This chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones, but I'll make up for it with the next one.

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In the middle of Baltimore was a large clearing, which had once been a beautiful park, with luscious green grass, a scattering of trees, as well as benches and playground equipment. However, all of that was now gone, as the park and everything within had been completely and utterly destroyed. Now, where the park had once been, there was a field of black stone.

In the middle of this field, sitting atop a pile of what appeared to be human skulls, was a throne, made of black stone. Nevermore sat upon the throne, silently contemplating her surroundings. Her glowing red eyes slowly swept over the area in front of her, though she scarcely noticed the hideous and deformed creatures which she’d scattered about as guards.

Nevermore had chosen this city as the location of her ritual, because this was where HE had been buried. The writer. She remembered the writer with a certain fondness, though she would never admit as much to anyone else, not even her most trusted servants. That kind of weakness could never be revealed to another.

When Nevermore had first come to this world, she and her servants had been stripped of their power by the journey. Her servants had been trapped in raven form, while she had been left with barely enough magic to light a candle.

The writer had been the first human they spoke to, and with him she had struck a deal. The writer acted as her guide, teaching her about this world and helping her to begin the slow process of rebuilding her power. In return, she had provided him inspiration and taught him the power of fear. In her own way, she’d considered him a friend, as much as she could any of his kind.

It seemed appropriate to Nevermore, that after all this time, she would finally achieve her true objective, so close to the resting place of the one who had helped her begin. Of course, she had no idea if the writer would approve of the terror she was unleashing, or whether he would be horrified at his own unwitting hand in causing it. Nor did she truly care. It was enough that he bear witness, as that symbolism would strengthen the ritual.

Then, Nevermore’s thoughts shifted from her former ally, to her present ones. Each of them had been carefully selected, not only for their power, but also for their ability and willingness to help her build the power she required.

Force had once been a hero of great power…and great ego. His own arrogance had been his undoing, and was the tool she used to manipulate him. Of course, Nevermore knew Force was not quite as oblivious as he seemed. The former hero was attempting to play her, to lure her into a false sense of security so that she would lower guard to him. The fool. He was unskilled in deception, and his efforts were obvious, though admittedly, almost amusing in their clumsiness.

Nevermore also knew that sooner or later, Force would turn on her. His pride would demand it of him. Either he would attempt to take her throne and power for himself, or he would succumb to his own delusions again, and decide that by defeating her, he would prove himself to be the ultimate hero. With Force, either was a possibility, though not ones that she was concerned with.

Circuit Monger was a useful ally, and even more predictable than Force. She had eagerly discarded her humanity and everything that came with it, and had embraced existence as a machine. Now, the only thing that Circuit Monger cared about, was gathering new information, and as long as Nevermore helped her to achieve that goal, and offered knowledge not found elsewhere, she would continue to serve.

And then there was Loki, a powerful agent of chaos and destruction, yet also a weak and foolish pawn. Loki was a pawn, not only of Nevermore, but also of the creature within his own staff. That dark and malevolent being thrived on chaos, and manipulated Loki much the way that Nevermore’s treacherous servant Ebon had manipulated the previous Scepter. That being was the source of Loki’s power, and the one Nevermore was truly concerned with. Of course, it was only a matter of time before that being grew bored with its current pawn and sought another.

Out of all of Nevermore’s allies, the Scepter was the least experienced, yet also the one with the most potential. Not long ago, the woman had been one of the weak and useless masses, until she encountered Ebon, who decided that she would be his new puppet. Ebon had reshaped her mind and personality, consuming her conscience and giving her a hunger for power. With her newfound ambition, the Scepter had eagerly enslaved her would be master, and might one day challenge Nevermore herself…if she survived long enough to gather that level of power.

Finally, there was the Sinner, who, unlike Nevermore’s other allies, was her own creation and obedient servant. Nevermore was the one who found the Sinner, back when she’d been a bitter and resentful young man, and had given him power and direction. When the Sinner had died, Nevermore had been the one to bring him back, and to provide a new body. The Sinner was a useful servant, though also a deeply flawed one.

Nevermore had carefully selected each of these allies because they were powerful, merciless, willing to do what she required, and of course…utterly expendable. Just as importantly, each of them was also so focused on their own interests and obsessions, that they would not think to question Nevermore’s ultimate goal, or what it might mean for them. That was necessary, as she wouldn’t have been able to trust them with their assigned tasks, if they realized how unlikely they were to survive what was to come.

“My allies have planted the obelisks,” Nevermore quietly mused to herself. “We have sown the seeds of terror, and now it is time to harvest.”

Each obelisk was infused with her power, and once each of them had been placed, they allowed her to form the barrier that would prevent anyone outside of this city from interfering with her plans. The barrier was powerful, and would take a great deal of time and power, if anyone was going to penetrate it. By the time any of her enemies was able to do so, it would be far too late.

Nevermore smiled faintly, though it was one of cruel satisfaction. As the rules of magic required, all spells of that level had a flaw. However, a skilled mage could craft their own flaw, designing it in such a way as to turn it to an advantage. If one did not do that, then the flaw would form on its own, uncontrolled and perhaps even unseen until it was too late.

Nevermore had turned the flaw in her barrier into a doorway, one that would not only allow her to pass through freely, but two of her allies as well. It would take a great deal of time before her enemies discovered exactly what that flaw was, and she knew that even if they discovered this flaw, they would not be able to make use of it without time to prepare.

“The barrier will prevent outside interference,” Nevermore announced. “For once, I am able to gather the power I require, without concern for this world’s guardians…”

“Perhaps,” Munin agreed cautiously, from where he stood a short distance from the throne. “But there is always the possibility that Baltimore has guardians of its own, heroes who have yet to make their presence known. This is something we must guard against.”

Nevermore didn’t respond to her servant’s comments, though she knew he was correct. Of course, she had already taken that possibility into account, which was why each of the obelisks was guarded, and why she’d created a small army of creatures. If any heroes attempted to interfere this time, they would find her ready. This time, she could not afford to lose.

For the first time in more than a century, the dimensions were in alignment. Now, after all this time, she could do more than merely gather power. Now, she could finally use that power to achieve her goal.

Of course, she had to finish gathering the power. Nevermore had not created the obelisks and barrier merely to keep interlopers away. She’d also created them to help her gather the power she required. She drew power from fear and death, and she had ensured that this city was filled with both. The barrier gathered up that power, while the obelisks transferred it to her throne, where she could use it.

“The day is finally at hand,” Nevermore stated, a faint hint of eagerness in her voice, though only her loyal servants would hear it. “After all this time…”

Nevermore held out her hand and began to focus some of the power she’d gathered. The black stone ground, where a swing set had stood a mere day earlier, began to crack and melt. Two black stone pillars began to form, fifteen feet apart from each other. They slowly rose up, until they reached a height of twenty feet, then the tops began to bend towards each other. Once the two pillars touched, they fused into a single stone arch.

Suddenly, Nevermore felt a disturbance in her power and instantly knew that one of the obelisks had fallen. “The Sinner,” she stated after a moment, recognizing which of the pillars it had been.

Munin cautiously asked, “May I ask what is troubling you?”

“It seems your concerns have proven valid,” she answered grimly, turning her attention to the ground before her throne.

The stone shattered and melted, sinking down and filling with a crimson liquid. Once the pool had filled, Nevermore finished the spell and images began to appear in the blood. She saw the obelisk, now a pile of rubble in the street. The Sinner was on the run, having abandoned her station now that it had fallen. And then, Nevermore saw the heroes, three women in costume.

“The heroes that you spoke of,” Nevermore mused. “It seems that they have made their move.”

“The Sinner failed,” Munin stated in a dark tone that was filled with disapproval. Beside him, Hugin silently nodded agreement.

Nevermore scowled and her eyes burned with an even darker malevolence than they had a moment before. The Sinner was a useful servant, one she had spent years grooming, yet one who was ultimately expendable. If the Sinner survived the heroes, then Nevermore would punish her for her failure. But at the moment, she had more immediate concerns.

The loss of one obelisk was an annoyance, though not a true threat to her plans. Her barrier would remain standing, and she would continue to gather the power she required. However, the fact that any heroes were present within the barrier, was cause for concern, and one that would need to be dealt with.