken like it had been the entire time she lived there. Of course, her luck, the super in this universe probably gave a shit and fixed the damn thing. 

Beth reached the window and looked back as she threw it open with all her might. It rose up and she dove through it before turning and slamming it shut. A handful of the bats hit the window pane, but the rest of the colony flew up and dispersed. Beth swallowed a thick lump in her throat as she watched the bats fly away. “What the fuck is going on here?” she whispered as she looked around, hoping that she wouldn't run into herself.

That was something she had never had happen before. She didn't know the rules of interdimensional travel. For all she knew, one of the two could possibly explode or the universe might collapse because of the paradox. Then again, maybe nothing would happen. Judging by the continued silence here, Beth wouldn't be finding out anytime soon. Yet again, the place was next to deserted, but she recognized several of the items littering the bedroom. Her jacket, some of her shirts, a few spare magazines, and a handful of other miscellaneous items laid here and there. What really caught her attention were the items that she knew didn't belong to her. A couple of leather dresses, one a shiny latex, a set of cuffs and rope tucked neatly away, and a pair of boots she recognized from her universe. Those were Pam's things, so that meant that they'd ended up together here too!

It was a notion that provided a small measure of hope, but it still left the question of where everyone was. Not to mention what had happened to the city. The bats from only a few moments ago were also a concern. She'd never seen bats behave that aggressively, and the fact that they chased her was cause for alarm. Something else was going on here, but she didn't have the faintest idea what it was. She decided to look through the apartment to see what she could find. In almost every universe, Beth was sure the version of herself was well informed. Judging by the gun parts laying around, this version had taken a similar dark turn as well. That would explain part of how she and Pam ended up together considering their history.

A peek into the closet revealed more of Pam's clothes alongside hers. That meant they'd been living together for a little while, but that raised the question of why the place was such a mess. There were items, clothes, and containers strewn about throughout the bedroom and even into the living room. Pam was meticulous in her housekeeping, or rather Beth's housekeeping, but it looked like the place had been ransacked. There was a bag that was half packed on the bed as well, so something had spooked the two of them. Were they running? That didn't seem like something either of them would do. She found a tablet buried under a pile of clothes and opened it up. Her pass code was the same, thankfully, and she opened it to scroll through and see what she could find.

December 31st 2022 -

Pam's been bringing up some weird disturbance in the air again. I don't get it, but she seems worried that something big is coming. After Goth bit it, I haven't been worried about magic, though. If we could take her down, then whatever this is shouldn't be a problem. Still, the rise in missing persons and random attacks downtown are troubling. It could be nothing, but I think I need to keep looking into it. Pam doesn't want me to, but it's who I am. I know she's just worried about me, but this is one thing I won't give up. 

January 9th 2023 -

I haven't heard from Jake in a week now, and I'm getting worried about him. He was pretty tore up after Goth, but he would still check in once a day. No answer on his phone, no answer at his mansion, and I don't know what to do. Combine that with Pam's worries, the continual uptick in cases, and my lack of leads, and I'm starting to get concerned. He could be off on another binge fuck, but somehow I doubt that. Last time he had a breakup, he dove into some weird shit, but no one has heard anything. I'll have Alexis check into him tomorrow. She's batshit crazy, yeah, but if he's out there she'll find him. Of course, what she does and how long it takes for her to get back to me will vary, but I've got to do something.

Beth frowned as she continued looking through the entries. So, Goth was dead, Alexis was an ally, Pam was her girlfriend, and Jake was depressed. Something had happened, but Goth obviously wasn't the cause of the black sun outside. Pam had been scared, but she still didn't know why. She leaned back on the bed and continued to read. 

January 20th 2023 -

Fuck me, this isn't good. Alexis finally showed back up, but she looked like she'd had the ever-loving shit kicked out of her! Bruised, bloody, and it looked like someone had bit her. She might be a whacko, but I know she can handle herself in a fight. The fact that someone got her that bad is alarming. More worrisome is the fact that she couldn't find Jake. Said she got jumped by some freaks that came out of nowhere too. We've got her laying on the couch, and Pam seems to think it's something supernatural. Looks like I'll be staying in tonight to make sure I don’t lose a friend. Crazy as she might be, I owe her too much to risk leaving her alone.

January 21st 2023 -

I don’t know what happened or where to begin. Alexis is gone…fuck, I can’t believe how much this bothers me considering everything that lunatic put me through over the years, but she was my friend at the end! It started small with the color draining from her whole body, but it took a quick turn from there. She was dead asleep on the couch when she snapped up and started attacking us. She was like some sort of sick wild animal. I couldn’t subdue her, Pam couldn’t get a lock on her, and it didn’t matter that I shot her in the fucking legs! She got up and lunged at Pam, so I did what I had to do…I shot her in the back of the head. I’ve put down a lot of criminals, but this one is different. Pam is in the other room looking over her body, but I don’t know what she’s expecting to find. More to come later.

January 21st 2023 (Continued) -

It’s been three hours since I put Alexis down, and Pam found something in her blood. Doesn’t matter how many times I see blood magic, it still freaks me the fuck out. There was a weird discoloration to Alexis’ blood, and Pam thinks that it could be part of a curse; specifically a vampiric one. If she’s right, that means that we’ve got a thousand year old bitch back. I just don’t see how she could be back. Jake said that she was banished, but Goth was the one who did it. Could her death have weakened the seal? That would be our fucking luck. If Ashley is back, then Jake is more trouble than I thought. Yet another sociopath that is obsessed with my best friend. It would explain a lot, but I hope I’m wrong about this one.

Beth bit her lip as she stopped reading for a minute. Alexis was dead, but worse than that was the possibility of an evil Ashley running rampant. Ashley was a cunning and powerful foe; that was a big reason she was glad that she and Jake were finally on the same page in their world. However, Ashley had been tempered by a desire to protect Jake and save him from Goth. With her gone, that meant that she would be back to her possessive and dangerous ways. Was Ashley what had happened to the city? The date at the top of the tablet read March 1st. There were several more entries in the tablet, so Beth scrolled further down in hopes of finding out more on what had happened.

February 19th 2023 -

Goddammit, she’s taken three quarters of the city now. Fuck, how could I have missed this?! Still no sign of Jake, but my money is on the possibility of Ashley keeping him locked away. She curses Pam and Goth calling them witches, but she’s no different than Goth. She’s stronger than she was before, though, faster too. Damn bullets didn’t do a thing to her, but I’ve still got the parts of the gun I used on Goth. We don’t have much time before she finds us. Pam is packing right now in case we have to stay on the move. I’ll have to get her help to make this work, though. We’ve only got one shot at this and we can’t afford to miss.

February 23rd 2023 - 

I can’t believe it. We were played from the start. Ashley led us straight into a trap at the old cathedral devoted to that gasbag Megabutt without us realizing it. I didn’t realize the connection between Goth and that fat-assed windbag went beyond sadism. Apparently, Ashley knew about it. Blood-sucking freak, she…she got Pam. She trapped her in some sort of giant crystal thing. She used her like a fucking battery to cast some spell, and now the damn sun is black. I can’t use the day hours anymore, but worse was the fact that  there was nothing I could do to help Pam. I tried to get to her, but she used those stupid powers of hers to send me back here. Those bastards are going to pay for this, I swear it. 

February 29th 2023 - 

I found her body. I’ve lost everyone and everything now. Jake, Alexis, and now Pam, they’re all gone. Six days, that was all it took for Ashley to take what was left of the city. I don’t know what else I can do, but I know I can’t forget the way Pam looked. Body drained, skin sickeningly pale, face fucking gaunt, stripped naked, and burn marks covering her body. I might not make it back from this one, but if I go out it’s going to be on my terms. I’ll kill her if I can, but if I can’t then at least I can be with Pam again. I loved her, and I will not let that redheaded vampiric bitch get away with taking her from me. If anyone finds this and I don't make it, know that I tried everything I could. I'm going to the manor tonight to try to end this once and for all.

Beth locked the tablet as she finished the last entry. That was that then, and it gave her enough to go on to surmise what had happened. She'd somehow managed to kill Goth, but doing so had somehow let Ashley out of her prison. The key difference seemed to be that Ashley hadn't spent her imprisonment reforming but rather growing more lustful and bitter. She'd taken the city, the lives of the people she cared about, and likely her own in the process. Whatever happiness she had in this world had been snuffed out like in her own. This wasn't her fight, but she suspected that the bats from earlier were linked to Ashley. If the Beth in this world had picked a fight against her, then Ashley would likely be after her as well. What she needed was a way out of this world and back to hers, but she didn't have any idea how to accomplish that. Her best bet might very well lay with Ashley and whatever magic she had here.

Beth sighed as she grabbed anything that might be of use. Clips, grenades, knives, whatever she could get her hands on and fit on her person. She didn't see the point in lugging around a bag during her stay here. She managed to find a spare belt with clips for the grenades as well as another pouch to fasten on her hip for ammo. Beth checked the drawers before getting ready to leave, and she stopped as she spotted something odd. There were bullets in her nightstand that she'd never seen before. They were forty-five caliber bullets, but the casing seemed to emit a strange glow. They were warm to the touch too. There were several in the drawer along with multiple casings, so she grabbed them all. They might not fit in her standard clip, but maybe she could figure out a use for them later. Lastly, she grabbed a charm that was on Pam's nightstand; one of her runestones that she often used as a focusing tool. She doubted she could use it, but at least she'd have something to remind her of her beloved. 

As ready as she could be, Beth took a deep breath before heading to the window. There was only one place she could go: Blackridge Manor, or whatever was left of it here. If it was anything like the rest of the city she’d seen so far, she wasn’t too sure how much of it was still standing. However, given the last entry form herself, it seemed a safe enough bet that Ashley was using it as her base. If nothing else, there would likely be something she could salvage from the Birdcage to use. Having more tools at her disposal wouldn’t hurt in this unknown world. She still had her grappling gun in her jacket, so she opened the window, stepped out onto the fire escape, and fired it upward to avoid the streets.

Usually, the feeling of flying through the air helped Beth to forget her troubles and anxieties, but she couldn’t shake the feelings from everything she’d read and seen so far. In the short time that she’d been in this new world, she’d learned there were similarities between her home and this one. Her guess was that the events back at Goth’s tower, Jake’s submission to Goth, and her rampage for revenge were identical, but somehow she’d managed to kill Goth. The fact that she and Pam were an item also meant that she’d lost the first time around. She thought more about the differences between this world and hers as she cut through the city air.

The question was how she had managed to kill a woman she now knew had the powers of an Archdemon. It had taken a weapon forged in Hell to banish her, and even before that Pam had tapped into an extreme level of power to push her to the brink of death. She’d wounded her with special bullets before, but according to the logs she had been the one to deliver the killing blow. None of this made any sense. The craziest thing wasn’t the fact that Beth had somehow managed to kill the Goth Goddess, but rather the thought that Goth’s death had been the catalyst for this mayhem. Ashley was back, but she didn’t have anything to protect Jame from this time. Without a common enemy, her sole focus was on conquering the world like she had centuries ago. 

Every block she passed over looked worse than the last. The city looked like a warzone, and the dark and ominous lighting from the black sun added another layer of horror to the desolate city. She kept trying to figure out where all the people had gone. Had Ashley taken the people to use them as cattle, or had she taken them and turned them into soldiers for her twisted family? She wouldn’t be able to rebuild her empire without followers, but she’d need a food source to keep those turned satiated and compliant. The question was where she might store the cattle, and where her demented family might be lurking. Judging by the state of many of the buildings, she couldn’t be sure which ones were used and which ones were simply ruins. 

Beth came to a stop on top of a building across from Blackridge Manor. This was it. There was a part of her that wanted to charge in and storm the place, but there were too many unknown variables for that. She frowned as she grabbed a pair of binoculars and watched the windows and the entrance to the manor. Despite the wreckage of the city, Blackridge Manor looked almost entirely untouched. The gate was open, but the curtains in the windows were drawn shut. The door, unsurprisingly, was shut tight. Breaking in through the front, or one of the windows, was too dangerous and reckless, but she knew where to find the entrance to the Birdcage in the back. Her biggest concern was if Ashley had anyone patrolling the grounds. From what she could see, the place was as deserted as the rest of the city.

She took a deep breath before vaulting off of the roof and firing her grappling gun once again. She swung around over the streets closing in on the back of the manor. It was unbelievable how silent it was as she made her way towards the secret entrance. The sound of the wind whipping past her was deafening; something that was somehow more unsettling as she zipped through the air. She landed on the ground with a silent roll and looked around. Still not a soul in sight, and the eerie light from the black sun cast strange and elongated shadows around her. She let out a shaky breath as she snuck towards the entrance hidden away in the hedge maze. Three turns in and in between the fence was the secret tunnel that led into the back of the Birdcage. It wasn’t the only way in, but it was the quietest entrance.

Beth made her way down through the darkness, switching on her night vision shortly after entering the tunnels. The filters on her helmet were functioning, but she could feel a chill in the air around her. There was something wrong here, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She kept making her way down and deeper into the underground cavern. Thankfully, this world seemed identical enough to her own that the layout was the same. She’d be inside the Birdcage within a matter of minutes at this rate. Once she made it there, though, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do or what was waiting for her. She’d find out in just a moment as she came to a stop at the hatch that dropped into the Birdcage. She opened it and dropped down.

The minute that Beth’s feet touched down, she could feel eyes watching her. She froze and drew her pistols before whipping around. A young man with pale skin and red eyes stood ten feet from her with a broad smile on his face. “Beth Thompson,” he chuckled, “You’re supposed to be dead. The Mistress will want to see you. I admit, I’m curious as to how you managed to cheat death.”

“Tell your Mistress that I’m not here for a fight, not if I can help it,” Beth replied, resisting the urge to shoot the turned man before her.

“Then why don’t you lower those guns and follow me, hmm?” he asked, keeping his hands in his pockets.

“Show me your hands first, and maybe I will,” Beth replied.

He chuckled as he slowly raised his hands, “You can tell her yourself, Thompson. She’s upstairs in the study. Why don’t you follow me, hmm?”

Beth swallowed as she went against her better judgment  and lowered her weapons. She felt like a fool, but her hope was that maybe this Ashley wasn’t beyond reasoning. “No tricks,” she said, watching him carefully, “Lead the way, asshole.”

“The attitude is still the same, but it appears you’ve learned to measure the odds this time around,” he smirked, turning and motioning for her to follow him, “This way, if you will.”

The walk through the dark cavern was tense and unsettling. There were bats hanging along the ceiling. She could feel their eyes following them as they walked towards the exit. She took note of everything as they made their way through the Birdcage and towards the stairwell leading back into the manor. The sense of unease was only growing worse as they made their way up. She swore that she saw the silhouette of someone in the cage that had housed Courtney back in  her world.Was this where Ashley was keeping her food supply? If she had more time, or if she wasn’t so concerned about getting back home, she’d have found a way to investigate. As it stood, there was next to no point.

The bookcase to the study opened up, and Beth’s escort stepped out first. The fire was roaring in the distance, and Beth saw Ashley sitting in a chair in front of it. “Darren,” Ashley said without turning around, “Is there something the matter?”

“We have a guest, Mistress,” Darren replied, “One that I thought you might want to see for yourself since you were the last one to see her alive.”

“Oh?” Ashley asked, looking over her shoulder and narrowing her eyes, “Beth Thompson…what a curious surprise. It’s not often that the deceased return once I’ve dealt with them. Have you come to die a second time, or is this the trick of one of the witch’s cohorts?”

“Ashley,” Beth swallowed, noticing an air of difference about the woman before her, “I…I need to talk to you, that’s all.”

“The dead wish to speak,” Ashley scoffed, getting to her feet, “This should be rich. Make it quick, girl, I have more important things to do than to entertain spirits and scoundrels.”

There was a darker look in Ashley’s eyes. Her makeup was different, thicker and heavier than Beth remembered it. Her hair was pulled back and braided as opposed to the long thick locks that she usually had. She wore a black corset with armored plating on the chest and twin pauldrons on her shoulders. Her pants were dark leather, thicker than usual as well. Her tone, much like her eyes, was colder than Beth had ever heard. The way she looked her over said more irritated than threatened as well. When she crossed her arms, Beth noticed that her right hand had steel tips covering her fingers with chains that linked to the sleeve under her pauldron. 

“Ash, listen to me,” Beth started, raising her hands as a sign of surrender, “I'm just here because I need help. Whatever you've done here, whatever happened between you and everyone, that's got nothing to do with me. I need to get back to my world, and I'm hoping you're willing to do that and get me out of your way.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow at her, “You say your world as though this isn't your home. Do you expect me to believe you are not the same woman who broke in with the intent to murder me and avenge the witch's apprentice?”

Beth grit her teeth at the mention of Pam, “The woman you killed wasn't me, and that Pam wasn't mine. Again, I'm not looking to get in your way here. You want this world, then keep it. I just need to get back to mine.”

“There it is again,” Ashley said, putting her hands behind her back, “Your world, what exactly do you mean by that? Speak true, Beth, lying will only earn you my ire.”

“I'm not from here,” Beth replied, “There's more than one universe out there. Crazy, I know, but it's true. There's a woman out there that can open doors to other worlds, and she's currently in mine looking to tear it apart. If I don't get back, it'll only be a matter of time before she comes to this world and others. Everything you've built here will fall to her unless I can stop her.”

“Like you managed to stop me?” Ashley scoffed, “Laughable, but it raises an interesting theory. If there are other worlds, then there are other versions of myself. You shortened my name as though we are friends, so tell me about your world's version of me.”

“I know you, yeah, but not like this,” Beth replied, watching her closely for any sudden moves, “We fought when Goth brought you back into our world. You beat me, outsmarted Pam, but you killed yourself when you couldn't turn Jake over to your side. We met again when we were forced to dive into the underworld, and you bound yourself to Jake. Your body is gone, but you're always with him.”

“The witch freed me in your world?” Ashley asked, chuckling at the thought, “Probably another arrogant ploy to use my blood for her selfish ambitions.”

“She was trying to regain her powers,” Beth explained, “Her plan was to use you for a ritual to restore what she'd lost. Dilatrix took her powers from her.”

“And you let her live?” Ashley asked, “Hmph, you are weaker than the Beth from this world. It was your hand that felled the harlot and opened the door to set me free here. Your lust for vengeance was admirable until the end. I'd have turned you if you hadn't run the risk of becoming a mongrel that would bite the hand feeding it. Alas, I was simply able to give thanks before ending your miserable resistance.”

Beth bit her tongue in hopes of avoiding causing an escalation, “Yeah, I'm not exactly known for being even-tempered, I'll own that. I only spared Goth because Pam thought Jake needed her. There was some truth to that, but shit went sideways in our world. However, we handled it and she's gone.”

“Taking the word of an acolyte shows just how poor your judgment truly is,” Ashley shook her head, “It's sad that you're little more than a follower, but perhaps you can still be of use to me. Darren, hold her.”

Beth took a step back and drew her pistol, “Hold on, what? I'm not looking for trouble, but don't think I'm not ready for a fight.”

Darren paused and looked at Ashley who held up a hand, “Hmm, so there is fire in you yet, interesting. Because you've been reasonable thus far, I'll give you a chance to cooperate. Lower your weapons and kneel, Beth. You're going to help me break into these other worlds you speak of.”

“What the fuck?!” Beth shouted, “Have you listened to anything I've said? There is a woman who literally eats fucking worlds out there! I'm trying to help you, dumbass.”

“And wait for you to fail so she can amass power and come for me?” Ashley asked, “I think not. A wise ruler strikes before their enemy is ready. You do not even have the same equipment you used on the witch, so what chance do you have against a woman of this caliber?”

“Table,” a voice Beth hadn't heard in months whispered in her head, “The gun on the table…get to it.”

Beth frowned as she looked beside the chair Ashley had been sitting in. A large handgun with a cylinder revolver and a heavy barrel rested on it. It was unlike any gun she'd seen before, but she trusted the voice of Sborro. “None if you're planning in keeping me here,” Beth replied, backing away and keeping her gun trained in Darren, “That won't stop me from trying, though. I was thrown here against my will, Ash, so I can't just rip open a portal back home. Even if I could, why would I help you?”

“Because you don't have a choice,” Ashley answered, “While you may not be able to open the doorway, you've seen it done. I have ones in my ranks that can extract this information and allow me to use it. With another world opened, it means I can use it as a proper food source for my people. This world will be mine, and I will take yours next. Afterwards, I can begin a conquest to take the other worlds one by one. All will bend the knee before the great Ashley Bilefoot!”

Beth shook her head and took off towards the table, “Crazy fuck.”

Ashley was just as fast as Beth remembered, but she was ready for her. She stopped just as Ashley’s hand came close to her throat and ran past her. She grabbed the gun from the table and raised it at her. “Hmph, you think that little trinket will stop me?” Ashley asked, “You tried in this world and failed. Go ahead, take your shot. You'll find that I have grown far beyond the reach of such menial weapons and beyond the power of that wretched witch.”

Beth could feel something ethereal emanating from the gun as she held it. It was similar to her sword, but it was like it was drawing strength from within her. As badly as she wanted to try to put this Ashley down, she knew she'd need to figure things out first. She couldn't help anyone if she fell here. Beth moved the gun away from Ashley's head and fired a shot at the window. A thundering boom echoed in the study, but she surprised when it wasn't a bullet that shot from the barrel. A beam of concentrated teal energy ripped out of the barrel and blew through the window and wall. Beth would have been dumbstruck at the size of the hole if she wasn't in such immediate danger. Ashley, for her part, seemed to be equally taken aback by the display. Beth took advantage of it and ran past her again. She dove out the hole and grabbed her grabbing gun to make her escape.

“You think you can run from me, Beth?!” Ashley screamed behind her, “This world is mine, this city belongs to me, and I see everything! I'll find you, break you, and use what's in that thick head of yours to extend my reach beyond this realm! There is nowhere you can hide, Beth Thompson!”

Beth could hear Ashley screaming as she cut through the air. That hadn't gone according to plan, and now she was officially being hunted. Thunder rolled above her, and she could feel the wind picking up. A storm was moving in to cap everything else off. Beth sighed as she tried to figure out where she could go. She needed to buy herself some time to study this new weapon and prepare for the fight. She'd hoped to find a way out of this hell, but all she'd gotten was another war. The problem was, she didn't know if this was one she could win. She was alone here this time, and there was no telling how many poor souls Ashley had at her disposal.