The screens that made up Wise One's base were displaying messages, the electronic voice of an AI reading them all out:
Report to the warehouse by 8 PM or the armed forces will be sent to your location. Your identity will be known throughout the world.
Was all it repeated, blaring on and on for hours on end. Dianna couldn't even watch television, it blocked the receivers and input the message onto every screen she owned. The base was protected by magic, wards stacked upon wards, but somehow this Presence managed to break through. She wasn't necessarily worried about the world knowing her, but she didn't want the base to be destroyed. It was where her Master had taken her when he abducted her, where he had taught her everything. Where he lay buried, peaceful in a tomb in the back gardens. She couldn't let his resting place be destroyed, which would happen if a firefight took place there.
She knew she was late, of course she was. There was a lot of magic that had to be prepped before she could leave. She had to make sure the defenses were still active, that the base was still invisible to outsiders. It was a lot of hard work, and Ms. Muffins II was not the greatest assistant. The poor cat had spent most of her day tucked between Dianna's legs, meowing frightfully at the screens that blared messages.
Finally, she was finished packing. She had one large bag full of alchemical items and potions, and another smaller bag for clothes. She put on her small purse, tucking Ms. Muffin into the pocket. Her two bags were unsurprisingly heavy, but she lifted them with ease. After a final checkup, she left her home to work under The Presence.
Traveling into town was a tricky business. Her base was far, far away. It looked like she was coming from the middle of nowhere every time she entered, but with a little bit of work, she eased herself into the everyday crowd. It was late, so not many questioned her presence. She walked confidently, and her demeanor was solid even when she entered the warehouse.
She came in the middle of a brief announcement from the Presence, and as he spoke she looked over the fellow villains who had been called there. When the screen flashed, she was able to see some symbols, most of which she recognized from her teachings in the dark arts. It made her shudder, but when she walked in and set her bags down by the door, she was nothing but smiles.
She set Ms. Muffins II down by her side, who had been nice and quiet during their time traveling. The kitten ran in circles around Dianna's legs, oblivious to the other villains around her. Dianna flashed smiles at all the others in the room, most of them were wearing masks, which was a real shame. She only wore a mask during slaughters, but she supposed they were all wanting to look big and bad. In fact, she probably looked like a random stranger who had strode in and decided it was her right to be a part of the meeting. It was almost funny, seeing as she was a major villain known throughout most of the world.
She took a seat in a quiet corner, Ms. Muffin II sat on her lap, purring and digging her claws into her pencil skirt. Dianna stroked her fur, staring up at the screen with a sort of disinterest.