The Questers...

[Quaxo9]

Her sweet Mole-man. Arachnia ran a loving hand along his bulbous face and smiled into his beady little eyes before kissing him tenderly on one of the bare spots on the top of his head.

"I know you will, love. Our plans always go so well together."

The Queen turns to survey the carnage the same time as her husband. Sprawled among the masses of dead Moloids are the towering spires of the spider-people's legs with a few human body parts mixed in.

"Hmmm. Looks like we're both a little short on minions. And me with a messy lab - not fit at all for visitors. Oh well...perhaps the parlour escaped complete annihilation."

The parlour was a small seating area mid-way between the lab and the surface. It was still in complete darkness, mind, but a little more comfortable for surface-dwelling guests. Of course, there were also many deathtraps and escape routes from the room as well - the couple were not overly trusting of those from above.

"Do bring some of your lovely monsters to the party, dear. They are so ... effective ... and all without drinking up all the tea. What is that one I'm so especially fond of? The one with the fifteenth tentacle in an amusing place...ah, no matter. I know you will choose best."

Leaving Mole-man's side, Arachnia walked to where Bel was still lying unconscious on the "dissecting table". The queen adjusted a leather wrist strap and lightly touched the young Russian beauty's face, bending low to whisper in her ear.

"It doesn't matter, you know. I know what makes you so special and HE cannot take that from me. You're mine now, precious."

Arachnia waved her fingers at Mole-man before pressing a random nubble of rock, which caused part of the wall to slip away to reveal a small, yet opulent elevator. As soon as the doors closed, she went about attempting to fix her attire. Her glittering dress was torn in several spots and half the spires on her outrageously high collar were broken off. Still, she held her head high when she arrived at the surface to meet her guests. The rock face of the mountain beside the helicopter seemed to sway and then dissipate entirely as the holographic shields were dropped from within. All Micael and Nika would see of Arachnia would be a high-boned face a ghostly shade of pale and two glittering eyes seeming made of the same sheer black of the abyss in which the lady lived.

"Micael. How wonderful to see you again."

She was decidedly sarcastic, not being very good at hiding that particular emotion.

"Please, come in."

The pale spot seemed to disappear as Arachnia turned to remove herself from the garish light, but reappeared shortly.

"Oh. And she may come as well."

[Qwathings]

**Warmed by the caring touch of his wife and a few of her adoring words the Moleman finds the strength to scamper off and out of the room. He does not take the same route that Aracnia does. Instead he squeezes through a maze of side passages. Purely by instinct he finds the right series of tunnels and caves and within mere minutes arrives in a small cavern where a group of Moloids nest. After a minute to shout commands to them Moleman sends out his Moloids to gather an army of monsters for their king. The Moleman then continues on into the maddening maze of underground tunnels. Shortly after Aracnia is greeting thier guest the Moleman is emerging from a side tunnel. The Moleman marches out in long, proud strides. Or at least as long as his short, stubby legs will allow. His quarter staff taps boldly as he uses it as a walking stick. The diminutive monarch's large nose is tilted upwards, allowing him to look down it at all he surveys. The dirt stained and torn cape flows and billows a trail of emerald behind him as he approaches his guests. When he begins to get close to the landing pad Moloid after gruesome Moloid takes a position marching behind their king. Nearly a dozen rows of these small, monstrous creatures follow the Moleman in a militaristic marching formation. The instant the Moleman halts beside the landing pad they too stop and stand at attention. The blinding and pain inducing light of the sun is blocked by a legion of towering monsters of unimaginable shapes and forms. This collection of massive creatures also stand at attention, are as much as their grusome forms can allow them to, and wait for a word from their leader before taking any kind of nightmarish action. Moleman stands infinitely proud in front of his inhuman hordes. With this army he could tear down any human city he wished. So much power for one so small and so very shunned by the rest of humanity. He taps his staff on the ground three times and gives his newly arrived guests a polite nod.**

Hello, Asterra. What brings you to the mouth of our domain?

[SilntAngl5]

Ah. Here we are.

Micael Asterra gave a well versed, small smile as the holographic shield disappeared and the true features of the rock before them came to be. Nika Mikhailovish would know that smile as a beautiful chance of politeness from the highly asteemed CEO of Stane Industries. He did not seem at all rattled by the creepy woman in the shadows.

It is a pleasure to see you well, Arachnia. The darkness does wonders to your pale beauty.

Where Arachnia was decidedly sarcastic, he was charming at best. He noted her tone but said nothing. He did not even motion his stunning assistant to follow. She just did. Mical offers a nod to the Moleman as he passes by he and his legion.

Impressive. Your works never cease to amaze me. His shoes made soft noises on he basaltic rock. Behind him, his assitants echoed as a reminder of her presence. He stopped at length down the tunnel and turned to the Moleman. He did mean that. The Moleman had ambition, if not for being so stunted in his ideals of world domination, he could be a formidable foe.

Or ally.

I am curious about other works you and your dashing bride might be pursuing. Some works I have a specialty in.

His coal colored eyes shone darkly in whatever dim remnants of light might be streaking down into the tunnel. In the darkness, Nika tried to heighten her awareness of her surroundings and calmly surveyed all before her through her dark-rimmed glasses. Micael clasped his hands patiently behind his back.

I will be blunt. I only offer run-around tactics to estranged allies that I have no respect for. I know she is here. What lab are you keeping her in?