Chapter 36: Blood for Bludd
New Rushland, Vale.
"Mikhail, darling, can you help me with this zipper?" Svetlana asked, struggling to reach the back of her dress.
"Of course, dear." Mikhail maneuvered behind his wife to assist her.
Only for Svetlana to roll her eyes. "Up, Mikhail."
"Ahem, of course." Mikhail teased, pulling the zipper in the correct direction. "When does your train leave again?"
"Just a few hours from now. This charity auction will be a really good opportunity to boost Bluharbor's economy. Meloni and I had lunch last week with Mayor Powder and I really think the two of us can form a good partnership that can mutually benefit both cities."
"Well, I wish I could go with you, but someone has to be here when the trucks come to pick up our crops." Mikhail gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Although, how did you manage to convince Cyan to go with you?"
"Apparently, she and Holly went shopping yesterday and she jumped at the chance to show off her new dress."
"Hang on, I'm almost finished!" Cyan stepped out of the bathroom to reveal a dress similar to the one Svetlana wore, except with a blue and white color scheme and a noticeable v-neck.
"No!" Mikhail crossed his arms, firmly. "Absolutely not!"
"Aw, c'mon!" Cyan did a twirl to show off. "I think I look hot!"
"You are way too young to be wearing a dress like that!" Mikhail snapped. "Go to your room and put on a sweater!"
"Ugh, Mikhail, I'm not a little girl anymore!" Cyan groaned. "Look at me! I'm seventeen now! Seventeen! That's practically an adult! But you still treat me like a little kid!"
Mikhail closed his eyes and let out a sad sigh. "I… I'm sorry, Cyan." He sniffled. "I guess you just grew up so fast I didn't notice. From the moment I fell in love with Svetlana, I always dreamed that I'd have a daughter of my own. And you were everything I ever could have hoped for in a daughter. And soon, you'll be moving off to college and… starting a family of your own… but at least I'll have those wonderful five years to look back on."
Cyan groaned and made her way back upstairs.
Half an hour later, Svetlana and Cyan were riding on a train for Bluharbor. The teenage ward had changed out of her dress into a pair of black slacks and a baggy blue sweater, and was now sulking in her seat. Svetlana couldn't help but smirk at how easily Mikhail tugged at her heartstrings. "That sweater does look nice on you."
"Oh, shut up." Cyan grumbled.
Bluharbor, Vale.
Once they arrived, Svetlana and Cyan were given a police escort to the auction hall. As they drove down the streets of the city, Cyan took notice of all of the litter in the streets and graffiti on the walls. She also noticed there were several people sleeping on the sidewalk in makeshift tents and lined up at a soup kitchen. And another police cruiser drove past the escort in hot pursuit of a dark panel van.
"I never thought I'd see the day I'd visit a city that was grimier and dirtier than New Rushland…" Cyan remarked in disturbed awe. "But here I am."
"Which is precisely why this charity is such a big deal," Svetlana declared. "One must never forget that we have a duty to help those less fortunate than ourselves if given the opportunity."
"Still trying to teach me some life lessons after all these years?" Cyan teasingly asked.
"It's all just a part of being a parent," Svetlana readily replied.
"Seriously, though, is any of this charity stuff going towards garbage collectors? Because this place is filthy." Cyan couldn't help but remark as she continued to look out the window. "Have you ever seen this much trash in your life?"
"Not since the last time I was in your room." Svetlana snarked.
"Hey, what happens in my room is what I like to call 'organized chaos.'" Cyan reasoned. "But this? This is some serious, health-threatening pollution."
"Well I'll grant that you aren't wrong on that last part, which, again, is why this upcoming charity is so important," Svetlana said with a shrug.
At last, the escort arrived at the auction. As the paparazzi bombarded them with photographs and rapid-fire questions, the police officers managed to safely get them inside the hall. But as they took their seats, something caught Svetlana's eyes. A woman with dark red hair aside from a white streak running down the left side in a business suit was seated a few rows ahead of them.
"Oh, my gods."
"What?" Cyan asked, trying to see where her foster mother was looking.
"That's Janice Bludd. She's an old friend."
Suddenly, the lights dimmed down and the auctioneer took his place at the podium, followed by a man carrying a wooden box containing the first item. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! And thank you for attending this charity event! We'll start off with a very special bauble…"
Once the box was opened, it revealed a beautiful golden amulet with a dark blue gemstone in the center and several smaller gems around it. Svetlana noticed Janice straighten herself; clearly she was interested in the artifact.
"What we have here is a genuine topaz amulet over two-thousand years old." The auctioneer announced with a smile. "Said to have belonged to kings, queens, and even a few wizards in the past. We'll start the bidding at fifty thousand. Do I hear fifty thousand?"
"Fifty-five thousand." Janice immediately called out.
"I have fifty-five thousand! Do I hear sixty?"
"Sixty-five thousand!" A voice called out.
Everyone turned around to see a pale-skinned man dressed in a neat suit with a tophat and skull-cane making his way down the aisle and towards his seat. He tipped his hat with a smirk as he passed Janice, enticing a sneer from the woman.
"Alright! Off to a good start, Mr. Voodoo!" The auctioneer continued. "I hear sixty-five thousand! Do I hear seventy thousand?"
"Seventy-five thousand!" Janice called out.
"Eighty thousand!" Voodoo followed up.
"One hundred thousand!" Janice stood up, refusing to be out-bid.
Voodoo tapped his cane on the floor. "Two hundred and fifty thousand!" He flashed a cocky smirk at Janice, knowing that she had reached her limit. The amulet was now all but his as the auctioneer lifted his gavel.
"Two hundred and fifty thousand going once… going twice…"
"One million!"
Janice and Vincent both looked back in shock to see Svetlana had raised her hand.
"One million going once… twice… sold to Mrs. Crimsonoff-Kashtonovvy!" The auctioneer slammed his gavel down, ending the bidding.
"That must be some friend." Cyan remarked.
"You have no idea," Svetlana teasingly said by way of reply before nodding at Janice.
Janice smiled back in gratitude.
Two hours later, after the auction had raised over half a billion funds for the public works of Bluharbor, Svetlana and Cyan claimed the amulet at the vault and met Janice outside in the parking lot.
"Thank you, Svetlana." Janice smiled as she accepted the amulet and shook her friend's hand. "And I will pay you back. I promise. It may take a while, but-"
"Let's just call it a professional courtesy." Svetlana insisted. "I'd prefer if you tell me what's so important about this amulet."
"It's a bit complicated, but for now let's just say it's a precious keepsake that I'd rather keep out of the wrong hands," Janice replied. "Any further details will have to wait until we're in a less public setting."
"Understood." Svetlana fished her scroll out of her purse. "Let me just cancel our escort back home."
"Quite the impressive find, Janice dear." An oily voice remarked. The trio turned around to see Mr. Voodoo confidently making his way towards them. "But I'd expect nothing less from my ex-wife's taste."
Janice scowled and tucked the amulet into her coat pocket. "Must you always make a scene whenever you show up?"
"Come now: you can't deny that things are never boring whenever I'm around."
"Well you've had your fun, so unless you feel like you can offer a higher price for the amulet at this stage, I believe it's time you take your leave," Svetlana suddenly called out, standing between Janice and Voodoo.
"Very well: I'll be going now. Enjoy your victory while you can, Svetlana," Voodoo declared with an irritable expression. "Money is just one of many resources at my disposal."
With that, the man tipped his hat towards them one last time before making his way towards his limousine.
"Geez, no wonder you divorced that guy." Cyan couldn't help but remark.
"We were never married," Janice quickly called out to dispel any sort of misunderstanding. "Vincent just finds it amusing to call me his 'ex-wife' whenever we cross paths just for the sake of stirring up trouble…even more so than he does already on a daily basis."
"Huh, sounds like a rather chaotic individual."
"You have no idea." Janice took a handkerchief from her coat pocket to wipe the nervous sweat from her brow. "Um, let's talk back at my museum."
The trio drove towards the Bluharbor Museum of Art and History in the downtown district. Janice led the way and locked the doors behind them as a precaution. But Svetlana noticed Voodoo's limo driving up to the museum's parking lot and wisely anticipated trouble. She informed Cyan that she'd be changing into her Krasnaya outfit before heading to the restrooms. While Voodoo exitted his limo and tapped his cane on the ground, summoning a spark of green magic that snaked its way into the building.
"Have you seen your guardian?" Janice couldn't help but ask after she had come back from securing the amulet in her museum.
"Yeah she said something about going to the bathroom to change out of her dress," Cyan cryptically replied.
"Fair enough. You're free to look around the museum while you wait," Janice said with a shrug before looking towards the young girl with a raised eyebrow. "While I think of it, could I offer you anything to drink while you're here…Azure?"
Cyan froze upon hearing this. "Uh, I don't know what you're…"
"Relax, Svetlana, or rather Krasnaya, told me all about you," Janice remarked with an easygoing grin. "And before you ask, the two of us met during her days serving the late General James Ironwood Senior and we've been collaborating on various projects ever since. Actually, that reminds me: how did you like my input on your costume?"
"Wait, you helped design my costume?"
"Every girl needs her hobbies, with one of mine being the designing of various statues, paintings, and costumes. Doesn't hurt that I happen to know a thing or two about appearances that would no doubt intimidate the criminal element," Janice said with a shrug. "Now about that drink…"
"...yeah, I think I'll be needing something wet for my throat after that revelation."
While Janice made her way to the kitchen to grab a few bottles of water and Svetlana was still changing into her costume, Cyan wandered around the museum to take a look at all of the other artifacts. However, she screamed and stumbled backwards in shock once she found herself face-to-face with a horrifying marble statue of a horned creature. Then, she screamed again once she bumped into Janice and Krasnaya right behind her.
"Ah, I see you found your way into the art gallery." Janice remarked, handing the girl a bottle of water.
Cyan took a quick drink to calm her nerves before pointing at the statue. "What's this?"
"It's a statue of the demon Hecate that I had commissioned a while back," Janice explained. "The human head on the back is meant to symbolize the battle we all must fight with the demon within."
Cyan walked around to the other side to see that there was indeed a human head on the back.
"Huh, this part of the statue kind of looks like you," Cyan couldn't help but declare as she looked at the human side of the statue of Hecate.
Janice merely gave a teasing grin in reply. "You think?"
"So what's so important about that amulet?" Krasnaya asked, getting down to business.
"Well, it all started about fifteen-hundred years ago…" Janice locked the amulet inside the glass case before making her way back to the statue. "The Wizard Ozma, or rather his reincarnation at the time, had finally reunited with one of his daughters and tried to keep her safe from Salem. But one of his knights betrayed him for a treacherous love and alerted Salem's forces of the Maiden's location. As punishment, Ozma used this amulet to summon Hecate from the underworld and bind her to the knight's soul. That knight was cursed with immortality, and forced to wander Remnant as repentance."
"Whoa… that's creepy." Cyan shivered. "But what's that got to do with Vincent?"
"You think Hecate's the only demoness from the underworld?" Janice leaned against the window, gravely staring out at the city below. "If Vincent gets his hands on the amulet he can not only summon a new demon, but he can also place it under his control."
"I've said it before and I'll say it again: Vincent sounds like a fairly chaotic individual."
"And once again, you have no idea."
"Aw, you flatter me," Vincent mockingly declared as he suddenly appeared in the room.
"What the…how did he get in here?!" Cyan couldn't help but ask.
"I have my ways." Vincent smirked as he tapped his cane once more and summoned a spiral of green magic from the floor. Suddenly, the foundation of the building began to tremble until a group of skeletons emerged from the spiral and attacked the trio. While her mentor sprang into action, Cyan cursed herself for not packing her own costume and equipment for this trip as she was overwhelmed by the skeletons. However, Janice grabbed her by the arm, pulled her aside, and bravely marched towards the invaders.
"Gone, gone, the form of lady…" Janice's eyes began to shine with a hellish orange glow and smoke billowed out of her mouth. "Arise the demoness; HECATE!"
The smoke spiraled around Janice's body, triggering a horrific transformation. Her skin turned sickly pale, her business dress transformed into a tattered rag that just barely covered her body, a pair of curved horns sprouted from her forehead, her fingernails elongated into claws, and a pair of bat-like wings sprouted from her back.
"The demoness Hecate!" Cyan gasped. "The story was true!"
The demoness effortlessly pushed Cyan aside. "Child, do not wander into Hecate's path, it is Vincent Voodoo who has earned her wrath!"
"Aw, so you do remember me," Vincent mockingly declared before giving a mocking "Come here" gesture. "Well go ahead and take me out then…if you can."
As Vincent made his way towards the glass cabinet where the amulet was locked, his skeletal minions piled onto the demoness to prevent her interference. He smashed the case open with his cane topper and grabbed the artifact with a satisfied smile. However, while Hecate had her hands full with the skeletons, Krasnaya managed to swoop in and block his path.
"Not so fast, Voodoo." She growled, bringing out her hammer.
"Hmmph, your costume looks like a demon, but you're not nearly scary enough to be of any use to me." Voodoo pointed the tip of his cane at the vigilante and fired a hex at her that sent her flying backwards and nearly melted through her kevlar. She hastily used her sickle to slice away the burning material just as several sirens alerted her of the arriving police cars.
One officer stepped out of his cruiser with a megaphone. "Janice Bludd! This is the police! We have a warrant for your arrest! Come out with your hands up!"
"Ah, I see that anonymous call I made finally paid off." Vincent remarked as he smugly placed the amulet around his neck. "On that note, darling, I bid thee adieu."
After the villain disappeared in a puff of smoke, the skeletons went with him, giving the police a clear view of Hecate. The officers immediately drew their weapons and opened fire on the demoness to little effect. Thinking quickly, Krasnaya threw all of her smoke pellets to give herself a good smokescreen before sneaking back into the museum where Cyan was taking cover from the bullets.
"Hey, boss!" She held up her scroll. "I got a picture of Voodoo stealing the amulet!"
"Good, we need the police off our backs and on our side!" Krasnaya ordered her ward. "Get that evidence to the police station and tell them what happened!"
"On it!" Cyan nodded and bolted for the nearest police station.
In the meantime, Hecate was doing her best to fight off the police's onslaught. But as she was continuously pelted with bullets, she snarled at the men in uniform. "Your weapons cannot harm me, no matter how you try! Now begone from here, or you all shall die!"
"Hecate, no!" Krasnaya grabbed Hecate by the arm. "Those men don't know any better! You can't kill them!"
Hecate growled at Krasnaya before pulling her arm back. "The only reason I shall stay my hand is that you are one of the few companions my mortal vessel has in this land. With that said you will not prevent me from putting up a fight: to defend myself is still my right."
"So long as we understand each other," Krasnaya replied with an understanding nod.
At the same time, Cyan had put her acrobatic skills to use by leaping onto a nearby fire escape and making her way up to the rooftops of Bluharbor. At last, she found the police station and charged inside.
"Who's in charge here?" Cyan called out.
"That'd be me, young lady." The police chief put his hat on and stood up from his desk. "Chief Diamond Rough. How can I help you?"
"Vincent Voodoo is the one you want!" Cyan took out her scroll and showed off the pictures of the criminal stealing the amulet. "He gave you a false tip so he could sneak into the museum and steal the amulet my foster mother bought earlier today!"
"Wait, what!? Why would he do that?!" Diamond couldn't help but ask even as he acknowledged that there wasn't any way that the pictures he was seeing were fake.
"He's a psycho who thinks it's magic!" Cyan explained, hoping that she could take advantage of the skepticism of the officers to paint Voodoo as a crazed thief. "Krasnaya is trying to stop him, but the scary-looking woman she's with is trying to help her! She's not the bad guy! You need to tell your officers that!"
"Hang on, aren't you Mrs. Crimsonoff-Kashtonovvy's foster kid?" Diamond asked. "Why aren't you with her?"
"She, uh, got hurt by Voodoo when she tried to stop Voodoo from taking the amulet." Cyan lied, convincingly; she'd had years of practice to come up with her own cover-stories. "She wanted me to warn you."
Diamond examined the photo once more before picking up his radio. "All units, stand down. Krasnaya and her ally are not the targets. Put out an APB on Vincent Voodoo."
"Roger that, chief. These skeletons are down for the count. By the way, did you say the Krasnaya is working a case in this city?"
Before the police chief could answer, a pillar of flames erupted from the floor of the station, startling everyone. The flames dissipated, revealing Krasnaya and Hecate. Krasnaya made her way towards the perplexed policeman and shook his hand. "Chief Rough. It's nice to finally meet you." She greeted, politely. "Commissioner Maroon told me about your efforts to clean up this city. Congratulations on your election."
"Um, th-thanks, ma'am. And, uh… w-who are you?" Diamond gulped, pointing towards the demoness.
Hecate grinned as she introduced herself to the officers. "I am Hecate, Lady of Hell. In those deadly chambers, I do dwell. Unless someone brave - or simply dumb - summons me, and then I come. I can take the form of lady, but I much prefer being Hecate! For Hecate cares not for 'evil' or 'good,' she does only what she would! But for now, our motivations do align! Vincent Voodoo has committed the crime!"
"Okay, I'm sorry, are you doing that on purpose?" Cyan interrupted.
"Though the battle is still at its peak, I still find myself curious as to what it is you seek?"
"That! Is the rhyming really necessary?"
"I see no reason for you to gawk: this is simply the way that I talk."
"Well, can you knock it off? It's getting on my nerves."
"My rhymes are a mark of distinction in Hell! A demon who rhymes can live quite well!"
"No more rhymes: I mean it!" Cyan yelled out.
"Anybody want a peanut?"
Cyan merely turned to glare in the direction of a smug looking Diamond. "I'll get you for this later."
"Worth it."
"Enough." Krasnaya firmly called out, earning the room's attention. "We don't have much time. If what Hecate says is true, Vincent Voodoo is going to use that amulet to summon something more dangerous than a platoon of skeletons. Hecate, does he need anything to cast this spell?"
"Only a few items will suffice." Hecate sneered. "An old, dead tree, and a human sacrifice."
At that very moment, in the middle of an unkempt park, Vincent Voodoo trekked towards the oldest tree he could find with the amulet dangling from around his neck. At last, he found his chauffeur in the center of the park as he was trying to carve out a nook in the dead tree and a little girl in a black school uniform holding a spellbook under her arm. The girl's eyes lit up once she spotted Vincent approaching.
"Hi, daddy!" She waved, happily. "Oh, goody! You got the amulet! Now, we get to summon demons from Hell, right, daddy?!"
Vincent smiled as he patted his daughter's head. "Soon, my sweet Valentina. Just a little longer."
"But, daddy!" Valentina whined, stamping her feet. "This stupid mortal you hired is taking forever!"
"She does have a point, Jenkins." Voodoo frowned at the apparent lack of progress. "You said to meet you here at midnight. It's midnight, and I see neither space to put my spellbook, nor a sacrifice for the spell."
"W-well, I'm sorry, Mr. Voodoo, sir." Jenkins stammered. "B-but I couldn't find anyone alone to abduct for the sacrifice. And it seems my tools aren't quite-"
The servant was cut off when Voodoo stabbed his cane through his skull. The mage grumbled as the dead body slumped to the ground and leaked blood all over the tree. Voodoo stabbed his cane into the soil and rolled up his sleeves.
"If you want something evil done right, my darling, you have to do it yourself." Voodoo remarked to his daughter as he plucked the cane out of the ground and weilded it like a saber. "That's what your Nana Voodoo always used to say to me, and - phew! - she was plenty evil."
With a wide grin, he used his cane to carve out a nook in the tree for Valentina to set his spellbook inside. Cracking his knuckles and then his neck, he stuck his cane into the soil once more, licked his fingers, and flipped through the pages until he found the spell he'd been looking for. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, he recited the spell, and fired two streams of green flames from his palms at the tree branches, causing them to bend into a circle. Then, his hands moved towards the amulet and channeled his magic into the artifact. A purple bolt of lightning shot through the portal, summoning a large creature from the underworld. A giant ogre with a golden ring in its nose, a slender succubus with bat-like wings, and a serpentine dragon exitted the portal and bowed before Voodoo.
"You, who have summoned us, speak your commands." They growled in unison. "We shall wreak havoc in your name."
Valentia clapped with excitement while Vincent sniffled and wiped a happy tear from his eye. "Nana Voodoo would be so proud!"
Just then, the police, Krasnaya, Hecate, and Cyan arrived at the park's entrance and cautiously began their search for Voodoo. Krasnaya and Hecate took the lead while Cyan stuck beside the police. The demoness sniffed the air and her nose wrinkled in disgust.
"Be on your guard as we continue ahead." She warned. "If we fail tonight, this entire city is dead."
"Will. You. Stop that?!" Cyan grumbled.
Suddenly, a giant ogre burst from the ground and swatted Hecate aside with a massive club. Krasnaya dodged out of the way and combined her weapons into a rifle and joined the police in firing upon their new adversary.
"Oh, can I play, too?!"
The officers turned to see a little girl skipping rope towards them with an innocent-looking smile. But before they could question her sudden appearance, her smile turned malicious as she flicked one end of the jump-rope around a policeman's neck and jumped over a tree branch to hang him.
"Let him go, kid!" The other officer aimed his gun at her, making her gasp in shock and disgust.
"Hey! It's not nice to point guns at girls! I'm gonna tell my daddy on you!"
But she didn't have to; when the policeman with the gun got close enough, she pulled out a switchblade and stabbed it into his thigh.
"Who even is this brat?!" Cyan couldn't help but ask as she chanced a glance in Valentina's direction. She rushed at the girl, dodged a slash from the knife, took it away, cut the jump-rope just in time to save the hanging officer, and kicked Valentina away.
But before she could celebrate, several tendrils burst from the trees and held her in place while a curvy succubus approached her with a lecherous grin.
"Hey there, cutie: want to have some fun?" the succubus asked in a seductive tone.
"Nopenopenopenopenope…" Cyan called out with a frightened expression on her face even as she tried her best to ignore the demon's advances: despite being bisexual and therefore would normally not be opposed to the idea of a pretty girl flirting with her, she had no desire to find out how much truth there was in any of those stories she had heard about succubi, particularly the parts in those stories detailing the rather horrific things that happened to anyone who accepted their advances.
"Aw, c'mon, sweetie-pie~" The succubus pleaded, playfully.
"The girl did not give you her consent!" Hecate bellowed, grabbing her enemy by the wing. "Now return to the Hell from whence you were sent!"
"Hecate, darling, don't you know it's rude to grab hold of a lady without their consent?" The succubus growled out before grabbing Hecate and tossing her aside…before blinking upon realizing what happened and looking back at Cyan in awe. "Oh my, you must have quite the treasure trove of potential in lust and sexual energy: even as you tried to refute my advances, your mere attraction alone was enough for me to be strong enough to go toe to toe with Hecate herself! I think I want you even more now~"
"I…I need an adult," Cyan called out with a nervous tone in her voice, not liking the sound of that at all.
"I am an adult~" the succubus purred out…right before she gave a startled gasp as a shot ran out and a bit of blood trickled from her forehead before falling to the ground with a thud with a visible hole in her head.
"Looks like being stronger didn't make her bulletproof." Diamond remarked with a smile even as he blew some smoke off the barrel of the gun he just fired.
"Thanks," Cyan quietly said while letting out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.
"Don't mention it," Diamond kindly remarked even as he moved to help free the young lady.
At the same time, Krasnaya could see that even her high-caliber dust rounds were having no effect on the ogre as it continued to swat at her as if she were an insect. Hecate flew to intervene, breathing fire right in the monster's face.
"Hecate! How do we stop this thing?!" Krasnaya shouted.
"Tear the ring from its nose!" Hecate instructed. "Then back to the underworld, the ogre goes!"
The Crimson Crusader split her rifle into its separate components and converted them back into a hammer and sickle as she rushed at the demonic minion. She narrowly dodged his stomp, then managed to grapple onto his back and climbed up towards his face. The ogre tried to pluck her off of his body, but she distracted him by striking his eye with her hammer. As he tried to rub the pain out of his eye, Krasnaya grabbed the golden ring piercing his nostrils and sliced it out of his flesh with her sickle. With a pained howl, the ogre vanished in a puff of brimstone.
"Ooh, that had to hurt," Cyan couldn't help but remark.
"Meh, it's a demon: he probably deserves it," Diamond declared before noting Hecate glaring at him. "Uh, no offence?"
Suddenly, a green fireball landed just inches away from the group.
"Leave my daddy's demons alone!" Valentina sneered as she continued her onslaught.
"Whoa!" Cyan ducked behind the police cruiser alongside her mentor. "The little tyke's got magic, too!"
"The rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Krasnaya quipped as she reloaded her weapons.
The dragon coiled around the cruiser and crushed it with his body, hissing at the police and vigilantes. Krasnaya reacted quickly and stabbed her sickle up through the dragon's jaw and out through his forehead. As it wailed in agony, she used all of her strength to stab her sickle into the crushed cruiser, keeping it pinned in place.
"Hecate, now!" Krasnaya shouted as she grabbed Cyan and dragged her out of the way.
Hecate smiled as she landed in front of the dragon. "You should not have provoked Krasnaya's ire, for now you must die by Hecate's fire!"
With a vicious roar, Hecate unleashed a stream of hellfire at the dragon, burning it to a crisp.
"I think that might just be a tad bit overcooked," Cyan couldn't help but remark with a teasing grin.
"No!" Vincent cried in frustration as he flipped through his spellbook. "Who else is there to summon-?!"
But before he settled on another monster, Cyan lunged towards him, somersaulted, and kicked the amulet out of his grasp. He tried to grab it back, but Krasnaya took advantage of the situation and fired at the artifact with her gun, causing it to spiral and land in Hecate's grasp.
"The police were fools to believe your lies!" Hecate proudly held up the amulet. "But now it is me who holds the prize!"
Valentina had snuck up on Hecate and tried to grab the amulet away from her, but Hecate's strength proved too much for the child. The demoness effortlessly broke the chain of the amulet and kicked Valentina into her father.
"Sorry to spoil your game. Now it's time to return to where you came," Cyan mockingly called out in the Voodoo family's direction before suddenly groaning. "Darn it: now Hecate's got me doing it!"
"Grrrr, if I can't have it, NO ONE CAN!" And that was all the warning Vincent Voodoo gave before firing a hex directly at the amulet. The artifact reacted violently to the assault of magic and sent out a blinding light as the shockwave knocked everyone back. By the time the heroes regained consciousness, their enemy had disappeared.
"Well, uh… sorry Voodoo got away, Ms. Hecate…" Cyan meekly remarked to the horned demoness. "But, h-hey, at least he can't use the amulet, right? So… what're you gonna do now?"
Hecate just smirked and walked away down the street as smoke began billowing around her once again. "When will you foolish mortals learn? A demoness' fate is none of your concern!"
"Isn't that a bit hypocritical to say seeing how you only exist on this plane of existence because of one of us foolish mortals?"
"Take care how you speak, child. My temper is not known for being mild."
"Hey all I'm saying is that whatever happens to your host affects you and vice versa, so it wouldn't hurt to learn how to share the burden, so to speak."
As the smoke continued to rise around the demoness, she snorted in a mixture of annoyance and respect. "Your words have merit, and seem quite wise. But do not scorn a demoness again, lest you seek your own demise."
And that was the last thing Hecate said before transforming back into Janice Bludd. The immortal museum curator stumbled and propped herself against the wall as she nursed her pounding headache. Cyan quickly rushed to her side to check on her well-being just as Krasnaya recovered.
"Does that hurt?" Cyan asked, sympathetically.
"Every time." Janice huffed, tiredly. "It wouldn't be much of a curse if it felt pleasant."
"...touche."
One hour later, Krasnaya had excused herself to summon her Bullhead to airdrop the Warthog in Bluharbor while Cyan, Chief Rough, and the other officers helped clean up Janice's museum.
"I'm terribly sorry for any trouble my men caused you," Diamond felt the need to tell Janice.
"It's fine: believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've been harassed by members of law enforcement who thought I was some sort of demon or something like that," Janice casually remarked with a melancholy grin. "And it probably won't be the last either."
"That actually makes me feel worse," Diamond admitted.
"If it helps, you're among the first to apologize after the fact, which earns you more than a few points in my book."
"So what will you do now?" Cyan asked.
"I'll either rebuild or move on. I'll decide in the morning." Janice shrugged. "For now, I'd like to get some rest."
"Then we won't keep you." Diamond nodded. "C'mon, Ms. Robyn, I'll walk you to the train station."
Cyan smiled and exchanged her final goodbyes with Janice before following the police chief out of the ruined museum. Now, Janice Bludd was alone once more. Almost.
"... you can come out, now." Janice called out towards a shadow. As expected, Krasnaya stepped into the light towards her. The curator laid a finger near her ear. "Can't hide from these."
"I just wanted to remind you to keep that one hundred thousand lien for yourself." Krasnaya said. "You'll need it to help yourself relocate."
"Eh, that was just pocket change." Janice admitted, nonchalantly. "Just the funds I had for this city. I've got plenty more. Fifteen centuries of wandering Remnant as a damned soul seeking repentance is more than enough time to amass a fortune."
"For what it's worth, during one of the last times I had spoken with him, Ozpin seemed to have come around to the idea of forgiving you for what happened way back when," Krasnaya felt the need to declare.
"It doesn't matter: I still haven't forgiven myself," Janice readily replied. "And in any case, the curse dictates that I may only rest after I've slain Vincent Voodoo for selling out his daughter to him. The fact that I'm still here even after being forgiven proves that my fate is set in stone regardless."
"Perhaps that's a good thing."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that this way you'll be able to save that many more lives in the name of your wizard king before you've completed your final quest."
Janice merely gave a subdued chuckle in reply. "Since when were you the optimistic type?"
"What can I say?" Krasnaya asked with a shrug as she looked in Cyan's direction. "I've found some things to be happy about in recent times."
"Hm. Well, tell her that for what it's worth, despite her brash attitude, I feel like Hecate really did appreciate her help…and so did I." Janice smirked and made her way upstairs to her bedroom. "After all, it's people like her that remind even the worst cynics like me that evil isn't the only force in the universe that's eternal."
At that very moment, Cyan was waiting for Diamond to leave so that Krasnaya could summon the warthog to their location.
"You were pretty good out there, kid." The police chief smiled. "You ever consider a career in law enforcement?"
Cyan felt flattered. "Me? Uh, well, I-um, yeah. Kinda."
"Well, if you ever get tired of New Rushland…" The chief handed her an application form for the Bluharbor police force. "I know Bluharbor isn't as glamorous as Mrs. Crimsonoff-Kashtonovy's fancy home, but I'm putting together a task force to crack down on crime and help out the community. And we could definitely use someone like you once you're of age."
"Really…?" Cyan read through the application with stars in her eyes. "Y-you think I could be a police officer here?"
"'Police officer?'" The chief chuckled. "Young lady, from what I've seen, you could make it as a detective."
"I…" Cyan started before shaking her head. "I'm sorry: this is all just a little sudden, you know?"
"It's fine: go ahead and take all the time you need in making your decision. Oh, and go ahead and keep that application with you: better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it, after all."
"Okay then: thanks."
"You're quite welcome." Diamond replied with a grin. "Just be sure to contact me when you've made a decision knowing that I'll respect whatever it is you've chosen to do."
"I'll keep that in mind," Cyan said with a grin of her own as she made her way around to meet up with her foster mother along a path that wouldn't draw attention and potentially expose who Krasnaya was.
"What did he want?" Krasnaya couldn't help but ask once Cyan made it to her location, having apparently spotted the earlier conversation.
"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing important." Cyan hid the application in her pocket before climbing into the warthog.
To Be Continued