KISS and the Battle of GOOD vs EVIL
Part 36-A



He stood looking up at the hotel.  The alley was the 
perfect spot to observe the target location.  His 
agents were inside, especially one very special one.  
Contact had been made several times already.  Now it 
was just a matter of waiting.

He smiled as he saw a flash of fire and two figures 
appeared within the darkness between buildings.  
Yes, right on schedule.

Before eyes used to hotel brightness could adjust to 
alley darkness, he cast a strong sleep spell on them 
as he leaped forward.  He caught the one woman as 
she slid off the other's shoulder, held the other 
upright, and teleported them to a safe location.

*	*	*	*	*

Gena woke up confused and feeling oddly suffocated.  
She was gazing at a wall.  Where was she?  This 
wasn't Raven's room.  Not her room.

"Awake?"

She turned her head.  "Who are you?"  She realized 
she was tied to a chair.  "What is going on here?"

He smiled coldly.  "I ask the questions.  And don't 
bother trying to cast any spells.  I know about you, 
your fire magic, and your relationship with Gene 
Simmons.  What I want to know is why you left the 
hotel with an unconscious lady over your shoulder."

Gena spat, "Because that unconscious lady is Raven 
and I was looking for Buttercup!  Now take me to 
Buttercup!  And don't harm a hair on her head 
because she's my ticket into E.V.I.L.!"

The man raised his eyebrow.  "And you expect me to 
believe this?"

"I don't care what you believe," Gena told him.  
"Take me to Buttercup.  Let HIM decide.  I know 
you're an agent of E.V.I.L., I can sense the dark 
magic in you."  She narrowed her eyes, looking 
closer.  "You're the Drow!"

He laughed.  Walking across the room, he caressed 
her cheek.  "Your magic is like a fire fighting to 
break free."  He ran his hand down her neck.  "Do 
you feel it?  Hot.  Wild."  His hand stroked down 
her breast.  "Warming you."  His hand slid lower.  
"Warming all of you.  But you keep it banked."  He 
stepped back.  "Why do you starve the flame?  Feed 
it!  Set it blazing."

"Remove the spell on me and I'll show you a 
bonfire," she promised through clenched teeth.

The Drow laughed and darted forward again.  He 
grabbed her head and kissed her harshly.  His free 
hand roamed her body.  He finally released her, 
laughing as she panted for air.  "I can show you 
things that fat old rocker can't even dream of."

"Buttercup wants Gene," she said.  "I can deliver 
him.  Why don't you let me talk to him?"

The Drow tilted his head.  He touched her face, 
slowly drawing a line across her cheek to her lips.  
"Just how close are you to Simmons?"

"I've slept with him," she answered.  "I bear his 
Mark.  But I won't if you don't get me to Buttercup 
before KISS can realize I've switched sides.  There 
ARE ways to sever Marks."

"But we have Raven now," the Drow reminded her.  
"Why do we need you?"

"Because I've been around KISS for almost twenty 
years," she answered.  "I can give you information 
that will let you easily take every single one of 
them.  I'm a powerful fire mage.  And if Buttercup 
finds you wasted time getting me to him you are 
going to be in big trouble."

The Drow smiled.  "I think you are right.  I think 
you are something Buttercup himself needs to see.  
So one of Gene's own women is the one who will give 
E.V.I.L. the key to KISS and the most powerful 
matrix since Atlantis?  How deliciously ironic."

"Just shut up and get me to Buttercup," Gena 
ordered.

The Drow nodded.  He gestured and the ropes holding 
her to the chair vanished.  "The spell remains for a 
while longer."  He nodded to a door.  "Raven is 
through there.  I have placed a strong sleeping 
spell on her.  You will carry her and I will take us 
to meet Buttercup.  And a few others."

*	*	*	*	*

Peter unlocked the door.  "Raven?"  He looked around 
the lighted room.  "Gena?  Raven?"

He shrugged and closed the door.  Checking the 
special link between him and Raven, he sensed she 
was asleep.  He chuckled.  "Gena must have taken her 
back to her room.  Bet Gena put on a movie and Raven 
went to sleep.  I wore her out this afternoon."

He yawned and stretched.  He had to excuse himself 
from the Meet and Greet early, exhaustion suddenly 
descending on him like a blanket.  Must be getting 
old.  He used to be able to do a concert and then 
party all night.  Of course part of the reason he 
came back early was to make it up to Raven while he 
still had the energy to do so.  And she beat him 
asleep!  He chuckled and shook his head.  He would 
go to bed and let her sleep.  Let them both get some 
rest.  He left their connection open so he would 
know the moment she woke up.  And once they were 
both awake he would let her know he was waiting 
here, ready and willing.

He gave a happy sigh and quickly prepared for bed.

*	*	*	*	*

"Gently!  Gently!"  Herr Dokter Herbert H. Herbert 
ordered shrilly.  "On the table!  No bruises!  I 
expect no bruises but those I inflict!"

Gena carefully placed Raven on the table in the 
middle of the laboratory while the Drow watched.  
She smoothed the hair back from Raven's face.  "You 
won't be hurt.  I promise."  She glared at Herr 
Dokter.  "Raven is VERY important to gaining control 
of KISS.  You will not do any damage to her.  There 
are ways to gain her cooperation other than 
torture."

"You have no authority here," the Drow reminded her.

She glared at the Drow.  "I will kill anyone who 
harms a hair on her head, and that includes you.  
You're already on my list."

Herr Dokter rubbed his hands together, chuckling 
fiendishly.  "We finally have her.  She is in our 
G.R.I.P.  Victory shall be ours."  He picked up a 
syringe and checked its measurement.

A cold chill passed through the room.

"What's that?"  Gena asked, frowning slightly.  "It 
better not be anything that'll hurt her.  Remember 
what I said."

"Nothing harmful, I assure you.  Raven is far too 
valuable for me to chance any harm.  Just a little 
preventive measure I prepared when I learned about 
our visitor, to make sure that when she wakes she 
doesn't destroy my lab," Herr Dokter answered, 
injecting Raven.  "This will also make her more 
susceptible to my programming.  Very open to 
suggestion."  He set the empty syringe aside.  "Now 
I just wait until she wakes."  He shot the Drow a 
nasty look.  "You didn't knock her out for too long, 
did you, Petunia?"

Gena looked at the Drow and smiled.  "Petunia?"

The Drow gave her a look that said if she uttered 
one word he would totally obliterate her.  "I wanted 
to make sure she would stay unconscious until I got 
her here safely.  Gena was able to get out of the 
hotel undetected.  There is no search underway.  We 
have all night.  With that gathering of all the 
girltalk ladies, her master will doubtlessly be 
sampling other female delicacies.  She probably 
won't be missed until morning."

Herr Dokter sighed.  "I just hate waiting.  Oh well, 
I can catch up on some reading."  He walked over and 
opened a drawer.  He pulled out a magazine and 
settled in his chair.

"COSMOPOLITAN?!"  Gena asked, surprised.

"How better to study feminine mental patterns?" Herr 
Dokter asked without looking up.  "Now.  Both of 
you.  Go away."

Gena pointed at the unconscious Raven.  "Shouldn't 
someone stay?  She could be dangerous.  We shouldn't 
leave you alone."

Herr Dokter waved them away without looking up.  
"The shot will control her.  Now go away.  I will 
program her and when next you see her, Raven will be 
a proper agent of E.V.I.L."

"Do not argue with Herr Dokter," the Drow said 
coldly, his grip harsh on Gena's arm.  He walked out 
the door, making her choose between going willingly 
and being dragged.  She went willingly.  They went 
down the hallway and entered an open doorway.

"Well well," sneered Daffodil.  "This the new 
recruit we heard you were bringing in?  Going to 
check her out for weapons, Petunia?  Or have you 
already checked her out?"

The Drow glared at the brother/sister team sitting 
at a table, drinks in hand.  "You two were supposed 
to be at the hotel.  Where did you disappear to?"

"I had to drag Sis out of the ocean," Dastardly said 
in explanation.

Daffodil sniffed.  "I'm going to get Tiger for 
that."  She smirked.  "Tiger skin rug.  I like that 
idea.  She's dead.  I guarantee, in the next twenty-
four hours I'm nailing that witch bitch."

The Drow snorted.  "From what I've seen, you two 
together couldn't take her.  She's a mage.  Mages 
can be very dangerous."

"Yeah yeah," Daffodil said, obviously unconvinced.  
"You're all the time trying to convince us your 
magic is stronger than our guns.  I just need to 
find the right caliber to handle any situation.  
Haven't seen the mage yet that can cast a spell with 
their face blown off.  Tiger is as good as dead."  

"You know Buttercup doesn't like us killing matrix 
members," the Drow reminded her.

She smiled.  "Buttercup has already said there'll be 
no penalties.  She's expendable.  He's not as 
impressed with mages as you are."

Gena glanced at the other person in the room.  "And 
you are?"

"Lily," the woman said.  She looked at the Drow.  
"They've got everyone at the hotel now so we 
abandoned the trap at the airport.  How good are 
their defenses at the hotel?"

"I got in and out several times," the Drow answered.  
"Daffodil obviously got caught a couple of times.  
Guess mages do have their uses."  He smiled at the 
muttering agent and then turned back to Lily.  "A 
few of my constructs are still over there.  Gena got 
out with Raven."

The other three agents suddenly sat up.  "Raven?  We 
have Raven?"

The Drow put his arm around Gena's shoulders, a smug 
look on his face.  "Thanks to our new associate.  
Meet Gena.  Recent addition to girltalk, part of the 
matrix, a fire MAGE, a Gene Marked and acolyte, and 
now one of us.  We'd have never gotten our hands on 
Raven without her MAGIC."

And Gena felt the nullification spell on her fade.

Dastardly ran his eyes over her full form and skimpy 
outfit.  "All right.  Welcome to the team."

Daffodil snorted.  "Another mage."

Gena tossed her hair back.  "Yeah, another mage.  
And what do you have to contribute to the 
advancement of E.V.I.L.?"

"My brains and body," Daffodil answered, standing 
up.

Gena gave the tight bodysuit a careful examination.  
"Well I can see what benefit the body could be but 
I'm still waiting to hear the brain be engaged."

"Listen you little witch," Daffodil snarled.

"At least they pronounce it with a W in my case," 
Gena returned with a cold smile.

"Let's not get in any fights now," a thin wavering 
voice said.

A pale balding man shuffled in the room.  He went 
across to the vending machines and waited patiently.  
The soda machine gave an odd noise and he kicked it.  
It immediately dropped a can.

"We need to fix that," Dastardly said.

"Why?"  the balding man asked, opening his soda.  "I 
find it quite handy."  He turned and walked out.

"Yeah, if you TIME it right!"  Daffodil yelled after 
him.  She sat chuckling at some private joke.

"Who was that?"  Gena asked.

"Thyme," the Drow answered.

Gena turned and contemplated the doorway.  She 
remembered the guys mentioning the 'Time Talker'.  
Could this be him, the E.V.I.L. agent who could 
speak to people in other time periods?

Lily followed the Drow over to the vending machines.  
"You've been in the hotel.  Do we know what floor 
any of the other prime targets are on?  Do we know 
what any more of the matrix powers are yet?"

"Gena knows and she can give us all the information 
we need."  The Drow looked at her.  "Want something 
to drink?"

"Actually, I need a bathroom," she said.

Lily pointed at the door.  "Turn right.  Ladies' 
Room is fourth door on the left side of the 
hallway."

"Thanks."

"Don't try to leave the building," the Drow said 
softly.  He turned, a cold soda in hand.  "Buttercup 
monitors everything in this building.  You try to 
leave on your own, you will be vaporized."

Gena smiled.  "Why should I leave?  I haven't gotten 
my ID and company pin yet."  She turned and strutted 
to the door.  She glanced back in the room for a 
second.

Dastardly and Daffodil were talking about the latest 
episode of 'Friends', although Dastardly's eyes were 
focused on her posterior.  Lily was asking about the 
set-up of the elevators and stairwells in the hotel 
while the Drow watched Gena with eyes smoldering 
with interest.  

Gena gave them a dazzling smile and slipped out in 
the hallway.  She glanced in both directions.  The 
balding guy had turned right, which happened to be 
in the direction opposite the lab.  She tiptoed down 
the hallway, past the restrooms.

*	*	*	*	*

"Gene," Paul walked up to the bassist.  The room was 
still noisy even with most of the girltalk members 
departed for their rooms (for various reasons).

Gene reluctantly turned from the interesting duo.  
"What?"  He popped several more breath mints in his 
mouth.  He'd about gone through the whole pack this 
evening.  The buffet had been great, but the chef 
liked his spices far too much.  Gene might breathe 
fire but he didn't want to be accused of dragon 
breath.

"Possible trouble," Paul said.  "Me and Bruce are 
going to go down and check in back.  One of the crew 
thought someone might have done something with one 
of the loading dock doors.  And there's a woman down 
in the lobby that's asking a bunch of questions 
about us.  Someone should check her out."

Gene glanced around.  "Where's the other guys?"

Paul smiled and shrugged.  "Both Erics have done 
vanishing acts.  Ace is somewhere with Shandi and 
Peter said he was feeling drained and headed back to 
his room."  He grinned.  "Maybe he did a little too 
much 'discussion' with Raven this afternoon."

"Or decided to go continue it," Gene suggested.  
"Either way, I'm not disturbing him.  I'll go check 
out the lobby."

Paul pointed.  "Mark is over there."

"Mark can stay over there," Gene growled.  "We don't 
need to have him beat up another fan."  

"He's really sorry about that," Paul said.

"He should be.  And don't even THINK about 
suggesting Vinnie go with me as backup.  I'll take 
Spiro."  Gene headed for the door. 

*	*	*	*	*

Gena passed doorways that showed no light.  So far 
no sign of the balding man, an exit, or anyone or 
anything of interest.  Maybe she should sneak back 
to the lab and see what she could do there.  Things 
just were not working out as she thought they would.  
She tried to figure out exactly how the plan had 
gone awry.  Where was Buttercup in all this?  For 
that matter where was this?

Turning a corner she saw a splash of light into the 
hallway from an open doorway.  She tiptoed up and 
glanced inside.

The balding man sat with his back to the door, 
hunched over a desk covered with papers.

Gena smiled wickedly and her eyes went red.  She 
called forth her fire and hit the man in the back 
before he could notice her.  She kept blasting him 
until he was lying on the floor smoking, and then 
she blasted him into cinders.  She quickly swept up 
the ashes and dumped them into the empty White 
Castle bag sitting on the desk.  She would get rid 
of the evidence on her way out. 

She picked up a piece of paper from the desk.  It 
was a ledger sheet of some kind.  Might be useful 
information.

An electric blast slammed into her, throwing her 
against the wall.  She answered electricity with 
fire, feeling the spells tear at her very being.  
And then gunfire sounded and she felt only darkness.

*	*	*	*	*

"...kept telling me everyone had been moved out 
because of the damage but I knew KISS had not gone 
anywhere else so I thought you might still be here 
and then when I found out there was some kind of 
party tonight but invitation only I was SURE so I 
was hanging around HOPING I'd have a chance to meet 
you because I would do ANYTHING for a chance to meet 
you and this is just so great that you would take 
the time to come down and talk to me and I would be 
willing to go somewhere more private and talk or 
whatever you'd want to do because I flew all the way 
here so I could see your last performance because 
you're the greatest..."

Gene was nodding occasionally as he tried to think 
how to get rid of the bleached blonde.  She wasn't 
bad looking, but her voice was getting on his nerves 
almost as much as her ceaseless chatter.  He had 
barely gotten enough sentences in to direct her 
conversation to what he needed to know.  He knew her 
first name, her home town, the name of the fast food 
restaurant she worked at, that she had never heard 
of KISS until the Farewell Tour but she was deeply 
in love with all of them, that she had never even 
heard of girltalk, and she was here only because she 
knew KISS was supposed to be staying here and she 
was trying to find a way to sneak up to the room of 
a member (any member, even Vinnie).  And he knew all 
her favorite television shows, what music she 
listened to (because she kept trying to say KISS 
sang "Jaded", "She Bangs", and "Dig In"), and what 
she planned to name her firstborn.

All he wanted was to get back to his REAL fans.


He abruptly fell to his knees, his vision obscured 
by flames.  Flames?  GENA!

Gene staggered to his feet and blindly headed for 
the elevator, crashing into furniture on the way, 
his vision filled with wildly burning fire.  Gena!  
He hit the wall and shook his head just as the 
flames ended and he felt only a deadly silence.

"What's wrong?"  Spiro asked, grabbing his 
shoulders.

"I need to get upstairs," Gene croaked, shaking.  
"NOW!"

Spiro guided him to the elevators and punched the 
button for him.

*	*	*	*	*

"Well!"  The blonde watched the two men stagger into 
the elevator and leave.  "Of all the...!"  She 
turned and stalked out of the lobby.  You pour your 
heart out to someone and just because he's a 
celebrity he thinks he can treat you like dirt.

She climbed in her car and slammed the door.  She 
glanced at the hotel but decided to call it a night.  
None of the members of KISS would be much fun from 
what she had heard from the hotel staff.  You throw 
enough tens around; you get the information you 
want.  But what was she going to do now that KISS 
had fizzled?

She smiled as she thought of something she could do.  
She started the car, already thinking about what she 
would write.  There was that one site on the 
Internet where everyone dissed the rock stars.  Just 
wait until she let everyone know about this fiasco.  
KISS wrecked a hotel, set fire to a room or two, 
broke out windows, even physically wrecked the lobby 
and she could swear to that herself since she'd seen 
it.  They had a private orgy, and Gene Simmons was 
staggering around the lobby falling down drunk, his 
breath thick with breath mints to try to cover the 
alcohol.  And he panicked when she offered to let 
him do a little of his tongue action on her.  
Probably could no longer perform.  Certainly 
couldn't as drunk as he was.  Stupid has-been 
rocker.

She nodded.  Oh, she knew exactly what she was going 
to write.  And she could swear to every bit of it.

This was going to be so good.

*	*	*	*	*

Gene fumbled with the key.  Spiro finally took it 
away from him and opened the door.  Gene pushed 
through, frantically looking around the room.  
"GENA!"  He opened the bathroom door.  "GENA!"

Spiro looked around.  "She's not here."

Gene smelled smoke in the air.  He looked around the 
room and spotted the closet door with the singe 
marks around it.  Maybe she had sealed herself 
inside.  "Gena!"  He grabbed the door and strained.  
The hinges gave and he threw the door across the 
room and out the window.  He grabbed the huddled 
figure in the bottom of the closet.  "Gena?  This 
isn't Gena!"  He thrust the unconscious Andrew at 
Spiro.  "GENA!"

Paul came running down the hall with Bruce on his 
heels.  "What's wrong?"

"Gena's missing," Gene said.  "I just felt her 
fighting someone and now I don't feel anything from 
her.  NOT A THING."

"Wasn't she with Raven?"  Bruce asked.

Paul nodded.

Gene ran down the hallway.

"Gene!"  Paul and Bruce followed.

Gene pounded on the door.  "GENA!  Answer me!  
GENA!"

"Peter's going to be pissed if we're interrupting 
him and Raven," Bruce muttered.

"He'll understand," Paul said, pushing Gene to the 
side as the bassist grabbed for the door.  "I've got 
a key!"  He held it up for Gene to see.  "Remember?  
We've got keys for everyone's rooms in case of 
emergencies.  You don't have to keep tearing up the 
hotel."  He quickly unlocked the door, aware of Gene 
breathing down the back of his neck.

Paul barely got in the door before Gene dashed past 
him.  Paul turned on the light.

A figure lay in the bed.  The curtains were drawn.

Gene looked around the room, confused.  He had been 
so sure he would find her, hurt, unconscious, 
needing him.  Where was she?

Paul approached the bed.  "Peter?"  He touched the 
sleeping man's shoulder.  "Peter!"

Peter did not respond.

"Peter!"  Paul shook him.  "PETER!"

No response.

"She's gone."  Gene sat down, his eyes going 
unfocused.  "I felt her die.  That's what it had to 
be.  Someone attacked her and she's gone.  She's 
gone."  He buried his face in his hands.