Agatha H and the Voice of the Castle

In one smooth arc, Professor Tiktoffen swung his arm, scooped up a nearby piston, and slammed it across the back of the man’s head. The Tall Man dropped unconscious to the floor. The professor then deliberately tossed the weapon aside and executed a formal bow towards Agatha. The other prisoners followed his lead.

“Of course we know who she is,” he said with an evil grin. “We are at your service, Lady Heterodyne.”

Zola’s other two minions stared back and forth between the Castle prisoners and Agatha, then simultaneously dropped their weapons. Agatha nodded once, then strode over to loom over Zola, who was still held firmly beneath the huge mechanical paw.

“I am Agatha Heterodyne. You are in my town. In my Castle. And in my way. This little play of yours is over.” Agatha’s voice had taken on a dangerous edge that Gil recognized as that of a Spark. An extremely displeased Spark millimeters away from unleashing unholy vengeance upon a hated enemy.

Zola made a valiant effort: “But…but I am—”

Agatha stepped back and the tiger clank brought its nose down to brush Zola’s face. Even the little pocket clank—who appeared to be controlling the larger one from inside the eye socket—looked angry.

Agatha tapped her foot. “I said, it’s over.” The great jaws opened and a burst of hot metallic steam washed over Zola’s face. Agatha continued through clenched teeth: “One way or another.”

Zola thrashed and shrieked. “Yes! I yield! Please!”

Agatha briefly closed her eyes. “Good. Now…” She opened her eyes, and her expression grew colder as she spun toward Gil. “As for you—” Gil winced. An extremely hated enemy, he thought. I’ve got to do something. She’s—

“Wait!” Zola called out. “Don’t hurt him! He doesn’t know about any of this!” Her voice broke. “He’s my only friend! The only one I can trust. Please don’t hurt him!”

Agatha turned her glare back to Zola. “The only person you can trust is Gilgamesh Wulfenbach? He’s all you’ve got? I’m almost starting to feel sorry for you. Wasn’t that your army of clanks that he completely destroyed yesterday?”

“I…He…He’s…Gil? You’re—” Zola was stammering with shock. “He’s Gilgamesh Wulfenbach? The Baron’s son? But—”

Gil rolled his eyes back into his head with frustration. If he ever got a chance to speak, he had no idea what he was going to say… to either of them.

“Oh?” Agatha still sounded like she could level an entire hapless town at any moment. “You didn’t know?”

Agatha glanced back at Gil, who looked away. Then she nodded slowly. “I see. You didn’t know. Well, then. I guess he didn’t trust you all that much. Mind you, I can see why… He was probably judging you by his own standards—”

Now, Gil felt his own Spark rising. If she would only stop bullying Zola long enough to get her monster off his mouth so he could speak to her… He made another attempt to wriggle free, and the clank bore down ever so slightly to hold him in place.

Zola made a peculiar sound in her throat. Her eyes filled with tears. “But I…he’s always been there…I’ve known him for so long!” Zola’s voice was breaking. Her head slammed back against the floor and she erupted into deep, wracking sobs.

Agatha stared down at the weeping girl in astonishment. Professor Diaz sidled up and clapped his hands. “Delightfully done, my lady!” He shook his head in admiration. “Your enemy is thoroughly crushed. You are indeed a true Heterodyne!” His voice was ghoulish and nasty and reminded her a bit of the Castle, but he clearly meant it as a compliment from one villain to another.

“But…” Agatha looked back at Gil. He was glaring up at her. A wave of horror washed over her as she imagined herself through his eyes. Then her shame exploded into fury. “Oh, I can’t believe this!” she shrieked, her rage growing with every word. “Fine! Just…fine!”

She held up a hand. Her voice grew quiet, but the deadly tones of an enraged Spark still resonated. “I get it. I see where this is going.” She pointed at Zola. “She came in here, claiming to be the Heterodyne, with her stupid pink airship and her pretty perfect clothes and her cheap theatrics, trying to steal my town and my Castle—” Gil continued to glare silently and Agatha leaned in towards him: “Not to mention that she tried to kill me as soon as she saw me, and probably is the one responsible for that army of clanks at my gate—but I’m the big meanie because I made your little psycho princess cry!

“Sure, I’m the bad guy, because—for whatever reason—you didn’t tell your nasty little friend who you are, and now she’s sad! So you’re mad at me, because now she’s all sweet and teary and needs rescuing—”