"Well… Here we are. Wellgrove, about to put an end to Mother. Are you ready, Thronè?" Glacius asked.
"Yes. Mother's Garden should be around here somewhere. Many Snakes are raised there, but no one knows exactly where it is. I've never been there myself." Thronè said. "I was raised by Father, not Mother. Now then…I suppose I'll need another change of clothes. Time to find myself a habit."
"I suppose we should find suitable outfits for ourselves as well." Nesma said.
"Oh…I think I spy a good disguise." Leftor said seeing a group of nuns. "Ladies of the cloth usually are well received in orphanages."
"Well, well… Looks like we have a way in." Glacius said. "Nice work."
"No problem. Now, go get suited up ladies." Letfor said.
As the girls went to do so, Thronè noticed a young girl walking by without making a sound.
"That child… Her footfalls… She's concealing her presence." Thronè said as she saw the girl steal something. "She stole something… Impressive. She's no amateur, that's for sure. She may even be one of Mother's. It seems the Slaver spoke true about the orphanage."
As the girls put on their disguises, they soon went to the orphanage as they were let in by the elderly guard and saw various young children around, some of them with nuns.
"This must be the place… Those are Mother's children… There are so many of them, yet it's deathly quiet in here… She's trained them well." Thronè said before a door further in opened and walking down the hallway out of it was a large woman in red with short blonde hair and too much makeup on her face that she looked like a clown.
"This must be her." Esmeralda said. "About as ugly as Thronè said she is."
"My hatchlings, have you been good little girls and boys?" Mother asked as the children gathered, along with the girl Thronè saw. "Thanks to you, Mother's got her hands on something very precious. Now tell me…which of you brought this home?"
"It was me, Mother." the girl spoke up.
"Come here, Mira." Mother said as the girl approached.
"That's the girl from earlier…" Thronè said.
"This is a Wolf Diamond, one of the most precious stones in the realm. I want you all to learn from Mira's example." Mother said to the children before turning to Mira. "You made Mother proud, dear. Allow her to reward you… With the mark of a true Snake." she said before placing something familiar around Mira's neck.
"A collar…" Thronè said as she remembered Mother doing the same to her.
"It suits you, Mira." Mother said.
"What a pretty collar… I'll do whatever you ask, Mother." Mira said.
"What a good little girl you are. When the time comes, meet me in the Blackbell Tower." Mother said.
"Yes, Mother." Mira said.
"Morozov! I leave it to you to open the door." Mother said to the man by her side.
"But of course, Mother." the man said as Mother left through the same door as the man closed and locked it.
"How disgusting." Esmeralda said. "It also saddens me how many of these children became orphans…"
"She said that that girl was to meet her at Blackbell Tower when the time is right, didn't she?" Glacius asked. "I can't think of any other time than that to confront that repulsive woman."
"You two seem really into this." Aoesia said.
"Well of course they do, Esmerelda and Glacius were once slaves themselves." Jessica said.
"Adding to the fact that their lives weren't all that favorable beforehand to begin with." Rhatla said. "Glacius' mother was a sex worker, and Esmeralda believed she was a sort of Angel of Death."
"Until Glacius convinced Esmeralda that it was all a bunch of bullcrap." Aoesia said.
"Maybe, but even so… The way she plucks away children that have already lost so much is disgusting. They don't deserve to be bred into cold-blooded killers." Glacius said. "Cheetah, Esmeralda and I are all of predatory species. The act of killing in cold blood is already embedded into us. But these kids…"
"Say no more, Glacius. We'll stop Mother. Even if she's already drummed the teaching of the Blacksnakes into Mira and the other kids, they don't deserve to go through the same things Thronè and her friends did." Aoesia said.
"Indeed. Let us relay this to the men and head to the Blackbell Tower." Cheetah said.
Aoesia reported the itinerary to the men in Reformed Society, before the group started to make their move. To even get to Blackbell Tower from where they were, they had to go through the same door Mother went through. The only key to unlock it was held by Morozov, which was easily stolen by Thronè. All that was left was to follow Mira through the door as she was called by Mother, as the group followed her.
Blackbell Tower, nighttime…
Mother was with Mira at the top of the tower, the latter tied to the bell as Mother looked her dead in the eye.
"My dear little Mira… now that you're a true Snake, there is a little fairy tale you must know." Mother said.
"A fairy tale…?" Mira asked.
"Yes. It's a prelude before the real fun begins." Mother said before pulling out a whip.
Once upon a time, in a faraway land…there lived a man and a woman who were deeply in love. But they were a prince and a princess of enemy kingdoms. And it wasn't long before war broke out between them… So they decided to run away together…
As Mother told the story, she whipped Mira before stopping as Throne and Reformed Society arrived.
"It's been a while, mother dearest." Thronè said.
"Oh, Thronè. There you are." Mother said, unsurprisingly. "And I see you brought your new friends."
"So you knew that we were here…" Thronè said.
"It's not every day we get new sisters. Which is why I asked Mira here to lead you to me. It's the perfect place to dote upon my daughter without interruption, is it not?" Mother asked as she held her whip.
"So when the bell tolls, that signals punishment time, I take it?" Glacius asked.
"How can someone as twisted as you continue to exist unpunished?" Riesz asked. "Punishing those children is unforgivable!"
"Tch…your assistance or not, I never expected Thronè to make it so far in the selection process. Why have you all come? Don't tell me Thronè missed my whip. Though I suppose she does know its sting better than anyone. There is no better way to control someone than through pain." Mother said as she cracked said weapon.
(Cue: In Pursuit of Freedom ~ Chaotic Dance- Baten Kaitos)
"You manipulative, conniving…" Esmeralda started with a growl.
"You are a monster in every sense of the word. No one is going to shed a tear for you if you die!" Glacius said.
"And in that regard, we did not come here to be punished." Cheetah said.
"We came here to punish you." Thronè said as she drew her knife. "And once you're dead, I'm going to leave the Blacksnakes."
"You wretched worms." Mother said. "I loathe you, Thronè. I abhor disobedient children like you from the depths of my soul!"
"I'm surprised someone such as you even has a soul." Jade C said as he pushed in his glasses.
"And believe us when we say, the feeling is mutual." Kareem said.
"We won't hold back, Mother." Thronè said.
Abusive Matriarch of The Blacksnakes
Mother
"Feel my whip!" Mother called, rapidly lashing her whip at Thronè and the group as they all dodged.
Glacius coated her claws in ice as she charged at Mother. "You really believe you are above everyone else, don't you?"
"That's what happens when you are a leader, isn't it? Unlike Father, who only sought to use this organization for his own self-interests, I knew my role in the Blacksnakes." Mother said, keeping Glacius at bay with some lashes.
"What you're doing isn't leadership, it's abuse! No wonder Thronè couldn't stand you! Even Father wanted out of the game!" Glacius said.
"It just goes to show you that I actually cared for the status quo of this organization!" Mother said, lashing at Glacius again.
"At least some of us here can admit we were and still are bad people. You however seem to deny it all and expect the world to just bow to your whim!" Glacius said.
"I've had enough of your, tongue, cat!" Mother said, lashing at Glacius, but she was too fast for her whip. "Stay still so I can teach you some discipline!"
"No, Glacius is right. You're the last person that anyone can consider for leadership." Esmeralda said as ice started to coat her body. "The only place befitting of someone like you is hell itself."
"Both you and Glacius have the right idea, Esmerelda. She's weak to ice attacks!" Jessica said.
"But they can't get close enough to her without that whip cracking everywhere." Rhatla said.
"That's why I'm going in. My body can take it. It should distract her enough to get you guys a chance to get some hits in." Rayleigh said.
"Good thinking, Rayleigh. Jessica, what else is Mother weak to?" Rhatla asked.
"Daggers, Bows and Light. All of which are in our repertoire." Jessica said.
"In that case…" Rayleigh smirked with a toothy grin. "Let's make her squeal like the pig she is!"
Rayleigh then charged into the fray and took Mothers whip attacks head on, the whip bouncing off his scaly body as he only suffered minor scratches, but all of Mother's attention was solely on him.
"You're quite resilient for a lizard!" Mother grinned, lashing Rayleigh with all she had. "How much can you take before your scales wear out?"
"I can do this all day, thanks for asking! I've got myself a tough hide. So you can whip me all you want, and I'll still be standing." Rayleigh said as he licked his blood a bit.
"Is that so? Prove it!" Mother said, lashing her whip again, but this time Rayleigh caught it. "What?!"
"And another thing? I'm not a Lizard. I'm a goddamn crocodile, bitch!" Rayleigh said.
"Get her!" Jessica said as everyone rushed in.
Thronè started the string of offense by rapidly cutting Mother with her dagger, striking from every direction. This was followed up by Angelo, Rhatla and Aoesia firing a volley of arrows at her, which was followed by Nesma and Tear firing blasts of light at her.
"Esmeralda, Glacius, I'll set you two up." Jessica said.
"After you, Jessica." Glacius said.
"You stubborn children… I'll punish you all!" Mother said.
"You've got it backwards. You're the one being punished. Didn't you hear your daughter?!" Rayleigh asked, empathizing the word daughter as she pulled on Mother's own whip and sent her right to Jessica. "Put her on ice, Jess!"
"With pleasure! Kacrackle!" Jessica called as Mother was encased in a block of ice before it cracked and shattered. "Your turn, you two!"
"But first, to set up the stage a bit." Captain Cold said, blasting some ice over Mother as it shrouded her in mist. Within the fog, Mother can see two pairs of eyes glaring at her. She was then met with rapid slashes from icy claws on all sides.
After a while, with all the damage she accumulated, Mother finally slumped over.
(end song)
"Haha.. you wretched worms…" Mother said. "Thronè, I should've killed you then… Along with your contemptible mother…!"
"You mean Marietta, correct? We already know about her." Cheetah said.
"Before I was told, I never knew my mother was the head of the Blacksnakes. I don't remember any of it… but it makes no difference to me." Thronè said as she cut Mira free.
"You knew Marietta's skills were great, and yet after you set her up to be killed, you let Thronè live, knowing that she'd turn out just like her mother." Kayra said. "Why did you spare Thronè's life?"
"...Because of Father. He said if I killed her…he would kill me. That old bastard..he always adored his little girl." Mother said.
"That we knew for a fact. As we said before, he wanted to leave the assassin game so that Thronè would live a happy life." Cheetah said. "A shame he never got the chance to see her live that life…and neither shall you."
"Now, are you going to give us the other key to Thronè's collar before you die? Or do we have to pry it from your cold, dead hands?" Valfor asked.
"I don't take orders from dirty little harlots like you! If you want it so badly, you'll have to do the latter!" Mother said.
"Wrong choice. We love doing things the hard way." Esmeralda said.
"There's no such thing as freedom, Thronè… Once a Snake, always a Snake…!" Mother said.
The coup de grace was about to be delivered, but before anyone could lay the final blow on Mother…
"Stop!" Mira called, halting them. "I..I don't care how much she whips me… She's the only one who was ever nice to me… She's the only mother I have… Please… don't take her from me…"
The others were hesitant to deliver the final blow, Thronè however was not as she went and slit the old woman's throat, killing her.
"Hate me all you like." Thronè said as she took the key off her.
"MOTHER! No… Mother…" Mira said. "You… I'll never forgive you for this…!"
"Good. Hate me all you want. I really don't care either way." Thronè said as she and Reformed Society departed the orphanage.
"Why did you do that?" Angelo asked.
"Better to give her someone to hate than to beg for the life of someone who administers punishment as a hobby." Thronè said. "Besides, from what you all say, some of you have a lot of blood on your hands already. So, better it be me than to further burden yourselves with her ire."
"Thronè is right. No matter how you slice it, that woman was a complete psycho." Rayleigh said. "Thronè actually did us a favor there."
"And besides, once I get this off, I'll be done with the…" Throne said, trying the keys. "What?"
"Somethin' wrong?" Yangus asked.
"The keys…they won't fit. Neither of them fit!" Thronè said.
"Oh, this is not good. What do we do now?" Luke asked.
"Do you all remember what Father said, about the founder of the Blacksnakes?" Cheetah asked.
"Yeah. And how you concluded that the guy is practically immortal." Rayleigh said.
"That man… he has the true key that releases Thronè's collar." Cheetah deduced. "Which means, these two keys are the means to take us right to him."
"But what the hell do they even go into?" Captain Cold asked.
"I know." Thronè said.
"In that case, we're going back to where it all started." Cheetah said. "Back to New Delsta."
"To the Snakes' nest." Throne said.