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

Beth sat with her back against the glass wall of her holding cell. She'd spent the last long while recounting and explaining her story to Jake, and in turn Jake had told his. Their back and forth sharing took far longer than expected. Their stories and lives were eerily similar, but they divulged shortly after their escape from Citiville. The events following had apparently led to the current state of affairs in this world. Jake had multiple questions about Beth, their world, and everything that had happened to bring her here. She'd answered everything as best she could. In return, Jake shared the story of his version of her, Pam, and how Ashley had taken over and become the warlord that was currently turning the city into a wasteland. 

In this world, Beth had tried and failed to stop Goth as she had in her world. Just as in hers, Jake had given himself up in an attempt to save Metropolis and her, but just as before it had gone awry. The events that unfolded were nearly identical to her own, but it was the escape that changed everything. The bond between Pam and her had been forged in almost an identical way, down to the point where Pam had sacrificed herself to save Jake and her. This was the point where their paths began to divulge. Shortly after that, Jake and Beth traveled to Dilatrix just as they had in her world. The difference was that it was in Dilatrix's lair that Beth found the means to craft the gun she'd found in her and Pam's apartment. Broken pieces of different weapons that had been taken or touched by time and magic had been combined to make a weapon that fed off the very source of magic that both Pam and Goth drew from. 

It took the better part of a day, but Beth managed to forge the pieces into the weapon she would eventually use to take down Goth. She led the assault against Goth's forces with Jake in tow close behind, however reluctant he was at the start. The two of them fought hard and broke through Goth’s defenses and resistance until they found Pam. Unlike in her universe, Goth had taken Pam to the throne room and chained her above the room like some sort of ritual sacrifice. The fight that ensued was unlike any that Jake had ever seen. It started ordinary enough, but it quickly evolved into something almost other worldly as time went on.

The longer they fought, the more things spiraled out of control. A part of Goth’s energy seemed to seep out into the air with every minute that ticked by. Unbeknownst to them, the gun was slowly drawing in the essence of magic. Jake and Beth fought back as hard as they could while trying to save and secure Pam. Jake threw himself against Goth in an attempt to buy some time for Beth to free Pam. That was when the tide of battle shifted in their favor. Beth managed to get Pam free with a few well-placed shots. Whatever chance they had at having a moment was overshadowed by the fact that Goth was slowly overtaking Jake with some sort of back goop, as he put it. Goth was slowly sending her evil through into him. 

Pam, despite being in a severely weakened state, joined in the fight as best she could. She joined in alongside Beth in an attempt to stop Goth’s evil from spreading. Beth fired what was left of her clip into Goth, but her bullets did nothing to the litch she was becoming. Desperate, annoyed, and mildly afraid, Beth threw her pistols to the side and pulled the gun she’d forged from Dilatrix’s cave. The chamber hummed and glowed as she fired three shots that broke through the malevolent force that Goth surrounded herself with. None of them understood it at the time, but they’d later find that the gun had a way of siphoning residual magic in and around the wielder. Three shots were all it took to bring down Rebecca and banish her soul to the abyss that was the underworld. 

It was a victory that filled the trio with relief and triumph for a time. Things were peaceful for a few months following Goth’s defeat. The three of them slowly began to form a new unit and team that safeguarded the city. Pam worked behind the scenes, striking from deeper within the shadows than anyone and ensuring that no threat would escape justice. Beth operated on the basis of fear, but Pam became known as the monster hiding under your bed. For a time, they managed to bring order to an otherwise chaotic city. Whatever villains remained either fell in line, fell up behind bars, or fell victim to the Feral and her lover. 

As time continued to pass, a hole opened up within Jake. As much as he hated to admit it, a part of him truly missed Goth and the woman she was behind the darkness. In spite of everything she’d done to him, a part of him truly loved her. However, he threw himself into his work in an attempt to stave off his desires. Time at the office by day, time pounding pavement and criminals at night. It was through his time at the office that he rekindled an old flame in the form of Courtney Tellar; the girl that he’d nearly broken because of the spells that Goth had over him. Thankfully, this version seemed to be far more forgiving, not to mention alive, than the one in Beth’s world. It ook time, but they slowly developed a new relationship.

Beth noticed that as Jake talked about Courtney, a ghost of a smile threatened to spill across his face. It was brief, but Beth knew her friend better than anyone. There was a light in his eyes when talked about her, and there were details that were otherwise irrelevant to their story. It was obvious that he cared about her and missed her. There was a rueful smile on his face as he continued to talk and share. Beth let him talk in hopes of giving him a moment or two where he could actually enjoy himself for once. From what she’d seen so far, it was apparent that this was something rare for him. 

Then things took a turn for the worse in his world. The return of Ashley Bilefoot was equally unexpected and disastrous for everyone involved. She came like a shadow in the night and worked behind the scenes without any of the three of them noticing. Crime rates continued to drop, but none of them realized it wasn’t them making a difference. They believed that their efforts were making the city safer, but that was a foolish notion on their part. Ashley had returned and was slowly eliminating anything and everything that might pose a threat to her. The problem was that none of them had even considered her as a possibility. They believed that their combined force was putting the villains out of commission or forcing them to retire. After all, they’d seen more than a few turn tail in the time since Goth had been dealt with. 

By the time they realized that they were missing something it was too late. Strangely enough, it had been Alexis Hamilton , Footgirl, that alerted the trio to what was happening. A distress signal sent to Beth had been the only form of warning that something else was happening beneath their noses without them realizing it. While Alexis didn’t directly reveal Ashley and her existence, she had managed to show them that they were missing something. They found her body beaten, broken, and mangled with two puncture wounds on her neck. She’d been drained dry before being eliminated, but it was already too late by then. 

Over the next several weeks, more people began to disappear and more problems started to arise. Time and again, they would receive calls only to arrive too late and miss another piece of the proverbial puzzle. Eventually, Jake made one misstep too many and it cost him Courtney. He let his guard down amidst the threats slowly surrounding the three of them, and that was what spelled disaster for Courtney. It was the night that Ashley decided to make contact with him and offer him a chance to spend eternity at her side. Sadly, it was also the night that he had planned to propose to Courtney in hopes of moving on from the tragedy that Goth had left in his life. That night had been the start of the war that led to the destruction and current state of Metropolis.

The three of them had been looking into a spike in missing persons cases. People had been disappearing without a trace or explanation for a month, possibly longer according to a backlog of reports. While crime was down, these reports were skyrocketing and there didn't seem to be much of a correlation that they could see. Beth and Pam were out investigating to give Jake the night off. Both women knew what he'd been planning, and they supported his decision. That night, Beth and Pam agreed to take the patrol for him so he could have his special moment with Courtney. He'd been planning it out for weeks, and everything was set to be nearly perfect for the two of them. 

It was well into the night when Jake decided to pop the question. Jake could still remember the finer details like it was yesterday; clear skies, a full moon, and an air of calm that blanketed the area. After dinner, Jake led Courtney into the study so he could follow through with his plan. However, he quickly discovered that they weren’t as alone as they’d thought. Sitting in the high backed chair was the very woman that would ruin his life, haunt his dreams, and nearly destroy his city. Ashley had found a way into Jake’s home in hopes of extending an olive branch, but she hadn’t been expecting to find him with someone else. Of course, Courtney had been equally surprised to find another woman in Jake’s home.

It didn’t take long for confusion to escalate into an angry exchange between the women. Courtney tried to get answers from Jake who was just as lost as she was as to why Ashley wasthere, let alone how. He didn’t tell her who or what Ashley was when he had the chance, but Ashley was more than willing to share her story. The vampire queen remained calm as she introduced herself, but Jake could tell her patience was nearly at its limit. It didn’t take long for things to escalate between the three of them. Courtney’s questioning quickly began to grate on Ashley’s nerves, and things took an even more drastic turn when Jake tried to come to her defense. That was the moment when everything came to a head.

By that point the three of them had begun a borderline screaming match with one another. Courtney couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and so Ashley made the decision to show her what her what true power was. Jake turned to face Courtney and tried to talk some sense into her, but that was his first mistake. Ashley grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him to the side. He crashed into one of his bookshelves and landed with a hard thud. Courtney tried to fight back against Ashley, but she was no match for the vampire queen. It didn’t take long for Ashley to overpower her, but she refrained from delivering a killing blow. Instead, Ashley merely held her by the back of the head and kept a tight grip on her arm. Things might have gone differently if the ring box hadn’t fallen out of Jake’s pocket as he tried to get to his feet.

Ashley watched the little box tumbled across the floor. It opened and the ring inside spilled out onto the floor. It was the first time Courtney had seen it. Courtney looked down in disbelief at the ring before looking up at Jake. The bewilderment on her face lasted only seconds before Ashley growled and grabbed her by the throat. Jake tried to stop her, but Ashley was too quick and too powerful. She pulled Courtney to her feet and held her close; her fanged teeth inches from the poor girl’s throat.

Jake tried to talk Ashley down, but she was beyond the point of listening. Ashley cut him off by screaming at him about choices, the life they could have had together, and his destiny. The entire time Courtney struggled and tried to squirm free. Worried that he might trigger Ashley into doing something rash, Jake did his best to keep his tone even and calm. In the end it didn’t make a difference. No matter how relaxed and calm he was, his responses were only inciting Ashley more. Eventually, she did it. Ashley sank her teeth into Courtney’s neck. Her body tensed the second that her fangs made contact with her skin, and she stared at Jake in sheer terror. She reached out for Jake in her last moments as Ashley drained her dry. Much to Jake’s shame, he couldn’t bring himself to act or intervene. He stood there while Ashley murdered the woman that he loved; the same woman that had saved him from poor choices and a broken heart.

Jake could only stand in dumbstruck horror as Ashley let Courtney's body fall to the floor. His nerves were shot as he stood and stared at Ashley's bloody face. The crimson droplets of Courtney's blood trickled down her jaw as she glared at him. His shock didn't last long, but it caused a moment of hesitation that cost him his chance. His moment of weakness and surprise made it easy for Ashley to predict his next move. He let his anger and frustrations out in a pained howell, but Ashley kept her composure and easily countered. She snaked her arm through his and dragged him over her and launched him into the bookshelf on the corner wall. Again, Jake faltered as his eyes landed on the discarded body of the woman he loved; the woman that had saved him from self-destruction. In the seconds that ticked by, Ashley capitalized and pounced on him.

It was one of Jake's most miserable moments and memories. Mere seconds after witnessing Ashley drain the blood of his beloved, Ashley was standing over him with her knee planted in his back. Her fingers coiled into a fist in his hair and lifted his head up. She lectured him with a rant that he couldn't quite remember. All he remembered was the sight of Courtney's bleeding corpse and Ashley's hateful tone. He tried to fight back after a moment, but Ashley had him pinned and at a severe disadvantage. The struggle didn't last long and was incredibly one-sided. His emotions got the better of him, and it didn't take long for Ashley to subdue and knock him out. That had been the last night he'd seen the outside of his cell.

“Ashley offered me the choice to stand beside her when I came to,” Jake finished, his back resting against the glass, “I was angry, bitter, and resentful for the longest time and I refused. She decided to keep me here, locked up until I reconsidered. It was maybe a week or two later that she began draining me little by little. She started slow by turning Bruce and a handful of P.A.s, board members, and friends that would periodically come by to check on me. It made it much simpler for her to manipulate you and Pam here and keep you both away. As her family grew, her bleedings became more frequent. She said it was a way to feed her growing family, but I think there was more to it than that.”

“You think that she’s been doing it to keep you weak and docile,” Beth frowned, scratching the back of her neck and looking down at her right hand.

Jake nodded and closed his eyes, “She didn’t tell me what she was planning until it was already in motion. Yeah, I could see pieces falling into place, but I couldn’t see the big picture until it was too late. I was too weak and out of it to do anything to stop her, and even if I wasn’t I’m locked in this damn cage. I couldn’t warn Pam or you about what was going on. I had to watch as Pam was-”

“Pamela Lavely got what she deserved,” Ashley cut Jake off as she walked between the cells, “Nothing more and nothing less, although I’m sure that Beth might disagree. I see the two of you have been getting along well. How very sweet to see old friends reconnecting and filling the other with lies and utter bullshit.”

“Fuck off, you undead freak,” Beth snapped, getting to her feet and slamming her fist into the glass.

“WOuldn’t that be nice?” Ashley scoffed, “Still as crude as ever. Perhaps I should be a bit more specific so as not to offend your precious sensibility. As Jake said, he failed to see the big picture. I offered him a chance to be part of something greater than he could ever imagine; even after he spat in my face  with that common whore. However, he chose to remain defiant and loyal to the rest of you pathetic mortals. So I started making examples of them one by one so that he could see the folly of his choices.”

“Funny, you sound more like Goth than I ever would have imagined,” Beth scoffed, glaring at Ashley as she stopped in front of her cell.

Ashley snarled and slammed her fist against the glass, “Do not compare me to that filthy harlot, Beth!”

“Then don’t talk like her,” Beth countered, unafraid of the vampiress in front of her.

Ashley kept her eyes locked on Beth’s for a moment before she blinked and chuckled, “Still such an arrogant little child trying to hide your fear with attitude. I am going to enjoy killing you a second time, Beth. Whatever uses you may have had pale in comparison to that entitled little ego of yours.”

“Ego, huh?” Beth rolled her eyes, “Boy, if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black then I don’t know what is. You stand there and talk this big game like you’re some kind of savior, or some merciful being, but you’re nothing more than a hateful and selfish bitch like all the rest of the bad guys and girls I’ve put down and put away.”

“There is one key difference between us, Beth,” Ashley smirked, “Unlike them, I didn’t fail. One by one, everyone that you and Jake brought down fell to me. Alexis, the witch, and all those worthless pretenders died by my hand because they failed. They were worthless to me in life, but in death they each yielded another piece of a puzzle that had eluded me for centuries.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Beth asked, “Oh, and it’s pretty pathetic that you’re willing to take credit for a kill you didn’t earn, Ash. You didn’t kill Goth in this world, I did, remember?”

“You have done nothing except get yourself captured and walk right into a trap, little girl,” Ashley frowned, “Transitive properties, I killed the woman that killed her, so ergo I killed that filthy liar. Once more, I killed her apprentice. You should have heard her screaming and begging as I ripped the last vestiges of her will from her. I pulled the last of her resolve from her to get what I wanted, and by the time it was all said and done she was nothing more than a sniveling little dog!”

Beth winced and clenched her fists at Ashley’s taunt. She was trying to get a rise out of her, but it was unfortunately working. She could feel the energy beginning to flow through her and into her right hand. “That’s enough, Ash!” Jake snapped, pausing Beth’s rage before it could spill over, “Leave her out of this; she doesn’t have anything to do with whatever you’re planning here.”

Ashley looked over her shoulder and frowned at Jake, “You forget your place, Jake. Do not presume to know my plans. She may not have had anything to do with my plans before arriving, but that she is the part of a key to another world. Even if it takes me another century, I can and will find a way to breach the veil between worlds. Like all things in this world, she is a tool to be used, Jake. The sooner you understand that, the quicker you will find a way to be happy in my new world.”

“This world isn’t yours!” Jake snapped, trying to find a shred of his old self.

“A little time with an old friend and suddenly you find a spine,” Ashley scoffed, turning her full attention to Jake, “This world, everyone in it, and everyone in the next belongs to me. I will bring everyone and everything to its knees. Pamela served her purpose in giving me the advantage I needed to retake this world like I had originally planned. Her hubris and outright arrogance were what cost her her life. I could have tolerated the three of you if it meant you would have obeyed like good little soldiers. Instead, each of you chose to fight and resist at every possible turn. It was absolutely maddening and infuriating.”

“So that’s your justification, huh?” Beth asked, “We step out of line and think for ourselves, and you sweep in to snuff us out. Everything you do is for the greater good, is that right?”

Ashley looked back at Beth’s cell and canted her head to the side, “People need someone to guide them, shepard them, Beth. A strong, capable, and sound individual needs to be at the helm in order to keep your kind from slaughtering themselves. War, famine, disease, are just a few of the ways that your people have brought each other to the brink time and again. Do either of you realize that the happiest your kind has ever been has been when you are serving at the boot of your superiors? I am nothing more than the last in a long line of rulers in this world. I offered each of you the opportunity to stand beside me, but you have spit in my face time and again! You and that little witch’s apprentice did nothing except defy me and try to pull Jake away from me. This world and the next will be mine.”

“And what happens to Jake when this is all said and done?” Beth asked, “Do you really think that he’s going to join you?”

“He belongs to me,” Ashley snarled, “No matter what happens, he will survive and be by my side. Whether I have to keep him in a cage, or out in the open, he will forever be beside me, Beth. I think I’ve heard enough of your insidious backtalk. The next words out of your mouth will be you begging me for mercy.”

“Try it, you nasty-” Beth started.

“Ma’am, we have a situation developing,” a man called from the shadows.

“This had better be dire,” Ashley growled, whipping around, “I do not like to be interrupted.”

“We have intruders approaching from the underground,” a young man wearing black and red replied as he stepped out of the darkness, “There are four of them by our count, and they’ve managed to make it past the first line of defense, and they’ve already managed to clear one of our more elite brothers.”

Ashley frowned and ground her teeth, “If that is the case then why are you wasting my time here instead of stopping them?”

“I-I thought you would want a report on who we believe them to be, mistress,” the boy replied with shaking.

“Then spit it out already,” Ashley snapped.

“We believe that the witch, Pamela, and a girl wearing Jake’s old bird costume are three of them,” the boy replied, “And then there is…well, I’m not sure you’ll believe it, ma’am.”

“Speak, worm!” Ashley barked, “My patience is at its limit!”

The boy looked over at Jake’s cell before he shut his eyes and replied, “It’s…him.”

Ashley paused and looked over at Jake for a moment. She shook her head in disbelief, “Are you certain?”

“The resemblance is uncanny, ma’am,” the boy answered, “I cannot say for sure, but given that we have already seen one duplicate-”

“There may be others,” Ashley sighed, “Prepare the defenses for a potential siege. Evacuate the tunnels and give the order for them to hold them at the gates to this cavern. Do not kill the one that resembles Jake. The others, you can do what you wish.”

“What about you, ma’am?” the boy asked, “I thought you might wish to join us.”

“I have some rather pressing plans to attend to,” Ashley replied, turning back to Beth and pressing the release button on her cell, “If by some miracle the four of them manage to make it this far, I want them to see what fate awaits them for defying me.”

Beth took a step back and conjured her sword as Ashley stepped into her cell. She swung at Ashley, but the vampire queen was too quick for her. She sidestepped and thrust her palm out to slam it into Beth's chest. Beth flew backwards and crashed into the far back wall with a pained grunt. Before she could get back to her feet, Ashley had her foot planted firmly on her right hand. Ashley dropped down to one knee on Beth's arm and grabbed the back of her neck. Beth cried out, but tried to find the strength to fight back. With more effort than she was proud of, Beth managed to flip onto her back and drive her boot into Ashley’s stomach. It broke the vampire queen’s hold on her and bought her enough time to get back to her feet.

Ashley was already making her next move when Beth got back up. Beth managed to dodge an incoming knee, but Ashley pivoted and spun around with her heel outstretched to connect with Beth’s chest. It wasn’t enough for her to get knocked back down, but it staggered Beth again. Ashley’s hand shot out to grab Beth’s throat, but Beth knocked her hand away with the blunt end of her sword. Beth knew her chances of defeating Ashley here and now were slim at best, but she could stall for time and throw a possible wrench in Ashley’s plans. With that in mind, Beth swung her sword in a wild arc and released a wave of energy from her blade. A blast of blue energy shot out from the blade and flew past Ashle before crashing into a wall on the opposite end of the cavern.

“Stop resisting, Beth!” Ashley growled as she grabbed Beth’s arm to stop her from swinging her sword again, “I’ve had enough of this, little girl. You’re going to settle down and give me what I want!”

“Go to hell!” Beth shouted as she tried to elbow Ashley in the stomach and break free, “Face me with my equipment on a level playing field, and we’ll see how long you last!”

“Arrogant little harlot!” Ashley snarled as she stepped back and threw Beth over her shoulder at the opposite wall, “You had your chance with all of your wonderful little toys, but you were too weak, too slow, to get the job done!”

Beth’s eyes shifted to Jake’s cell for the briefest of seconds. She could see a flicker of electricity from the console outside of his cell. Ashley’s attention was solely focused on her for a while longer. If she could somehow find a way to best the vampire queen in the process that would be great. Unfortunately, Beth was still feeling drained and missing her equipment. Without her guns, all she had was her wits and her blade. Sadly, she was still feeling fatigued from earlier. Beth got back to her feet, but the second she was upright Ashley was on her again. Her fingers wrapped around her throat and she slammed her back against the wall. Try as she might, Beth couldn’t get a clear shot at Ashley before she felt her knee crash into her stomach.

Ashley held her against the wall and crashed her fist into the side of Beth’s face. Once, twice, three nearly jaw shattering blows came back to back. Beth winced after each one and Beth’s grip on her sword slowly began to falter. Her sword flickered for a moment before disappearing. Beth was still clinging to consciousness, but she suspected that Ashley wanted her awake for whatever she was planning next. Ashley smirked as Beth weakly struggled in Ashley’s grip. That smirk fell away when Beth suddenly spit blood in her face. 

“Go to Hell, fuck-face,” Beth groaned before Ashley’s grip tightened around her throat and she began to gag.

“Insolent little brat,” Ashley growled before knocking her out, “I’ll make sure you pay for that bit of disrespect. This wasn’t personal until now, Beth. I’m going to make your little whore friends watch as I pull what I want from your thick skull.”

Jake watched from his cell as Ashley dropped Beth’s body and grabbed the back of her jacket. She dragged his friend off into the shadows to the dreaded chair that she’d used on Pam. He waited until they were gone before he got to his feet and moved to the glass door. He’d seen what Beth was doing, but he had to play his part unless he wanted to screw his friend again. He hated being so damn afraid and weak, but this was as close to a second chance as he was going to get. He pushed his hands against the glass and pushed up. The door slid up and for the first time in months he was free. The problem was he felt out of practice, out of shape, and partially out of his head. Nonetheless, he needed to figure out some way to either help Beth or help the others. Knowing his friend like he did, he knew what she’d want him to do. He looked down the path Ashley had gone before sighing and turning to head after Ashley’s enforcers. The others were going to need his help if they were going to have a chance at escaping this nightmare.