Next In Line

Chapter 8: Sure Schemes That Way

The big day was here at last. The day when the Seymours' criminal enterprise would finally topple after all these years. They say that the journey is often more exhilarating than the destination, but in the case of a certain pair of malcontent teenage siblings, the destination is what mattered most, for it would determine if their little plan would suffice. Would it be enough to sabotage their mother and bring her back to her senses? Only time would tell, and thankfully there wasn't too much of it left. That morning, Mike Jr. and Josephine stood patiently (more so the latter) outside of their family's mansion, with the only ally present being Queen Cobra.

She stood silently on one side of the front steps, staring straight ahead seemingly at nothing, showing no emotion and not moving an inch aside from breathing. Her dual kanabos were holstered in an X formation on her back. All this time, the twins assumed that being evil essentially meant freedom from order, yet Queen Cobra just seemed so disciplined. Even Josephine was a little unnerved at just how indifferent she appeared, considering what was about to go down in a matter of moments.

"So, uh... yo." The silence was shattered by Mike Jr., like the bones of the many people he had assaulted during his time on Earth. "Yo, Queenie?"

Queen Cobra didn't respond, nor provide any sign of acknowledgment.

"So like, why aren't you more excited about this? I mean, we're about to take over the afterlife and kick some major ass. Why are you so uptight?"

"Because loosening up is a sign of weakness in combat," she replied in a stoic tone.

"But don't you enjoy doing what you do? Beating up good guys is supposed to be fun... right?"

"It is foolish to expect fun out of work. I am a hired killer and goon. I do not do crimes for recreation." Queen Cobra turned to look at him for once, narrowing her pitch-black eyes.

"Yikes! I liked it better when you weren't using eye contact..." Mike Jr. muttered, backing away a little.

"Welp, at least it's further proof that this supervillain thing isn't for us." Josephine shrugged, speaking at a similar volume to her brother. "Say, where are the others?"

"Right here!" Katherine announced, clad in her supervillain attire. She marched out front with what appeared to be an armored, tricked-out version of a familiar face. "Folks, meet the new and improved Pygmy Hippo! Or rather, not so Pygmy Hippo!"

The twins gawked at his new appearance, consisting of a metallic version of his luchador mask with a glowing red antenna on top. Some steel armor was present on his upper torso and upper arms, connected to his helmet via a series of wires. Similar armor covered his legs, and his boxing gloves had been swapped out for mechanized versions of themselves, his brass knuckles now resembling long, golden claws.

"Heaven will soon become hell," Hippo spoke in a robotic version of his usual voice, the eyes on his mask glowing yellow accordingly.

"No shit it will. Now we just need to wait on one more arrival, and- wait, who the hell are those guys?!" Katherine pointed at what looked like a group of everyday people jogging into the town square.

It turned out to be Ike and his three friends from earlier, this time accompanied by a buff yet curvy tracksuit-clad woman, her white-tipped dreadlocks worn up in a loose bun.

"Hey, I've seen those guys on a poster before. It's the Afterlife Task Force!" Katherine almost panicked. Sure was a good thing she didn't notice the shared smirk on her children's faces. "A-And we haven't even finished getting ready yet! ...ah, whatever. Go get them! Stop them from interfering!"

With a simultaneous war cry, the four gathered minions ran off in the direction of her extended pointed finger, scampering down the driveway and across the moat as they made their way into the square to confront the heroes.