[The cover shows the Morning Stars battered and beaten as seen
from between the furry legs of a shadowy catperson who looms
over them. "The first fight against Bathory...and the last?"]

____________________________________________________________________________
.|, COHERENT COMICS PRESENTS An ASH Universe Story
--+-------------------------------------------------------------------------
'|` SHADOW GIRLS #12 - O Brother Where Art Thou?
copyright 2023 by Dave Van Domelen
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The Morning Stars

Tetra-Red Xueli "Julie" Li - The Leader
Hexa-Blue Tamica "Tammy" Sullivan - The Brains
Octa-Green Dhriti "Tee" Singh - The Fighter
Dodeca-Yellow Jessica "Jess" Davies - The Scout
Icosa-Pink Olivia "Liv" Stuart - The Heart
Black Opal II Madelyn "Maddie" Chin - The Mentor...under protest

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[July 3, 2027 - Plato's Cave]

"We need to go after Bathory now! We're ready!" Julie insisted. "The
longer we wait, the more time she has to...do things...to Chachi. And anyone
else she's suckered into her furry cult!"
"Chachi," or Jaqui, was Julie's older brother, who had gotten involved
in the Snow Leopards a few months ago. Given that Bathory tended to turn her
favored minions into catpeople under her mental domination, odds were pretty
good he was already significantly furrier than when Julie had last seen him.
"Yeah, we splatted Supernaut all over that lab," Tee crowed. "If Inky
shows his face again I'll do the same to him!"
Maddie frowned. From what Tee had said of her encounter with Inky-Doo
the shadow-stealer, it had been a pretty close fight. A lot closer than Tee
seemed to think it was now.
"But won't they be expecting you to do something in the wake of that
success?" Maddie tried to appeal to Jess's caution to get at least one of the
girls on the side of...well, sanity was probably off the table at this point,
but at least not rushing off to get killed.
"I calculate that given the volume of bodily fluids left behind by our
encounter and the uncertainty as to their provenance, Bathory is at least
sixty percent likely to assume some of the blood left on the walls was ours,
and that we'd need time to recover before launching a new assault," Tammy
said flatly.
Jess nodded. "We need to strike before they can react to the obvious
new players in town."
"And we need to save all of Bathory's kittycat slaves," Liv pleaded, her
eyes glistening with barely restrained tears. Jess snorted derisively at
that, earning a glare from both Liv and Julie.
Maddie herself was straining to resist the urge to facepalm. "Look,
Bathory's lair in the Ansonia is crawling with Snow Leopards most of the
time, even without any reaction to Supernaut's...splatting...they could just
overwhelm you with numbers. Bathory's never been shy about sacrificing a few
pawns to take down a knight."
"So, what? We wait until we get more powerful, but she's getting more
powerful too? We'll never go after her at that rate!" Julie slammed her fist
down on a workbench, cracking it.
Maddie added it to the chores list for later. "Wait until tomorrow
night."
"How does one day help?" Tee frowned.
"The fireworks," Tammy nodded to Maddie. "While it hasn't been as
significant a holiday during our generation, especially thanks to its
proximity to July 6th, the 4th of July is an American holiday that
traditionally involves displays of pyrotechnics."
"Right, one of those Old People holidays," Julie nodded.
"Indeed," Tammy continued with her lecture, "The Jolly Molecules that
remain in Manhattan may not be particularly patriotic, but they *are*
pyrotechnic enthusiasts. They will continue their tradition of using any
excuse to 'blow shit up,' without suffering consequences. It is very likely
that many of the Snow Leopards will be attending the festivities."
"Leaving the Ansonia with just a skeleton crew of people who pissed
Bathory off enough to be grounded," Tee grinned evilly.
Maddie nodded. "There would be enough to keep any captives or wavering
hangers-on in line, and we do have to worry that Bathory herself will still
be home if she thinks fireworks are beneath her, but it's probably the least
sui...ill-advised an attack is going to be for the foreseeable future."
"So, we wait for the explosions to start in Central Park, and then start
some of our own in the Upper West Side, I like it," Julie nodded.
"One more thing," Maddie went to an armory locker and pulled out a
bandolier full of little spheres. "Orange essence bombs. Catboys are good
trackers, but they don't like oranges any more than real cats do. Drop a few
of these any time you run into opposition and they won't be able to get a
read on your scent...or anything else. And the less strong-willed of them
are probably just gonna bolt to get away from the horrible stench."
"Aren't all the catboys weak-willed by definition? No offense to
Chachi," Tee smirked slightly.
"None taken, he's my brother, but he's an idiot sometimes," Julie
shrugged, not taking the bait.
"Bathory is arrogant, but nothing suggests she is a complete fool,"
Tammy interjected. "While the bulk of her 'anchor watch' will be those who
are on her demerits list, she will make sure that at least one or two trusted
lieutenants are present to ensure none of the others attempt to sneak off or
otherwise malinger. And those lieutenants will have been chosen for
uncoerced loyalty and stronger wills, to ensure that they can enforce their
commands over the rest."
"Priority one," Julie held up her index finger, "bust into the harem or
whatever and free Chachi, plus anyone else we think we can get out. That'll
put some hurt on Bathory..."
"And save your brother," Tee nodded.
"And save my brother, yes." Julie raised a second finger. "Priority
two, if it looks like we can get a clean shot at Bathory herself, take the
bitch down HARD. But if it looks like she'd just throw a pile of furries at
us while she runs, not much point in wasting our time."
"I still think cutting off the head of the snake should be priority
one," Jess growled.
"It's a BIG snake," Julie countered. "Fortune favors the bold, but that
just means we might get lucky and have a shot at fighting her while all her
bodyguards are out watching the Molecules get jolly. If we don't, we don't.
Bathory running or completely forting up help us in the long run, because
either way she's reacting and we're forcing."
A third finger went up. "Finally, we still don't know where some of
these new paragangers are coming from, like Killgamesh and Inky-doo and oh my
GOD is that supposed to be Enkidu? Gah. I hate that I'm using something
from lit class. Anyway, if there's anything in the Snow Leopard base that
looks like it might explain things, like a secret tunnel to Jersey or a big
glowing tube that gives people powers, we should try to break it."
Maddie sighed quietly in relief. At least now that the girls had gotten
their way on the big thing, they seemed a little less crazy and willing to
plan instead of throwing themselves at Bathory like shadow-covered missiles.
But it still did not feel like this was going to end well....

* * * *

[July 4, 2027 - The Ansonia, Upper West Side]

While Bathory had gotten her start in the SoHo/Tribeca area, she'd
absorbed the old Cyanide Blues territory following her alliance with, and the
disappearance of, Cockatrice. As a woman with a taste for the finer things
in life, at least as she saw them, Bathory was attracted to the pre-crash
mystique of the Upper West Side, and had spent the last two years having the
old Ansonia building renovated to her tastes. It had been a hotel, an
apartment building, and then an upscale condominium property before being
almost completely vacated during the Ride of the Valkyries that kicked off
the Godmarket crash.
It also had a rather good view of the fireworks in Central Park, which
the Morning Stars hoped meant that anyone still inside would be watching
through the East-facing windows and wouldn't pick up their stealthy approach
as the emerged from the tunnel network several blocks West of Broadway.
"Why wouldn't they all just watch from inside or on the roof?"
Icosa-Pink asked as they crept out onto the street. "It's a really good view
and they have air conditioning inside and it's kinda nasty and muggy tonight.
They could all still be inside, yah?"
"Pssh," Octa-Green snorted. "It's not just watching the fireworks,
it's an excuse to party, especially with some people they haven't been living
with for months."
"Throat mics only, guys. Cats have big ears," Maddie warned over the
comms. She only had limited camera access in the neighborhood, in large part
because Bathory's gang had been disabling what traffic cameras and private
security cameras still worked in the area, or linking them to their own
network. Maddie was pretty sure she could get into that network, but less
sure she could do so without it leaving any tracks, which meant it was a
one-off she didn't want to burn yet. The girls were carrying some remotes
they could stick to walls as they went into the Ansonia, and which would use
blackcel tech to fry themselves once they were done.
After a minute or so of swift but fairly silent movement, they could see
the Ansonia about half lit up from within, its turret-like "cupolas" at the
corners making for natural guard posts, although no one seemed to be in the
windows facing away from the fireworks.
There was, however, a lone figure standing in front of the doors.
Definitely a catboy, with fur somewhere between tawny and orange, with a hint
of stripes on his arms. He wore tight-fitting shorts, but not a lot else
besides the short fur that covered his body. The hair on his head spread out
like a lion's mane, but he had a sort of sideburns going on that resembled a
tiger's facial fur. He seemed both alert and relaxed, as if he wasn't really
worried about trouble but still looking for it.
"Someone must've been on Bathory's shit list to get guard duty on the
side that can't even see the fireworks," Octa-Green observed over the comms.
"We take him down quiet and hard before he can alert..." Dodeca-Yellow
started to say, but was interrupted as Tetra-Red stepped out into the light.
"We are the shadow warriors of justice!" she proclaimed. "Surrender or
face our fury!"

* * * *

[July 4, 2027 - The Scott Building]

Not all of the Upper West Side cameras inaccessible to Maddie were
controlled by Bathory, and through one of these Rex Umbrae watched the
unfolding scene and resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands.
"This...is not going to go well, is it, darling?" Maria asked from
across the room. She was watching the feed through an internal cybernetic
link, no need to crowd around a screen.
"For the 'Morning Stars,' not particularly. Bathory's no fool, and she
expects *someone* to try an attack on a night like this where much of her
gang is partying around the Central Park lake. The girls have power and some
skill, but my concerns about the psychotropic effects of the gems were well-
founded, they're being...." Umbrae trailed off in annoyance.
"Dumbasses."
"Yes. Still, if this turns into a massacre, I can at least use it as a
pretext to move directly against Bathory without upsetting the power balance
too badly. And the Morning Stars may well bleed Bathory enough in the
process to make the job less costly in terms of manpower."

* * * *

[Outside the Ansonia]

The lone guard turned to face Tetra-Red, flashing a toothy and somewhat
fang-filled smile. "Oh, we're doing introductions? That's handy. Mistress
didn't say who to expect, just to expect company and a chance to flex my new
muscles. Call me Ligerjack!"
"Code orange!" Maddie ordered, and several orange essence bombs burst.
"Ugh, and to think I used to like oranges," Ligerjack batted at his nose
with one hand.
Taking advantage of the seeming distraction, Tetra-Red leapt forwards in
a kick, but Ligerjack sidestepped her and almost landed a counter-strike with
a swipe of his claws.
"Still getting used to the new size," he grinned. "I like it, but I had
to ditch all my old wardrobe."
"Not complaining," Octa-Green purred.
"Not the time for your libido," Hexa-Blue sighed.
"You don't need to fight, Ligerjack!" Icosa-Pink pleaded. "We're just
here to rescue some people, we can take you away from this too, fix whatever
Bathory did to you!"
"I don't think he wants to be fixed," Dodeca-Yellow muttered.
"Yeah, don't say fix around a cat!" Ligerjack had clearly heard her.
"And I'm awesome! Bathory's the best thing to ever happen to me, and to this
town! No more disappointed glares from my folks or snide comments from my
sister, I have a new family. And if I can beat down some threats to my new
family thanks to my new powers, great!"
Tetra-Red retreated a few paces, her body language screaming hesitation
and confusion. She had noticed something about her opponent, clearly.
"My turn, then!" Octa-Green jumped in and managed to land a solid hit
that rocked Ligerjack back on his heels. He recovered quickly and dropped
into a legsweep that Octa-Green barely avoided.
More lights were starting to come on in the west-facing windows, and
figures appeared in them. The sky roared with the sound of fireworks on the
other side of the building.
"No turns!" Dodeca-Yellow shouted, barely audible over the thunderous
booms, racing forwards. "We need to drop this chump FAST before all the
other cats come to play!"
Tetra-Red interposed herself, and Yellow barely stopped before
colliding. "No!" she said over the comms. "It's Chachi!"
"Oh fuck no," Dodeca-Yellow snarled. "This mission's gone straight to
hell. I'm out," she added, bounding for the darkness.
"We can still save him," Icosa-Pink said, watching the high energy
sparring between Octa-Green and Ligerjack.
It looked like he might be better than any one of the Morning Stars,
only his lack of familiarity with his new body had kept Octa-Green from
a quick defeat. A gang-up could probably beat him, but then what?
"We have deviated too much from acceptable mission parameters," Hexa-
Blue said, putting a hand on Pink's shoulder. "We should retreat before
their numerical advantage is brought to bear, as we have clearly failed to
catch Bathory's forces at any sort of tactical disadvantage. Even if we knew
HOW to disentangle him from his loyalty to Bathory, it is unlikely we will be
given the opportunity to attempt it."
"Everyone scatter!" Tetra-Red shouted as her own temporary decision-
paralysis finally broke.
"No way!" Octa-Green replied, her fist glancing off a rapidly interposed
forearm. "This is the best fight I've had in weeks! Supernaut was just a
big zombie punching bag!"
"Glad to know I can make a lady happy," Ligerjack riposted, almost
catching her ankle with his tail. "Whoa, I didn't realize I could control it
like that! Neat!"
Octa-Green ducked past and grabbed his tail. "Now I have a liger by the
tail," she taunted. "Victory is mine!"
"Wrong species, I'm no monkey!" he spun around, forcing her to let go
lest she be reeled into reach.
"SO HELP ME," Tetra-Red shouted, "if you don't disengage NOW, I WILL
find a way to send your Solar Max/Triton hurt/comfort fics to SULTRY!"
"Fine, fine!" Octa-Green arghed, leaping away before Ligerjack could
grab her. "Manhattan doesn't need another hurricane. Rain check, big boy?"
Without waiting for a reply, the remaining four vanished into the night,
just as dozens of human and non-human members of the Snow Leopards burst out
onto the street, many of them armed.
"And here I thought I wouldn't get to see any fireworks," Ligerjack
chuckled.

* * * *

[Plato's Cave]

Maddie watched via the remote Hexa-Blue had thought to stick to a lamp
post, as the roused Snow Leopards milled around with no one to fight.
Several had decided they didn't care for the lingering orange mist and were
going back inside.
"That could have been worse," she sighed after making sure she'd muted
her microphone.
Good news, they knew what had happened to Jaqui.
Bad news, he went by Ligerjack now, and did not want to be rescued.
Worse news, he was a lot stronger and faster than any of the catboys
Maddie had encountered while working as Hellhound, so either he was a latent
paranormal, or Bathory had some way of giving her minions even more power
now. That would explain Killgamesh and Inky-doo coming out of nowhere.
Even worse news, there was no way Tee wasn't going to double back for a
rematch as soon as her gem-fueled mania overcame her perfectly reasonable
fear of the weather-controlling and very jealous Sultry. Jess might be
headed for the river at this point, to get off the island entirely. And no
guarantees Liv wouldn't try to sneak back and "save" Ligerjack.
All five were dangerously unbalanced now, focused on a single trait and
practically exemplifying it. At least Julie and Tammy seemed likely to
return to the Cave without further prompting, but two out of five was NOT
fine.
Maddie pulled a slim black box out of the drawer next to her control
setup and opened it to reveal the shining metal pectoral on its golden chain.
It had five depressions in the shapes of the five gems the girls wore, and
had once contained those gems in both a literal and a figurative sense. If
Jessa's MetaPsych para-archaeology analysts were right, donning the plate of
metal would let Maddie moderate the effects of the gems...but it wasn't a
decision she could take back. They were also pretty sure it would bond to
her the way the gems bonded to the girls. And what if she took on their
insanity as a way of protecting them from it? When the voice of reason goes
crazy, what happens next?
"Screw it, send her the fics," Octa-Green's voice came over the comms.
No more time.
Maddie lifted the chain over her head and settled the golden plate
against her chest...
...and SCREAMED as the metal burned its way through her shirt and into
her flesh!

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Author's Notes:

And so ends the second arc!

Ligerjack is the name of a Japanese-version Transformer from about 20
years ago (Leobreaker was his American name), but I figured it would be a
good name for Jaqui "Jack, not Chachi damn it" Li as an empowered minion of
Bathory's.

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and more, go to http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/ASH !

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Heroic Age, but containing some information about other Ages.

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