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Chapter 37
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Stone sipped on his glass of wine while Judy sat with him, still a little confused. She wanted to tear this man apart—there was no one else in the room to stop her—but she didn’t have the strength for it yet. She wasn’t even cuffed to the chair.

“You should try this wine,” Stone said.

“I’m fifteen,” said Judy.

“So what? Do you mean to tell me you take the underage drinking laws seriously? That’s your choice, of course, but you’ll find in time that laws as they stand now mean nothing to you. Laws can always be rewritten. Enjoy what you have before you.”

“I’d rather enjoy being home, with my friend, knowing that you are put away somewhere that no one can ever find or reach you.”

“They already tried that, in case you haven’t noticed. Speaking of which, did you like what I did with the good doctor’s head?”

“Disgusting.”

“Necessary.” He rose from his seat. “The greatest of us must make a mess if we are to wipe clean something greater. My power is with words. The most intelligent person can show weakness in their willpower, and my words bring them truth. A mind cannot attack the truth any more than fertile soil can attack a seed. If all I can do is sow a seed, one that will sprout over weeks or years, then so be it.”

Stone’s back was turned to Judy now. He stood by the pool.

“Sow the thought, feed the mind, let it consume what it will thinking nothing is different or wrong. It is true of all things. An army in need of a cause. A doctor with a kink, who needs a love life just as much as she needs to know what her patient knows. A man past his prime who grows to despise his second chance and all things tied to it. A girl...” Stone turned mid-sentence, “who hasn’t eaten in over a day.”

Judy stopped to realize that she had a drumstick of chicken in her hands. She had already taken two bites out of it by now.

She yelped and dropped the chicken. Judy grasped her head.

“Get out. Get out of my mind!”

Harvey said, “I am not the psychic around here.”

Psi Wizard ran with everyone into the fray of battle. Powers of fire, ice, and shadow mixed with gadgets and martial arts. Fields of protective energy sprang up and vanished like a turbulent sea. Everyone who’d come did their part to cut into the forces of Arachne agents. Psi Wizard was ready to heal anyone who needed it, but he searched the area.

That presence was somewhere. It was close. They were closer with every second.

Then the woman appeared. Her eyes were blacked out with heavy makeup that matched her lips, hair, and most of her outfit except for the patches of bright red. Her complexion was pale like a ghost.

Psi Wizard recognized her right away as he knew almost everyone in the group might have. It was Lady Dectra, one of the remaining lieutenants of the Arachne Regime from ages past, and the source of that presence he felt.

He held tight with his mind. When everyone stopped as if to face the infamous legend that was Lady Dectra, he shouted, “Go, let me handle this.”

“Psi,” said Walter, “this is no time for such foolishness.”

“That’s why you need to get going. If anything happens to me she won’t be strong enough to take any of you on. Just go.”

That wicked smile of hers. Psi Wizard loathed it already. He had hated it before tonight, but this was something else. Everyone else charged forward, pushing against the next rank of Arachne agents. Lady Dectra had her head turned on them as though Psi Wizard was of no concern to her. He could feel her power pouring towards his friends and allies.

Psi Wizard did the only thing he could think to do at this point. He threw a small clump of dirt at her. It struck, and finally she seemed to notice him.

Her expression soured. Yes, Psi had her full attention now.

“What exactly do you want from me? Why me?” Judy asked.

Stone said, “Finally, the point of it all. It’s about time you asked. Have you seen the current state of the Arachne Regime lately? Recent events have left it less than it is destined; than it is meant, to be. One man thought he could stab us in the back and take over the void in our leadership or direction. He had no power of his own, so he sought to have one given to him. In the end, I saw to the end of his life for even thinking of it. Such is the judgment of all who oppose or betray us, even when it plays the part of a greater plan.”

“The Wolfram Manifest. I’m getting tired of hearing about it.”

“Yes, the Manifest. It’s the checklist of people and events leading up to the destiny of one young woman. When I was broken free from that asylum, I knew it was a matter of time before I saw the wheels in motion, because I had foreseen it thanks to Lady Dectra during one of our spats. I heard of Penne’s capture, but the details didn’t matter until I saw a girl on a rooftop. This girl had more power than she knew. The power she knew was not her own, and more. So much more laid dormant.

“Ever since that day, I looked across Paragon City from a distance so as to not draw any unnecessary attention. I employed one of our own to track you. I saved a number of girls from their former lives, thinking for sure I picked you out from hundreds of miles away. None of the other girls were planned, but their salvation was hardly a mistake. Especially the last one, whom you call your friend. I ordered the possibility of her escape and return to Paragon both be made easy so that you could find her. Then, the trap was sprung, and you were at last brought to me.”

“Why, though? What’s the point of any of this?” None of it was making sense to Judy.

“Here I thought you were smarter than this. Or are you testing me? You, who once tasted rebirth, are the one to bring us back to power. In time, you will lead the Arachne Regime to change the world as we see fit; as you see fit. No more hiding in the shadows far away. No more mercenary jobs or burglaries that are beneath us. Only you, your lieutenants, your legions, and anything you want. We can have it all.”

“I told you what I want.”

Stone said, “No, you told me what your so-called friends and family want. What does your heart want? Do you want to rule with an iron fist? You can. Do you want a lover? You can choose anyone. That girl you call your friend, she could be one of them.”

Judy charged at him. Some of her strength was returning. It wasn’t enough to do much yet, but she didn’t care. She charged, and she shouted, “Don’t you dare talk about her like she’s some sort of mindless whore!”

In her attempt to tackle Stone, Judy missed him and fell into the pool.

Lady Dectra said, “You had your chance to attack me with all of your power. Now it’s gone, and you’d chosen a rock.”

Nothing.

She strolled forward a few steps that might have been seductive if she wasn’t creepy to look at. “Now I get to break you down just enough that, in your final moments, you can watch your friends scream in . . .”

“Unimaginable pain?” Psi Wizard said. “You’ve been a villain for more than a generation. Try being a little more original.”

“You have bite in you. Good. That will only make it more satisfying when I . . . What? What is this?”

Finally, she noticed. Psi Wizard knew that weaving a protective barrier around all of his friends would have been too costly for something that didn’t offer any promise. Instead, he wrapped a single barrier around himself and Lady Dectra. Only then did he form a second, thinner one around himself, detaching that part of his mind temporarily.

Now she was making pushes into the shores of his mind. He could see their mindscapes vaguely. See the ocean and more, but now was not the time to go there. Had he been able to help it, it would never be time to go there like his mother loved to do.

“Do you know how Orcas hunt?” The pieces of Psi Wizard’s mind closed shut around the limited force of the other psychic’s essence. It was like breaking a sword between two greater stones. He had to strike soon and quick before Lady Dectra thought to put up a shield. “Better question, have you heard of the psychic Sabrina Brooke?”

As the pieces of Lady Decta’s mental assault dissolved into nothingness, her thoughts and fears turned to a woman thought to be in the top five psychics of the last century. Images flashed of their rivalry until one fateful ambush and betrayal. Now the man before her was poised to kick her from her spot as the only one left alive since Sabrina had died of natural causes more than a year ago.

Lady Dectra’s thoughts turned to Psi Wizard’s subtle likeness to the woman.

And then, with a single strike of Psi Wizard’s own attack, that was the end of Lady Dectra’s coherent thoughts and psychic power.

She fell to her knees and drooled before curling up on the ground.

“Mother sends her regards.” He walked past her to join his friends again amidst their combat.

Princess Undercut mouthed a “What the fuck?” at him one moment, but then she too kept fighting. The League was safe from a psychic attack, and they were bound to reach the door any moment, the enemy forces breaking.

Judy’s head came up from the water, and she took in a breath of air.

She saw Stone kneeling by the edge of the pool. He said, “You reject the Manifest. No, you reject me. Understandable. I have no more control over what happens to your friend. Not now with Lady Dectra trying to do things her way. You need only accept the Manifest, and your word alone can stop her if you wish.”

The door opened again now that the voices had changed.

Denise had heard them since her friend was taken. At first, they echoed things, subtle and terrible. She was on the verge of agreeing with even one of those terrible thoughts when the subtle whispers changed to panicked shouts outside the dark room.

Now a man beyond the bright doorway said, “Come! We have a use for you.”

She shook her head and did her best to move away from the door. It was in vain. The armored man stepped into the dark room. The Arachne soldier grabbed for her. She surrendered to his attempt, but for one reason only. Denise only hoped that her skills at pickpocketing were enough since these soldiers were told to guard her for real this time.

In the one motion she needed to pull away the scepter-like beam rifle, Denise fired the weapon into the Arachne soldier’s leg.

Two for two.

She chucked the weapon into the far corner and ran for the door, shutting it before looking both ways along the corridor. There were soldiers gathering on her right, preparing for what looked like an incoming attack. One of them saw her and shouted, “It’s the hostage!”

Denise ran the other way. She weaved from side to side while at least one person shot from behind. She didn’t know how many more soldiers were ahead, or how far the room was that Judy had been taken, but she had to get there.

The sounds of battle reached the pool at last, though they were faint.

Stone said, “Time draws short, but let me ask you this. How many of your so-called friends and family have lied to you, withheld information from you, tried pampering you so that you would do things their way? How much have you wanted to change in the world? These questions are what some people call trite, but it’s because they’re afraid of the change that can come of asking these questions. They were made frightened of such change. You have power, but not the power to shape these things to your own bidding. Not yet, but you will.”

As he spoke, the words made sense to Judy, no matter how much she fought them. Every exertion was akin to standing in a pool of mud, with every sentence adding buckets to her weight. She needed to get out.

Judy said, “Only a desperate man would talk like you do. You know you’re going to lose.”

“I don’t care what happens to me now. I only care that the Manifest moves forward. I have played my part. The world needs the Arachne Regime in its full glory. The Arachne Regime needs to be reborn.” Stone extended a hand. “Come, be the symbol of rebirth we need. Join us, and the world will be molded to your every whim. Your every desire. No more pain unless you wish it.”

She had to hang on. Her will was slipping, but she had to hang on. Judy saw a caring hand that could pull her out of this pool. She heard the words. Her hand broke through the water’s surface, shaking as it moved toward Stone’s.

“Judy!” came a voice. She turned her head in time to see Denise running toward the pool from a hallway.

But then a loud bang sounded through the chamber. Denise’s eyes and mouth changed to that of shock. Judy’s best friend fell before her very eyes.

Suddenly, Judy had strength. Suddenly, she knew pain and anger like never before.

Walter and War Lagoon were in the middle of their team. They had just broken down the door, and yet the remaining Arachne agents outside had caught up, trying to catch them from the rear. Walter used one of the weapons he’d picked up to fire back at the villains, aiming to disarm them. However, he heard a scream from within.

He looked over at the presumably largest room of the building, and saw the windows by the roof light up with a frightening display of brightness. It came with a thunderous roar that broke the glass. It died down after seconds. Most of the Arachne agents stopped fighting out of apparent fear as they stumbled or ran off. They were broken and finished, unable to keep fighting.

The fighting was over in an instant, but Walter just knew.

“Something’s wrong.”

No, no, no, no!

Judy climbed out of the pool, and ran to her friend. She picked her up, having seen the bloody burn mark on the small of Denise’s back.

Her friend was limp, but barely breathing through short, pained breaths.

“No, please. Don’t do this to me. Don’t do this,” Judy begged.

Footsteps approached. Judy barely caught a glimpse of her friends before she looked down again. “Someone help her.”

“Oh my god,” said Princess Undercut.

Psi Wizard said into his earpiece, “Mortar, I don’t care what you’re doing. You need to get in here and open a portal to a hospital, now. My limited healing powers aren’t going to do any good in here.”

Princess Undercut stepped slowly past Judy until she was close enough to recognize Stone, who was up against the wall. His arm was gone, burned at the stub, and his face looking just as red and black.

The man spoke with what strength he had, “Re-rebirth must . . . prevail.” His body sagged.

“He’s dead,” Princess Undercut said.

Judy buried her face into her dying friend’s neck. Her tears flowed.