The Strange Cases of Detective Warren Stevens
The Strange Cases of Detective Warren Stevens
One Persons Poison is another's Salvation!
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Cassandra "resurrects" an old plan to re-constitute her dying body
While Jonah and Maggie Finally catch up to ... an abandoned car?
And what will this mean for the unconscious Alex?
The following podcast is a work of fiction or the creation of Peter Williams. Any resemblance to someone living or dead is purely coincidental. Thank you. Cassandra calls forth a useful tool, or perhaps more aptly described as a useful idiot, in order to regain her ebbing strength. Meanwhile, Jonah and Mags finally catch up to Warren. And they did it without any tomatoes. Get it? Catch up tomatoes? Oh Piothra jokes, how delightful. But before we get to the story, let me remind you that this podcast may contain images of graphic violence, tired endangerment, adult situations, and naughty salty language.
unknown:Now.
SPEAKER_00:Now we will get some just desserts as some gibbering flesh enjoys a meal. While Maggie remembers just why she prefers to fly in chapter 12. One person's poison is another salvation. Cassandra watched Silas step out of the mausoleum and looked down at her melting skin with frustration. No matter how much demonic energy she used, the flesh turned black and seeped off her bones and onto the floor. If she was to see this through, if she was going to bring her master forth, she was going to need to, excuse the terminology, resurrect an earlier plan. It was a shame, too. After bringing Nicole back, she had been much more compliant, much faster and agreeable to Cassandra's whims. In some ways, Nicole has become more of a hus than, well, human. No matter. Why should I concern myself with the remnant of human existence when I can use it to recomplete myself? She grumbled looking back at the boy. The problem now is extracting Nicole from her current host. While it shouldn't affect the process of conforming Zack, the idea didn't sit well with her. Fine. I've always done what my master needs now. I must take something for myself. She walks over to Zack, who stares up at her from the table. Black and blue lines creak over his body. How are you suffering? She could see that he was as she looked at his pain-riddled face. Don't worry, we're almost finished with you. Zack could no longer reply. While he was aware of his situation, he couldn't move. She traced the line down from his forehead to his belly button. However, there is something I need from you first. She offers him a sadistic smile and then adds, This will hurt a lot. She took one of her knife-like fingernails and started at the top of his neck near the sternum and pressed it into Zack's skin. Zack's body tenses as blood flows from the puncture point and follows her finger as she continues to tear a seam down from neck to belly button. Zack arcs upward, unable to moan or call out as Cassander digs in. Not deep enough to expose muscle or bone, but deep enough to make him bleed profusely. Good, good, let the poison flow and bring forth my ill-begotten daughter. The blood continues to pour and fill first his belly button and then spill onto the ground, pulling, coalescing, and then forming, rising into the shape of a beautiful woman with raven black hair and eyes. Mother? Nicole! I am pleased you are physically well. Wasn't I supposed to remain with the boy until our master takes him over? Plans changed. How so? Why? Then Nicole begins to understand. She could literally see Cassandra losing shape in front of her eyes. No, I will not permit it, she scowls and strikes out at Cassandra. Cassandra laughs. Using my own power to try to stop me! How quaint! Cassandra becomes menacing as she grows, morphing into some type of creature with multiple mouths and eyes. Mother, if you do this, there's no guarantee you can keep Zack imprisoned. I'll take my chance, the gibbering mound of flesh says, slowly moving towards Nicole, mouths moving, eyes rotating. I won't allow it, Nicole screams, trying futilely to use black lightning to push her back. Come now, my daughter, be one with me! Give me your flesh! No! Nicole looks at Zack. The wound is still open. If she could dissolve herself and join with him again, she backs up and places her hand on Zack directly over the open wound. Cassandra sees Nicole's move and shoots out multiple tendrils directly at her, striking her, piercing into Nicole's flesh as she begins to liquefy. Nicole's eyes pop and bulge as she gasps. Cassandra is sucking her into her body, her own self breaking down and reforming into Cassandra. No! I want to live, to have a life! Oh, you will live as me. It had been what she had planned since taking the girls. Nicole watched as memories faded. Memories of her mom. Her real mom. How she picked flowers with her. Showed her and Maggie how to bake cookies and being tucked in at night with bedtime stories. Mom? She had never dwelt on her real mom, and she had come to hate her sister. Now, as she dissolved, these memories came back in force. Is this regret? Foolish child! Foolish human child! This was always your end! It just happened later than I intended. Enjoy the darkness, enjoy the waste! The last of Nicole seeped into Cassandra with a mournful cry. I want to live. Now made whole, Cassandra stood triumphally at the center of the mausoleum. Now she would be able to finish her mission, and now she could help Silas before he spoils his own dinner. She steps outside to see Alex fall back unconscious, and Silas encroaching on his prey. Don't spoil her just yet, Silas! We need her unique attributes to open the gate. Silas frowns and then gives her a curious look. It's obvious he understands just what had transpired between her and Nicole. He then retrieves the false apostle from the tree and lifts Alex's limp body off the ground. Unconscious, she won't be able to block the false apostle's power, and she will wake up trapped in a cage. Maggie raced back into the sky above the highway, focusing in on Warren's unique energy type. All his time in between made Warren's soul light up like a Christmas tree. She had spent time with this detective. When Sam wasn't available, or when Bishop Brock needed Warren for a mission, Maggie would be asked to send for him. She looked at Jonah racing below. It was the first time in a few years that it felt like Jonah. Perhaps his concern for Warren, the love the men had for each other, even though they showed it through contemptuous remarks, was overriding the darkness that Jonah had been carrying. Any trace of a Mags? She caught in reply, and the look of frustration racked Jonah's face. Warren had been there at the beginning when Uriel had made her his apprentice. But Jonah failed to save Warren after his grandfather's funeral. Instead, Warren had been flung through the gate and spent years wandering with missing memories. Then he almost failed Warren a second time. If Maggie hadn't held back Nicole, Warren hadn't had the wherewithal to return home, he would have lost Karen and Jack. Not to mention his own failure to notice the false apostle, what that almost cost them, what that almost cost Warren. He had a right to be mad at him, and now he was failing him again. Maggie suddenly caught excitingly, it was Warren's car. Finally, Jonah sped up just a little bit more. This breakthrough in spirit seemed to be helping him access his demonic energy once more. But when he arrived at the car, it was empty.
unknown:What?
SPEAKER_00:Jonah looked around. He sees a pool of blood on the driver's side floor. Oh, Warren! There was no chance he walked away from that. Mags, any sign? Maggie landed on the hood and bowed her head. She sensed nothing. Damn it! He had failed again, sensing his doubt and pain, the demonic inside him wavered and pushed forward, trying to take control. Maggie immediately looked up. Warren had only lost control once. Ironically, at her own funeral. Black energy began to swirl around the man, and Warren doubled over, trying to regain his composure. Easy, Jonah! An elderly voice breaks through the silence. Jonah looks up and over to where he hears it, and standing agape in disbelief, all his anger drains away. Jack! Hello, Jonah. What? Jack waves his finger at him as to say, don't ask any question. He's gone, Jonah. Gone! Jonah looks at Jack with despair. Gone, Jack confirms. You don't mean, Jonah pleads. Yes. He's probably standing at the garden right now, Jack confirms. Although he doesn't mention who he's probably meeting with. Then it failed again. He nearly collapses with remorse. Jack walks over and grabs Jonah, lifting him so they're looking eye to eye. Will you stop? Grow up a little. Warren knew this day was coming. He's known for seven years. When you spend time. Jonah finishes the statement. You see more than you should. I may not have journeyed like Warren, but I have spent enough time at the tower to understand. And you need to understand your role in this. Aldone blessed you with a unique gift, and two young people are counting on those skills. Don't you mean my apprentice, Arista? Get over yourself! Arista is much more than your apprentice, and has carried your sins these last few years, and now she's taking care of business and can't step in for you. Maggie flies over and lands on Jonah's shoulder.
unknown:What, Maggie?
SPEAKER_00:She's telling you she'll go with you. Are you sure? Look. My time is done. I was given time to do one last thing, and I had to travel a long way to complete this task, and like Warren, it is time for me to go. Jonah looks at the old man. He can see that Jack is fluctuating. Oh, and before I go, Jonah, a piece of advice. If someone offers you a gift, take it. Jack vanishes, and Jonah and Maggie stand alone on the highway next to the abandoned car. What do you think he means by that? He asks Maggie, who caused not knowing for sure herself. There's only one problem, Max. Cause he didn't tell us where to go. Maggie hops down onto his arm and starts pulling on his sleeve. What? Then, as if some common sense finally hits him in the head. Oh, the car. Warren had programmed the location into the car's GPS, of course! Jonah frowns at the idea of sitting where Warren had died, to be precise, at sitting in and on the blood he had left behind. Caw! Maggie presses him. Time was not on their side. It was getting late, and if they didn't act, Ek Malak wouldn't be so squeamish. Taking a deep breath, he sits behind the wheel, turns the ignition, and brings up the volume on the radio so he can hear the GPS. Ipswitch, huh? I had heard rumors. Jonah floors the gas pedal and the car lurches forward, the engine screaming as once more someone is giving it life. Maggie begins to rethink her brilliant idea of using the car. It's obvious Jonah hasn't driven in years and she begins to look at the sky, wishing she was in it. Worse still, being a crow, she couldn't really use a seatbelt. So she dug her claws into the passenger seat and started the prey. An hour plus of this? Oh well, there wasn't anything left for her to do, so she fell asleep. As she slept, she started the dream. It wasn't that she didn't dream, although the mix between human and crows' desires sometimes made her dreams beyond peculiar. She found herself home. And when I say home, I mean the little house her, Nicole, her dad and mom had lived before all this started. Her and Nicole were laughing, digging in the garden bed when Nicole stopped and looked at her. I'm sorry, Patty. I've been lost. Nicole? Had Nicole finally found her way out of the darkness? No, this was something else. Sis? I don't remember much now. I I do remember this. Suddenly they were surrounded by flowers, the warm sun, and their mom. She was placing a band-aid on Nicole's scraped knee. The poison, Max. It runs deep. And I don't have much time before I Maggie takes her sister's hand. It tingles a little. Um I know. And I know what you became isn't all your fault. It's not quite forgiveness. Nicole had rejected that years ago. But at least now, as she can feel Nicole fading, she can at least offer a monocle of understanding. I'm sorry, Nicole repeats, and Maggie nods and then adds, Go, Nicole. May you find peace. She knows she won't. She knows there's only one place for Nicole, and she shudders at the thought. She had been there once, the waste, that dry, dead world with no hope, no love, and no chance of repentance. Perhaps because she's repenting now? Maybe. It's been done before. She thinks briefly of Mr. Alistair, the great mercy he had been shown. But Mr. Alistair had made attempts while living to repent. Nicole as a dying ember? The scene in her dream faded, and Maggie perceived something else. Something she wasn't expecting, and something she hoped would allow her. Well, I can't tell you that yet. Oh well, well, it seems Nicole had finally fulfilled her part, restoring our beloved Cassandra to full flesh. While Jack leaves Jonah some parting advice, and Maggie gets an unexpected goodbye. How sad. Now we look up into our rear view mirror as we look back at something we left behind in chapter 13. At last, good night.