The gates of the empty pace projected a chill. The residents of Edinburgh would often walk past it, holding their breath as if walking past a cemetery. The cameras at the gate pointed down, they had been inactive for years and yet anyone who would walk past the gates would have the distinctive feeling of being watched. Something not just peering at them, but peering into their very soul.

  There was no guard stationed outside to speak of either. Although in the past, the Mould Queen had posted job opportunities for security, no guard had sted an entire day, being fired out of suspicion for being one of them.

  The pace had faded into the background of the old city aside from parents advising their curious children not to approach. Some would even ask if a Princess lived there, but they would be told otherwise.

  However, the unspoken rule of not approaching the pace gates only applied to the local Scottish.

  Two tourists, both dressed from head to toe in clothing from a poorly-written franchise that was aimed purely at children, approached the gates with their pstic wands at the ready, pointing them into the air. One pointed their cheap piece of crap at the gate and uttered a fake spell, that of course had no impact whatsoever and she pouted like a dog being denied a toy or a treat.

  The second tourist, a middle-aged man, was already climbing over the gate. He’d carefully positioned a wheelie bin with a few boxes on top of it and had pulled himself up. “What are you doing, Xander?” She gasped“We came all this way, we need to see her!” “But…”

  He reached a hand down towards her and although she hesitated for a second, she followed along. The other side of the wall was desote. The sprawling garden was dead, all pnt life decayed as if no water or sunlight had touched a single bde of grass in years. Instead, a bck and grey ink-like substance grew over everything, pulsating. There was no clear path towards the pace’s entrance, but the substance parted like the Red Sea, pointing the two tourists towards the front door.

  Now, any normal human being at this point would’ve turned and run. Certainly the majority of residents of the ancient city of Edinburgh would turn tail without even worrying about how much their kilt was showing but, the two tourists had a mission.

  With gleeful looks on their faces, they barrelled inside. “The snare is real!” The woman cried with excitement “It’s all real, Xander!”

  The substance covering the front doors also gave way, swinging them open. The smell of death and damp enveloped the two but they pressed onwards. The substance covered every single inch of the pace’s interior. A main hall that seemed to stretch on forever led towards a rge staircase. It once more parted. Multiple bedrooms, all abandoned, bathrooms with solid-gold toilet lids had decayed entirely. The kitchens, one on every single floor were full of decayed food, their fridges and freezers left completely empty.

  None of this raised any red fgs with the two tourists as the mould continued to part for them, leading them towards the top floor. A final door, one that was almost invisible due to how much mould covered it’s surface swung open and the two ran inside. “We’re here! Do you have our letters?!” The woman cried, an ear-to-ear smile on her face. It quickly faded as a tendril made of mould shot out, and impaled the middle-aged man, lifting him into the air. His cries of delight were instantly repced with screams of terror.

  “The snare!” She shrieked, raising the pstic wand and uttering a dumb-sounding spell. It did nothing. No light escaped the cheap pstic and she could do little as the tendril dragged her friend deeper into the room. She charged in, watching as the tendril hovered before a throne made entirely of mould.

  The Mould Queen sat with a smile upon her face. Her eyes were forced open, her smile was not human, with a row of sharp teeth made of the same substance. Even her hair had become one with it. “Well, well well…” Her voice echoed as one of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands “What do we have here?”“I-it’s you?” The woman cried, some of her excitement returning as she adjusted her fake gsses “Do you have our letters? We never got them as kids.”

  She was damn near oblivious to her friend, who was becoming enveloped by the mouldy tendril, the substance seeping into his mouth and eyes, even reaching into his ears like long, bony fingers.

  The Mould Queen didn’t even rise from her throne to greet her and her smile was repced with a scowl of annoyance. “Do you fucking hear yourself?” She sighed heavily, using a tendril to rest her head in her hands but quickly withdrawing it “How old are you?”“Thirty-five.”

  She pulled up her robes, revealing arms marked by dozens of tattoos from the same franchise, a smile across her face. All the Mould Queen could do in response was groan heavily. A tendril shot out from her back, impaling the woman and lifting her into the air next to her friend, who had stopped struggling.

  “Bu-but…Our letters!” She cried, tears filling her eyes. The Mould Queen shot another tendril upwards, removing the fake gsses and breaking the cheap pstic instantly. “I loved you!”“That was your mistake. Love is an illness. Hatred is pure. How much of your earnings did you spend funding me?”“I-I…I remortgaged my house and sold my children to the circus!” She cried out“Good.” A sly, sinister grin grew across The Mould Queen’s face “And…How do you feel about them?”“T-them?”“The enemy.”“Oh!” Her face brightened up “Well, they’re valid af, Queen. But obviously what you gave the world is far more important than their lives!”The scowl returned “You’re not worthy.”“B-but…”“Bu-t but…” The Mould Queen mocked “Do you hear yourself, worm? You can’t have it both ways you stupid cunt.”

  The tendril applied more pressure, squeezing the life from the tourist like a snake. An actual snake, that is (not an Asian woman who happens to have been cursed into being a snake, seriously what was up with that). The Mould Queen brought the tourist closer to her as she choked.“Any st words?”“I love you…” She managed to gasp out before her voice was silenced forever, the cracking of bones as her skeleton was crushed beneath the weight filled the room.

  Both bodies were tossed aside, and were consumed by the Mould within seconds, leaving no traces behind.“Well, that was fun.” The Mould Queen sighed “What’s next on the agenda?”

  The mouldy tendrils shot out, grabbing a hold of her phone.

  Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy Flee Righteous Justice

  “Oh, fuck me!” She screamed. If there was any human blood left in her, she would’ve turned red in anger “I’ll have to murder these whores myself, then.”She stood up from her throne, her feet still not touching the ground as the mouldy tendrils covering her entire body led her towards an open window. She stepped outside but the tendrils kept her attached to the wall of the pace.

  Perched on the roof were a dozen pigeons, all of which had the tendrils enveloping their bodies. Some fought against it, fpping wildly in an attempt to break free but that only caused more tendrils to shoot out, pulling them back down.The Mould Queen raised a hand and tendrils shot from her body, covering all of the birds.

  The struggling stopped and every pigeon emerged. Twice as rge, their feathers utterly covered in mould and with their eyes facing the front of their heads rather than the side, twisted and pointed. Their beaks were more cw-like and their feet were repced by sharp talons. “You know what to do. Find that private pne and bring it down. Kill those dirty whores and anyone with them!”

  The pigeons hissed collectively, fpping their new wings. The Mould Queen watched her flock of horrors take flight.“We still have that conference call.” The voice inside her mind echoed“Oh, bugger.” She darted back inside and back to her throne while two tendrils reached for a tablet, holding it in front of her.

  The Microsoft Teams incoming call sound filled the empty room and within seconds the screen changed. Sitting on a throne of stone and surrounded by fire was the scourge of the universe, the ruler of the nightmare world, one whose very name shakes the will of even the strongest Green Lantern.

  Darkseid.

  The Mould Queen however, did not tremble at the New God’s appearance. She did bow her head as a courtesy, but she didn’t kneel.“The humans still don’t know anything. Some still regard me as a God.”“A false one.” His voice was calm but even from thousands of star systems away, it still carried command.“That won’t be the case when our agreement is complete, Darkseid. Of course, I would never be foolish enough to challenge your Godly status.”

  He rested his head atop his hands, leaning forwards on his throne.“My army will be at the edge of your sor system in exactly two of your Earth weeks. Should you fail me, I will y waste to the part of your pathetic pnet I promised to let you keep. Do not make me break my word.”“Of course, Lord Darkseid.” She gave another bow out of courtesy“These creatures you speak of so often are an insult.” He clenched a fist, his face twisting “Their determination, their sheer will disgusts me. The universe will howl out in despair as I arrive.”“And by the time any of those so-called heroes know what’s happening, the Earth will already be consumed. Consider the rest of the pnet a Christmas gift, Lord Darkseid.”“I do not observe your Earthly traditions, but I accept nonetheless.” He gave a nod. “Two weeks. No more, no less.”

  The call ended and The Mould Queen scowled in disgust. “A means to an end.” The voice echoed“I know. If Darkseid can help us eliminate them from the entire universe, then any price is worth it. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but we have another call to make, don’t we?”“Indeed. Carry on.”

  The tendrils tapped a few buttons on the tablet and The Mould Queen made another call across the universe. The screen was soon filled with the face of a giant. The terror of multiple star systems and the devourer of worlds.

  Gactus.

  “Who dares call Gactus? How did you even get my details?” His voice boomed across the stars“Oh, it wasn’t easy I will admit. That poor Shi’ar emissary suffered so much before giving you up.”“What do you want?”“Nothing, nothing at all.” She firmly shook her head “I just have information you might appreciate. The Sol star system is going to be under attack by Darkseid of Apokolips in exactly two Earth weeks.”“And?”“Well, every single hero of Earth will be busy. I know how often they’ve been a thorn in your side. All you want to do is eat, and they keep getting in your way.” “Are you offering me the Earth hoping that you’ll be spared by Gactus?”“Oh, fuck no. No, if you come for Earth they’ll no doubt divert and go after you instead. No, no. I’m saying that any other worlds the so-called heroes swore to protect will be vulnerable. An all you can eat buffet for the mighty Gactus.”

  He paused for a moment.“If I find you are lying to me, I will destroy your entire pnet. And I will make you watch as I do it.”“Understandable. But I’m not lying.”“Gactus is no fool. I will have a herald confirm the information. If you are speaking the truth, Earthling…Then your pnet will be awarded a few more years.”

  The Mould Queen nodded firmly “Thank you, oh mighty Gactus.”He ended the call.

  “So, Darkseid attacks Pluto and Gactus gets peckish. That’ll keep everyone away from Earth for a while. Let us work. Let us spread without distractions.”“What if the heroes kill Darkseid?”“Good. More pnet for us. They’ll return to Earth exhausted and battered. They won’t be able to stop The Mould at that point.”“Anyone else we should call? Have to ensure nobody is missed.”“Hmm.” A tendril rested on her chin. Her eyes went wide, a smile growing on her face “Just those already loyal.”

  She threw her head back on her throne, her eyes going white.

  In the buildings of governments, in hospitals, in the offices of media empires, at a convention for the franchise for children thousands of individuals across the world stopped in their tracks. A doctor in a GP surgery that was currently dismissing obvious cancer signs as 'hormonal hocus pocus', the President of a country who was currently shaking hands with diplomats, a news anchor preparing to give live on air, an actor signing autographs, the leader of a rally outside of a city hall screaming into a megaphone about burning certain people alive, a charity worker at a shelter tossing somebody to the curb for 'not belonging there'. They all stopped what they were doing and stared bnkly into space.

  “This is your Queen speaking.” Her voice echoed inside all of their minds “Things are proceeding ahead of schedule. Keep up your work but be ready to strike in two weeks from now. This pnet will belong to us soon. Until then, keep up the good work. Our mission is almost complete.”