Superpowers In A World Gone Mad
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Dark Corners, Issue #007

August 10, 2013 in Dark Corners Tags:

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Issue #007 – – – – – controlled by Sarah Saunders – – – – – Credits 7

I’ve always been fairly good at the information gathering side of the business.  But working with two wizards was a real eye-opener.  To be honest, I’d have to be careful it didn’t make me lazy, because all the leg-work I’d normally do seemed to be as simple as muttering a few strange words and weaving their hands in the air.

“We need a layout of his building,” I said.  “And we have to go back soon – he wont be expecting another assault so quickly.”
“Particularly not after you were defeated so easily last time,” Melderact sneered.
“You’re welcome to join us next time and show us how it’s done,” I pointed out.  Imo rumbled his agreement.
“Were I to get directly involved,” Melderact said, “They would be rebuilding three city blocks for the rest of the year.”
Drake laughed, a little unkindly.  “Yeah.  Right.”
“You doubt me, little man?” Melderact’s voice raised dangerously.
Drake waved dismissively at the old wizard, “Blah blah blah,” he said.
I stepped between them quickly.  It was not wise to let their antagonism gain pace.  “The layout?” I prompted.
Drake produced a long sheet of parchment upon which magical lines had formed into a diagram.  “Your wish is my command.”
“Bah,” Melderact puffed, producing his own vellum.  “Here is a list of his associates and firepower.”
“Wow,” I grinned.  “This is great!

“Okay,” I said.  I stood looking over the papers with Drake and Melderact looking over either shoulder and Imo’s huge shadow looming behind them.  “I think we go in tomorrow morning.  Let’s take the rest of today and tonight to prepare.  We need the tools of the vampire-slaying trade.  Wooden stakes.  Holy water.  Garlic.  The whole shebang.”
“I’ll go out and get what we need,” Drake said.
“Good.  We also need some other assistance.  Melderact, have you any spells that can help us more more stealthily?  Maybe protect us from any magical or super-powered scrying that is going on?”
“I can come up with a spell,” the Wizard confirmed.  “It will make you invisible to most modern and ancient detection devices and methods for about ten minutes.”
“That will help a lot,” I thanked him.
“Why the morning?” Drake asked.
“I presume Knight will be sleeping in the daytime?  Being a vampire and all.”
“They aren’t in a coma though,” Drake explained.  “He can wake up.  As long as he’s not exposed to direct sunlight he’ll be a little groggy for a while, but otherwise fine.”
“Hmmm,” I said.  “If there was some way to drag him outside we could be done with him easily.  But I guess he’ll be somewhere deep in his base?”
“Yes,” Drake pointed at the map.  “My best guess is here, in the sub-cellar.  That’s where I’d sleep if I was a bloodsucker.  As far from the light as I could be.  And look, there are guards here, here and here,” He pointed at access points to the deep room.  “No reason to protect the room so heavily if it isn’t to keep himself safe while he rests.”
“Maybe,” I agreed.  “Or maybe that’s where the Joy drug is made?”
Drake raised an eyebrow, “Yeah.  Possible.”

“Okay,” I said.  “So we go just after sunrise.  Make our way into this back entrance here,” I pointed at the map.  “Take out the guards quickly, then move through the building with the non-detection spell in place.  Head down this flight of stairs here, into the basement.  Deal with these guards and whatever this is,” I pointed at the red cross at an intersection.
“That’s an enhanced guard,” Drake explained.
“Enhanced?” I asked.
“Yeah.  An Abnormal.  He’s called Flipside.  Some kind of gravity manipulator.  Between us we should be able to take care of him.”
“Okay,” I nodded.  “If you say so.  Then down these stairs and go through this secure door as quickly as possible.”
“That secure door is heavily-reinforced steel.  We might not be able to get through it at all,” Drake noted.
“Can’t you magic it open?”
“I don’t know,” Drake answered honestly, “Until I see what I’m up against.  What sort of locks.  What the walls are like.”
“The walls?” I asked.
“Sure.  If the door is tough sometimes its easier to just go through the walls.”
Imo grunted and I grinned.  “Sure, we can probably help with this if its necessary.”
“Then,” I continued.  “We stick a stake through Knight’s black heart, smash his Joy laboratory up and destroy the remains of his stock.  Easy.”
“Yeah,” Drake sighed heavily.  “Easy.”

“There is just one small thing that has not been considered,” Melderact said carefully.  Something is his voice seemed uncharacteristically uncertain.  I looked over at him and waited for him to clarify.  “There’s some sort of magical presence,” He said.
“What does that mean?” I asked, while Drake scoured the maps trying to ascertain what Melderact was referring to.
“Here,” The Wizard pointed to a section of the map on the ground floor, but directly above the sub-cellar they planned to aim for.  “Look.”
Drake frowned.  There was nothing on the map.  It was featureless and boring.  Then, slowly, he nodded.  “There’s not enough detail.  Compared to the other rooms we’ve uncovered almost nothing here.”
“That’s not good?” I asked.
“No,” Melderact rumbled.  “There should have been something.  A guard.  A weapon stash.  Something.  But there’s nothing.  This indicates that the area has been protected from magical viewing, much as you have asked me to do for you.  Something here is being secured against our investigations.”
“How significant is that?” I asked.
“It takes an enormous magical investment.  You’ll remember I could only shield you for ten minutes?  This is a near-permanent enchantment.  This is expensive both in time and energy.  Knight has gone to quite some effort to stop anybody being able to see what is in this particular area.”
“Why?” I asked.
“That,” Melderact said.  “Is the question.”


One Response to “Dark Corners, Issue #007”

  1. False Bill Says:

    I don’t like the sound of that unexpected element.

    Perhaps it time to seek an alliance with the werewolves street gang, for extra firepower?

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