The Addams Mansion... wasn't exactly a multiversal constant.
But it was sufficiently well-known and commonplace to be present in multiple realities and iterations of the Addams Family in one form or another.
For every exception (such as Wod’s castle, for example), there were a hundred Addams Mansions in different corners of the multiverse. And in her various travels, visits, and adventures with the rest of her counterparts, Pup had seen quite a few.
Some were mansions that clearly dated back, at least in their origins, to the colonial period, with wood as the basis of their construction throughout the structure. Others, however, emphasized a more Gothic style and made abundant use of stone. The layout of each mansion and its internal framework were chaotic, changing from one universe to another, although it was often impossible to determine the internal organization as it was genuinely ever-changing, almost like a living thing, in many of the variants. However, almost all of them usually had a tower or higher section, normally positioned centrally in the building's layout.
The presence or absence of greenhouses was also something to consider. In some cases, they were just a room in a converted interior courtyard of the house. In others, they were a large glass structure adjacent to the main building of the mansion but clearly added later.
The presence of the Addams cemetery was also an inconsistent variant. The cemetery and family crypt were usually only present in versions of the mansion that were isolated from urban centers or suburbs and had large grounds of their own (lakes with krakens were common in these iterations too). In other versions, such as Pup's, the mansion was integrated into a neighborhood, and while they had a small family crypt in the backyard, it was a far cry from the elaborate graveyard found in the mansions of Weds and Woe’s universes, for example.
But ultimately, even with all its differences and peculiarities, what really made an Addams Mansion an Addams Mansion was that it was instinctively recognizable as such to any member of the family.
Even if they were from another universe.
Even before seeing it. That's why Pup and Wod knew instantly where A'Jax Ptr-Olus, The Martian Gorgon, had teleported them.
“Yes, this is an ancestral home of our lineage, I can feel it in my bones,” muttered Wod, gazing at the building.
Pup did the same, once the brief disorientation after using what A'Jax had called a “boom tunnel” had passed.
And yes, before them stood what was recognizable as the Addams Mansion, although something caught Pup's attention.
It wasn't that the building looked dilapidated or run-down. In fact, that was common in many versions of the Mansion, whose exterior appearance was a constant reminder of the mortality of things and universal entropy. It was somewhat comforting.
No, what was different was the feeling of emptiness.
Even in the most broken-down version of the Mansion, you could feel the presence of the family, the sounds of the explosions from children playing (or some Fester experimenting), the clatter of Gomez and Morticia's saber duels (one of their forms of foreplay, better not to think about it), Lurch's organ music, the screams of ghouls, specters, and other ghostly relatives, Kitty's occasional roar...
But that mansion was silent. No entire family had lived there in a long time.
The place felt like something asleep. Or dead.
And yet...
Pup began to move quickly toward the front door, followed by Wod and A'jax. The Martian suddenly seemed alarmed.
“Wait!” he said, “It's impossible that Moon Raven hasn't left some form of security in place. Let me make sure there are no protective sigils or anything similar activated...”
“That won't be necessary,” said Wod, placing an armored hand on the Martian's shoulder and nodding toward Pup. “Observe, messere.”
Pup stood before the enormous front door. Dark, weathered wood, battered by the elements, with exquisite carved decorations that had begun to lose their contours. There was no door knocker or bell in sight.
Pup looked up, staring at the building, and smiled kindly.
“Hello? House?” she said, “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
The house didn't move, not really, but to those present it was almost as if it did. As if an invisible reverberation ran through the structure of the building, as if something dormant were stretching and taking a deep breath in a big yawn.
“I apologize for the inconvenience,” Pup continued, in a cordial and polite tone, “I know you can see that we're not from around here, not really. But I also know that you can recognize an Addams when you see one, and we are both Addams. You would be doing us a huge favor if you would allow us to come in and speak with your current reclusive resident, please.”
Once again, there was a feeling of shuddering. The wood of the building creaked and there were clicks from the worn metal of its pipes. Inside, somewhere, something started up and suddenly lights could be seen through the windows.
And before Pup, the main entrance door opened with a loud creaking sound. The House welcomed her.
Pup turned to her companions. Wod simply gave a laugh that would have been worthy of Gomez and patted the stunned A'Jax on the back, inviting the Martian to follow them inside.
The interior looked better preserved than the exterior, but the mansion felt cold. And it wasn't the mortuary cold worthy of a crypt favored by the Addams family. It was the cold of a place that hadn't been a home in a long time. Pup and Wod felt a hint of sympathy for the old House.
“The entrance to the place we're looking for is in the main hall,” said A'Jax. His voice echoed through the mansion. “If she hasn't changed it, and if my memory serves me right, it should be near the fireplace.”
“By the way, what did you tell the rest of your heroic brethren to get us here?” asked Wod.
“Half-truths,” replied The Martian Gorgon, “I told them you wanted to visit the mansion before embarking on your journey back to your respective universes of origin.”
“Well, if it weren't for the revelation you dropped on us that your Wednesday is still alive, it wouldn't be out of line with what we'd want to do,” said Pup.
The main hall flooded Pup with a sense of nostalgia and déjà vu. Although the mansion in general resembled that of Weds or Woe, that main living room reminded her more of her own home. The place looked like a museum full of oddities, curiosities, and pieces of art that were strange and familiar at the same time. But the most striking feature was a huge portrait hanging above the extinguished fireplace.
Gomez and Morticia Addams, ridiculously young. Frozen in time. And below them, the date of their death.
Pup and Wod exchanged glances. They found it difficult to comprehend what a world without their parents would be like, a world in which there had never been a Pugsley or any other siblings. Many Wednesdays tended to seek solitude, but in that universe, Moon Raven seemed to have had it imposed upon her.
It felt wrong.
“On the left side of the fireplace,” said A'Jax, moving toward the spot indicated, “There should be a lever that…”
He couldn't finish his sentence when a smoke bomb emerged from the shadows and exploded in his face with a force that would have incapacitated a normal human being.
At that moment, Wod stood in front of Pup and raised his arm. A series of metal blades, vaguely resembling the shape of a bird with outstretched wings, struck the armor covering his arm and embedded themselves in the metal.
“Lady Pup!” he exclaimed.
“On it!” replied the Addams. Like all Wednesdays, Pup was not unarmed. From her hand, extracted from some hidden spot in her clothing, a dagger flew toward one of the upper corners of the room, which was engulfed in shadows.
A figure descended, dodging the attack, emerging from the darkness as it threw another wave of blades at them, which they managed to dodge without much trouble. The attacker was enthusiastic and experienced, but clearly lacked the speed and dexterity of an Addams.
The attacking figure fell, doing a somersault as it hit the ground, only to get up immediately while extending a metal staff. The attacker was wrapped in gray clothing that covered their entire body like a second skin, although it clearly provided protection. They wore a brown cape that appeared to be made of feathers, and the hood completely covered their face, leaving only white lenses over their eyes visible.
She was petite, short, and feminine. And her identity was revealed the moment A'Jax was able to stop coughing.
“Sparrow!” he shouted, “AGNES!”
The young girl paused, mid-attack, to look at the Martian, who was staring at her with the same expression a tutor or teacher might give a particularly unruly student.
“Was that really necessary, Miss DeMille?” asked the Martian.
Agnes removed her hood, revealing a young face. She couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen years old, with green eyes that sparkled with maniacal madness and bright red hair cut almost to the scalp.
The girl shrugged, a demented smile lighting up her face as she retracted her cane. “I'm sorry, but if I find intruders in the mansion without any of the alarms going off, I tend to leave the questions for later.”
A'Jax brought his hand to his forehead in exasperation. “Agnes... child. You know who I am. I've been here before. You know me.”
“Yes, well... you could be a shapeshifter taking on a familiar form to throw me off.”
“Technically, I am a shapeshifter,” A'Jax muttered.
“Which proves my point!” Agnes replied, smiling from ear to ear. A smile that faded when she looked at Pup and Wod.
“Oh, but you two... You are something very familiar and very different.”
“We are both Wednesday Addams,” said Wod.
“From other universes,” continued Pup.
Agnes DeMille, The Sparrow, looked at them, tilting her head curiously. “I'd heard stories, but never... Well, I can't say you're the strangest thing I've ever seen in my life, although you're close to the top five. Oh, I suppose you've come to see her. I don't think you're here for tourism, are you?”
“Indeed, Lady DeMille, it is imperative that we meet with your ladyship Wednesday Addams,” said Wod, bowing gallantly.
“Okaaaay,” said Agnes, looking at Wod with an expression somewhere between bewilderment and amusement. “Well, follow me then, although I can’t guarantee she’ll want to talk to anyone.”
“Has there been no improvement since last time?” asked A'Jax, with sincere concern.
Agnes merely glanced at the Martian and shook her head as she passed him on her way to the fireplace.
The girl approached the spot on the chimney where A'Jax had stood earlier and reached inside, touching a hidden lever. There was a noise like that of chains and gears, and the chimney seemed to slide along the wall with the sound of stone scraping against stone, revealing a dark opening inside which one could barely see anything.
“I hope you like slides,” said Agnes, diving headfirst into the darkness.
NOTES
Once again, my apologies for the delay. Last week was very busy, and this week has been no different. Add to that the fact that this episode has been rewritten a couple of times and I've decided to cut it down and save half of it for later, because I definitely need to start lightening up the chapters and making them a little shorter.
It doesn't help that we are slowly reaching a turning point in the story. It's time to juggle things around to put everything in its place, bring Amanda and Monday back (has anyone wondered where they are?), and start getting everything on track for the final stretch.
Yes, that means a more than likely FUBAR moment. If you know, you know.
In other words, future delays will be more likely to be due to my brain trying to get everything in order so I can get the story where I want to go. Wish me luck, the last thing I want is to end up like George R. R. Martin.
Some translations!messere: (italian) obsolete form of address equivalent to signore/signor. Sir, Mister, etc.
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