Superpowers In A World Gone Mad
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Dark Corners, Issue #002

June 13, 2013 in Dark Corners Tags:

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Issue #002 – – – – – controlled by Sarah Saunders – – – – – Credits 17

“So let me get this straight.  There’s a big secret only you know.  I killed you once.  But you’re going to tell me the secret anyway?  And your name is Mildew Act?”
“Melderact,” He corrected me, somewhat tetchily.  “My name is Melderact.”
“I’m not sure that’s an improvement,”  I told him.
“You are frivolous, yet I offer to reveal to you the secrets of the universe?”
“This is Helix City,” I pointed out.  “There are always guys willing to offer a girl the secrets of the universe.  I’ve seen them.  They end up standing on a street corner with a meth habit and a bad case of Nowhere To Go.  Besides, you look like a reject from a horror film.  Not even a good one.  Why would I trust anything you say?”
“Because you know, Sulis.  You feel the truth inside you.  Do you not?”

And the trouble was, I did.  Though I was suspicious as all get out, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something to this story.   Imo grumbled and moved up alongside me.  It was clear he didn’t think a whole lot of Top Hat or his claims of secrets.  Still, I knew I couldn’t just let it go.  It’d nag me for months.  Besides which, this guy might the bloodsucker behind all the murders and if he was I needed to know, so I could deal with him.
“Okay, tall, dark and ominous.  What’s the catch?  What do you want in return for the Secrets of the Universe?”
“I want your help to put things right.”
“You telling me you’re a good guy?  In that getup?”
“Not at all,” Melderact’s dark eyes flashed.  “I have every intention of summoning dark powers from beyond the veil of reality and using them to enslave the people of the world to my dark will.”
“That’s what I thought,” I nodded.  Well it was!
“But not this world.  This world is wrong.  I want my world.  The world we came from.  Until then, you and I are on the same side.”

Just then Melderact raised his chin slightly, his eyes flicking from side to side.  “What?” I asked him.
“Did you hear that?” He asked.
“No,” I said honestly, “I know I’ve got the whole feline half-cat half-human thing going on, but I get my senses from the human side, sadly.”
“I am able to detect shifts in the nature of reality.”
“Well naturally you are,” I agreed.  “With the whole sinister Victorian serial killer vibe, that was a cert.”

There was a puff of black smoke accompanied by a lower thwump, like the subsonic beat of a drum n’ bass lick stretched longer and darker.   And then these nasty, wiry, awful grey things where everywhere.  “What the…” I gabbled, dropping into my combat stance.
“Goblins,” Melderact said.  “Defend yourself, hero!”  Melderact began ranting out something that sounded mystical, the waving of the hands and arms confirming, at least in my mind, that it was a spell.  Imo surged forwards and snatched two of the ugly little bastards and rung their necks.  (You can kill Goblins and Things That Go Bump In The Night without remorse.  I have it on good authority that they aren’t really alive.  More like dark forces of nature.)

I could already see I’d have to act quickly.  For somebody who wanted to summon dark powers and enslave the people of the world, he was casting his spell spectacularly slowly.  What did he think, that when he got around to Global Domination everybody would just stand around and politely wait for the enslavement to commence?  I’d have to ask him.  But first – woah!  That was close!  One of the Goblins came at me very fast indeed, tumbling like some circus acrobat with long, sinewy sharp fingers tipped with raking claws.  I was only inches from having a sizeable portion of my face ripped off. I responded by kicking him directly in the ‘nads.  I really had no idea if Goblins had ‘nads, but my gamble paid off as the spiteful little ball of rage turned into a hunched over squealing ball of retch.

There were a lot of Goblins, but there weren’t having much luck with Imo.  They swarmed on him, but he casually shrugged and they just fell away.  It is hard to keep ahold of something made mostly of slime, particularly when it is really, really strong.  Imo then planted his “hands” (and I use the term loosely, for those looping tentacles that he can occasionally make look vaguely like hands) onto the foreheads of two of the Goblins and they burst into screaming, agonised fire.  He doesn’t do that very often and I don’t know how he does do it.  But it’s pretty damn cool.

A Goblin leapt onto my back, but he couldn’t get a hold of me.  Instead, he found himself pawing at the invisible barrier my force field provides.  “Annoying that, huh?” I asked it.  The Goblin hissed in rage.  I hissed back.  Hey, I’m a cat-like humanoid!  Hissing is my thing!  In return I zoomed around the old parking lot kicking and punching Goblins who become steadily more furious that they weren’t fast enough to catch me nor able to penetrate my defences.  “Sucks to be you,” I told them.

Finally, old Mouldy Fact managed to get his spell off.  The last few words sounded something like: “Marrianta Mercanda Vertuda” and I was disappointed at the lack of something with more dramatic flair, like “Zim Sala Bim” or “Hey Presto!” but beggars can’t be choosers.   A green light appeared above one Goblin and than danced between the nasty little humanoids flashing from one to the next creating an emerald chain of crackling power.  The Goblins were held rigid by the force, though it didn’t stop them spitting and swearing.  (Yep, real human swearing!  You haven’t lived until you’ve heard a Goblin use the F-Word.  It’s surreal.)

“We must get out of here, quickly,” the sorceror said. “This was the vanguard.  Something greater is coming.”
“Sure, it’s always minions first, then the boss.  But maybe we should stick around?  The three of us should be able to deal with most things.”
“No!” Melderact looked frightened.  “This is not a force to be trifled with.  Not yet.  You do not know who you are, why you are, or where you are.  The enemy will use this devastatingly to its advantage.”
“So I’m just supposed to trust you?  A super villain, or Evil Wizard, or whatever the hell you are?”
“You can wait here,” Melderact looked at me slyly.  “But if you do, you are your pet monster will be killed and I will have to look for one of the others for assistance.”

One of the others?  Now my interest was piqued.


2 Responses to “Dark Corners, Issue #002”

  1. False Bill Says:

    Another good dark corners Issue :)
    With a typical evil wizard problem, you wait ages to conquer the world and then some other evil person switches the world on you. Don’t you just hate when that happens?

  2. Keith Nixon Says:

    Mederact wasn’t a wizard, but I don’t know what he is now. Recovering his old form and powers is likely to be high on his agenda – certainly much higher than the well being of Sulis.

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