It seemed that her brief privileged stay had come to an end.
After explaining her preposterous plan and basking in her own insanity, The Bright One (Wednesday refused to think of her as "Enid") seemed to relegate her interest to her unwitting visitor until her presence was required again or the time came for her "processing".
Thus, the young Addams was at that moment walking the corridors inside The Bright One's base, escorted by as many as three Shadow Hydes. Two were walking to her left and right, with their paws perched on her shoulders to restrain her and prevent any escape attempt. Meanwhile, the third covered their rear. Of course, her guards had no way of guessing that Wednesday was not technically alone.
Hey, do you know your soul has remnants of another one? As if patched on.
Wednesday Tuesday Addams, Agent A, had died in her confrontation with The Bright One in her home dimension. Somehow, her soul/ghost/spirit had latched onto Wednesday's very soul and she was now a spiritual stowaway. Having an extra voice in her head would have been disconcerting to Wednesday if not for previous experiences.
Goody, Wednesday thought in response, An ancestor who used her own spirit essence to enter me and save my life from a mortal wound.
Ah, how horribly kind of her.
Of course then she tried to take control of my body and we had to exorcise her. Those scraps you detect are the pieces of her soul left behind, intrinsically attached to mine. Like a metaphysical organ transplant. Or a skin graft.
Well, let me express my intention not to possess your body. When all this is over I am very certain that I intend to cross over to the Great Beyond. I'm sure my two wives are waiting for me and I don't think they will be happy with my absence.
Will I have to return to your dimension when it is time to...?, Wednesday began to ask in thought.
No, you won't. Funny thing, the Great Beyond, the Sea of Souls, the Afterlife, whatever you want to call it, has no boundaries between universes.
Intriguing.
Their silent conversation went on for a few more minutes. It was the most interesting thing about the monotonous walk except for the fact that the steel, glass and pristine whiteness of the corridors soon began to give way to the gray of concrete and a greater and more pronounced darkness. They soon reached an elevator whose descent seemed to take another eternity and soon found themselves in what was undoubtedly the gigantic cell block, where many other Wednesdays must be imprisoned.
Friday must be around here somewhere, thought Wednesday, If the worst hasn't happened.
Our counterpart you were planning to rescue? The twins' mother?
That's the one.
They kept moving forward, passing the cell doors, made of an ivory-white material that contrasted with the cement of the outer wall. She caught a glimpse of a few faces peering through the small glass openings. Mostly female faces, some male, and others that were strange and non-human and yet familiar, looking at her strangely.
Faces she recognized as different variations of herself.
The doors were of simple design and, as they stopped in front of what was no doubt to be their new temporary quarters, Wednesday noticed how one of the Shadow Hyde opened it by exerting pressure on an almost invisible panel on the wall next to the entrance to the cell. The door opened, soundlessly, and Wednesday was unceremoniously pushed into the cell.
Pristine, white and padded.
Behind her, the door closed with a quiet hiss. Wednesday surveyed the room with disdain.
What a boring place, she thought, What a lack of personality.
The art of having a good dungeon is being lost.
I don't know how your senses work, but I'm going to assume that you perceive the same as I do, thought Wednesday.
I see and hear everything you see and hear. And if by that you mean the opening of the cell…
Thoughts?
Wednesday felt a tingling sensation run through her body. A sensation similar to that of suddenly finding a numb limb waking up. There were no flashy light effects or strange changes in air pressure inside the cell. Simply, in the blink of an eye, the translucent figure of Agent A was standing there beside her. Wednesday could see how a sort of almost invisible trickle of light connected them.
What do you say we check if our hostess has thought of ghosts in her security measures?
In response, Wednesday Addams smiled. One of her rare smiles. The one reserved in anticipation of beginning the first step to set things right and teach a bloody lesson to anyone who deserved it.
§§§
Nervousness, fear, apprehension, hope and expectation were fighting a contest with no clear winner inside Enid Sinclair as she crossed the dimensional portal conjured by the witchy Grandmama, after weeks of training with her counterpart Eneit Synklar and her husband, Wodnesdæg.
Hope won out in the end, with considerable help from elation as her sight cleared after stepping through the barrier of pink light and finding before her two dear and familiar faces.
"Woe! Pup!"
She didn't think twice, and in barely a second she was already squeezing the two Addamses in an embrace that would have made her Wednesday fantasize about broken bones and ribs piercing lungs.
She even spun around a couple of times, spinning the two young women around before placing them back on the ground in front of her.
Pup was the first to react, a smile lighting up a face that until a few minutes ago had been marked by worry, "Miss Enid?" she asked, almost incredulous at the sight before her eyes.
Woe looked the lycanthrope up and down, one eyebrow raised inquisitively, "Why do you look like you escaped from a medieval fair?"
"It's a long story," Enid replied, "Gosh! I'm so glad you're safe!" she exclaimed, drawing them back into another hug, though this one shorter and more restrained, "Tell me, how long have you been here? How long has it been since...?"
"Since the enemy attack?" continued Woe, "Minutes, really."
"We returned to this dimension very recently," Pup said, "From the time we arrived and informed Grandmama until now barely half an hour must have passed..."
Enid nodded, "You have the details freshest in your head. That's good. I don't think I've forgotten anything important, but just in case..."
"Sinclair," Woe interrupted, "Time between dimensions is relative. Where have you been and for how long?"
"She's been in our universe, and what was to be two weeks of training has ended up being a month," said a male voice that got their attention. For the first time, the two variants of Wednesday noticed the other two figures that had crossed the portal following Enid. The one who spoke they recognized instantly, despite being male and wearing armor. In fact, they recognized both of them.
"Another counterpart of ours. And one of the interesting ones, it seems," Pup said, watching Wodnesdæg curiously, "Oh, my manners... Welcome!" she greeted. Wodnesdæg responded with a polite nod of his head.
Woe for her part had her gaze fixed on Eneit, "And another Sinclair variant. And a big one. what have they been feeding you?"
Eneit laughed, "I feed on the tears of my enemies when I squish their bodies!"
Something akin to a half-smile crossed Woe's face before mutating into a nervous grimace and then a frown, turning to Enid, "I like her. But we must never leave her alone with my Enid."
Enid thought for a moment about the chaos Synklar and Saint-Clair might unleash unsupervised before nodding fervently, "Heavens, no."
"A month?" asked Pup suddenly, "But... What about Wednesday?"
"Captured by The Bright One, that's what I'm afraid of," Enid said, "They threw me into another dimension, saying they'd come back for me later and Wednesday was left alone against the enemy."
"As fortune would have it, the dimension Lady Enid was randomly thrown into was ours," Wodnesdæg interjected, "We have sworn to aid her in her quest to regain her beloved and defeat that monstrous entity."
"Then you will have to prepare yourselves," said a voice.
They all turned toward the kitchen entrance, where Grandmama had reappeared. The old woman looked tired, her hair was more disheveled than usual and seemed somewhat bristly. And she was steaming, as if she had just received an electric shock.
"Grandmama!" exclaimed Enid, rushing to greet the old Addams, but stopping before hugging her. It was the old witch who tucked the young woman into an embrace of her own.
"It's good to see you back, loba, have you trained well?"
"Wait, how do you know..."
"We witches know things and share dreams of what has been, will be or is elsewhere," said Eudora Addams, "I know the weight that has fallen on you, but remember you are not alone to hold it."
"Then you are knowledgeable of Enid's position as Volvaugr as is our Grandmama, my lady," observed Wodnesdæg.
"Volvau-what?" asked Pup.
"I'll explain later, it's... well, it's complicated," said Enid, "But Grandmama, what happened to you?" asked the lycanthrope, as she helped the old woman sit in one of the kitchen chairs.
"I decided to do a test. With one of my granddaughter's blood samples left over from making the rings... I was able to trace the corner of the multiverse where she is, but as soon as I brushed against it an energy discharge nearly fried me alive."
"Then that confirms it. Wednesday is in the hands of the enemy," Woe said.
Eudora Addams nodded somberly, "Indeed."
"Grandmama... I hate to ask you this if you're exhausted, but... Could you track down where Theo and Dora are?"
The old woman looked at Enid questioningly, before letting out a sinister witch giggle, "Ah, it seems you're the one up to something now, my dear."
"Yes, but first I want to get everyone together. And I think where Theo and Dora are, there will also be Taylor and the other Enid."
"Oh, I hope so," Pup commented. The Hyde's absence was still weighing on her.
"Give me just a few minutes dear," Grandmama said, "And let me make me some salamander eye juice. These old bones can still do a lot."
§§§
In another universe, once again several realities away, in a place where the laws of physics were subjected to the madness of Saturday morning cartoons...
"Well, we don't have to stand around doing nothing," said Saint-Clair, "Surely we can train, or prepare weapons, plan strategies…"
Suddenly there was a crackling in the air and a smell like ozone. In one of the corners of the room, space began to twist and turn in on itself. An interdimensional portal of circular shape and jagged edges emanating a greenish glow began to form out of nowhere and two human silhouettes became visible on the other side, before crossing it.
Morticia merely observed the phenomenon and the newcomers with guarded curiosity. An expression of surprise escaped the lips of the rest of the group.
Except for Shark. Shark began to laugh with demented jubilation, "HA HA, YES!"
"It worked!" exclaimed one of the figures that crossed the portal and whom those present recognized immediately.
"Enid!" exclaimed Dora and Theo at the same time, rushing to meet the lycanthrope. As they arrived next to her they noticed her companion.
"Uh... Enid?" asked Dora observing the other variant, a tall, muscular woman who looked like something out of a sword and sorcery novel.
"Eneit Synklar at your service, fair maiden," greeted the barbarian princess.
"Uh, you're not the tallest blonde in the group anymore, little sister," Theo observed, only to receive an immediate nudge from Dora.
"Sinclair!" exclaimed Taylor, "Are you okay, where are the others, where's Weds!!?" exclaimed the Hyde, her eyes growing slightly larger and a growl reverberating in her voice.
"Easy, easy," said Enid, "Listen, we don't have much time. The method of opening this portal hasn't been the usual so I need you to cross over with us right now, we'll explain later that... HOLY SHIT, SHARK!?"
"Greetings!" replied the dark blue clad Addams, "It's comforting that you remember me, Enid."
"It's impossible to forget you and your..."
Shark pulled one of her hands from behind her back and suddenly it was as if a shovel had magically materialized out of thin air. She smiled sharply.
"That," Enid said, deadpan, "Exactly."
Eneit coughed beside her, in a call for attention. Behind them, the portal was beginning to sizzle.
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Enid, "Cross now, we'll talk on the other side!"
Shark turned to her mother, Morticia, who was still watching the scene in curious silence.
"Mother, I'm going to jump back into another dimension. I'll try to bring souvenirs this time. And tell Brother Pugsley to refrain from entering my room. I'll know if he does and the consequences will be dreadful."
"Go and have fun, dear," Morticia said with a small smile on her lips. She watched as her daughter ran to join the rest of the visitors and as they all crossed the portal one at a time. The blonde-haired girl, Enid, was the last and shot a glance at Morticia by way of farewell and apology. The Addams matriarch merely nodded in response.
As the girl crossed, the portal closed behind her with a sparkle of light, leaving a small wisp of smoke floating in the air and a smell of ozone in the room.
Oh dear, in such a hurry they've left the rings behind... Well, I guess Grandmama can spend some time entertaining herself with them, Morticia thought.
And so gathered, from the living room of an Addams Mansion in one universe, they passed to the living room of another Addams Mansion in another universe.
The first immediate reactions upon arrival were those of Taylor and Saint-Clair.
The Hyde ran to meet Pup, barely containing her transformation from all the nervousness and tension built up as she hugged The Addams, "I will never let you out of my sight again!" she said, almost holding back a sob, "I will slice that monstrosity in white armor open! I will devour alive anyone who would harm you!". Pup merely returned the embrace, trying to conceal the blush those words were generating on her cheeks.
For her part, Saint-Clair was no less, and Woe suddenly found herself lying on the ground with a werecat sitting on her, showering her face with kisses, "Κοράκι της καταιγίδας μου! νυχτερινέ μου πόθε!" murmured Saint-Clair between kisses. Woe finally shushed her with a soft kiss of her own on the lips, caressing her cheek to reassure her, "We are together again, felina mia."
The reunion with Shark was also a pleasant surprise for the Addamses present.
"Sister Pup! Sister Woe!" she exclaimed, "Ah, how much you have grown. And I on the other hand have hardly changed at all."
"How long has it been for you since our first meeting, Shark?" asked Enid, curiously.
"Barely a year and a half," replied The Addams in blue.
"Oh, other than Wednesday and Enid I think you're the one it's been the least amount of time for out of us," Pup said, "You know Dora and Theo, did you know they're children of...?"
"Of Sister Friday, yes," replied Shark, "In their brief stay in my reality they have filled me in on the situation."
Meanwhile, of the two twins Dora seemed engaged in conversation with Wodnesdæg and Eneit. The young she-wolf couldn't help but be curious to meet two more new versions of her parents, and these newly married ones at that. Meanwhile, Theo had sat down next to an exhausted Grandmama, to thank her for her efforts but also satisfy his curiosity.
"I had no blood from you or your sister," the old woman explained, answering the question of how she had found them, "A mistake on my part, I must have taken samples during your stay that night in this house. So I prepared a spell with blood from my granddaughter and Enid to simulate the essence of a possible descendant and reinforced it with an imprint of Enid's memory of the two of you. The result has been temporary and unstable, but I'm glad it worked."
The next few minutes were dedicated to the exchange of information and introductions.
It didn't take long for Wod and Eneit to integrate into the group as everyone caught up and reordered the events that had transpired in order to decide what to do next. And as Woe and Enid had predicted/feared, Saint-Clair showed an immediate interest in engaging Eneit Synklar in combat. Luckily they managed to restrain the werecat. The barbarian werewolf princess merely laughed jovially in response, assuring her feline counterpart that when the crisis was resolved she would have no qualms about granting her a formal duel.
And Enid told them all about her situation as Volvaugr.
"Okay, okay, wait...," Saint-Clair said, "So the whole thing about being able to get wolfy at will is because you're actually the last reincarnation of a line of interdimensional cosmic lycanthrope warriors?"
"That's... one way to describe it. But yes."
"Wow. I don't know whether to be envious or give you my sympathy," the werecat replied, dropping her head into Woe's lap, "That stuff is heavy."
"But what does it mean exactly?", Woe asked, as she began to stroke Saint-Clair's hair without realizing it.
"That I am still changing," Enid replied, "I can transform at will, I can speak while fully transformed...in the last month of training I have learned to alter my shape and size more. I can alternate between a fully transformed but humanoid form and one that is basically a giant wolf. I've also learned a few extra tricks."
"Can you show us some?" asked Pup, interested.
"No. Not without wrecking half the mansion," Enid replied, rubbing the back of her neck.
"But we've noticed that she seems to develop an innate resistance to magic used on her," said Wod.
"Yes, a magical attack will affect her, but she can resist them and the more they are used against her the less effective they are," added Eneit, "By the end of the month of training most spells of elemental types were only minor hindrances."
"I can eat fireballs for breakfast," Enid said. "But I think that's the reason I was able to start resisting The Bright One's telekinesis..."
"Oh! Isadora Laslow!" exclaimed Shark, "I remember that witch used that ability against you when we fought her at Nevermore!"
The rest of the conversation continued to be an exchange of questions and insights, until it was finally time to address the main issue.
"Wednesday," said Enid, "The Bright One has her."
"Just like our mother," Theo muttered. Dora rested a hand on her brother's shoulder trying to offer some encouragement, though she herself was just as worried.
"For anyone who is unaware or has forgotten the details," Grandmama began, "I can trace my granddaughter's position in the multiverse. But the corner of reality in which she is located, the dwelling place of that Bright One, is isolated from the rest of Creation. Multiple magical barriers prevent any kind of unauthorized dimensional incursion. Opening a portal normally to travel there is impossible."
"Normally?" asked Wod.
"One could attempt to open an access with brute force through those magical defenses. With proper rituals and collaboration from multiple magical practitioners. But the time required to prepare something like that..."
"Well, time between universes doesn't move at the same speed, does it?" asked Dora, "Maybe we can afford to..."
"I'm talking centuries of preparation, child," Grandmama replied.
"Oh."
"Magical defenses," Enid said, "Designed to stop magical incursions, aren't they? Well, if we can't break them, we'll bypass them."
"Is that your plan, wolf?" asked Grandmama, genuinely intrigued by what seemed to be brewing in Enid's mind.
"I already said it's more of a scheme," Enid replied, "But if we can't jump into The Bright One's universe with magic, we must use other methods."
"Uh... what methods?" asked Taylor. The Hyde noticed a change in the air, as if the atmosphere had become charged with anticipation.
Enid smiled. A wolfish smile, at once jovial and dark. It was not the cheerful, bubbly, carefree smile of Enid Sinclair, this was the smile of a different creature, the one she had been slowly becoming over the past two years.
It was the smile of an Addams.
"Kooky methods, befitting an Addams. But not just any Addams. After all, not every Addams is a master of magic and witchcraft, right?" asked Enid.
Pup raised her eyebrows, her eyes wide in surprise, "Oh!"
Woe merely nodded, but something akin to a satisfied smile began to form on her face.
Shark smiled, rubbing her hands together, "Her? Oh, this reunion couldn't be more exalted..."
"We're going to breach The Bright One's defenses. And we won't use magic to do it," Enid said, "What we need is science. Mad science."
NOTES
Ha ha ha! She's coming back soon! 😁
Some translations (With thanks to Ilovemaths from AO3 for corrections in the greek text):
Κοράκι της καταιγίδας μου: (greek) The raven of my storm.
νυχτερινέ μου πόθε: (greek) My nocturnal desire.
felina mía: (spanish) my feline.
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