Night settled over the ruined forest, silent and cold. Malavika sat on a broken stone slab, her arms folded, one leg crossed over the other. She was wrapped in a sheet like some exiled queen. Jake was nowhere in sight, off hunting for a single chocolate bar to save his life.
The memory of their argument still echoed. Annoying as he was, she expected him back by now.
Her patience had began to thin. "When is that insolent mortal returning?" she muttered to herself, "He says that he owes me and wastes my time"
Then footsteps approached.
She turned sharply. "Finally."
She froze.
Jake stumbled into view, exhausted, shoulders sagging, sweat dripping, his breath ragged. He looked like he'd just crossed continents.
"What is the matter now, mortal?"
"I-I've been walking for hours!" he panted. "Three miles there… three miles back—"
Malavika scoffed. "You are as weak as your so-called heroes. Relying on powers and tools to fix your problems. Without them, you're nothing."
Jake gritted his teeth but kept calm. What a bitch, he thought.
Malavika stretched her hand, impatient. "Now, please bring me that delicious bar of yours."
At least you said please...
Jake exhaled, sitting next to the woman and handing over the chocolate. She snatched it immediately and tore the wrapper open, properly this time.
Jake blinked. She learned… fast. Shock and relief mixed on his face.
Malavika unwrapped it completely, stared at the chocolate full of nuts. Then she unexpectedly extended it back to Jake. "I am no longer hungry," she said calmly.
Jake hesitated, not sure if this was kindness or just random demon mood swings. Still, he took it. He didn't even like sweets, but he was starving. He ate it fast, finishing the bar in seconds.
Then silence settled in.
Only then did he realise, that he was sitting next to her.
Quite close. This was his chance, now he could speak to her.
He cleared his throat. "So, ummm," he began carefully, "you're not from this world, are you?"
She shot him a side glance, annoyed by the question. "I would assume my appearance gave it away. Your people and your heroes made that clear when they attacked me."
"Yeah... sorry, stupid question." He paused, then tried again. "So... uhh... where are you from? How did you end up in this place?
Malavika turned fully, her gaze sharp and freezing. "Why do you wish to know?"
Jake stiffened. "Oh... I just.. I was wondering—"
And then she spoke.
Malavika was the former queen of the underworld, ruling over a legion of demons. She began her reign at eight years old. At fifteen, she conquered her first world, wiping out humanity. Over 300 years, she crushed millions of worlds beneath her feet.
But one time she had chosen to end her evil reign. But her own father betrayed her, a cosmic tyrant ruling one of the Cardinal Multiverses.
His ambition was to seize every universe and forge his own utopia. Malavika survived his attack, cast out, drifting through the void until she awakened here, on a planet untouched by him.
But she knew he would come eventually.
She would rebuild her army. She would be ready to face him again.
Jake was stunned by this. Normally, long stories made him fall asleep, especially in school lectures, but this one forced him to listen.
Malavika noticed his expression. "What is wrong with your face?" she asked irritably.
"That's... an interesting story," Jake managed. "But what do you plan to do after this?"
"Originally, I plan on rebuilding my army as I mentioned," she replied. "But things here are… complicated. Your kind are stubborn creatures. Laws like your 'Freedom of Speech' make world domination irritating. And most of your people see me as a monster."
Jake shook his head. "Well.. not everybody in their right mind would want to bow to a demoness," he said. "But... I'm sorry to say you're wrong about how the people view you"
He pulled out his phone and showed her a livestream clip. Citizens of Queue City are cheering for her.
Malavika squinted. "What sorcery is this? That is me."
She leaned closer, listening to what was displayed. She saw and heard people shouting her name.
Praising her.
"Unbelievable," she whispered. "They call my name with joy"
Jake lowered his phone with a small smile, this time wholesome and confident. "People see something in you. Sure—you may have caused some casualties, but you also destroyed villains. You dropped the crime rate in just one day."
"Is that so?" she said slowly.
He nodded. "I'm a hero too. Low class, yeah—but still a hero."
Malavika smirked faintly. "Interesting. This may assist my plan for world domination. This is where it will begin."
"I don't think that's necessary," Jake said quickly.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow ID card with an emblem. "I'm Jake Solis, a student of the Queue City Vigilante Defence Agency," he said. "You want to build something? Start here. We're not powerful—we don't even have powers—but it's something at least."
"I know someone who can help you enter, my stepmom can put you in the system"
--
Malavika accepted, taking the card calmly this time, her eyes fixed on it as she weighed her options carefully. A silent moment passed, then she stepped down from the stone slab, letting the sheet slide off her body. Jake spun around immediately, flustered, face burning red.
"Mortal, I just met you, but you have already left me bewildered," she said with a slight smirk. "There is no time for me to waste away. I accept your noble invitation."
Jake released a huge breath of relief. "Phew... for a second I thought I'd have to convince you a bunch of times," he said, smiling. "But even if you defeated a
Jake released a huge breath of relief. "Phew… for a second I thought I'd have to convince you a bunch of times," he said, smiling. "But even if you defeated a bunch of villains, you also fought some heroes. So I think a disguise might be necessary. Can you, I don't know… shapeshift?"
Malavika frowned, her brown raised, forehead creased. "Shapeshift? Is anything wrong with my appearance?"
Jake shrugged slightly. "Well, I don't think many people take a liking to a red lady with horns and a tail."
She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I will act like you did not just utter that from your mouth."
Whether she could shapeshift or not didn't matter now. Jake had made a decision. "Alright then, it's settled. I'll be resuming work at the end of this month, so we only have five days to prepare. First, let's get out of here. I've got a small house, maybe you can stay there until your new job pays you"
He turned ahead and added, "You should probably put the sheet back on. We need to be careful if we want to reach my place."
Malavika sighed, annoyed but listening. Then something clicked in her mind. Her eyes narrowed, her teeth clenched—and from her back, two structures ripped through, twisting into wings of raw power.
Jake felt a massive shadow swallow him. He turned slowly, eyes wide, jaw dropped.
Malavika exhaled a soft moan of effort, breathing heavily as the wings fully formed. "Well," she said calmly, "point out your abode and we can go."
Minutes later…
Now they were soaring above the clouds, wind roaring around them. Jake screamed for his life.
"THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!"
"Quit your childish act," Malavika snapped, irritation sharp in her tone. "You have seen dangerous things before, yet you fear the sky?"
"You're going to drag attention to us!" Jake yelled back.
Then hope. He spotted his house below, a small building. "There!" he pointed frantically, relief crossing his mind. "That's my house!"
Malavika followed his finger, then she winced. Her wings flickered like dying flames. "Dammit."
"What's wrong?" Jake panicked.
"Prepare yourself, mortal Jake Solis."
"What—what does that mean—WAIT—"
Immediately, the wings vanished. Gravity claimed them as they plummeted, spiraling violently to the ground. Jake's screams ripped through the air.
"WHY ARE WE FALLING?!"
They slammed into the ground behind the house Jake pointed at, crashing through the dirt and bushes, the impact shaking the fence. Neighbours peeked from windows.
Jake opened his eyes slowly… and realized his face was buried between something soft. He froze. Malavika's chest. He was alive.
I'm alive… thank God.
He lifted his head, gulping air.
Malavika groaned, sitting up and rubbing her back. "Agh.. it seems my power has been limited after my battle with the heroes"
Before either of them could recover, a stern voice spoke calmly from beside them.
"Jake."
He turned, and his face turned pale.
Oh no...
He had completely forgotten through out his journey in the woods.
Standing there in a loose bathrobe, cleavage exposed, was his stepmother, Ann Solis. Gripping a metal baseball bat tightly. Her eyes narrowed with concern.
"What," she asked, her voice calm and confused, "are you doing at the backyard?"