* * * EARTH – NYC * * *

Phil was in a hurry. He cursed the fact that he needed to replace his Metro Card. He trotted down the stairs into the station. Looking around, he made his way to where three vending machines stood against the wall.

He shouted in surprise when his hand became firmly glued to the thing. He cursed what he thought was a stupid prank by the local youths. Then he screamed in terror when the machine moved, a huge toothy mouth opened and a long, prehensile blue tongue slapped out and wrapped itself around his waist.

His screams stopped as he was pulled into the mimic’s mouth and it closed cutting him in half.

The mimic gave a satisfied burp, and then it used its tongue to drag Phil’s legs into its mouth. Not long after that it licked up the blood that had been left behind on the concrete floor.

* * *

Logan Brown – teenage necromancer – made his way through the partially deserted streets of New York City. He was looking around with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. In front of their little group strode Anubis, his boss, guard, and parole officer. Bringing up the rear of their little group came two well-armed agents of the paranormal division.

Logan kept remembering Anubis explaining their current mission; apparently several people had gone missing in the last couple of weeks here in New York. And the majority had vanished while travelling. So his jackal headed black furred boss had been sent to check for vampires.

As they headed down the stairs of yet another subway station, Logan stretched out with innate ability, seeking out the undead. He started to relax as he failed to locate any.

They were headed for the bank of turnstiles when Anubis slowed, and came to a stop, nose in the air. Logan got the distinct impression that his boss was puzzled. He had never seen him sniff the air like this before.

“Can you smell it?” asked Anubis as he scanned the big room. “It stinks of death, as if someone died before the fates decreed it.”

“What the F are you on about boss? I can’t smell anything special,” offered Spike.

“Huh! What about you boy?” asked Anubis as he stared at the wall with the most vending machines.

“There are no undead within my detection range Anubis, and I can’t smell anything putrid either,” said Logan.

Anubis sniffed again, then he moved towards where three metro card vending machines stood, in semi-isolation. “You must be able to smell something, even with your feeble noses. I can smell at least two deaths...”

Logan, Spike and Carter shared a look, and shrugged in unison. Then Spike and Carter started searching their surroundings for danger.

Anubis examined the machine on the end of the row with surprise. He reached out to touch it, “This one smells different, it...”

Anubis realized he had made a mistake when his finger stuck to the ‘vending machine’. Before he could pull away the thing bulged up, wrapping his hand in its tissue. Then the mimic opened its mouth and reached out with its tongue.

Spike acted on instinct. Anubis was lucky that his form was considerably stronger than the average human. Even so if Spike hadn’t reacted so quickly, he would probably have been killed.

It took Spike almost one entire clip to kill the mimic. In death it assumed its real appearance.

Carter looked around with wild eyes, “Damn it Cap. We have more than two missing, there must be more of these things. How in hell are we going to find them all?”

* * *

In a dusty forgotten corner of Earth’s Gods Realm something stirred, once again it had felt the call. It was almost awake now, and once again it thought gleefully: ‘soon, very soon my wait will be over.’ Reluctantly it relapsed once again into its dreams.

* * * DOBAY – HOSLICK OF THE TWO DAWNS * * *

Hoslick left the shelter of a dark mass of stones and glided across a few meters of sandy plain. He navigated his way through a collection of crystalline growths that resembled a thorny barrier.

Red light blinked briefly as Hoslick heaved himself up, curling backward, his edge rippling, to stand on the flattened rim of his encircling sphincter. Hoslick scrabbled with his prehensile fringe-tentacles for a moment and opened the door closing the cave-like entrance to the comfort-dome.

Inside Hoslick glided over the burgundy coloured glass floor avoiding the few scattered decorative silk rugs. He looked with appreciation at the low table of polished red granite that stretched down the centre of the spacious room, set with silver dishes and rose-crystal drinking-tubes.

There was a sudden rasp, like leather against concrete, as another Dobayan rose from where he had been lounging in a sand tub. With a flurry of sand Deltin of the Florescent Ribbons rippled his fringe-tentacles in a grin.

“Welcome to our humble club house Hoslick. Please make yourself comfortable.”

Hoslick settled himself next to the table and picked up one of the drinking-tubes. Hoslick saluted Deltin with his drink and then sipped it. He shuddered, “Ahh! Now that hit the spot. You always have the best booze Deltin.”

“True. Now, what do you have to report? What is happening with that sea-lake?”

“A dungeon Deltin. Can you credit it? A bloody dungeon has formed at the bottom of Tissin sea-lake, and the damn thing is spewing microscopic carbon based life forms.”

“Carbon based? Are you... Sorry, of course you’re sure. What kind of treasures do you think it will produce?” asked a puzzled Deltin.

Hoslick rippled his fringe-tentacles uncertainly. “Not a clue, but it is purifying the water, I believe there are a few esoteric uses for that stuff.”

“So, scientific interest at least. Not a total loss. But we don’t have enough bloody dungeons, why did one have to set up shop in such an awkward location?” asked an irritated Deltin.

The two friends sipped their drinks quietly, crunching on some tasty artificial sapphires. Finally Deltin ordered. “Put a scientific team, get a professor of esoterics, a carbon specialist if there is one and a few graduate students and get them down there. Take a few guards; the thing is a dungeon after all. Try to entice them, but you have the government’s authority to shanghai them if necessary.”

“Shanghai?” asked Hoslick in mock surprise.

Deltin grinned, “Draft them.”

“Ah! Will do,” agreed Hoslick with a sadistic grin.

* * * EARTH – IN THE NEWS * * *

The unexpected happened during one of the televised services by the hellfire preacher Pastor Zachariah Beddows. The pastor who has several times erroneously claimed that the world would end, and most recently linked his last such prophecy to the blue screen phenomenon, something he claims is one of the devil’s works.

This Sunday Beddows was in full flow when he seemed to suffer a fit. He started stabbing the air in front of his face and screaming about demons.

The Pastor grew horns on air, his skin started turning red. In one of the swiftest transformations on record Pastor Beddows turned into a Minor Demon complete with hooves, horns and leathery wings.

Most experts when asked for comments were unable to explain how the transformation occurred in so short a span of time. The most logical theory was that the concentration of belief in the venue was utilized by System to facilitate the integration.

The editor of the Babylon Bee complained that it is becoming very hard to write satirical news articles in these days.

* * *

Ms Loisdottir the spokesperson for MagiTech inc., confirmed today that their improved Atmospheric Control enchanted items could be tuned to prevent the passage of germs and viruses. Ms Loisdottir apologises for the fact that there is no way the company can keep up with demand for this product, and that MagiTech will do its best to handle their backlog.

When asked about why these improved items were ten times as expensive than the rings with the older enchantment, Ms Loisdottir merely shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

MagiTech inc has offered to licence this enchantment to competent enchanters.

* * *

A coalition of citizens rights groups are taking the city authorities in New York to the courts to protest their plans to install IR equipped CCTV cameras throughout the cities’ underground stations and other public spaces.