Hey I hope this one is not too long. I went with a recruitment plan instead of a punishment of sorts. Hope you like it!

True hate

“Only True hate?” The princess asked baffled

“Yes” the witch answered in her blasé monotone voice and turned to take her leave

“True hate alone and pure will lift your curse…” She began to say the curse anew as she walks slowly towards the exit.

“Wait!” The princess shouted making the witch halt with a loud thumb of her heels.

“Why hate?” The witch, if insulted by the sudden request, did not show it. She just stopped and let the princess continue.

“I mean isn’t it usually true love? In all of the stories and such.”

“Oh usually these stories make the children’s books darling. You know the cute little curses that can only be broken with true love or friendship or whatnot. With something positive and pure. Did you ever wonder why an evil witch or wizard would place such a curse?” The witches tone changed from malicious banality to a teacher’s passion.

“No… I… I never thought of it that way.” The princess always thought herself to be bright and smart. Her teachers all agreed, possibly influenced by the fact they could not really fail her in any of the classes, but still she did better than most. This time though her smooth 15 years old forehead was wrinkled with a grimace of concentration. If anything she was to learn more about her curse.

“Though I know that hate is easier than love. There are many who envy my position others who loath me for my blood. There are people who hate my family. Frankly I hate quite a few in my father’s court already.”

“Indeed. You have lot’s of hate around you. But is it true and alone? Or is it mixed with other things? Like envy, greed, ego? Is it directed at you or from you to another? Or is it directed to your family, position, blood? True hate darling is personal, it can not be motivated by anything else other than itself. And it often starts as… love.”

“As…”

“Yes indeed. Why would I curse you to practically become an immortal until a nice pretty prince passes by and gets all swoony with you? That is not an evil witch curse it is a good witch blessing. People just get them mixed up.”

The princess though about it for a bit.

“So who do you hate?”

“Many.”

“Then who do you hate the most?”

“My mother.”

“That’s harsh.” The princess said not realising her judgmental tone.

“Harsh?” the witch replied seating on the recliner. “Interesting word though I would suggest you work on your tone. You don’t want to anger an old witch darling. I am told it is what ends up getting you cursed.”

“I just don’t understand. If your curse is true then I should be free. Because I already hate you!”

“Oh do you? An old hag you never met before? Surely you are upset disappointed even. So many people failed you in order for this to happen. Your guards sleeping soundly out this door, your First Lady who is also about to fall asleep next to the lover she is not supposed to have. More than anyone your father who swore an oath to protect and love you and your mother but left for his wars three years ago. I bet if my heart failed me and I died right here you would feel sorry for me. This is not true hate.”

“And what is true hate then?”

“I thought I told you it is what comes after true love. When it’s power wares out and the world becomes duller for it. When you look beyond them and you see the monster that lays beneath. When you turn the mirror to yourself and find your own monster laying there in wait, powerful, patient, trust worthy and absolutely vile. When your good graces have gone for so long that you welcome the embrace of that monster and stand beside it as the world burns. That is true hate.” And with that the witch stood up again.

“So will I find true love?” She said with tears in her eyes.

“I am no oracle but the chances are good.”

“And I will loose it?”

“Most do.”

“And then I will be free of the curse?”

“And far more powerful for it.”

“Like you?”

“Yes”

The princess’s voice turned angry.

“Then I will come and find you! And… And…” Her fists grew so tight she felt her fingernail in her palm.

“Oh you will! You can not imagine how many things we will do together!” The witch said in a whisper before she disappeared.

The ritual seemed to work fine. All of the usual stuff, an earthquake, couple of sacrifices, a few hymns and finally the elder spoke the name. Hold did not expect this to work at all, after all this was not the first ritual that failed but to police showing up investigating a “kidnap”, weather changing and flooding the cave, or even someone sneasing in the wrong moment. Nevertheless they kept on trying. This time though it worked. A wave of dark power washed over them driving the lesser members mad. From one moment to the other there the Elder One was. Well probably, Hilda had her eyes tied as a precaution and she was happy for her foresight. Even in the darkness of her vision the Old One was present clear as day but looking more like a reflection from a mirror. After all darkness was the natural habitat of the Great Old Ones, she thought.

“Oh Great Old One!” The Elder said kneeling infant of his master. “Thank you for answering our call! For bringing glory to our final path towards ending the human race!” He spoke with passion slowly rising his voice to a powerful crescendo.

“Mortal” the master answered. “This is what you have called me to Earth for? Is this your request?”

“Yes oh Glorious Master. We wish nothing else but to materialise your will”

“And what made you think I want you to end humanity?”

The Elder did not sound as confident now.

“The scriptures Master. The books all mention the destruction of Human race and we…”

“You are too small and insignificant to UNDERSTAND.” The Old One spoke and Hilda felt the vibrations of the Voice straight to her heart. She felt the pressure and heard her team’s screams faintly in the background covered by the Voice.

“We MADE darkness and pain. We created MONSTERS of all kinds. All of them explicitly serving their cause. But our best creation yet is HUMANITY. A tribe of monsters capable of good and evil. A kind that can understand the pain they inflict in others and still has the capacity to do it anyway. A people who know what they need to do to save themselves yet they are doomed to not do it. A self destructing hoard that views itself better than beasts in the same was household cats view themselves superior.”

Silence. Was it real silence? Or was everyone else just dead? Hilda decided that either way her best chance was to stay absolutely silent.

“Master…” the Elder spoke slowly “What should we do then? What do you want from us?”

“From you? Why would I ever want anything from YOU?”

The sounds that followed were wet and forceful. Nothing could compare to the horror of that sound. Were they all dead? Did the Elder one crush them like one steps on an annoying insect? Even more was Hilda even alive? Or were these her last moments while her body traveled the short distance between her standing position and the back wall of the cavern?

This wizard is very flexible actually. I quite like him.

Sounds like a gamer to me

Have to say. This is a truly proper way to deal with an evil dude

Great story! Loving the level headed King.

I LOVE the minion. I would love to see this duo in other situations.

“The league of superheroes already has a few of us. Animal whisperers calling animal hoards to battle. Sharks follow Waterman and rodents follow Ratgirl. Me? I can control animals around 20-30 kilos. Superhero name? Oh I am not in yet.”

I say that to her and feel the urge to explain myself but what can I say that will not terrify her?

“I am… I am told I need to work on control and intensity first.”

I smile. She takes her drink and walks away. I guessing a not-hero is not as cool in these kinds of parties where 30% of the invitees re heroes already.

“Look who is there! My favorite super Vil…”

“Human. You wanted to say human right Bill?”

“Well you can always be part of us you know. We could be great together! With my abilities and your summoning cry. Oh we could take over the world!”

“That is very rich coming form a guy who is not getting his teeth beaten in only because this is a peace ground.”

This bar is the worst. A place where no superpowers are allowed. In a way it’s a place for superheroes and supervillains to relax without fearing retribution. It has also become a place of recruitment and negotiation. For me it is the worst of both worlds. I am both rejected and reminded that I could be, in fact, a monster.

“Come on… ” Bill rests his forearms on the bar. ”You know they will never let you in. I tried that ones too. They are too righteous to accept folks like us. You know… with ambiguous potential.”

“You turn people into meat puppets Bill.”

“Indeed but nothing would have stopped me from doing that ONLY to villains. But no… It was too much. They wanted to take my powers away, so I fled and so should you.”

“I don’t know if it is your line of work or the shit-smeared grin on your face but I don’t trust a word you are saying.”

“Poor us! Always misunderstood even when when we try to help!” Bill raises his cup with a theatrical movement takes mine too and turns away. “You drink too much kid.” He adds in a fatherly tone. “You are not going to be useful to anyone if you continue this way.” And walks away.

Well, Bill is right. I drink too much, I sleep too little, I haven’t practiced in a while. But I can’t get the news reporter voice out of my head. “Dozens dead in an altercation between Police and a raging super villain in times square. The video shows a hoard of dogs gathering around the individual followed by ” her voice cracks, she dry coughs. “…y what seems to be children. Dozens of children attacking the super villain. They seem to be controlled in a similar fashion as the dogs. The police is forced to order ceasefire before more children are harmed it s not clear what happened….”. She goes on and on for 3 minutes and 12 seconds.

I only tried to help. I only tried to control the dogs.