Arrival at Mercy

As the flier lifted off and turned toward the sea, the dusky cryokinetic leaned over to me, turning her face so the other occupants wouldn't see her lips moving through the thin veil she was wearing.

"Good to see you, Mal," she whispered, sounding as though she meant it. "You've obviously been told your name today. Mine's Ameera Jamad. That means Princess Ice, by the way. That's what most people call me, but I prefer Ameera, not that you'll remember tomorrow."

She spoke with a tired casualness that implied my amnesia was a regular thing. That was worrying. Was I going to spend the rest of my life being reminded who I was by somebody I'd never remember meeting? I had little time to consider this as she continued.

"The big guy taking up two seats is Megalosaurus. As tough and strong as his namesake, but about half as intelligent. Watch yourself with him. That black eye he's got? You did that yesterday, and it's not the first you've given him. The woman in red next to him is…"

She spent the rest of the journey telling me about the other Villains we were flying with. Most of them had reason to dislike me. It seemed my apparent lack of powers had made me a target for bullies, who found out the hard way I was not as powerless as I looked. It's no easy task to bruise an Invulnerable Brute as I evidently had.

Ameera didn't tell me how she had met me, and I didn't ask, in part because it didn't seem a good idea to appear weak among our current company. There was also the problem of recurring amnesia. No point learning something I'd only forget tomorrow.

The flight was shorter than I would have expected. It seemed less than an hour before the pilot's voice came over the intercom announcing our arrival at Mercy Island. Barely a minute later, we were on the ground. Most of my travelling companions wasted little time in unbuckling themselves and attempting to be the first one out. Ameera and I remained seated, watching them with interest as they tried to open the outer door, without success.

As a result, we were the only ones to see the cockpit door open as the pilot stepped out, shaking his head and laughing quietly to himself.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked loudly, causing everyone else to turn and look at him. "Did you think we freed you out of the kindness of our hearts?" I'd been expecting a catch, and I think Ameera had too, but none of the others seemed to have considered there might be a price for their freedom. As that realisation began to sink in slowly, the pilot continued.

"You've all been identified as possible candidates for Project Destiny. You don't need to know what that means yet. Just consider that your actions will be watched by Arachnos. Should you prove worthy you may be recruited by various Operatives and contacts for special tasks. Your performance of these tasks will be used to assess your potential role in the Arachnos hierarchy. You may even come to the attention of Lord Recluse himself."

That name brought shivers to my spine for some reason. Glancing around, I noticed similar reactions among my companions. Clearly this Lord Recluse was a man to be reckoned with if the mere mention of his name could worry experienced Metahumans so much.

"That day is likely to be a long way away for you, though," the pilot continued. "Right now, you will be dealing with the lady who ordered your release. The Fortunata Seer Kalinda. She has requested you personally to assess whether you are worthy of the tasks Arachnos has in store for you. Jenkins here will escort you all to her."

The idiot co-pilot stepped out from behind the pilot and strode confidently toward the outer door. The group of Villains opened up, forming a clear path for him to reach and open it.

As the others followed, Ameera and I unbuckled ourselves and stood up to join them, when the pilot stopped us.

"You don't have to work for Kalinda, you know. She's picked you out as her 'Destined Ones' but there are many factions within Arachnos that you may not want to get involved with. If you want, I can introduce you to a man I know who's not part of the organisation. A mercenary named Burke. You'll still be watched by Arachnos, but you'll be more of a free agent."

That sounded interesting, but I had to know something first. "Why us? What makes us different?"

"Nothing," he replied. "I'm going to make the same offer to the others. Just not all at once. Go and meet Kalinda now. See what you think of her. If you want to take me up on my offer, give me call and I'll set up the meeting." He slipped me a small card with a phone number on it before turning back into the cockpit and closing the door.

Ameera and I climbed out of the flier and went to join our group, who were standing near a man in white spider-armour and a tall woman in a tight red uniform. Her face was obscured by a strange helmet, tall and flat, with no apparent eye-holes, yet it was obvious she could see things around her. As we approached, I could see black slashes on her uniform.

The whole image was maddeningly familiar, and an image flashed across my mind of a woman wearing a similar uniform, although in black and purple and minus the helm. She was handing me a familiar black sword. When I opened my eyes and tried to stand after Bonding with Kironi, she smiled fondly, and helped me to my feet with visible relief. The vision lasted only a second, yet Ameera must have noticed it.

"Are you alright, Mal?" she asked quietly. "This doesn't seem like a good place to show weakness if you can help it." She glanced behind her at the other escapees, having placed herself between us to hide my unsteadiness.

"I'm fine," I told her. After a moment's thought, I decided to tell her what had happened. "I just remembered receiving my sword." The revelation stunned her.

"You've never remembered anything before. Why now?"

"No idea, but if I can remember one thing, maybe I can remember the rest of my life."

"Assuming you don't forget overnight like you usually do. Did."

"We'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" She smiled when I said that. "Let's talk to this Seer. Then we can try and find somewhere to stay, if they haven't already got places for us."

As we reached the group, the Seer nodded, and addressed all of us. "Thank you for coming, not that you really had much choice." That produced a few grumbles, and a chuckle from Jenkins. "You've been broken out of prison because one or more of you may prove vital to Lord Recluse's plans to conquer the world. Before that day arrives, you will be observed and tested by numerous individuals and factions within Arachnos.

"Some of you will fail. Some of you will die. Some of you may find a Patron within Arachnos to aid you, and a few of you may attract the personal attention of Lord Recluse himself. Pray that this attention is positive. Few oppose the Lord and live long. Here in the Rogue Isles, Lord Recluse is the absolute ruler. I'm not going to warn you not to break the laws here. You're Villains, after all. Just don't do it in such a way as to upset Lord Recluse.

In a moment, you'll be taken to the apartments we've found for you, but there's one thing you need to know before that. This is Arbiter Diaz." She indicated the man beside her. "Any person you see in similar armour is also an Arbiter. Remember always that Arbiters are sacrosanct. They stand above the factions and conflicts within Arachnos. Any attack upon an Arbiter is considered an attack upon Lord Recluse himself, and will be punished harshly. Respect the Arbiters and obey them, and you may go far within Arachnos.

"Your first tests begin tomorrow. Report here at 9 am tomorrow for assignments." She turned and walked away, the silent Arbiter walking alongside her. As soon as she was clear of our group, eight people in Arachnos uniforms emerged from a small building and approached us. Each of them knew who they wanted, it seemed, splitting up to address a different member of the group. One woman came to stand before Ameera and I.

"Ameera Jamad, Malashandra. If you would follow me, please." She didn't wait for us to answer before heading the same direction the Seer had left. With no other choice, we followed her. She led us into what can best be described as a fortress. The interior was dark and adorned with large red banners bearing the Arachnos insignia. After a few minutes she stopped outside a metal door. "Wait here, please." She stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

"Something tells me this isn't our apartment, Mal," muttered Ameera.

"Wouldn't want to stay here, anyway," I replied, although I suddenly remembered having rooms in similar surroundings when I was a child. Was I related to this Seer, then? Or the Night Widow I'd remembered earlier? Night Widow? Another term I remembered without knowing what it meant. My thoughts were cut short when the door opened and the attendant stepped out.

"Please enter, Malashandra." I stepped through, still trying to remember my connection to Arachnos. As Ameera tried to follow me, the attendant stepped in front of her. "Only Malashandra."

Glancing back, I saw Ameera's dark eyes turn ice-blue. The last time they had been that colour was when she froze the guard at the prison, and I realised she was planning to do the same here. That didn't seem like a good idea to me, so I quickly spoke to her.

"Relax, Ameera. I doubt they're going to hurt me after the trouble they went to spring me." She blinked and looked at me, her eyes reverting to their natural dark brown. "It might have something to do with my memory."

She nodded. "I'll wait here, then. If that's alright with you?" she asked the attendant, who nodded, replying "I'll take you both to your apartment when the Seers have finished with Malashandra."

That sounded ominous, but my argument to Ameera was still relevant. They wouldn't break me out of prison just to kill me. An organisation powerful enough to rule an archipelago could doubtless sneak somebody into the prison if they wanted to. I stepped into the room, and the door closed behind me.

The large chamber was largely unfurnished. A small desk and chair in one corner, and a bench along the wall opposite the door. An intricate pattern was painted on the floor, encircled by glowing blue ring. Spaced evenly around the outside of the ring were seven Fortunata Seers, in identical uniforms, although I was certain one of them was Kalinda even before she spoke.

"Please step into the circle, Malashandra. Take your place on your insignia." She indicated part of the pattern before her. Looking down I saw the section she was referring to. A design picked out in black and orange triangles, depicting stylised outspread wings. It felt as much part of me as the sword had. As I walked to it, I noticed it was closer to the edge of the circle than the middle. Opposite it was a large emblem that looked like some kind of tribal design. Was somebody - something - else supposed to stand there?

"Draw your sword and hold it out before you." With a shrug, I did as she said, and the Seers all stepped forward onto the ring of light. Rays of blue spread out from each, connecting them to all the others as they began to chant quietly in a language I couldn't understand. Kironi's hilt began to heat up in my hand and the dark blade glowed red, but I felt unable to release it. The chanting grew louder and the hilt became hotter, beginning to burn me, yet despite the pain, I couldn't open my hand. After what felt like hours, the Seers' chanting reached a crescendo, and the blue glow expanded to fill the room, blinding me briefly.

As my eyes began to clear I realised two things. One was that my hand no longer hurt. The other was that it wasn't holding a sword any more, but somebody's hand. Blinking furiously to clear my vision, I looked at the being kneeling on the other insignia, it's huge clawed hand clamped in mine.

At first I could see little more than red skin and horns, and the wings on its back. Then it looked up at me. A bestial face with large tusks and jet-black eyes that contained no other colour. It stretched its wings and stood, still looking down at me. The tribal design it was standing on was tattooed across its chest in sky-blue. Fur of the same colour covered its goat-like legs, and I could now see the membranes of its wings were also sky-blue. Darkness rolled off its eight-foot tall body as it looked over me to address Kalinda.

"Why?" It was the voice of the sword I had heard whispering in my mind before. Kalinda didn't seem surprised, but she was a Seer, after all.

"Malashandra isn't the only Destined One in the room," she replied. "You also have a destiny within Arachnos, Kironi." That's when I realised what had happened to my sword, and where this demon had come from. They were the same entity.

"And what of Malashandra?" Kironi asked. "Without me, she's far less than you would want." I was a bit offended by that, but not much. The demon was correct, echoing my own thoughts at that moment.

"That's up to you." Kalinda responded. "We've freed you from the enchantment that constrains you. You can switch between forms as you choose. If you wish to continue to assist Malashandra, that's your choice." With that, she turned and walked away, vanishing into the darkness at the edges of the room. The other Seers followed suit, leaving me alone with the demon.