Back at it again, although this time with a bit of bad news.
I said back in the first chapter that I would release a chapter every week on Friday for as long as I could, as I already had a few chapters written.
Well, I'm sorry to say we've reached the bottom of the barrel now.
Not to say the story is canceled. It's absolutely not!
But from now on, expect another week or two in between new chapters.
With that out of the way, let's get to it!
Asgore, carrying the sobriquet of 'The Grandest Thief" could be said to be a veteran of many heists. In his younger days, these were mostly aimed at stealing material wealth, but as the Mob grew and the city of Ebott took shape, money became less of an issue. Instead, his attention turned towards theft of information and data, to be used in blackmailing, negotiations, and information networking. As the mob grew, it even started becoming the target of heists itself from outside factions.
This was all something the Don had expected and planned for. The security around the Dreemurr Mansion was the best that money could buy and then some. But even so, no security system was perfect and even Asgore still hadn't seen everything the world of larceny had to offer.
When the Don had woken that morning a smell in the air had immediately assaulted his nostrils. Usually, there would only be the pleasantly sweet smell of his carefully cared-for Dreemurrdendrons and Hyacinths mixing with his morning tea being prepared by the staff to greet him and the queenpin in the morning, but this time an earthy, pungent smell had drowned it all out.
The source had quickly been pointed out by a flustered officer on guard patrol in the mansion.
In a remote wing of the mansion, used mostly for storage, a sight awaited him that would make even the most proficient magic-slinger question the ethics of magical usage.
Somehow, during the night, someone had transmuted the brickworks of an entire corner of a storeroom into a literal wall of cheese, yellow and holed as if ready for the fromager's table.
"A Light Emmental Milk Cheese" the patrolling officer pointed out "Still pretty raw and unfermented. I know this cuz' a girlfriend I had was a chessemonger as a hobby. Used to steal my socks and store cheese milk in it, hung 'em to dry over the fireplace… we broke up, she had bad breath"
Asgore nodded along, doing his best to keep up an air of authority but finding it hard to hide the sheer incredulity at what he was seeing.
The only logical point he could see was that whoever had turned the brick wall into cheese had most likely done so in order to break through it, as a large hole had been punched, and partly eaten, through the cheese wall, leading to the outside.
The great Don took a great breath, letting his mind settle down. It was important to maintain a look of composure in front of the goons. He couldn't let them know the cheese had gotten under his skin.
"Do we know what the thief was after? Has anything gone missing from storage?" he put to the guard.
"We're still going through the inventory, but so far, a few things are unaccounted for, boss"
"And why wasn't I or Toriel made aware of this sooner?"
The guard sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Well… I thought I was hallucinating when I saw it at first. You see, my ex is real vindictive and she sent me a block of cursed brie cheese the other day. Got a real deep breath of the sucker 'fore I realized what it was. When I saw the, uhh, 'cheese wall' I thought it was the curse poking more holes in my brain than a block of swiss"
Asgore dragged a paw across his face, filtering a great moan through his fingers.
"Good golly…"
"I'm scared, boss. I just want her to let me brie. She's up to no gouda"
"Never mind that" Asgore huffed "What do we know that's gone missing so far? Give me a rundown"
"Ah, 'course, boss" The guard cleared his throat and brought a list up.
"So far a good amount of weapons are unaccounted for. We're still not sure how many, but enough to equip a 2nd tier gang at least"
Asgore wrinkled his nose. An annoying loss, but the weapons trade, magical and physical, was already going strong in Ebott, adding another arsenal's worth was hardly concerning.
"Go on"
"We also have two explosives of medium-yield missing from volatile storage"
A chill went down the Don's back. This was a fair bit more concerning. Bombs that size could easily level a city block. His only reassurance was that anyone with the skill and panache to acquire bombs of that size most likely wouldn't waste them on a place like this. Blowing a place up in Ebott would hardly do anything more than get the Don't unwanted attention.
"There's also something missing from lab storage. An, uhh, some kinda apparatus that turns liquid into gas? Huh, I also get kinda gassy after beer or two" the guard mused.
"You can gas on your own time. Anything else missing?" Asgore rumbled, already having put the missing apparatus out of his mind, not worth being concerned over.
"Well, there's a few written works missing from the archive" the guard continued, flipping through the inventory list "So far we only know for sure of two things missing. Ones' a spellbook of… Tyromancy? The heck is Tyromancy?"
"The Magical school of Cheese" Asgore explained, softly scratching his chin in thought.
"Magical cheese, huh? God, you think it was my ex who broke in? Maybe she wanted the book so she could take control of all cheese in Ebott!" the guard jabbered fearfully.
"I… doubt it's that dire. But it does tell us something vital. This wasn't a break-in, it was a break-out"
"Huh, how so, boss?"
Asgore gestured at the cheese wall.
"Simple. Why would anyone who already knew tyromancy steal a spellbook on it? No, whoever broke in came from the inside, found the spellbook, and then used it to make another exit in the wall"
"But then, that would mean the thief is someone who has regular access to the mansion!" The guard gasped.
"Just so" Asgore sighed "Another day, another knife in the back. Anyway, back to what's missing. Go on"
"Ah, yeah, lemme squint my eyes here, uhh, 'Vital Motive Force Transplantantion For Efficient Diagnostical Efforts" by Toriel. Woah, I didn't know our queenpin was such an avid writer! I got her self-help book the other day, amazing stuff! You think I could get a peek at this when we get it back?... Uh, boss?"
A wave of apprehension and regret rolled through the don. Apprehension at what could happen now that such a dangerous work was unaccounted for and regret that he and Toriel hadn't destroyed the only remaining copy long ago. For all the incredible danger it was capable of, Toriel had found a sense of pride in its creation and convinced him not to destroy it.
It was extremely rare for his wife to make any kind of mistake, but when she did the consequences were always dire. This could very well be such a moment he realized.
"Uhh, boss? Something wrong? You're as white as bleached mozzarella" The guard's words broke through the fog of fear in his mind and he settled his gaze on him.
"Listen, I want Undyne on this, highest priority. Nothing else matters as much as getting that treatise back!" he barked.
"Woah, but, wh- what it is, boss?"
"Do you respect the queenpin?" He put to the guard.
"Wha-"
"Do you? Do you hold her in any regard?"
"Of course, boss. She's the sharpest mind in the gang to my knowledge. She even remembered my birthday!"
"… I'm glad to hear it" Asgore said lowly "but that's also why I can't tell you what it does. If you knew what my wife – our queenpin has done…"
"I… think I understand, boss. I'll get Undyne on the horn"
"Good… that's good" Asgore sighed deeply. It was still morning, but it still took an effort to turn his body around and walk for the door so drained he felt.
"Hey, boss! There are still a few things missing I haven't mentioned yet!" He heard the guard call after him.
"It doesn't matter" he answered back, unsure and uncaring if too low to be heard.
The morning's events had put him in the foulest of mood and only the prospect of a calming cup of morning tea stood as a beacon in the clouds.
But Don Asgore Dreemurr, Grandest Thief Alive, could only let out a groan of despair as he found a cup of cheese tea, prepared by the kitchen staff, on the breakfast table.
"Ahh, hot damn, tell you what, I thought nothing less than a hot bath and a cold one could get me up and running after 8 hours in a packet ship; I'm as saddle sore Gryftroot on Giftmass, but this tea is like a liquid kick-in-the-ass!" Levi the Leviathan exclaimed, kicking his feet up on the table as he gulped the whole cup in one swig.
"If you do not ssstart acting more sssensible to our hosssts, then I would be more than happy to help kick your assss" his serpentine wife Cleo hissed back at him.
Toriel gave a lighthearted chuckle, sitting across from the 2 guests in the Dreemur Mansion's parlor "It is of no issue, I should take Levi's relaxation as a compliment. A crass tongue is often rooted in a trunk of honesty, after all"
"Yeah… that" Levi coughed.
It had been some time since last the bosses of the city of Surripio had come for a visit, but each time they did Toriel was quickly reminded of just why they had been able to maintain a fruitful partnership for the past many years.
Happy marriages were exceedingly rare in this kind of life. Pragmatically, it painted a huge target on your partner's back and presented an incredibly attractive indirect way to get at you. She and her Fluffybuns had managed a good run at it, but so had Levi and Cleo, the similarity no doubt having helped foster their good relations.
While he might not have the same claim to infamy as Don Asgore, Levi 'The Leviathan' was still a force to be reckoned with as the world's greatest boss of Sea Smuggling. Some even said that every drop of water in every ocean of the world had been evaluated and judged by Levi, so complete was his control of Sea Smuggling
The dashingly powerful and handsome Lizard-monster had scales as deep blue as the oceans he played and eyes as green as sea-emerald, donning his trademark black suit with blue stripes, yellow tie, and hat with a blue stripe. Most likened the great smuggling boss as something akin to a water monitor, but rumors abound that the great smuggling boss's strength and magical might could be traced back to a dragon lineage, the boss himself saying little of the issue.
Of more obvious, and eye-catching, nature was his wife, Cleo. A black-scaled and golden-eyed serpentine beauty that struck an alluring balance between sleek and shapely just perceivable beneath a yellow dress.
That is, she usually did, but today's visit had seen Cleo with an unusually bloated belly.
"I apologize for my husband's absence. We had a break-in during the night he had to attend to, but he should be along shortly" Toriel gestured to the empty seat beside her.
"What, The Grandest Thief Alive got thieved from? Either something fishy is up or someone with more brass than brains is trying to prove something. Stupid either way" Levi snorted "Anyone tries and pull a fast one like that on us he's coming to dinner"
"Coming… to dinner?" Toriel quizzically tilted her head.
"Just so. That is, if my lovely wife still got room for dessert somewhere in there" Levi answered, giving a quick pat on Cleo's belly.
"Don't be ridiculousss, you think I could maintain thisss figure if I did that with every fool that came along? No, I ressserve that punissshment only for the essspecially dessserving"
"Like that guy that tried to spike the drinks at Val's birthday party" Levi nodded at her "I tell you, I've seen some big cockroaches crawling 'round the house but I've never seen a creep as big as him"
Toriel was still wide-eyed at the couple's casual declaration of cannibalism, something of an embarrassment for her as is it was hardly news for her, but the practice was so clashing with the stylish and fashionable nature of the Surripio bosses it always surprised her whenever it was brought up.
Thankfully, they had also provided a hook for her to change the subject.
"G-good heavens, I hope nothing bad happened to dear Valerie?" she managed.
"Eh, she's fine. Ain't no two-bit piece of bottom-feeding trash gonna come anywhere near my daughter s'long as I'm still breathing" Levi proudly declared.
"Which would be fine, if you didn't apply that moniker to anyone showing her at least a passing interest" Cleo retorted, her tail-end coming up to give her husband a light whack on the head.
"Oww, don't be like that! It doesn't apply to everyone, it's just… she's getting to that age and I don't want some sleazy shmuck to take advantage"
"You ssshould have some more faith in our daughter, sssh'es not as gullible as you might think. Giver her a chance to find her own way"
"But what if she gets burned? The world we live in ain't exactly, ah, conducive to a wholesome love-life"
"Then we have the meansss to show why crossing usss is a bad idea" Cleo answered, placing a hand on her belly.
"Heh, I suppose I would be pretty put off too if I knew that was a risk" Levi chuckled, turning his attention on Toriel.
"You should have seen it, Tori. After we caught the guy out we had him cornered in the boathouse. Little weed was bawling his eyes out, and he was screaming all they way down Cleo's gullet!"
"… I admit, that does sound like an unforgettable experience" Toriel coughed "If you need, I could get you some chamomile tea, good if you have an upset stomach"
"No thanksss, I quite like it when they ssstruggle a bit"
"I… see" Toriel finished, silently praying her discomfort wasn't showing, begging for something else to come up and steer the conversation away.
A blessing from the stars appeared as she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, finding Frisk passing by the doorway.
"My child!" She burst a bit too eagerly at the welcome intrusion and she took a moment to compose herself "Won't you come and say hello to our guests?"
Frisk turned her head, face uncharacteristically sullen and shoulders low "Hey, Cleo and Levi" she slurred with about as much enthusiasm as a funeral attendee.
"Hey there, Friskerinno, long time no see. Still puttin' the 'awe' in 'lawyer'?" Levi waved.
"That'sss not how it isss ssspelled…" Cleo hissed.
"I guess" Frisk dryly retorted before glancing back down the hallway "I'm… gonna go to my room" she muttered, before during just that, disappearing out of sight.
Toriel couldn't help but furrow her brow in concern. Ever since her visit to Alphy's Lab, Frisk had acted strangely down, a far cry from her usually confident and upbeat self.
"I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, Tori" A voice as smooth as an oiled up serpent broke through her thoughts.
"If I were to wager a guesss I would sssuspect boy trouble. Our Valerie acted the sssame way" Cleo suggested.
"Hmph, I still think her last fling was about as deadbeat as a roadkill" Levi huffed "I swear if she finds another loser like that I'll-"
"Do nothing and allow our daughter to find her own way… won't you, darling?" Cleo cut in, flicking her forked tongue at the larger monster as if tasting prey.
"Eerp! Y-yeah, sure, I-I'm just saying I want what's best for her"
"More like bessst for your peace of mind!" Cleo hissed.
"Boy trouble…" Toriel whispered to herself. She supposed it wasn't possible. Frisk did have a reputation as a big flirt, and she was getting to that age. Still, she imagined that if a girl like Frisk was going through something like that, they'd be acting more awkward or shy, not sullen and withdrawn.
"By the way, Tori, I've been meanin' to ask" Levi suddenly began "If I'm not mistaken, lil' Frisk ain't lookin' to make a career or life outside of Ebott, is she?"
"If she ever wants, she would all the support we could give her, but no, not that she has told us"
"Well, in that case… look, I'm not one to tell a beekeeper how to keep bees, and it's really none of my beeswax, but-"
"Darling, could you please, be a little more concise?" Cleo urged.
"Err, right, sorry. What I mean to say is… are you sure this is right for Frisk?" Levi finally managed, underneath his wife's scolding glare.
"I mean, with Frisk being what she is, and Ebott being the kind of city it is, is it… I dunno, perhaps a bit unwise to have her grow up here?" He put to her.
"Darling, your tact isss as lacking as your wit…" Cleo hissed at him.
"I don't mean nothin' by it" Levi hurriedly fired off "It's just, a lot of bad stuff can happen quickly in our way of life. One bad call and everythin' could come crumblin' down. I'm sure you and ol' Gore could handle it, but, y'know… maybe not Frisk?" Levi squeamishly added.
"That'sss it! No ping-pong once we get home! You-"
"I have entertained that very thought many times, Levi" Toriel cut-in before Cleo could really get going. "You are correct. If Frisk were anywhere else in Ebott she would come undone. Ours is a life that requires a certain amount of apathy, even cruelty. We know our actions hurt others, even if it benefits ourselves or those we care about. Frisk would never be able to accept such a compromise. My Fluffybuns and I… have considered, at times, to try and induce her into the life, but it would require us to ask her to go against her very nature, to harden a heart the world has rarely seen and to ask the unique become common"
"Then, why-"
"Because she knows all that" Toriel answered the question before it could be asked "I believe wholeheartedly that Frisk's innocence, unfitting to Ebott as it may be, is a strength rather than a weakness. She knows what Ebott is, she knows what kind of work we do, and she does not judge but neither does she partake. She has had every opportunity and incentive to cast her own code aside, to change to fit better into Ebott's mold… but she has not. Despite everything, it is still her"
"Huh, I think I get it. It takes a very special person to swim in an ocean without getting wet" Levi nodded acceptingly.
"Dear me, what wasss that? An actual sssagely remark and not your usssual crass or sasss?" Cleo replied.
"Well, if you wanna talk impressive, I can lick my own elbow too"
"…and there'sss the monssster I married..." she sighed.
"That's why ya love me, babe"
Toriel suppressed a small chuckle at the pair. She admitted they had a certain coarseness or roughness to them she couldn't help but admire. A slap-slap-kiss dynamic a small part of her perhaps envied.
But one thing that would always convince her of the rightness of her chosen life was what had brought Frisk and Chara into it.
Ebott had still been young then. A rising power in the underworld, but still fragile enough that she and her Fluffybuns had needed to get their paws dirty in order to survive.
On such effort had seen them trying to worm their way into the inner circle of the king of the neighboring country of Turol. With stolen identities, expensive and uncomfortable clothes, and, in Asgore's case, a quick crash course in royal etiquette, the bosses of the Dreemurr Mob had been transformed from unsavory thugs into the cream of society's crop.
Turol possessed a large amount of Hydro-electric and geothermal plants, even a few nuclear reactors built more out of vanity than need, which suited the Dreemurrs fine, as the goal had always been to get close to the king, obtain as much dirt on the royal house as possible and then use it to blackmail the get to redirect power and electricity to Ebott.
From the onset, the plan had gone swimmingly. Toriel's easy charm and graceful demeanor had disarmed practically every one of their intent, while Asgore's boisterous and affable exertions had seen them gain influence with the king that even many longstanding nobles would be envious of. By all accounts, their missions would soon be done and the lights of Ebott would finally turn on.
But then, the day before their planned break-in into the royal archive, the king of Turol had invited the pair to a public display. Taken to the town square, the Dreemurrs, the king, and his guards were let into a pagoda overlooking a raised wooden platform centered in the square and crowded by what seemed like half the town, and welcomed to fine drink and food. They were about to inquire as to the occasion when a great cheer rippled through the crowd.
A human child, no older than ten, was dragged up to the wooden platform by a pair of guards, struggling surprisingly much with the much smaller youth. He had all the looks of rough living – a tattered, green-striped t-shirt, mattered auburn hair and scrapes and bruises on his face and knees.
The guards managed to drag him to the center of the platform where they chained him to the floor with cuffs, in-between a barrel of a steaming, black liquid and a table laden with knives and cutting tools.
"A notorious sneak thief, burglar and pickpocket" the king of Turol explained "Always targets food stalls and shops and pickpockets the unwary. Normally, we wouldn't make such a spectacle of such an unworthy lout, but he has been going at it for nigh on years, enough that many businesses have lost fortunes"
"For years, you say?" Asgore had inquired, uneasy at the scene going down at the platform "That's… honestly incredible. He looks young enough he must have learned to pick a lock before learning how to walk"
"Impressive or not, he is just another vagrant turning his stained hand to the earnings of others instead of the plow, sickle and hammer and the honest work it provides" the king scoffed.
Down on the platform the guards retreated to the background as another figure stepped up. A large, burly, and brutish figure wearing an apron covered in old bloodstains and a black executioners hood.
"I wasn't aware Turol's capital punishment extended to children" Toriel mused, not entirely succeeding in hiding the disgust in her voice.
"It doesn't and this isn't an execution. Normally, thievery is punished with jail time, but given the extraordinary circumstances we've decided to turn to older methods this time around" the king waved a hand down at the scene, indicating the barrel and table.
"One hand will be dipped in burning tar, forever branding him as a blackhand and thief, while the other will be simply cut off, that it may never seek the gains of honest and good folk again"
"… pure barbarism and cruelty" Toriel hissed under her breath.
"You want to make an example… out of a kid?" Asgore asked.
"Just so. This way we show that no one, not even children, is above the law and beyond the reach of justice" the king nodded confidently.
Down on the square, the crowd was cheering eagerly as the executioner listed off the boy's crimes and what was to be done to him. And yet, despite the hundreds of people gathered and shouting, the boy's voice still clearly cut through, snarling at the on lookers, accusing them of hypocrisy and of punishing those down on their luck instead of solving the problems that had fostered them in the first place.
The executioner finished his recital and rounded on the table, going over the selection of knives looking for the best fit. The cuffed boy eyed an opportunity and, managing to get a leg out, kicked the table, shuffling the knives, one of which fell off and unto the executioner's foot.
The crowd exploded into a mix of laughter and boos as the executioner jumped around on one leg, but the king himself was less than pleased.
"A troublemaker until the end" he sighed.
"What's going to happen to him after his… punishment?" Asgore prodded.
"He'll be thrown back out on the streets, but with one hand short and the other an ever-painful reminder of his misdeeds I doubt he'll try anything untoward ever again"
"He is barely surviving with both hands as it is" Toriel noted "Without them, will he not starve and perish in the streets?"
"In all probability, yes. Not that having one less street rat and rascal in my kingdom troubles me overmuch" The king nodded, a faint smile on his face as the executioner finally regained his measure.
The brutish man rounded on the boy, sending a cruel kick into his ribs that collapsed him on the floor. He didn't let him stay and with a gloved hand, the executioner grabbed the boy's long, matted hair and smashed his face into the floor, blood now streaming down a broken nose and split cheek.
Then the executioner's hand tended towards a metallic shine close by, a knife fallen from the table, and an exceedingly rusty and jagged one at that.
The crowd held their breath as he held the boy's arm down and slowly drew the knife to his wrist.
"Well, your majesty, it's been a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but in light of recent events I think it's time we break off relations" Asgore suddenly quipped.
"Hmm?" was all the king managed before a large paw suddenly reached out and grabbed his face, lifted him off the floor and tossed him into a pole with enough force to send him into unconsciousness.
The two guards that had accompanied him sprung into surprised action, but a quick wave of Toriel's paw had seen their boots, the only part of their uniform made of fabric instead of metal, burst into flames, the guards now more occupied with a fiery dance than giving chase.
Without a word to each other the two Dreemurrs had leapt from the pagoda and unto the platform, the executioner only catching wise once he noticed the crowd's surprised shouts. He stood up from the boy and turned to face an incoming Asgore.
"What the f-" he gasped before the monster stomped down on his injured foot. He made to double over in pain but the thick forehead of the goat monster found his and he crashed to the floor, lights out.
All the while Toriel was kneeled down at the boy, a gout of super-heated magical fire melting the chains holding him to the floor.
"Worry not, young one, we mean you no harm" she cooed "Just a bit more and… there!"
The manacles fell to the ground with a clang, but if the boy's beatings and injuries made him appear dazed and weakened the truth was a whole other matter.
Like a cat out of a bag the boy jumped from his feet and raced off the platform faster than a Tem on fire, suddenly leaving the two Dreemurs as the sole figures on the stage and sole focus of attention for the crowd and guards.
Armed men were clambering up after them and the crowd, split between cheering at the spectacle and booing at the same, wasted no time throwing bottles and rotten fruits up at them.
Asgore and Toriel had shared a brief look, wordlessly reaching and agreeing on a decision.
They leapt from the platform in unison, bowling through a small gathering of the crowd before giving chase after the green shirt-wearing lightning bolt they had just freed.
The chase had seen them pursued from the better part of the inter-city market square, down through residential apartments, a long street lined with shops, a corner of an industrial district in which they finally lost the pursuing guards, before ending in a slum at the outskirts of the city.
Panting, gasping, and covered in sweat, the Dreemurrs had come to a stop in front of a small shanty hovel, the boy they had saved standing in the door, kitchen knife in hand as a warning. Behind him, a small bundle of clothes and blankets covering a sickly child.
Frisk was her name, and the boy, Chara. Two orphans that had lived on the streets for as long as they knew, with Frisk cursed with further misfortune as sickness had plagued her since birth. Only his older brother, Chara, stealing what he could had kept them alive.
To this day, Toriel's clearest memory of Chara was also her first one. The unbowing child, screaming his defiance at the crowd, one soul among many but blazing bright enough to drown out the hundred others.
But it was when they had found out their story that a life-changing decision, for both parties, had been made.
The Dreemurr Mob was built on the ideal of doing things outside the law not for yourself, but for those you care about, and it had amused her and Asgore to no end that the best example of that ideal had been found in the human boy, Chara and in a city outside of Ebott to boot. That he was an excellent thief was a bonus, but it was his utter and untamed Determination to protect those he cared about that had impressed them the most. So much so that rumor had it that Chara had even been considered as the successor to the Dreemurr mob.
Thus, the fierce Chara and sickly Frisk had been taken into the Dreemurr's care. Two unwanted spots disappearing from Turol's city life and two bright stars appearing in Ebott. The city would have to go without a stable power source for a few more months, but everyone in the know easily considered it worth the effort.
Ebott's port district was only really called so by the duplicitous or the unknowing. The only kind of sea-faring activity going on here was smuggling – illegally enchanted items, banned medicines, weapons mundane and magical among other things were sent out, while stolen goods of all types were imported.
Because of the valuable goods filling the port district practically 24/7 it remained the most hotly contested part of the city. The most powerful gangs under the Dreemurr Mob had their own jealously guarded warehouses, either leased from the main family, or conquered from weaker gangs. Even so, the port was filled with derelicts, - burned out, blown up, or abandoned office buildings and warehouses that had been the victim of gang warfare.
On this night, one such husk of a warehouse hosted an unusual amount of activity. Easily around a hundred monsters cluttered around a stage on the main floor of the building. From their sunken faces, dim eyes and low-end clothes the discerning eye could easily tell these were the gutter-class of Ebott. The lowest of low, the thieves and goons too incompetent or dishonest to make it anywhere in a place like Ebott.
"Ooooh, my wings are as thin as the wind, my soul as weak as impotent as my breath and my body as frail as a bubble. I really hope this intervention can help me become a stronger and better monster" A meek migosp among the crowd lamented.
An ursine monster to his side turned towards him, raising a confused eyebrow "Intervention? Think ya might've gotten the wrong address, pal. This is a presentation for a new business startup looking for workers and partners" he explained, turning back to the stage with a sigh.
"I really hope it's worthwhile, though. I'm so sick and tired of my wife and kids being disappointed in me…"
"Zzzzzz… that's not what my pamphlet says…" A rusty Knight-Knight suddenly added in.
"Mine says they are gonna…zzzzzzzz… hand out samples of some kind of new anti-rust spray and ask for feedback…zzzzzzz… sure hope I didn't waste my time coming down here…zzzzzzzzz… my armor is soooooo rusty…"
"W-wait, so we all have invitations to the same address, but for different things?" The migosp gasped and pulled out his pamphlet, sure enough, offering an intervention to the very warehouse.
The ursine and Knight-Knight did likewise, their confusion only growing as they found each other's invitation perfectly legit.
"What the…zzzzzzzz… heck?" the Knight-Knight snored.
As if to give an answer to the question, a great cloud of smoke suddenly exploded into life upon the central stage with a loud bang, sending the monsters nearest reeling. They barely had time to get to their feet before an eager voice called out.
"Welcome, welcome ladies and gentlemen, one and all! So glad to see such a Menacing Multitude of Meandering Monsters!" it welcomed. From out of the smoke, a figure to stick the voice on appeared. A female crow-like monster, clad in a magician's vest and short, fishnet stockings with heels, black gloves on her hands and topped by a magician's top hat. Her arms were thrown wide as if bidding the gathered monsters come close for a hug.
Even if the crowd's reaction was much more doubtful.
"Eek! It's a raid! We gon' get nabbed!" The ursine shrieked.
"N-no, no, please someone… help me…" The migosp sobbed, lying on the ground, its small heart consumed by fear.
"WHAAAA…zzzzzzz…AAAAAAT!?" The Knight-Knight shouted in shock.
A burst of booming laughter echoed from the stage.
"Be not afraid, darlings! Madame Wildfire welcomes you all! From the meekest migosp to the tiniest tem! I hear some of you wonder if this an intervention, a sales pitch or something grander! Fortify, honored audience, for tonight, you will be given all this and more! Everything you need to drop your fears and doubts and finally take what you deserve!"
"Oh… that doesn't sound too bad, I guess"
"I… I am filled with fear and cowardice. I want to be braver and stronger…"
"Don't know if there's anything more valuable than rust removal in this world, but if there is…zzzzzzzz… I want in"
"Everyone has a sob story!" Madame Wildfire boomed, performing a twirl on the stage as she pointed out, indicating everyone present "But you people especially are this city's most unfortunate. The downtrodden, the desperate, but also, I daresay, this city's most untapped potential! Ladies and gentlemen, I have gathered you here today because I have something to offer to those who have nothing. Something that will make you stronger, faster, and better than even biggest and baddest of the Dreemurr Mob! But, mes amis, we can't have an effect without a cause, so let's hear what brought you all here, looking to better yourselves!"
Wildfire launched into a summersault, landing at the edge of the stage, one arm reached out towards the ursine monster.
"Let's start with you, my furry friend, what has brought you to Madame Wildfire?"
The ursine took a doubtful step back for a moment, sharing a nervous look with others in the audience before finally composing himself, letting out a sigh, and stepping forward.
"Well, I… my name is Throm and… well, long story short I've been a failure and disappointment all my life. My parents tried to switch me out with another baby when I was born 'cause I was a runt, I once failed a blood test, my high school crush took her own life when I admitted my love to her, found it too demeaning that someone like me was thinking of her, you see" The ursine began "But as to why I'm here… well, present day isn't any better. I've never been able to hold a job for more than a month, keep messing up, no gang want's to hire me. It's gotten so bad my wife is constantly talking about her next husband and my kids are calling me by my first name. Too embarrassed to call me dad, you see" Throm finished, head low as he let out a lifetime of disappointment and regret.
A gloved, taloned hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up in surprise, finding Madame Wildfire in front of him with a confident smile and eyes that struck a cord between intrigued and crazed.
"You've come to the right place, friend. Just as some people are destined for success and greatness, some people are destined for failure and disappointment. But! The Hand of Fate can be forced… if you have the strength for it" she cooed, moving the hand on the shoulder up behind the ursine's ear "In fact, everyone has all the strength they need. They just need to know where to find it… like right here!" She eagerly pulled her hand back, withdrawing a small glass vial from behind the ursine's ear. A black liquid swirled inside the vial, seeming to drown out the light around it. She offered it out, and with a tentative paw, Throm took the strange vial into his care.
With a flash of motion, Wildfire somersaulted back onto the stage, arms wide in showmanship.
"Worry not, friend! You will all have your turn and I have gifts for each and every one of you! Though, I ask that you wait until everyone have been addressed before you, as they say, pop the cork!"
Another spin had Wildfire at the edge of the stage again, this time aiming her attention at a small group of elderly monsters.
"And what brings the golden gals and gents of Ebott here, then?" she offered.
The group shared nervous looks with each other before an elderly canine-monster stepped forward.
We are… an association of people that have been 'Left Behind' as the saying goes. Our pamphlet indicated you might have, as unbelievable as it sounds, a solution to this?" She explained.
A gloom quickly filled the warehouse. Even Madame Wildfire lost the confident showman's grin as she stepped back unto the stage, a hand over her heart.
"Ah, to be 'Left Behind', truly, there is no more fitting evidence as to the existence of fates worse than death" she quietly stated, turning to favor each member of the crowd with a sad look.
"As monsters, we are blessed with a life-bond that goes from parent to child. For as long as they live, the parents give their life-force to their offspring, aging them in the process, but allowing their children to grow to adulthood" she explained, turning back to the group of elderly monsters that had started the topic initially.
"But sometimes, fate is cruel. It stays its hand until it is too late. There are few worse fates for a parent than the death of their child, save perhaps for when they are too old to procreate again. That is to be 'Left Behind', immortality without youth, to be trapped in old, wizened bodies with no end in sight save for accidents, disease or their own hand" She kneeled down to the elderly monsters, giving a small bow.
"You have my sympathies. No one should have to go through all that"
The elderly canine looked back up with wet eyes, quaking voice affirming Wildfire's explanation.
"We don't even know what to do anymore. To not only live forever, knowing you let your child die, but to also endue each day with the pain of old age… there are many of us who have entertained the thought of ending it themselves, but… it is a frightening thought"
Wildfire nodded, a faint shadow of the former confident grin coming back.
"I can't bring the dead back to you, old one, but I might be able to help you with one of your problems" she quipped before reaching her arm out to the elderly monster and tipping her head, causing her top hat to roll down her arm. She caught it at the hem just as it reached her hand, the sudden arrest of motion causing a bundle of papers, the only readable part being the title of 'Vital Motive Force Transplantantion For Efficient Diagnostical Efforts' tied with string and a packet of the same black vials from before, one for each member of the group, to jump out, barely caught by the surprised canine monster.
"Don't worry, your fears are near their end, but as before I ask you wait until everyone have been addressed before you unwrap your present" Wildfire smiled, before turning back to the center of the stage.
And so the night went on. Madame Wildfire allowing each group and individual of the crowd to explain their regrets and failings, and her gifting them a vial of the black liquid and sometimes something more, a tool, a stack of papers or just a promise of something more 'after the end' she would smirk.
The stories were as varied as the crowd itself.
A Tem lamented its own foolishness.
A living stone embarrassed by having too much osseous matter.
A school student ashamed at being too scared to stand up to bullies for years on end now.
A Shyreen wishing her parents still loved her.
As the final address was finished, the morning sun had just begun sending its earliest rays through the thick and dirtied windows of the warehouse, bathing the room in a red hue.
Madame Wildfire twirled into the center of the stage, another vial appearing in her hand in the blur of motion.
"At last we've come to what we have all been waiting for, friends! I have heard your pleas, your regrets. You have exposed your doubts and weaknesses. Now, I say, it's time to do away with it all and take your place at the top of the food chain and this city!" she boomed, flicking the cap of her vial open with her thumb.
"You have all entrusted me with stories, but now I ask for one last leap of faith from you all. You all have a vial of the stuff dreams are made off, all you have to do now is claim it!"
She raised her vial high, and her voice likewise, pleased to see most members of the crowd followed suit with their vials.
"Reject your fears, doubts and regrets! Embrace strength, certainty and power! Down the hatch, ladies and gentlemen, and show this city what kind of monsters you really are!"
Wildfire eagerly threw her head back and downed the vial in one gulp, a shiver of revulsion going through her at the sudden realization it was practically her own sweat, not that ingesting any more of the mysterious black liquid that had given her her power would do anything for her, it was all part of the show.
And as she returned her attention to the crowd she was more than pleased to see that most had been taken in by her display, their desperate need for betterment in their life pushing caution aside.
Some of the more doubtful members waited a few moments, but ultimately everyone partook in the Stuff of Dreams.
Seconds passed in silence, the crowd sharing confused and uneasy looks with each other. A monster close to the stage was just about to speak up, asking what the vials were supposed to do to them.
But the question was answered before it could be asked. First, one monster doubled over, hacking and heaving as his whole being rebelled against the mind, body, and soul-altering substance already blackening his heart and coursing through his veins.
Then another.
And then another.
A panic broke out amongst the crowd but it was short-lived as soon everyone was down on the floor, pleading for whatever was happening to them to stop.
Kuro, as Wildfire, regarded it all with a mad grin, and she wasn't surprised to find that she had been so enraptured by the scene in front of her that she had been cackling for seconds without even noticing.
Slowly but steadily, the lights inside the monsters died, replaced by LOVE and all the strength it brought with it. Even the light inside the room dimmed as clouds passed over in the sky, as if the sun itself could not bear to look at the atrocity going on.
Almost a minute passed, the warehouse filled with coughing, wheezing, pleading, and screaming. But then, just as suddenly as the first transformation had begun, so did they end.
The first members of her new gang stood, confusion and wonderment in their eyes as they regarded their own hands. Strength and power now coursing through where before they here been only weakness. Their magic was stronger, their claws sharper, their bodies sturdier, their desires and ambitions unchecked, every sensation was amplified as was the need to acquiesce them
Some of the weakest monsters had not survived the process and small mounds of monster dust littered the floor here and there, but no one paid them any mind, too enraptured by their own change and the unlocking of the dark potential inside them.
Wildfire stepped close to the edge of the stage, already having picked out those who had taken to their change the best. Every gang worth their salt needed lieutenants, and every Dark Mistress needed capable servants.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen" she boomed again, looking over the crowd of reborn monsters.
"Whaddya say we rip this city a new one?"
Ack, I'm sorry to bring such disappointing news just as the story got going, but I am a lazy boy. Perhaps if I had me some of that S.O.D...
It might be a few weeks before the next chapter, but I still intend to release it on a Friday, so keep a lookout!
Until then!
