An electric hum was the only noise audible in the dim space. The peace would not last long, for the ruler of the catacomb-like space was preparing her magnus opus. Finally, the time had come.

Like an insane conductor before the orchestra, the ruler stepped up, shouting command-words to the voice-recognition systems while using a tablet to input more commands. It had to work, it just had to.

The electric hum grew louder as generators kicked into overdrive, straining to provide the power for an event that only a mind as desperate as it was brilliant could have envisioned. Super-Science was not all that rare in the world. Magic Rituals existed as well, although seldom on this scale.

Fusing the two in an unholy union?

Only insane beings went there, the combination had a penchant to create unexpected and explosive results. Nobody had managed to make it work and lived to tell the tale. But when the most brilliant Super-Scientist had nothing to lose and everything to gain?

Genius and Madness are only separated by a thin line at the best of times and here, the line was not only blurred, it was evaporated.

Sensors all over town picked up the power generation, hiding the sun was just impossible after all. As soon as the generators had kicked into their pre-designed modes, the Rubicon had been crossed.

A slim figure walked among the softly glowing runes inscribed in the floor around the centrepiece of the days event. Three meter tall, mostly made out of hardened glass, a transparent tank was installed in a larger machine. Within the tank, a small, petite women was floating, motionless, breathless, dead. There was no spark in her but maybe, just maybe, that would change.

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The figure placed a single hand on the glass, reaching to the one in the capsule, reaching for her other half, the other half of a pair of wings. Without her, she was nothing. Losing her had destroyed her. She had to get her back, or join her.

A chiming sound ripped her from her contemplation, telling her that the preparations were finished, the event could start. After a last look into her lover's face, she walked away, carefully stepping over the lines out of magical catalysts, walking over to the main console. A last look showed everything ready, just one more thing had to be given.

“Come back, my love. I need you here with me.”

Silvery flashed a thin knife, drawing blood from her hand, blood that was needed. She could offset the cost of life by using energy but the flavour of life? That had to be authentic. The blood fell, splashing into the runes on the floor and at the same moment, light burst all over the laboratory. Crystals were shining brightly, transforming the generated power into something that the ritual could use, the runes were flashing with insane colours, ephemeral sounds echoed through the chamber. Nothing had exploded. Yet...

Different sounds started to filter in from the outside rattling guns and shouted orders. The heroes had gotten to the base. Or maybe the villains. It didn't really matter, both groups were united in their purpose this day.

But they were late. All reading showed success, the magic had settled into the proper channels.

It didn't take long for the being in the tank to take a first breath from her breathing mask.

“She's alive!” echoed through the laboratory, now almost silent again, just a low hum from the machines. She ran to the tank, impatient to get close to the one she needed again, it had been far too long. In the tank, a hand was raised and pressed against the glass. Outside the tank, a hand was raised, almost to mirror the inside. The hands never met but a connection that had been severed was re-established. The tank quickly drained, leaving a wet women within before it opened.

The two lovers met in an embrace, both unbelieving that they were able to hold each other again.

“How?”

“I never believed in the whole 'Till death do us part'-thing. But we need to get out of here!”

The two stepped onto the prepared teleporter and shared a celebratory kiss. A moment later, just as one of the city's primary heroes managed to breach the door, the teleporter activated and the two kissing females vanished in a flash of light.

Another moment later, the whole base vanished in a flash of light...