Queen of Thorns - 1 (Patreon)

NOTE:
The next chapter of Star Forge is taking longer than I would like. Here is an original story I was considering making into a longer story.

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Jack perked up as the rose-shaped charm on his desk began to blink. He was starting to get bored, which never led to good things. Thankfully, The Aces were calling.

The Aces, an all-girl team, had more than four members as their theme wasn't limited to the standard suits of playing cards. There was an international element to the theme, even though the team was based in what had once been the United States. Hearts, Diamonds, Swords, Clovers, Shields, Staves, and Roses.

He grabbed the charm before stepping out of his room. A moment later he was taking the stairs to the roof two at a time. Transforming in his apartment was out of the question—the magic was neither quiet nor subtle, and sneaking out past his neighbors was a quick way for the wrong questions to start being asked. Technically, he could transform anywhere as long as no one saw him do it thanks to magic. That protection did not cover his movements while transformed. Someone would be able to track his movements if he wasn't careful.

Reaching the empty rooftop garden, Jack assumed the stance—one hand flat over his chest, the other extended toward the floor.

"Deal the Cards."

A whirlwind of energy lifted him off the concrete then slowly spun him as his hair shifted from light brown to jet-black. At the same time a domino mask settled across his eyes. His street clothes vanished, replaced by the double-breasted, silver-buttoned black uniform similar to chauffeur in the 1930s, completed with crisp white gloves.

Jack had gotten lucky with his uniform. The power chose how the champion appeared. There were teams out there that wore tight bodysuits that weren't made out of spandex and full-face helmets usually with an animal theme. They really liked dinosaurs too.

The Aces wore color-coded skirts, a white catsuit, and vests patterned with their appropriate symbol. Somehow they managed to get decent footwear in the form of ankle boots with a small heel. They were lucky not to be wearing a bunny-suit with high-heels like a couple of teams out there.

In this form, he was Blackjack—a name he’d picked off the cuff at sixteen when he started out as a small-time rogue pulling thefts and scuffling with the Aces. Twenty years after power sources first started appearing across the globe. The Aces were part of the second generation of champions, just like he was, meaning they had been heroes and villains for over ten years now. Third generation teams started two years ago. These days he was less of a rogue and more of a hired hand when the girls found themselves over their heads.

Focusing on the warm charm in his palm, the air dissolved into a swirl of crimson petals. When the petals cleared, he wasn't standing in the Aces' pristine, crystal-lit Command Center.

He was standing in a warzone.

The marble was dotted with spiderweb cracks, missing chunks, and scorch marks. His breath caught as he looked beyond the entry area. Three of the Aces were scattered across the floor in poses that were not natural. He rushed to the closest Ace. Her skirt and vest were green dotted with clovers. Aptly enough, her name was Clover. He could see she was breathing, if only just.

Jack squinted in confusion as he looked at her again. He knew her. Not closely, but she was someone that he knew in a roundabout way. They had gone to high school together. His mind stalled as he tried to figure out how he had never realized before.

Magic. It didn't need to make sense.

He stole a quick look at the others. Even at a glance he recognized them. Just like Clover, they had gone to school together and lived in the same area. They were still in their uniforms, but their magic was gone.

"Jack, you're here," Rose limped over to him.

She wasn't instantly recognizable. He took that to mean her magic was still active. Her vest was ripped, one of her shoes was missing, and the side of her face was swollen. Jack ran to support her draping her arm over his shoulder. She practically collapsed against him.

"We have to go," She whispered. "She's still here."

He carried her back to the landing zone. She let out a little whimper as she saw the others on the ground.

"I- I," She grunted. "I can walk. Can you take them?"

Jack let her slip out of his support. She limped over to the closest Ace. Jack plucked the other two easily with his magically enhanced strength draping them across his arm like towels.

A soul wrenching scream cut through the air. Rose stiffened. Her bottom lip quivered as she picked up the fallen girl. Shield was their leader. She wasn't among the Aces on the floor. He could hear the sound of fighting now that he was paying attention. Sword, Shield, and Staff were the frontline fighters of the group.

"I can help them," He said as he waited for Rose to get on the landing pad.

She shook her head, "Get the girls. Take them somewhere safe. Shield told me."

Jack nodded. He scooped Rose up in his other arm easily holding the four Aces. The landing pad activated. He had been the last one to trigger it which meant his roof was the place they appeared.

"Where are we?" Rose mumbled leaning against him heavily.

"My place," He replied. "No one will look for you here."

He had them down into his apartment in a flash. Clover, Diamond, and Heart were still unconscious with Rose barely hanging on. Jack set the other Aces on his bed. Rose trudged into the living room then collapsed onto his couch, asleep before she settled on the cushions. Her form glowed for a moment as her power deactivated. Her long, bright red hair lost its luster before changing into a dark brown as shortened into a bob. The uniform was replaced by casual t-shirt and jeans without any shoes. Jack recognized her as yet another girl he had known for years. This was a different case than the others. He actually knew her.

Now wasn't the time.

He activated the rose charm once more disappearing into a burst of petals.

The Command Center was still destroyed. He knew there wasn't a chance that it had been some weird hallucination. Hope didn't care about facts. The sound of fighting was quieter without losing any intensity.

Jack ran toward the noise. The Command Center floor opened up into a wide grand hall. It was one large space with shelves and décor arranged to form rooms. Directly in front of him was their meeting area. It was an ornate marble table that was large enough to sit the entire team comfortably. The room was beautiful in its natural state. Unfortunately, that wasn't how Jack found it. The table had been broken in multiple places, the color-coded chairs had been reduced to kindling, and slashes in the floor with still-sharp edges marred patches of the floor.

He came across the discarded forms of Shield and Staff as he finally got close enough to discover the cause of all the chaos. A woman casually dueled Sword in the remains of what had once been a library. She didn't look like a monster, interdimensional bounty hunter, or space witch.

Her regal stature made her look taller than she was. Long black hair reached to the small of her back. A luxurious crown made from glowing gold threads rested atop her head. She wore a black bodysuit with sharp gold shards dotted along her arms and side. Most alarming of all was her choice of weapon. An obsidian war-axe that should have been much too heavy to be practical. Magic didn't care about that sort of thing. Oversized weapons, themed teams, and flashy transformation sequences were all part of the deal. Sword wielded her namesake that was as long as she was tall and nearly as wide.

The woman lazily parried another attack. Her eyes drifted across the room coming to a stop on him. A languid, hungry smile crossed her face. Sword took advantage of the moment of distraction. She lunged, leading with the point of her sword aimed directly at the mystery woman's chest.

Time seemed to pause as the woman raised her hand. The woman didn't cast a spell, block, parry, or strike back. She caught the sword by the blade barehanded. It drew a thin line of blood rather than chopping her hand off. Her hand curled around the blade blunting where her fingers touched. The metal let out a mournful groan.

The woman yanked the weapon toward her, pulling Sword off her feet. Jack watched in confused horror as her other hand plunged into Sword's chest. It didn't sound like crunching bone or any sort of impact for that matter. A burst of sickly purple energy coated her hand a moment before it slipped into Sword's chest cavity. The Ace stiffened, her eyes went wide, and she screamed exactly like he had heard before. Her hand was coated in the same purple energy as she withdrew her hand. In her grasp was a flickering orb that he instinctively knew was the source of Sword's power. The woman clenched her fist snuffing out the light only for it to travel along her arm before settling in her chest.

Jack watched as a gauntlet made of gold formed around one arm. She had been turned away from him at first. Now that he could see her full on he could see a few other pieces of matching gold armor along that side of her body. The gauntlet had been the final piece. Her right arm was covered in gold armor from the shoulder down. It curved along the side of her torso as well but didn't reach across her chest.

"If it isn't the handsome stranger," Her voice was painfully melodic. "She said you might come." The woman spared a momentary glance at the girl on the floor. "She sounded like that was supposed to mean something."

Jack narrowed his eyes at her, "Who are you?"

"The Queen of Thorns," She replied with the slightest of nods before she looked him over with a critical eye.

He started to reply. She held up a hand to stop him.

"It doesn't matter who you are," A cold smile played along her lips. "I didn't expect to find you here. Who am I to turn down a gift?"

Part of him told him to fight her. That he could take her. Another, much louder, part of him told him to get the hell out of there. He would have made a break for it in that moment if it weren't for the three Aces on the floor. Hopefully the woman would leave them alone now that she was done with them. His mind flashed to the limp bodies of Heart, Diamond, and Clover that he had carried a minute ago.

"Damn it," He muttered.

He couldn't leave them here. She stood between him and the fallen Aces.

Jack held out his hand to summon his cane. The Aces got oversized weapons as did most of the monsters and villains they encountered. He had a cane with a silver top slightly longer than his hand. It also doubled as a sheath for his sword.

She began to walk toward him. He wasn't going to wait for her to get close. Jack charged her. The smile on her face sharpened. He drew the sword from the cane-sheath as he got closer. Jack shifted his approach, twist to the side adding extra torque to toss sheath at her.

Queen slapped the sheath away. It gave him enough time to dodge out of her way. He slid along the floor on his knees scooping Shield up as he passed. Jack didn't slow. He continued, adding Staff to the stack before completing the set with Sword on the top.

She was laughing as she turned to face him, "Well done. What now? The Landing Pad is behind me. I can follow your trip once you leave."

"That would be true," Jack nodded. "If I was a member of the team."

An elegant brow arched in a silent question. He held the rose charm for her to see. She shifted her gaze to him without speaking. Jack crushed the charm. The magic guarding the Command Center activated. He wasn't part of the team. His source of power was a completely different flavor. Something clamped on the back of his neck. He held the trio of Aces tight as he was tossed out of the Command Center.

They landed somewhere beyond the city walls. He never thought he would be relieved to find himself in the badlands.

People had fled to the cities once sources of power began to appear around the world. Cities had become fortresses. Even they weren't free of dangers thanks to the various villains that popped up. Humans weren't the only beings to bond with sources of power. Animals, plants, even patches of land were twisted into monstrous forms. Running into a monstrous animal was dangerous regardless of their original form.

Naturally, this attracted the attention of less-than-friendly parties that wanted their own power. Teams of various sorts were created to defend the people of the dimension. There were different origins for the power sources -Mechanical, Chemical, Artifacts, Familiars, and Avatars- but every single one of them were basically different flavors of magic.

Jack scanned the area. It looked clear. The city guard had done a good job.

He had his own method of travel. It wasn't as impressive as teleportation, but it was better than walking. Jack took a moment to rearrange the Aces limp bodies. He sprinted toward the city walls. His foot stepped onto a portion of temporarily solid air. It gave them enough of a boost to launch them high. The wind whipped through his hair as he stepped on another piece of solid air. He had perfected the movement over the years. Step, gain altitude, glide, and repeat. Even now, no one looked up.

Jack made sure to take a circular route back to his place. The apartment building was in the better part of the city where there weren't any buildings with less than ten floors. His earlier life as a rogue paid quite well.

He purposely skipped the next step. They twelve floors straight down through a hidden hatch on a nearby roof. He landed lightly in the center of one of his many safe houses dotted around the city. It wasn't anything special. A studio apartment with Spartan furniture and some cash to get home in case he needed it.

Jack placed the Aces on the bed. He looked down at the trio of de-powered girls. Carrying them was easy. Getting them to his apartment was the tricky part. Walking down the street with three unconscious girls would attract the wrong sort of attention. Gliding through the sky would most likely make it easier for Queen to track him.

"The Dealing is Done," He said clearly.

The familiar sensation of his magic relaxing soothed some of his panic. His enhanced speed and strength faded. He was once again in his civilian clothes, a red button-down shirt and jeans. Collapsing on the couch he leaned forward and put his head in his hands. This was not how he had thought his day would go.

There was a routine when Rose called him to the Command Center. He would arrive, flirt with each Ace, with some extra attention to Rose, and then they would move on to discuss what was going on. The usual issues came down to a monster attack, some villainous plot, a natural disaster that required their attention, or a mixture of all three.

They didn't look like they were going anywhere soon. He left a couple of notes in big, bold letters just in case they woke up. They provided directions to the bathroom, laundry, and kitchen. Another note told them where they were. The last note told them that he would be back soon. He made sure to let them know that the other members of the team were accounted for. Jack wanted to check in on Rose too.

He knew that the Aces were in contact with a few other teams in the area. The method was a mystery to him. Rose might know how to do it. If nothing else they could warn the others. Hopefully, she wouldn't be able to steal the other teams due to their source. Each champion, but it a team or otherwise, had a different sort of magic. She may have been able to steal the Aces, but that didn't mean she would be able to do the same with the ranger teams and solo henshin champions.

Jack needed more information. Luckily he still had some contacts from his days as a true rogue. It paid to keep good relations with less-than-legal sources. Especially the ones from interesting origins. He never knew when he would need to contact an intergalactic bounty hunter, but he was glad he had the option.

Checking in on the other Aces took precedence.