Idea

I dont know why this was sticking in my head so much, but does anyone know about Baba Yaga? Baba in most slavic languages is a term for older, and respected woman, usually a term for a grandmother. Yaga is usually spelled and pronounced ad Jaga many similar Slavic languages.

When I was thinking about the powers that Baba Yaga is reported to have, and has been depicted to have, I came down to a few different power schemes.

The first power that would be incumbent in each one is a breaker form that makes Taylor look like Baba Yaga, and give a resistance to

Power scheme 1. Master, mover based powers. Baba Yaga was depicted to have four supernatural knights based on the seasons under her command, a secondary power would be her mortar and pestle.

Power scheme 2. Pryokinsesis and general Tk, plus shaker/master power with bird legged hut.

Power scheme 3. A magical 'gifting' where Baba Yaga can imbue common object that could help others with specific goals, plus either the chicken hut or mortar and pestle mover powers.

Each one of these could be a viable and interesting power option.

However. I already stated this chapter was gonna be some magical bullshit. And as such, Baba Yaga be getting everything. (Except for the mastery/summon knights powers.)

Baba Yaga

Rune blinked and then looked at Hookwolf who shrugged. Then Rune looked at Night and Fog, who just stood there, staring, in what Rune thought might be… fear. And for the merciless assassins of Gesselchaft? That was more then a little alarming.

Rune turned as a trio of vans pulled up and the rest of the empires capes stepped out of their cars, even Purity had showed up for some reason. Rune supposed Kaiser had promised something to the powerful Blaster something.

Kaiser looked at what had caught his capes attentions.

It was a old, but well put together wooden hut with an attached porch with an overhang to protect it from the wind. On the Porch was a solitary rocking chair that moving in the slight wind coming off the nearby water.

With a shake of the head, Kaiser motioned for the Capes of the empire to remain behind as he approached the home of the woman who had single handedly claimed and defended the docks for the past month, roasting alive ABB, Empire, and PRT troopers who had all come to her door without proper respect.

She was a cape who had embraced the role of Baba Yaga. Or, as some of the more suspicious members of the empire were claiming, she was Baba Yaga.

The Iron-teethed witch of the forest.

And he was here to see if an arrangement could be made.

Kaiser walked forward and just as he was about to knock on the door it opened with a long creak, and a voice, smooth like a razor blade, but weathered and dry like bones in a desert wafted out from the darkened hut.

"Well little king, are you going to stand there, or are you going to come inside?"

Kaiser took a deep breath and stepped inside the darkened hut, and then blinked. Objectively he knew he shouldn't be feeling afraid, the decorations were the type of thing that you'd see in a crappy haunted house, with jars of colored liquids with strange things floating inside. Garlands of of herbs and other plants hanging from the ceiling.

In the middle of the room, a pot, hanging over a fire backlit a hunched figure with graying hair tied into a loose bun. The figure turned and Kaiser winced.

In front of the fire was someone who at first looked like a kindly old grandmother, but then Max noticed the old woman's eyes. Eyes that were like inky pools, and that glinted brightly like chips of ebony in the reflected light off the fire.

But what made Max Anders want to whimper was Baba Yaga's smile. It glinted and glowed in the firelight, showcasing the cold iron teeth that the old woman had.

Baba Yaga cackled, high and long, before finally fixing Kaiser with amused stare.

"So little king. What have you brought me?"

Kaiser slowly and cautiously reached to his waist and withdrew a small wrapped cloth of various spices before walking forward and gently holding it out for the old woman to take. He shuddered as fingers like ice briefly clasped his hand before withdrawing with his gift.

The old witch began digging through the different packets, sometimes taking a pinch here and there to taste and making sounds of approval. As she turned back to her pot she grunted at Max.

"So. What do you want?"

Kaiser breathed a sigh of relief as he realize he wasn't about to roasted alive and cleared his throat briefly before speaking.

"Baba Yaga, as I am sure someone of you inestimable intelligence knows, I am the head of the noble Empire 88."

Baba Yaga scoffed as she adde a dash of the spices he had just given her into her boiling pot. Max waited to see if she was going to say anything else, but the old crone just took a sip from her pot, before spitting it back it in and making a sound of disgust, Max shrugged mentally and continued.

"The Empire, which is also the strongest Parahuman organization in the city, and thereby in the state, wishes to extend a hand of friendship and cooperation with you. We can offer much in the way of support, both financial and military."

Kaiser continued to wax on rhapsodically about the benefit of joining the empire, but then Baba Yaga held up a hand a one wrinkled hand, the other wrapped around the wooden ladle stirring the pot.

"What do want, little king? What is your ultimate goal?"

Kaiser paused, and thought about his response.

"My goal, it is to use the Empire as a sword to cut down any of the lesser races or race traitors who would oppose me."

Kaiser winced at the wide grin that showed off Iron teeth.

"And do you believe in the Empires ideology?"

Kaisers eyes widened, and then narrowed as he glared at the witch as his mouth ran on auto-pilot.

"I do not, but I will manipulate it in order to fuel my own interests."

Baba Yaga smirked, and cackled low in her throat, her teeth making metallic ringing sounds as the clanged together.

"Ahhh… Now we're getting to the meat of the matter."

Baba Yaga withdrew her long spoon from the pot, and dangling from the end was a long string of red and grey nerves that led to a with withered eyeball. Baba Yaga popped it into her mouth, and with sound of great enjoyment, bit down, so that the eyeball audibly popped, leaving one trail of juice to trail down the side of the old witches jaw.

Kaiser gagged behind his helmet as the old crone slurped up the rest of the eyeball and swallowed before speaking again, her voice satisfied, like the cat that had just killed the canary.

"What if I told you, I could give you a gift, a gift that help you achieve your goals, that would help you bring the empire to the forefront of the world? And all you would have to do, is give me one, little thing."

Kaiser swallowed as the ebony eyes of the witch drilled into him, her worm like lips spread in a gruesome smile highlighting her iron teeth.

Scene Break

Rune watched curiously as Kaiser tucked a gold pendant into his shirt and then take a step of of the porch and bowed to the open door which slammed shut.

Kaiser turned and walked back towards the vans where the rest of the Empire Capes were waiting. He ignored the questions and comments and silently got into the back of one of the cars. Rune turned to the others, most notably Purity, who all to one degree or another shrugged before getting into their cars. Rune got into her own vehicle, and as it began to pull away she looked back, just in time to see the shack stand up, on a pair of chicken legs and walk away,

Rune turned, and resolutely stared forward for the rest of the drive.

End

Dont know why, but this idea had been sticking in my head for a while. Next Chapter is Doctor Jekyl and Mr Hyde.