Agent Laurel

Agent Laurel paused to allow the witch to come up behind her. Once Lovecraft had encroached close enough for Laurel, she moved a hand up to say 'stop.'

"That's enough, Lovecraft. I don't need you any closer than that. It would be best if you didn't get any ideas of cheating and stabbing me in the back. That wouldn't do, you see." Laurel said with a smirk. She could see how the witch took offense to that. Lovecraft slightly shifted her face as if repulsed.

"I have no intention of that- it's against D.O.W. regulation to attack an official of Greenhouse." Lovecraft retorted. It seemed to Laurel that the idea hadn't even crossed the witch's mind. That even mentioning it seemed to upset her.

Her reaction surprised Laurel. This was not typical behavior for a magic-folk. They, typically, through Laurel's experiences, fell into two categories: either terrified or aggressive towards her.

But this one seems to fall into neither at the moment, Laurel observed. It perplexed her. Still, it could be all an act—something to trick her into lowering her defenses and then be hit from the side.

Laurel was not going to let that happen, though. Not at all.

The gleamer leaned forward suddenly and startled the witch. Lovecraft stepped back and swallowed hard. Her face, however, did not falter. She still held a more or less stoic expression.

Laurel frowned slightly at that.

"Ah, But you are a witch. And that means I can't trust you." Laurel provoked. She carefully watched for the witch's subsequent reaction. The frazzled-haired witch furrowed her brows and pouted her complete lips. 

Ah, there we are, Laurel thought pleasantly. She'd stroke a nerve. Good.

Lovecraft forced her face to relax and calmly spoke.

"I am a registered official of D.O.W-

"You think I care about that? It means nothing to me." Laurel interrupted. Lovecraft instantly made a face of anger in response. 

Was she getting angry now? Laurel hoped childishly.

The gleamer began to ready her hand to grab her anti-magic stun wand. It was another of her favorites, courtesy of the Vampires. But really, all her weapons were. Vali was the only one capable of making the anti-magic weapons. 

With her hand ready to grab the wand, what Lovecraft did next caught her off guard.

The young witch moved past her and began to walk ahead. No yelling. No fight. This was unexpected for Laurel. She was sure she had sufficiently provoked her enough. Perhaps not?

"It is against D.O.W. policy to attack or hinder a Greenhouse official. If you find me inadequate to trust behind you- then I'll stay ahead so you may monitor my movements." Lovecraft stated in an almost automatic fashion and walked on.

This response left Laurel speechless. Her hand was still ready and waiting to grab the stun wand- but there was no reason to use it. The witch didn't even react.

What was wrong with this witch? This was not at all heard of. Never before had Agent Laurel experienced a witch so-

Angered by the witch's lack of emotion, Laurel moved to pull up Betsy. She turned it on with a hum of electricity. The drone made Lovecraft turn and look over at her. When she saw the weapon, she gave her a puzzled look of mixed fear and confusion.

Laurel sneered.

"Don't play games with me- WITCH! I can kill you right here and now." Laurel threatened. She watched Lovecraft falter for a moment and express fear. But then she quickly regained her stoic composure. She looked at Laurel and spoke evenly.

"It is against the law of the King to kill a registered witch without due cause," Lovecraft spoke. She was speaking the truth, Laurel knew. But it annoyed her how the witch knew about it. And to top it off, that she was telling HER about it.

The gleamer scuffed.

"Like I care about that- I can always make up some story. No one would check either way. It's Greenhouse, after all. And my word's gold." Laurel retorted. She moved her finger to touch the trigger. It would be a lovely sight to see this one burst into flames.

Just like the good old days, Laurel thought and smiled. Lovecraft made no reaction for a moment; she then spoke.

"But it is against the law," Lovecraft repeated with a straight face. Agent Laurel began to feel unsettled by the dark girl's lack of a reaction.

She should be scared. The witch should be begging her to spare her life. She was Greenhouse- the ultimate boogeyman of all magic-folk. Laurel took pride in that. She felt powerful as she instilled fear into all she met. She was agent Laurel, the best of Greenhouse. 

How dare this little witch not show fear, Laurel thought with offense. The old Gleamer lifted Betsy to aim directly at the witch's head.

"Do you even know who you are talking to? I AM AGENT LAUREL." Laurel boomed with a strong emphasis on her name. She now expected Lovecraft to react with fear. She hoped she would cower and even apologize for her rudeness. She was, after all, dealing with the best and most ferocious member of Greenhouse.

No one would be stupid enough not to be afraid, Laurel thought with confidence.

Soon, this witch will cower and beg for forgiveness, Laurel predicted.

Laurel paused a moment to wait for Lovecraft to react.

She didn't react.

Instead, Lovecraft shrugged her shoulders and held a face of indifference.

"I apologize, Agent Laurel, but I have not heard from you.I am not from this country." Lovecraft spoke evenly and unimpressed. She then turned as if the conversation were over and started to walk again. As she walked, she pulled her purple light with her.

Laurel looked after her, stunned. Her mouth hung open, and her arms went slack. She felt herself involuntarily lower Betsy to the ground. Her finger drifted to switch the weapon off.

"What…" Laurel began in a strangled whisper. Her mind was having trouble comprehending what she had just heard. The witch hadn't heard of her? Laurel became frozen with disbelief.

Lovecraft, still getting further ahead of the gleamer, voiced over her shoulder.

"Agent Laurel, are you coming?" Her voice snapped Laurel back to reality. Laurel made a face of disgust at the witch but pulled Betsy back behind her.

"You- what is wrong with you? Someone drops you on the head?" Laurel gripped. She then began to walk. She soon caught up to be just behind Lovecraft. Lovecraft, meanwhile, seemed to have taken her words literally and was thus in a deep thought. After walking and thinking, she spoke to the gleamer honestly.

"I have never been told so," Lovecraft said, and Laurel gawked at her. She then slapped her hand to her face. Could the witch be anymore-

"Just shut up." Laurel finally retorted. She now felt somewhat drained from the exchange.

"And again, if you try anything funny- I will blow your head off, got it?"

"I just told you it is against D.O.W. regulations to-"

"I KNOW! No need to repeat it. Jeez. You must be a riot at work. Ugh." Laurel ended her sentence with a loud exasperation. She wondered why she was even letting the witch tag along with her. She should leave her behind. It was going to be exhausting to deal with her otherwise.

The witch had proven that already, Laurel thought.

Laurel quietly began to weigh the pros and cons as she walked behind the witch. Whether to throw out or just to put up with her. It wouldn't take her long to find the batbane, Laurel assumed. So they wouldn't be spending too long together. It wasn't like she would be her companion for a week or something.

But, in the end, Laurel decided to leave her. It was not like she owed the witch, not like how Greenhouse did with Vali. Yes, she could quit her.

Laurel opened her mouth to say so when Lovecraft stopped abruptly. Her stop forced the still-in-motion gleamer to run into her with a loud 'oomph.'

Agent Laurel instantly reeled back in repulsion. She did not want a magic-folk to touch her. It was repulsive for her even to share the same air.

"What the HELLS are you doing-' Laurel began.

"Quiet," Lovecraft interrupted in her smoky voice. Laurel cocked her head to the side in disbelief.

Did the witch tell her to be quiet? How dare she.

Laurel lifted her foot to kick the girl in the back when she noted the severe look on the witch's face. She was intently looking into the dark. What was she looking at? Laurel questioned and, too, turned to look into the darkness ahead of them.

Laurel then looked back to Lovecraft after not seeing anything and made a face.

"What do you think you're doing- stupid witch!" Laurel barked but lowered her foot. She was mad now. And she wanted to shower after having been touched by the magic-folk.

This ends now, Laurel thought and moved to grab her stun wand.

But just ahead, both heard the sound of heavy footsteps- no, more like rocks crashing down. Laurel looked back to the darkness with evident curiosity.

"Huh? Is the tunnel collapsing?" Laurel asked. Lovecraft quickly shook her head a 'no.'

"How could that be here? That shouldn't be here." Lovecraft voiced with concern. 

The sound of the witch being afraid made Laurel look at her amused. She could now see the dark girl to have paled considerably. She looked into the darkness with wide eyes.

What's all this then, Laurel thought. What was scaring her now? She'd love to know.

"What is not supposed to be here?"

"We-we need to go!" Lovecraft exclaimed in a panic and went to grab Laurel's sleeve.

"Don't touch me!" Laurel quickly screeched. She shoved the witch away; the girl, however, did not seem even to notice Laurel's apparent disdain. She seemed too preoccupied. 

Lovecraft got back to her feet and again went to pull on her arm.

"No- You don't understand. We need to run!" Lovecraft proclaimed. Laurel pulled away and slammed a fist hard into the witch's cheek.

"Are you deaf? I said don't touch me!" Laurel barked. She had hit the girl hard enough to cause her to fall backward.

The witch looked up at Laurel from the ground in shock.

"I'm trying to help you- Something's coming, and it's big."

"So? I'll blow it away with ol' Betsy here," Laurel said. And without needing further provocation, she pulled out her weapon again with a flip of the switch. It hummed once more with electricity. The witch, however, looked at her with disagreement.

"That won't do anything. It will be safer to run-

"I run from nothing." Laurel quipped. She felt more than confident enough that Betsy would take care of whatever was coming their way. After all, the weapon had proven herself worthy many times over before. It had managed to save Laurel from two Rakes in the Forest up north near Mai.

A feat which was the sole reason Laurel became famous.

 Lovecraft gave Laurel another sour look but held her tongue. She, instead, moved to get up and touched her now swollen cheek. It was going to form a nice bruise, Laurel noted.

Ahead, the sound was still encroaching, and now the two could make a shape just at the edge of their lights.

It was large, with two arms and legs. It walked upright like a man. And each step it took created a deep, thundering sound of rock cracking. The ground began to vibrate as it grew closer still.

Laurel lifted Betsy and aimed for the creature. She smiled widely and felt a rush of the old familiar bloodlust roll through her. It looked like she was going to use Betsy, after all.

"Greenhouse! Put your hands up, or I'll blast you." Laurel demanded. The creature, however, seemed unperturbed by her command and continued to propel forward. It now stepped into the light, and both could better see the thing.

What they saw left both of them lost for words. Laurel, unsure of what she was seeing, lowered her weapon. She was dumbfounded.

"What..are you?" Laurel spoke with a shaky voice. She had no idea what she was looking at. This was nothing like she had seen before. Not once in all her years of fighting the fae had she seen something so...unreal.

It walked like a man, Laurel saw, but was not a man. It wasn't human. This thing wasn't even alive! It had a face completely wrong. No nose, no mouth. It just had two holes. And there was something on its forehead. Some words scratched into it. Its whole body was made of stone. 

How was it even moving? Laurel questioned.

"It's a golem," Lovecraft whispered in horror.

"A what?" Laurel asked, and Lovecraft grabbed her arm.

"Hurry! We have to run- you can't fight this!" Lovecraft cried urgently. She kept looking from the gleamer to the approaching figure. It was closer now.

"Must...stop.." The golem blew out from its holes. Both saw how it lifted both arms above its head.

Laurel, again, pushed Lovecraft off in repulsion.

"Stop that-" Laurel reprimed and returned to the stone humanoid. She lifted Betsy to aim for its head.

"And you- I warned you." Laurel barked and pulled on her mask. 

"You're dead." She voiced and pulled the trigger. The small fluff ball blew gently towards the creature's head and exploded on impact with a fiery rage. The tunnel instantly filled with smoke, and Laurel laughed.

"Ha! Direct hit. Right to the head." Laurel beamed with pride. She could feel herself tremble with excitement from the destruction she had caused.

Still feeling the ecstasy, she turned to look over at Lovecraft. She was struggling to breathe with the smoke. Laurel smiled widely at her under her mask.

"Looks like you were WRONG, Witch. Nothing can ever beat ol' Betsy-" Laurel began to brag as she suddenly heard a rock crash from behind her. The sound made Lovecraft force open her shut eyes and peer behind her. She let out a blood-stopping scream.

"Watch out!" Lovecraft shrieked as Laurel turned just in time to witness a giant stone fist come crashing down through the smoke above her.

It slammed heavily into her right shoulder and Betsy. The impact caused both to break instantaneously. Betsy exploded into pieces as Laurel's bones shattered into fragments.

Agent Laurel let out a pained cry as another fist was coming down to meet her head. But before it could make contact, Lovecraft reached over to pull Laurel back. The Gleamer winced in pain.

"I told you- Golems can't be destroyed like that." Lovecraft retorted. Laurel shot her a look of both pain and annoyance.

"The hells you say-" Laurel began but stopped as they both heard the creature step forward. The smoke was starting to dissipate and allow them a better look. The beast was still coming. Half of its head was missing as smoke wavered off from the edges.

"Must...stop...intruders.."The golem bellowed out from its remaining hole. It took another step forward.

Both screamed in terror and took off in a sprint back down the tunnel.

Behind them, they could hear the creature walk after them. Laurel, struggling to stay conscious through the pain, turned to Lovecraft in disbelief.

"Betsy didn't kill it-" She started, and Lovecraft shot her a deeply agitated look as they ran.

"Of course not! I just said that. Why doesn't anyone in this bloody country ever listen to me." Lovecraft exclaimed. They could still hear the creature gain on them.

Was it running now, Laurel wondered. It seemed to be getting faster from the way it sounded.

"How can I kill it, then!" Laurel cried as she felt true panic. This was serious. She could die. And there was so much Laurel had yet to do. So much she still wanted to say. She hadn't even told Hector how she was still, and then there was Ami. She never got to say how much she loved her like a-.

No, please don't let it end like this.

"You Don't Kill Golems! How often do I need to say-" Lovecraft vexed through her teeth. Laurel rolled her eyes at her.

"I know-WITCH! Then what can I do to stop it?" Laurel yelled, and Lovecraft shook her head.

"I- This is old magic. Practically forgotten. I'm shocked even to see it in use." Lovecraft voiced, trying to think.

"You can't fight them- your weapons are useless on it. Old Magic is beyond that. It goes by different rules." Lovecraft spoke, and Laurel groaned.

"Just tell me HOW TO STOP IT!" Laurel barked. The witch furrowed her brows as if to think.

"I read about golems from a children's book in Freet- It was old, from before the wars. But what did it say- A beast of stone you awake-" Lovecraft recalled the story.

From behind, Laurel could now see the creature. It was running. His feet dug into the ground with each step, leaving deep craters.

Laurel looked to the witch in distress.

"Damn it, WITCH!" Laurel cried. She was going to die here, wasn't she? And she had done so little, Laurel thought and felt a deep sense of regret. She suddenly wanted to cry.

It was all for nothing.

"-A beast of stone you awake, Truth you carved in head to obey- Changed to Death to dismay. I remember!"

"Yeah?"

"You need to change the word 'truth' to 'death' on its forehead."

"And how do I do that, witch?" Laurel spoke sarcastically. Lovecraft gave her an impatient look.

"You etch out the 'true' and crave 'dea,' obviously." Lovecraft retorted, equally sarcastic. Laurel scuffed.

"Well, excuse me for not knowing magic shit- I'm just a human after all. Not a freak like you all." Laurel retorted and stopped in her tracks to spin around. She moved to pull a knife out with her still good left hand and held it. Her right arm was useless now. It lay limp, and Laurel could see it to be turning blue. The pain was almost unbearable, and blackness could be seen from the edge of her vision. She would be passing out soon, she knew.

Laurel understood her body well enough to see that she needed to do this in one try. One try, or it was lights out; she thought and squeezed the knife handle tighter. Up ahead, the golem was charging forward. He was only moments away.

"Must...stop.."It blew, and Laurel pulled her lip back to show her teeth. She could see it again raise its hands above its head. It was going to try to smash her again. Laurel moved a foot back and readied herself.

"Yeah-yeah. Heard you the first time." Laurel voiced. 

When the creature came into range, Laurel leaped out into the air. She felt the wind rush against her mask and flap through her red coat. It was as if she were flying for just a moment.

Is this the end, Laurel vaguely thought? She barely got to do anything with her life.

In mid-air, heading toward the creature, Laurel could see how her left hand shook. She was afraid. She wasn't sure if she would be able to pull this off. She was unsure of herself. It was a feeling she hadn't felt since leaving the orphanage to join Greenhouse.

As the gleamer inched closer, she could see from her side how the creature was moving another fist down toward her. It moved much faster and would likely hit her before she could begin to jolt away.

It would probably kill her, Laurel thought. But not before she got him first, she vowed and smiled. Laurel was not going down without a good fight. 

Laurel touched the golem seconds before he could and used the chance to scratch out the 'truth' in elvish. She then felt the full force of its fist slam through her left shoulder.

The impact instantly shattered her last good arm and sent her crashing down to be stomped on. Laurel closed her eyes as the pain from both shoulders now swallowed her into fainting. 

This was it, Laurel thought sadly as she saw the world blacken. In the last moments before all was gone, a flash of blue passed by her and onto the creature.