SSV: Project STATIC Part 3: Game Over

Epilogue

Miles away, deep in the bowels of Citiville, a monument to the city's most notorious criminal still stood. The old Castle erected by the Goth Goddess still loomed over the city streets. Many citizens had petitioned for its destruction, but all attempts had resulted in untimely deaths of the workers. It remained intact, but it was slowly falling into ruin. The halls were dusty and dilapidated, but the magical wards, runes, and traps were still active. The citizens had been forced to accept that it would remain until it eventually crumbled to nothing. A reminder of their past, but also of the terror they had once known.

Within the walls of the Castle, a woman roamed the halls unafraid of the dangers lurking within. A shadow that walked the earth with little to no knowledge of how she'd managed to return, let alone who she was. Tall, taller than most men and women, with messy raven colored hair and porcelain skin, she had been drawn to the ruins like a moth to a flame. She hadn't known why, but she had stopped questioning things by now. The fire at the museum and the ghastly woman that accosted her had put a stop to that. When she'd frozen her solid, she hadn't felt any remorse or a need to question. It had felt right at the time, and there had been something satisfying about breaking her. There was something familiar about her, but it hadn't been anything good. For whatever reason, she had hated that Amazonian looking freak.

She ducked underneath a fallen beam as she walked closer to a stairwell. A tower that bridged to an upper floor and a lower level that seemed familiar. She glanced down into the darkness and shuddered as her head suddenly hurt.

"This hurts me more than it hurts you, my Raven," a voice said.

"No, no, Rebecca, please!" a voice she knew and longed to hear begged and tugged at the corners of her mind.

Rebecca…was that who she was? A cawing came from behind her as a large raven flew to her. The bird had found her days ago, and she had found its presence comforting. There was something about the black bird that she adored. She held out her arm to let it perch, and she rubbed its beak as it leaned in close. It stared into her eyes, and she saw what it had seen. She couldn't explain it, but she had a connection with this bird. It wasn't the only creature that had found her either. The subtle plodding of paws on stone came behind her. The wolf that had wandered to her was close behind. She closed her eyes as she let the visions play back before her.

There were four people she could see. A woman and a man in a chair, both seemed like people she knew. She felt a sense of regret as she looked at the woman, but her heart skipped a beat as she looked at the man. She wanted to help him, but she couldn't. He was trapped somewhere, but her raven must have sensed a connection. It tried to break whatever device was holding him, but then another woman appeared and tried to shoo it away. This woman was a mystery to her, but she must have been the one that trapped the others. Another woman with pink hair stood behind her, and a mixture of jealousy and sadness washed over her. A strange and bitter combination that left a sour taste in her mouth. A brief confrontation ensued, but her raven fled before it took a nasty turn.

"Who are you?" she whispered to herself, "Who are you to me?"

The raven left her arm and flew up the stairs as though to guide her. That was fine by her. Whatever was below was painful to think about. Had she done something heinous before? That was her voice, she knew that much. What type of person had she been in the past? Perhaps the answers were waiting up above. It was dark, but she held up a hand and let it begin to glow. Whatever she had been, she possessed abilities that others did not. The animals that kept close by, her elemental manipulation, and a basic light were all things that seemed to strike fear into others. She could still hear the woman who'd rescued her screaming in terror when she'd shown her abilities. She hadn't meant them any harm, but she left without a word.

The stairs were dirty and dusty as she walked up them. The sound of her bare feet echoed as she walked. The stairwell circled around as she continued upward. She ran a hand along the stone walls and wondered what they might say if they could talk. It would have been nice to know the secrets they kept, and maybe gain some insight into the woman she'd been. She knew one thing, this place had been home to her. The locals seemed to steer clear, but she didn't understand why. Then again, she hadn't bothered to ask. Her interactions with others had been either hostile or fear inducing.

The stairwell ended as she came to a hallway. At the end was a large ornate door. She'd seen it before, but again couldn't place it. Her raven flew to it and pushed it open while her wolf kept close by her side. There was something in there that she needed to see, perhaps the answers to her questions. Yet, she felt a sense of trepidation as she walked down the halls. Why? What was she afraid of? Was her truth really that bad? Still, not knowing was worse than anything. She needed answers, and something about knowledge was calling out to her.

"Stupid little insect," a chilling voice echoed in her mind, "A lost soul wandering and looking for answers. Your sins and hate will find you, but you will serve your purpose, girl!"

She knew that voice, and it instilled a feeling of dreadful fear within her. Her skin crawled as the image of a horned woman flashed behind her eyes. No, she wouldn't back down from this. Whoever she was, she wouldn't stop her from finding the truth. She owed it to herself to press on, so she pushed those fears to the side and steadied herself. She pushed the door open and looked inside. It was a bedroom, but one that she knew. The four post bed in the center had been hers. Chains hung from them, and she'd used them on people. A large wooden X was off to the side, and a vanity mirror wasn't far from it. Whips, knives, and other leather instruments were neatly hanging on the walls. She knew them intimately, and she felt a rush as she looked over them. A bookcase was nestled against the wall with dusty old tomes resting on them. However, what drew her eye was a pedestal off in the corner. The large book sitting atop it drew her in, and she was walking before she knew it.

She swallowed as she touched the leather-bound cover. There was an aura radiating from the book, and she opened it to the first page. The writing was ornate and neat, and it looked like it had been done with a quill. She ran her hand along the thick page and closed her eyes. This was her handwriting. The black ink seemed to resonate and glow at her touch. She took a step as the pages suddenly began turning on their own at a rapid rate. They flipped back and forth, and a purple light emanated from the book. Symbols began to form in the air above it, and she watched with fascination as they hovered for a moment. She blinked and she was met with images of a woman in a rage, a woman in love, and a woman who'd made a grave mistake.

Images of distant places that she'd been with women she knew from days long since past flashed before her. Stone circles, alters, and other objects that she knew were magical in nature came to her mind. Then, she saw the purple horned woman once again. Her face was filled with fury and hate as something was taken from her. A cruel, sadistic cackle filled her mind; it was her laughter she heard, she knew that. A man, one that she'd lost, flashed in her mind. She'd chased him across lifetimes, but she'd only had him once. It was the same man the raven had seen! No, it was somebody different. A fallen knight, a wayward monk, and many other men passed through her mind; all of them dying one by one until it was only him. Money and power belonged to him, but he was a knight of a different caliber. A modern one that existed to serve the innocent, but what she saw next further confused her.

Obsession, greed, envy, and more all came to her. She betrayed women who trusted her to further her own ends, and aligned herself with devils and sadists in pursuit of power and might. She needed more power to ensure that she never lost him again, but what was his name? Two women came to her next. One, a young blonde woman, the one she'd seen in the chair! The other was like her, but she carried a darkness with her. They were friends, almost sisters, but there were others. A flatulent Goddess and a leather-bound alpha that she considered kin, but they were gone. All of them were, but they'd left their mark on her. She'd done things, terrible things, in the name of love and power. She chased after more to ensure she would never be denied again. The three women brought out the worst in her, or had it always been there since the horned woman? The blonde, her name was on the tip of her tongue, had served her as well, but she had been almost like a daughter to her.

That girl hadn't been the only one that had served her. She'd run a school of some sort in these very halls. A teacher and guide for wayward women seeking to become something more than. Some failed, but the blonde had succeeded. She'd excelled above all others, but she was different from the other women she knew and herself. She had kept her grounded. Yet, why did it hurt to think of her? There was the pain of betrayal, but there was also regret alongside it. She'd forced her to do something heinous, but the blonde had managed to survive. The betrayal came later, and that pink haired woman had something to do with it!

The images continued to come in flashing waves, but they were still hazy at best. She fell to her knees as she watched a ritual take place. A final and desperate measure that ultimately led to her downfall. She'd sealed a pact with ancient beings long forgotten in the name of keeping what she believed to be hers, and in the end, she'd severed the person she was. Buried the old woman beneath mountains of demonic hate, and as a result had driven her love to kill her. Her final moments were spent in his arms before a demon clawed its way to her and dragged her to Hell. She had died…she was dead, but here she was.

"Wh-what?" she asked aloud, her voice quivering as her mind struggled to comprehend everything she'd seen.

Her shock and confusion turned to anger as she tried to come to grips with everything. She was a monster, a murderer, and a criminal! The very people she'd frozen were no better than her! She shook as she stood up and screamed in frustration. Tears fell from her eyes as she moved to the X and threw it to the ground. It fell to pieces as another memory played in her mind.

"I am the alpha and omega, I am time immortal, I am the Goth Goddess!"

A bold claim from a woman trying desperately to hide her pain, loss, mistakes, and regrets. This Castle was her home, and she was the reason the people avoided it. They were afraid of her, afraid of what she had done and could do. They feared her return, but here she was. Yet, she had little desire to rule and subjugate this city. She'd done it before, and what had it gotten her? More pain, more regret, and it had cost her her life and her love. She fell to her knees and cried as she tried desperately to remember their names. There were three of them that survived, and all of them were key players in her life. Some more than others, but each of them had been instrumental in her ending days. One was a friend, another a rival, and the last one was her lover.

They came to her slowly as she started to calm down; Pamela Lavely, Elizabeth Thompson, and Jake Blackridge. Her head hurt as she got to her feet and stumbled to the bed. She'd done terrible things to all of them, but she'd paid for it in the end. Why was she here, though? How was she here? She fell onto the bed and crawled into a fetal position. Her mind was racing, but she was exhausted. Her wolf climbed into the bed with her and whined as it laid close to her. She reached out and stroked his fur as he nuzzled closer to her. Her time here wasn't finished, not by a long shot. There were more questions than answers still, but she had discovered much already. She glanced over at the bookshelves. She was a magic user, and she suspected that she'd learn more about herself if she studied. For now, she needed to sleep. Her raven perched atop the bed as she remembered her name: Rebecca. Rebecca closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"I will find you," she whispered as she saw Jake behind her eyes, "I swear, I'll make this right this time. Once I figure out how, I'll find you, my love…"

—--------

Jake sighed as he walked through the doors of his home. After everything that he and Pam had been through he was ready for a long shower and longer nap. He'd just dropped Ingrid off into Zoey's custody after Pam had finished their fight. He still couldn't believe what he'd witnessed, and he was sure the media was going to have a field day with it. The legend of the Specter was going to get an entirely new surge from the footage that had been captured. Even if only a fraction of their fight had been caught on camera, Pam had showcased abilities Jake hadn't seen before. Ingrid was lucky to be alive, and Jake was relieved when Pam agreed to spare her. He had to admit, he was surprised that Beth had been the voice of reason.

The halls of his home were quiet and welcoming compared to the chaos outside. It was nice after everything that they'd been through during their time inside Ingrid’s twisted game. It wouldn't be long before that same chaos came knocking at his door again, but Jake was ready to enjoy a little peace while he had it. His guess was that both Beth and Pam felt the same way. It had been harder than he thought to hand Ingrid over to Zoey and the police. It wasn't his feelings for her that made it difficult, but rather how depressed and listless Ingrid had been. Whatever Beth had said or done while they were trapped had clearly affected her. However, seeing the girl he'd once known to be sarcastic and snide so beaten down and broken was the last thing he'd expected. Pam hasn't done that, not through their fight anyway. No, that had all come from Beth and their final exchange.

It had taken Jake longer to return home because of Beth's requests for Ingrid. In truth, Jake didn't disagree with the bulk of it. Ingrid wasn't like the other criminals in Metropolis, and surrounding her with them would only end badly. Either she'd wind up more like them, or she'd become a plaything to one of the city's more heinous criminals. As a result, Jake had struck a deal with Zoey to keep her in isolation for the time being until they could figure out a better solution. Her condition, knowledge of their shadowy enemies, and limited record made the paperwork simple enough, but there was still a lot to fill out. The important thing was that Ingrid would be safe, though. She might not be happy, but her safety and security gave them a chance at gaining future cooperation.

It felt odd that Bruce wasn't waiting for him near the door, but his old friend had more to do than simply wait for his return. Cooking and cleaning were just a couple of the things his faithful friend did to keep himself busy. Bruce was more than just a butler, he was a trusted friend and stalwart ally. He could have been downstairs in the Birdcage reviewing case files, tinkering, training, or trying to find the missing piece of the puzzle. Bruce had taught him much of what he knew, and he was as much an asset as he was a sidekick. Jake would see him soon enough, of that he had no doubt. He needed to call Kait and Sally with an update. Sally would undoubtedly kick his teeth in if he didn't update her about Beth, and Kait needed to know what he'd learned. He'd set up the necessary stuff for Addy and her dead drop before he turned in for the night.

He could hear giggling down the hall as he walked upstairs. From the sounds of it, he didn't need to worry about calling Beth and Pam. It was good to hear the sounds of laughter from his friends again, even if it was possibly because of more lewd activities. As long as it wasn't happening in his bed he could let it slide. He needed to make his presence known, but he didn't want to risk pissing either of them off. After everything they'd just gone through, they deserved a moment of happiness together. However, they still had work to do. Once they finished their debriefing, Pam could take Beth home and they could have their time together. Jake could take a couple nights of patrols if it meant that the two of them could relax.

"Already throwing yourself back into work, love?" Ashley asked from against the wall, "We've only just gotten home."

"I know, but they need some time together," Jake sighed, "They deserve that much after everything that's happened. Besides, I think Pam is still going to fight with Beth on the Ingrid situation."

"I'm surprised that she's willing to show such courtesy to a woman that abducted and abused her," Ashley remarked.

"We don't know the full extent of everything that happened, Ash," Jake pointed out.

"Fair, but given Beth's history it's still a surprise," Ashley countered, "She's typically more of a hammer and nail type of woman."

"She's got a temper, I'll give you that," Jake smiled, "But, she's always had a solid head on her shoulders. Yeah, she can get a bit emotional, but she's sharper than most people give her credit for."

"Mm, I suppose that's a fair assessment," Ashley hummed, "Feigning recklessness to gain an advantage is smarter than most might give her credit for."

"Heh, I don't know if I'd go as far as to say feigning recklessness," Jake chuckled, "She'll even tell you that she's got a knack for jumping in without thinking things through. If she didn't then she wouldn't have ended up under Ingrid, not to mention Pam."

"I can hear you, asshole!" Beth shouted from behind a closed door, "Quit talking shit about me!"

The door opened and Pam walked out wearing a fresh set of clothes with Beth close behind her. "Calm down, Kitten," Pam said, nodding at Jake, "I believe Jake was engaged with Ashley."

"Doesn't mean I'm good with them talking trash about me," Beth huffed.

"You lead with your heart, dear, as you always have," Pam smiled at her, "It's one of the things I love about you, but it has gotten you into more than one precarious predicament since I've known you. Rebecca, Ashley, Ingrid, just to name a few off the top of my head."

"You're passionate," Jake added, "I wasn't saying anything bad, I swear. You've said it yourself that you don't always think before you act."

"Yeah, I can say that, that doesn't mean you can, dick," Beth rolled her eyes, "It usually works out pretty well…most of the time."

"This is an argument that can wait," Pam sighed, not wanting to let things escalate more than they already were, "Right now, I'd like to head downstairs and discuss our findings and next moves. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get home."

"Is that your way of saying you need some alone time?" Jake asked with a smirk.

"My sexual needs are not something that I'm ashamed of, Jake, you should know this," Pam scoffed, earning a balk and blush from Beth, "Yes, I intend to have my way with my girlfriend when we get home, but I would also like to be in my own bed for a change."

"Pam!" Beth exclaimed, "Can you not?"

"All this time, and yet still so easily embarrassed," Pam smirked, "It is absolutely adorable."

"I am not adorable," Beth defended as Pam walked past the two of them.

"Whatever you say, Kitten," she said, "Come along, you two."

"You know she only does that to get a rise out of you, right?" Jake asked, "If you'd stop giving it to her, she might lay off."

"She wouldn't," Beth sighed, "She's a tease, and she knows it!"

"Not a tease, I just enjoy watching you squirm," Pam called back, "I always finish what I start."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Beth grinned as she walked to catch up with Pam.

"Did either of you see Bruce when you got here?" Jake asked, hurrying to catch up with his friends.

"No, Pam kinda just dropped us upstairs, though," Beth replied, "She said she wanted a shower and to lay down without being disturbed."

"Huh," Jake shook his head, "As long as you two weren't in my bed."

"I've seen the women you bring home, I've still got standards," Beth pointed out.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Jake asked.

"That you will fuck damn near anything that moves," Beth answered as though it were obvious, "Great detective, dumbass at communication man."

"I wish I could say she was wrong," Ashley sighed.

"Don't start," Jake sighed, "Look, I went through one rough patch-"

"Dude, you've fucked at least half of our rogues gallery," Beth reminded him.

"Okay, so I may have made some choices that weren't the best," Jake admitted, "That doesn't mean I don't have standards."

"That's true, I guess, just that you're a pervert," Beth grinned as they walked downstairs.

"Bite me," Jake sighed.

"Nah, you'd like it too much," Beth teased, "Besides, I wouldn't want to step on Ash's toes."

"Remind me again how you and Pam ended up together," Jake said, "Oh, right, you got your ass kicked by my ex and ended up worshiping her-ow!"

"Don't be an ass," Beth warned after slapping the back of his head.

Pam listened to the two bicker back and forth as she led them down into the study. It was good to feel something akin to normalcy again. She'd missed this. As livid as she'd been at Ingrid, it was a relief to see that Beth seemed to be relatively unharmed and unphased. Things could have been worse, and maybe she had been a bit biased about the sneering little girl that had stolen her beloved. Okay, so there was certainly something personal about her feelings toward Ingrid, but that was to be expected after what she'd seen her do to Beth. Still, perhaps conceding to Beth visiting the girl wouldn't be the worst idea. A slight itching beneath her skin told her that not all of her was okay with the idea, though. Meditation and communing with herself and her emotions was going to be necessary if she were to get through this. That was something that could wait until they got home, though.

It was a little concerning the way her emotions were behaving, but it could have been a side effect of her time in virtual reality. Still, it had been a long time since she'd sat down with herself in her conclave. Pam didn't typically feel the need to do it, and it often made her feel paranoid and insane when she did. Still, her powers were tied to her emotions, and the stronger she got, the stronger they became. The last thing she needed was for one of them to try to seize control from her. Doubtful as that thought seemed, she couldn't take the chance of it happening. For her to operate as a strong mage, she needed to be able to keep herself in check. That meant that every aspect of herself needed to be on the same page.

Pam stepped down into the caverns beneath Blackridge Manor and froze. Jake and Beth continued to bicker behind her, but Pam frowned as she spotted Bruce laying on the ground in an unconscious heap. "Both of you, enough," she snapped, looking over her shoulder, "We have a problem."

"What do you mean?" Jake frowned, looking past Pam and spotting his friend, "Bruce! Shit, what happened?"

Jake ran past her and knelt beside his friend. Beth stepped around Pam and checked their surroundings. From what she could see, the cavern was empty and silent. The only sound was the rushing water in the distance. The silence that blanketed the area was eerie and deafening. It didn't sit well with Beth as she drew her pistol. "Pam, do you sense anything?" she asked.

"Nothing," Pam shook her head, "Nothing beyond us, but I don't like this."

"Bruce, come on," Jake said, trying to rouse his friend.

"Ugh, Master Jake," Bruce groaned as he slowly started to come to, "You're alive. That's one sliver of good news today."

"Bruce, what happened here?" Jake asked as he tried to help his friend stand.

"Ruffians, Master Jake," Bruce replied as he slowly got to his feet, "I'm afraid in your absence things have been quite trying. We had a few uninvited guests arrive unexpectedly earlier today. They were less than receptive to my attempts to encourage them to disperse, and they proved to be more of a challenge than I expected."

"How many and who were they?" Jake asked, feeling a sense of unease creep in.

"Six in total, and they wore masks, sir," Bruce shook his head, "The ones I managed to remove the masks on weren't any that I recognized from your case files. However, they knew more about you than any one citizen should. Your identity as the protector of the city, your dealings with Ms. Thompson and Ms. Lavely, and even information about your mother. One of them knew the location of the Birdcage, Master Jake. The fight spilled over here before I could stop them, and one of those vagrants managed to catch me by surprise from behind as I gave chase."

"Shit," Beth sighed, "I'll start checking for anything that might be missing."

"Did they say what they were after?" Jake asked.

"I doubt they voiced their motives, Jake," Pam remarked, "Our luck isn't that good, and yours happens to be particularly bad."

"Dammit," Jake shook his head as he hurried over to his computer, "How did they even find out about this…what the hell?"

Jake stared at the screen as it turned on. The same symbol Ingrid had used when she hacked the train systems was flashing on his screen. An hourglass turned itself behind it, and a loading bar was just below them both. When had Ingrid managed to do this? More importantly, what was she transferring? Jake tried to disarm and disable whatever was happening, but he was running out of time. The bar was almost full. He growled as he bent down to try to unplug his systems, but a chime sounded as he wrapped his fingers around the plug. He was too late. Whatever she'd been after, whoever she'd been sending it to, it was done. Things were quickly going from bad to worse, and Jake wondered what else might go wrong.

"Jake, not to pile on," Pam sighed, as though sensing his increasing nerves, "Your infected ex isn't in her cage."

"What?" Jake asked, spinning around and getting up, "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

"You should have let me put a bullet in her when we had the chance," Beth shook her head as she walked over to the computer, "The only cure for that parasite is death."

"Don't start with me right now, Beth," Jake warned, checking Courtney's cage, "This isn't the time for hindsight. I've got a data breach, a missing sociopath, and-"

"And apparently an old enemy that's gotten impatient," Beth said, pulling up a news feed in the city, "Shit, Alexis, what are you doing?"

"What now?" Jake asked, turning to walk back to the computer.

Beth switched to full screen as a news site tried to show a live feed of downtown Metropolis. Fires were spreading throughout the city, and it looked like a bomb had just gone off in one of the major complexes. Alexis could be seen off in the distance with Miri not far behind her. She was running amuck and reaping chaos in a way she hadn't in months. A reporter was trying to cover the scene when a flash of red covered the screen as she was speaking. All that was left on display was static as the three of them stared at the screen. The screams had stopped, but none of them thought that it was over. Trouble was already beginning to bubble and brew in the city, and they'd only just finished their last battle.

"Next time, tell her where you're going," Beth shook her head, "She's losing it, and it's because you left without saying anything to her."

"Don't put this all on me," Jake defended, "You're the one who got yourself kidnapped because you couldn't wait for backup. You're also the one who pressured me into dating her!"

"Enough, both of you!" Pam snapped, "We don't have time for this right now. Two problems and three of us. We need to formulate a plan and execute it as swiftly as possible."

Jake and Beth glared at each other for a moment before looking away and nodding. Pam was right, and they knew it. They needed to focus right now if they were going to work out a solution to whatever was happening. "Alright, alright," Jake nodded, "We need all hands on deck if we're going to get through this. If Courtney is loose, then it's only a matter of time before she makes a move. She's starving, desperate, and that parasite makes her crazier than Alexis."

"But, we also have to worry about whoever released her," Beth pointed out, "Alexis is going off, but everything else that's happened has been part of a shell game. There's more at work here than we know."

"Call Sally," Pam said, "Beth is right, we have more working against us than just Courtney and Alexis. What better distraction than two noisy lunatics?"

"I'll switch the scanner on," Beth nodded, pulling it up and trying to find her phone.

"We have a disturbance at Park's Peek Diner on Main Street," a dispatcher came over the scanner, "We have reports coming in of Courtney Tellar sighted with hostages. Officers down, blood spilled, we are requesting immediate backup."

"Shit," Jake sighed, "Alexis is going to have to wait. We can call Sally on the way, but we have to get to that dinner while we have a chance. We need to contain her before she spreads her infection."

"Sounds good, I'll see if Sal can head off Alexis," Beth agreed, "Come on, let's get moving."

"So much for a night of relaxing," Pam sighed, "Bruce, will you be okay here alone?"

"I'll be fine, Ms. Lavely," Bruce assured her, "I can manage well enough. I won't be letting myself get surprised a second time. You three go, but try to be careful."

"Anyone else we can call?" Beth asked, grabbing a few spare clips from Jake's workbench.

"Nobody that will answer," Jake sighed, "We do this on our own for now. One step at a time, let's get going."