Chapter Text
“I call the first meeting of the Cooperation of Dread Powers Initiative to order!” Nikola said through unmoving teeth, lowering themself off of pointe and into a seat at the head of the table.
”And hopefully, the last meeting,” interjected Rayner, leaning back in his seat. A wave of darkness followed him as he moved, swallowing up the light that Nolan seemed to emit from the spot beside him.
”I suppose that depends on your outlook, Rayner. You always were a tad gloomy and… dark!” Nikola paused for a laugh track that seemed to rumble from their own torso. “Personally, I find that this collaboration would only be improved by several meetings!”
From his spot in the corner, Peter Lukas sighed and looked at where the laughter was presumably coming from. “Really, Nikola? Must you do that?”
”I think it’s fun,” Raymond Fielding said around a cigarette. “A little spooky, sure, but who isn’t at this table, Pete?” He adjusted the string figure between his oddly bent fingers.
”It’s Peter,” He replied, sighing again. Lukas watched as the spiderweb figure transformed into a whale-like shape with a few smooth tugs. Fielding shrugged, as if the distinction didn’t matter to him.
”I’m in agreement with Nikola. About the meetings, not… the laughter.” Nolan looked at his companion and sighed, lighting a finger and reaching over to burn a hole in the heart of the string creature. Raymond sputtered and dropped it, mumbling something about Nolan being unfair to him.
”As am I! I think this could be quite fun!” From the doorway, Simon Fairchild entered, bright blue suit practically blinding. He sat beside Rayner’s plus one (a plump dark skinned woman he addressed only as Dominguez) and winked at her. She looked away quickly.
”You’re late,” Jonah said, looking down at Simon over ornate gold glasses frames.
”’Fashionably late’ is the new ‘on time’, you should know that by now, Jonah!” Simon leaned an elbow on the table.
Jonah huffed, adjusting his collar. “It’s Richard now, if we must use first names, Fairchild.”
”I still think the new body is stupid,” Rayner mumbled to his plus one. “Devoted to a power of all-seeing, and he needs spectacles?”
”They’re for appearances!”
”And how frequently are those appearances at your optometrist’s?”
”Now you see here—“
”I am seeing here! Better than you apparently—“
”Boys!” Ms. Dominguez spoke for the first time in the meeting, her voice loud and commanding. “Can we stay focused, please?” They both mumbled their agreements. “Thank you. Now, Orsinov, I’m afraid I’m out of the loop on this plan of yours. Care to explain?”
”Oh, let me tell you! You see, we have all been running around, foiling each other’s plans for the end times! Wouldn’t it be so much more fun if we worked together and made a more powerful version of all these blasted rituals!”
”But… isn’t the whole point to see who’s the most powerful?”
”I’ve never seen much point in there being a point,” Nikola said, her grin fading slightly. “When the Change comes, whichever Power has the most followers and victims will have the most power.”
”Terminus will always win, of course. Everyone dies, in the end,” Fairchild added, “but it’s fun to compete for second. Like… talent agents, trying to swallow up as many people as we can into our cause before the set date of the ritual. Which is…?”
”October 18th, 2018,” Magnus answered.
“I’ll inform some of the others. Amherst, Thorpe… Is it Herbert? Or is that his first name?” Fielding somehow had acquired another string, and had made a spiderweb again, which was glowing faintly.
”As in Trevor Herbert? That’s correct, yes.” Nolan’s fingers traced the edges of the table, scorching them.
”Yuck! Not really a fan of him,” Nikola said.
”If we’re all going to be working together, then that doesn’t really matter.”
”I suppose you’re right, Peter.” They smiled wider, mouth still not opening. “So… I think that settles everything?”
Rayner stood. “Everything, except for the fact that I already said I wasn’t interested. I’ll complete my ritual long before then.”
”Without all the Powers, you’ll never truly succeed,” Jonah replied.
”Then I fail a million times over, until 2018 actually comes! Until then, I’m not throwing in the towel so we can have little meetings over tea and act friendly. Come along, Dominguez.” She followed in his shadow, not daring to look at the others as they sat in shock. The door shut firmly behind them. Simon was the first to speak.
”Well… That’s one group out of the running. Shall we place bets?”