A beautiful, deadly Rose

[Hellion]

New York City - Uptown

:: For awhile, he had been drunk on the blood of the angel he had killed. The rest of his time in Los Angeles was spent playing. Engaging in whatever games of temptation that he could. Humans were so stupid, but it was so satisfying to be BETTER than them. But this couldn't last, the small part of his soul that begged him to stop what he was doing won over, as it usually did and he had spent a terrifying night at his bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, shaking and sweating and trying to satisfy his urge to hunt another one of God's chosen. He had crossed a line and he knew it, he had stalked the angel and killed it. Up until then, he had been able to fight the urge. The constant battle between the light and dark parts of him was something he was used to, and although he had come to his senses, boarded his private jet to return to New York City, to be a good boy, he knew that he was reaching a tipping point. ::

"..for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

:: The next two weeks, Derek had been a good boy. In New York, he had family, he had responsibility. It was easy to ignore his hunger, his urge to go out and hunt, to seek revenge for the things that had happened to him. The offices of his business, Forest Black Label, a spin off of Forrester Creations was up and running in Uptown New York. Though his family had been good to him, they weren't willing to listen to his ideas for innovation and creativity. They were fine doing what they had always done and it was why they always fell flat. Thankfully he had convinced his grandmother to help him finance his own fashion house, one that was gaining a LOT of intrigue and reputation in the fashion world. His fall line was already being praised before ever hitting fashion week and his men's line was about to be made available for the public. All in all, his image was relatively positive, which was a rare thing for Derek and he was actually enjoying the work that he was doing. ::

:: A creative type at heart, Derek had the kind of eye for design and structure that people would quite literally kill for. He had seen it for years in the fashion industry. He knew he had a skill that couldn't be taught or bought, and he was taking it all the way to the bank. This morning, he had been busy at work, listening to music, sewing and sketching, all of it very mindless. Then the dull ache of a lack of caffeine began to introduce itself into Derek's mind, which caused him to seek out caffeine, something that ALMOST competed with the blood of angels. ::

:: He walked down the street in an impeccably tailored suit of his own creation, watching as the people around him engaged in the monotony of everything it meant to be mortal. The soul inside of him that burned, that physically at times caused him pain yearned for what they had. Their stupid problems of where to go for dinner, of wondering when Susan was coming home at night. It was all so simple and so boring, and yet he felt called to it. But then he saw something that caught him off guard and called to him for another reason altogether. ::

"Tsk. tsk. tsk."

:: Guardian Angels were the dumbest angels of the heirarchy. As if they had watched a few episodes of "Touched By An Angel" and treated it as law. They were always homeless buns, or overweight black women in big hats. They thought they were clever, and hidden. But they weren't to somebody like Derek. They had a light around them, as if they were an incredibly expensive champagne underneath a spotlight. His hunger returned for a moment, and in that moment, his bright blue eyes darkened, and his demeanor became decidedly less human. He watched this angel, this ignorant protector of man as they blended in, pretending as if they were human, fading into the background. It would be easy enough to fuck with it. And easier to kill. Derek cocked an amused eyebrow as he flicked his wrists, and time seemed to almost slow down around him. He wasn't a time manipulator, but he could most certainly turn into the frequency at which heavenly beings existed. He slowly walked forward, like a panther, as he could see the would be guardian angel take notice of him. A predatory smile curled in on his lips. ::

:: Derek was about to give in and give up on his days of sobriety when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. A statuesque blonde beauty in the window of one of New York's most expensive and posh boutiques. Her icy violet eyes met the mirror as Derek shifted his focus altogether. ::

"Perhaps there IS something more delicious than the blood of an angel."

:: In an instant he was there as he moved from an angelic frequency to a human one, walking into the shop. In the far corner, there stood Morgan Victoria modeling a very scandalous, very fashion forward dress in a three way mirror, with an older, equally attractive woman at her side, both of them sipping on champagne. ::

"Now that dress is a shade of red I think the world should see you in more often.."

:: Their eyes met for a moment and the chemistry that had been there in Los Angeles was still present in New York. He moved closer towards her, closing the distance between them very quickly. ::

"Good to see you, Morgan. Very good, actually. I have to admit, I'm a little sad you haven't called."

:: He stood back, his eyes surveying her up and down, delicately and sensually. ::

"But seeing you in this dress more than makes up for it. It's well constructed...a little pedestrian for somebody like you or me, but well constructed none the less. But we both know...if we WEAR it? It BECOMES fashion."

:: Derek's eyes lingered from Morgan slowly as he met the gaze of a somewhat stern, older and elegant woman. ::

"Hello there. I'm sorry to interrupt. I'm Derek Forrester..and you? Well, you two must be related. Morgan is an old friend of mine from our modeling days. I keep serendiptitously running into her.."

:: His eyes met hers once more. ::

"Not that I'm complaining."

 

[Steel]

Coffee House

John...look me in the eye and tell me you're OKAY with her disrespect, her open BIGOTRY toward amazons, or the way she takes PLEASURE in antagonizing other people?

“Of course I’m not okay with it – though I think you throw the word bigotry around a little too freely. But you and Sharon, you don’t do too much to try and change her mind. Sharon BAITED her yesterday, and you joined in. That’s not how you show you deserve respect, Alycia.”

here I am, contemplating what's best for me...how I can be most effective, and I just don't see that happening, working along side someone who thinks its OKAY to disrespect me simply because of who I am.

“But you think it’s perfectly alright to disrespect her, don’t you? Call her a whore for simply having sex with a single man?”

He sat up.

“Look. When we tried to save Frost, Ashley was there. She had our backs. When people like Isis didn’t. I’m just saying, look at her actions more than her words. It’s going to take time to change her mind.”

When he asked her what was really wrong, she began to talk about the Six.

Do you know who helped PULL me out of that? HALEIGH DAVIDOFF. Of ALL the people on that team...SHE was the one that saw something in me I didn't even see in myself!?...After I was healed and reborn as an Amazon...I wanted Haleigh to SEE me, see what I'd become, just like Zizi had wanted me to see what SHE'D become. I wouldn't have felt that way for someone I didn't care about, John. And now...I feel like a FOOL for it, and I HATE her for that.

John looked at her sympathetically, putting his hand over hers as she began to cry.

“You’re not a fool, Alycia. You’re just stuck in the middle of some really fucked up shit.”

You see, John, her betrayal of the Six is not the only thing...she did something to ME on a VERY personal level, and I found out about it when Sharon, Dominique and I went to the Parthenon yesterday. So right now...even if I DIDN'T know Haleigh for the turncoat that she now is...I would STILL shove a bolt of divine lightning down her throat. She doesn't VALUE anyone else's feelings, goals, hopes or dreams...ONLY her's...and ONLY those people that she can USE, like ZACH. But once she's done, that's IT.

“I’m so sorry, Alycia, for whatever it is she’s put you through. Sounds like you were a true friend to her, and she didn’t give that back to you the way she should have.”

HE doesn't want to see it, and if anyone should know better, it should be HIM because the same thing that she did to ME, it ALSO affected HIM. But she could be standing before him with a freshly killed BLOODY corpse at her feet, and he would find any reason he could to believe that someone ELSE did it and just happened to leave it there.

Steel blew the air out of his cheeks.

“Well, then, he’s going to need YOU to see clearly for the both of you.”

He smiled, a little sadly.

“If this woman is really what you say she is, then we need to protect Zach while he can’t protect himself. Sometimes you can’t tell someone what’s right in front of their face, until they eventually see it themselves. He might have to figure it out for himself, but that doesn’t mean we have to let him crash and burn in the process.”

 

[Recall]

NYC - Near Clandestine

:: The van had tumbled and turned on it's side several times as Vivica rounded the corner, watching it barely miss crashing into a brick wall. For a moment, there was a calm, before those in the van realized they were injured, before the woman in the van realized just what had happened to her, and just how STUPID she had been for getting into a van with people like this. Vivica sprung into action, easily RIPPING the sliding door of the van open with one hand and THROWING it to the side as she reached for the woman, SNAPPING her from her seatbelt and meeting her eye to eye. ::

"YOU?! Get out of here! And get some common sense, would you?! This is NEW YORK, girl!"

:: Vivica delicately dropped her to the ground as she ran in a dead heat, quickly passing by another human form as Vivica looked up to see Ashley. So she had decided to come. Recall cracked a smile as the men in the van began to SCRAMBLE, unbuckling their seatbelts and attempting to crawl OUT of the car with great speed. ::

Valkyrie: "So, what do you need?"

"A lobotomy, probably. But for now? I need you to take that anger you have at Sharon for batting you out of the park last night and focus it on these weak, PERVERTED little men who decided it would be a good idea to kidnap the whining girl who just ran past of you and sell her to the highest bidder."

:: A man's knuckles GRIPPED the side of the van, trying to escape as Vivica CRUSHED them with her heel and lifted him up and OUT of the vehicle with ease and THREW him on the ground in front of Valkyrie. She followed suit with the rest of the men. ::

"Also..you know, I'm sorry for being a bitch lately and constantly trying to shut you up. My bad...and it won't happen again."

:: She dropped to the ground, her knees bending for a moment as she rose to her feet with a smile. ::

"If it does...I'll send you every naughty pic in my phone that I have. And not to toot my own horn, but I AM an artist. And they ARE...artistic."

<< BAM! >>

:: Vivica PUNCHED the man who was now attempting some feeble effort to fight against her. He FLEW into the dumpster to the left of her. ::

"They aren't Amazons..but it was the best I could do on short notice. We good?"

 

[Black Widow]

Bishop's

He asked her what she was doing here, made a joke about Hellfire, complimented her hair. He thought they were friends now, after the Alexia thing. Maybe he'd have been right, in some alternate timeline, where she hadn't dropped into Hell after learning she was Satan's spawn. Too bad they weren't in that timeline now.

Bishop: Turn that off.

Haleigh looked over at him, laying her arm over the back of the sofa. She flicked the ash from her cigar over the edge of the couch, and didn't give a single fuck where it fell.

"No, you need to see this. You've forgotten the way things are. You think because she fell into your arms, because she calls you now, that means something? You've always been such a goddamned imbecile."

She sat up a little more, removed her feet from the table, uncrossing her ankles, but then crossing her legs at the knees as she rotated her torso to face him. She pulled a lungful from her cigar, then offered it to him, the last nice thing she was ever going to give him. He looked at her coldly, and she didn't care, because she couldn't afford to. She was here to hurt him, and then kill him.

"Take me, for an example. When I was good, you went out of your way to infuriate me, and you made sure Delilah knew you thought I was bad news. Now I've gone and joined Hellfire, and what do you do? Flip the fucking script and start coaching Delilah the other way around. You support her belief that I'm still somehow.... GOOD? That could not BE further from the truth."

She stood up, and took one more sip, savoring the flavor before snuffing out her cigar. She set it on the coffee table, and tossed her hair back as she straightened back up. Then she started cracking her knuckles.

"And now, unfortunately for you, I'll have to prove just how wrong you both are. Any last words? I'll make sure Delilah gets them."

 

[Silver Swan]

Outside of Vanguard

:: Simon thought for a moment before proceeding. ::

"The others are right to be worried about Rose. She's really been a lifeline to me since the attack. I've been to the sanctuary a few times a week for months now. I like to see Katie and the other kids, make sure they are doing okay. Teach them tricks. Just try and give them a little joy. Rose also helped me when I felt a lot darker than I did now. She gave me a reading, gave me advice...helped me confirm a few things that I had been feeling."

"She's one of the only people that I can call a friend these days. I went to see her last night..but things didn't necessarily go as planned."

"Look...I don't know how Rose operates when threatened, but I do know that her first show of force wasn't against Av--Persephone. When I arrived on her block, Rose was under attack from somebody that was apparently casing her sanctuary. Looking for ways in. It was The Black Knight of The Hellfire Club. While I don't know much about the inner workings of all these things, but it was clear that The Black Court was interested in securing some of her children for their own machinations."

[pausing]

[ Sharon's mouth opened in disbelief. When Simon paused, she found her voice]

WHAT!?

[ Birds all around the area echoed her dismay as they vocalized or flapped their wings,]

THE HELLFIRE CLUB!

"The Knight attacked me...Rose offered her salvation, she refused, declared me an enemy of The Hellfire Club and then Rose proceeded to shoot her out of her turf like a rocket, much like what you did to Valkyrie last night. I mean...she seemed ANGRY, but who wouldn't be? Two attacks on her children in such a short amount of time? I would lose it. I do remember being..a bit scared FOR her. I've never seen that kind of display of power in my life..well, that's a lie because I saw her do it AGAIN with Persephone.."

The hellfire club is becoming increasingly bolder in its efforts. They're not even attacking members of the Six out right yet, they're going after allies, associates, even people INDIRECTLY connected.

I've got to tell Alycia about this! She doesn't know...NONE of them do. We've got to help her...

Perhaps THAT is why she said he FAILED. THAT would make even more sense! Zach, that careless FOOL!

[ Simon provided a clear, disturbing picture. Rose was now in the crosshairs of the Hellfire Club and no one even KNEW until now!? And there was something...NOT RIGHT with HER. Even Simon seemed SCARED as he described her- one moment the mysterious, but serene woman that Sharon, Alycia, Zach and Zimon knew, the NEXT a woman displaying power that many didn't know she had. Even Sharon had to admit that she didn't know the exact nature or full extent of Rose's powers, but based on Simon's description, it would certainly explain why Rose didn't seem to FEAR anyone around her. She apparently had enough power to SLAP someone DOWN if necessary.]

[ Still, no one, no matter HOW powerful, is an island, OR invincible, and Sharon immediately began to feel concern...GUILT even... regarding Rose. Simon spoke of HER status as a survivor of the bus accident, and she WAS. She'd ALSO been traumatized, but who among them REALLY bothered to check on HER, and even PRESS her to make SURE she was being OPEN to them about HER personal needs of support? She owned an ENTIRE city block, and had worked hard at keeping it "low profile" in order to provide a safe space for mutant orphans, but had that status of "hiding in plain sight" served as a BARRIER or a facade that was now posing a problem!? ]

"And if I am being honest, as much as I want to pretend she's okay...I think that Rose is going through something VERY dark and knowing now the kind of power that she wields..I think it's worth looking into. I don't want her to do something she regrets and can't fix in a moment of unresolved rage."

"I don't think you should wait any longer to go see her."

[ Sharon knew what damage could be caused by other people assuming you were "strong enough" to handle whatever came your way. And this was not merely an acquaintance, this was a FRIEND, a true GEM in this place of stone and steel, someone who, like Sharon, wasn't just "TALK." She, Alycia and Rose had been working together for many years, and then...Sharon DIED, and Alycia was forced into exile, and so ZACH inherited this. Well, it was OBVIOUS that HE didn't deserve it. He FAILED Rose and Sharon wasn't going to let another day pass with HIM being "in charge" of making sure she and her children were safe.]

I will make SURE to see her TODAY. What did you see the name of her ally was?

:: Citadel::

I'll have my birds search for him. I want to contact him as well.

I'm going to tell Alycia about this!

[ She looked at Simon]

WE'LL take care of this!

[ She noticeably didn't refer to the Birds of Prey, not ONCE. Just herself and Alycia.]

:: grabbing her arm gently with his left hand. ::

"But before you go. Since everybody is drawing lines in the sand. I want you to know..I may be new to all of this..but I have your back. And my power, as untrained as it is...could SHIFT the tide of ANY battle in your...in MY favor. My numbers will grow with Vanguard, as will my influence. So in the coming days, don't forget me as an ally. I'll help you if I can in any way."

[ She looked at his hand on her arm, and slowly, raised her other armor covered hand to touch his. She smiled a bit at him]

Simon, you're...heart is very nobel. I sense that from you.

[ Truth be told, he made her wonder if HER son had lived, would he look similar to him, or even act like this? Simon was polite, sweet, and genuine. Kyle had been the same as a small child.]

And I thank you for your support. I don't have much of that these days, and I....I sometimes thought I didn't NEED it, but I was thinking that Rose, no matter how POWERFULshe is, is not an island...and truthfully, neither am I.

"And...it's none of my business, and I don't know the true details of what transpired last night. You've always shown good judgment to ME, but I don't know you very well. All I can do is speak from my own perception..my OWN point of view. Please reconsider your stance on the Birds of Prey. You are the Silver Swan, by namesake alone you are a fit there. I don't know THEM very well...but I know Vivica...and I know she's struggled to find a place she fit in for a very long time. She doesn't give her heart and her loyalty as easily as she used to, so I know that if SHE believes in it...there's gotta be something there.."

"I'm not trying to force it on you..and like I said, I have your back regardless, as I hope you will have mine. I just think you really owe it to yourself to be happy and to feel like you fit in...and I think you could fit in with them, okay? That's all."

[ Her silver eyes widen as he broaches that subject with her. She breathes in deeply, and holds her breath for a moment, before slowly exhaling. He went there, but not as a means to condemn or shame. Again his words were plaintive, and she heard him. He was genuine in his SUPPORT of her, and his concern, as well as his belief that she belonged with the Birds of prey! ]

I will take your words, your suggestion into consideration. But I can't make any promises right now on THAT.

[ She smiles at him a bit once more]

Perhaps I'll talk with Vivica, and go from there.

But what I CAN promise is that if you need me, as SILLY as it may sound to you, all you have to do, is call to the nearest BIRD that you see and it will not be long before I am aware, and I will come for you.

Now you get undercover.

The Hellfire Club is apparently BUSY,, and they're just getting started!

I'm going to make SURE that Alycia knows about what's happened with Rose, and we'll help her. We'll go to her TONIGHT!

[ Her silver eye mask returns, and she nods to Simon]

Thank you, Simon. You're a good friend to Rose, and I consider you a friend as well. I WILL be there for you when you need me.

Until next time!

[ And with that, she launches into the air, and speeds away, with her silver gryfalcons flying after her, their cry is heard by simon as they and their mistress soon disappear from his view. The little song bird that first arrived is still perched near by. It watches him for a bit longer, before it too takes flight and flutters away]

 

[Orion]

Clandestine Intelligence -- Board Room

More back and forth, more grasping in the dark. Both sides of the debate had good points, and strong logic. This was getting nowhere fast. Every single one of them believed, at their core, that the 'side' they'd chosen was the correct one. No one here was trying to do Haleigh wrong, on the contrary. Whether she was good or evil, that didn't seem to be the primary issue. They all believed in their leader, one way or another. They all wanted to do right by her, even if that meant taking the company and protecting it from HER.

There was even MORE they needed to discuss, like what to do about Vivica's server and other very sensitive assets if they DIDN'T suspend Haleigh's access, or who to nominate as surrogate if they DID. But they couldn't really address any of that without deciding the vote first. And they wouldn't reach a vote without more intel.

He wondered if Zizi had made any progress, and at that very second, he felt his pristine new phone buzz in his pocket. He checked it discreetly, and his brow furrowed as he read the text.

Zizi>> Get to the Clocktower. NOW.

That didn't sound good. He pushed his chair out from the table, and many pairs of eyes shifted in his direction. He had the sense to look apologetic.

Infrared: What is it Zach?

"Oracle. I'll leave my proxy with you, Cass, in the event I become unreachable. Keep me posted otherwise."

He reached for his watch, clicked the button, and seconds later, materialized in front of Zizi.

"What's wrong, who's attacking?"

He asked, sliding his phone back in his pocket.

 

[Talisman]

The Body Shoppe

< Talisman didn't need to be within the walls of The Hellfire Mansion to know exactly what was going on. While Mystique was a worthy informant of great intrigue, Kelly Shaw simply did not need somebody like that on her own court. Her gift of Omni Sight had proved very worthwhile and she had enjoyed more than a few steamy scenes while going unnoticed. The additions of Haleigh Davidoff and Ava Cassadine to The Inner Circle at first had agitated her, and while she had no plans to take it easy on Scion, no she rather enjoyed assets being returned to their rightful owners, their arrival had caused a shift in power that left The Black Court primed to grab hold of. Diana and Helena had been hoisted in the control room of the catacombs for DAYS, reveling in the pain and heartbreak of The Six and their allies, both playing a silent game of chess with each other. The Red Court testing it's own, trying to gain an advantage against the formidable White Court. And The White Court was doing the same. And because Talisman could be a bit of a lonewolf at times, she was always assumed to be doing any number of horrible nature defying things in her laboratory. Which, for the most part she was. But The Black Queen was biding her time, waiting to see the cracks that formed in the wake of Persephone and Scion's arrival. It would help her stack her own court in her favor. She had the benefit of being new and with an empty court as Dominique Devereaux seemed as bored with court life as she was about everything else in her life, she was left with options, which were always good to have in The Hellfire Mansion. >

< And as Helena and Diana shifted gears, so did Kelly. Each of them played specific roles within The Sisterhood. Each woman possessed a set of skills that the other didn't have, but shared a similarity that kept them bonded. She was the new girl in town, and although she had a rough starts, she was getting her sea legs, and she was starting to enjoy herself. >

< Still, she couldn't help but have a little bit of fun of her own. That's why she had sent Gorgon to The Parthenon. She smirked at the thought of Cassandra Johnson not believing her eyes, wondering if the man in the corner, or the man in line for the bathroom, was HIM. Was her "Rogue". Though Gorgon currently held the title of Black Bishop, it was on a probationary period. In fact, she already had somebody waiting in the wings while this "gift" was presented to her at The Blackout Party. Kristin Pratt overestimated her ability and it had caused Benjamin to reveal the nature of his origin to her. She had no real use for him, not yet. He was merely just one of the people that Talisman had located over the years that had deep emotional, and PAINFUL ties to The Six and their allies. She would use him how she saw fit, and if he wanted to live and not become one of Diana's PSI Hounds, he would stay right under her thumb, and sometimes beneath her skirt, whenever she wanted for as long as she wanted. >

< With Gorgon on assignment and Amanda having returned from casing The Sanctuary, Dr. Shaw decided that it was a good a time as any to return to her own sanctuary, The Body Shoppe. It was the largest manifest of her magick, a part of her soul binded to this plane, an incredible expression of her power. It's true location was known only to Talisman and the shop operated as a tesseract, able to maintain an unlimited supply of anything. Only those who truly were ready to receive it's services would ever get an invation, and in a place where she often had to walk on egg shells to keep afloat, The Body Shoppe was a place that she could truly do...whatever she wanted. >

< Amanda's mission had proved useful. She had successfully recovered a bit of Rose's power...of her energy signature. Walking over to a floating holographic monitor, she looked at an arial view of the orb, before flicking her wrists. The screens zoomed as Rose's power signature was now being analyzed on a molecular and chemical level. Talisman needed to dissect it, to see how it worked, in order to craft something that could negate it or block it completely. Every superhuman being, mutant or otherwise, crafted an energy who's essence could be captured. From there, one could look at similarities and differences in other abilities or forms of energy. Eventually, through enough research, one could find the exact energy sequence that could negate or destroy another. Rose housed what Talisman believed could be the future of her research, so whether it was today, tomorrow or ten years from now, she would have enough viable subjects to do what she wanted to do..change the world. >

"I'll trim that weed YET!"

< Smirking, she began to hear the screams of a young woman in the distance. The sound both exhilirated and annoyed Kelly as she rolled her eyes, clacking across the cold metal floor of her sanctuary in her dark black doctor's coat, and black leather banded dress. The woman had been here for a few days. She was a runaway, no family and although she wasn't moving cars with her mind, she possessed an amagous mutant gene structure. While she wouldn't reinvent the wheel with this woman, she could most certainly crack her open and perhaps learn a thing or two, and although things were far more exciting these days for The Hellfire Club, Talisman was finding herself a bit bored. >

"Dear. You've been here for three days. And nobody has come to help you. Why do you fight the glaringly obvious truth that nobody is COMING to help you..and that you AREN'T going to live through this?"

< She walked closer to the young woman who's body and limbs were restricted in some kind of high tech mechanical patient bed, that held her in an upright position. Talisman softly grazed the woman's cheek with her sharp, manicured matte black nails. Her cobalt blue eyes sparkled. >

"It's okay, though. You've been chosen for a higher purpose. What I might learn from you? Who knows..you could one day be the next Henrietta Lacks?"

< Talisman laughed. >

Woman: "Please. For the love of God, don't kill me!"

< The Black Queen's eyes narrowed as her face seemed to move even closer to the woman's own. >

"Stupid girl. There is no God. Not for you, anyway."

<< WHOOSH >>

< In one swoop motion, Kelly took her sharp nails and viciously slit the throat of the annoying little test subject. She could have kept her alive, in fact...she rather enjoyed the screams people made, the FACES they made, when they were tore open with little to no anesthetic. Plus, this girl was no more than a lab rat; she would most likely wield no results or the results would be minimum at best, and Kelly didn't waste her brain on those so far beneath her. Not anymore. >

"Shhh...just go. Go into the light...."

"And do it quietly please. Your whimper is worse than a chihuahua."

< Before long, it was over and a wave of silence and calm swept through the labrynth that was The Body Shoppe. On the tray next to the now dead and bloody woman, there was a series of medical and surgical tools, as well as a remote and a pair of thick black surgical gloves. Cracking her neck back and forthe, she slipped the gloves over her hands and secured them tightly. Her Omni Sight had alerted her that things were about to hit the fan in a big way, and she didn't want to miss it. >

"Time to scrap this one for parts and get back home."

< Grabbing a surgical saw, it whizzed and buzzed for a few seconds until Kelly stopped herself for a moment, turning the saw off and setting it back on the silver medical tray. She grabbed the remote and clicked a button. >

< A peculiar song began to play all around her in perfect stereo. A smile curled up in her lips. >

"Much better."

<< VROOM! WHIZZ WHIZZZ! VROOM! >>

< The saw went to work. >

 

[Spellbinder]

NYC- Uptown

<< After a week of collective shock and an overwhelming sense of loss, not just because of Haleigh, but because of the situation with Frost, members of the Victoria family began to slowly emerge from Blaze's penthouse apartment.>>

<< it was slow and cautious. all of them, even KAREN felt wary of anything outside of this space. Everything that happened with Frost, and Haleigh had taken a huge toll on Karen. Mike didn't want to let her out of his site, and her daughters didn't want to leave either of them alone.>>

<< It was the first time since...since Karen had gone into HIDING, under the protectionof Clandestine Inc, that it had been like this for her, and Morgan hadn't felt this uncertain of herself since that night Christopher had tried to murder her mother in their family home.>>

<< CHRISTOPHER. For Morgan, Karen, and Blaze, the events of late ALL went back to HIM. Frost and Haleigh BOTH were their SISTERS!>>

<< EVERYTHING had chanaged in one night, and although Morgan allowed herself to believe in what Cameron said to her, when she found herself in the arms of Blaze, and they cried/held one another, she began to wonder if he was mistaken. COULD they come together in a time like this, or was the lose of yet another founding member and the way that it happened this time just too much to survive?>>

<< It wasn't JUST Haleigh's loss, it was the revelation that she was Morgan and Blaze's SISTER, and MALICE'S DAUGHTER!? It was this devastating shift in tactical power, and the uncertain of what was coming now that the TRUCE was over.>>

<< She could have avoided ALL of this if she'd stayed in LIMBO. She could leave NOW, and take her FAMILY back with her, including Michael and Nicolas (who would no doubt INSIST that Dominique be included) ...but what about Cameron, Alison, Delilah? their allies and friends, Sharon, ALycia, Sally Spectra, ALL the people that they cared about that were now in DANGER!? Morgan COULDN'T just abandon them...COULD SHE!?>>

<< The fact that she was even considering an evacuation is ANOTHER reason why she chose to let herself cocoon with her family in her sister's penthouse. She HAD to overcome that wave of ANXIETY and that impulse to take her family and just escape.>>


<< And so, as time passed and they began to venture out and try to reconnect, Morgan, Karen and Mike took their first trip out together. Morgan refused to ride in a car, opting to TELEPORT them wherever they needed to go. >>

<< This late afternoon, they happened to be in an ultra exclusive boutique>>


<< But she was trying on a striking outfit that was noticeably darker in terms of style choices. She'd worn outfits similar to this in her days on Valiant, when she was truly in a dark ANGRY place. Is that where she was NOW?>>

<< On ALISON, this outfit would seem..."TYPICAL", but on Morgan, who was FAR from being tame or demure with fashion, it was definitely a change of pace.>>

<< Karen was seated. The elegant doctor looked much more refreshed than she had two weeks, but the smile that Mike loved to see on her face was still slow in coming back.>>

<< The doctor wore a stylish ensemble that flattered her fit figure. Though she was Morgan's mother, she looked far younger than her own age, a benefit to her being a witch and immortal. >>

Karen: Morgan, that's very...striking...and a bit...

<< Looking at Michael>>

Karen: Severe. I havent seen you wear something like this in a while...

<< Morgan does a little turn, and uses her magick to change the color of the ensemble with each turn. She admires herself in the 3 way mirror>>

Morgan: Maybe an old part of me is...reasserting herself. Maybe...for the times that we are now facing, it's NECESSARY?

<< She and her mother look at one another, as Michael looks at both of them. He knew what they were thinking, how they felt.>>

<< Suddenly, Karen GASPS, Morgan turns quickly to the direction of a stranger's voice, and Michael is ready to draw his weapon>>

:: In an instant he was there as he moved from an angelic frequency to a human one, walking into the shop. In the far corner, there stood Morgan Victoria modeling a very scandalous, very fashion forward dress in a three way mirror, with an older, equally attractive woman at her side, both of them sipping on champagne. ::

"Now that dress is a shade of red I think the world should see you in more often.."

DEREK!

<< HOW!? WHY NOW!? and her in THIS outfit!?>>

:: Their eyes met for a moment and the chemistry that had been there in Los Angeles was still present in New York. He moved closer towards her, closing the distance between them very quickly. ::

"Good to see you, Morgan. Very good, actually. I have to admit, I'm a little sad you haven't called."

<< As she settled, she relaxed a bit, folding her arms and looking at Derek with her icy violet eyes>>

I've been busy. Things have...happened.

:: He stood back, his eyes surveying her up and down, delicately and sensually. ::

"But seeing you in this dress more than makes up for it. It's well constructed...a little pedestrian for somebody like you or me, but well constructed none the less. But we both know...if we WEAR it? It BECOMES fashion."

<< He wasn't the ONLY one looking. Morgan eyed HIM in that tailored suit and his shoes. He...filled it out NICELY. And...was her MOTHER checking him out from the BACK!? Mike snickered as he watched the mother/daughter duo survey this cocky young man>>

We ALWAYS made the clothes, not the other way around.

<< She said, recalling her days struttling the runway. Derek wasn't lying. ANYTHING they wore would become a trend.>>

As Sally Spectra always says, fashion is for the LIVING...

<< Her face went from a cold expression to one of...intrigue as she studied Derek a bit more>>

...and the SEXY.

<< Karen NOTICEABLY cleared her throat and Morgan blushed a bit.>>

:: Derek's eyes lingered from Morgan slowly as he met the gaze of a somewhat stern, older and elegant woman. ::

"Hello there. I'm sorry to interrupt. I'm Derek Forrester..and you?

<< Karen looked upon Derek with a calm demeanor. She played off the fact that she...NOTICED his REAR profile>>

Karen: Dr. Karen Victoria, Morgan's MOTHER.

<< She said in that clear, but stern tone of voice she was known for. She offered her hand to Derek.>>

Karen: Morgan, isn't this the young man you said you ran into when you met with Sally in LA a few weeks ago?

Morgan: Yes. We've worked together many times through the years. He's a Forrester,, from THE House of Forrester. And Speaking of Forresters AND Spectras, HOW is Sally? We haven't seen her out this way in several weeks.

But maybe it's BETTER than she stay far from here as long as possible, until we know exactly what we're doing about Haleigh and the Hellfire Club

<< Morgan didn't want to THINK about anything happen to Sally. She survived the attack on her by the Purifiers, thanks to quick action by Recall, and the sursgical prowess of Sawbones, a member of the CI team. She was one of the Six's most colorful, supportive, HUMAN allies, and Morgan did NOT want her to become collateral damage.>>

Well, you two must be related. Morgan is an old friend of mine from our modeling days. I keep serendiptitously running into her.."

:: His eyes met hers once more. ::

"Not that I'm complaining."

<< Morgan's eyes meet his once more. This whole "making eyes" at one another was happening TOO easily, and Morgan almost FORGOT that Karen and Michael were in attendance just now. She BLINKS and shakes her head, stepping down from the platform>>

WAIT a minute. BLAZE told me Sally called her and said he was going to be in town!

Derek, why don't you meet me at the Parthenon in a little while?

There's someone there that wants to see you. After that, we can have...

SEX!

DRINKS!

 

[Arsenal]

Mike stood, back to the corner and prepared to pull any number of weapons, including Maddie, should the need arise. Karen was getting there, but the last two weeks had been tough. Mike was ready to say fuck it and go back to Aerie, even ready to make a go in Limbo rather than have Karen put up with anything else. But here they were, watching Morgan look good in clothes. By now she had put on something way more...spicy than he remembered.

Karen: Morgan, that's very...striking...and a bit...

<< Looking at Michael>>

Karen: Severe. I havent seen you wear something like this in a while...

<< Morgan does a little turn, and uses her magick to change the color of the ensemble with each turn. She admires herself in the 3 way mirror>>

Morgan: Maybe an old part of me is...reasserting herself. Maybe...for the times that we are now facing, it's NECESSARY?

Hell, maybe it was. Mike had been on the good side of Morgan's dark nature long enough that he felt confident that he could dodge the fallout of THAT. Hopefully. He had some things he wanted to do first before dying, maybe for the first time in a LONG time.

Suddenly, some guy is there. They knew him so Mike relaxed, a little. He was definitely 'special' and he was a sharp dresser. Mike was rolling as he noticed the pair of Victoria's damn near reveal some secrets trying to get a look!! It was TOO funny to him, because Mike was content to let Mr. Playboy start the launch sequence FOR him. But Nic? He might need to come through and check on Morgan. It had been a week solid and she was too hot to leave on the stove by herself too long!!

So Mr. Model-super-charm-guy is still doing his thing. At this rate, the Doc might jump his bones before sundown. But he had a 'meeting' at the Parthenon in an hour with Morgan. Mike had no idea what SHE was thinking, but he knew what old boy was. Derek Forrester. Hmnnnnn.....

 

[Hellion]

New York City - Uptown

<< He wasn't the ONLY one looking. Morgan eyed HIM in that tailored suit and his shoes. He...filled it out NICELY. And...was her MOTHER checking him out from the BACK!? Mike snickered as he watched the mother/daughter duo survey this cocky young man>>

We ALWAYS made the clothes, not the other way around.

<< She said, recalling her days struttling the runway. Derek wasn't lying. ANYTHING they wore would become a trend.>>

As Sally Spectra always says, fashion is for the LIVING...

<< Her face went from a cold expression to one of...intrigue as she studied Derek a bit more>>

...and the SEXY.

<< Karen NOTICEABLY cleared her throat and Morgan blushed a bit.>>

:: He winked. ::

"Lucky for us...we're both."

<< Karen looked upon Derek with a calm demeanor. She played off the fact that she...NOTICED his REAR profile>>

Karen: Dr. Karen Victoria, Morgan's MOTHER.

<< She said in that clear, but stern tone of voice she was known for. She offered her hand to Derek.>>

Karen: Morgan, isn't this the young man you said you ran into when you met with Sally in LA a few weeks ago?

Morgan: Yes. We've worked together many times through the years. He's a Forrester,, from THE House of Forrester. And Speaking of Forresters AND Spectras, HOW is Sally? We haven't seen her out this way in several weeks.

"I know there's a cheesy pickup line somewhere about you being far too young to be this beautiful woman's mother, but I can't stomach saying it. In conclusion...you're a knockout."

:: turning back to Morgan. ::

"As for Sally, well..she's busy being Sally. If there is one thing you could say about her, it's that she's consistent. Wild. Outrageous...but consistent."

<< Morgan's eyes meet his once more. This whole "making eyes" at one another was happening TOO easily, and Morgan almost FORGOT that Karen and Michael were in attendance just now. She BLINKS and shakes her head, stepping down from the platform>>

WAIT a minute. BLAZE told me Sally called her and said he was going to be in town!

Derek, why don't you meet me at the Parthenon in a little while?

There's someone there that wants to see you. After that, we can have...

SEX!

DRINKS!

"We can have whatever you want, Morgan. The night is young and so are we...I'd love to meet back at The Parthenon. And I love people who want to see me. I'm in..."

:: Making his way towards the door. ::

"I'll see you soon. Nice to meet you, Karen."

:: He glanced at Mike before making his way out of the boutique, turning back one final time. ::

"You should wear THAT...to The Parthenon. Just a suggestion."

:: And he was gone, his cologne and his intoxicating scent still lingering in the space around them. ::

 

[Malice]

Hellfire Catacombs

:: Scion went on her way, and was about to beat Bishop within an inch of his life. Malice was already keeping an "EYE" on THAT situation. For a man with as much RESOURCE and MEANS as Bishop, he lived and behaved as if he were strictly "meat and potatoes." And Delilah, who's glamorous facade made her APPEAR to be a match for Spellbinder and Harbinger, but beneath the surface, she couldn't have been MORE different than them, SHE was the love of Bishop's life!? ::

:: Diana began to wonder if she should have focused on the two of them SOONER, but it didn't matter. Bishop would fall, and Malice would make MorningStar feel EVERY moment of pain, hear EVERY BONE crack, every organ that ruptured...ALL of it. MorningStar had wasted so much time being mad at the WORLD over a loss that she had ensured she'd endure again and again due to her choices, she made herself a target, and who was malice to ignore such an opportunity!

:: After Bishop fell, ROSE would be next on Haleigh's "to do" list, but ROSE was a far cry from Bishop. She was a mystery, and a powerful, DANGEROUS one at that.::

:: Diana knew that Rose had been approached by the EUROPEAN branch years ago, when Camille and Rebecca were both still alive, and acting as the White and Red Queens of that branch. Rose rejected them without a thought. WHY hadn't anything more come of that? It was becoming apparent that, after Rose's savage repelling of Cobra, and her vicious take down of Persephone, that there was more to that woman than met the eye. Talisman was trying to discover more about her power signature...that may or MAY NOT be a successful endeavor. BUT, something about the woman stood out to Diana. Her power DID have a "ring" to it that resonated with Malice's own psi powers, which lead her to believe that Rose was some kind of psionic mutant, but was she a classic TELEPATH, an EMPATH? Diana's own preliminary scans had been inconclusive, and while she COULD have pushed HARDER at the time, Rose didn't warrant the level attention from the Inner Circle that she does NOW.::

:: And now, with Ravena having RETURNED, he had joined Diana down in the catacombs in the control room. The two sit comfortably together.::

:: The two of them enjoyed drinks and savored the flow of information and sensations that marked the suffering of their targets among the Six and the Birds of Prey, as well as anticipation of what was to come. Floating monitors hover and shift around them slowly in a circular pattern, providing feeds of images from around the mansion AND the city, as well as streams of data and information, including intercepted communications from public officials, and law enforcement.::

:: The White Queen and King were DEFINITELY in a good place, reigning over the arguably most powerful court of the Inner Circle.::

Ravena, in a few days, we'll be able to take that excursion overseas. The other two queens, myself, and you, will pay a visit to your old stomping grounds, the European branch, to check out the new Red Queen, Amanda Sefton.

:: Since there was no one there but the two of them, Malice leaned forward::

You're SURE SHE'S not another one of YOUR relatives?

:: smirking at him as she teased, and took a drink of champagne::

After that, we'll accompany you to your domain, and on the way back we'll stop at Sheena Island. There's something...that I need to check on.

Did you extend an invitation to Talisman? She spends so much time in her body shoppe, one might draw some UNFLATTERING conclusions about just what she's doing in there.

Alice and Domino will accompany us as well.

Alice has expressed a desire to continue her treatment of Viper in the Arklay mansion replica, and Domino...well she simply INSISTS on being whereever her "BESTIE" (Jessica) is. I think she's more than a little JEALOUS of Alice.

:: And finally, on to the topic of Rose::

Have you been able to determine anything regarding Rose? I receive strong psychic emminations from her, but she does not appear to be a classic telepath.

 

[Bishop]

Bishop’s Safe House

He told Haleigh to turn the video off. She offered him a pull on her cigar, he shook his head, still staring daggers into her.

“You think this [waves his hand at the tv] bothers me? You think you’re showing me something that SHOCKS me?”

He scoffed.

“I know exactly what Delilah’s been up to since we got back from Aerie. She doesn't owe me anything.”

”When I was good, you went out of your way to infuriate me, and you made sure Delilah knew you thought I was bad news. Now I've gone and joined Hellfire, and what do you do? Flip the fucking script and start coaching Delilah the other way around. You support her belief that I'm still somehow.... GOOD? That could not BE further from the truth."

He crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m giving Delilah hope because that’s what she needs to hear. Because learning that yet again one of you assholes has let her down is not something I want her to have to go through right now. And the truth is, you aren’t as bad as you think you are Haleigh. Oh, you might be rotten to the core, but you’re weak. The reason I can tell Delilah you’ll come back to the Six, is because, let’s face it, when you really have to be “bad”, you’ll run back to them with your tail between your legs just like always.”

She stood up and started cracking her knuckles.

“Is that supposed to intimidate me?”

"And now, unfortunately for you, I'll have to prove just how wrong you both are. Any last words? I'll make sure Delilah gets them."

“Yeah, how about, ‘Haleigh’s a damn pussy.’”

 

[Valkyrie]

Near Clandestine Intelligence

Some chick – not half bad looking other than the fact she’d just been in a massive car accident – came running past her out of the alley.

The door was off the van and a bunch of low lifes were trying to get out of it.

"I need you to take that anger you have at Sharon for batting you out of the park last night and focus it on these weak, PERVERTED little men who decided it would be a good idea to kidnap the whining girl who just ran past of you and sell her to the highest bidder."

“Oh, really?”

She ignored the quip about Silver Swan, focusing in on the selling women part.

She watched as one by one, Vivica threw the men into a heap in front of her, like a mama bird feeding her young, then punched one who tried to attack her. He landed himself in a dumpster.

"They aren't Amazons…but it was the best I could do on short notice. We good?"

“Pfft…they probably fight BETTER than Amazons.”

She looked at the men in front of her. One had gotten up and run at her. She headbutted him, then grabbed him by the ears and brought his face crashing into her knee.

“It’s not that I have a problem with selling women.”

Holding his arm, she came around behind him and used the crook of her arm like a fulcrum, breaking his arm and letting him drop to the ground.

“But you fucktards clearly didn’t win this one in battle, and so had no claim on her. And where I come from? We kill rapists. Painfully.”

Another one. She grabbed HIS arm and used it to push him face down onto the ground, before dislocating the shoulder and stomping on the back of his head until he stopped trying to get up.

Two at once this time. A series of hooks and haymakers, knees to the chest and groin, fists mercilessly beating their faces. And then she grabbed one and threw him into the other, dazing them. Now standing between them she grabbed one’s right hand and the other’s left, and pulled their arms up and onto her shoulders, then pulling them swiftly down to dislocate their shoulders. Dropping their hands, she backfisted with each hand connecting with both their faces, and as they slumped forward, she leapt up into the air and pounded each fist down onto their backs sending them to the ground.

She looked at Recall.

“You want the last one?”

 

[Black Widow]

Bishop's

Bishop: You think this [waves his hand at the tv] bothers me? You think you’re showing me something that SHOCKS me? [He scoffed.] I know exactly what Delilah’s been up to since we got back from Aerie. She doesn't owe me anything.

"It's one thing to KNOW what your Darlin' Delilah is up to, and another thing entirely to WATCH IT."

Haleigh says, and behind her, Delilah starts making some more urgent noises, and Haleigh smiles cruelly.

"And I think it bothers you very much, that little shrimp sticking her while all you get to do is pine after her pitifully, stuck in the friend zone."

Bishop: I’m giving Delilah hope because that’s what she needs to hear. Because learning that yet again one of you assholes has let her down is not something I want her to have to go through right now.

Haleigh eyed him with a steely glare.

"What Delilah NEEDS to hear? She NEEDS to hear something that's going to keep her from doing something STUPID to try and save a lost cause. She NEEDS to hear that there IS NO HOPE."

Bishop: And the truth is, you aren’t as bad as you think you are Haleigh. Oh, you might be rotten to the core, but you’re weak. The reason I can tell Delilah you’ll come back to the Six, is because, let’s face it, when you really have to be “bad”, you’ll run back to them with your tail between your legs just like always.

Haleigh scoffed, and rolled her eyes at him.

"FUCK YOU. Like ALWAYS, you have no IDEA what you're talking about."

He asked if her knuckle cracking was supposed to intimidate him, and Haleigh just stared at him like he was an idiot for even asking, because if she wanted to intimidate, she'd have done something a bit more impressive. And then he gave his last words. Her shoulders shook with laughter for a few minutes, so much so that one of the straps of her dress slid down off her shoulder and hung loosely next to her bicep.

"REALLY? THOSE are your LAST WORDS? Okay....."

She said, and with great speed, she put one foot on the couch cushion, then the other on the back of the couch, and she leapt over it towards him, onto his shoulders, clamping her thighs around his neck, locking her ankles behind his back, and squeezing HARD with her knees. He reeled backwards and crashed into the table where he'd set his gun down. One punch and she could cave in this flatscan's forehead, but she was going to savor this kill. She'd wanted to put an end to this arrogant asshole many times before, so she was going to make it worth the wait. He struggled for release, and she just looked down and watched his futile attempts. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and started to push his head back.

"I've always wondered, what the FUCK does SEE in you? You're not even superhuman."

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

Zach suddenly appeared in front of her. She was going to HAVE to block that watch one of these days. He looked ready for a fight.

"What's wrong, who's attacking?"

She put a hand on his arm.

“No, no. No one’s attacking. This is about something else. Your video.”

Haleigh’s video was paused on the screen. She slid over to the console. She felt bad showing him the video again, but he had to see.

“So I went through all the file’s code itself: nothing. No added text hidden anywhere. No additional files attached to the video. No frames missing, other than the regular edits, and no apparent pattern in the editing.”

She held up a finger.

“But…what I did find was that someone had altered the coloring of the footage. So like when you see cat videos on the internet and the cat is really white but they’ve made it pink or blue? So cute! Right, so, someone did that with this video, but subtly, so minorly tweaked that you wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t looking for it. So.”

She typed something into the console, bringing up what looked like code scrolling down the screen.

“I wrote an algorithm to capture the changes in the levels, and then ran THAT against known cipher codes.”

She pressed a key, then swiveled around to face Zach.

“And this is what I got.”

Up on the screen, Zach would see the lines uncode into letters, and soon be able to read:

Sorry/had to send it like this/every move and thought is being watched/tried to provoke Malice to murder me multiple times/no joy/need to spend all my lives/Malice will have the advantage as long as she has control of my bodies/get the Six to save Ava/the queens are breaking her here/tell no one about this message/convince them all to kill me on sight/Sorry/had to send it like this/

Zizi sat back in her chair, looking exhausted and relieved, and looked up at Zach.

“Boom.”

 

[Bishop]

Bishop’s Safe House

"It's one thing to KNOW what your Darlin' Delilah is up to, and another thing entirely to WATCH IT."

Bishop’s mouth was dry. Like it was filled with sand dry. And she was right, but he would be damned if he’d let her see one inkling of that on his face. What had happened this morning, and now THIS? It was too much. He wanted to kill Andrew. And Haleigh. And maybe Delilah too.

"And I think it bothers you very much, that little shrimp sticking her while all you get to do is pine after her pitifully, stuck in the friend zone."

“She and I will never be ‘friends’. Enemies maybe, but never just friends. You want me to watch?”

He turned to face the tv. Staring at it intently.

“Let’s watch. Maybe we can both jack off to it. Would that make you happy? Delilah and I aren’t together anymore, Haleigh. This attempt to tarnish her in my eyes is a bit late.”

"What Delilah NEEDS to hear? She NEEDS to hear something that's going to keep her from doing something STUPID to try and save a lost cause. She NEEDS to hear that there IS NO HOPE."

He turned back towards her.

“And why is that, Haleigh? So you don’t have to feel bad that you treated one of your best friends – hell, maybe your ONLY friend – like shit? Like she was replaceable? Sorry, I’m not here to make YOU feel better.”

"FUCK YOU. Like ALWAYS, you have no IDEA what you're talking about."

He stepped forward towards her.

“Face it, Haleigh, you hate me because I don’t buy into your macho bullshit. I see you for what you really are. Someone putting on an ACT so they don’t melt into a puddle of despair because they are completely ALONE and fucking over anyone who tries to CARE about them.”

And then she actually leapt into the air and had her legs around his neck. He stumbled backwards with the impact, and crashed hard into the table behind him. He grabbed at her thighs, managing to choke out:

“Yeah, baby, do me like that.”

"I've always wondered, what the FUCK does SEE in you? You're not even superhuman."

“Must be my superhuman cock.”

His arms flailed around, feeling for something, anything. He picked up a leg of the table and smashed it into the side of Haleigh’s head. Then he pushed himself up and stood, running forward and ramming Haleigh’s body into the wall repeatedly until she dropped her grip. He was able to get his hand in between her leg and his throat, giving him more room to breath. He pushed her off of him and pinned her to the wall.

“That get you hot, blondie?”

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower

Oracle: No, no. No one’s attacking. This is about something else. Your video.

His heart skipped a beat, and though he really didn't want to, he looked back at the screen. She talked about going through the file code, and finding nothing amiss. He felt a wave of sorrow crash over him. The notion that she'd sent him a message was the only thing that had given him hope. But if the message that she'd sent was nothing more than a sex tape and a cruel text message? He didn't know how he was supposed to handle this.

Oracle: But…what I did find was that someone had altered the coloring of the footage. So like when you see cat videos on the internet and the cat is really white but they’ve made it pink or blue? So cute!

He looked at her blankly, unsure of how pink or blue cats on the internet could possibly help them here, but he didn't want to be rude, because he could tell she was tired, and had probably been at this all night.

Oracle: Right, so, someone did that with this video, but subtly, so minorly tweaked that you wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t looking for it. So. I wrote an algorithm to capture the changes in the levels, and then ran THAT against known cipher codes.

Now his heart was racing, and his adrenaline pumping, as she turned around to face him. He looked to the screen as numbers changed to letters and became something of significance.

Oracle: And this is what I got. Boom.

His lips moved as he read her message. When he got to the end, he looked down at Zizi in admiration, and then leaned down promptly to pull her into a tight hug.

"Ziz..... you're amazing. Phenomenal. Brilliant."

He said in her ear, and then released her. His eyes went back to the message on screen, and he read it again, analyzing it this time. His heart broke for it, because even though it renewed his hope, it sounded desperate.

"She must've snuck this in, thinking in digital code the entire TIME she was working with this video, and Malice would have no way of even knowing there was something amiss. Well played."

Haleigh was obviously in a bad position if she thought dying was the only way. 'Get the Six save Ava. The queens are breaking her here.' That meant Haleigh herself didn't think she could protect Ava, and probably hadn't planned on her sister even being at Hellfire. And then..... there were parts of the message that didn't make much sense at all.

"Need to spend all my lives. Malice will have the advantage as long as she has control of my bodies. What's with the plural form? Is there something Sharon didn't tell us?"

 

[Black Widow]

Bishop's

Bishop: Yeah, baby, do me like that.

He was so infuriating, because he could be a smartass even when he was getting his ass kicked. She tried not to think about the way his beard felt against the inside of her thighs. Now was NOT the time to get excited.

He suggested a reason why Delilah might be into him, and then broke something heavy and wooden on Haleigh's head. It barely fazed her at all. He managed to get up, and ran her into a wall. The sheet rock broke around her, and though it didn't really hurt, the repetitive jarring loosened her grip. He wriggled free and pinned her to the wall.

Bishop: That get you hot, Blondie?

"A little. But YOU couldn't possibly satisfy ME."

She taunted, lifting her left leg and jamming her heel into his right hip, forcing him to spin around so that his back was facing her, and he was facing the TV again. She climbed onto his back and wrapped her legs around him, and quickly pulled him into a standing rear-naked chokehold. On screen, Delilah and Andrew were reaching their climax. She squeezed her elbows together to tighten the choke, not enough to actually make him pass out, just keeping him on the edge.

"There now, wouldn't want you to miss the happy ending. It's not about tarnishing Delilah in your eyes. You'll be dead soon and your opinion is irrelevant anyway. All I wanted from THIS little show-and-tell was to cause you PAIN. You can pretend it doesn't, Max, but I'm not stupid. I KNOW it hurts you, even if you aren't together anymore. You'll love her until the end of time, and watching some other prick bend her over a desk makes you VERY UPSET."

She whispered in his ear, but it slowly morphed to a gravelly growl.

"You think I'm worried about 'feeling better'? I don't GET to feel 'better'. ALL I GET TO FEEL IS HATRED. For MYSELF..... for EVERYONE..... and for all the reasons I HAVE TO DO THIS-- AND WORSE SHIT THAN THIS."

She squeezed a little tighter and he dropped to his knees. She released him and put her feet on the ground, then waltzed around to face him. She gave him a sharp kick in the ribs, once, twice, three times. She could have broken them, but she knew if she went full strength on him, this would be over too quickly for Malice.

 

[Bishop]

Bishop’s Safe House

"A little. But YOU couldn't possibly satisfy ME."

“There’s nothing little about me, baby cakes.”

She slammed her heel into his hip, spinning him so she was now behind him.

“I think you’d like it better if with ME behind YOU.”

He grunted as she climbed onto his back, wrapping her legs about him, bringing him into a chokehold and forcing him to watch the screen. What was going on there only made him angrier, but he couldn’t get her off of him.

"There now, wouldn't want you to miss the happy ending. It's not about tarnishing Delilah in your eyes. You'll be dead soon and your opinion is irrelevant anyway. All I wanted from THIS little show-and-tell was to cause you PAIN. You can pretend it doesn't, Max, but I'm not stupid. I KNOW it hurts you, even if you aren't together anymore. You'll love her until the end of time, and watching some other prick bend her over a desk makes you VERY UPSET."

He laughed.

“You couldn’t cause me pain with a blowtorch and a tub of battery acid. I’ve had worse things on my back than YOU.”

Her voice took on a decidedly lower pitch.

"You think I'm worried about 'feeling better'? I don't GET to feel 'better'. ALL I GET TO FEEL IS HATRED. For MYSELF..... for EVERYONE..... and for all the reasons I HAVE TO DO THIS-- AND WORSE SHIT THAN THIS."

He tried to get free of her legs, but she was stuck on him tight.

“Please. You want to compare sob stories about having to do bad shit? I do bad shit every damn day and I don’t whine about it. I don’t sit around feeling sorry for myself.”

She tightened her grip and forced him down onto his knees. Then she let go and while he gasped for breath, she came around and started kicking him. He laughed, looking up at her with a bloody face and a heavily bruised body. She was clearly pulling her punches with him.

“Don’t tell me you’re going sweet on me, Haleigh.”

He caught her leg, and pulled her down on top of him.

“Now what you gonna do to me, huh?”

He looked up into her face, hurt, angry. He rolled them so he was on top of her, pinning her hands.

"You want to make me feel PAIN? Well go ahead, make me feel SOMETHING then. You want to hurt me by telling me Delilah doesn't want me anymore: newsflash, I know that. You and me? We're the same. We're USED to being alone. We take what we can from people, we hurt them, and then we move the fuck on. It's what we do. We AREN'T heroes, Haleigh. We're the bad guys."

If Delilah wanted to fuck some pretty boy, let her. If Haleigh wanted to kill him, she could. What did it all matter? Life was about pain. He was stupid to ever think any differently.

"So let's hurt each other."

He leaned down and clamped his mouth hard onto Haleigh's.

He pulled back, his face a snarl, his voice low in his throat. He pushed his hips down onto Haleigh's body.

"Come on, hurt me."

 

[Lord Ravena]

:: The White Queen and King were DEFINITELY in a good place, reigning over the arguably most powerful court of the Inner Circle.::

Ravena, in a few days, we'll be able to take that excursion overseas. The other two queens, myself, and you, will pay a visit to your old stomping grounds, the European branch, to check out the new Red Queen, Amanda Sefton.

:: Since there was no one there but the two of them, Malice leaned forward::

You're SURE SHE'S not another one of YOUR relatives?

:: smirking at him as she teased, and took a drink of champagne::

Lord Ravena laughed heartily.

She walks the Winding Way. That makes her a child of mine in spirit if not in flesh. And that has still yet to be determined. What is the legend from America the small children read of? Johnny Appleseed. Consider me the Johnny Appleseed of magic and the undead.

He was enjoying himself immensely. And why not? Watching Diana work was a pleasure, even when t was pain. Even when the target of the pain was him. Pain was greater than nothing; he would be fine with pain as it came.

After that, we'll accompany you to your domain, and on the way back we'll stop at Sheena Island. There's something...that I need to check on.

Did you extend an invitation to Talisman? She spends so much time in her body shoppe, one might draw some UNFLATTERING conclusions about just what she's doing in there.

Alice and Domino will accompany us as well.

Alice has expressed a desire to continue her treatment of Viper in the Arklay mansion replica, and Domino...well she simply INSISTS on being whereever her "BESTIE" (Jessica) is. I think she's more than a little JEALOUS of Alice.

Amongst those who cast, especially one with special sight as she has, I can simply say what I wish to her. She cannot ignore one such as I should I wish to be heard. I have made the effort to place in her sight a formal invitation; her new attitude and her growth into more of her potential have been noted. She still has more path to walk and I cannot see the need for the marriage she has brokered, but I will bore you another time with the philosophy of magic. As a courtesy, I plan to engage her first on her outlook.

Having Alice accompany us allows me to engage her as well. And my dear Maxine knows she may accompany me as she wishes. I am most pleased that the two of you have developed a synergy. I appreciate the fact that you made the effort, I will not waste time cerebrating as to why. I will simply appreciate it.

:: And finally, on to the topic of Rose::

Have you been able to determine anything regarding Rose? I receive strong psychic emminations from her, but she does not appear to be a classic telepath.

Hmnnn....it is clear that she does not have the typical gifts. You are more expert in this regard than I and you would tell ME what and who she is. But there are texts of special minds that can harness the power of the souls, the spirits, the ether itself. I will warn you; even as a telepath you should avoid meeting her on the astral plane. It is NOT the advantage that it normally would be!! Other than that, I would need to study further.

This warning was given with a sharpness that Diana would not recognize. Surely there was something to this.