An Epic Breakup

*Bilgewater, an office near the harbor*

Blitz Blastcap grinned to himself as he poured another pouch of gold coins onto the pile that already took up much of the surface of his desk. The sound of the objects striking one another was like soothing music to his ears. The goblin had done well for himself, and that was just what he'd planned all along. He smirked, leaning back in his high-backed leather chair, a few gold coins clutched between his fingers. His other hand ran through his dark hair, making sure it was slicked back just so. Lazily, he surveyed his surroundings, enjoying the sight of his spacious office, rich decor, and the power it gave him...as he did several times a day, every day.

A knocking on the steel door that lead out into the warehouse building beyond interrupted his joyful moment of quiet contemplation, and he frowned at the barricade, his voice a growl, "Beat it, I'm busy!"

The knock came again, more insistent this time, and he rolled his eyes as he flung the coins he'd been holding back into the pile. Irritated now, he dug around on his desk for a cigar as he shouted at the door again, "I said get lost! You got a friggin problem with your ears or somethin?"

A second later the door burst inward, the steel door hinges bent as if by some incredible force. Blitz sat bolt upright in his chair, eyes wide and unlit cigar falling from nervous fingers as a group of intruders entered his office. The two large hobgoblins that took up positions on either side of the doorframe were alarming (and ugly!) but they were not the cause of his sudden fright. It was the woman in the middle that made his heart race and a thousand excuses begin to form in the back of his mind.

Glitta Gemfall was pretty for a goblin. Decked out in a stylish dress that complimented the light green of her skin, her hair was dyed an outrageous blue and styled up in a playful look that would have been cute if not for the dangerous glint in her aqua eyes as she studied Blitz from across the distance. Slowly she entered the office, the sound of many bracelets clinking together on her wrists the only noise for a moment as she came to a halt on the other side of his desk.

Blitz broke the silence first, plastering a false smile on his face, "Hey baby, I didn't expect you to stop by the office! Shoulda just said somethin and I woulda let you in. That door's gonna cost a fortune to replace."

Glitta said nothing for a moment, merely staring at him. She broke eye contact with him a moment later, her gaze sweeping around the office that was as familiar to her as it was to him; she'd given it to him after all as it was owned by Gemfall Industries and was one of her many, many properties. They'd also spent quite a few quiet evenings there enjoying talk of all their profits and business. After a moment, Glitta finally spoke, her voice neutral, "I didn't want you to expect me. You see, I know what's been going on here, Blitz. You can 'baby' me all you want, the game's up."

Blitz blinked a few times, shaking his head, the false smile still in place, "Sweetcheeks I have no idea what your talkin about. Why don't you sit and I'll get us some of that wine you like huh? You can send your boys out into the hallway and we'll figure it out."

Glitta said nothing, disappointment in her eyes. She held a hand out and one of the hobgoblins stepped forward, placing a metal pipe into her open palm. She grasped it, her voice becoming more angry now, "So your not gonna tell the truth hmm? Even after I caught you red handed? You should fess up now Blitz, because I'm tellin you I know what you're doing."

Blitz sat back in his chair, arms spread wide, "Baby, you gotta explain yourself. I have no idea what you mean."

Glitta sighed, rolling her eyes again. She casually walked around the office, the metal pipe in her hand. She paused when she got to one wall, staring up at a painting of her own mother and father that had been hung there. They'd passed away long ago, when she was still considered a kid by goblin standards, but at times like this she missed them sorely. The fact that their portrait hung over what she knew was evidence of Blitz's crimes made her furious. Her hand came up and the pipe descended on the painting, smashing through it and the plaster wall behind. The false wall that was built over the sheet metal exterior of the building. The plaster shattered as she hit it again and again, until it fell away to reveal neatly stacked and wrapped packages.

With a look of disgust she tossed the pipe on the ground, the metal clattering as it rolled away. She snatched one of the packages from the hidden space in the wall and tore the paper wrapping, revealing its contents. She whirled, tossing the damning evidence on Blitz's desk, the package bursting open over his pile of coins.

The red leaves of bloodthistle scattered out of the packaging, laying on his desk like a bloody wound. Glitta glared at him, fury in her voice now, "You've been sneakin thistle into my warehouse. Sellin this shit to the elves behind my back. You know what I think about it."

Blitz blinked in surprise, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to think up an excuse. Failing that he frowned, becoming angry himself, "What am I supposed to do huh? Just let all this business walk away? How stupid do you think I am, Glitta?"

"How stupid do I think you are?!" Glitta yelled. "Pretty damn friggin stupid! What did I tell you about sellin crap like this huh? Yeah it's good money, until the people you're sellin it to come back and try to take the supply cause their addicts! Or their families come for blood cause you messed up one of their kin! We don't sell friggin thistle to anyone! Not from my property! Not under the Gemfall Industries name!"

"Glitta, you're bein thick," Blitz growled. "Do you know how much I made just last week? Give me a break. You're getting all high and saintly on me when you're sellin friggin stolen elf artifacts from their ruins anyways! Give it a rest!"

Glitta growled, storming across the office and slamming her hands on Blitz's desk, making the coins jump, "Art doesn't make people crazy you mook! Nobody gives a rat's ass if we take a bit of treasure from some dead elves! Living elves get friggin pissed when you sell junk that messes up their friends! This ends now!"

Blitz shook his head, leaning forward in his chair, "If that's how you feel about it..."

"Yeah, that's how I feel about it," Glitta said, giving him a hard stare.

Blitz grinned, the shotgun under his desk coming free in his hands. He rose from his chair, pumping a round into the chamber and pointing it at her from across the desk, "Guess our business is through then, ain't it?"

Glitta gasped, reeling back in shock her eyes wide and her mouth open, "You're really gonna do this? Over some friggin thistle? You're breakin my heart here babe."

Blitz smiled, aiming the shotgun at Glitta. Behind her the two hobgoblins had become tense, unsure of how to protect the Boss Lady from the gun. There was nothing they could do though, as Glitta had said, the game was up. As he squeezed the trigger, Blitz grinned and said, "It's not me, it's you baby."

The gun bucked in his hand, the round flying faster than the eye could see towards Glitta's chest. It stopped suddenly, five inches from her, a gust of wind so powerful that it had caught the round holding it in the air before her. The spent slug tumbled there, caught in a miniature whirlwind. A necklace that Glitta wore glowed softly, one of several crystal pendants on it flaring and then crumbling to dust and blowing away in the wind, the contract with the air elemental that she'd arranged expiring.

With tears in her eyes, Glitta reached out to take the slug from the air, holding it between two manicured fingers, "Everything we had, and this is all it meant to you? Everything you said to me..."

"Was for the gold you dumb bitch!" Blitz yelled, furiously bringing the shotgun up and attempting to pump another round in the chamber. He was shocked that his attack had failed. He'd heard the rumors about Glitta's dealings with elementals and that some people called her a 'shaman', whatever the heck that was, but to see mystic power displayed was startling given that she previously had shown little talent in such things.

Glitta looked at him sadly, a strangely ominous humming sound rising from the bracelets on her wrist as small capacitors there began to pick up a charge from the air around her. The air elementals that she'd made agreements with pulled the charge into the tiny devices she'd had crafted, electrical sparks surging through the metal and connecting to rings on her fingers. Shaking her head, she brought her hands up just as Blitz finished pumping his gun, her fingers splayed out as they discharged the energy towards him.

A blinding flash of light filled the room as lightning struck the desk before her, throwing it and its contents up into the air and onto Blitz. A booming crackle of thunder nearly deafened everyone in the room as the power roared out, leaving the burnt scent of ozone in the air. Blitz hit the floor hard, his shotgun bouncing away and a hundred gold coins tinkling around him before the heavy weight of the desk landed on his back, driving the breath from his lungs. Papers fluttered down around him and he grunted, trapped under the furniture.

A shadow loomed over him, and he saw Glitta looking down at him sadly, the metal pipe back in her hand. She dragged it slowly over the frame of the fallen desk, little sparks of electricity still dancing in the air. She paused, standing over him, her designer boots inches from his dazed head.

"Baby..." Blitz coughed, smoke coming out of his mouth from the burnt wood he'd inhaled, "Come on baby, don't do me like this. We had some good times together didn't we? Why don't we talk about this back at your place? We can talk in the hot tub like you like..."

Glitta looked down on him, heartbreak behind her eyes. It didn't bleed out in her voice though as she spoke the last words he'd hear from her, "Blitz. You're fired."

The metal pipe descended, and Blitz saw no more of the office or his now ex-girlfriend and former employer.