Birds of a Feather

The Parthenon — Conference Room

Zach didn’t beat around the bush when Delilah asked why they were here. There was no use in being coy about it, and he already felt a sense of urgency knowing the situation had gotten so critical. Delilah didn’t seem surprised that they knew about it, and much like Dominique, she wasn’t very alarmed either. She tried to reassure them that everything was going according to plan. That wasn’t at all reassuring, given that the plan was evidently Cameron’s.

Delilah insisted that he wasn’t dead. Vivica suggested that he wasn’t dead yet. Zach just patiently sipped his coffee. He’d been to Cameron’s funeral before and hoped he wouldn’t have to again, more for his own sake than Cameron’s. It seemed futile to even debate how dead Cameron might be at the moment. Most everyone around here treated death like it was a comic book concept until it became impossible to ignore as a reality.

He mentioned that they had a clairvoyant associate who had enlightened them on the potential future. Delilah seemed only mildly interested in hearing what that might entail. Viv chimed in to clarify the details, namely that the foreseen outcome was absolute disaster. Zach asked if Delilah had heard from Isis. He mentioned her nonchalance, and kind of hoped to hear that there was more collaboration going on between Isis and the Six.

Delilah relayed that they’d heard from Dominique, and she was fairly forthcoming about what their intended course of action was. The issue was that Delilah appeared to be nearly as dismissive as Dominique had been. She didn’t even seem convinced that Malice was going to target Nicolas specifically, and on top of that she had every confidence that Cameron was going to defeat Malice.

Zach didn’t know how to tell her that she was probably the only person with every confidence. Even Haleigh had lost her composure today when it came to Cameron, and in Zach’s experience, that was remarkable. Vivica wasn’t going to accept being brushed off, though, and Zach admired her for it. She called it like she saw it, and Zach let her speak without interruption.

She expressed doubt that Cameron’s plan was so meticulous and thoughtful. Zach was certain that Cameron, in his arrogance, believed he could take Malice single-handedly. Someone, probably Delilah (because Cameron wouldn’t have listened to anyone else) had the wisdom to suggest he might falter, and so this half-cocked contingency was born. He kept his opinion to himself, knowing that too much honesty might damage the camaraderie. Viv finished by saying that she didn’t feel comfortable relying on Cameron alone. Zach nodded in solemn agreement.

“Many of us share Viv’s concern. Delilah, I understand you and the Six are used to pulling it out of the fire by yourselves. But this is an all-hands issue, and we’re here to coordinate our efforts with yours. Our colleague Rae is currently attempting to cross to this Other Side realm and assist Cameron. Is there any insight you can give us to help us prepare to handle the worst case scenario?”
 
The Further

Valkyrie SLAMMED her shield into the latest dispossessed being that came into her sightline, a golden burst shining from it on impact, the creature disintegrating back into the ether.

“Piece. Of. Cake.”

Ashley was quite enjoying herself. Nothing here was posing any real danger and it had been a while since she’d stretched her Valkyrie abilities. Too bad Zizi couldn’t see her.

“I’m not even breaking a sweat here, Ziz.“

In the lull, she turned her focus back to the roof. But Zizi didn’t seem to hear her.

”Zizi?”

But then she wasn’t on the roof anymore. And somehow that didn’t seem odd. She was in her own bedroom. Maybe Zach would be home soon.

Zach…

Ashley took a step backwards, stumbling, almost falling.

”Zach?”

Her voice sounded meek and unsure.

Zach: "Fuck! Don't stop...don't....stop!"

Ashley felt like all the air had been sucked from the room. Zach was…he was…he was having sex with someone. And it wasn’t her.

Haleigh: "Tell me she meant nothing! Tell me I'm yours, baby..."

Zach: "She's NOTHING. I only love YOU, Haleigh..."

”Haleigh…what? What are you doing, Zach? What’s happening?”

Her hand went to her mouth. She kept backing up but couldn’t seem to get away. She wanted to run. She looked around her frantically but there was nowhere to go. She covered her eyes but she could still see them.

Hadn’t she always known this would happen? How could someone like Zach ever love her? Why would he want to be with her? It was absurd. It always had been.

”All Father protect me…”

Great Odin, who’d taken Kalf and made her a Valkyrie. Who’d orchestrated all that to bring her across the centuries to Zach. And now it had all been taken away.

She removed her hands from her eyes, now wet from her tears. She held them out in front of her, looking at her own tears. She had felt nothing like this, nothing real, nothing like a human woman for so long, not until…

”No.”

This was not part of Odin’s plan for her. She had been fooled when Kalf had died and she’d been denied entrance into Valhalla. She’d spent so long cursing her gods. But Zach had been the reason for everything, the end that justified all the heartache. They wouldn’t do all that just to take it away like this. She shook her head.

“And Zach would never hurt me like this.“

With a cry Ashley leapt into the air, bringing the sharp lip of her shield down onto Hailey’s neck as she landed, severing the head from the body. Ashley’s head turned towards the imposter, eyes burning with dark flame.

“That’s not your face to wear.”

And taking up her sword, she ran him cleanly through with it.

Ashley’s breath was coming fast as she climbed down off the bed. The bodies and images around her began to dissipate, until she was left standing in the void once more.

She was more than a little shaken. Even knowing in her heart they weren’t real, the images of Zach and Haleigh together kept playing through her mind. She could feel her heart beating hard in her chest.

And then she remembered what she was supposed to be doing.

”Zizi!”
 
The Clocktower - Roof

Zizi was enjoying listening to Rae and Ashley make their way into the other place where Cameron King was. She was thinking how good it would be for Ashley to spend some time with Rae, to have to work with someone not as familiar as her or Vivica. A chill ran through her, and she was thinking that she should have thought to bring a jacket when a voice called her name.

It wasn’t just any voice.

”Gabe?!”

And then, everything was perfect. She was lying in bed next to him.

Gabe: "I thought I'd never see you again, Liz. I'm glad I was wrong....."

”Me too.”

She snuggled in against him, their arms entwining. She breathed in his scent, and tears came to her eyes.

”Gabe, I’m so sorry, I- I should never have-”

Gabe: ”Shhhh…that doesn’t matter now.”

”I’ve missed you so much. It’s been so hard.”

Gabe: “Well that’s all over now.”

”Yes, all over. We’re together.”
 
The Further

“Zizi! Zizi come on, snap out of it!”

Zizi was slumped down in her chair, clearly not present and accounted for.

”Zizi, whatever it’s showing you. you have to fight it!”

Ashley moved her arms about, but it was no use. Her actual body might be with Zizi, but she was here in The Further. And though her spirit form was half there as well, she couldn’t use her weapons there, even if she could see what she was fighting. She clanged her weapons together, making a loud noise she hoped would bring Zizi back to her.

”Come on, Ziz - this isn’t real! You just have to tell yourself, it isn’t real.”
 
Clocktower - The Roof

Ashley: ”Come on, Ziz - this isn’t real! You just have to tell yourself, it isn’t real.”

From somewhere, she could hear Ashley’s voice. It kept telling her that what she was seeing wasn’t real. That Gabe wasn’t real. She felt the stabbing pain in her chest, the one she’d felt that night, all over again.

”But I want it to be real!“

She covered her ears with her hands.

”I want to stay here. I want to stay with Gabe. I don’t want to wake up. I want it to be just like this forever.”

Ashley: “Whatever you’re seeing, Ziz, it’s not Gabe. You know that. You know I took his soul myself. That isn’t Gabe.”

She clutched tighter to the body next to her.

”Maybe you took him to the wrong place. Maybe he’s been here all along, and now he's free. Free to come back to me…”

Ashley: “Zizi. Please, you’ve got to let him go. This isn’t real. You can’t stay with him. I’m sorry - you know you can’t.”

Zizi’s voice was a whisper as she replied.

”Don’t ruin it. Please don’t.”

Gabe: “Stay with me. Please stay.”

Zizi looked into his face, smoothed the hair back off his forehead. Then she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his as tears fell down her cheeks. She looked deeply into his eyes.

”Goodbye.”

A roar came from the demon pretending to be Gabe. Zizi was back on the roof now, but Gabe was still there with her, standing in front of her now. And he was enraged.

Gabe: “It’s all YOUR fault that I died, you know that don’t you? YOU used me to help with your pathetic little superhero hobby, when you KNEW the kind of people you were dealing with. You KNEW how dangerous it was, and you did it anyway! You spoiled, self-centered, flatscan!”

Zizi recoiled as if he had assaulted her. The venom in his eyes as he locked eyes with her chilled her to the bone.

Gabe: “I’m dead because of you!”

Ashley: “Zizi, fight!”

Gabe: “You’ll get the rest of your team killed too!”

Ashley: “Zizi!”

”It’s not my fault!”

Her heart was pounding, but she forced herself to meet his eyes.

”It’s not my fault.”

Her mouth was bone dry, but she swallowed anyway.

”Gabe helped me because it was the right thing to do. I didn’t know what would happen. The only person to blame is Helena. This is her fault, not mine.”

Zizi shook her head.

”Gabe would know that. You’re not him. He’s gone.”

She thought of that night, when Gabe had died. When his spirit had said his final goodbyes.

”I will see him again. But not like this.”

As the vision faded away, Zizi let out a sob, her strength faltering a moment.

”Ashley?”

Ashley: “I’m here, Ziz. You did good.”

Zizi took a shakey breath in, wiped her face on the backs of her hands, and nodded.

Ashley: “And Ziz, you will see him again.”
 
The Parthenon

Delilah tried to do right by Cameron and put Vivica’s mind at ease. He and she had a history, and Delilah didn’t want her unnecessarily upset. She reassured her that Cameron wasn’t dead.

Vivica: "Yet. He isn't dead yet..."

Delilah smiled graciously.

”I like to give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Zach brought up this psychic they were working with. So that’s how they had been so quick to find out about Malice, and Nicolas. Delilah carefully hedged when Zach also asked if they’d talked to Isis, virtually regurgitating his conversation with Dominique but leaving out the part where they had eavesdropped on his conversation.

She tried to assure them that everything was well in hand. It was better that the didn’t insert themselves into something over their heads.

Vivica: "That's all well and good...but I don't have that same level of confidence. You can't plan for Malice. You watched her get her head cut off with the Soul Sword, you know, that supposedly end all be all weapon that cuts through magick and enchantment and power? ... and she came back...."

Delilah shook her head.

”Not this time. She’s not coming back.”

This time she would be gone for good. She had to be.

Vivica: "From what I know, she took NIcolas' power, and she's only getting stronger the longer she's on the astral plane. There's only two possible hosts for her and that's Nicolas and Cameron, who's body is -- dead but not dead? Just...I'm assuming sitting somewhere in the lower levels of this hotel ripe for the picking? And Nicolas can hold her power because he's had that kind of power before...only with his body she'll get the strength of a demigod and Set. "

Delilah held up a hand.

“Dominique assured us that Set can only be unleashed if Nicolas were to die. Possessing Nicolas only gets Malice a body - and as I said, we’re taking measures to ensure that doesn’t happen. And the second that Malice were to somehow find a way into Cameron’s body?”

She leaned forward.

“It would be incinerated. Please don’t mistake my confidence in Cameron for putting all my eggs in one basket.”

Vivica: "Everyone seems too sure of this plan, and not on alert like they normally would be - and that is usually the exact kind of environment that Malice thrives in. You say that Cameron planned for this - but this has SURELY gotta be a threat level midnight kind of contingency plan. He really PLANNED for the idea that Malice might use Nicolas and SET to come back? I've known him all my life, but I've never known him to be a planner on that meticulous of a level, so forgive but I just feel like there's got to be something we need to be doing that we aren't doing or seeing, and I'd really like to look at that brass tacks of this, because Set effects everyone...and I don't feel comfortable relying on Cameron to fix this. I just don't..."

”Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think you do.”

Delilah shrugged.

”I took this meeting as a courtesy, but I don’t answer to you, and your comfort is not my responsibility. I’ve told you the Six is handling this.”

Zach: “Many of us share Viv’s concern. Delilah, I understand you and the Six are used to pulling it out of the fire by yourselves. But this is an all-hands issue, and we’re here to coordinate our efforts with yours. Our colleague Rae is currently attempting to cross to this Other Side realm and assist Cameron. Is there any insight you can give us to help us prepare to handle the worst case scenario?”

This turn of events was somewhat alarming. They didn’t need some outsider going in there and throwing a wrench into everything.

”And so this friend of yours, Rae, goes in there and Malice gets a sniff of her - what’s to keep Rae from being Malice’s ticket back here?”

Delilah shook her head.

”Look, Elizabeth seems like a good kid and I know she wants to help save the world, and I know the two of you feel loyalty to her. But we didn’t go after Malice and decide to just wing it: we planned for months, we trained. I don’t expect you to understand. The worst case scenario? Despite all the extra wards from Isis and Nicolas’ training, that Malice somehow gets past Cameron, and possesses Nicolas. In which case Cameron will be shunted back into his body, and he, Dominique and I will go pull Diana’s soul back out of him and scatter her to the four winds.“

She crossed her arms.

”Now how exactly do you figure on helping with that?”
 
The Parthenon

She almost regretted opening her mouth, because she knew what the response was going to be - blah blah blah this is above your paygrade, I don't answer to you, the same old schtick. She was raising valid concerns, and she was going to heard whether they agreed with her or not.

Delilah: "Dominique assured us that Set can only be unleashed if Nicolas were to die. Posessing Nicolas only gets Malice a body, and as I said, we're taking measures to ensure that doesn't happen."

"Exactly what measures are you--"

Delilah: "And the second that Malice were to somehow find a way into Cameron's body? It would be incinerated. Please don't mistake my confidence in Cameron for putting all my eggs in one basket."

Vivica still believed Delilah's eggs were firmly in one basket, but she didn't say it because it wasn't helpful and she wasn't trying to start some kind of fight. She wanted to believe Delilah. And maybe she DID believe....DELILAH, specifically. She couldn't trust that others in their "family" might prevent something like that. She continued to express her concern about not wanting to have to rely on Cameron for something like this, because she had the history to back up her claims.

Delilah: "Maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do."

"Delilah? Respectfully fuck off with that."

She rolled her eyes. This was getting nowhere fast.

Delilah: "I took this meeting as a courtesy, but I don't answer to you, and your comfort is not my responsibility. I've told you the Six is handling this."

"Like you handled Hellfire?"

The entire battle at Hellfire had been bloody, but from Vivica's point of view, The Birds of Prey had all but destroyed The Black Court's Inner Circle, and their associate Danny Donnelly had buried the mansion before the fall out from Morningstar and Cameron's attack on Malice threatened to destroy not only their entire team but countless innocent lives around the mansion. The Six had managed to let the other Queens scatter to the wind and not even completely killed the one target they were after. She exhaled deeply, attempting to once again calm herself. Thankfuly, the ever tactful Zach intervened.

Zach: "Many of us share Viv's concern. Delilah, I understand you and the Six are used to pulling it out of the fire by yourselves. But this is an all-hands issue, and we're here to coordinate our efforts with yours. Our colleague Rae is currently attempting to cross to this Other Side realm and assist Cameron. Is therea ny insight you can give us to help us prepare to handle the worst case scenario?"

[calmly] "What he said."

Delilah: "And so this friend of yours, Rae, goes in there and Malice gets a sniff of her - what's to keep Rae from being Malice's ticket back here? Look, Elizabeth seems like a good kid and I know she wants to help save the world, and I know the two of you feel loyalty to her. but we didn't go after Malice and decide to just wing it: we planned for months, we trained. I don't expect you to understand. The worst case scenario? Despite all the extra wards from Isis and Nicolas' training, that Malice somehow gets past Cameron, and possesses Nicolas. In which case, Cameron will be shunted back into his body, and he, Dominique and I will go pull Diana's soul back out of him and scatter her to the four winds. Now how exactly do you figure on helping with that?"

Vivica took a sip of her water before setting it back down on the table with a bemused look.

"In whatever way we can, Delilah. And please understand, I've never been under the impression that this team answers to me or bares any responsibility for my comfort. Hellfire is a problem for ALL of us. The Sisterhood is a problem for ALL of us. So maybe fucking find some way for us to help instead of continuing to act like we are trying to meddle and be some great value version of The Six. Ya'll stopped trying to be heroes years ago, trust me, nobody is trying to copy your prototype. Elizabeth isn't a kid. She's a very intelligent and strong woman who doesn't need to be infantilized because she has values that are stronger than the shit she's been through."

Her pulse was raising a bit as she took another sip of her water, finishing the bottle entirely.

"We aren't going to stop working on this, because it affects people we love and the community around us. We arranged this meeting as a courtesy. You don't want to discuss it any further? Fine. We can work on it from our end and hope for the best, right? But I'd rather work together. Surely you can identify with people making decisions around you that directly affect you without your input or respect for your opinion?"

"Oooopps..."

A little too far? Maybe. But Vivica wasn't going to be strong armed when it came to this. The war between Hellfire and The Six had become bitterly personal, convoluted and downright confusing. The Birds of Prey had a right to try and protect themselves and their community at large from any fallout. And there was always fallout. Fallout that The Six had stopped caring about quite some time ago. And maybe after everything they'd been through, they'd earned that right. But they had people standing in front of them willing to fill in the gap, and to do the work they were no longer interested in or cared to do. That had to count for something. Vivica sat in silence, hoping that maybe somebody else from The Six would show up for this meeting and make a scene to take the heat off. The seconds felt like hours.
 
The Parthenon — Morgan’s penthouse

Morgan: “Of course I still have it. Even in my darkest days, I refuse to turn to bourbon.”

“Such a diva.”

Haleigh teased with a knowing smirk. As she waited for Morgan to pour, she took the time to think about how to respond. Haleigh was not known to be particularly sympathetic, but contrary to popular belief, she wasn’t actually a robot. She did feel things, she just happened to be especially skilled in stifling those feelings and moving past them.

She toasted to a legendary fucking spiral, and then carefully advised her sister that Morgan, herself, was the one who decided when her spiral would end. She observed her sister’s reaction and continued, sharing her assessment of Morgan’s expressed issues. Morgan actually listened, which indicated that losing her access to magick had truly shaken her. In a way, that was good. Morgan could come out the other side stronger and more adaptable if she took the opportunity to do so, and it seemed she wanted to.

Haleigh mentioned Nic and the simple solution to the situation Morgan was in with him, but she knew that was the smaller issue. The problem that really rattled Morgan was the fallout with Delilah, and there was no one on earth that understood better than Haleigh. She admitted that Delilah’s hatred hurt, and Morgan agreed wholeheartedly. Morgan articulated it better, as Haleigh slowly sipped at her whiskey, nodding occasionally.

Delilah had a way of making you believe you could be hero. Her approval was uplifting. However, it should have been glaringly obvious that they weren’t cut out for heroism. Morgan was the Demon Sorceress of Limbo and Haleigh was the genetically engineered Scion of Mystech. It may have been a painful fall from grace, but if they let go of trying to be good enough for Delilah’s approval, they could become effectively unstoppable.

“Delilah lives in a fantasy world of good and evil, heroes and villains, where everything is black and white and ethics are easy. But you and I, we see that reality is much more complex. Sometimes ethics are fucked, and we just have to do the best we can. Just because we didn’t become the heroes Delilah led us to believe we were, doesn’t make us the villains she thinks we are now. And Just because Delilah had us all wrong, doesn’t mean what everyone else says about us is right.”

She said, catching Morgan’s gaze. She had not expected Morgan to be so openly communicating with her, but she wasn’t about to let the opportunity to build on their relationship pass her by. She could see then that the window was closing. Morgan had downed her drink and was straightening herself up. She clearly wanted to move on from the topic, and discuss something less poignant. She apologized for dumping ‘all that’ on Haleigh and then thanked her.

“Eh, what are sisters for?”

Haleigh replied with a shrug, letting Morgan change the subject to the imminent crisis without objection. Morgan suggested she ‘stay’ with Nic for now, that without his telepathy she could fake it until they figured it out. Haleigh wouldn’t have put her up to it, but it was better if she didn’t break his heart right at this very moment. Haleigh reflected back on the LAST TIME Set had been an issue. Morgan had pulled away from Nic, and Haleigh had leaned in.

The other issue, with Delilah and Alexia in Limbo, was a matter Morgan also wanted to table for now. Unlike Delilah, Haleigh did actually trust Morgan to at least be acting in the best interest of others. She may not have agreed to stick Alexia in Limbo to begin with, but the girl was there now and was safe. Getting Alexia back to this realm was definitely a long term goal for Delilah’s sake, but right now was not a good time to make progress on it. Morgan allowed that Haleigh could tell Delilah if she needed to do so.

“Discretion is the better part of valor, in my opinion. If she doesn’t ask, I really have no reason to bring it up, and I’m pretty certain at this point she’d rather I die than have anything to say about Alexia.”

Morgan: I'm sure the hee haw squad has placed YOU in charge of the team, so...what do we do next, fearless leader?

There was a time Haleigh would’ve been all too pleased to have taken the helm and led the Six. But now, when they were all beaten down and broken, she hardly felt up to the task. The Six was all but defeated, so decimated by what she had done that they were almost unrecognizable. Even Haleigh felt like a shadow of her former self, a ghost trapped in her own reanimated corpse. But she took a deep breath, and accepted the difficult task of trying to put them all back together.

Malice: You should tell her the TRUTH.

Ugh, fuck me, I thought you were gone.

Haleigh thought, and her mother just laughed as she sauntered into the room. Haleigh drained her glass and looked at her sister, ignoring Diana to the best of her ability.

“Next I talk to Nic. I’m sure by now, Isis has had a chance to reach out to him. They should have come up with something to offer in the way of a defensive strategy. But first, I’d appreciate your input on the situation.”
 
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The Parthenon — Executive Board Room

There was some friction building between Delilah and Vivica. Zach’s eyebrows lifted and his gaze darted back and forth and he listened to them talking. He tried to smooth things over, supporting Viv’s concerns and explaining to Delilah that they saw this as an all-hands issue. He told her that Rae had already started helping, and asked for any insight Delilah could provide.

Delilah: “And so this friend of yours, Rae, goes in there and Malice gets a sniff of her - what’s to keep Rae from being Malice’s ticket back here?”

“Probably nothing, but I think I’d much prefer that outcome to Malice getting a hold on Nicolas.”

He replied frankly. It would be unfortunate for Rae, and he didn’t wish that on her, but comparatively it was a much more manageable situation. Delilah gave them a rather condescending pat on the head, calling Zizi a ‘good kid’ and making other such comments about how much training Delilah and Cameron had done for this. Then she asked just how the Birds planned to help.

Zach could feel Viv’s frustration rising as she answered the challenge. There were some pointed comments being made, and it seemed to Zach that they’d hit a wall when it came to cooperation. Delilah was clearly resistant to their offer of help. Zach didn’t take it personally, but he couldn’t help being a little disappointed.

“Delilah, I have a lot of respect for you, and I appreciate that you’re just trying to protect us from the danger here. However, we’re not just going to go back to the Clocktower and sit on our hands while the potential apocalypse is upon us, no matter what you say. We helped you take down Hellfire, and we’ll help you take down Set.”

He said, his expression calm but determined. He slowly rose from his chair, turning more toward Viv.

“I don’t think we’ll make any more progress here, shall we just go? We can stop by Clandestine and pull the dossiers on Malice, Nic, and Set. That should give us some intel to work with.”

He suggested, before looking back at Delilah.

“It was nice to see you again Delilah. If you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to call. You have more friends than you realize.”
 
The Parthenon

Delilah didn't know another way to say again that the Six had this covered. But still Vivica kept asking, and asking, and asking. She expressed misgivings that Cameron could actually do what he had planned. Delilah suggested maybe Vivica didn't know Cameron as well as she thought.

Vivica: "Delilah? Respectfully fuck off with that."

Delilah raised one eyebrow.

"Charming, as always."

She cleared her throat.

"Look, you've been estranged from Cameron for a long time now. He's not the same person he was when he first joined the Six. He's grown - both in his abilities and as a person. He's not the same boy you grew up with. He's not the fuck up Alison puts him up to be."

She leaned forward, softening.

"But it's not too late. Cameron wants to make things right with you, Vivica. Let him prove himself now, and give him another chance. Give him some faith."

She reiterated that the Six was handling this. It was taken care of. They didn't need to worry.

Vivica: "Like you handled Hellfire?"

"How many queens did you send to the next life? Cameron's plan worked. Like clockwork. Malice was the only objective."

Well, for Delilah. Cameron might have disagreed and added Haleigh and Ava into the mix, but they were just extras as far as Delilah was concerned. Though getting them out just so they could walk right back in...Cameron needn't have bothered.

Zach told them about their friend, who had involved herself in this, without even consulting Delilah first, which to be honest pissed Delilah off a little. They were messing with Cameron, and she didn't like it one bit. What if their little psychic fucked something up? Distracted Cameron from his objective? All they needed was him to sacrifice himself to save this interloper. Delilah questioned what would stop Diana from hitching a ride with this friend of theirs?

Zach: “Probably nothing, but I think I’d much prefer that outcome to Malice getting a hold on Nicolas.”

"Strength is overrated. Or haven't you heard? Nicolas is apparently no longer a telepath."

Delilah quickly ran through the permutations: Isis' wards, Nicolas' training, Cameron's body ready for his return, he and Isis pulling Diana out of Nicolas by force. Delilah asked just how they expected to help with that.

Vivica: "In whatever way we can, Delilah. And please understand, I've never been under the impression that this team answers to me or bares any responsibility for my comfort. Hellfire is a problem for ALL of us. The Sisterhood is a problem for ALL of us. So maybe fucking find some way for us to help instead of continuing to act like we are trying to meddle and be some great value version of The Six. Ya'll stopped trying to be heroes years ago, trust me, nobody is trying to copy your prototype. Elizabeth isn't a kid. She's a very intelligent and strong woman who doesn't need to be infantilized because she has values that are stronger than the shit she's been through."

"I'm not going to make up busy work for your team. If we need you, we'll call you. I can't say it another way: right now, it's handled. Assuming your little psychic stunt hasn't ruined everything."

Vivica: "We aren't going to stop working on this, because it affects people we love and the community around us. We arranged this meeting as a courtesy. You don't want to discuss it any further? Fine. We can work on it from our end and hope for the best, right? But I'd rather work together. Surely you can identify with people making decisions around you that directly affect you without your input or respect for your opinion?"

Delilah nodded slowly.

"You arranged a meeting while you continued with your own plan without trying to find out if it would fuck everything we were working for?"

Sounded like their team's MO alright.

"I didn't think hurting people to get your own way was the way you did things, Vivica. Maybe you are more like the Six than I thought."

Zach: “Delilah, I have a lot of respect for you, and I appreciate that you’re just trying to protect us from the danger here. However, we’re not just going to go back to the Clocktower and sit on our hands while the potential apocalypse is upon us, no matter what you say. We helped you take down Hellfire, and we’ll help you take down Set.”

Zach got up, so she did too.

Zach: “I don’t think we’ll make any more progress here, shall we just go? We can stop by Clandestine and pull the dossiers on Malice, Nic, and Set. That should give us some intel to work with. It was nice to see you again Delilah. If you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to call. You have more friends than you realize.”

Delilah's eyes closed for a moment. How wrong Zach was. There was no one she could trust. That had all been frittered away in the downward spiral that was the Six. The people that had come together, despite their differences, to save the world countless times. And now, it seemed like they could only get further and further apart. Zach was a good man. And Vivica, a good woman. It's not that she didn't know that. She just wanted people to stop getting hurt. She needed to be able to keep people safe. She needed an end to this chaos. She needed order. She needed everything to be okay. Because if it wasn't, she didn't have any hope that it could be fixed.

"Wait."

Delilah sighed. Vivica was right about one thing: this is exactly what Morgan would do.

"Haleigh is going to meet with Nicolas. If anything of use comes out of it, I'll let you know. And if the Six makes any new plans, I'll give you a call. But in return you need to tell us before you do anything major. Okay?"
 
The Further

The Further was a horrifying place, but he had no choice but to return. It was a place on the border of The Other Side and The Astral Plane, a place where all the dark horrors of the world could live, thrive or be tortured for all eternity. It was essentially it's own Limbo, and it's only goal was to gain more residents, to draw them so deep into it's darkness that they became lost, or worse, became a host for something stronger to come through. It often was shaped by one's own fears, though was mostly encased by absolute darkness, mist and the ever so often flickering flourescent light. It was a place he had once known well, a place that marked some of his deepest pain and trauma, though he didn't know that for most of his life. Until Erika died. It took years before his memories had fully returned to him, but when they did, he chose to keep them to himself. So much of his life had been on display for the others around him to either mock or sympathize with. But this was too personal. This wasn't for others to know.

Female Voice: << dissonant >> "Oh WHY won't you just STOP CRYING!?!"

<< CRASH! >>

He heard a familiar voice and crash coming from upstairs as flickers of floursecent lights flashed in the bulbs on the various light fixtures around him. He swallowed hard but kept his composure. This was just another memory, another reminder of how he had torn his family apart. For a moment he lost himself in the memory, in all of the memories stolen from him by his sister.

For most of his life, he couldn't remember his childhood. It was if there was a wall between him and his memories. He would later find out that this had been the work of Erika, in a spell she had cast out of desperation to protect the three of them (Alison, Cameron, Erika) from their mother, should she ever return. But when she died at the hands of Ororo in Greece, something shifted in him. He began to remember. He wasn't a baby when Erika had killed their mother. He was eight years old. She was twelve. Alison, though long gone from their family at that point was sixteen. Eight years had been taken from him, and when he began to remember, he understood why. Cameron was a fussy baby. More so than most. For the first year of his life, neither him or his mother slept because of his night terrors. It turned out, whenever he went to sleep, he would come here, to The Further. Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw demons, he saw spirits and ghosts talking to him. For as long as he had memories, he knew he was a traveller. His mother was a lunatic in her own right, but she wasn't always the woman she would be painted to be later on. He could remember her warmth, her desperation to fix him. He could remember how many nights she cradled him in her arms as he screamed through his sleep. But more than that, he remembered the toll it took on her, and the rest of his family. Kelly became obsessed, moving them to Los Angeles in the hopes that the fresh air and open spaces of the hills might cure him, but it didn't...and at some point it drove Kelly to absolute madness, and more specifically violence. His father was almost never home, and it fell to Alison to take the brunt of the abuse in order to keep it off Erika and himself. Kelly thought he was a punishment for her wicked ways. That to have a boy was to betray the bloodline of Hecate. She convinced herself that he was an abomination, and eventually she treated him as such. And when the memories of the ways she had abused him came back, he was almost grateful that Erika had taken them from him for so long. Still, he couldn't help but feel responsible.

Barbas: "Oh don't feel bad my boy, after all, it brought you to me now didn't it?"

Cameron snapped back into whatever reality was here to see an ancient and decrepit Barbas sitting on evening chair across from him. He had found Barbas in one of his "travels" as a boy, and was pretty much responsible for the demon's ties to the mortal realm for quite some time. Had Alison not saved Cameron from Barbas' clutches so many years ago, he would have been made flesh, using Cameron's body as his vessel. But now, after all the magick warped against him, he was nothing but a whispering shell, left to live forever in this place. Prophet flexed with his power, dissipating the form of Barbas in front of him with ease.

"Keep your head clear, King."

He had a mission. And that was to kill Diana, once and for all. Somewhere along the way, it had become his life's mission. She had perverted everything in his life. Even now, wanting to blame himself for the destruction of his family, he couldn't be sure that it wasn't her voice in his mother's ear that caused her to want to her harm her son. She had always had it out for him, always made him her victim. If not for Erika's spell, he was sure she would have killed him sooner. In fact he knew she would have, because once Erika became known to The Six, Malice wasted no time in corrupting her to capture and kill him. For years, Cameron wondered why, but now, he knew. He was the only one that could destroy her. The only one who's specific power could match her. He was a threat to her from birth, and he was ready to end this never ending game between them. She was not just his nemesis, but also the mother of the woman he loved more than life itself. And when she finally sunk her teeth into Haleigh, Cameron reached the point of no return. He wouldn't let her destroy Haleigh, and he was crazy enough to do something just like this in order to keep her from her daughter forever. He stood from the couch, focusing his psychic energies as the living room around him warped away, leaving only darkness. For a few moments he stood there silent until he perceived a bright and sparkling, almost ethereal energy approaching him from a distance. His steely gaze met hers as he extended a hand of salutations.

"Thank you for coming, Rae."
 
Clara Oswald
Clara Oswald
Great post!
The Further

"God I hate this fucking place..."


The Further used to terrify her as a little girl, back in her pig tail wearing preacher's daughter days in Abbeville, Louisiana. Of course the fact that her father was sure she was possessed by demons and used to beat her within an inch of her life on a regular basis to dispell them didn't help matters. It wasn't until she burned that church to the ground and set out on her own that she learned what she had been called to do - help the helpless. So it was a bit ironic she found herself now trying to help a group of people who were far from helpless, but work was work, and the stakes were high. Her astral form flew through The Further with ease, a testament to her control and power as she began to hone in on Cameron's energy, which wasn't hard - his power shone like a beacon in this place.

Rae was trying to put the pieces together. It made sense for him to be here, because it was likely that Set was here as well. If The White Queen wanted to get to him, she'd have to go here as well. The fact that Cameron was a traveller gave him the upper hand. Telepathy and psionic power didn't work the same way here, and even psionics of the highest order found The Further difficult to navigate. It would be easier for him to absorb her here, or even dissipate her completely, but it would not be easy, and the longer he spent away from his body, the harder it would be for him to return, which was likely why he was calling her - for an assist. But something about Cameron's energy here had her worried, and the amount of power he would have to wield here would come at a cost she wasn't sure he knew he would have to pay. Still, if destroying Diana meant that Set would not be unleashed, then bills would have to be paid, one way or another.

As she began to feel him in her general area, a chill of cold crept down her proverbial spine. This part of The Further seemed to...belong to him. Travellers had been known to be able to manipulate parts of The Further to their whim, ones who knew how to control their gifts, but she could sense that this "creation" was not intentional, it was a place created by way of magick. Her mind began to see swirling silver water, a sister, weaving magick, locking these memories away. She did it to protect him. She found herself on an empty street - with no other houses but one. This was Cameron's childhood home, and the pain she felt emanating from even outside it's ephereal walls was enough to shake her, but she continued on.

Gliding down the sidewalk and up the front steps, she moved through the door until her eyes locked on his and a swell of empathy washed over her.

Cameron: 'Thank You for coming, Rae."

"Yeah well, turns out this old bird isn't quite ready for the world to end. Didn't feel like I had a choice."

She took a seat next to him, his energy was thrilling to experience. So much power here, so much life force, it was a bit unsettling. This was the first time she was meeting Cameron and the circumstances were more than a bit odd. Still, she kept her composure.

"I can see why they want to rescue you, kid. You're fucking hot. AND you can read minds? My kind of guy...but I take it you didn't call me for some kind of supernatural booty call (fingers crossed) so...why did you call me here? Especially here of all places?

She sent a whisper that would be heard from where Ashley was at the border.

"I've made contact."
 
The Further Continues....

<< Oracle and Valkyrie had just survived their first taste of The Further with smashing success, but their mere presence in this realm, their very souls were like beacons to the beasts that lived here. They would not stop coming for them, and while Valkyrie stood guard, it was not long before their peace would be disturbed once more. >>

<< RRRRAAAAAWWWWWRRRR! >>

<< From seemingly NOWHERE, Ashley was punched in the side of the face, knocking her off her feet and catapulting her a good few yards away as she found herself face to face with a Pride Demon. These were some of the strongest demons that lived in The Further. Monstrous in size and strength, with a penchant for cruel irony that is almost human. Most demons engaged in bribery of mortals, while Pride Demons used mortal's own best nature against them. Clever men outwit themselves, strong men would crush themselves. Humble men forget themselves. Jealous men fear themselves. They turn corruption and ruin into an art, and with a vessel like Valkyrie, would bring untold destruction onto Earth. >>

Pride Demon: "This one's pride....so intoxicating....must have you...must CONSUME you....."

<< The Pride Demon took off with great speed, getting ready to make a full on charge towards Valkyrie, who would need more than just a well timed move with a sword to take him out. >>

<< Meanwhile... >>

"So much violence....wouldn't it be nice if you could just relax....?"

<< Oracle could hear a voice in her ears as she couldn't help but feel quite a bit...drowsy. In front of her appeared a Sloth Demon. These were demons who liked to trick their victims into relaxing or sleeping, or even just being lazy which allowed them to feed on their energy. They were also able to shapeshift and ben the surrounding environment to their will. >>

Sloth Demon: "A nap would do you so well....Elizabeth. Give you time to process the horrors you've just encountered....I can watch over you..."

<< It would take everything in her to keep her eyes open, but as long as she could, she would be safe. Sloth demons weren't particularly strong, and could be easily killed by surges of energy. >>

Sloth Demon: "I can even provide you a bed....."

<< The scenery shifted around Oracle as she found herself suddenly in yet another bed, this one - the most comfortable she had ever been in. So soft, so relaxing...safe even. >>

<< As Rae makes contact with Cameron, our Birds of Prey face their next set of demons, hell bent on claiming their very souls. And so we watch! >>
 
Egypt - Outside Cairo

"Danger....in the shape of something wild."

Talisman was feeling on top of the world as she gripped a glass of 2013 Armand de Brignac, her black adamantium nails tapping the glass as she took a long sip while the music played on the speakers around her. The power she had absorbed from Hazel Hawthorne was a far greater high than any champagne, but Dr. Shaw had decided that after such a brilliant victory, she deserved a few bubbles. From inside the safety of her Body Shoppe (TM), she danced around for a bit to the music in a black full length mink fur coat. She may have not currently been The Black Queen of Hellfire, but she found that she couldn't shake the color - it suited her.

"Stranger...dressed in black, she's a hungry child...."

Kelly had been thriving in this time of uncertainty. While Hellfire had given her status, when shit hit the proverbial fan, she realized something that she had forgotten about herself - she was a force of nature in her own right, and without the puppet strings glued to her hands at Hellfire, she found herself building something big. She no longer answered to others, and what's more, she was finally able to work, on something besides the damn Techno Organic Virus. She was still keeping tabs on the others via her Omni Sight, watching with perverse satisfaction as Haleigh and Ava "took" Hellfire over, Morgan spiralled out of control with surprising speed, and her son's body was being kept alive in some kind of stasis tube in The Parthenon.

"No one knows who she is...or what her name is...."

She took another sip of champagne as she recalled Haleigh and Zach trying to decide some kind of custody agreement for "Jake". She caught her reflection in the mirror for a moment and smirked, mocking the situation.

"Oh little Jakey...If I want you, I'll have you. It doesn't matter where you rest your sweet little head."

Talisman laughed. Honestly, attempting to capture Jake was more trouble than it was worth, and seeing as she had recently acquired a number of children mutant subjects overseas, despite Domino and her "Marauders" attempts at thwarting her, he wasn't even needed. If she decided to take Jake, it would be because she felt like being a bitch. Which wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

"I don't know where she came from, or what her game is....."

"Hot Child in The City!"

Kelly sang along to the words, setting her glass down and taking a few more moments to admire her own reflection in the mirror. Absorbing Hazel's essence had caused her to look...younger, and she ignored how much she liked it.

Chameleon: "Base Ops to Talisman...I'm surprised you don't want to be here to break ground on such a momentous occassion..."

The music stopped for a moment as Camille Rowe's voice filled the speakers letting her know that they were about to break ground on a dig site Kelly was more than ready to explore.

"My Sweet Camille...."

One of the best decisions Kelly Shaw had made was remaking Chameleon into the woman she was now. She may not have been suited to be Queen of Hellfire, but she was one of Talisman's most precious and effective agents. Camille had came to Kelly a disfigured mess looking for purpose, and after Kelly had cracked her open in The Body Shoppe, she found some rather promising information - Camille had a secondary mutation, one that would put her at omega level status. At first she thought it was just an enhanced healing ability, but after a few rounds of testing, Talisman found that Camille was capable of regenerating herself from something as small as a drop of her own blood. She didn't tell Camille this of course, instead she used it to her advantage. She now how a soldier with undying loyalty who couldn't really die. And she was more than proving her worth. She allowed Camille to live in relative obscurity in Monaco, and she never said no. It was a beautiful partnership.

"Music off."

The music of Nick Gilder faded as Kelly glamoured herself into something a bit more appropriate for the setting, appearing before Camille with a sadistic smile.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Chameleon."

Chameleon: "Thank God, the natives have been restless. I've done my best to keep them motivated, but....none of us are exactly sure what we are actually looking for in these ruins...especially on such short notice. Care to illuminate us, Kelly? Or are we playing our cards as close to our chest as ever?"

Dr. Shaw appeared and smirked at Camille, pouring herself a glass of albeit lesser quality champagne before taking a seat in one of the canvas chairs that decorated the luxurious tent setups Camille had constructed. Whatever failures she had as White Queen she more than made up for in aesthetic. This was a most luxurious tent.

"Oh Camille, my sweet girl. Have a seat. We're going to kill two birds with one stone soon, and we're going to use my son to do it. Let me explain..."

Taking a sip, she sat her flute down next to her, exhaling deeply for a moment.

"From the moment I met Dominique Devereaux I've been searching for ways to destroy her. A woman with that kind of power, the blessing of a [mockingly] "goddess" who only allied with Hellfire when it suited her never sat right with me. I was never part of any truce, nor was I under the illusion that any "sisterhood" loyalty ever truly applied to me. As you know...I'm an anthropologist by nature, so I did what any scholar would do...my research. And google searches on 'how to kill a goddess' led to miniscule results."

Kelly warmed her hands on the fire pit that sat between the two women, her gaze transfixed on the flame as she spoke.

"I began to research Egyptian mythology and lore...with an emphasis on the cult of Isis. Who she was, what she did, any artifacts of power she might have left behind. Truly...anything I could find that might destroy her - and then I found it....The Knife of Isis...."

She snapped her fingers as she used her ability as a technomancer to display a holographic image of the artifact in front of them, hovering just above the fire.

"I know, it should have a cooler name, but I digress. However, in ancient Egypt, the knife was not only a practical tool and weapon, it was also a magickal tool. Knives appear frequently in representations of the Egyptian Otherworld. They were used in the slaying of enemies and of the deceased...supposedly smooth the passage through the land of the dead. Some magickal rites even called for a protective circle of knives to be erected for the working. In short - they were like magickal currency..."

[leaning back in her chair]

"When we dig deeper, we find that harmful beings, such as Ra's great enemy, the giant serpent Apophis, and SET, the enemy of Isis and Horus, are often shown stabbed repeatedly with magickal knives to subue and render them harmless. Even the heiroglyphs of Set's name were sometimes shown stabbed with knives. In some of these scenes, rows of bound and decapitated enemies of Horus are guarded by knife-wielding Goddesses and Gods. In Egyptian thought, knives have both solar and lunar symbolism. The twin sycamore fig trees between which the Sun God Ra rose from each day were sometimes called the Two Knives, and the crescent moon was considered to be a knife wielded by the God of the Moon, Thoth."

She could sense Camille's eyes glazing over but she continued. She was trying to build a scene here.

"Upon examination of The Book of The Dead, it's clear that Isis owns a sacred knife that the deceased know by name in the otherworld. It is the knife that Isis cut the birth cord of Horus with. Her knife offers magickal protection and defense, as evidenced by how she wields it to protect the Sun God during his other world journey. She gave this knife to Horus, her son, following the death of his father, Osiris, and in doing so, transferred power she once held to him...."

[smirking]

"Which means, this blade can be used to kill not just Set, but her as well. I have made it clear I wish to be Sorceress Supreme of Earth, and Isis stands in the way of that. Meanwhile, as we speak, my would be son is engaged in battle with Malice, someone I do not wish to ever see return to this timeline. We find this knife, spin a story of how it must be used to Cameron, and watch as he destroys not just Diana, but Set and Isis as well. I absorb her power, and we move forward with our plans for world domination. Sound good?"

Camille: "You make it sound so easy."

"It is easy, Camille. My omni sight shows me that nobody is taking any of this as a legitimate threat. Dominique has her guard down. Malice is desperate, and my dear boy is blinded by his desire to destroy Diana. It's a perfect storm really, all we need to do is get the right pieces of the puzzle into the right hands..."

She closed her fist, dissipating the hologram of the knife in front of them.

"Certainly more exciting than a night at Monte Carlo, isn't it?"

Camille: "You never cease to suprise me, my liege. Are you ready to excavate?"

"I was born ready, Camille. Let us begin."
 
The Parthenon - Conference Room

Delilah: "Charming, as always. Look, you've been estranged from Cameron for a long time now. He's not the same person he was when he first joined The Six. He's grown - both in his abilities and as a person. He's not the same boy you grew up with. He's not the fuck up Alison puts him up to be."

She wanted a clean and deadly uppercut to Delilah's chin in this moment, but she restrained herself. Cameron was good at finding people to support him and fight his battles. People who were just as broken as him willingly lining up to be his punching bag because he had shown them a modicum of good will over the years. She knew it was petty of her. She knew how good of a friend he had been to Delilah, but she couldn't in this moment find the strength to respect it. Cameron was a mess. He had been a mess for years, and he had a bravado that was only ever nurtured by people around him refusing to see what was right in front of them. He was a user. He was always the victim in his story, despite what he said. And it appeared that Delilah would learn the hard way what it meant to love Cameron King as deeply as she once had.

Delilah: "But it's not too late. Cameron wants to make things right with you, Vivica. Let him prove himself now, and give him another chance. Give him some faith."

"I've had a lifetime of Cameron making things right with me, Delilah. Faith is a fool's game when it comes to him. I'll buy you a drink when he burns you like he has every other good thing in his life."

Vivica was seething with a quiet rage that Zach was desperately trying to calm with his power. Vivica's mother had raised Cameron. He was a part of her family. He would have died without them. When her mother died, she had begged them to look out for each other. To support each other. And he had turned away from them at the very WHISPER of the fact that his family was still alive. Delilah didn't know shit. Cameron loved Delilah now, but it wouldn't take long for him betray her like he had Vivica. Especially not with Haleigh acting as a lightower maiden, awaiting his return. God she HATED how much she still cared about him. and she HATED how much of a reaction she was giving. But she couldn't stop herself. She needled into Delilah about how The Six had handled the Battle at Hellfire.

Delilah: "How many queens did you send to the next life? Cameron's plan worked. Like clockwork. Malice was the only objective."

Recall scoffed.

"The Birds destroyed The Black Court and torched the mansion. And Citadel made sure that your little light show didn't destroy half the city along with it. Our team can't afford to be so laser focused as to view Diana as the only objective. Hellfire is a CANCER on the world. Every limb is worth chopping off."

Thankfully Zach stepped in as talk shifted back to Rae and Delilah's obvious irritation at their meddling. She questioned what would stop Delilah from hitching a ride back from the other side with Rae.

Zach: “Probably nothing, but I think I’d much prefer that outcome to Malice getting a hold on Nicolas.”

Delilah: "Strength is overrated. Or haven't you heard? Nicolas is apparently no longer a telepath."

"Yeah but Diana IS, and Nicholas has a body well adapted to great feats of telepathy. It doesn't matter if he is a VEGETABLE at this point. She takes him over, she WINS."

She pleaded with Delilah to let them help, but it appeared to fall on deaf ears.

Delilah: "I'm not going to make up busy work for your team. If we need you, we'll call you. I can't say it another way: right now, it's handled. Assuming your little psychic stunt hasn't ruined everything."

Vivica rolled her eyes.

“We aren't going to stop working on this, because it affects people we love and the community around us. We arranged this meeting as a courtesy. You don't want to discuss it any further? Fine. We can work on it from our end and hope for the best, right? But I'd rather work together. Surely you can identify with people making decisions around you that directly affect you without your input or respect for your opinion?"


Delilah: "You arranged a meeting while you continued with your own plan without trying to find out if it would fuck with everything we were working for?"

"Well, excuse me, Delilah, from the way you talk I assumed you and Cameron accounted for everything. Surely our little psychic can't sink the unsinkable right?"

Delilah: "I didn't think hurting people to get your own way was the way you did things, Vivica. Maybe you are more like the Six than I thought."

"And I didn't think making unilateral decisions with your head firmly up your own ass was the way you did things, Delilah. Clearly we don't each other that well. And clearly you underestimate just how much like them you are yourself."

Thankfully, Zach intervened yet again.

Zach: "Delilah, I have a lot of respect for you, and I appreciate that you're just trying to protect us from the danger here. However, we're not just going to go back to the Clocktower and sit on our hands while the potential apocalypse is upon us, no matter what you say. We helped you take down Hellfire, and we'll help you take down Set."

She was so grateful to have him by her side. He wasn't dressing her down in front of Delilah. He was supportive, but he also wasn't making any digs at Delilah, something Vivica wish she could take back herself. She didn't want to be a bitch, she was just sick of the attitude that The Birds of Prey were second tier, that they couldn't possibly help, that they somehow didn't understand what it meant to be a member of The Six. She was standing in front of Zach Armani and Vivica Lennox, the two people who knew, more than any other outsider, what it meant to be a member of The Six. It was insulting.

Zach: “I don’t think we’ll make any more progress here, shall we just go? We can stop by Clandestine and pull the dossiers on Malice, Nic, and Set. That should give us some intel to work with. It was nice to see you again Delilah. If you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to call. You have more friends than you realize.”

Delilah: "Wait. Haleigh is going to meet with Nicolas. If anything of use comes out of it, I'll let you know. And if the Six makes any new plans, I'll give you a call. But in return you need to tell us before you do anything major. Okay?"

"That's all we ask...."

[sighing]

"Look, I hate being a bitch to you, Delilah. I really, really do. I wish I was a bit more at peace with things...but I'm not. I'm scared about Cameron. I'm scared about Set...and I'm scared for my team. I love them. I want to protect them...and it's hard for me to not be in charge of things. I promise, we don't want to step on your toes, we just want to help. That's all."
 
The Parthenon - Morgan's Penthouse

<< It felt...good to talk to Haleigh like this. It was different. For a long time, Blaze and her mother Karen had been her confidants. But they had only ever reacted in the way that Morgan had groomed them to react. They wre echo chambers. Haleigh wasn't. She was being vulnerable and honest, and despite the fact that she was drunk as a skunk, Haleigh seemed to be able to understand where she was coming from. She didn't want to ruin a good thing, so she tried to switch gears. And Haleigh let her, which only made Morgan want to share more. Until they spoke of Delilah. Thankfully, Haleigh was the only other person on the planet who could empathize with her in regards to their once best friend. >>

Haleigh: “Delilah lives in a fantasy world of good and evil, heroes and villains, where everything is black and white and ethics are easy. But you and I, we see that reality is much more complex. Sometimes ethics are fucked, and we just have to do the best we can. Just because we didn’t become the heroes Delilah led us to believe we were, doesn’t make us the villains she thinks we are now. And Just because Delilah had us all wrong, doesn’t mean what everyone else says about us is right.”

<< Haleigh was right. For as much as Morgan wanted to mend thing with Delilah, she couldn't truly apologize for what she had done and mean it. Because she wasn't sorry. Delilah had been unstable. For a long time. And maybe Morgan should have been a better friend and read the signs, but it didn't change the fact that Delilah had attempted suicide after the birth of her daughter, a daughter who had almost killed her because of her power. A daughter born into a world where half of The Hellfire Club would have attempted to steal her for research. Delilah wasn't a healthy person, and she hadn't been for quite some time. Morgan wanted to blame this largely on Bishop, but she couldn't. It was a culmination of experiences. Morgan thought she was going to lose both Delilah and Alexia, so she made a snap decision in a desperate effort to save them both. After Cameron spent months bathing her and brushing her hair, Delilah finally found the courage to tell Morgan just how wrong and awful she was, and Morgan took it for as long as she could. But it didn't change reality. Morgan had saved Delilah's daughter from the pain it would have caused her to know that she had killed her mother at her birth, and saved Delilah the pain of having a daughter that she could not hold or comfort. Whatever Delilah wanted to feel at this point, was just not of importance to Morgan, because Morgan no longer respected Delilah's judgment. And Delillah's judgment hurt. ALOT. Spellbinder desperately wanted to change the subject and thankfully, Haleigh acquiesed. >>

Haleigh: "Eh, what are sisters for?"

<< It was still so surreal. It was such a small sentence but it carried so much weight. Haleigh was her sister. This woman, whom she had found herself at odds with so many times over the years was genetically linked to her. Morgan was a self proclaimed ice queen, but she had a soft spot for family. She always had. Still, to have this interaction with Haleigh was so...confusing. >>

Haleigh: “Next I talk to Nic. I’m sure by now, Isis has had a chance to reach out to him. They should have come up with something to offer in the way of a defensive strategy. But first, I’d appreciate your input on the situation.”

<< Spellbinder exhaled deeply. In her mind, it was very simple. In her heart, it was another story altogether. For many years, Morgan had led The Six into battle, always taking the losses. Always fighting a battle she couldn't win. Always making the hard decisions. But Haleigh had responded to her vulnerability, and if there was anybody she felt she could be honest with in this moment, it would be her. So she was. >>

"I don't say this lightly, Haleigh, but until we know just how well poised Cameron is in his quest to kill your mother? Our best option is...to kill Nicolas."

<< Exhaling, she took a long gulp of her wine, finishing the glass before promptly filling it again. >>

"Just because he isn't currently a telepath doesn't mean that if she takes over his body, she won't have access to her own power. And in his body, she'll be a telepath and a demigod. He's a better option than Cameron. He's more durable. He's strong. She gets all his power mixed with hers. His axe. Everything."

<< She took a seat adjacent to her bar, settling down in a huff. >>

"While I never accounted for this scenario, I did take into account a number of scenarios where Malice possessed Cameron. You don't torture someone like she did him without reason. A few years into us constituting The Six, I came up with some exit strategies."

<< Morgan had always been hard on Cameron. To be honest, she never really wanted to like him. He was an asshole. He was pompous. And he took up her space. Alison was like a sister to her, and when he finally started to show signs of humanity, of not being a miserable fuck up of a man, she could feel Alison lean in. She was a bitch to him because she didn't want him to hurt Alison. But she never doubted his power. He was a telepath of the highest order, she had seen him do things that seemed impossible, like when she watched him take control of a space satellite poised to infect the world with the Techno Organic Virus at Jessica Marcus' hands, without ever physically seeing it. Morgan knew that one day, Diana would seek him out. Would try and claim him as her own. >>

"I can say this to you because I've already been more vulnerable than anything written record contains about me, but I've never fully trusted Dominique. She's spun stories about how her and Persephone and Hecate were friends but I never really believed it. I mean, I helped her defeat Set the first time, and she leaned hard into her allegiance to The Sisterhood. Tragic backstory aside, Isis has a duty, and we all saw that her duty was in part to give compassion to Set. That's not a sentiment I share with her."

<< Flatly. >>

"I'm worried that she won't see the forest for the trees. That she will wait until it's too late to end her nephew's life. I worry about my own judgment here. For as far away from him as I feel right now, Nicolas loves me. He's been then for me. He's built me up when I felt so small...the idea of killing him? It guts me. But my intuition tells me it's the right way. Even without my magick. It feels...right."

<< Morgan downed yet another glass of wine as she sat the glass on the end table next to her. >>

"I know myself..I won't be able to do it...and the rest of them [the six] will try to rationalize themselves out it. But if Cameron loses track of Diana...Nicolas has to die, and it's gonna fall on you to do it. This is one of those the ethics suck kind of situations.”
 
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The Parthenon — Morgan’s penthouse

Haleigh laid out her next tactical moves, doing her best to ignore the fact that her mother was strolling through Morgan’s living room. She was also attempting to ignore the ‘truth’ her mother insisted she share. Eventually she’d have to face it, but she didn’t think it’d help to talk about it. Morgan was questioning how well poised Cameron was to kill Diana.

Malice: He’s basically DEAD himself at this point, so Not well AT ALL.

Morgan: “Our best option is… to kill Nicolas.”

Malice: You Did NOT anticipate THAT.

Her mother said, in the silence of Haleigh’s blank expression. No, she hadn’t expected Morgan to suggest killing Nicolas as a solution. Haleigh didn’t interrupt, allowing Morgan to continue.

Malice: You’re just going to let her think she needs to talk you into this?

You know who DOESN’T need to talk, mother? YOU.

Haleigh thought bitterly as Morgan talked about contingencies she developed for Cameron, and then she spoke of not fully trusting Isis. She also admitted that killing Nicolas would be a problem for her. So while Morgan believed that if—

Malice: WHEN.

—Cameron lost track of Diana, Nicolas would have to die, she was expecting Haleigh to be the one to actually kill him. Diana came and made a show of sitting down next to Haleigh, who took a deep breath, and nodded solemnly.

“I understand. As always, I’ll do whatever is necessary, even if I don’t like it.”

Malice: Sly. Are you sure you don’t want to tell her? It could interest her to know that when you get confirmation that Cameron is truly lost, you will be too. You’re half detached already.

And? Haleigh thought back as she poured herself some more bourbon, and then opened a new bottle of wine for Morgan and refilled her glass.

Malice: It might significantly impact her strategy if she realizes you’re preparing yourself to kill ANY of them, even ALL of them, just to stop ME, just to avenge your fallen would-be lover. MOST important of all, it was Kelly who convinced you of the ETHICS of murdering them all. Go on, TELL HER.

“Morgan, do you think using the Soul Sword will also eliminate Set?”

She asked, as her mother scoffed.

Malice: You don’t care if it will. You’ll unleash Set and watch the world descend into chaos and destruction, if it will even slow ME down.

“Where IS the sword now? I can pull it from wherever, but I need to mentally mark the storage coordinates. I will probably strike without much prelude, for the best chance of success. Do you think you can handle Mike and your Mother? They will be the most upset. I don’t want to have to fight them too. Isis will be my primary concern afterward.”
 
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The Parthenon - Morgan's Penthouse

Haleigh: "I understand. As always, I'll do whatever is necessary, even if I don't like it."

<< Morgan smirked from her glass. >>

"It feels good to have somebody else say that."

<< Spellbinder spoke of her true feelings about the situation. When she was Sorceress Supreme, she had to tow a delicate line with other witches, though nobody would ever accuse her of being delicate. She had power. There was a certain reverance she received with the mantle. She had to ally herself with those who might threaten to take that power away from her. Now she didn't have that burden and ironically, all it took was a bullet from the chamber of Talisman's Omni Pistol to do the job. She grimaced silently to herself, still not over the embarrassment. She had cut off Diana's head, she had traveled through time and space and lived to tell the tale. If she was going to lose her power, her mantle, she had expected a bit more drama, a bit higher stakes, not some cowardly bitch striking from the shadows with a fucking PISTOL. >>

"I'll lay that BITCH out soon enough!!"

<< But first things first. >>

Haleigh: "Morgan, do you think using the Soul Sword will also eliminate Set?"

<< She found herself lost in thought for a moment. So much of her connection to Limbo had been unknown by her. It was as if she had always had a connection to the place, and her study of magick allowed her the power to truly take hold of it. But she hadn't won Limbo in battle or war, it was as if it was just waiting for her to claim. Her counterparts, Darkchilde and Magik, both seemed to have gone through eons of torture in the dimension before fighting back against the forces that once ruled it. Even her Soul Sword felt unearned at times. By the time she was a teenager, it just suddenly manifested. It was hers beyond doubt. It was the energy of her life force, bathed in eldritch energy, but she never remembered....creating it. Lately, she had been having dreams of Limbo, of being there as a child, which she did not remember. She had enough anxiety these days so she didn't want to dig even deeper into her trauma, so she was ignoring it for the time being. >>

"The Soul Sword can be used as a physical weapon, but it's main use is to DISRUPT magickal spells and beings. So..objectively, it should be able to kill them both -"

<< Morgan's stomach turned as she found her mind going to a dark place. Theoretically, stabbing Nicolas with the Soul Sword might end up being enough to sever his connection with Set completely, but Morgan didn't have the magick to make sure, and it was only HER power that could unlock that kind of control with it. If she still had her magick, she might be able to save him...but she didn't. And through her drunken haze, she was coming to terms with how easily she had suggested taking out a man who had adored her. Maybe Delilah WAS right about her?! >>

Haleigh: “Where IS the sword now? I can pull it from wherever, but I need to mentally mark the storage coordinates. I will probably strike without much prelude, for the best chance of success."

<< ZARK! >>

<< Her right hand flickered, and began to manifest the sparkling eldritch armor that was her signature as The Soul Sword appeared in her hand, still giant in size and powerful. It had been the first time she had called for it in months, and secretly, she was worried she might not be able to. To feel it's power in her hands, it gave her a degree of comfort she hadn't felt in quite some time. >>

"It can be anywhere I need it to be, though it rests in Limbo, in my tower. Despite not having my magick, it still belongs to me...apparently. And since I don't have to go there to get it, when the time is right, call for it and it will be yours to wield.."

<< Flatly. >>

"BUT - this is like the one cool thing I have left about me, so try not to BREAK it."

Haleigh: "Do you think you can handle Mike and your Mother? They will be the most upset. I don’t want to have to fight them too. Isis will be my primary concern afterward.”

"I've let Mike be my mother's CONCUBINE for the better part of the last decade. If he has anything to say or do, I still have enough strength in my body to FINGER FLICK him to the moon if need be!"

<< A bit more pensively. >>

"And when it comes to my mother - All I can do is trust that she'll understand why we're doing what we are doing. If not, I will do my best to either console her - or hold her BACK."

<< With regards to Isis. >>

"Isis is the true wildcard here. If and when Diana makes contact with Set, she's sure to go ballistic. But my feeling is that her hatred of Set will distract her from Nicolas. And then we deal with the fallout - because her healing power won't work on a victim of the soul sword."

<< She flexed her hand as her Soul Sword dissappeared into the ether in a flash, as did the eldritch armor creeping up her arm. >>

"I can go wherever you need me. To see Nic or stay here. Where are the others? What's the general consensus?"
 
The Further

Jezebel's energy was really something else. He had heard stories about her from The Birds of Prey, but he had yet to actually meet the woman, though he had still done a bit of psychic research to ensure the Birds weren't falling prey to some kind of con-woman. During his "research" he found things in her mind that echoed things he himself had experienced. She was a veteran of The Further. She had vanquished countless of it's demons and fought her own here. It was where he figured out the word "traveller" - from her mind. He thanked her for coming.

Rae: "Yeah well, turns out this old bird isn't quite ready for the world to end. Didn't feel like I had a choice."

"You always have a choice."

She took a seat next to him.

Rae: "I can see why they want to rescue you kid, you're fucking hot. AND you can read minds? My kind of guy...but I take it you didn't call me for some kind of supernatural booty call, so why did you call me here? Especially here of all places?"

"What is my childhood home not fancy enough for you? I'll admit, it's been awhile since I've made renovations, but she still stands...unfortunately."

He smirked at her.

"And thank you for the compliment, but trust me, I'm usually more trouble than I'm worth."

Rae: "Don't sell yourself short, kid. I'm here aren't I? Even despite the absolute fuckin' MESS you and Diana have been making of the mortal realm."

Cameron raised a bemused eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

He watched as Rae's energy took a decidedly harder stance.

Rae: "The two of you assholes have been waging a war across the Astral Plane for MONTHS. You think there are no casualties? You think that all that power you two have been throwing around came from just you? No, it didn't. You've both been pulling and draining psionics and sensitives across the globe to fight in this pissing contest. Hundreds are dead or without power at all thanks to you."

Cameron's eyes widened for but a moment. He had assumed that it was the boost he got from taking Nicolas' power back from Diana, but now he knew - he was responsible for the death of hundreds of psychics and telepaths across the globe. As a high level empath, something unsettled him, and it was his lack of empathy in this moment.

"This isn't a pissing contest, Rae. This is war. I dont expect you to agree or understand. This is our life as The Six. We try to do good and somebody can't help but remind us of all the bad we are doing in the process. We've never been able to win without consequence. When I get back, I'll do my best to make up for what i've done, but until that moment, I have no choice but to focus on the task at hand, which is to wipe Diana from existence. Because if I can't, the world ends. Her existence threatens more than just a few hundred telepaths. It threatens ALL of us..."

He hissed with contempt. Cameron wanted her dead so badly. He was used to being criticized as a member of The Six. There were countless people willing to jump in and confront them with their wrong doings while only being able to do so because of the GOOD they'd done. This was nothing new to him. But Cameron hated the state of things. Hysteria for mutants was at an all time high, and it was BECAUSE of mutants like Diana. She had turned mutant kind against each other. They were so busy fighting each other, they never even stopped to consider the effect it had on people who didn't grow up in Hellfire. On people who hadn't wanted to be hero. It was something that Cameron had thought of a lot in the past year, especially after his and Cassandra's torture at the hands of Sister Mary Justice. The world needed a reset. Mutants needed to see themselves for who they were - and Cameron knew he was going to be a part of that.

Rae: "That's a hell of a lot of compartmentalizing, Cameron. Look, you can see my spirit here. You know I'm no angel. But I'm also not a SLOUCH or a FOOL. I can't have this kind of battle happening on The Other Side OR The Astral Plane for much longer. I won't let this war hemorrhage into the mortal world any more than it has."

"Then help me. Help me end it. I cut my teeth on The Further, but I can't navigate it like you. You have power here that I don't. If anybody can help me find Set and deliver the killing blow to Diana, it's you. It's why I called you here."

Rae: "I know why you called me here, Cameron. I just haven't figured out if you realize what's it going to take from you to accomplish your goal."

"Stop playing coy. What do you mean, Jezebel?"

Rae: "I mean that the old addage is true - you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. So what do you want Cameron? Do you truly want to rid the world of Malice? Or do you want the CREDIT for doing so? Because I don't need to be a psychic to see the consequences ahead of you, and the fact that you don't? Really has me fuckin' WORRIED."
 
The Further

"And THEN I said to him, 'If you put that baguette anywhere near me, I'm going to cut it into miniature croissants, n'est-ce pas?'..."

She had been having a mostly one sided conversation with Zizi after their run in with the inhabitants of the Further, trying to reassure herself that the human was okay. It had been too easy for that thing to reach her, and Ashley hated herself for it. Her eyes scanned the emptiness in front of her. She had to do better.

Her amusing story about the hundred years' war was interrupted by a disembodied voice in the air.

Jezebel: "I've made contact."

Ashley wasn't sure if Rae could hear her, but she replied to the ether anyway.

"Yeah, well, if you could hurry things along, that would be great."

She wanted Zizi out of harm's way pronto. And she knew that Zizi would never break the line and bring them out for her own safety. So they needed to finish this now.

<< WHAM!! >>

Ashley's cheek exploded in pain. Her body was airborne, flying backwards until she landed on the ground with a hard thud. She grunted.

"Well that sucked..."

She raised her head in time to see a thing that looked like some jagged rocks with a frog's head charging her. And it was fast.

Ashley almost didn't get her shield up in time. The creature leapt towards her, but she was able to use it's own momentum against it, hooking the lip of her shield under it's chin and catapulting it end over end behind her. It bought her enough time to get up and turn to face it.

"What sad toy factory did they find you buried in?"

She didn't think it got the joke, because the creature was on her again, righting itself with amazing speed for something its size. She dodged, sidestepping the demon's attempt to grab her with its huge talons like a toreador with a bull. She brought her sword right to left across her body in a stabbing motion as she moved, making contact with the blade in the creatures well armored shoulder. The blade glanced off the spikes, barely scratching the creature.

"Aw, fuck..."

The demon backhanded her with the spiky gauntlet of its hand, catching her in the side and sending pain shooting through her body. She dropped her sword arm down to protect the wound, bringing up the shield in her left hand and using it to bludgeon the back of the creature's head. Whirling around the demon, she slashed at its exposed back with her blade then spun away from it, putting some distance between the creature and her.

They circled each other for a moment. Ashley twirled her sword in her hand.

"What else you got?"
 
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