Down with the Queen

by Benjamin Medrano

  “Dad… I will hurt you if you keep teasing me,” Gina threatened, wrapping an arm around Lilith’s shoulders. The man seemed unfazed, instead chuckling as he leaned back in his chair.

  Rachel finally sat on Lilith’s other side, and Lilith barely suppressed the urge to look down as Rachel’s hand slid into her own. Edward didn’t seem to notice, fortunately.

  “So, how’re your parents doing, Rachel? Didn’t they move to Utah so your sister could go to school out there?” Edward turned his attention to Rachel, and she sighed heavily.

  “Yes, they did. Dad’s working at a manufacturing plant, while mother is on the school board. My sister is… having issues, but it’s her problem, and she doesn’t want to talk about it,” Rachel said, shaking her head unhappily. “I think that she’s having trouble with university classes. Either that, or she’s developed powers and has decided to keep them secret as some type of revenge. Probably since I kept my powers secret from her.”

  “It isn’t like you didn’t have a good reason for it at the time,” Gina pointed out, shrugging. “The way she was in school, if you’d told her about your powers, she would’ve leaked it inside the week, and there would’ve gone your identity within a month. Halley should get over herself.”

  “You know she could just be jealous that you have powers and she doesn’t,” Edward pointed out, shrugging. “I mean… my power isn’t all that potent, but I had tons of guys who hated me just because I was a tiny bit stronger than they were for the same amount of effort.”

  “That could be it. I don’t know, really… but my parents seem to be doing pretty well overall. They keep asking me when I’m going to visit, but between the university and team, I’m too busy most of the time,” Rachel said, shrugging. She opened her mouth to continue, but at that moment an alarm went off in the kitchen and Edward rocked forward to stand.

  “Ah, there it is! I guess our discussion is going to have to wait a bit. Food takes priority, doesn’t it?” Edward said, grinning as he nodded to all of them. “Come on, let’s get to it!”

  “Yes, Dad,” Gina said obediently, disentangling herself before standing up and offering a hand to Lilith. “Come on, Lilith, he really doesn’t like waiting on meals.”

  Lilith smiled and nodded as she took Gina’s hand, feeling more at home as she replied. “Of course, it makes perfect sense to me.”

  “It would, as much as you cook,” Rachel teased, laughing and smiling as she stood up as well.

  Lilith simply shrugged, following after the other two happily, more at ease than she had been when they’d arrived.

  Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

  “Ah, home again,” Lilith murmured, hanging up her coat and sighing as the near-imperceptible tension she’d been feeling eased slightly.

  “Meeting my dad wasn’t that bad, was it?” Gina asked skeptically, a hint of worry in her voice.

  “I wouldn’t say that it was bad; just that I wasn’t entirely comfortable there. His threats about what would happen to me if I hurt you were somewhat amusing, though,” Lilith admitted, smiling to herself as she shook her head. “I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose, and I could tell he wasn’t being too serious. Still, his interrogation wasn’t exactly what I’d call subtle.”

  “Dad’s always been forthright about things. It scared off a few boyfriends when I was in high school, actually,” Gina said, pausing in hanging up her coat as she frowned. “Though thinking of what I heard about the guys in question later, that probably was for the best.”

  “He didn’t scare off all of them, though. Some of the guys who held up under his growling were pretty nice, as I recall,” Rachel pointed out, unwrapping a scarf from around her neck. “Remember Lewis? He’s a doctor in Seattle now, and he was one of the nicest guys I’ve met.”

  “I suppose… we just didn’t get along that way,” Gina said, shrugging as she moved out of the way. “He was really nicebut we just didn’t click if that makes any sense?”

  “I honestly have no idea,” Lilith said, shaking her head at the two women. “Our relationship is the only one which I’ve ever had, and I’m still muddling my way through it, remember?”

  “Yes, and I’m desperately trying not to push you too hard on it,” Gina retorted. “You make it hard, though. You’re just so… so… passive. It’d be better if you took the initiative more often.”

  Rachel laughed softly, smiling as she spoke. “She does have a point, Lilith. You’re forthright when you know what you’re doing, but sometimes you do leave us wondering what you want.”

  “That’s…” Lilith paused, then sighed and walked over to the sofa, plopping down on it as she protested plaintively. “But I don’t know what I want! I like both of you, and don’t want to hurt you or anything else. I want life to be calm and peaceful, to figure things out right, but… but I just don’t think I can have it, in some ways. With the bounty on my head, and not knowing what you both want…”

  “Lilith, you don’t need to overthink things,” Gina said, sighing and dropping her purse next to the coat rack. “I know it’s hard for you, but I don’t want you to think yourself into a corner. I care about you, you know that.”

  “As do I, though… I suppose…” Rachel paused, and Lilith blinked as the woman fidgeted, hesitating and toying with hanging her coat, hat, and scarf up, before the woman suddenly turned and quickly walked over to Lilith, then sat in Lilith’s lap without pause as she spoke. “Fuck it. If I keep hesitating, we’ll never get anywhere, will we?”

  “Rachel?” Lilith asked, startled as the smaller woman leaned back into her. “What—”

  Rachel interrupted by craning her neck around and giving Lilith a kiss. Gina laughed behind them and Lilith froze, her mind coming to a standstill for a moment before slowly relaxing into the kiss. Rachel was warm and just a little hesitant, but Lilith enjoyed the kiss for a long, long moment before Rachel pulled away, blushing as she looked away again.

  “Well, that was unexpected,” Gina teased, moving up to the couch next to them and leaning on the back of it, grinning as she did so. “Finally getting a little frustrated, Rachel?”

  “Oh, shut up!” Rachel retorted, glowering at Gina as she leaned back into Lilith, and Lilith wrapped her arms around her as she felt Rachel shift in place, feeling a little more secure that way. “I’m just… you’ve been teasing me about this, and I’m finally taking a step forward, so deal with it.”

  “I’m not upset, just amused that you did decide to do something. How do you feel, Lilith?” Gina asked, smirking at them.

  “I feel like I just had Rachel sit in my lap and kiss me. I’m happy, but also a little confused,” Lilith admitted, shaking her head. “I just… are we going to be alright like this?”

  “Lilith? Please stop. Tomorrow I’m going back to work, and if I’m going to just ignore my worries and plunge into things, I really don’t want to have you constantly questioning everything,” Rachel replied, scowling slightly as she shifted her position minutely. “But if you must know… I’m okay with things as they are. At the very least, I’m willing to try to make this work.”

  “Which is rather the point,” Gina agreed, hopping over the back of the couch and landing surprisingly lightly next to Lilith, smiling at Rachel. “I’m just a little surprised, but not badly. We’ve been sort of… feeling things out, haven’t we? We still haven’t really worked out what’s going to happen between you and me, Rach.”

  “Don’t call me that,” Rachel replied absently, sighing as Lilith unfolded an arm and hugged Gina, amused.

  “You’re both so… entertaining at times; you know that, right?” Lilith said, smiling as she hugged both of them and closed her eyes.

  A few seconds later, Rachel spoke, prompting Lilith to open her eyes again. “Oh, right! Gina, did you ever make a decision on if you were going back to work tomorrow?”

  “Oh, damn it! I forgot all about that!” Gina hissed, shaking her head in annoyance. “I was too busy finishing the painting of you!”r />
  “You finished it?” Lilith asked curiously, looking at Gina. “When did that happen?”

  “The day before yesterday. I was planning to show it to you later today but we got sidetracked,” Gina said, scowling as she pulled away and walked over to her purse, shuffling through its contents as she continued. “Just give me a minute. I’ll give the HQ a call, then grab the painting. Since you’re the subject of it, I think you deserve to see it too, Rachel.”

  “That makes sense to me,” Lilith agreed, smiling even more as she murmured in Rachel’s ear. “I do hope you aren’t upset that I wanted a picture of you?”

  “Of course not! Even if I’m still a little skeptical about the outfit you wanted me in,” Rachel replied softly, leaning back into Lilith and sighing slightly. “What sort of outfit would you do for yourself if you were a heroine?”

  “I don’t know,” Lilith said, shrugging. “Probably something more practical and armored since I’m not that much tougher than your average person.”

  At that moment, Gina spoke brightly, pacing back and forth in the dining area. “Hey, Hyper! You’re on duty tonight, huh? How’s it going?”

  Lilith listened to one side of the conversation in amusement as Gina paused to listen, then laughed. “So you’re still trying to get that working? I’m glad it’s quiet, at least. Did Spirit mention that I might or might not be coming back to work tomorrow? Good. So, I think I will be coming back on shift, but I’m not going to be going public yet. I’m going to try to keep it quiet, but I doubt that’ll last for long, honestly. I give it a couple of weeks, at most, before the fans manage to ferret out who I am, but I’m going to keep as much privacy as I can until that point. Do you know if she had a shift set up for me, though? Okay, that’ll work. Night shifts aren’t fun, but it works. Thanks, Hyper! Have a good night.”

  She hung up, and Rachel spoke up. “It sounds like Spirit planned on you being back on shift, then?”

  “Not exactly. She decided to set up two separate schedules for the next few days, one for if I was back and another for if I wasn’t,” Gina explained, shrugging. “It makes sense to me, and since she gave me a night shift, it means that I’m less likely to have people notice the changes just yet. I’m surprised that no one has brought it up online yet.”

  “Actually, they have,” Lilith interjected, smiling broadly as she found something she knew that they didn’t. “I was looking at a few boards, and there’s speculation that you might be an actress or the like and that it was makeup. There are a fair number of studios downtown, so that was one possibility. There’re others who’re wondering if Blue Impulse did something to you, so there’s that. I’m amazed they haven’t caught sight of you outside of your suit yet, though.”

  “It’s just a matter of time. I’m sure someone has gotten pictures of you in everyday life the last few days, and I’ll bet you that someone will put it together pretty soon.” Rachel replied, shaking her head. “That’s going to be bad. Hopefully not disastrous, really. I wish…”

  “It happened, I just have to deal with it,” Gina said, shrugging and grinning. “Anyway, I’ll be right back. I’m curious what you two will think of the painting.”

  Gina left the room and Rachel adjusted her position so she could rest her legs on the couch, now sideways in Lilith’s lap as she looked up at Lilith, smiling as she teased, “So, you’re keeping an eye on our fan sites too?”

  “Of course I am. I care about the two of you and find what you do fascinating,” Lilith said, giving Rachel another hug. “Even if I’m not comfortable doing it myself, it’s interesting to hear about and look at from outside the industry. In many ways, I don’t have the preconceptions that many people possess.”

  “True enough,” Rachel agreed.

  Both of them looked over as Gina brought in an easel and canvas, the canvas in one hand with the painting facing away. Setting up the easel, she grinned at them as she asked, “Alright, are the two of you ready for this?”

  “No!” Rachel said, prompting Lilith to laugh.

  “I am,” Lilith said, giving Rachel a chiding look.

  “I can be self-conscious if I want to!” Rachel retorted playfully.

  “Pfft. Then you shouldn’t dress so dramatically!” Gina replied, grinning as she carefully set the canvas on the easel and stepped out of the way. “Besides, I like how it turned out.”

  Lilith looked at the painting and almost stopped breathing for a moment, because in her mind it was absolutely breathtaking, even with the small flaws that she could see.

  Morgan Le Fay, Rachel’s heroine identity, had always struck Lilith as overly ornate, with too many minor adornments to her clothing, the dramatic feathered cloak, and the masquerade mask she wore. This picture… it was still Morgan, for it had the perfect sense of the way the heroine stood, but the dress and mask were far different. The simple dress was close-fitting and a deep, rich purple with black sections breaking up the monotony, and with a semi-transparent black fabric that formed a shawl of sorts. The long, draping sleeves weren’t directly attached to the main dress; instead they were part of the thin, lacy shawl, but they were in the same rich purple and black. The mask itself was surprisingly simple, as it was pitch-black with purple trim. Morgan still wore her elaborate silver and amethyst jewelry, and her hair was done up in an intricate bun pinned in place by two black wands with sparkling silver handles that ended in rubies.

  “Alright, I take it back. Now I want that dress for formal occasions, Gina,” Rachel spoke suddenly, bowing her head slightly as she sighed. “That’s just… I like it.”

  “I think the painting is beautiful, Gina. Thank you,” Lilith replied gently, smiling at Gina as she added, “I’m very much looking forward to your rendition of Warden in a similar manner, hmm?”

  “Ugh… could we take a rain check on that?” Gina asked, making a face while blushing deeply. “I feel really awkward about trying to paint myself.”

  “You took the commission,” Lilith replied, smiling as she glanced at Rachel and continued. “Besides, Rachel isn’t making a big deal out of it, is she?”

  “No, I’m not. Despite the fact I really didn’t feel comfortable about it at first,” Rachel agreed.

  “Fine, fine… but it’ll probably take me a while,” Gina warned.

  “That’s perfectly fine,” Lilith agreed, looking between the two of them, then asking. “Now that that’s out of the way… what are we going to do for the rest of the night?”

  “How about a board game?” Gina suggested. “I brought a few over when I moved in.”

  “Seems fair to me. It’s not a movie, at least,” Rachel agreed, and Lilith nodded.

  “Alright. Just remember, I have no experience with these sorts of things.” Lilith warned. Despite Gina’s nod, Lilith found herself worried by the predatory gleam in Rachel’s eyes.

  “Yeah, well, just remember that Rachel cheats,” Gina said, prompting a growl from Rachel.

  “I do not cheat!” Rachel exclaimed.

  Either way, Lilith imagined she’d enjoy herself.

  Chapter 8

  Friday, December 27th, 2030

  Outskirts, Union City

  Officer Andrews frowned, slowing down his patrol car as he caught a glimpse of something odd off the road toward the mountains. This part of the city wasn’t as heavily populated as some of the other areas, but it was on his way home, so he was rather familiar with it. It looked like the old barn that had been next to the road for as long as he could remember had finally collapsed, and that was worrisome.

  “I didn’t think it was in that bad of shape…” Andrews muttered, pulling off the road as he peered at the building, then turned on the alley light and turned it toward the wreckage as he got out of his car. “I really, really hope some kids didn’t do something stupid and get caught in it when it collapsed.”

  Andrews took a couple of steps toward the wreckage, then he paused, frowning as he felt a faint trembling sensation from the ground. A moment later, he
called out. “Hello? Is anyone over there?”

  The only answer was a sound like nails being drawn across a chalkboard and the whirring of motors as the wreckage abruptly began to rise, then fall around two massive figures that caused Andrews’s face to pale.

  Each of the figures was made of a metal that gleamed like brass, all elegant curves and carefully fitted plates, along with a series of glowing crimson lenses that gleamed from under the edge of the dome-like heads of the humanoid figures. Yet despite how elegant they looked, each human-like figure was twelve feet tall, with a massive cannon for one arm and the other arm ending in claws that could rip through steel, let alone flesh. Andrews didn’t pause long enough to get a clear look at them, though; he only waited as long as it took for him to recognize the damned things, then turned and ran for the patrol car.

  Slamming himself into the seat, Andrews popped it into gear and floored the gas, hitting the key to radio dispatch as his tires squealed. “Officer Andrews, titans at Mission Boulevard near Decoto! I repeat, we have two Destruction Corps titans outside Union City!”

  “Ten-four, are you certain—” the man on the other end began, but Andrews didn’t hear the rest of his question as one of the titans opened fire. A brilliant beam of golden light slammed into a telephone pole next to the car with a world-shaking crack, and Andrews flinched as it toppled.

  “I’m under fire and need backup!” Andrews began, weaving back and forth desperately as the car started getting up to speed.

  He didn’t hear any response as one of the war robots hit the back of the car, the energy beam blasting off the rear axle and sending him spinning into a nearby field.