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SIX MONTHS, EIGHT DAYS BEFORE THE RITUAL
Lilah Silver woke up in a room torn apart. Clothes everywhere, broken glass bottles lazily put in the trash, and hair on every surface. New York had recently become her home.
Half a year ago, while hunting the criminal gorgon Vyper, she was robbed. One morning she woke up with two envelopes in her room. Neither had a name on them, so she intended to return them to the local post office. She could feel there was no money in them. An hour into her walk, she felt her legs turn heavy. She looked down and her feet were turning rapidly to stone. She grabbed her bola and threw it into a bush, Vyper slid under it.
"C'mon Lilah, y'know I won today!" She slithered close to Silver, and tied her arms behind her with a bola of her own. "How long do I have before the full moon?" Vyper cackled in her face, knowing Silver's arms are too frozen to move. "Whazzat?" Vyper's eyes darted to the papers in Silver's coat. Vyper pulled out the light blue envelope and held it to the sun. "I'm sure you wont mind me taking this" She laughed as loud as she could and left rapidly. The petrification was beginning to wear off. Silver moved one foot. Then moved another. She checked her pockets and found the lighter yellowish envelope had fallen halfway into a hole in her jacket. Vyper missed it. In frustration Silver tore it open.
That was Six months ago, it would be another six until anything would happen. Lilah didn't know that yet.
"Mrs. Silver, if you would please come with me." The bellboy of the hotel she was invited to had entered her room. She didn't remember hearing the door open. As she walked through the door, she didn't end up in the halls of the hotel. She looked around and saw a large room. A hooded figure looking over a green glowing crystal ball. The woman didn't seem to notice Silver's entrance to the room. She turned around and there was a wall, but no door. Then she saw on the wall a painting being created. A village full of corpses. Bodies without limbs. Above the corpses stood a hulking hairy beast. Looking straight at her. She fell over her feet trying to get away. She saw a pair of bloodied boots in front of her.
"Bonjour mon ami," The Drifter licked his fangs seeing Lilah Silver sitting in front of him. "How long's it been? 3 years? Tennessee was never the same after that, eh?" Silver was too stunned to speak. It had been 8 years since she failed to kill Drifter. She was paid to investigate weapon testing done by Fairfax Industries. It became so much more than that. Drifter could have killed her too, but he told her he saw something in her future. "I shoulda guessed they'd grab someone like you. Someone with your.... abilities." He looked behind her at her hanging tail and grinned wider.
"Take a step back, demon." A shotgun to Drifter's head pulled away Silver's attention and cleared her mind. Drifter kept his smile, but exited the room. "He cannot hurt you here child, there is some degree of protection on all of us here. I learned that when a shot to Drifter's gut led to nothing but flat bullets on the floor. What is your name?"
"Lilah Silver, just call me Silver." She looked around at the other strange figures in the room, who all seemed to be looking at her. The bellboy walked back in.
"Greetings guests, you have been staying at the Baroness for some time now. The higher-ups have decided to reach out at last! I am here just to speak on their behalf." The mans face began to shift, a crown sprouted from his head, his noticeably blue eyes now looking like an open flame. He wasn't standing on the ground, floating into the air. He sunk back down after a few minutes of struggle.
A creaking inferno of a voice blasted, "I am thankful to have you all here. The Doorman here has allowed me into his body for five minutes to address you five specifically. I need you to fight on my behalf. If we are victorious, any wish you have can be granted. I am known to humanity as a Hidden King. I've seen each of you through every aspect of chaos in the world. Every flame. Every storm. I know each of you well. There are more people on your side, but they will not be assisting you in this task. The Arch Mother, my opposite seeks the same goals as I. Whoever is allowed to manifest into the real world will become powerful enough to change all of your lives. You each know what I have promised. Fight for me and it will all be yours. I am unable to manifest in this world unless through a conduit, which that woman over there is creating. She will speak on my behalf when the ritual comes. It is six months until the ritual is here. You must be ready. You may train with one another, but you cannot fight. I need you five to protect my forces in Greenwich Park. Please spend your time here building up bonds with one another, you will need to be willing to die for the person next to you. Death will not be permanent when the ritual is here, so it isn't that big of an ask truly." The spines on his head began to retract. The fires in the room began to die down. The fires all died out and the room went pitch black.
"Dammit, not again." A British mechanical voice shocked Silver. A red laser quickly shot the torches lining the walls, bringing light back into the room. The Bellboy was gone. Bebop lowered his arm and walked over to Silver. "Name's Bebop luv, heard you're Silver, yea?" The last person in the room also walked over to join them. A girl in cowpoke attire solemnly added herself to the conversation. She stared down Silver and reached out to shake her hand. "This 'ere is 'olliday! She's from the west! Further than any of us! Well, I'm not sure about Drifter but she's a traveler!"
"You're Lilah Silver?" Holliday questioned
"Uh.. Yeah? You got a problem with me?" Silver stepped up to Holliday.
"You've been hunting the troubadour too. I keep tabs on everyone who does."
"Oh, I followed a trail for 2 months that never went anywhere. I wouldn't say I'm after him anymore." Silver looked around and noticed a shadow working a bar in another room. "Give me a minute, It's been a long night."
Silver went to the bar and sat down. A year ago she had no clue if she'd be able to stay housed. She jumped at the opportunity to stay under a roof and didn't know where she was going to go now. Venator joined her. Then Bebop. Then Holliday. They shared stories to her. Each of them also shared how they ended up in contact with the Hidden King. When Silver got to her story, the group became confused about the other invitation she had received that was stolen from her. Silver shook them off and got another drink. She wanted to make sure she'd sleep tonight.
From the balcony above them, Drifter watched as the group communed. "Tell me, why is this the group your boss gave only five? By my counts the other groups have six."
The Doorman seemed a bit upset by the question. "I assure you, the forces are equally matched. I made sure of it." Doorman looked out the window. "There is one I haven't yet seen make a decision. But they aren't currently important. Both patrons sent an invitation, they just haven't chosen yet."
"I'm fine with it Doorman. I like the fight." Drifter's permanent smile stayed as he walked away from the room.