Birds of a Feather

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower

Ashley sat down on the arm of the sofa, looking from person to person. It was Danny, who had helped them send the Hellfire Mansion to Hel (irony), and - joy - Rose's friend. Zizi would need to fumigate the place after this bitch leaves.

Ashley wanted a beer. She thought back trying to remember if there were any in the fridge. Then she decided she didn't feel like getting up. Especially if there was a chance there weren't any. She sighed and looked at Zizi, who was talking to Rae.

Zizi: "Can you help Cameron King? What do we need to do? There has to be some way to help."

Zach: "Ah Ziz, I'm afraid only the Gods can help Cameron now. We've just heard that he died."

Ashley's eyes slid to Zach and an eyebrow arched as she wondered whether he was holding in a happy Snoopy dance over Cameron's death. Then she wondered if anyone would notice if she put a Peanuts cartoon on the tv. She reached for the remote.

Danny: "Unfortunately the only gods involved here want all of us dead."

The talk of gods got Ashley's attention. She scoffed.

"All the gods want all of us dead. That's what they live for. Coming up with new ways to fuck with us and then kill us."

Orion: "But what's this about Set? Is Nicolas not okay?"

Rae: "To catch you both up quickly. Diana and Cameron's battle of balls has been wrecking through the Astral Plane like a wildfire, killing a bunch of my kind of people in their wake. He died...and is on The Other Side...but he's not done...he's going to try and take Malice out through there. She can't track him there, but he's going to need a hell of a push to get back through. HE's planning on striking at the right time with his blade...and SHE....she's trying to find Set and use him and by proxy Nicolas to get back here and unleash hell on Earth...."

Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Oh for fuck's sake that bitch..."

Zizi: "Ashley - language!"

Rae: "Yes...she's really that bat shit fucking crazy. I'm no precog, but from what I CAN see...is that she is a lot more convincing than anyone has given her credit for. He will very likely accept her offer."

Zizi: "Of course he will. He wants destruction and power, and doesn't care how it comes about. And he will think he can outsmart Malice. But I for one am not so sure..."

Ashley held up a hand to interject.

"The gods interfere in mortal lives because they're bored. All this Set guy's going to care about is getting back to this plane so he can do whatever the hell he feels like for the next million years. He's not going to care how he gets here. And he will absolutely destroy Nicolas - or anything else that comes along - to do it."

Rae: "And you guys need to figure out what to do with Nicolas and The Six...."

Danny: "I can't have Nicolas King in this city anymore...I'm not even sure he should be on world at this point. I'm sorry, but this city has seen enough destruction by way of Hellfire and The Six over the years. I'm not going to let her be their battlefield again. I refuse. So, whatever you decide to do with him, you at the very least need to get him out of New York....or I will myself."

Ashley decided she wanted the beer enough to get up, and so she did, crossing to the fridge and taking out a bottle. She flipped off the cap using the edge of the counter and took a long drink.

Zizi: "Last I heard Nicolas King was on Aerie, nursing his wounds. Keeping him as far away from as many innocents as possible is a good move. But if Nicolas King becomes the embodiment of Set, how exactly do you propose to keep him from going exactly where he chooses?"

"I'm probably stating the obvious here."

She walked back towards the others from the kitchen area.

"I mean, I like the kid and all, but if he's the way this Set can return to this plane, why don't we just take him out right now?"

She took another drink from the bottle.

"Threat over."

She held up her free hand.

"You people seem to have a lot of confidence in this Cameron person, and that's all well and good, but souls are kind of my specialty and if he thinks he's going to have the presence of mind to kill Diana in the state he's in? That guy? I mean, good luck but in reality it's not going to happen. We need more of a strategy than that."

She drained the last of the beer and set the bottle down hard on a side table.

"If a god's coming to do battle - and he doesn't seem like one of the bullshit ones if the queens decided to actually help the Six defeat him the last time - a lot more people are going to die before it's over. Or we can end it now."

Ashley shrugged.

 

[Black Widow]

The Parthenon

Haleigh and Delilah agreed that there was no such thing as coincidences. It was encouraging to not be arguing about something for once, but Haleigh was cautious not to get too far ahead of their progress. She wondered about Nicolas, and why he was apparently exempt from whatever was happening to the telepaths. Delilah was out of the loop, as usual. Haleigh filled her in, and wasn’t surprised by the response. Delilah and Nic did not get along. Haleigh was surprised, however, but Delilah’s next comment regarding Morgan.

“Wow, you two are communicating again?”

The divide between Morgan and Delilah had seemed like the Grand Canyon. Morgan had essentially taken Alexia from Delilah, and made the decision without even consulting her. What was more, even though they both had apologized to each other, from an objective perspective it was obvious that neither had meant it. Yet somehow, they were talking again. Still, it was clear Delilah was frustrated by the fact that Morgan hadn’t told her about Nicolas.

“Honestly Delilah, Morgan probably figured you wouldn’t care. I know it’s your pet peeve to not be told things, but I doubt it’s personal.”

She offered, and then Delilah suggested they rope in Alycia and Rose for potential insight. Haleigh took a deep breath as she considered that, and Delilah also mentioned counseling Nicolas. Haleigh nodded at that.

“Yeah, I’m with you on including Nicolas. Rose, on the other hand, is a complete maniac. She’s as likely to kill us as she is to help us, and if you think it’s just me, you can ask Zach. And Alycia? I suspect she may work against us out of spite. I don’t trust her, and I wish I could prove why you shouldn’t either, but all I really have is instinct. Please be careful with her.”

She replied, and then she considered what all this meant for Jake. She hadn’t exactly meant to say it out loud, but it was out. There was some concern in tipping her hand, but ultimately she trusted Delilah’s judgment. If she needed to be put in check, Delilah would definitely do that. Haleigh began to bring Delilah up to speed on the boy.

Delilah: “Yes, I’d heard about that. He was shot, wasn’t he?”

Haleigh gave a grim nod of acknowledgment.

“Yes. That was my fault. I was fighting for control of the weapon, but that’s no excuse. I should have never let the bullet leave the chamber.”

It had been the low point for her, and she wouldn’t shy away from it. She was resolved to recover and protect the boy going forward. Delilah commented that he was thankfully okay.

“Indeed.”

She responded sincerely. Delilah fired off some follow up questions, acknowledging again that coincidence was unlikely.

“I’m concerned he’s at risk. The Amazons have decided to move him out of the Sanctuary for some reason, and put him in an adoptive home. I don’t think he’ll be safe there. I tried to task Zach with his care, but he declined. It looks like I’ll be the boy’s last chance to avoid Kelly’s chair. Got any advice for me?”

 

[MorningStar]

The Parthenon

This issue with the telepaths was unsettling, and not just because of its potential impact on Cameron. Haleigh filled her in on what was apparently happening with Nicolas - which none of the Six had bothered to tell her about. Despite Morgan acting like she was going to do things differently...apparently she was not.

Haleigh: “Wow, you two are communicating again?”

Delilah's shoulder raised in a half shrug.

"She came to see me, promised to take me to Alexia when we couldn't reach Ororo...and then proceeded to shut me out. She must have had a temporary brain injury that made her act like part of the team."

Delilah smirked. Same shit, different day. Cameron was the only person left who hadn't let her down.

Haleigh: “Honestly Delilah, Morgan probably figured you wouldn’t care. I know it’s your pet peeve to not be told things, but I doubt it’s personal.”

"Morgan doesn't care enough about anyone else for it to be personal."

But moving on, she suggested talking to Alycia & Rose, and looping in Nicolas.

Haleigh: “Yeah, I’m with you on including Nicolas. Rose, on the other hand, is a complete maniac. She’s as likely to kill us as she is to help us, and if you think it’s just me, you can ask Zach."

Delilah waved her hand.

"It was just a thought."

Haleigh: "And Alycia? I suspect she may work against us out of spite. I don’t trust her, and I wish I could prove why you shouldn’t either, but all I really have is instinct. Please be careful with her.”

Delilah gave her a look like she was crazy.

"Come on, Haleigh, it's Alycia. She'd never do anything against us. She's our friend."

Haleigh brought up the orphan boy that she had shot.

Haleigh: “That was my fault. I was fighting for control of the weapon, but that’s no excuse. I should have never let the bullet leave the chamber.”

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"No, you shouldn't have. Actually, you shouldn't have had a gun around a child in the first place."

Delilah commented that thankfully the boy was okay.

Haleigh: “I’m concerned he’s at risk. The Amazons have decided to move him out of the Sanctuary for some reason, and put him in an adoptive home. I don’t think he’ll be safe there. I tried to task Zach with his care, but he declined. It looks like I’ll be the boy’s last chance to avoid Kelly’s chair. Got any advice for me?”

Delilah cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"I'm surprised Zach would say no to something like that."

That was so unlike him to not step into the breach when he was needed. Especially for a child she had heard he had a relationship with. Then she did a double take as the rest of Haleigh's words sank in.

"Wait - are you saying you're going to adopt this child?"

Her mouth hung open.

"You are."

Her eyes slid upward as she shook her head.

"Well, I'd start with, 'don't shoot the kid again'."

She looked back at Haleigh.

"You aren't serious about this? And for that matter, why would Alycia put him somewhere he wasn't safe?"

 

[Jezebel]

The Clocktower

It felt good to get this off her chest, but everything she heard after that was like white noise, her mind's eye transfixed on the dark entity of Set on the other side. As a mystic and a medium, Rae had held congress with angels, demons and gods of all different pantheons in her work, but this? It legitimately scared her. And she had lived through some scary shit. The only thing keeping her grounded was knowing that for the first time in her life she was surrounded by her betters - something she would never admit to them. Jezebel had power, but she couldn't kill a god - but they could..they had before.

Ashley: "The gods interfere in mortal lives because they're bored. All this Set guy's going to care about is getting back to this plane so he can do whatever the hell he feels like for the next million years. He's not going to care how he gets there. And he will absolutely destroy Nicolas - or anything else that comes along - to do it."

Rae was smacked back into the room by the sheer presence of Valkyrie's energy. For whatever reason, it had escaped her when they had first met during the battle for Rose's soul and Jake's life, but this woman was a heavy hitter and far older and less human than she led on. Rae's mind was filled with flashes of epic battles, symbols of Odin...souls all over her hands. Then so much darkness before SPLASHES of red filled Rae's mind like blood splatters against her mindscape. And then the flames of Hellfire that were becoming too familiar to Rae these days. Jezebel noticely jumped as Ashley shut the fridge.

"She's not wrong. Gods are vain creatures. Moreso than any human. Their existence depends on people's belief in them. Even us talking about him now gives him power."

Danny: "I can't have Nicolas King in this city anymore...I'm not even sure he should be on world at this point. I'm sorry, but this city has seen enough destruction by way of Hellfire and The Six over the years. I'm not going to let her be their battlefield again. I refuse. So, whatever you decide to do with him, you at the very least need tog et him out of New York...or I will myself."

Oracle: "Last I heard Nicolas King was on Aerie, nursing his wounds. Keeping his as far away from as many innocents as possible is a good move. If Nicolas King becomes the embodiment of Set, how exactly do you propose to keep him from going exactly where he chooses?"

Rae put her hand on Danny's and gave him a smirk.

"I think this is more of a conciliatory plea, darlin'. If the world's gonna end, I think we owe it Danny to not have it end in NYC."

Valkyrie: "I'm probably stating the obvious here. I mean, I like the kid and all, but if he's the way this Set can return to this plane, why don't we just take him out right now?"

"That's my vote."

Rae winked at Ashley before taking a swig from her own flask.

Valkyrie: "If a god's coming to do battle - and he doesn't seem like one of the bullshit ones, if the queens decided to actually help the Six defeat him the last time - a lot more people are going to die before it's over. Or we can end it now."

She took a bigger swig this time as Danny spoke up.

Danny: "Well that's the logical decision, Valkyrie, but we aren't just dealing with The Birds here. We're dealing with The Six. You think they're just going to let us kill Nicolas to stop this? He's the boy toy of the Sorceress Supreme and he's living on an island owned by The Keeper of Time. I've watched these guys for years. They can't decide on a coffee creamer together without almost destroying the world, and after what they just went through? With Hellfire specifically? Honestly, I think they'd rather watch the world burn than work together.."

He was right. Rae downed the rest of her flask, opting not to grab the backup flask in her garter for propriety's sake before exhaling deeply.

"Then maybe we don't need 'em. Maybe this isn't their call. These people aren't the center of the universe. And if the world is threatened like this, we have every right to make whatever decision we deem fucking necessary to prevent that...Surely we can figure out a way to take him out and deal with the consequences later....I say we take out Nicolas, Valkyrie and I go YANK Cameron from the Other Side, take him over our knee and spank him like the naughty little boy he is, and deal with The White Queen if and when she ever comes back..."

She leaned back on the sofa looking around at their reactions.

"Or...ya know, maybe at the very least we can contact that awful woman who fancies herself a "singer"? Dominique Devereaux? I mean, isn't she the avatar of Isis? Shouldn't she be able to just...I don't know... unalive Set or stop him from getting in?"

 

[Recall]

Downtown Miami

Her hotel event had been a smashing success. Beautiful drinks. Beautiful people. All against a landscape of her own personal design. She had come to Miami for something different. Something new. And she had gotten it. Vivica Lennox should have been on cloud nine. Why was it, then, she found herself unable to breath? The entire night, she had smiled and laughed and drank espresso martinis, but nothing could squash the feeling that something was wrong. She needed some fresh air. She leaned into Cash, her date's neck and whispered to him against the loud and pulsating latin music that filled the venue.

"Be a dear and head to the valet...I'm feeling a bit light-headed. Go on..I'll say my goodbyes and meet you there in a few minutes."

Cash nodded and left her side for the first time tonight as Vivica slowly made her way towards the guest elevators, nodding, winking and blowing air kisses to people as she made her way over, pressing the button for the roof and breathing a heavy sigh of relief as the doors closed and she was alone.

"What is it, Viv...what's wrong with you?"

Thankfully, the elevator doors opened before she had to answer the question as the sweet heat of Miami filled her senses and her eyes looked down on the neon electric skyline of city across the bay. Vivica had been keeping a lot at bay with her power lately. A lot of things she didn't want to deal with and didn't want to discuss. And now this feeling. Something was wrong. All of her "escapes" reached an end point when she could no longer supress her power. When the new became old and the exciting became the mundane and predictable. When old things began to resurface.

"Jesus Christ..."

Vivica was breathing heavily, and the hot thick air wasn't helping. She took a seat in one of the patio loungers and steadied her breath. She had been prone to panic attacks in the past but she hadn't had one in years, not since she was in braces. But here it was. She breathed in and out deeply and slowly, allowing herself to relax against the warmth of the night sky.

"You're fine, Vivica. You're....FINE."

She had told herself she'd gone to Miami to grow her career, but really, she was doing what she always did - escaping into a different life to avoid the one she was currently living. And the fucked up part about it was that Vivica actually liked the life she was living now. She felt so at home with The Birds of Prey. It was a place that she fit so seamlessly, a place where she didn't have to prove herself, or her ability - a place she was accepted. So why was she running?

It had been a common theme in her life, and the augmentation of her powers at the hands of Oracle and Clandestine hadn't helped matters, despite how perpetually grateful she was to both of them for it. To outsiders, her power was considered passive - to her, it was all consuming. At times she felt like she knew what everyone was going to do, how they were going to react, what they were going to say, how they were going to mean it. Because every memory, every interaction that she had, was information. Information that she stored in perpetuity. There was an old addage that people would forget what you said but not how it made them made them feel. That didn't apply to Vivica. She experienced both. All the time. So she craved places she hadn't seen and people she didn't know if only because they made her feel human. Her time in Clandestine had been perfect. Field work had saw to it that she was never in one place for too long. Often times she was undercover, playing someone other than herself. But it was her deep need to actually be who she was that brought her back to New York and back into the orbit of The Six and more specifically, Cameron King.

"Cameron..."

Considering what happened to Cameron in the fallout of The Battle at Hellfire, Vivica felt bad about how she had left things...to a point. Everything she needed to say to him, she had said...to both him and his bitch of a sister, Alison. Her family had singlehandedly raised him. Given him safe haven. Supported his dreams. Vivica herself had ensured not just his success but his cementation as a titan of industry. And he turned his back on her as soon as he could to try and be a superhero. She wanted to hate him, but she couldn't. She had watched him throw himself at his sister, who could have cared less. But he never stopped. He persisted. And while it hurt...that Cameron could want a family outside of the one that Vivica and her mother had given him, she couldn't help but understand it. She just wished he would have ever once realized that in his pursuit to not be alone in this world, he had left her as such. Vivica had never met her father, and the rest of her family she had buried in funerals they left to her to plan. Cameron had attended all of them. Knowing how easily he had moved on after her "death" was something she wasn't sure she was ever going to get over. But she still loved him. He was the only familiar thing she had left. And she had buried him once before. The thought of doing it again gave her the courage to buy her plane ticket to Miami..seeing Oracle grieve Gabe gave her the reason to get on the plane.

"God why do I always make the worst decisions...."

Outside of Zach, she had grown closest to Elizabeth. They worked in tandem to exceptional results. She was a sounding board, a friend, confidant. So the reality of just how painful it was to physically witness Zizi in pain like that and know she couldn't do a damn thing about it was too much. Zizi had been such a good friend to her, and she couldn't return the favor...at least not in the way she wanted to, and it was something she just didn't want to face. And that decision had consequences.

It felt like her "systems" were coming back online for the first time in months as she sat there, trying to control her breathing. Ashley and Zach were engaged to be married. She should have been there. She should have been helping them both. Initially, she had been worried that this was something they were rushing into. Zach always had such an open heart, and after everything he had been through with Haleigh, Vivica thought he owed it to himself to be alone for a minute. Ashley was a fighter, but also a lover. There was a softness she reserved for so few people, and Vivica was worried that the speed of their relationship would end up hurting them both, and fracture the team. But Vivica was being selfish. Ashley was prickly, a self described bitch, but Vivica had learned so much from her. Ashley had taught her that you didn't have to be any kind of way in order to deserve love. To deserve respect. Valkyrie was who she was, she didn't pull any punches, but more importantly, she wasn't anything other than who she was, which was something Vivica struggled with. Being herself. And Zach was no fool. Zach deserved something good, and so did Ashley. They needed someone excited for them. Someone who forced them to ateliers to try on suits and dresses, to taste decadent cake and food options, someone to plan and end all be all bachelor/bachelorette party for them. And it was killing Vivica that she wasn't being that person for them.

"Alright...that's enough feeling sorry for yourself..."

Her breathing was steady and she felt calm, though caked a bit in step. She couldn't take the elevator or she'd risked being photographed looking like a basted christmas ham, so she took the stairwell, heading through the parking garage, before meeting Cash, who was sitting in her silver McLaren, the engine roaring like a kitten. She got in, and kissed Cash on the cheek. He was so sweet and simple. She would miss him.

"Change of plans, cutie. I need a lift to the airport."

Cash: "Everything okay, doll?"

"No. But it will be. Look...I don't want to talk about it. Can you just play me some good music and drive?"

Cash: "It'd be my pleasure, Viv. I always knew you'd leave me at some point."

"I said shut up, Cash. Just drive."

And so he did.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower

Zach had considered the Jake issue to be mind-boggling, but it paled in comparison to what they were discussing now. Of course Cameron’s ‘death’ wasn’t a straight forward development, but that wasn’t the most incredible thing. Malice was a complete psycho; which they all knew, but the shocker was that she would be willing to unleash Set on the world. That was definitely the problem they needed to prioritize solving.

There was some debate over what to do with Nicolas. Danny wanted him out of the city, and talked quite a big game about doing it himself if necessary. Zach almost said that he’d very much like to see that, but Zizi astutely pointed out that it’d be very difficult to prevent Nic from coming to New York if that was what he wanted. Zach nodded his head in silent agreement. Nicolas was a headstrong and very powerful demigod.

Ashley suggested they immediately eliminate the threat, which was an option that probably needed to be discussed, but Zach was disheartened by how many votes the plan to murder Nic accrued. This was Nic they were talking about. Zach had lost count of how many times the guy had given his all to save the city and the world. He wasn’t ready to write his friend off, and he was fairly certain that would end in disaster anyway. Zach’s understanding, from what Haleigh had told him, was that Nic was essentially the vessel in which Set was contained, and Isis had constructed the magic glowing tattoo runes that kept Set in. That was why the Six and the Sisterhood had struck a truce. Killing Nic would not have solved the problem.

Danny and Rae discussed the Six, and it was clear they had low opinions of the team. Zach’s brow furrowed as he listened to them. They had an outsider’s perspective, for the most part, and it was very limited in Zach’s opinion. The six, none of which asked to be put in their position, had all voluntarily worked together to save the day for years. Every single event had left each of them more emotionally damaged than before, and still they answered the call. Zach was deeply dismayed to hear it, but he made himself listen as they expressed their opinions. He stroked his beard thoughtfully until Rae brought up Isis, then he nodded and spoke up.

“Okay first of all, and respectfully Danny, I disagree with you. I’ve been with the Six for the last decade, and I’ve seen them band together in spite of every personal difference, every time they needed to. They will fight each other, even physically sometimes, but when there’s an outside threat they will present a unified front without fail.”

He started, folding his arms casually across his chest.

“If we go after Nicolas, I guarantee you the rest of the Six will come from every direction to close ranks and protect him. Diplomacy is the better approach, I think. We’ll be much more successful working with the Six than against them. None of them want Set out.”

His gaze shifted to Rae.

“You’re on the right track with the Isis angle. If I recall correctly, Isis was instrumental in stopping Set last time. Let me call her, she may be able to provide some insight and help.”

He said, his hand sliding into his pocket to fish out his phone. He searched his contacts and hit the call button, lifting the phone to his ear.

 

[Black Widow]

The Parthenon

Haleigh cautioned Delilah against trusting Alycia. There were too many questionable issues when it came to the former ADA, and since Hellfire, Haleigh had become even more suspicious than ever. Delilah seemed to think that suggestion was incredulous, and replied that Alycia was their friend, who would never do anything against them. Haleigh gave her a look, corrective but not unkind. She didn’t want to have to point it out, but she would be remiss if she let Delilah continue with such blind trust.

“You recently would’ve said the same thing about me, and Morgan before that.”

Lessons would be repeated until they were learned.

“It’s always been hit or miss with Alycia, and I don’t think we should count on her motives aligning with ours by default.”

She replied, and they went on to discuss the boy she’d nearly killed. She took full responsibility for that. There may have been a multitude of factors contributing to the incident, but ultimately Haleigh felt she shouldn’t have allowed it to culminate in the kid getting shot. Delilah commented that she shouldn’t have had a gun around the child in the first place.

Haleigh’s mouth tightened but she chose not to engage in that debate. She didn’t go to bed without a gun. It was a tool she always carried with her, and there was nothing that could be said to change her mind. Instead she focused on the risk to the boy, one she tried to mitigate through Zach, but he’d declined.

Delilah was surprised by that, but Haleigh wasn’t. Zach had always been intimidated by fatherhood. His own father had only taught him what not to do. In Haleigh’s assessment, Zach was comfortable choosing life partners who couldn’t procreate because it relieved the pressure of having to face his fear of failing as a father. She didn’t see any tactical advantage to airing his personal issues however, and sharing her opinion might come across as spiteful given the demise of their relationship.

“I suspect recent events may have really shaken Zach’s confidence. He was almost killed more than once. He may be concerned he can’t adequately protect the boy.”

She offered instead. It was an equally probable theory, based on more widely observable evidence and less intimate. Then it seemed to sink in for Delilah that Haleigh intended to take responsibility for the child. ‘Adopt’ seemed like an interesting way to frame ‘kidnap’, and Haleigh didn’t correct her. Delilah advised her not to shoot the kid again. Amusement played with Haleigh’s expression for a moment, in spite of herself.

“Noted.”

She replied dryly. Delilah questioned if she was serious about this, and Haleigh gave her a short but assertive nod. Despite the ludicrousness of Haleigh trying to raise a child, she owed it to the boy to keep him out of Kelly’s clutches, and that was a fact that rested on top of the significant concern with regards to the destruction that could be wrought by manipulating the boy and his abilities for the wrong purposes. Delilah asked why Alycia would put him somewhere he wasn’t safe.

“Well, from the intel I have, the quote-unquote reason is that recent developments with his abilities have created some issues at the Sanctuary and they’ve determined he shouldn’t remain there with the other children. But that doesn’t explain why she’s chosen to place him with a couple of flat-scans with questionable connections to the agency that tried to help that motherfucker Nedry separate him from the Sanctuary several months ago.”

She paused to gauge Delilah’s reaction to that, and then continued.

“Whatever their motives are, I don’t think it’s acceptable to present the opportunity for Kelly to get to the boy so easily.”

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

Things just seemed to get worse the longer the conversation went on. There was a feeling of dread in the pit of Zizi's stomach that felt like a rock just sitting there taking up all the space. Hellfire had almost destroyed them all - and now here was a threat that was a thousand times worse. Could they even do this? She took a deep breath. Couldn't they just have had a little time to build everything back up before it came crashing down again? She pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger, and closed her eyes.

Ashley: "I'm probably stating the obvious here. I mean, I like the kid and all, but if he's the way this Set can return to this plane, why don't we just take him out right now? Threat over."

She looked up as if she'd been startled, then spoke softly.

"Ashley..."

Rae: "That's my vote."

Zizi shook her head. Sometime she felt like she had gotten through to Ashley, and then there were times like this...

Ashley: "You people seem to have a lot of confidence in this Cameron person, and that's all well and good, but souls are kind of my specialty and if he thinks he's going to have the presence of mind to kill Diana in the state he's in? That guy? I mean, good luck but in reality it's not going to happen. We need more of a strategy than that."

"There's strategy, and then there's murder. That should be our last resort, not our first option."

She gave Ashley a serious look, tapping the arm of her chair to punctuate her statement. She couldn't believe this was actually a course of action being considered, that Zach at least wasn't speaking up to say how ludicrous it was.

Ashley: "If a god's coming to do battle - and he doesn't seem like one of the bullshit ones if the queens decided to actually help the Six defeat him the last time - a lot more people are going to die before it's over. Or we can end it now."

Danny: "Well that's the logical decision, Valkyrie, but we aren't just dealing with The Birds here. We're dealing with The Six. You think they're just going to let us kill Nicolas to stop this? He's the boy toy of the Sorceress Supreme and he's living on an island owned by The Keeper of Time. I've watched these guys for years. They can't decide on a coffee creamer together without almost destroying the world, and after what they just went through? With Hellfire specifically? Honestly, I think they'd rather watch the world burn than work together.."

"More like they'll set the world on fire then fight about how to call 911."

Zizi was definitely getting a headache, and thinking about the Six wasn't going to help that. From her perspective, the Six created as many problems as they solved, and didn't care who they hurt as they ran roughshod over the planet. And they refused help when they needed it, treating anyone outside their group as beneath them.

Rae: "Then maybe we don't need 'em. Maybe this isn't their call. These people aren't the center of the universe. And if the world is threatened like this, we have every right to make whatever decision we deem fucking necessary to prevent that...Surely we can figure out a way to take him out and deal with the consequences later....I say we take out Nicolas, Valkyrie and I go YANK Cameron from the Other Side, take him over our knee and spank him like the naughty little boy he is, and deal with The White Queen if and when she ever comes back..."

Zizi shook her head. Rae was acting just as gung ho as the Six did.

Rae: "Or...ya know, maybe at the very least we can contact that awful woman who fancies herself a "singer"? Dominique Devereaux? I mean, isn't she the avatar of Isis? Shouldn't she be able to just...I don't know... unalive Set or stop him from getting in?"

"I found Dominique's last album soulful and vulnerable."

Before she could say more Zach finally spoke up.

Zach: “Okay first of all, and respectfully Danny, I disagree with you. I’ve been with the Six for the last decade, and I’ve seen them band together in spite of every personal difference, every time they needed to. They will fight each other, even physically sometimes, but when there’s an outside threat they will present a unified front without fail. If we go after Nicolas, I guarantee you the rest of the Six will come from every direction to close ranks and protect him. Diplomacy is the better approach, I think. We’ll be much more successful working with the Six than against them. None of them want Set out.”

"And let's be honest here. We cannot do this alone. We need every bit of help available if we're going to stop this from happening. The Six would think they can do this alone - we cannot afford to make the same mistake."

Zach: “You’re on the right track with the Isis angle. If I recall correctly, Isis was instrumental in stopping Set last time. Let me call her, she may be able to provide some insight and help.”

Isis. Zizi hadn't seen her since...Gabe. Dominique and Richard had quietly moved their things to the Sanctuary. Zizi hoped Richard got enough to eat there. As for Isis....a wave of anxiety washed over Zizi whenever she thought of seeing Dominique again. Zizi logically knew Gabe wasn't her fault but...Gabe's death was all she could think of when she thought of Dominique.

Zizi could only nod to Zach's suggestion, her head bowed. It was what needed to be done. Isis had the most first hand knowledge of Set and of keeping him from this world. But still, she was transported back to that night at the Clocktower, when they had all watched Gabe die. Memories echoed through her mind.

>> "Isis I need you! Now!"

>> "GODDAMNIT ISIS THEY'RE KILLING HIM!"

>> "Isis! Please!"

Zizi backed her chair up abruptly, turning towards the kitchen.

"I'll just make another pot of tea."

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower

Sometimes the obvious needed to be said. Like taking Nicolas King off the board to keep an angry god from destroying the world.

Zizi: "There's strategy, and then there's murder. That should be our last resort, not our first option."

Zizi was giving Ashley her "serious" look, so Ashley gave hers right back.

"Unless that first option saves a lot of dead bodies."

These people had never been in war - true war. They had never seen battlefields covered three deep in bodies. Or the places so blood-soaked nothing would grow there afterward. To kill one man and save all those lives? It was worth it. And with Zach one of those lives? It was abso-fucking-lutely worth it.

She said as much - they could see a lot of people die or they could end it now.

Danny: "Well that's the logical decision, Valkyrie, but we aren't just dealing with The Birds here. We're dealing with The Six. You think they're just going to let us kill Nicolas to stop this? He's the boy toy of the Sorceress Supreme and he's living on an island owned by The Keeper of Time. I've watched these guys for years. They can't decide on a coffee creamer together without almost destroying the world, and after what they just went through? With Hellfire specifically? Honestly, I think they'd rather watch the world burn than work together.."

Ashley was so fucking sick of worrying about what the goddamn Six thinks. She headed towards the kitchen for another beer.

"I wasn't planning on announcing my intentions ahead of time."

It would be over before the rest of them could get it together enough to send help. She opened the beer bottle, then grabbed a liquor bottle from the cabinet as she went back to the others.

Rae: "Then maybe we don't need 'em. Maybe this isn't their call. These people aren't the center of the universe. And if the world is threatened like this, we have every right to make whatever decision we deem fucking necessary to prevent that...Surely we can figure out a way to take him out and deal with the consequences later....I say we take out Nicolas, Valkyrie and I go YANK Cameron from the Other Side, take him over our knee and spank him like the naughty little boy he is, and deal with The White Queen if and when she ever comes back..."

Ashley pointed at Rae with her beer.

"THAT'S the spirit!"

Ashley dropped the bottle of Jack she was holding into Rae's lap on her way past to stand next to Zach.

Rae: "Or...ya know, maybe at the very least we can contact that awful woman who fancies herself a "singer"? Dominique Devereaux? I mean, isn't she the avatar of Isis? Shouldn't she be able to just...I don't know... unalive Set or stop him from getting in?"

Ashley groaned.

"I don't know...she might crumble to dust at any moment by the current state of her face."

It interested her that Rae didn't seem too high on the Isis fan club list. Maybe Ashley had misjudged her due to her horrible taste in psychotic friends.

Zach said his piece. Of course, defending the Six.

Zach: “Okay first of all, and respectfully Danny, I disagree with you. I’ve been with the Six for the last decade, and I’ve seen them band together in spite of every personal difference, every time they needed to. They will fight each other, even physically sometimes, but when there’s an outside threat they will present a unified front without fail. If we go after Nicolas, I guarantee you the rest of the Six will come from every direction to close ranks and protect him. Diplomacy is the better approach, I think. We’ll be much more successful working with the Six than against them. None of them want Set out.”

She slid her arm around Zach's waist, and smiled warmly over at him, shaking her head.

"Always with the diplomacy."

Zizi: "And let's be honest here. We cannot do this alone. We need every bit of help available if we're going to stop this from happening. The Six would think they can do this alone - we cannot afford to make the same mistake."

"Yeah - if this thing get out, numbers will be an advantage. What we need-"

She took a long drink of the beer.

"-is an army. But what makes you think the Six will work with us? They're more likely to say thanks for the info and tell us to fuck off. Just like with Hellfire."

Zach: “You’re on the right track with the Isis angle. If I recall correctly, Isis was instrumental in stopping Set last time. Let me call her, she may be able to provide some insight and help.”

"Ugh...if you must. She'll probably be too busy resting her crypt keeper voice to help though."

 

[MorningStar]

The Parthenon

Thinking Cameron was dead had clearly made Haleigh even more insane than usual, because she was suddenly telling Delilah that they couldn't trust Alycia. Of all the Six's current allies, Alycia was the most trustworthy, next to Cameron. Haleigh and Ava had defected to Hellfire and hadn't seemed to mind attacking the people that were supposed to be their friends. Sharon had been caught fraternizing a little too closely with the enemy. Morgan was MIA after pretending she wanted to help. Alison had stolen her child. Nicolas was Nicolas and might soon become a chaos god that wanted to kill them all. Delilah told Haleigh that Alycia was their friend, and would never do anything to hurt them.

Haleigh: “You recently would’ve said the same thing about me, and Morgan before that.”

"Yes, well - I still think after everything Alycia deserves the benefit of the doubt."

Haleigh: “It’s always been hit or miss with Alycia, and I don’t think we should count on her motives aligning with ours by default.”

"She wouldn't hurt a child."

Delilah was certain of that, and her voice reflected it. She was surprised, however, that Zach had declined to take care of the boy himself. She knew Zach and he had a special relationship. It was unlike Orion to leave someone in need.

Haleigh: “I suspect recent events may have really shaken Zach’s confidence. He was almost killed more than once. He may be concerned he can’t adequately protect the boy.”

Delilah nodded. The same of course was true for her own daughter. For a little while longer, at least. But if Cameron came through...and she believed he would. Deep down, she knew Cameron would never let Malice defeat him. And then she realized that Haleigh herself was planning to take care of the boy. This seemed quite a drastic thing considering Haleigh's considerably dubious history, especially with children. Delilah could not believe that Alycia would put the child somewhere unsafe. Especially not where Kelly could get to him.

Haleigh: “Well, from the intel I have, the quote-unquote reason is that recent developments with his abilities have created some issues at the Sanctuary and they’ve determined he shouldn’t remain there with the other children. But that doesn’t explain why she’s chosen to place him with a couple of flat-scans with questionable connections to the agency that tried to help that motherfucker Nedry separate him from the Sanctuary several months ago.”

"NONE of that makes any sense. What does Isis say? She's running the Sanctuary still, isn't she? Dominique wouldn't turn the boy out because of his powers."

She shook her head. Isis had killed to protect the city's children. Delilah had helped her. She wouldn't turn her back on any child, Delilah knew that for certain.

"That makes no sense," she said again.

Haleigh: “Whatever their motives are, I don’t think it’s acceptable to present the opportunity for Kelly to get to the boy so easily.”

Delilah's head shook in the negative, as much as she didn't want to agree with Haleigh.

"No, the boy must be protected."

Delilah inhaled then sharply blew the air out of her lungs.

"So we need to talk to Nicolas, and I think we should find out what Isis knows about the boy. We can talk to them together...or each take one. Dealer's choice."

 

[Citadel]

The Clocktower

Oracle: "I found Dominique's last album soulful and vulnerable."

Danny ribbed Rae in the stomach with his elbow to prevent her from saying something bitchy, to which she promptly rolled her eyes and continued to drink from the whiskey she had been given by Ashley.

Zach: "Okay first of all, and respectfully Danny, I disagree with you. I've been with the Six for the last decade, and I've seen them band together in spite of every personal difference, every time they needed to. They will fight each other, even physically sometimes, but when there's an outside threat they will present a unified front without fail. If we go after Nicolas, I guarantee you the rest of the Six will come from every direction to close ranks and protect him. Diplomacy is the better approach, I think. We’ll be much more successful working with the Six than against them. None of them want Set out.”

Spoken like a true diplomat. Danny respected what Zach had to say, and maybe in the broader, more farther reaching scope it made sense. But Danny was coming from a more narrow perspective. Yes, The Six often ended up saving the world, and doing what needed to be done, but what happened in the lead up of that often had catastrophic consequences to people around them. On a government document they might be labelled as "collateral", but to him, they were people. And no rewinding of time and space was going to change that. This was not however, the time for a philosophical debate of the efficacy of The Six.

"My apologies. I know the good they can do...it's just been a hell of a year.."

Oracle: "And let's be honest here. We cannot do this alone. We need every bit of help available if we're going to stop this from happening. The Six would think they can do this alone - we cannot afford to make the same mistake."

"Now that I agree with."

Valkyrie: "Yeah - if this thing gets out, numbers will be an advantage. What we need - is an army. But what makes you think The Six will work with us? They're more likely to say thanks for the info and tell us to fuck off. Just like with Hellfire."

"I mean...didn't they form a truce with Hellfire the last time this happened? We gotta be better allies than the ones they just tried to bury."

His mind went to Maxine Dupont aka Domino for a moment and what had helped her dig up a few months ago before his attention went back to Zach.

Zach: "You're on the right track with the Isis angle. If I recall correctly, Isis was instrumental in stopping Set last time. Let me call her, she may be able to provide some insight and help."

Valkyrie: "Ugh...if you must. She'll probably be too busy resting her crypt keeper voice to help though."

"Okay, okay. Not that I'm in the business of fighting other people's battles, there was a small time in the mid nineties when Dominique Devereaux was a bonafide gay icon. I cannot abide this blasphemy."

Danny smirked, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. It didn't seem to work.

Oracle: "I'll just make a pot of tea."

He didn't let the room rest.

"Alright, so for now we have a plan. Zach can call Dominique, a group should meet with The Six...and Rae? It's time you try and make contact with Cameron."

 

[Jezebel]

The Clocktower

"Or...ya know, maybe at the very least we can contact that awful woman who fancies herself a "singer'? Dominique Devereaux? I mean, isn't she the avatar of Isis? Shouldn't she be able to just...I don't know...unalive Set or stop him from getting in?"

Valkyrie: "I don't know...she might crumble to dust at any moment by the current state of her face."

Rae stifled a laugh. She had dealt with Dominique during the Rose caper, and while Isis had been very helpful during that time, and she had stepped up to help Rose in the days after her breakdown and separation from The Unloved, but there was something about her that bugged. It didn't make sense, but most of Rae's emotions didn't. Sometimes people's bitch energies just weren't compatible. She respected Dominique, but spiritually, Rae felt it her duty to kind of take the wind out of her sails whenever given the opportunity.

Oracle: "I found Dominique's last album soulful and vulnerable."

"Oh go-"

"OW!"

Danny ribbed her in the stomach with his elbow as Ashley dropped some more delicious whiskey in her lap. Rae silently continued to remind herself that people's taste in music did not define their character.

Zach: “Okay first of all, and respectfully Danny, I disagree with you. I’ve been with the Six for the last decade, and I’ve seen them band together in spite of every personal difference, every time they needed to. They will fight each other, even physically sometimes, but when there’s an outside threat they will present a unified front without fail. If we go after Nicolas, I guarantee you the rest of the Six will come from every direction to close ranks and protect him. Diplomacy is the better approach, I think. We’ll be much more successful working with the Six than against them. None of them want Set out.”

It may have been the whiskey talking, but Zachary Armani was fucking hot. Even if he was a bit full of shit. He had so much pretty energy swirling around him as her mind saw images of the Greek pantheon flash around him. His codename even suited him. Orion, son of the god Poseidon. Lover of Artemis. A man who had been known to be able to walk on water. Even his name was fucking hot. She liked it. And she liked him. When she had first met him months ago, he had been at a crossroads in his life. He had finally walked away from a woman he loved deeply, and it seemed as if every relationship in his life was imploding. Admittedly, Rae was so protective of Rose that she allowed herself to get swept up in the hysteria of whether or not he had "been there" enough for her. It hadn't been fair to him.

"Oh....well that's certainly INTERESTING...."

As she watched those around her, symbols and images came to her, as they often did. Ashley over the body of a dead and hulking red bear, a giant shield over Zach's heart. Two joined rings. The two of them were engaged, and premilinary mystical scans indicated that this was a destined partnership. Legendary even.

"But what of the boy?"

One thing that Rae felt in her bones upon meeting both Jake and Zach was that Zach seemed to destined to be a father. He would be so good at it. And he wouldn't lose his edge. She saw Jake in her mind now, and it gave her pause.

Danny: "Okay, okay. Not that I'm in the business of fighting other people's battles, there was a small time in the mid nineties when Dominique Devereaux was a bonafide gay icon. I cannot abide this blasphemy."

Oracle: "I'll just make a pot of tea."

"Danny, you're making Elizabeth uncomfortable. Knock it off."

Danny: "Alright, so for now we have a plan. Zach can call Dominique, a group should meet with The Six...and Rae? It's time you try and make contact with Cameron."

Her blood went cold for a moment. She could sense Cameron like a beacon. He may have been dead, but on The Other Side, he was very much alive, and garnering the attention of many things that would like to extinguish his flame. Rae was a Traveller. Her specialty in her life's work was reaching The Further, where the veil between the Astral Plane and The Other Side was non-existent. It was a dangerous and deadly place, and she had spent decades shepherding gifted young children away from The Further, and exorcising the demons that tried to come back with them. She was uniquely qualified to help Cameron, but her power was making her very worried. When she thought of Cameron she saw a shining white throne, she saw a happy ending for a tumultuous and unrequited love. But she also saw disaster. Destruction. A loss of humanity. A loss of soul. She wasn't sure that the person who entered The Other Side would be the person she would meet there.

"I'll be honest...there is something different about his energy there...I'd prefer to do this on the rooftop of The Clocktower, and I'd like Valkyrie to be with me should I need an assist. You have nobody with purely psionic ability on this team which is really something you should be looking for going forward. I mean telepaths are supremely annoying, but they're also pretty helpful in a pinch..."

She shot a look over to both Zach and Ashley.

"Congratulations on your engagement by the way. Not that it matters, but all my spidey senses are telling me this is a good match. Don't let my invitation to the wedding get lost in the mail. Especially since all of your friends seem to be hot macho superheroes, which is kind of my kink..."

[pausing]

"Also...I'm not about to run anyone else's house, or spill their business but...the...."thing" you just were dealing with....maybe don't count it out so immediately. Might be good for you, Zach. BOTH of you actually. None of it ends as badly as you think it might, and you might just be so much better at it than you believe yourself capable of being..."

Rae smirked.

"Now...who's going to talk to The Six?"

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower

Zach suggested they try working with the Six instead of against them. Ash wrapped her arm around him, commenting on his tendency towards diplomacy.

“You know I can’t help myself.”

He joked. Zizi backed him up, and the rest seemed to be convinced, albeit reluctantly. Ash asked if the Six would agree to work with them, or just blow them off.

“Well, they might be too proud to ask for help, but they did work with us when the battle was ongoing. It was only afterward they tried to brush us off. They all have pretty big egos.”

He said, and Danny added that the Six had been willing to work with the Queens, even, when it came to Set. Zach nodded in agreement that the Birds had to be better allies than the Sisterhood. They got on the topic of Isis, which Zach thought was a good idea, and he whipped out his phone to call. He quickly cancelled the attempt when he noticed the swift mood change in Zizi. He watched her wheeling herself to the kitchen, concern etching gently into his forehead.

Now he remembered that Zizi had been pretty badly let down by Isis several months ago, when she had called for help for Gabe. He felt the instinct to follow her into the kitchen, to console her, but hesitated. It was obviously personal and he didn’t want to draw any extra attention to her. There was also a part of him that wondered if he’d really be helping her. He had always been quick to help Haleigh, and deep down he thought he might be the reason that Haleigh became so unfeeling. It could very well be his fault Haleigh had become an expert at detaching from her emotions. He didn’t want to risk ruining Zizi too, not unless he felt she really couldn’t handle it in a healthy way.

He realized Rae was talking to him and Ash, congratulating their engagement. He smiled as he thanked her, and gave a gracious chuckle as she talked about being at the wedding to chase his hot superhero friends. The mirth dissolved as she brought up the next topic, though. They didn’t know each other very well, but he was keenly aware she was on Rose’s side when it came down to it. It was disconcerting that she weighed in on such a personal matter. He really didn’t want to discuss it with anyone other than maybe Zizi, even with her it was going to be a little uncomfortable. But they were close friends, and he trusted Ziz enough. Rae and Danny? Not so much. Maybe eventually, but definitely not today.

“I appreciate the kind sentiments.”

He said gently, praying to the Gods that He might be able to get away with that. As unsolicited as her opinion was, her heart seemed to be in the right place. She asked who was going to reach out to the Six.

“I’m sure I’ll be apart of that, but I’ll let you all decide, while I try to get in touch with Dominique.”

He said, drawing out his phone again. This time he let it ring until she answered.

“Hey, Dominique. Thanks for taking my call. How are you doing lately?”

He started, stepping away from the group a couple of feet. She told him she was fine and directly asked why he’d called. No time for pleasantries, then. He went straight into the explanation, unsure of how much she knew and trying to sum the whole Hellfire thing up succinctly. She knew what he was talking about, and seemed to know more as well, advising him that he couldn’t kill an idea. He unfortunately had to agree, and to say that they hadn’t technically killed any Queens either, that Malice was mounting a comeback. She didn’t sound too surprised, until he mentioned Diana might try for Nicolas.

 

[Black Widow]

The Parthenon

Haleigh sighed quietly in resignation as Delilah stubbornly rebutted her caution with regards to Alycia. The cut-throat, calculating, vindictive woman who seemed to get her thrills through character assassination and had never shied away from killing if that was conveniently justifiable, that was who Delilah was steadfastly defending here. Haleigh could only shake her head in disagreement. Delilah didn’t believe Alycia would hurt a child. Haleigh let the subject drop in favor of more important issues.

Jake needed to be cared for, but Zach had declined to help. Haleigh offered a bit of insight as to why, and continued on to acknowledge the responsibility fell to her now. Delilah was understandably surprised, and questioned the situation, which Haleigh patiently explained. Delilah didn’t think it made any sense, and asked what Isis thought, and if Dominique would really allow it. Haleigh shrugged her shoulders. She had spoken with Dominique recently, but only about performing as headliner at the gala.

“She must be on board with it. The papers were filed with the courts, and Alycia even applied for an emergency hearing. It’s clearly a coordinated effort, and it’ll be finalized soon.”

Delilah was still reluctant to accept it. She needed to be able to make sense of it. Haleigh only needed to know it was happening, she could figure out the logic later, when the boy was safe. She told Delilah that whatever the reasoning was, it was unacceptable to make him more accessible to Kelly. On that small detail, Delilah at least could agree. Delilah suggested they talk to both Nic and Dominique, and gave Haleigh the choice of whether they did so together or split to each take one.

This presented Haleigh with a tactical problem. Delilah meant well, but Haleigh was concerned with tipping her hand to potential oppositional forces when it came to her intentions re:Jake. If the Amazons knew Haleigh was onto them, they could better prepare for her. This could make it more challenging for her to protect the boy from Kelly, if she also had to fight off Sharon or Alycia. Her other option was to tell Delilah she’d handle the talk with Isis, and then just not do it. Such a move might protect her element of surprise long enough, but her intentional deception would likely become apparent to Delilah eventually, and that would destroy any chance to rebuild the trust. It was a tough decision. She loathed the idea of putting herself at a disadvantage with the Amazons, but ultimately she knew she’d choose to fight both of them head on to the death, rather than misleading Delilah. She had betrayed her friend enough, and given a true choice now, she wasn’t going to do it again.

“I’ve still got a decent relationship with Nic somehow, I’ll take him. Isis will probably be less suspicious of your intentions regarding the boy, so why don’t you— standby.”

She stopped abruptly. She had been thinking about contacting Isis, and absent-mindedly started paying closer attention to the cell network in Dominique’s area. Now she was picking up a cell phone call that was connecting to Dominique’s phone. She couldn’t track the origin of the call, but it was Zach’s number. He was probably at the Clocktower. There was significant network safeguarding at Oracle’s place, but the receiving end of the call was wide open. Haleigh manifested that little speaker from before, so Delilah could be privy as well.

Isis: “I’m fine Zachary, why have you called?”

Zach: “Ah yes, well we have some concerns and you’re the best person to refer to for them.”

Isis: “Mhmm.”

Zach: “I’m sure you heard we defeated the Sisterhood and demolished Hellfire several months ago.”

Isis: “Yes, and I heard the outfit is under new leadership now, and poised to experience a renaissance. You and your Birds may have had an impact on the organization and it’s infrastructure, but you can’t kill an Idea, Zachary.”

Zach: “Ah, yes, I see. It seems we didn’t fully kill any of the Queens either. Helena and Kelly are in the wind, and we’ve just got word Diana might be trying to make a comeback from the Astral Plane.”

Isis: “And?”

Zach: “And we suspect she may target Nicolas, and make some kind of deal to release Set.”

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower

The other end of the phone had gone very quiet at the suggestion that Diana might try to release Set.

“Dominique?”

He asked, to see if she was still there. Her answer confirmed his understanding of the Nic/Set relationship, but didn’t really address the Malice concern. Zach figured Isis had been caught off guard and was still processing the news.

“What if Diana possesses Nic’s body, could she effect a release?”

He asked, to help facilitate her thinking a bit. She responded confidently that she’d work with Nic and add some spells, then reassured him that he needn’t worry before she thanked him for bringing it to her attention. So pretty much he was getting dismissed already. The Six weren’t the only ones with big egos. He didn’t take it personally, but he wasn’t going to let it go so easily either.

“Ok, and what about Kelly, she’s got some magical leanings. Would it be possible for her to undo the spells and runes set in place?”

He asked, just softly suggesting —not that she couldn’t handle it, but —there might be someone who could counter her abilities. She replied quite sharply to that, insulting Kelly outright and clearly unwilling to entertain that she might be a threat.

“Oh?”

Zach interjected, and he let Isis continue on to add that Kelly probably cut her losses and ran off to Europe to play ‘mad scientist’. So Dominique didn’t have a high opinion of the Queen that replaced her.

“Alright, good to know. What about Helena, any idea where she might be?”

He asked hopefully, but she gave him a pretty short answer to that, and it wasn’t helpful at all.

“Okay, then. Thanks for your help. Actually, I have one more thing to ask you about…”

He said, dropping his voice a little bit for privacy as the rest of group talked amongst themselves (hopefully). Isis invited him to continue, in a very sarcastic sounding tone.

“I heard Jake O’Reilly is going to be adopted out.”

He ventured, and she immediately asked him who told him about it. He redirected with a counter-question, was it supposed to be a secret? She paused for a moment, and he wished he could sense emotion through the phone. Was she feeling annoyed, or anxious? She told him it wasn’t really a secret from him, but it wasn’t finalized and she didn’t want it to be public knowledge.

“Ah, I understand. I wouldn’t put it on social media or anything, I’m just asking because… Well, I’m surprised he’s even leaving the Sanctuary. Isn’t that the safest place for him?”

He asked, wanting to hear what she had to say about it. Haleigh had raised a lot of concerns, mostly focused around potential corruption with the Amazons. Isis was a former Black Queen, too. Zach couldn’t really blame Haleigh for being suspicious on this one. Dominique told him that there had been an incident, and another child had been injured. The good news was that the other boy had been healed. Isis explained the adoption as a positive response to the situation.

“I understand. And the adoptive parents, they’re well equipped to protect him? I’m just worried because he was specifically targeted before…”

He persisted, framing it as concern and not suspicion. She reassured him with the same confidence she had about the Set issue. Zach still had a dreadful feeling about it all. He took a deep breath and asked if he could still maybe visit with Jake, in his new home. Perhaps that would help. Isis told him it was up to the adoptive parents, but that she’d pass along his contact info. He thanked her and let her get back to whatever he’d interrupted her from doing. He turned back to the group he was in the room with.

“So, she’s not really concerned at all.”

 

[Black Widow]

The Parthenon

Haleigh had tapped into the call between Zach and Dominique. Unexpectedly, he brought up Diana, Nicolas and Set first. Haleigh glanced at Delilah, her brow raised.

“I wonder how the birds got wind of that so quickly.”

She commented in the long silence on the phone call. She had to make sure she was still tuned in afterward, that she hadn’t dropped the call. No, they were still on.

Zach: “Dominique?”

Isis: “The only way Set can be released is if Nicolas chooses to release Set, or if he dies.”

Zach: “What if Diana possesses Nic’s body, could she effect a release?”

Isis: “I’ll speak with Nicolas, and add some protective spells to prevent possession. It shouldn’t be anything more to worry about. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.”

Zach: “Ok, and what about Kelly, she’s got some magical leanings. Would it be possible for her to undo the spells and runes set in place?”

Isis: “That petty harpy couldn’t hex her way out of a paper bag.”

Zach: “Oh?”

Isis: “She probably cut all her losses anyway and ran off to play mad scientist in Europe or wherever.”

Zach: “Alright, good to know. What about Helena, any idea where she might be?”

Isis: “No.”

Zach: “Okay, then. Thanks for your help. Actually, I have one more thing to ask you about…”

Isis: “By all means.”

Zach: “I heard Jake O’Reilly is going to be adopted out.”

Isis: “Who told you that?”

Zach: “Why, was it supposed to be a secret?”

There was another pause, this time shorter than the last. Haleigh couldn’t fault Zach for asking about the boy. She would’ve preferred he hadn’t, but given his emotional nature, it was the risk she’d taken giving him a chance and reading him into the whole plan. She was really 0 for 2 on sharing intel today with allies today. Zach, at least, had the sense to deflect the question of where the intel came from.

Isis: “Not necessarily from you, no. It’s not exactly a done deal yet though, so I don’t want it becoming big news so soon.”

Zach: “Ah, I understand. I wouldn’t put it on social media or anything, I’m just asking because… Well, I’m surprised he’s even leaving the Sanctuary. Isn’t that the safest place for him?”

Isis: “Normally yes, but we had a very serious incident recently. It’s hard to say if it was intentional or if Jacob simply lost control, but another child was severely injured. Fortunately I was able to heal the other boy. We considered isolating Jacob for a while, but that seemed too much like punishing him. This adoptive home will be much better for his psychosocial development.”

Zach: “I understand. And the adoptive parents, they’re well equipped to protect him? I’m just worried because he was specifically targeted before…”

Isis: “It’s alright Zachary. Sharon, Alycia and I will escort him to his new home ourselves. I’ll place protection wards all over the apartment. No one who means him harm will be able to get to him there.”

Zach: “Thanks, I appreciate that. Do you think it’d be possible for me to visit with him after he’s settled?”

Isis: “That will be up to the parents, whatever they are comfortable with. I’ll give them your number. Is there anything else?”

Zach: “Not right now, but again thank you. Take care, Dominique.”

Isis: “Mhmm, you too.”

No one who means him harm will be able to get to him there.

Haleigh reflected when the call ended. So in short, Kelly could snatch him when the fake little ‘family’ went to the park, or out for ice cream, or whatever other errands people took their children on. Haleigh was unconvinced that he was safe, but there was an opportunity here. She didn’t mean the boy harm, which meant she could still extract him from home, where their guard would be down due to the false sense of security the enchantments would provide. And she could let the subject go, like one of those arguments she wasn’t interested in continuing. This could be a good way to separate Delilah from the issue, without outright lying to her.

“Well, there we have it. That saves us some time.”

She said casually to her friend, pouring another round of whiskey.

“So Isis thinks it’s all kosher and under control. What do you think? Am I off the hook for protecting young Jake here?”

 

[MorningStar]

The Parthenon

Delilah just couldn't believe Dominique would turn away a child in need, or put that child in a home that wasn't safe. Isis wasn't stupid, and could not be easily duped. Delilah asked Haleigh what she'd said about Jake.

Haleigh: “She must be on board with it. The papers were filed with the courts, and Alycia even applied for an emergency hearing. It’s clearly a coordinated effort, and it’ll be finalized soon.”

Delilah shook her head.

"There must be something we're missing in all of this. It just doesn't make any sense."

They needed to talk to both Nicolas and Dominique - she gave Haleigh the choice of which she wanted.

Haleigh: “I’ve still got a decent relationship with Nic somehow, I’ll take him. Isis will probably be less suspicious of your intentions regarding the boy, so why don’t you— standby.”

Delilah rolled her eyes at Haleigh's military style jargon.

"Yeah, I've got all day here..."

And then a speaker just appeared - clearly the result of one of Haleigh's creepier powers. It was playing one of Isis' phone calls. Seemed like Alison wasn't the only one who liked to listen in.

It was apparent that it happened to be Zach on the other end of call. So Haleigh was monitoring Zach's phone calls now. Cute. Not stalkerish at all.

>> Zach: “Ah, yes, I see. It seems we didn’t fully kill any of the Queens either. Helena and Kelly are in the wind, and we’ve just got word Diana might be trying to make a comeback from the Astral Plane. And we suspect she may target Nicolas, and make some kind of deal to release Set. What if Diana possesses Nic’s body, could she effect a release?”

Delilah returned Haleigh's look.

"Well this got interesting."

Haleigh: “I wonder how the birds got wind of that so quickly.”

Delilah shrugged.

"They don't know when to stay out of things above their pay grade."

>> Isis: “The only way Set can be released is if Nicolas chooses to release Set, or if he dies. I’ll speak with Nicolas, and add some protective spells to prevent possession. It shouldn’t be anything more to worry about. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.”

Malice had helped them to defeat Set - why would she want to unleash him now? Luckily, it sounded like even if Diana wanted to, short of killing Nicolas - which would make no sense for her to do should she succeed in possessing him - Set would stay right where he was.

One topic down, and things soon moved on to the other.

>> Zach: “I heard Jake O’Reilly is going to be adopted out.”

>> Zach: “Ah, I understand. I wouldn’t put it on social media or anything, I’m just asking because… Well, I’m surprised he’s even leaving the Sanctuary. Isn’t that the safest place for him?”

"Good boy."

Asking the right question in a way that wouldn't piss Isis off. Hopefully.

>> Isis: “Normally yes, but we had a very serious incident recently. It’s hard to say if it was intentional or if Jacob simply lost control, but another child was severely injured. Fortunately I was able to heal the other boy. We considered isolating Jacob for a while, but that seemed too much like punishing him. This adoptive home will be much better for his psychosocial development.”

>> Zach: “I understand. And the adoptive parents, they’re well equipped to protect him? I’m just worried because he was specifically targeted before…”

>> Isis: “It’s alright Zachary. Sharon, Alycia and I will escort him to his new home ourselves. I’ll place protection wards all over the apartment. No one who means him harm will be able to get to him there.”

The call ended, and it was just Delilah and Haleigh in the room once more.

Haleigh: “Well, there we have it. That saves us some time.”

"Perfectly reasonable explanation as to why they are moving him."

Haleigh: “So Isis thinks it’s all kosher and under control. What do you think? Am I off the hook for protecting young Jake here?”

Delilah sighed. As much as it was reasonable, something nagged at Delilah. It was probably the cop in her. Though she absolutely did not want to hand a child over to Haleigh...

She shook her head.

"Any other child I might say yes, but - this kid has a history with Kelly. In my gut I just don't think he's safe outside of the Sanctuary. As much as I'd like for him to have a normal life, he might be okay for a time, but if Kelly wants him, she'll get him eventually."

Delilah rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"But truthfully, Isis' wards, your protection - they're both equally imperfect solutions. He's probably not really any safer with you than in his new apartment under Isis' eye. Unless you plan to glue him to your side for the rest of his adolescence?"

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

Zizi pressed the button to lower the stovetop to her chair's height and went about the business of making a completely unnecessary second pot of tea. But her stomach tied itself in knots at the thought of hearing Dominique's voice, even secondhand through Zach's phone. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, shutting her eyes and trying to banish the memories.

And the worst part was that she knew it wasn't Isis' fault. She knew that. She liked Dominique and was proud to have her as part of their team. But there were thoughts that crept in, ones that Zizi knew were unfair. She had to get a hold of herself - there were more important things going on here, after all. But still, her emotions swirled inside her like a tornado.

While she waited for the kettle to boil, Zizi pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Vivica. But the call went right to voicemail. Zizi sniffed and took another deep breath, making sure her voice was steady as she left a message.

"Hi Vivica - You're probably off doing something glamourous right now, but there's some important news you need to hear, so if you could please call me when you get this? Okay. Thank you. Goodbye."

She wanted Vivica to hear the news about Cameron from her before she heard it elsewhere and didn't get all the details. Zizi wiped her eyes with a tissue then poured the boiling water into a teapot before carrying it back into the living area.

Zach: “So, she’s not really concerned at all.”

"Not at all? Do you think she was putting on a front so we wouldn't worry?"

The idea that Malice might be targeting her nephew was certainly cause for concern, after all.

"Surely she knows better than most what Malice is capable of."

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower

Ashley wasn't super keen on this conversation - too much Dominique and the Six. All she needed was for Sharon and Alycia to walk in and it would be a real party. Part of her wanted to see what this Set guy was made of - but she still thought the best course of action would be to remove the threat. Zach wasn't going for that, and as much as she would have liked to kick the collective ass of the Six around the bend when they tried to stop her, she knew she had to give up on the idea.

Danny: "Alright, so for now we have a plan. Zach can call Dominique, a group should meet with The Six...and Rae? It's time you try and make contact with Cameron."

Rae: "I'll be honest...there is something different about his energy there...I'd prefer to do this on the rooftop of The Clocktower, and I'd like Valkyrie to be with me should I need an assist. You have nobody with purely psionic ability on this team which is really something you should be looking for going forward. I mean telepaths are supremely annoying, but they're also pretty helpful in a pinch..."

"Well our last additions to the team didn't really work out so maybe we should just stick with what's working. But if this Cameron guy really has a chance at permanently taking out Diana, I'm all in."

Rae: "Congratulations on your engagement by the way. Not that it matters, but all my spidey senses are telling me this is a good match. Don't let my invitation to the wedding get lost in the mail. Especially since all of your friends seem to be hot macho superheroes, which is kind of my kink..."

Ashley's eye rolled skyward.

"Yeah, cause we were looking for someone whose friend tried to kill both of us to validate our relationship..."

Rae: "Also...I'm not about to run anyone else's house, or spill their business but...the...."thing" you just were dealing with....maybe don't count it out so immediately. Might be good for you, Zach. BOTH of you actually. None of it ends as badly as you think it might, and you might just be so much better at it than you believe yourself capable of being..."

Ashley crossed her arms over her chest, and narrowed her eyes as she looked Rae up and down.

"Maybe just keep your predictions to yourself there lady."

But Ashley's arm fell to her side and her hand found Zach's and gave it a squeeze.

Rae: "Now...who's going to talk to The Six?"

Zach: “I’m sure I’ll be apart of that, but I’ll let you all decide, while I try to get in touch with Dominique.”

Zach stepped away from the group to make the call and Ashley touched her index finger to her nose.

"Not it."

She'd rather stick hot pokers through her eyes than talk to those fuckers.

"I'll take rooftop duty."

When Zach finished talking to Dominique, he had less than stellar results from the convo.

Zach: “So, she’s not really concerned at all.”

"Well, then, let's all go out for some drinks, problem solved."

Zizi: "Not at all? Do you think she was putting on a front so we wouldn't worry?"

Ashley waved her hand in the air.

"Pfft - she doesn't care if we worry. If anything, she'd like us to worry more so she could feel more important."

Ashley shook her head. Why Zizi had every allowed this woman on their team was a mystery.

"If we're going to get nothing in the way of assist from Isis on the Nicolas front, then we need to shore up Cameron's chances of defeating Diana before she gets a chance to posses him."

 

[Black Widow]

The Parthenon

Speaking of talking to Isis, Haleigh caught on to a phone call between the former Black Queen and none other than Zach. It was fortuitous, for her. There was no doubt he’d ask her about Jake, which meant that Haleigh and Delilah wouldn’t have to, and Haleigh didn’t want her interest in the kid’s welfare to be widely known. Surprisingly, that wasn’t his first topic of discussion. He asked Dominique about Nic, Set, and Malice.

Haleigh and Delilah shared a look. Haleigh wondered out loud how the others had already reach the same conclusion that her and Delilah had just come to. Delilah commented that the birds didn’t know when to stay out of things above their pay grade. Haleigh shook her head slowly, contemplating just how many of them might die before they learned their lesson. It wasn’t her problem. They were adults, they could make their own mistakes.

Haleigh and Delilah listened on as Dominique and Zach moved on to discuss the boy’s adoption. Zach had the wherewithal to deflect when asked who gave him the intel. Haleigh was grateful for that, and she was always intrigued to hear how Zach articulated his questions and concerns. He was adept at working with people, and had a knack for navigating complex issues with aplomb, rarely running afoul, even with headstrong personalities.

They heard Dominique explain to Zach that Jake had injured some other kid. Haleigh’s interest was piqued when Dominique commented that they weren’t sure if he had done it intentionally or just lost control. Either way, sticking him with a couple of flatscans who didn’t know shit about helping a preteen develop their natural abilities was a massive strategic blunder. It was yet another reason that Haleigh was suspicious about the move. Delilah observed that they had a perfectly reasonable explanation for their actions.

“Sure,”

Haleigh began, pouring herself some more whiskey as she asked Delilah if she thought Haleigh was off the hook for protecting the boy. Delilah seemed to know better than to dismiss the issue. Haleigh drank a little more whiskey, allowing Delilah to work through her thoughts. Unfortunately, Delilah didn’t have much confidence that the boy would be better off under Haleigh’s protection. Ouch. Haleigh told herself not to take it personal, but she had to stifle her ego a bit to prevent a natural defensiveness. Delilah asked if Haleigh was planning on having the kid glued to her side for the rest of his adolescence.

“No, that would be impractical.”

She replied with a sly smile, and she opted not to share her actual plan. The fewer people that knew, the more likely it would be successful.

“That’s not the only problem to solve right now though. We can allow the situation with the boy to develop a bit. This shit with my mother, however, needs to be mitigated ASAP. As I said, I’ll talk to Nic and spare you the headache.”

She threw back the rest of her whiskey.

“I expect the Sidekick Squad is going to reach out to us next, since they’re aware of the issue. Would you mind being the point of contact for them? I trust you to be able to handle them, and whatever you decide —to work with them or discourage them from getting themselves killed— is fine by me. I think we both agree this is way out of their league, but they weren’t total liabilities during the battle at Hellfire.”

She stood from her arm chair slowly.

“Morgan’s upstairs, I’m going to go have a private word with her. That’ll give Isis some time to reach out the Nic before I speak with him, and we can capitalize on whatever defenses they come up with. I’ll keep you well informed, of course.”