Prologue

A woman steps out of a large building that had never been seen before down here. I just about fire balled her, just for appearing as she did, out of the blue. But there was a look in her eyes. Unmistakable. She did not give off the stench of Demon, but there was a presence there. Evil that can be recognizable by any down here. She wore this outlandish purple outfit. Looked Victorian, but it was her mannor. She was absolutely insane.

"Hello there." She looked at the hand raised. "Oh look, you are going to fire some kind of energy at me? From your hand? How quaint. Autons have been doing that long since you were hatched, I can assure you." She was dead calm. Almost amused.

She looked at me and smiled. "And are you a handsome fella." I have never been anything anywhere close to being handsome. I was a low level Grimlock at best. "Oh don't look surpised, I have seen far far uglier." She crooned. She turned her back on me. "Hmmm, let's see. Dark, gloomy, bit of sulfur in the air. Let me guess, some kind of pocket dimension. Easily accessible, open, interesting. I thought", There was a thinly vailed worry that seemed to cross her sharp features. But it passed quickly ….well, it's not important. Tell me where exactly I find myself, handsome.

"The Underworld, woman"

"Which one? Oh never mind that. There are so many it's hard to keep track." She tilted her head back and just came near enough to giggle. Her tone was dismissive.

"How did you get a building in here?"

She turns around as if to see it for the first time."Oh look at that, A Palace."

She was right it was a tall castle, easily several stories tall. It looked to be made of Granite and lava rock. Fitting for the Underworld.

"I like it. My TARDIS is good don't you think?"

Here was a woman, perfectly comfortable with a demon in her presence. What was a TARDIS? There were so many questions. I considered threatening her but she was not human, that much was certain and something told me she would not so easily be threatened. I was confused. She stood there idly looking at a castle that suddenly appeared into thin air that she had waltzed out of as if it were nothing to her, almost as if she were unaware of the danger she was in. Or perhaps she knew exactly what she was doing.

She moved to my side and took my arm as if we were going to go for a Sunday stroll. "So tell me about this", She indicated with a wave of her hand the entire underworld "Place, what is it, a prison, place to live work and play? No, let me guess, a Paradise to you. Well…?

She barely gave me time to speak until she had it right. This was where we lived and died and fought. Perhaps it was her rather easy manner had me singing about our troubles.

She smiled a smile I did not recognize. I would say hope, ambition?

"Tell you what, Mr Grimlock. Gather your buddies and their buddies and their buddies' buddies. I have an idea that will unite the entire Underworld and all the Demons in it."

You have a plan. You are not a Demon. No one will listen to you.

"Do I have a plan? Oh my dear this is your lucky day. As for the others, leave that to me." There was an insane intelligence behind those eyes. The only thing that might have saved her was the fact she was not human.

"What should I call you?" I asked after a time

"Just call me the Mistress" She smiled and let me lead her to where the old Source held court.