The Cow Hypnotist

And the Gate Opened

The troop arrived at the gates of the Goddesses' room. The gates were adorned in various, intricate detailing with a foreign alphabet spreading across them. Gregory closed his eyes and opened his mouth. He spoke what appeared to be a native tongue - one not known to humans or people of Earth. The more words and phrases he uttered, the more the gates's details and crevasses began to illuminate a pure, yellow light.

"Aww," a voice spoke from behind them all, jolting the others to their core, "I always loved family reunions. Well, when your family hasn't completely abandoned you, that is." She tittered, a frown twisting on her face. "And you know something about that, right, Elizabeth Conan? Letting me gray while using me for your petty mind games- is that how you operate?!"

Lizzie stood back. With the effects of the beach still holding onto her, she wasn't much for talking. So Mary spoke up in her place, glaring at the woman.

"What are you doing here, Alexis? How did you find us?"

She smirked, holding up a glass carton of Lizzie's milk, "It's amazing how science and magic can co-exist in this world, wouldn't you agree? I've been watching, or I guess the right word to use would be 'lingering', listening to your conversations, and 'insights' on this situation you're in... It's amazing how much you can learn about someone when you're inside their mind..." She made her way over towards Jessie, placing her hands on her shoulders. "And yet - even though you're practically unrecognizable - I can still feel that you are the same person, my precious-"

Jessie, jerking out of her clone's grasp, grimaced at the action, "Don't call me 'precious'." she paused, a lump coming up in her throat, her cheeks flushing red, "I loved you. More than anyone could have loved a parent. You shoved me away, treated me like a wart you needed to get rid of..." Jessie turned her head, a pain rising up within her chest as tears streaked down her fur-covered face, "Why even create me? If you wanted a minion, you should've gone ahead and built a goddamn robot with all your science and technology! But instead, you decided to take all of your frustrations out on me for whatever reason."

"You think words hurt me?" The ginger stroked her face, patting her daughter's tall ears. "I made my decision. My choice. You, my darling, were created for so much more than... this. I thought the milk would've reverted you to your previous state. The bovine one. Instead, it transformed you into some weird, fox-like thing. However, you've no concern for me anymore. Once I become this 'Chosen One', I'll have reign over every one of you and no one could prevent me from my goal."

"What exactly is your goal? Other than being an abusive mother, that is." Michael snarled, crossing his arms. "So far, all I've seen is a less-than-competent cow trying to achieve glory by using her experiment-given smarts. Lizzie's father shouldn't have failed when he went to kill you. You've nothing good to offer this world or any other world."

Gregory still appeared to be trying to open the door. it was clear the conversation was hindering his concentration. By this time, Alexis was infuriated.

"You've pissed off the wrong cow," she laughed, "I'm much smarter than you portray me to be, mortal. And with this power, I'll soon possess, I might as well kick you off the face of the multiverse as soon as I can!"

Reaching her hands into the pockets of her cloak, the scientist pulled out a dark liquid in a test tube. "This is true power. Sure, turning others into bimbo animals might have been a fun pastime, but turning myself into one? Well, that's a different story."

Jessie gasped, holding her face. She was frozen in fear. Knowing just how intelligent this woman was, she knew that what she could do was beyond anyone's imagination.