Last April up near Chicago. The final resting spot of the Black Ship of Armand.
Esmeralda von Krauss stands in a luscious green dress that seemingly shows off more skin than it covers. She looks worriedly at the clean up crew that she had hired to try to salvage what they could from the wreckage.
She has none of her usual crew with her as most of the clowns and such are with Armand von Krauss as he prepares for the Rumble 2021.
The cleaning crews have found a few bodies, including that of the Captain, but none of that mattered to Esmeralda. She and Armand shared a bedroom on the ship. Her possessions dominate the storage in said bedroom. Dresses, jewelry, shoes, and more clothing from designers who are either unapproachable or dead so that the value on these items are high. She watches nervously as the bedroom wall is cracked open to try to get to the inside. She lights an Egyptian cigarette at the end of a green foot long holder, trying to contain her nervousness.
She had already yelled at her husband for bringing the man who caused the crash on board in the first place. He should have known that he was as about as villainous as Robin Hood.
She rushes up to one of the salvagers as he comes out of the bedroom, coughing as some of the ruins still smoke even as it has been days since the main fires have gone out.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Anything savable?
The Salvager, Brent Rasmus, shakes his head sadly.
Brent Rasmus: We might be able to get a few of the diamonds and other gemstones, but the clothing and jewelry are all destroyed.
Esmeralda von Krauss: And the music box that I kept by the bed?
It was a delicate German made music box with a hand crank to play the music. It played Johannes Brahms's "Wiegenlied", Op. 49, No. 4 and it reminded Esmeralda of the baby that she wanted. It was a depressing music box, but one that kept her dreaming of having a baby one day. If not by Armand, then by some other way.
Brent places a hand on her shoulder, looking almost as sorrowful as her.
Brent Rasmus: Esmeralda, the music box was made of wood and ceramic. It was destroyed in the crash and fire.
Esmeralda throws off Brent’s hand and turns away from him. She takes a few drags from her Egyptian cigarette, hoping that the cloud of smoke she exhaled would hide her tears streaking down her cheeks and ruining her make up. She has had this music box since before the Great War and so the man who created it was long dead. He made this box for her and her alone. It was a one of a kind music box and so ,besides the sentimental value, was worth millions.
Esmeralda von Krauss: How could one buffoon create such carnage and destruction?
Brent Rasmus: Ahh. Just by bringing the ship down in the way that he did?
Esmeralda spins around and backhands Brent.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Schalten Sie es! Halt jetzt die Klappe!
Brent holds the side of his face where she had slapped him, looking hurt.
Brent Rasmus: I don’t speak German. I understand that you’re upset, but-
Esmeralda seizes Brent by the throat, lifts him up, walks over to the wreckage so she can slam him into the side of the destroyed airship.
Esmeralda von Krauss: You have no idea what I have lost! You have no idea of the depths of my pain! You-
Other salvagers come out of the wreckage and pull Esmeralda away from Brent, who clutches at his throat. He’s looking angry now that he’s been attacked.
Brent Rasmus: I am doing the best that I can, you crazy bitch. I cannot work with you hovering over me like some fucking vulture! Go away and I will save what I can, but it’s looking a lot like nothing can be saved right now.
Esmeralda shakes off the people holding her back, narrowing her eyes at Brent.
Esmeralda von Krauss: You dare talk to me like so. I should kill you where you stand.
Brent Rasmus: Work doesn’t get done that way. I die and my crew run for their lives. They come back with gun toting police and maybe you get gunned down. Is it worth it?
Esmeralda flicks her cigarette butt at the wreckage and lights a new one with a sigh.
Esmeralda von Krauss: I will retire to the hotel. Keep me informed if anything can be saved.
Brent Rasmus: I will do that, Esmeralda. Get some rest.
Esmeralda contemplates killing the man with one of her upholstery needles anyway, but walks away to the waiting limo to take her to the luxury hotel that she rented for herself and her entourage.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Even if it takes an eternity, I will wreak a terrible vengeance upon Lord Dominicus.
Present Day at the same crash site
It’s been nearly a year since the Black Ship was brought down and most of the clean up has been finished. The occasional scavenger comes around with a metal detector to see what they can find buried in the ground by the impact and machinery that dragged off the larger pieces.
Esmeralda von Krauss walks through the field, glaring at a pair of such scavengers as they look around with their metal detectors to see what they can find.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Lord Dominicus. It has been some time since last year’s Rumble. When my husband took you in to tour our Black Ship. He took you in as a fellow villain when most people snubbed their noses at you! He saw an equal where most people seen a hero in wolf’s clothing.
Esmeralda growls, lighting an Egyptian cigarette in a bold pink foot long cigarette holder. She takes in a drag of the imported vice and blows out the smoke. She chuckles as the scavengers glare at her for daring to smoke outside.
Esmeralda von Krauss: I mean. What kind of “evil deeds” have you ever done? You gave out little dogs to people. If my Armand would have given out dogs, they would have been possessed of the Omicron variant of the covid to see how many idiots die.
You talk of being lawful evil. I call foul. You are chaotic neutral at best. Chaotic good at worst. You make the cartoon hero Inspector Gadget look talented. You make a prime argument for Stilt Man to be promoted to super villain when compared to your exploits.
One of the scavengers becomes brave enough to walk up to Esmeralda, waving the air in front of her like she were going to die right there on the spot from second hand smoke.
Scavenger: Do you think that you could maybe go somewhere else to smoke that? I don’t know what brand you’re smoking, but it’s awful toxic.
Esmeralda nods, taking in an extra long hit from the cigarette, burning nearly half of the remaining cigarette. She holds the smoke in for a moment and blows the great gout of smoke directly into the woman’s face, who begins to cough and gag.
Esmeralda von Krauss: I will smoke where I like while you search for treasures dropped from my ship, dahling.
The scavenger’s eyes go wide in sudden recognition.
Scavenger: You are one of the Von Krausses? You, your husband, and Isabella?
Esmeralda’s eyes narrow while looking at the woman.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Who is this…Isabella?
The scavenger looks at Esmeralda like she might be crazy and then begins to laugh, slapping her knee with her free hand. She motions over to the other scavenger.
Scavenger: Harold! Harold! Come here!
Harold, slightly overweight middle aged man, plods over.
Harold: What, Mary? Oh, you were telling this woman to not smoke her icky cigarettes while we worked?
Mary: No. She claims she doesn’t know her own daughter! This is Esmeralda von Krauss!
Harold looks at Esmeralda, who raises an eyebrow at being so scrutinized.
Harold: You don’t know Isabella von Krauss? She says that she is the daughter of Esmeralda and Armand. She wrestles in UP Wrestling.
Esmeralda shakes her head, flicking away her cigarette.
Esmeralda von Krauss: I have no daughter! I…had a daughter, but she…
She clutches at her lower abdomen which has begun to bleed through her dress. Could her daughter be alive? NO! She held the lifeless, sword shorn corpse of her fetal daughter in her arms.
She…
She held…
The world comes up to greet Esmeralda as she passes out.
Long Beach, California
D and Minerva walk into a salon. Women stand about while cutting the hair of men and women.
D: This is insane. Why would she be here?
Minerva: This business is a front for the Red Thirst.
D: What makes you say that?
Minerva: One. It’s night and the hairdressers are in skimpy clothing.
D: And two?
Minerva: That hairdresser is feeding on her client.
D: I don’t see-now I do.
The illusion shattered, the salon can be seen for what it is. It’s dirty with the back wall littered with bodies. The people waiting in the chairs for their appointments are tied up as well as the people in the salon chairs “getting their hair cut”. A vampiress feeds upon a male victim. His eyes are caught somewhere between fear and ecstasy as her teeth sink into his bare neck.
The vampire reacts as soon as she sees that D and Minerva are not swayed by the illusion. She lunges at D, who has a silver blade out. He impales her in the heart, her eyes going wide in shock that her prey could defend himself.
Vampire: Kill…you…
D: You’ll not harm another living soul.
The vampire breaks apart into ashes, causing the other two vampires in the room to go on their guard. Before they can attack though, D and Minerva drop to their hands and knees. They cough up blood while blood also streams from their eyes, ears, and nose.
Alexis Logan walks into the room from the back. She holds out a clenched fist as D and Minerva continue to bleed. Gone is the form of the wealthy criminal mastermind. Alexis is a bent backed crone with long leathery arms that end in cruel, flesh-shearing talons. Her face is a misshapen mass of leathery flesh punctuated with a bulbous nose, like a gnarled knot on an old oak tree. Her massive brow overhangs sunken, lusterless, black eyes. The crone’s hair is a wriggling mass of red worms, hissing and mewling as they dribble blood down her ugly face.
Alexis Logan: Have you come to avenge the death of your mistress?
She brings down her fist to her side with a snarl, the motion sending D and Minerva’s face smashing against the floor as they continue to cough up blood. She continues to examine them while continuing to hold her fist clenched out in front of her to keep up the pressure. She cocks her head with a small smile.
Alexis Logan: This doesn’t feel like a vengeance attack. This feels different.
Alexis squats down by them and with her free hand, lifts D’s face up by the chin.
Alexis Logan: She somehow survived. Didn’t she? How interesting. Is she so cowardly as to send you two?
D is about to answer, but Alexis kicks him in the side of the head.
Minerva: Esmeralda is no coward!
Alexis chuckles, stomping on the back of Minerva’s head to send her face into the floor with a splatter of blood.
Alexis Logan: Hmmm. She did not send you. You are doing this to spare her another futile confrontation. How very…loyal of you.
The red worms that make up Alexis’ hair extend to attach themselves to D and Minerva to start draining them of blood directly. They are lifted into the air as Alexis regards each of them with a smile.
Alexis Logan: I wonder if she returns that loyalty? You two will serve as bait.
D and Minerva struggle to free themselves now that they are no longer under the influence of the spell, but weakened by blood loss, they pass out at the same time. Alexis flings them across the room where they land at the feet of the vampires.
Alexis Logan: Bind them! I will prepare a special message to send to Esmeralda to draw her into a trap.
As the vampires tie up the unconscious bodies of D and Minerva, Alexis laughs.
Alexis Logan: Esmeralda will pay for the death of my sister with her life!