Hello, all:
First off, I apologize to you, my loyal readers: due to various and sundry issues I have not of late been sending posts out quite as promptly as I would like. Strictly speaking I should’ve sent a newsletter out yesterday and you should be getting a new serial story today. However, a few things have happened. Aside from unrelated personal events, first my most recent serial, 2.17 Seconds into Never, wrapped up. Following that, I’m now working on editing that and a few other serials into a collection, The Lights of Edison City.
Next week I promise there’ll be a proper newsletter and a proper new serial (very possibly the origin story of Candystriper and the Malevolent Med-Student), but first, here below is an bit from the new collection, all-new material in which I explain more about the as-yet unexplored history of Gaseous Girl’s nemesis, Hiccup Holly! Roll film!
Some people, realizing that they had been gifted with hiccups of explosive power, might have resolved to use their power to do good works. Others might have been overwhelmed by the strangeness of it all and gone off by themselves to contemplate existence. Holly faced the strangeness somewhat differently. Burglary would be so much easier now, she exulted. And why stop there? With her newfound power, she could do anything! She could even take over the city! The world!
And so, Madeleine's nemesis was born, though Madeleine didn't know about Hiccup Holly yet. She would learn quickly, however, as Holly staggered out of the hospital and quickly ran into responding police forces, who weren’t entirely prepared to find themselves facing a hiccuping evil maniac. Gaseous Girl was in the neighborhood and flew in to help. She let off a fire blast, Hiccup Holly deflected with a sonic wave.
“Okay, you’re new,” Gaseous Girl said. “I’m kinda new too. We don’t have to fight, we can-”
“Oh, yes we do,” Hiccup Holly began, already working out her first villain monologue, “Because I’m going to take over this city and-hic-”
“I’m sorry, what?” Gaseous Girl said.
“I said, I’m going to rule this city like a- hic-hic-hic-” A small series of explosions followed.
Holly’s face turned red. “I said I’m gonna rule this town-hic-hic-”
“Not like that, you’re not,” Gaseous Girl said, stepping backwards to avoid the fall of a tree that Holly’s blasts had just cleaved in two.
“Stop that!” Holly snapped.
“I’m not doing it!” Gaseous Girl said, quite accurately. “You’re literally doing it to yourself!”
“But it’s not-hic-FAIR-hic-”
The remnants of the tree exploded, sending a shower of twigs, leaves, and bark all over the parking lot. Hiccup Holly, in a last attempt at regaining her dignity, turned on her heel and ran off into the night. Gaseous Girl could hear her sobs fading into the darkness, followed by a sad trail of diminishing hiccup noises. She shrugged. “Well, it’s better than Crudmuffin. ”
For more stories set in the Edison City universe, see the below Edison City index, and don’t forget to subscribe! Thanks for reading!