Chapter Text
Hera noted how thin the air became as she grew farther from the Nemeton.
This would be inconvenient, she had thought the universe inhabiting it would at least have her overworld’s level of magic but as she continued on she realized that it wasn’t the power that reached her, it was the desire.
Something about this magical stump was so desperate for magic, constantly reaching and empowering in a seemingly self destructive cycle, it was dying, and it wanted someone to help it, so it made itself a beacon to attract all sorts. How stupid.
Hera shivered slightly as the night’s chill finally caught up to her but she paid it no mind as she maneuvered through the forest confidently. Anyways, that stump called to her, not realizing the draw would come with a cost, a cost that would use up the remaining magic it clung to.
It would be useless now.
Finally the smell of smoke hit her nose and she quickly turned to follow the hazy trail, she’d have to find a few beings to drain , she needed clothes too, and a few snacks for the road.
She was vulnerable right now so she had to be careful.
Coming across a campsite she saw a middle aged couple, they were smiling and sharing odd musings to each other, Hera stared.
The night had shielded her partially but that didn't mean she was hiding, she kept watching increasingly irritated as the man's laugh echoed throughout the woods and the woman’s shortly followed, why didn’t they see her? She wasn’t hiding.
Why would they though? They looked so normal, she could barely sense magic anymore but her intuition told her so, civilians tended not to be aware of their surroundings, even the people of her world tended not to pay attention until a superhuman smashed through their wall.
Hera sighed as she decided to actually try hiding now, she was going to rob them blind, maybe they’d learn to be more wary afterwards.
She crept past them casually and meticulously searched the large duffle bag that hung on a branch near their tent. It was full of clothes, the smell told her they were used, and the number of underwear told her they'd only been here a day so far. Gross.
Hera continued unto their tent as she unzipped it almost silently, she rummaged through the other duffle bags she found, they were full of unused clothes this time and she was tempted to smile. Grabbing a backpack she’d found thrown to the side she’d sort what she’d take with her.
There was the underwear of course, mostly the women’s but she took a pair of boxers as well because she felt like it, shirts she’d mostly take from the man since they were better quality and he happened to be a small, skinny jeans, ugh, and some socks and a pair of gloves.
She’d considered taking a bra but solemnly moved on to the toiletries when she’d realized the difference was too vast for it to be useful.
Finally, after sorting through a few other miscellaneous items and taking what she needed she paused. It was the end of fall, winter was going to rear its head soon and she needed a coat, but the only coats she could take were being worn currently.
Hera mulled it over dispassionately as old instincts were surfacing. Yes she could buy another coat using the money she stole, but she didn’t exist in this universe, it’d take time to make a new identity without magic and she needed all the money she had right now.
‘I could always steal more later’ she mused momentarily but she quickly shut down the thought, there was no guarantee she could, it wasn't in her nature to take solace in the imagined.
As she considered she began to dress herself in her stolen goods, there was some measurement of guilt but years of surviving the underworld made the emotion distant and hollow.
After finishing she had decided she was going to knock them out, not kill them, since even that seemed a little too unfair to her already shady morals. Yes it would be troublesome if they saw her and made a report afterwards, but she’d just have to make sure they didn’t see her.
Grabbing a length of rope, Hera maneuvered outside of the tent with her backpack, retreating to the shadow of a tree she watched the couple, and waited.
It was about half an hour until they grew tired, the man yawned and mumbled something to her before getting out of his chair and walking off.
Hera took the opportunity without hesitation and snuck up behind her, it was easy to yank the length of rope across her neck and pull, there wasn't even the beginnings of a scream before her mouth was covered and she was being dragged into the woods.
By the time Hera had gotten far enough from the camp the woman was already unconscious, she had flailed uselessly for about a minute then finally became limp. A sad effort honestly.
Hera tsked in disapproval before gently propping the woman against a tree, her mascara dripping down her face and her lips blue.
After checking for a pulse, slow but there, Hera took her prize, a maroon knee length coat, water proof of course with fur lining. The woman was also wearing white sneakers, in the muddy woods, how impractical, Hera took them anyway and dusted off her feet before putting on some socks and the shoes, they were half a size too big but they’d do for now.
Despite her initial reasoning Hera hadn’t just taken her because of her coat and shoes, this woman seemed the healthier of the two, so Hera had thought of getting a quick boost as well.
Unsheathing a knife, she carefully considered before making a thin cut along the women’s neck, she watched as thick beads of blood appeared and hummed in approval before putting the knife away and latching onto the wound.
Using the tree as support Hera leaned over the women and forcefully pried open the wound with her tongue, careful not to leave any marks with her teeth. When she still wasn't able to connect, Hera frowned, then bit her tongue, condensing the little magic she had left she tried again, only to make a most unpleasant discovery.
The women barely had any magic at all, she had the bare minimum to live in fact, Hera had seen babies with larger reserves, what a fucking nightmare. This meant that the only way to get any substantial magic she’d have to drain her dry, killing her, crippling her, the likes.
Even if Hera decided to become a serial killer it was just too impractical in the long run, she’d need to kill at least twelve people to reactivate her powers and despite her violent inclinations she honestly didn't want it to get to that point, she also couldn't afford to be noticed, by the law nor any supernatural entities she may piss off, if there were any at all.
She closed her eyes solemnly, still latched on she tried maneuvering the women’s magic, it was listless and watered down, Hera tentatively gathered the barest hint of it and even then she could see how ill the women began to look.
Hera pulled back with a wet pop and consumed the miniscule amount, licking the blood stuck to her teeth she leaned back staring at the women and sighed as she took out the small medical bag she had stolen, she wiped off the left over saliva and blood with an alcohol pad and quickly bandaged her before standing up and leaving.