Fate Is Determined By The Sting of Those In Charge: The Empress

"Fine, I shall reveal my secret." Mollia groaned. She was sat on Misha's desk, casually chatting to the fan girl and her sort of friend, Jae, about one of her most closely guarded secrets.

"The key to making the perfect cheese and bacon bagel is to cook the bacon WITH the cheese at the same time. Then you must, I repeat, must sprinkle salt over the bagel as you toast it. Only then will you have the perfect bagel."

"Wow." Misha had such awestruck eyes as she hung onto every word, yet Jae was more then a little confused. "Why the hell are we now talking about bagels?" They asked, scratching their head with a baffled look. 

"Duh, she's like a god. If she wants to talk about bagels, she can."

"We're not a god." Rat called out as she suddenly appeared out from behind Mollia with her usual grin. "Me and her are more like... Uh... I wanna say heroes? But that ain't right. Ooo, I know! We're the 'good' gal." She said with a self assured thumbs up.

"Speaking of you, do you have any idea what actually happened to our world?" Misha asked, spinning slightly in her chair. Mollia seemed hesitant to answer, but Rat was always one to give information if she thought it'd be entertaining. 

"Panila and her family caused the end. But now she's dead, along with everyone else. So sad, she's mad. I'm glad." Rat snickered. But a small grin slowly grew on Misha's face as she leant in close to the split hero.

"Well... Panila isn't dead. I saw her fleeing on an airship with a few others. Maybe you could take revenge?"

Mollia's stoic expression broke upon hearing the words 'Panila isn't dead'. Even Rat was silenced by the news. "She's alive... Oh me." The two mumbled together before quickly leaving. Misha felt like she maybe shouldn't have said that, yet Jae couldn't help but feel a growing suspicion in her stomach. 

At the other end of the office, René was going through her computer before getting a confusing notification. "Hey Jaina, what does this mean?" She asked, pointing a a blinking red exclamation mark that had overtaken her entire screen. 

The receptionist looked over to her partner's computer with her signature smile. "It seems one of your clients has gone off the radar."

"B-But I've only had one client...." René sighed, feeling like a failure for once in her life. Jaina gave her a small pat on the back and said in a monotone yet somehow cheery voice; "We have people to handle this. This company is bigger then you think."

"Who handles it?"

"The Recollection and Anomaly Acquisition Team of course." 

"R.A.A.T? Jeez, that's a shit name."

"Did you not watch the orientation video? And please don't swear at work, Sweetie. It's unprofessional."

René sighed and stepped away from her desk to go on break, lightly irritated by Jaina. But her break wouldn't even get to start as Markeeth suddenly appeared in the centre of the ever expansive bullpen with an announcement. 

"Do to you all doing such a great job lately, the entire office is going on a residential retreat to one of our many worlds! We shall be heading, travelling, and going to The Eye! A simple and relaxing fantasy world with magic, mystery and magnificence! Attendance is mandatory." He grinned and twirled his cane for a bit of showmanship. 

Yet his eyes were soon focused on Mollia who was nervously trying to leave the office. But with a snap of his fingers, the door was locked with a flaming furry fabric. "Ah, ah, ah. Attendance is mandatory for all staff... And official associates."

"I'll be gone for a few hours. When are we leaving?" Mollia groaned, turning around with a scowl as she crossed her arms. Yet she was suddenly dropped into the void by a portal opening up beneath her feet. 

"We leave now." He grinned before slamming his cane to the ground. All of a sudden, every employee was suddenly dropped through a hole. Some people fell with their chairs, some falling with their lunch, and Jae falling down as they tried to reach for their plant. 

Once the office was cleared, Markeeth let out a sigh and stepped into the a spiralling portal that led him to the direct back of the building.

The true edge of the office, Playfully called The R.A.A.T's Den by employees, was more decrepit and unmaintained. Pieces of the walls were constantly peeling off and the carpet was practically torn off. Yet Zanir never bothered to have it tended too, since that's how the R.A.A.T's liked it.

He noticed that none of them were at their desks, not because he sent them to The Eye with everyone else, but because they had all snuck off to their break room. Zanir let out an exacerbated sigh and entered through a half broken glass door to see a rough looking man repeatedly striking a wall as his co-workers watched, seeming to be betting on how long it would take for him to break it.

"Ten bucks says ten more strikes." A rather flashy young man with brown mumbled, holding up a high tech camera to record the scene before him. "I say twenty. Let's ask our audience what they think?" A similarly conspicuously dressed young woman guessed, clutching a microphone and presenting for the camera.

She quickly held her mic up to a rather sharply dressed penguin wearing a monocle. "I think he's playing the fool once more." He sighed, waving a flipper of disinterest. the presenter and her camera man quickly changed gears once more, their sights lying upon a blue skinned girl with gills. 

In the duo's haste, they accidentally hit the gilled girl in the face with the camera, breaking the water filled breathing mask she needed to live. "Oh... Well, looks like our loveable guppy won't be making a comment today. Let's move onto the Big Bad Boss Woman herself!"

The two quickly turned the camera towards a headless feminine body slumped over on a broken chair as a TV silently played in the background. 

"Hey... Where's her head?" The flashy young man asked after cutting the camera. The Flamboyant woman gave a shrug, poking the body with her mic. "Helllllooo? Grimm? You there? I Hey guys, Grimm lost her head again." She called out. 

The group all looked over, even the guy they were betting on, stopped his attack on the defenceless wall to check on the woman. 

"Are you all really that stupid, moronic, or just that bored?"

Everyone quickly turned around to see Markeeth casually holding a pale, short white and green haired woman's head. "Quick, start rolling." The flamboyant woman, Eva motioned to her brother, Ave. He gave a nod and pointed the camera at Zanir, but couldn't help but smile at the possible shot they'd get.

"In a shocking turn of events, our simple betting pool has been interrupted by our Manager. What amazing things will happen? Find out now!"

"Turn that stupid thing off." He grumbled, tossing the head back on its body. The woman suddenly jolted awake, her eyes glowing silver as a ghostly aura filled the room. "You dare... You dare take my head? I shall curse you for every breath you take from here on!"

"Oh please, thanks and whatever. I've been cursed by every guys, gal and in-between I've met. Plus, your in luck today... For I have a job for you all!" He laughed, twirling his cane dramatically as a powerful flaming aura instantly outshined any other aura's filling the room.

"Oh, and what delightful mission are we on now? It's not another frozen over wasteland, right?" The Penguin, Zhil, asked with a light wave to get the witch doctor's attention. 

"Well my Suit birdy friend. You're all joining the staff on a residential trip to a fantasy world!"

"Hooray!"

"To find some anomalies who have hidden out there."

"So... Everyone else gets to relax and we have to work?" Ave asked. Zanir gave a nod of conformation before glancing around the room. "Where are the other two?"

The Dullahan, Grimm, gave a light sigh as she began preparing her things. "The Attraction is currently asleep and the shapeshifter is... Oh Spirits Be Damned...." She grumbled before taking her head off and reaching down her neck. After seemingly tugging on nothing for awhile, she managed to yank out what looked like a long, inky black bundle of nerve like string.

The bundle of string suddenly fused together into a small voodoo doll that Markeeth quickly snatched away. "You all do so little, barely anything and nothing around here. But what do I know... It's not like your mission today kinda, sorta, maybe decides if we're all out of the job."

"The Basement Boreddess finally snap?" The doll asked in a distorted voice filled with an annoyed attitude. 

"Correct, true and by all accounts right."

"Stop speaking in threes!" The rough man, Shaki, grumbled as he picked up the gilled fish like woman, Giyugi, off the floor. She began yelling "🕈︎✌︎❄︎☜︎☼︎✏︎" repeatedly, though no one could figure out what she was saying. 

"Did I break her mask?" Ave asked with a light snicker, as he had broken Giyugi's mask quite a few times (Accidental or otherwise). Shaki calmly reached into a cooler of randomly assorted drinks before pouring water over her. 

Markeeth was getting slightly annoyed at how easily they all got distracted, but who could blame them? They were always on standby, never allowed to go back to their own worlds for varying reasons. But that didn't stop Ave and Eva from continuing their broadcast.

The Streaming Siblings quickly began getting their equipment ready, but Eva curiously turned back to Zanir as she leaned up against an old desk. "Why don't you just get the thing to handle whatever if it's so important?" 

"I need the amalgamation for star ending crisis. Not small, little, diminutive jobs like you're all hired to do."

"Why don't you stop complaining and get your shit together?" Shaki said as he scooped up a duffel bag and grabbing the voodoo doll, Oia, before stuffing him into the bag, leaving into a back room to gather his favourite toys. Giyugi had to wearily follow behind, trying and failing find a new breathing mask.

Markeeth began twirling his cane to open up another portal, getting himself psyched to do his usual fantastical spiel to his employees who were all currently falling through the void on there own. Though he did find the thought rather funny, he had come to realise that he hadn't actually set up the location they'd be staying at. 

"Hey, Flippers. Where's The Attraction?" He asked the refined penguin, who was sipping on a bottle of water. He pointed a flipper towards a door covered in brightly covered circus lights. 

"How did I not notice that..." He snickered to himself before stepping through the brightly lit door. Inside was like stepping into a brand new world, it was like a gigantic circus tent filled to the brim with attractions. Zanir was a bit dumbfounded how he never knew they had this part of the building, they even had a Ferris Wheel that fit in the ever expansive room.

He soon found his way to the centre stage, hundreds of dark figures sitting in seats that circled a brightly lit stage. Markeeth took a seat and, as the lights dimmed, a slim wind up android sat in the centre.

Her golden bronze skin shined brightly as a stage light suddenly shined down to her. Her clockwork body began to whir to life as she suddenly stood up with an elegant twirl. With elegance and precision in every step, she began performing for the crowd.

Her dance was beautiful and daring, yet it began to get strange as she suddenly disappeared in a puff of confetti. The lights suddenly pointed to the ceiling, lighting up an electrified tightrope. 

The clockwork robot began dancing along the thin rope, flipping and jumping around with style and grace. She suddenly leapt off and began careening towards the ground. But in another puff of confetti, she vanished once more before she hit the ground. 

With a dramatic music sting and the lights going out. She appeared directly in front of Markeeth as the lights came back on. 

He gave a light applause, seemingly embarrassing The Attraction with no real name. The team had come to know her as Scrap, The Attraction Architect. "You are too kind, Sir." She said in a cheery old fashioned voice as she gave a bow.

"Well my scrap, trap, attraction. It's time for you to get to work. My workers need a nice spot to relax, smile, and let go of their worries."

"Right to business... Very well..." She sighed before walking away, somewhat disappointed over the lack of attention to her performance.

After what felt like a few hours in the building where time didn't matter, Team R.A.A.T had gathered into the circus with all of their equipment in tow. Markeeth adjusted his tie before turning to face them all with his signature grin.

"Your mission today, yesterday and tomorrow is to hunt down a few anomalies from a destroyed star, who have made their way to The Eye. Our beloved goddess has gave me the insight to know... Nothing but their location. I don't know who they are, what they look like and if they're even alive. So, happy hunting."

With a quick slam of his cane, a giant hole opened beneath everyone and dropped them into the void with the rest of the staff, who, to them, had only just been dropped. 

Markeeth, not really wanting to walk all the way there, slammed his cane against the still forming golden pathway. In an instant, everyone was suddenly transported to a relaxingly warm beach. The sun's warmth enveloping them in an almost tender way... Except for the few vampires who worked under him, they all quickly ran and hid under the palm trees that littered the beach.

"My wonderful employees... Welcome to The Eye!"

"And where will we be staying?" Rat called out from the back. Markeeth gave a light laugh, tapping his foot against Scrap, who stood next to him with a blank stare. "Oh right..." She muttered before winding up the crank on her back.

Scrap suddenly began to move at an incomprehensible speed as she glowed a bright gold, managing to build an entire steampunk hotel and resort in less then ten minutes. 

"I call it... The Peacewell Hotel: Trademark under Infinite Destinations Travel Agency."

"The trademark is part of it, needed and down right necessary. So say it every time."