No Good Deed
He was gone.
In every way that mattered to her, it was as if he was still dead. She was as good as dead to him, and he had made it clear she had no place in his life. Hel had been surviving, living with the knowledge of his death. She had mourned him.
She had thought he had died not knowing how she felt truly, but now it seemed that didn't even matter. No matter her feelings, she was nothing to him. She had no future with him, nothing.
And she couldn't stand to stay in that room and see his cold, emotionless stare any longer.
Hel had no destination initially in mind, but somehow she found herself in the last place she would have considered. She made her way over the remains of the craggy mountain, slowly walking over the craters caused by the final blast. Nothing had changed since the day Zirnitra had died, since they had pulled his body from the rubble.
Nothing had changed.
He had died that day... and though he lived, a dejected part of her wondered if it might not have been better if he had stayed dead. She cursed lowly, hating herself for such thoughts, knowing that Peri and the others were overjoyed to see him. It was only she that was forced to suffer.
And Alaric. The boy who would now have no chance at existence. She couldn't blame the young man for his outburst. His very life was on the life. She was proud of his loyalty, and with a sad smile considered that she would have been proud to be his mother.
But it wasn't to be. She was no one to him.
And that was as the fates wished.
As she moved through the mountain, the memories of that terrible day plagued her, and she stopped multiple times, almost doubting her ability to continue as tears began to fall. She sat in silence, leaning against the rocks as the sun began to sink below the horizon.
Those monsters had killed him. Captured him, destroyed his mind, turned him against his own kind, and used him like a toy. She had already greatly destroyed their numbers in her initially search for Zirnitra... but now she needed more.
Had he not died on this mountain, had they not taken him, lured him into at trap, he would still know her. Perhaps even... she shook her head, unable to consider the thought that hurt her more. The so-called Brotherhood would pay for this slight.
Their facilities were hardly as inconspicuous as they would like, and if nothing else, she was the daughter of the Trickster. Finding a few puny humans, especially a number exuding such hate and prejudice, strong desires, would be a simple task.
A small facility would be pointless. They could easily replenish their numbers. But something larger would send a message to the humans. And even more than that... she wanted their blood on her hands.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
She had found the perfect target. It was one of their larger facilities, filled with staff and technology, and bustling with activity, even at such a late hour. Dusk had fallen over the desert, and her patience was already thin.
Waiting for morning, no matter how poetic it might have been, was not an option.
The building had seven entrances in various locations. With a simple trick her father had taught her, she entered at all seven at once. She held her human form but for only a few moments, long enough to find her first victims.
As she took hold of each human, her true form began to bleed through, and she couldn't help the sneer on her features as she met the eyes of her victims. It would have been too simple to snap their necks or to simply tear their heads from their shoulders. That would have been too kind.
Far too kind a punishment for all their misdeeds. For those they had harmed.
No good deed goes unpunished. No act of charity goes unresented.
Instead, she broke the back of each, a precise and skilled hand keeping them alive, but rendering them paralyzed. Some from the waist down, some watching on in horror completely helpless as none of their limbs would move. The further she moved into the compound, the more that tried to attack her, tried to capture her. Tried to kill her. She left the fools in piles on the floor, leaving them to watch helplessly as she did the same to their comrades.
No good deed goes unpunished, that's my new creed.
Once she reached the center of the compound, she rejoined herself, one complete being again. As she moved through the halls, she destroyed every piece of technology she could get her hands on. Cameras, motherboards, anything that fell into her path was rendered useless.
All but for one. The silly humans had given themselves doomsday preparations of sorts. Security system that would ensure nothing harmful could enter once activated. With a dark grin, she activated the system as she left the building. Those few she hadn't paralyzed would not even be able to leave now. They were locked in their little building like rats, unable to escape.
My road of good intentions led where such roads always lead.
Trapped. Injured. Forced to watch as their world crumbled around them and buried them.
Once she was clear of the building she took to the air and set about her final task. With an echoing snap of her fingers, explosives began to ignite and explode, consuming the buildings of the compound. The explosions kept coming, over and over, utterly destroying every square inch of what had been the Brotherhood's facility.
No good deed goes unpunished. Sure I meant well, well look at what well meant did. Alright, enough. So be it. So be it then.
She centered herself and searched for the souls of those that might remain. An airy, dark laugh cackled on the wind as she took off.
Let all be agreed, I'm wicked through and through. Since I could not succeed, Zirnitra saving you...
No survivors. All the remained were the pillars of flame lighting up the night sky in the otherwise vacant desert.
I promise no good deed will I attempt to do again.
