On the eve of the Temporal Concurrence, everyone could feel it in the air. Even those non-magical were practically vibrating with energy.
It made them easier to see when one was an Assassin with a few special skills. Eagle Vision wasn’t a skill that Evie Frye-Lance used often these days, both on account of the potential of being tracked via magical pings or just from the energy it took. But now it was worth the risk. Now it felt easy again, back to being second nature.
That bolstered Evie’s confidence, as she moved through the ruins of Vallo City, dodging any prying eyes of Interitus forces. She’d already left one body in her wake, tucked into the corner of an alley, as she exited the secret tunnel in place.
It wasn’t fully dark outside yet, but somehow the city felt even more dim than usual. Electricity only flared up for places that had generators, here Vorerra forces and rats lived, protected by their monsters and wraiths. Evie avoided all of those as she silently moved across crumbling concrete toward her goal.
Brenda Karyn Bucket. The old DOA offices - what was left of them. It was Brenda’s empire now, fixed up with overpriced curtains that were supposed to feel like butter but ultimately just attracted moths, and smelled of wax tarts that were left out in the sun for too long and the overpowered room spray that had been tested on them.
It was her little fortress. Without magic at her beck and call, Brenda had to rely on lackeys. And Interitus’s goodwill. Both had gotten her too far, as she’d sold information for power and had given up dozens of people for her own little safety net.
The lackeys were no challenge for Evie, who slipped into the fourth floor of the DOA building and behind two of them. A silent takedown was what she did best, her hidden blade found its mark and slid home like it was slicing butter, and she caught the falling bodies so they’d make no sound to alert her.
Two rooms ahead.
Just two rooms between her and the vengeance she’d been building up to.
Evie reached out with her extra senses to pick up movement in the room and paused against the wall to listen.
“Hey, hun! Don’t even worry about it. But tomorrow’s a big day for us and we’ve totally got to be our best for it.” Brenda’s shrill voice was barely even masked by the walls between them, though Evie couldn’t hear the voice on the other end of the radio. Just laughter. Brenda continued. “One of the office brats had some jewelry that got left here and I’ve repurposed them for pearls, do you want--”
Evie couldn’t listen anymore. Her feet carried her without second-guessing the movements, and she found herself at the locked door. Pin pulled from her hair and a moment later, there was a quiet click, and the door was unlocked. A quick flash of her Eagle Vision and Evie waited until Brenda’s back was turned and slipped into the room.
One step in front of the other. Her blade was out before she even reached Brenda, but she hesitated for half a second.
Evie’s eyes flickered closed in that second, and she thought of Sara. She thought of their marriage. The comfort in her wife’s arms, nights they laid together, heads pressed, talking of the past and the future they would never get. They had goals and dreams. Thoughts of what they’d do after all of this past.
Murmured conversations about the kids they might have someday, but not now. Not while things were so bad.
Hopes that were torn from them, since Sara was gone now. Gone from her future, no matter how they fixed it. She didn’t have her brother to lean on, she just had her own anger to keep her company, to fester and grow. To join her in this.
“I’ve got my eyes on a few of them, don’t worry. The new arrivals - did you see the big one? Or Sara Lance. I got rid of her once, I can do it ag--”
Brenda’s voice cut off with a quiet ooph. There wasn’t even time to scream as Evie’s knife came around from the back and slid smoothly across her throat. It was messier than her standard backstab, and riskier, but all Evie saw in that moment was rage - that anger that joined her, that had lived with her now for years - welled up and took over.
And she was glad for it.
She didn’t catch Brenda’s body, just let it fall to the ground, shock still plastered on her face as she grasped the open wound in a vain effort to stop the bleeding.
Evie took a step back, but leaned over and pulled down the black half-mask covering her mouth, so the last thing Brenda would see as she gasped for breath was Evie’s face, hovering over her. No requiescat in pace, not with Brenda, not with Francis Eda. They didn’t deserve to rest in peace, they deserved to be tortured for the rest of eternity.
Evie felt very little as she looked down at the woman taking her last breaths at her feet. There was no rest in peace, but she would have a parting shot. “Maybe you should put some essential oils on it.”
Evie pushed Brenda’s body away from her with the toe of her boot. Brenda was no longer breathing. “Pardon me, I have to go get my brother back. I won’t let you take everything from me.”