Cruella and Grimhilde stared in dismay at the sides of their cups of Farbucks coffee. Written in sharpie along the sides were "Corilla" and "Grimm Hilda."
"I see some things are universal across all worlds," Cruella bemoaned.
The two women took their seat on the Farbucks patio, with a clear view of the other Farbucks right across the street. The Kingdom of Far Far Away was a commercial cesspool masked behind an aesthetic of fairytale happy endings and other such foolhardy notions. Yet there was a myriad of attractions that made it ideal for a date night. Cruella pulled out a pamphlet that she'd picked up inside and began to rifle through it.
"Ah! Yes! Here are the horoscopes," Cruella declared happily. "Let's see, where is Leo..."
"A Leo, hmm?" Grimhilde asked. "That explains much. I was born under Sagittarius myself. We're two fire signs, which would explain our compatibility."
"I'll check yours next then, darling," Cruella said. "Let's see, mine is 'Your prince or princess will come at an unexpected time. Be sure to wear goggles if you're planning to get intimate tonight.'"
Grimhilde scoffed. "Oh please! That is not a horoscope. That is some underpaid barista's idea of an amusing joke."
Grimhilde opened her purse and took out her phone.
"Let us see if this infernal device Doom gave me can produce a chart of the heavens," Grimhilde said as she clicked around. "Ah! There we have it. Judging by the position of the stars, you'll encounter an unknown enemy in the near future, so beware. However, your alignment also speaks of good fortune, so I'd wager you're destined to come out the victor in your encounter or at least gain something of value from the experience."
"Ooh, how dreadfully marvelous," Cruella remarked. "How do you know so much about astrology? I wouldn't have thought they had such a thing back in your world."
"I am well versed in all the mystic arts," Grimhilde explained. "Divination using the cosmos as a map is an old art, but an effective one. Skeptics have long dismissed it as superstition and a gypsy con, but they couldn't be further from the truth. One of the many books I inherited from my mother was a tome of Astrology that taught me how to read the cosmos quite well."
"Brains and beauty," Cruella remarked. "Whatever did I do to deserve such a stunning woman?"
"The stars were in a favorable position for you," Grimhilde remarked with a smirk.
"Well I hope the stars are in a favorable position for shopping," Cruella said as she threw her empty cup in the trash. "I want to take a peak in Abercrombie and Witch while we're here."
"Then let us be off," Grimhilde said.
The red-haired man sighed loudly to make his boredom plain. His boyfriend, a much older gentleman in all red, did his best to ignore the sigh and continue rifling through the dress rack of Abercrombie and Witch.
"Archie, c'mon," the red-haired man urged. "You've been looking at dresses for ten minutes now. Just pick one already!"
"Really, Torchwick, you're acting quite immature," "Archie" or, rather, Archibald Snatcher said. "Need I remind you that you chose to come along with me, you did. You could have stayed back at the pub with the others."
"Yeah, hard pass on that one," Roman Torchwick replied. "The creepy bartender keeps hitting on me. She doesn't seem to get that I'm not into chicks."
"Well, strictly speaking," Snatcher continued. "I don't believe that she is actually-"
"Up-bup-bup," Roman interrupted. "Gonna stop you right there. Guys who sometimes go by Madame Frou Frou shouldn't throw stones."
"Fair enough," Snatcher shrugged.
"I'm gonna go check out the hat section," Roman said with a sigh.
Roman spotted a red top hat on the racks and mused to himself how funny it would be if he and Snatcher returned to the temporary base wearing matching hats. The inevitable exasperated reaction from Mozenrath was almost too delicious to pass up. Roman tried on the hat and admired himself in the mirror.
"Darling, red isn't your color," Cruella remarked as she approached the hat rack herself.
"Everything is my color, sweetheart," Roman replied as he put the hat back.
Cruella pulled out a cigarette from her purse and held it in her mouth as she dug in the purse for her Zippo. Knowing her wretched luck, she'd probably left her lighter in her other purse.
"Do you have a light, by chance?" Cruella asked.
"Gotcha covered," Roman said as he pulled out his own lighter and lit her cigarette.
Cruella took a drag and blew the putrid smoke into the air, drawing the attention and ire of the store clerk.
"Excuse me, there is NO smoking in the building," the clerk, a witch with a high pitched voice, scolded.
Cruella whipped out her pistol and pointed it in the clerk's face. "How 'bout now?"
The clerk screeched and ran away quickly.
"You," Roman said as he pointed at Cruella. "You're officially one of my new favorite people. Maybe I can convince you to join a little crew of like-minded scoundrels I'm a part of?"
Cruella simply laughed at that. "Darling, I've already got a crew, and trust me when I say they're a much bigger deal than yours."
"Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that," Roman said. "If you change your mind, we're hangin' out at The Poison Apple pub down the road. Ask for Torchwick."
Snatcher, meanwhile, finally located a dress that was the correct shade of blue and large enough for his waist. It would need to be taken in a bit to accommodate his uneven shape, but it would do nicely to get Madame Frou Frou back in business.
"Shopping for your daughter?" Grimhilde asked.
Snatcher sneered at the woman's remarks. She wore the condescension of the upper class that Snatcher had endured all his life back in Cheesebridge. Yet here, in this world, he didn't have to lick any boots or kowtow.
"I'll have you know, this fine dress is for me," Snatcher said. "And if you've a problem with that, you may go drown yourself for all I care."
Normally Grimhilde would have someone who spoke to her in such a manner whipped, yet there was something about Snatcher that intrigued her. After all, there was a certain familiarity to Snatcher that she found unmistakable despite his unattractive visage.
"I meant no disrespect," Grimhilde said plainly. "Are you shopping for casual self-expression or for a disguise?"
"Well, a disguise predominately," Snatcher answered, taken aback by the woman's sudden friendliness. "Though I've a certain fondness for the self-expression through said disguise, I s'pose."
"I thought that might be the case," Grimhilde said with a smile. "I too have a certain fondness for the freedom granted by assuming the identity of someone else who doesn't truly exist."
"An actress, are you?" Snatcher asked.
"Something like that," Grimhilde said coyly. "What type of disguise are you going for?"
"Yes, well I actually have something of an alter ego named Madame Frou Frou," Snatcher explained. "I had a beautiful gown that I sewed myself, but a pesky lil' brat with a sword what looks like a key ruined it, he did!"
"Intriguing," Grimhilde remarked.
The boy with the key had to be Sora. There was little doubt in Grimhilde's mind. And if Sora had crossed this man before, then it was very likely that Snatcher was not of this world. That made things both more complicated and more interesting.
"So tell me," Grimhilde continued. "This boy with a key, was he some sort of heckler?"
"More like one of those pesky hero types," Snatcher explained. "He's been givin' me and my associates a rough time of late."
"I hope you manage to put a stop to him," Grimhilde said honestly.
"As do I, madam, as do I," Snatcher replied.
Snatcher and Grimhilde went their separate ways, and Grimhilde found Cruella looking at tank tops.
"Those two gentlemen are not of this world," Grimhilde whispered as she gestured to Roman and Snatcher.
"Well they're certainly more interesting fellows than any of these stick-in-the-mud locals," Cruella said as she held up a tank top that read 'Classy, Sassy, and a Bit Smart-Assy.' "That Torchwick fellow reminds me a bit of myself."
"His companion strikes me as an unattractive male version of myself," Grimhilde added. "But that is not relevant to what I'm attempting to tell you. They are from another world, yet they are not one of us. If they are not one of us, that means they are, by nature, an enemy."
"My horoscope!" Cruella said with a gasp.
"Exactly," Grimhilde nodded. "But the stars also told of good fortune for you. Perhaps it would be in our best interest to learn more about these fools."
"Well I know exactly where their crew is," Cruella said. "Torchwick mentioned that they were staying at The Poison Apple pub."
A devilish smirk crept onto Grimhilde's face. "The Poison Apple, is it? Well, you know what they say: an apple once a day keeps your enemies away."
Grimhilde and Cruella arrived at The Poison Apple and had a seat at the bar. Ruffians of every sort were drinking and wiling away the hours playing pool. Witches, pirates, goblins, and sentient trees filled the room. A different version of Captain Hook from the one the two ladies knew was playing the piano while Bluebeard serenaded the pub with a rendition of "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston. If there was ever a place where Grimhilde and Cruella felt right at home, this was it.
"What'll ya have?" Doris, the bartender and one of the "Ugly Stepsisters," asked with her deep and course voice.
"Two gins," Cruella ordered.
"I am not drinking," Grimhilde said.
"The two gins are for ME, darling!" Cruella said with a laugh.
Grimhilde scanned the crowd until she saw Roman and Snatcher enter the club and beeline it for a table with their friends. Sure enough, Grimhilde recognized Mozenrath sitting at the head of the table. His various associates were not familiar to Grimhilde. One of them was a burly man who wore the skull of a dragon on his head, one was a skinny woman in violet who one might describe as "scary beyond all reason," and one was a short and fat witch with dusty lavender hair. Obviously Mozenrath had been busy since he lost Twilight Town.
"Those two work for Mozenrath," Grimhilde said.
"Ugh, I take it back," Cruella said, "those two have no taste after all."
"Indeed," Grimhilde nodded. "If only I could hear what they were saying..."
"Don't you have a spell for eavesdropping?" Cruella asked.
"Only if I had something that could fly over there," Grimhilde answered.
Cruella looked around and noticed two crows perching in the rafters. With a single puff of green breath-smoke, Cruella ensnared the two birds under her control. They flew down and perched before the two Overtakers. With a muttered spell, Grimhilde enchanted the crows. One of them flew over and landed in the rafters above Mozenrath's table, and the other remained perched in front of them. The first crow listened to the words being spoke, and the second repeated them to Grimhilde and Cruella.
"This is the first world in a while that the brat with the Keyblade hasn't followed us to," Mozenrath declared proudly.
"And now that you've said that, he's going to appear," the woman in purple said with a sigh.
"Yzma, don't be such a pessimist," Mozenrath replied. "I'd rather not have to turn you back into a cat."
"What a delightfully GRUESOME idea!" the short witch said with a giggle. "Let's do it!"
"Madam Mim, I believe the point Lord Mozenrath was making was that we have been fortuitous thus far," Snatcher jumped in. "We should appreciate our good fortune!"
"Our fortune is worth nothing until we have this world in our grasp and all of the wretched magical creatures who inhabit it dead at our feet," the man wearing the dragon skull stated. "The kingdom's princess and her husband are foul ogres who must be slain!"
"Don't worry your pretty little head, Huntsman," Mozenrath said. "You'll have your chance to slay the royals, but not before I take the throne for myself! And you know what they say: timing is everything!"
"Speaking of bad timing," Yzma chimed in, "has anyone seen Mysterio? He just disappeared when Roman and Snatcher entered the room."
"Oh don't fault the boy for being the only one of us with the common sense to run when those two show up," Mim quipped.
"HEY! I resent that!" Roman said.
"He probably just went to get a refill on that fishbowl of his," Mozenrath remarked. "Let's stay focused here. Snatcher, have you found a way to get us an invitation to the palace?"
"I could have just teleported us in there," Mim said with a huff. "I'd have only left half of your limbs behind in the process."
"I already gave my right hand for power," Mozenrath said. "I'd rather not risk the left one."
"To the matter at hand," Snatcher said without realizing his pun, "I'm exploring certain options, and I'm quite confident I can get Madame Frou Frou to perform at the next ball!"
"Which is?" Yzma asked.
"Next month," Snatcher grumbled under his breath.
"Next MONTH?" Mozenrath asked. "I can't wait that long! This kingdom needs to be mine NOW!"
"Calm down, Righty," Roman said. "Think of the big picture."
"Okay, okay, fine," Mozenrath said with a sigh. "We have a clear path to power, Sora and his annoying friends lost our trail back at the Chocolate Factory fiasco, and Maleficent and her Overtaker fools are off on a wild goose chase staying out of my way. All in all, we're in a good spot."
"So he thinks," Grimhilde said as she silenced her crow.
"If the brat wants his mediocre power grabs, we should leave him to it," Cruella said. "It'll all be ours once we get the gems."
Doris slid a fruity cocktail towards Cruella and Grimhilde.
"We did not order this," Grimhilde said.
"It's from a secret admirer, ladies," Doris said with a shrug.
"Mmm, a free drink!" Cruella said as she went to take a sip.
Grimhilde snatched it away before Cruella could drink it. She placed the cocktail under her nose and sniffed it.
"It's poisoned," Grimhilde said. "Trust me, I'm something of an expert on poisons."
"Doris!" Cruella bellowed. "WHO gave us this drink?"
"The guy over there in green," Doris answered.
Grimhilde and Cruella immediately stormed over to the patron who Doris indicated only to find that it was none other than their former ally Quentin Beck, better known as Mysterio.
"YOU! You little WORM!" Cruella shrieked.
"MOZENRATH! OVERTAKERS!" Beck bellowed as he vanished in a puff of smoke.
Grimhilde and Cruella turned around to see Mozenrath and his gang standing with their weapons drawn menacingly. Beck reappeared among his allies, now decked out in his Mysterio costume.
"You saw me out in public and you didn't come over to say hello?" Mozenrath asked. "I'm hurt!"
"If you want to be hurt, that can easily be arranged," Cruella threatened.
"Oooh, puppy breath has some bark in her," Mozenrath teased. "But does she have the bite to back it up, I wonder?"
"Mozenrath, is it?" Grimhilde asked. "We never got the chance to meet face to face last time we crossed. I was, after all, preoccupied brewing the potion that destroyed your owl. Whatever became of Miratrix?"
Mozenrath scowled angrily. "I don't owe you an answer to that! What I do owe you is a bit of payback for thwarting my plans."
"Perhaps one day," Grimhilde said as she looked over the seven enemies in her way. "But I know quite well when the odds do not favor me."
Grimhilde waved her arms and scooped up herself and Cruella in a Corridor of Darkness. When the darkness cleared, the two women found themselves back in the Eminence Palace.
"I thought you said that the stars predicted a victory for us," Cruella said. "We should have stayed and taught those fools a lesson!"
"The stars predicted good fortune, not victory," Grimhilde said. "We were outnumbered, and you cannot kill at this point. We shall be able to deal with that fool Mozenrath in due time."
"Well then I suppose my good luck will have to come in another fashion," Cruella said with a wink. "After all, the coffee shop horoscope did say that my princess would come."
Grimhilde smirked. "Only if you do a good enough job."
Russell and Steve were decked out in animal skin clothes and furs in a medieval style of dress so as to not draw attention to themselves. The Frostback Basin was a region in Thedas, the world that housed the Orlesian Empire. It was an overgrown forest hiding away ruins beneath the shadows of the Frostback Mountains. Only the nomadic Avvar tribes inhabited the region. It was as close to untouched wilderness as one could truly get in Thedas.
Russell took a deep breath and sighed. "Ohhh fuck, do you smell that?"
"Umm... dirt? Things that smell like dirt?" Steve asked, uncertain as to what his boyfriend had picked up on.
"Fresh air," Russell said, "untainted by the pollution of human industry. You were born when the world was already tainted. You can't know how good it feels to find a world like this, a world that smells and tastes the way ours did when I was first made vampire. 'In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows. Nature says, - he is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me.' Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ate way too much fungal bread and had some bad trips, but he did have a certain way with words."
"I guess I never really thought about the air smellin' different," Steve confessed. "It just always was the way it was to me."
"Your ancestors deprived you of somethin' beautiful," Russell said. "So this is my gift to you: a taste of what the world used to be! ... And a picnic lunch to go with it."
That part caught Steve's attention. "Mmm, what are we eatin'?"
"Local, home-grown organic food," Russell said. "None of that GMO corn-fed crap we have to settle for back home. Now I am far from the Yuppie type, but wait until you taste a human who's grown up in this environment."
"Can't wait," Steve said with a semi-forced grin as he stepped in a puddle of mud that squished beneath his boots.
Russell ran his tongue over his teeth in contemplation as he considered his next course of action.
"So, you gonna tell me the real story behind why you killed Daken and Imperious?" Russell asked.
"I didn't kill Daken," Steve argued.
"Well now you're just bein' coy," Russell said with a scoff. "You left him to die, right?"
Steve's eyes widened. "How did you-"
"Oh come now," Russell said. "You honestly believe that I had absolutely no knowledge of your little excursion to the Shadow World?"
"Well I'd have hoped you'd have respected my privacy and not eavesdropped," Steve huffed.
"Privacy is one thing, my dear," Russell said. "My boyfriend actin' all strange and bein' blackmailed is quite another."
"How much do you know?" Steve asked, suddenly feeling very on edge.
"I know that you two went to the Shadow Realm together but only you returned," Russell said. "And I know that you went because Imperious was holding somethin' over you. What I don't know is why Daken didn't return, or what Imperious had over you."
"Then you can be content with the fact that you now know more than any other Overtaker," Steve said. "So let's leave it at that."
"So now, not only am I cut out of your little Radiant Garden excursion," Russell said, "I also am now havin' important secrets kept from me? That about cover it?"
"Russell, you know it's not like that," Steve said with a groan. "I've never had my own thing to build. I've always just been carryin' out my father's projects or the Authority's. Leadin' the Overtakers while you were gone made me realize how much I'd missed. Now I'm gettin' a chance to build something from my own vision and efforts."
"Yet you still haven't even gotten the Undertakers released," Russell sneered. "What a waste. If you'd have let me help you instead of the fat ass Kingpin, we could've conquered Radiant Garden in a matter of days."
"If you were there, you'd just end up doin' everything for me," Steve argued. "Besides, I wanna do this while keeping the peace so that we can have as smooth a transition of power as possible. Contrary to what you might think, I have a plan and an understanding of subtlety. I'm not that dorky baby vampire who just wanted to be included any more. I'm a different person now."
"Well I liked the person you used to be," Russell said. "He was hot. Not so sure about this new Steve."
Steve scoffed at that. "Y'know what? This date night was a mistake. I've got too much work to do for Operation Repose."
"Fine, go on then," Russell sneered. "Go back to bein' married to your work if that's all you give a fuck about any more. Go on!"
"Fine! I will!" Steve shouted.
"By the way, I could fuckin' taste Daken on your lips when you got home!" Russell shouted back.
Steve huffed and crossed his arms as he vanished into a Corridor of Darkness. Seeing Steve vanish into the darkness, a powerful boiling anger began to erupt within Russell. Russell cried out in rage and toppled three nearby oak trees to vent his frustration, yet such simple and meaningless destruction held no value for him. He needed to destroy something else, something that mattered.
"Keep the peace, he said," Russell said to himself. "Well, as I've always said: peace is for pussies."
Deep in the lowest levels of the Radiant Garden castle, the prisoners locked in the super-max prison were enjoying their thirty-minute dinner break from the monotony of confinement. Dinner time always made the guards particularly twitchy. Allowing so many Undertakers out of their cells at one time would always be a risk, even with the inmates wearing nullification collars and the rooms being equipped with the top technological and mystical security measures.
Russell Edgington's werewolves and Captain Hook's pirate crew all tried to stick together at all times. They all kept to their gangs and didn't even bother trying to interact with the other Undertakers. At a table by themselves, Doc Terminus, Hoagy, Horace, Jasper, and Mr. Snoops made best efforts to make themselves as unobtrusive as possible. They knew quite well that they were the "loser table" of this prison, and that meant they were ripe for being chewed up and spit out by the other inmates.
The Evil Manta, the Banshee, Solomon Grundy, Prince Hans, and Professor Ratigan formed the next table over. All of them had come from different worlds, but they all came together secure in knowing that they weren't like the other Undertakers. If events had favored them instead of Daken and Demyx, each of them could have been an Overtaker in their own right. But they only thought they were the head honchos of the prison. The gang that really ran the show sat one table over.
The Sinister Six, even with their powers nullified, were the most powerful and dangerous members of the Undertakers locked in prison. To Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, and Vulture, maximum security prisons were old hat by this point. The recently rejuvenated Vulture, or rather Adrian Toomes given his current lack of the flying harness, even found himself in a position of power here like never before. With no Doctor Octopus and no Daken, Adrian was the de facto leader of the Sinister Six. And with two vacancies in the team left by Daken and Mysterio, Percival C. McLeach and Madame Medusa completed the roster.
"I've been thinkin' on your supervillain name some more," the Scorpion said to Medusa. "You've got Brutus and Nero to help you fight, so maybe the Crocodile Queen?"
"Not bad, Gargan, but keep trying," Medusa replied.
"Heh, that's her polite way of sayin' the name you picked was trash," McLeach chimed in.
"As opposed to the creativity you showed in naming yourself 'The Hunter'?" Adrian asked slyly. "I believe the phrase that those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones is applicable here."
"Thanks Toomes," Scorpion said.
"The name you picked was trash though," Adrian remarked.
"I don't get it," Rhino said. "Why would anyone live in a glass house? Wouldn't that break easily?"
"They couldn't qualify for a loan, Rhino," Medusa quipped sarcastically.
That answer seemed to satisfy Rhino as he nodded in understanding.
"Hey, uh, I know we shouldn't think like this," Electro said, "but do you think the Overtakers have forgotten about us?"
"Of course not!" Adrian said. "Newlin keeps mentioning us in his television show. Once Fisk wins the election, we'll all be set free at long last!"
"I'll do you one better," Russell Edgington said as he strolled casually into the cafeteria. "How about y'all all get out today!"
The prison guards all quickly drew their weapons on Russell, but they were not fast enough. Russell reduced all of them to a pile of blood and severed limbs in a matter of seconds.
"The heroes really do need to start building sturdier mooks to do their dirty work," Russell said. "These guys have been nothin' worth expending energy on."
Russell dramatically held up a remote control that was still covered in the blood of the guard who had it on his person before he died. With a press of a button, all of the power dampening collars were deactivated and fell off of the prisoners.
"Y'all all have a clear trail outta here," Russell said with a smile. "Just follow the dead bodies. All your clothes and weapons and whatnot are just down the hall and to your left. Suit up and get on out there! You have just one mission from me, your savior: absolute fuckin' anarchy. Tear this city apart!"
The Undertakers didn't have to be told twice. They all ran out as quickly as they could, eager to taste freedom once more. Russell grinned deviously at the sight. This would certainly give Steve's precious little ambitions a curveball.
The RGBN Breaking News logo popped up onto the television screen, depicting an attractive man in a suit with hair that was altogether too perfect to be real sitting at a desk with the skyline of Radiant Garden projected behind him.
"Reports are coming in from all over the city," Skip Carrera, the news anchor, reported, "of a mass breakout at the super-max prison. Eye witness accounts report local law enforcement efforts to hold back the escaped criminals, but many of these so called 'Undertakers' have managed to slip into the city proper. Civilians are advised to stay in their homes and lock their doors. There is, as of yet, no word on if the Prime Minister elections will proceed according to plan tomorrow. However, reports are coming in that-"
A grotesque sight took place on the television screen. Carrera's bloody spine was punched through his stomach, and his body convulsed in agony as the life drained from the anchor's eyes right in front of the thousands of Radiant Gardeners watching their televisions at home. Russell laughed wickedly as he tossed the corpse aside.
"So sorry for reusing an old show-stopper, but when you're on a comeback tour, you just gotta replay your greatest hits," Russell quipped as he took a seat at Carrera's desk.
The broadcasting staff's eyes were glazed over from Russell glamouring them. They continued to air Russell's message despite the fact that any sensible network would have immediately pulled the plug.
"Good evenin' ladies and gentlemen," Russell said. "I am Russell Edgington, bringing you a special one time production of On the Edge with Edgington. You see, I am a vampire, and not only am I that, I am also an Overtaker. Now, Steve Newlin and Wilson Fisk have been bendin' over backwards to win a war of public opinion for the Overtakers. They're friends of mine, of course. Hell, Steve and I fuck on a regular basis. I know they mean well for our cause, but they're goin' about this all wrong."
Russell took in a deep breath as he relished the moment. Something about being back here made him feel alive again. This was his element, not running around on glorified jewelry shopping sprees.
"You see," Russell continued, "the problem with a war of public opinion is that it places a value on public opinion. It creates a narrative where your thoughts and opinions matter. But that couldn't be further from the truth, could it? You're all a bunch of mindless sheep who don't matter who blindly do the bidding of others. You don't need to be persuaded, you need to be brought to heel. Your world is practically beggin' to be conquered. And we will conquer it.
"Maleficent's reign in Hollow Bastion will come again," Russell declared. "And when that happens? Ohohoho! I'm gonna eat and kill all of y'all, and all of your kids and little bity babies. And the best part? You can't fuckin' stop it! Doesn't matter the way you cast your vote or don't cast your vote. I'm only tellin' y'all what's gonna happen. Machiavelli was a pretentious little pencil pusher, but he was right about one thing: it is safer to be feared than loved. Y'all don't need to love the Overtakers. You need to fear us."
Steve and the Kingpin watched the broadcast in horror as Russell dismantled all of their hard work, piece by piece. Months of planning and back alley deals, and all of it might have just been shot down in a single night. Steve had a few ideas for how to disavow Russell to the public, but either way, it was going to be an absolute nightmare to fix.
"Russell," Steve said, more to himself than anyone. "What the fuck have you done?"
Mount Olympus came into view as Hades's chariot soared through the clouds. Olympus had powerful wards against the darkness that prevented Hades and Maleficent from simply taking a Corridor of Darkness into the party. Neither villain minded, however. They enjoyed a rare moment of uninterrupted alone time to talk.
"And you're sure the strange cloaky thing was YOU from the future?" Hades asked.
"The magical signature was indeed my own," Maleficent nodded. "There is no other who possesses the secrets of my magic, and I do not suffer thieves."
"Then, hey, count me in," Hades said. "We'll give Lil' Miss Princess Auror-Row-Row-Your-Boat a taste of exactly why you DON'T cross the Overtakers. Besides, I've always wanted to see your old stomping grounds in person anyway. See the world that built the most beautiful girl in the universe."
"Do not give the Enchanted Dominion such credit," Maleficent warned. "I made myself what I am today across every world that I have called home."
"Hey, I respect that, y'know, I do, really," Hades said as he pulled his chariot up to the designated chariot parking lot in front of the golden gates.
The pair approached the gates where Hermes was escorting the guests in. Hephaestus and Aphrodite were waved in before Hermes laid eyes on Maleficent.
"Whoa, hey, the fairy goth-mother is too nutty, babe," Hermes remarked, "but you know Olympus's policy: no minions allowed."
"Minion?" Maleficent asked angrily.
"Let's get one thing straight here," Hades said as he got up in Hermes's face. "I work for HER! She is under NO circumstances MY minion. If ANYTHING, I am HER minion. But, hey, you invited ME, so I'm guessing that lil' policy of yours is a moot point. Malef is here as my plus one, which, last I checked, I'm still entitled to, 'kay?"
"Whoa, don't need to tell me twice, uh, just go on in," Hermes said as he flew out of the way.
"Yeah, I think we will," Hades said as he held out his arm.
Maleficent took his arm and glared daggers at Hermes as Hades escorted her into the Cloud Nine ballroom. Most of the other gods and goddesses were mingling and snacking already. None of them gave Hades and Maleficent much more than a passing glare, but Hades knew quite well that they were gossiping about him and his date behind their backs. Hades grabbed two glasses of nectar from Ganymede's serving tray and passed one to Maleficent.
"To parties where you hate everyone in attendance," Hades said, holding up his glass.
"To, at the very least, being invited to attend," Maleficent said as she clinked her glass against his.
"Shall we mingle?" Hades offered.
"Yes, though I have yet to see your brother," Maleficent remarked. "He's a poor host indeed if he's yet to show his face at his own party."
"Eh, he's probably lost track of time havin' a roll in the hay with some mortal chick," Hades said. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to my least favorite siblings in the cosmos."
Athena and Ares were chatting with one another over on one side of the room. For once, they weren't bickering about the merits of Athens or Sparta, and they seemed to be having an earnest conversation about tactical warfare.
"Athena! Ares! Long time, no see, babes!" Hades said as he and Maleficent strolled over.
"Oh save your pleasantries, Hades," Athena sneered. "I still owe you for that Titan debacle. Those mystic chains really chafed the wrist."
"Yeah! Me too! If you weren't Zeus's baby brother, I'd have cut you into pieces and fed you to my war dogs!" Ares added.
"Youch, look, Ares, babe, get better, not bitter!" Hades replied.
"Ares, is it?'" Maleficent asked. "And here I was expecting a warrior much... taller."
"And WHO the heck are you?" Ares asked angrily.
"That's Maleficent, Mistress of All Evil," Athena chimed in with a roll of her eyes. "Honestly, do you ever pay attention?"
Ares gritted his teeth. "WHY YOU-"
"I must admit myself honored to be in your presence," Maleficent interrupted. "I was quite impressed by Sparta. The carnage and bloodlust is quite enticing."
This seemed to improve Ares's mood considerably. "Of course it is! I run a ship-shape city-state!"
"Oh go polish your spear," Athena said with a sneer.
"She obviously doesn't understand your vision," Maleficent said. "Yet they call her the smart one? That hardly seems fair to me."
"Yeah! You're RIGHT!" Ares said. "Goddess of Wisdom? More like Goddess of Eggheads!"
"Insults? Really? You are truly incorrigible," Athena remarked.
"Incorrigible? HA! I don't know the meaning of the word!" Ares declared.
"Literally," Athena sneered.
Maleficent and Hades took their leave of the two as the siblings began to squabble amongst themselves.
"Nice move, babe," Hades said. "Beautiful and sowing discord wherever she goes! What a combo!"
"I strive to bring a touch of evil to all that I do," Maleficent replied with a smile.
"Preeeeeeeeesenting the most supreme of supreme beings," Hermes announced to the entire crowd. "Those kooky Lords of the Universe, Zeus and Hera!"
The other gods politely clapped as the king and queen of the gods entered the ballroom. Hades gritted his teeth.
"One day they're gonna introduce the two of us that way," Hades promised. "Their necks'll break from bowing so much."
"You paint a beautiful picture," Maleficent remarked.
"Aaaand also presenting a very special guest," Hermes continued. "The true hero who saved all of our bacon more times than we can count. Give it up for Hercules!"
Hades's fires flared up to orange. "JERKULES?! WHO INVITED THAT PAIN IN MY FLAME?"
Maleficent patted Hades on the back gently. "Patience, my dear. We shall destroy him in due time, but you must temper yourself to keep up appearances. We would not want Zeus to grow suspicious of our endeavors."
Hades took a deep breath and cooled back down to blue. "You're right as always, babe."
"Hades! Brother! So nice of you to make it!" Zeus said with a laugh as he and Hera approached the two Overtakers.
"Not like you gave me much of a choice, bro," Hades said with a sneer.
"Well I know how busy you get," Zeus said. "A nice party every once in a while keeps you from working yourself to death. HA! Work yourself to death! That one never gets old."
Neither Hades nor Maleficent laughed at that.
"And, uh, who are you, my dear?" Zeus asked as he gazed towards Maleficent.
Maleficent wasn't fond of the way that Zeus seemed to stare at her chest, especially given the stories the myths told about him. She tried to ignore the salacious look in his eye and continue to make nice.
"I am Maleficent, Mistress of All Evil," Maleficent answered.
"Evil? Well, you and Hades are a good match, then!" Zeus said. "Oh, he's always loved evil and schemes and all that ever since we were kids. He has the funniest hobbies, y'know."
Hades groaned at the way Zeus was talking about him as if he were some child with a strange quirk rather than as the fearsome lord of darkness that he was. Still, Hades figured that it beat the alternative.
"Well, enjoy the party, Maleficent," Zeus said with a jovial smile. "So pleased to meet ya!"
Zeus and Hera took their leave and began to mingle with the other gods, leaving Hades and Maleficent alone once more.
"He acts as if you haven't tried to kill him and dethrone him many times over," Maleficent remarked.
"Yeah, it's all part of his obnoxious arrogance," Hades said through gritted teeth. "If he acknowledges that I ever got close to taking him down, that makes him look weak. Better to just pretend like I'm some weird problem child and ignore it all. As far as he's concerned, as long as Blunder Boy is still around to foil my schemes, I can't touch him."
"His over-confidence will be his undoing," Maleficent remarked. "I shall see to that personally."
"Long time, no see, Hades," Hercules said as he approached the duo.
"What? Oh, it's just you, oy vey," Hades groaned.
"Just me, uncle? Even for you that's cold," Hercules remarked.
"Don't forget," Hades said wagging his finger. "I can always TURN UP THE HEAT!"
Hades and Hercules bared their teeth and locked glares in an intense stare-off.
Maleficent sighed in annoyance. "Must you two posture so?"
"You're right, I'm cool, I'm fine," Hades said, breaking eye-contact. "This hero's a zero, after all."
"Keep telling yourself that," Hercules remarked with a smirk. "Whatever scheme you're cooking up this time, I'll be there to stop you."
"Well, maybe you should consider that I'm not the villain you need to concern your pretty little head over this time around," Hades remarked, thinking about Cronus and what horrific things the Titan King would do to Hercules.
"What do you mean by that?" Hercules asked.
"Oh I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough," Hades said. "I mean, hey, I know you're not the sharpest fang in the Hydra's mouth, but you're not totally oblivious. Or maybe ya are. No brimstone off my teeth."
Hades and Maleficent left Hercules to ponder Hades's warning as they made their way over to the other side of the refreshments table.
"Hercules will be watching us closely all evening," Maleficent remarked. "I doubt we will have an opportunity to slip away undetected to search for information regarding the Eye of Cronus."
"Good thing we planned for this," Hades remarked as he pulled the bag containing the Fists of Might and Ability from his pocket.
Hades emptied the two gems into his hand, careful to keep them hidden from the wandering eyes of the other gods. He clenched them carefully in his fist and felt their raw power coursing through his veins. Hades let out a sigh of ecstasy at the sensation. The power to bend all of time to his will. His true inheritance. A power that Zeus had feared because he was too weak to use its true potential. With a single, unspoken command, Hades froze time around him. He and Maleficent existed now between two ticks of the clock.
"The power to stop time beneath the notice of even the gods," Maleficent mused as she admired the frozen Zeus. "The power of just two of the gems is greater than I'd anticipated. Imagine how invincible we shall be once all three are within our grasp!"
Hades reluctantly returned the gems to the bag and tucked them away. Hades and Maleficent slipped into the main part of Zeus's palace, and Hades led her down into a gallery filled with scrolls, artifacts of power, and other cosmically important objects.
"If there's anything at all in Olympus connected to the gems, this is the place it'll be," Hades declared with a dramatic gesture to the room.
"Then we'd best begin our search," Maleficent said.
Maleficent and Hades quickly got to work, pouring over the various scrolls and amphoras. With the effects of the Gems of Cronus in place, no time passed at all, but that certainly didn't prevent Hades and Maleficent from feeling like time was passing in a seemingly endless search.
"Find anything yet?" Hades asked with a sigh.
"I have not," Maleficent replied. "Your brother's organizational system leaves much to be desired."
"Yeah, for a supposedly omniscient guy, he's a total yutz," Hades remarked. "I'm starting to think he's got nothin' here on the gems."
"This cannot have been a fruitless endeavor!" Maleficent declared with frustration dripping on every word.
An amphora on one of the shelves caught Hades's eye. Painted along the side of the clay jar was an image of baby Hercules being held in Zeus's arm. Hades smirked to himself at how glorious of a blow it was to Zeus to cause his precious baby brat to grow up far away. But something else was gnawing at Hades's mind as if there were dots that needed to be connected.
"A bouncing baby brat born," Hades mumbled to himself.
"What was that, dear?" Maleficent asked.
"It's just...," Hades said. "I'm thinkin' about universal time. The Fist of Might we got by sacrificing a life. The Fist of Ability we got by bringin' back a life. So what's the catch gonna be for the last gem? Heh?"
"Is that truly pertinent?" Maleficent asked. "The altar will reveal its condition to us once we find it. We should focus our attention on its location."
"No, no, no, but hear me out," Hades said. "I'm thinkin' about Persephone. Not like that! You know you're the only babe for me. But that whole fiasco started the seasons. An annual cycle of life, harvest, death, renewal, and all that booga booga. The Gems of Cronus are all about universal time, and time is a cycle. It loops. Birth, death, rebirth. We did the death, we did the rebirth-"
"So the Eye of Cronus will require a birth to access," Maleficent said, completing the thought. "The creation of new life rather than the end or restoration of an old life."
"Bingo!" Hades said. "So... I guess we need to find a pregnant chick who's gonna give birth exactly when we find the altar... Sure, yeah, no, that's not weird. Not at all."
"That still leaves us with the same conundrum," Maleficent remarked. "We've no idea where the third altar is hidden."
"And by the looks of this place, we're not gonna find that answer here," Hades said. "The only place we haven't checked is the chest sitting over on that stand over there."
"Then let us investigate it and return to the party," Maleficent said.
Hades gave Maleficent a thumbs up and proceeded over to the golden chest. Zeus, of course, didn't bother locking the chest. After all, who could possibly have gotten into this room without his knowledge? Hades undid the latches and flipped open the lid. Inside was not more scrolls or anything recognizable to Hades; the chest only contained a large purple and blue ovoid shape that seemed to be scaled.
"It's... a rock," Hades remarked.
Maleficent's eyes widened when she saw what was hidden in the chest. Unlike Hades, she knew exactly what she was looking at.
"No, not a rock. A dragon's egg."