Casualties of War

[Seer]

<< As the moon began to dissappear from the sky, an ominous and unsettling feeling moved through New York City, for both it's heroes and it's villains. >>

<< We zoom through the clouds of the city and down towards The Hellfire Mansion, as the beginning of dawn can be heard throughout the halls, thanks to the many grandfather clocks throughout the property. The night before had been one for the books. Kelly and Helena acted outside of Diana, resulting in the death of Lord Ravena at the hands of Persephone. The nation of Ahadi was destroyed and Diana was reeling with the knowledge that she had been bamboozled. All the while, she was dealing with her daughter, who's insulence had crossed the line. She fought to retain control, to keep her in line. Scion was under the control of The White Queen, while The Red Queen continue her campaign of terror on The Birds of Prey. Helena knew they would come, and she knew it would be soon - and it was exactly what she wanted. While one Queen fought for control, and another prepared for a battle, The Black Queen found herself searching for the threat that was haunting her. It was too quiet and Talisman wanted to know why. >>

<< The clouds shift yet again, settling on The Clocktower, the headuarters for the Birds of Prey. It had been a restless night for most of them, though they snuck what sleep they could. Elizabeth had not been seen since she had gone to sleep, and as they began to stir, they would all soon realize that the mission Zach was trying to convince them to join was one they would be dealing with sooner rather than later. >>

<< Moving through the sky, we settle on the tall and sparkling Parthenon Hotel - a place where Cameron King only hours ago had informed The Six that they would be storming Hellfire on his word. Sleeplessness has weaved it's spell on this place as well, and many of it's members found themselves conflicted, unable to reconcile what they were about to do. >>

<< With so much at stake, with so much hanging in the balance, the air in the city is thick, and there is an energy radiating from it's core, one that those in The Six, The Birds of Prey and even The Hellfire Club have felt before. That permeating energy that hits right before the world is turned on it's head. >>

<< As the sun barely begins to escape the landscape, with everyone on edge, we so watch. >>

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower

Zach didn’t sleep much. He snuggled with Ash for hours, which usually put him right to sleep, but not tonight. Part of it was the grief, the rest concern. When he finally did nod off, he slipped into the Persephone nightmare again, and terror woke him up again. He looked at the clock. 0500. He kissed Ash on the cheek and slipped out of bed carefully, then got dressed quietly in the dark.

The crew was all still sleeping, but it would be dawn soon. Their last meal had been ruined by tragedy, and Zach thought it would be good to bring them together again. Everybody needed to eat. It was good for him too, a task to keep his mind busy. There was no time to think of anything else when he was cooking this many things. A skillet full of eggs, another of hash browns, but there was also bacon, and pancakes too.

He started with just the range light on, trying to be quiet too, as much as was possible when cooking. Soon the whole Clocktower smelled of bacon, though, and people were waking as the dawn light started to filter through the clock faces. Zach had a stack of pancakes two dozen high by then, and was arranging the eggs in one large serving dish, the hash browns in another. Finally he added the last batch to the pile of bacon, and it was all ready.

“Let’s just make sure there’s some left for Zizi.”

He said to whoever was listening. She may not be hungry but it would be good for her to try to eat anyway. Zach himself was famished, but cooking usually did that to him. He poured himself a glass of oj, and then he poured one for Ash too. His mind drifted back to Hellfire once more, but he didn’t bring it up just yet.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

Vivica had stood in the gap for Zach, giving him the opportunity to try to rest. Ashley wasn't sure he had. She had lain next to him, her head against his chest, his warmth the most comforting feeling in the world. And finally she had drifted off to sleep to the steady beat of his heart.

They hadn't drawn the curtains the night before, so Ashley awoke to the dawn light coming through the windows. For once she didn't fight waking. She picked up her head, to see that Zach wasn't there.

"Zach?"

In case he was in the bathroom.

No answer.

She slipped out of bed, pushing away the piece of her heart that was filling with fear that he had been taken just like Gabe.

But when she opened her bedroom door, there was Zach, making breakfast like they were at his place, no cares in the world except whether to make bacon or sausage (or both). It was a weight off her heart to see him, despite everything that had happened, or maybe because of it. So she glided over towards him.

"Mmmmm is there OJ?"

He was already handing her a glass of it. She took a big gulp.

"It's sooooo good."

She stole a piece of bacon off the plate filled with it, then munched on it while she poured Zach a cup of coffee from the pot he had been brewing. She handed it to him, sliding a hand over his chest as she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"Did you get any sleep at all?"

 

[Titan]

The Clocktower - Living Room

Andrew was dreaming of Helena Quartermaine. A giant face on a screen. And she was laughing. And then everything was red.

And then for some reason there were guys dressed in giant bacon suits, dancing around doing a number from Cats.

Andrew sat up, breathing hard. He looked around him, wiped his face with his hand to wake himself up. The sun was coming up. He could still smell the bacon.

Oh, wait, he could smell actual bacon. He rubbed his eyes, and looked over to see Zach in the kitchen. It could have been such a happy scene. It was a game day, and a big breakfast, the match on the tele, a bunch of friends over early in the morning - it was a slice of fried gold. But today, it was a last meal. Or felt that way.

He got up off the couch, and made his way to the kitchen.

"Can I do anything to help?"

He felt like he needed to be useful, for once, for something.

 

[Steel]

The Clocktower

It had taken John a long time to fall asleep. Every sound had startled him, thinking it was Zizi, that she needed something. She was always the one that comforted everyone else, and now that she needed it, he didn't know how to return the favor. He awoke in the morning to Andrew making noise in his sleep. The sun was just coming up, he noticed. Another day.

Andrew sat up suddenly, clearly waking from whatever nightmare he was having. He got up and went to the kitchen, and John waited a minute after he did before he too got up and followed. He poured himself a cup of coffee.

"You know, the couches here are surprisingly comfortable."

Ashley: "Aren't they?"

He tried not to take her statement to the logical and gross conclusion.

"Has anyone heard anything from Zizi yet?"

They all started to help Zach carry the plates of food he'd made over to the table. They sat, dished out the food, started eating, but the joy that had surrounded the dinner the night before was gone.

"What are we going to do now?"

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower - Zizi's Room

She had stayed with the body, until the men had come to take it away. She didn't want to leave it. Maybe something would go wrong wherever Ash was taking him and she'd have to bring him back. But he didn't come back. Zach said they would take care of him. But that was her job.

She went into her room and shut the door. She lay down on her bed. Alone.

She kept hearing Zach's voice:

Close your eyes, Zizi. Look away.... don’t watch this!

Over and over she watched it though, replaying in her mind. Gabe had died. Gabe was dead. They had abandoned him to Hellfire. Left him to die.

Eventually, her exhausted body had fallen asleep. And when she woke, things were clear. It was the dawn of a new day. The last day of Hellfire.

She washed her face. Brushed her teeth. Dressed. She opened her bedroom door and wheeled out into the common area. They were all eating. That was good. They would need their strength.

Steel: "What are we going to do now?"

"We're going to attack the Hellfire Mansion."

She came up from behind Steel, resting at her empty place at the table. Her voice didn't waver.

"We're going to rescue Black Widow and Persephone. No one else gets left behind."

She had thought about it a lot, lying there alone in her room. They had left Gabe. Gabe had done things in his life, things that weren't perfect. And they had left him to die at the Red Queen's hands. Haleigh and Ava had been what amounted to being captured by Malice and Enchantrah. They were calling out for help.

"We cannot leave them there to die as Gabe did."

She nodded towards the table.

"Finish your breakfast. Then Vivica, I want you to get with Mina and collect everything you'll need to do that spell on Persephone. Zach, talk to Delilah about the Six. If they're with us, we should coordinate our attacks. If not, well then we'll just have to do this alone."

She folded her hands in front of her on the table.

"I've been working on EMP grenades for weeks, so make sure you're loaded up on them. It might not stop Black Widow, but it should at least slow her down."

She looked around the table, each of them in turn.

"If anyone is not up for this, you can leave now. But the team is doing this. We can't sit and wait any longer. We must stop them before they take any more lives."

She paused for a moment.

"Does anyone have anything else to add?"

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower

Ash joined him, and his morning got brighter in a sense he couldn’t contribute to the rising sun. She handed him a hot cup of coffee, gave him a kiss, and asked if he’d gotten any sleep at all. He smoothed down his beard with his free hand.

“I look that bad, huh?”

He replied with a tired smile. Andrew was up now too, asking if he could do anything to help.

“Yeah, let’s get all this food out to the table.”

Zach suggested, as John came in for coffee, remarking that the couches were comfortable. Ashley agreed, and Zach smiled but didn’t say anything. He considered consoling John with the fact that the sheets they’d thrown on the sofas last night had at least been clean, but he figured that would only make it worse.

John asked after Zizi, and Zach gave a little shake of his head after sipping his coffee. Nobody wanted to breach the privacy of her room, and she hadn’t emerged yet. John asked what they were going to do now. Zach dug into his eggs, trying to figure out how to breach the topic without being insensitive about the trauma of the night before.

Zizi: “We’re going to attack the Hellfire Mansion.”

Zach looked up abruptly from his breakfast, not having expected to hear her, half not believing he had. But there she was, telling them they were going to rescue Haleigh and Ava, and not leave anyone else behind. It wasn’t just a rash plan or a knee jerk reaction from her either. She had a plan and laid it out for them. Then she asked if anyone else had anything to add. Zach looked around at the silent faces of his teammates. No one looked like they were wanting to back out. He took a deep breath and looked to Zizi.

“Yes, actually. I was thinking of calling in Danny Donnelly for support. He can get us in and out, and protect the city from collateral damage. What do you think?”

 

[Prophet]

The Parthenon Hotel - Cameron's Penthouse

He wasn't nervous like he anticipated. In fact, ever since he made the decision to kill Diana he had been calm. A burden had been lifted from him. His mind was troubled, but it was clear. From inside his bedroom at the top of The Parthenon, he positioned himself in an Eka Hasta Vrksasana pose, his eyes closed, focusing only on his breathing and not the beads of sweat the trickled down in between his biceps and down his stomach. He had taken to yoga years ago, as a way of centering himself and his power. At the time he was following a trend, but now it had become part of a spiritual practice. It had transformed his body and his mind. It had helped get him to this point, but it wouldn't take him all the way. Only part of him felt bad for using a practice of peace to help himself become more deadly.

"Om purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnamudachyate. Purnasya purnamadaya. Purnamevavashishyate."
("That is whole, this is whole. From the whole, this whole came. Remove this whole from that whole. What remains is still whole.")

He repeated the mantra over and over to himself as his muscles flexed against the pose, small beams of sunlight began to peak through the floor to ceiling windows of his bedroom. He found his stillness interrupted as memories of last night slowly crept into his head. Of Delilah's pain. Of his argument with Morgan. This "interruption" caused a waver in his stance, until he was unable to simply just focus on the now. Slowly moving his body down, his left foot touching the floor before pulling his body up, he grabbed a towel on the sitting chair next to him and wiped off his face and chest. Immediately his mind went to Hellfire. Most were still asleep. It seemed like the perfect time to attack, but there was something holding him back. Something he was waiting for before he made his move, he didn't know what. He trusted his ability enough to tell him when that would be, and he knew it would be any second, but he was holding back, and gambling with his instincts that he was doing the right thing.

Moving towards his bathroom, Cameron disrobed and turned on a few of the jets in his very large, built for groups shower as the glass panels containing the shower began to fog up almost instantly. He had paid good money to adjust the water temperature in his room, knowing that it wasn't truly a shower unless the water could boil your skin clear off. He liked to start his mornings with a bit of pain. As he began to lather his body, his mind went to Morgan. She had agreed to let him do this his way, but Delilah was right. If she felt inclined to do so, she would intervene, and it meant he might lose his shot at saving Haleigh and Ava AND destroying Malice. He almost asked her to sit this one out, but he figured as long as he could keep his eyes on her, he could halt her if necessary, stepping discs or not. She wasn't completely immune to him.

"Please let her do the right thing."

It was in her hands. Speaking of which, he could not forget the other thing he was intending to do today. And that was separate Ava from Persephone entirely. He knew that it was a farce, that it would likely end up killing her - but he would be happier for her to be dead than have to deal with the ocean of guilt that was going to wash her out to sea. She didn't deserve that. She was trying to protect her sister, all while dealing with the revelation that she had no actual biological connection to her. It was a kind of territory Cameron knew well, and it was the same territory he found himself running right for. Found himself on the brink of swallowing a bottle of pills and ending it all. He didn't want that kind of suffering for her. It wasn't his first option, but it was the only thing he could think of doing if she wasn't willing to let him get her out of there. And based on what he'd seen from Haleigh, The Red Knight could pose a problem. Not an unsolvable one, but a problem none the less. He didn't want her to get to get punished for Haleigh any longer, and he certainly wasn't going to let her stay there and be punished for loving Alek. It was a brotherly type of energy kicking in. He needed to get her out of there. One way or another. All of The Six did. She was a leader. She was not some puzzle piece of The Inner Circle. The Six needed her strength. They couldn't keep fighting her like this.

Cameron stood under the water, trying to find a center of peace inside of himself. Things had been dark for so long. And they weren't not even yet at their darkest. It didn't feel fair. He just wanted to give them one good day. A day where they had gone in and gotten the job done, if only to prove to them that they needed each other. He was sick of his family being so separated. It was why he had told them he wanted to storm Hellfire, that he wanted to rescue Haleigh and Ava, and that he wanted to lay waste to as many bodies of those who lived in it's walls as possible. It was a hell of a lot to put on one person's plate, but Cameron had never been good with moderation. But that's why he needed them. They knew this about him. They would adjust. They would be quick on their feet. They would do what they always did - save the fucking world and worry about putting the pieces back together later. All he knew is that if they pulled this off together, it would shift things. It would build trust. It would open the lines of communications, and it would give everyone the chance to say what they need to say. Address what they needed to address. Turning off the water he stood there for a few moments, his body dripping.

"Stop spiraling, King."

Anxiety was an omnipresent trait in Cameron King if one looked close enough, and he had always been vain, but he was never very good at seeing it about himself. Perhaps he had been building himself up. The feud with Malice. Haleigh's love for him. This was Haleigh's story - it wasn't his, and there was a small part of him that new this whole thing was more than partially selfish. He wanted Malice dead and he wanted to be the one that did it. And he wanted to save Haleigh and he wanted her to know he did it. And he couldn't lie about that. Bravado was his middle name. It did however make him question his motives. Perhaps he wanted Diana dead so badly he was willing to take whatever chance, despite his own ability to do so. He suddenly realized that he was going to require a lot more yoga if he was going to truly be ready when the time came. He could sense the others begin to stir, which meant now was as good a time as any to get his ass back to his yoga mat and try and get some clarity before he would be interrupted. Sighing heavily, he tossed the white cotton towel with a Golden "PH" insignia into a hamper as he walked into the now dimly lit bedroom, off to find some peace of mind, and hopefully...a sign.

 

[Persephone]

The night had felt like an eternity going by, but Persephone didn't mind it as much as other sleepless nights. Alek had stayed with her in her chambers, never once mentioning that they shouldn't be together, or that Helena could be watching. He just sat with her in front of the fire and talked. All night. About Ravena, about her elaborate dream, about what was done to her throughout it. She had always been a private woman, but she didn't want to hide this from him. She couldn't. As painful as it was to talk about, as embarrassing as it was to say, as much as it made her feel weak to have been a victim to Ravena, Persephone wanted Alek to know so he could understand. So she could lean on him, because gods be damned she needed to so fucking badly. Everything was such a whirlwind that Persephone was running on adrenaline. Nothing really 'hitting' her yet, not until she finally spoke about it.

Sitting on the bear skin rug [not her choice of decor], the flickering flames danced along Persephone face as she stared down into her empty glass, once filled with whisky. The curtains were drawn so there was no telling what time it was, but the last they checked, it was nearly dawn. She was quiet, her dark eyes filled with a pain she hadn't felt in a very, very long time.

"He would have attacked me whether I was here or not, Alek..."

She finally spoke, her voice soft. She knew Alek was reeling inside and blaming himself. It killed her. Ravena would have gone after Persephone whether she had stayed in the Six, or come to Hellfire.

"He was a disgusting immortal, and always had been...[Persephone's eyes darkened] Not anymore."

It was satisfying to know Ravena's soul was torn apart and devoured by the very demons he wanted to rule over. Poetic really. But she still wished she could have made him suffer far more than he did. Looking up, her eyes found Alek's, a sea of blue amongst the darkness. Putting her empty glass on the floor, Persephone moved closer to him, laying the length of her torso against his while resting her hear in the crook of his neck. She took his hand within hers, interlinking their fingers together. She was silent for a moment, looking into the flames that were starting to die out.

"Thank you for staying the night with me..."

 

[Recall]

The Clocktower

She spent a good majority of the evening looking over the many documents and floor plans and dossiers while trying to give the rest of her team the chance for some much needed rest. When she wasn’t getting much of anywhere she began to filter through her own brain, selecting and “downloading” specific packages for battle. Combat, Gymnastics, Her battle with Persephone and her footage of the encounter with Mystique. Anything she could think of that might help her in the upcoming mission against Hellfire.

Vivica was ready to end this chapter. She hoped it would be the last mission they had that would involve The Six and it’s members but she knew that it wouldn’t be. As long as they were a team, The Birds of Prey would exist to yet again clean up their messes. At the very least, her new team had been a bright spot. They were actually friends. Vivica had watched The Six tear each other to shreds for so many years that sometimes she forgot that people could co-exist peacefully. There had been a struggle while Alycia and Sharon and Isis were considering joining the team, but thankfully they had declined. She was secretly relieved. Their presence would have changed who the Birds were - a family. Rather, a family that actually liked each other.

Her research and preparation were at a stand still, and rather than disturb her team, she decided to get a quick workout in, using the stairwell of the building to run laps up and down, not stopping until she had clocked a good half marathons distance, before slipping back inside the tower, giving herself a whores bath in the sink as Zach appeared, promptly cooking another feast for them. Vivica was glad she got a workout in because she would soon be facing diabetes if she kept eating at the pace she had been since joining the team.

Vivica helped where she could not wanting to prod Zach. She knew he was troubled and she didn’t need to add her voice to the many kicking around in his head. The others began to stir, trying to be helpful and curious as to what they were about to face this morning. It had seemed like a normal morning until Zizi appeared, then it hit Vivica like a punch to the gut. Gabe was dead. Murdered in front of them. But this was a decidedly different Zizi this morning.

John: “What are we going to do now?”

Zizi: “We’re going to attack the Hellfire Mansion. We’re going to rescue Black Widow and Persephone. No one else gets left behind.”

Vivica nodded. She assumed as much that this would be the plan. Though she was still hesitant. There was no way The Six was leaving them to die in Hellfire, though they’d certainly left Vivica to die in Greece. But she was a bit player to them. She wasn’t Ava and Haleigh. They were the A team. CERTAINLY they had to be thinking of something other than kill teams. Vivica didn’t like the idea of going in with them not knowing what The Six was up to.

Zizi: “Finish your breakfast. Then Vivica, I want you to get with Mina and collect everything you'll need to do that spell on Persephone. Zach, talk to Delilah about the Six. If they're with us, we should coordinate our attacks. If not, well then we'll just have to do this alone."

She had almost forgotten the night she spent in Mina’s library, looking for ways to banish Persephone. She had found a spell, but she was secretly hoping Ava would be killed in battle and she wouldn’t actually have to try and save the woman. Goddess or not, Ava has attacked them. Tried to kill them. WOULD have killed them. Haleigh was at least being duplicitous. But Vivica was a team player. If this was something she could help Mina pull off, it would at the very least give something that Vivica could hold over Ava’s head. And after this long she needed something. And she was relieved to know that Zizi wanted to loop in The Six, though her talk of EMP wands was a bit unsettling.

Zizi: Does anyone have anything else to add?

Zach had mentioned asking Danny for help, which was a good idea. He could get them anywhere in the city in an instant, and he could get them OUT quickly should they needed.

“I’m thinking the Hellfire Mansion is probably on the city’s shit list. I’m sure he’d help.”

[pausing]

“Have we contacted Mina? I don’t know her that well, but this is a big ask. Going against a goddess....”

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

There was no more time for discussion. She was doing this, with or without the others. But she gave them all the opportunity to back out if they wanted. No one said they did. She asked is anyone had anything to add.

Zach: “Yes, actually. I was thinking of calling in Danny Donnelly for support. He can get us in and out, and protect the city from collateral damage. What do you think?”

Vivica: “I’m thinking the Hellfire Mansion is probably on the city’s shit list. I’m sure he’d help.”

Zizi nodded.

"Make the call."

Vivica: “Have we contacted Mina? I don’t know her that well, but this is a big ask. Going against a goddess....”

"She's one of us - she'll do it. She has no love for Hellfire."

And if Mina hadn't been on board with it, she wouldn't have allowed Vivica and Xavier access to her husband's library, something she was very particular about.

Andrew had stopped eating since Zizi had come to the table. Now he looked at her seriously.

Andrew: "It's okay if you want to sit this one out, Zees. We can handle it ourselves. You don't need to-"

"Yes, I do."

She continued, less sternly.

"We need everyone on this one. I'll run things from here. That worked well during Rose..."

But it had been Gabe who had done it.

"Until we can get Black Widow to turn, if we can, she's going to fight to push me out of their systems. I'll get as much intel from their security feeds as I can, but I'll be issuing each of you body cams as well. The sooner she's working with us the better. But be prepared: there may be times when we're blind. Everyone needs to stay on com and talking."

Steel: "Zizi - is there anything we can do for you?"

"Make this one count. And...I don't want anyone taking any extra chances. Removing Black Widow and Persephone is the top priority. But if Helena-"

Zizi swallowed heavily. Ashley reached over and put her hand over Zizi's.

Ashley: "She's dead, Zizi, I promise."

Zizi slowly nodded.

"When this is all over, we'll turn Haleigh and Ava over to the Six. They can decide what to do with them from there. "

That wasn't their decision, or their problem.

"But we need to hit Hellfire as hard as we can, destroy as much of it as we can. Let's make them think long and hard about ever coming after us again."

 

[Berserker]

The Red Wing - Persephone's Suite

The thing that had surprised him the most about Seph was how much he enjoyed just being with her. Talking with her. Having a drink. Sitting with his arms around her. But this night was different, because a lot of things she was telling him he didn't want to hear. But he was glad she was telling him. That she felt comfortable enough to tell him.

He mostly just listened, interjecting only here and there, when his emotions got the better of him, or to tell her that he too had dreamed of the two of them with three children...

Thoughts of Ravena went through him like a poison. The things he had done to Seph. The things he had made her feel. The mysterious illness he had caused. He wished it had been he who had killed Ravena, though he knew that it was Seph's kill by right as well as command. He should have killed him when he'd taken Seph's blood. He should never have allowed that to stand. It made him feel sick, hate himself, that he had.

"I should have killed him when he first attacked you. Or at least gotten you out of here. Damn Diana! That monster should never have been allowed into the mansion."

Their glasses were empty now. Alek wanted to smash them against the wall.

Seph: "He would have attacked me whether I was here or not, Alek..."

"But HERE I should have been able to protect you."

Seph: "He was a disgusting immortal, and always had been...[Persephone's eyes darkened] Not anymore."

A smile turned up the corner of his mouth.

"No, not anymore. Thanks to my little queen."

He leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead.

She looked up into his eyes, and he smiled at her, with pride at what she'd done.

"I wish I could have seen it."

She moved to lay against him, and he wrapped his arms around her, comforted by the feel of her body, her hand in his.

Seph: "Thank you for staying the night with me..."

He kissed the top of her head, his eyes fixed on the fire in front of them.

"I'll never leave you alone again, for as long as you'll have me."

He had decided it, in the course of the night. He wasn't going to hide any more. No matter what the consequences were. This was his home, and if he could not have his love, he would find another place to lay his head. He had let Helena rule him long enough; if she wanted his loyalty, she would have to let them be. He wasn't some pawn. He was the fucking Red Knight.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower

Zizi joined the group at breakfast. Her grief was not gone, there was no chance of that happening so soon, but it was channeled. She wanted to hit Hellfire for all they were worth. She wanted to save Haleigh and Ava too. Zach was immensely grateful, and offered what he could to help the frame she laid out for them. Viv backed him up on his suggestion that Citadel could be of help, and Zizi approved it. He pulled out his phone quickly.

To Dan>> I need an in. Can you help?

Danny had been an acquaintance for a while, someone Zach had met at the Sanctuary. They didn’t hang out often, but there was an unspoken agreement of sorts; mutants looked out for each other. It wouldn’t take much convincing, given that Viv was right. Hellfire was a cancerous tumor in the city.

Next he excused himself from the table and stepped away to a nearby window. It was just dawn, and probably too stupidly early to be calling her, but time was of the essence. She had given him a heads up, and he would do the same for her, all the while praying that the fact that the Birds were taking action might stay the executions the Six had been planning. He listened to the dial tone, taking a deep breath as she answered.

“Delilah? I’m sorry, I know it’s early... but this is urgent. We’re gonna do it, hard and fast. And soon. Everyone’s on board. What are the chances that the Birds and the Six won’t have opposing objectives? We can support each other.... or I’ll have to ask you convince the others to let us try it our way first. Please.”

He spilled it all in one breath, but was purposefully vague, hoping she’d take his meaning, because he didn’t want to be too specific on the phone, in case the connection was still hacked.

 

[Rampage]

The Parthenon

[into the phone] "Yeah, thanks Mike. I will. Give my love to Karen. [pause] Okay. Bye."

There wasn't really anyone else he could confide in. And he needed to get a handle on his feelings. Having Mike on Aerie with Karen was an obstacle, but not an insurmountable one. Normally he would have just shunted himself through the astral plane to Aerie, gone with Mike on an early morning run through the lush forest maybe. But they were going to battle today, so a phone call would have to suffice. Nicolas still needed a clear head, though.

Morgan was being distant.

He was forcing himself to pretend everything was okay.

It wasn't.

He had gone through so much to get Morgan back after Haleigh, he couldn't let it all fall apart now. He couldn't tell her how much she'd hurt him - how much pain he felt even looking at her, knowing that she'd been with someone else. That she didn't even really seem sorry. He wanted to scream at her. He wanted to put his fist through the wall. But he knew he had to stay calm. That there was something inside of him that couldn't be let out.

Mike had said to give her time, that she was going through a lot. Well, so was he.

Nicolas went to turn the shower on, slipping off his clothes and getting in. He didn't enjoy it. It wasn't refreshing. It was preparation. Ritual. He dressed in much the same manner, all the while ordering his head for what was to come. He would have liked to have gone to Morgan. Spent some time together while they could. But it was too dangerous. Too much could start pouring out. Best keep his head on business.

And then all he had left to do was wait.

 

[MorningStar]

The Parthenon - Delilah's Suite

They had met, "The Six", the night before. Morgan had been true to her word, at least as far as the War Room had gone. She hadn't talked about kill teams at all. Delilah had half expected her to dismiss Cameron like he was crazy, and say nothing had changed. Just because she could. She had returned to her suite and gotten into bed. She'd spent a lot of time staring out her bedroom window at the city, trying to figure out how they'd all gotten here. Trying to make sense of it all. She'd fallen asleep no closer to any answers.

Delilah had risen early to get ready. She imagined the actual fighting would be the easiest part of the day. She welcomed it, actually. She had waited a long time for this day, to come for Malice, to do what needed to be done. The other stuff paled into insignificance: whatever else happened, success or failure, Malice needed to die.

Her phone rang, and she went to her bedside table to pick it up. She assumed it was Cameron, with last minute plans, or wanting to meet. But to her surprise, it was Zach. She hadn't expected to be hearing from him - she figured he was too upset with her to call.

[into phone] "Hello?"

Zach [via phone]: “Delilah? I’m sorry, I know it’s early... but this is urgent.”

"I was already up."

Zach [via phone]: “We’re gonna do it, hard and fast. And soon. Everyone’s on board. What are the chances that the Birds and the Six won’t have opposing objectives? We can support each other.... or I’ll have to ask you convince the others to let us try it our way first. Please.”
Delilah slipped down onto her bed, leaning back against the pillows at the quilted headboard.

"We all met again last night. Cameron has taken charge of the op. Morgan has agreed to call off the teams. But Zach-"

Delilah shifted on the bed.

"You must understand that Morgan might very well intend to continue with her original plan. You will have some time, but it might not be much."

She felt the need to temper his expectations.

"I'm waiting for the call now. I'll let you know when it comes."

 

[Firebird]

The Parthenon - Blaze's Suite

"Fuck Vivica Lennox."

Blaze was standing in front of her full length mirror, trying to decide if she'd put on weight recently. If it was, it was Vivica's fault, and she would have to punch her in the face.

How dare she. Break up with me? That trumped up VCR? I'm Blaze fucking Victory.

She looked at her face in the mirror.

"But why isn't she returning any of my texts?"

Blaze wiped the tears from her eyes, and sat down heavily on the bed. Her room felt so empty. Vivica had broken up with her. Karen was gone to Aerie. Morgan had been so silent lately. Had barely spoken to her when they'd all met to discuss the mission. She had never felt more alone.

And Delilah had looked so smug as Cameron had laid out the details, like she had won some victory against Morgan. No pun intended. But Blaze didn't care what anyone said: as far as she was concerned, Ava and Haleigh had made their own bed, and if either of them attacked her or any of the Six? Blaze would send them to a fiery grave.

Cameron might have been willing to forgive and forget, but Blaze would NOT. BLAZE was willing to do what needed to be done to protect her family. If Haleigh could be saved, fine, but if she insisted on staying with her mother? Then she was just as bad as Ava and they could all burn together.

 

[Spellbinder]

<< The entire ordeal had been humiliating. Hours before she had informed the team of her plan to rescue Haleigh and Ava, and she watched with them abject horror as she made mention of kill teams. Just because they didn’t WANT to think about killing Ava or Haleigh didn’t mean it wasn’t a very REAL possibility. To just go in on hope was FOOLISH. Then Cameron showed up at her door on Aerie announcing he was taking the lead in the mission and that she could either participate or back down. Even THREATENED her if she decided to intervene?! >>

<< She was exhausted from the last six months. Tired of defending herself. Tired of being made out to be a villain for doing the HARD stuff while they got to sit there, pick up the pieces and judge HER for not being perfect. >>

<< Morgan couldn’t get Delilah’s self satisfied face out of her head as she tossed and turned in a bed that wasn’t her own, her mind racing. >>

”They really just want to see me HUMILIATED don’t they?”

<< Had they forgot that out of everyone in that goddamn conference room last night that SHE was the only one of them who actually KILLED Malice before?! Morgan had cut Diana’s head off with the Soul Sword. SHE had done that. On track record ALONE, she should have been taking lead on this. But somehow she now found herself pitted against the team she had led through countless battles. All of them seeming to salivate at the lack of control she seemed to have. And that lack of control...it REALLY pissed her off! >>

Male Voice: “Morgan?”

<< She has not returned to Aerie after the meeting. Morgan had had her FILL of explaining as nauseum the ways in which The Six were undercutting her. She didn’t want to deal with it anymore. She didn’t want to talk to Blaze, Alison, her mother. Not even Nicolas. She just wanted a goddamn break. So she found herself in the bed of Derek Forrester, and as her consciousness began to stir, a wave of guilt ran over her. She turned around to face Derek, who’s brilliant blue eyes met hers. He was so disarming. And so strong. And she liked the way his hand felt between her legs far more than she cared to admit. >>

“I’m sorry...I must have been having a bad dream...”

<< She hated herself for it, but without thinking she found her long and flawless legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him closer to him. He smelled amazing as her stomach turned thinking of Nicolas at The Parthenon desperate to talk to her. But he couldn’t give Morgan what she needed. She didn’t need a Yes Man. She needed someone who could....fuck the pain away and make her see stars. >>

Derek: “Well...nothing that a good and proper roll in the hay can’t fix...”

<< He kissed her neck sending goosebumps down her spine as she felt her nipples harden. The way he kissed her. It was like he wanted to consume her. Maybe it was because he was part demon and he didn’t spend so much time trying to control his dark side like Nick did. Her hands found hiss ass cheeks as she gripped him in her hands. God she wanted to get lost in him. But shame brought her back to reality. She released her hands from him and tried to slowly pulled away, placing her hands on his chest. >>

“I really am a monster for doing this. It’s wrong. Derek, I shouldn’t have come here last night. This isn’t who I am.”

<< He smirked at her >>


Derek: “You seemed pretty sure of who you were last night. You practically put a saddle on me.”

“Don’t be GROSS, Derek. I just can’t keep doing this—-“

Derek: “To him?”

“...to him.”

<< He had been so calm when she told him. Like it wasn’t a big deal. And it really bothered her more than she as letting on. She felt like she had nobody in her corner (except Blaze) and it was like Nicolas wasn’t even going to FIGHT for her. That he was...”afraid” to be honest with her. And that just made her feel all the worse. But still, she knew who she was. And this wasn’t it. It had been another moment of weakness, although these moments were beginning to pile up around her. Derek pulled her in close yet again, her icy violet eyes NARROWING as if she were mad and not thinking of wrapping her hands around his neck and letting him ravage her for the rest of the day. >>

Derek: “Look. I’m no genius. But it’s clear you’re looking for something you aren’t getting in your life. We both know I’m not relationship material. I’m not trying to steal you from anyone. So this...is on you. So ask yourself, Morgan...”

<< She felt the grip of his hand on her thigh as her entire body began to tingle. >>

“Derek...”

Derek: “Do you....”

<< his hand slid further up her thigh until his fingers began to dance against her sex. A well of passion overcame her as she gripped his hand with her thighs and found her own hands moving back towards his ass. >>

Derek: “want me...”

<< His mouth found her neck, kissing her up to her earlobe, whispering to her. >>

Derek: “To stop?”

“Ohhhhhhhhh...”

<< She cried out in pleasure, kissing his lips with wild abandon. >>

“Don’t stop.”

<< He didn’t. Soon she would be in battle. One she would likely be criticized for yet AGAIN. But for now she got to be somebody else. Anybody else. And she was beginning to like that feeling. >>

 

[Arclight]

Alexis sat quietly, the room black with only the softest hue of orange coming from the embers that once lit the fireplace. Her sapphire eyes were even and cold are she stared forward, the last 12 hours playing over and over in her head.

FLASH

Helena: "Mystique, I need you to secure a package for me while I deal with some remaining business on Ahadi."

She bowed her head respectfully, awaiting her orders.

"Of course, my Queen."

Mystique's phone vibrated with her instructions. She looked down at the "package", her eyes flicking back up to Helena.

"Gabriel Jerome..?"

Helena: "It's time to send the Birds of Prey a message from the Red Court."

FLASH

Alexis' eyes slowly shut as her hand gripped the wooden arm chair she was sitting in tightly. She had done many deplorable things while undercover in Hellfire. Many things that she was not proud of. Many that would haunt her. But it was necessary in order to keep her position secured as Helena's trusted Bishop. She had been deep undercover for nearly two years, and she couldn't throw everything she had done out the window because of one innocent. So she gathered Gabe as instructed, brought him to the White Wing as instructed, and disappeared as she was best known to do. But once following up on Alek after Scion's attack, Alexis came back and watched. Invisible, a nothing, a shapeless being in the corner of the room as Helena slit his throat in cold blood. Her malicious laugh echoed in Alexis' head - a laugh that had been directed at Alexis many times before. A laugh she was going to SNUFF OUT of the bitch and turn into pleads for mercy. But she would have no mercy. NONE. Two years, TWO YEARS of watching Helena get whatever she wanted and destroy everyone and everything that she touched. Not anymore.

Her original plans to kill Helena in Europe had to be changed, but the end result would remain the same. Before leaving for Ahadi she tricked Helena into signing everything over to Alexis: the Quartermaine estate, bonds, properties, business holdings, everything. Anything that was Helena's was now half Alexis' while the bitch still lived. Once dead? Everything would be hers. But this wasn't about money or properties, this was about revenge for all the pain and suffering Helena had caused Alexis for years. For being a contributing factor in turning her into Blackout and destroying everything that she had built for herself. For causing her to lose nearly 15 years of her life because she was turned to stone. No, the money was a consolation prize, Helena's death was what mattered above all else. Once Gabe was executed, Alexis knew this was her time to strike. She had done intel on the Birds of Prey and Six for quite some time under orders from Helena, and Alexis knew the Birds would not stand for this. They would not let Zizi suffer so brutally without retribution....but no one was going to take her kill.

FLASH

Ororo: "Now is your chance child, to exact your revenge. I have instilled everything in you that will guide you on your journey: knowledge of your new powers, a centered mind and body, but above all else, clarity. Do not let your emotions rule you as you did before, child. You are so far beyond what you once were. You are no longer Shockwave, nor Blackout. You are Arclight, and you will bend those and everything around you to your will. Remember that on your journey...Remember.

FLASH

Opening her eyes slowly, Alexis stood from the old Victorian chair. She had lived by Ororo's words and was given a second chance no one else was willing to give her. She would not fail. Walking slowly across the room until she reached the bed, Alexis carefully climbed on, straddling Helena as she slept like a baby. A long dagger materialized within Alexis' hand as she stared unforgivingly down at her aunt. Alexis began to drag the tip of the dagger along Helena's cheek gently, feeling Helena stir. The tip drug across her jaw, down her throat, the more Alexis moved it against Helena's skin the more she pulled Helena from her sleep. Finally, Helena's eyes fluttered open and an audible gasp came from the Red Queen's mouth.

"Surprise bitch."

Alexis gripped the dagger with both hands and lifted it high above her head before PLUNGING it deep into Helena's chest in one quick motion.

 

[Enchantrah]

Killing Gabe was like putting on one of those wonderful charcoal masks. It just relaxed the hell out of her and made her feel like a whole new woman. She had only wished she could have heard Zizi bawling like the child that she was. After the eventful evening, Helena decided to retire to her chambers early, falling asleep in record time. She wanted to take advantage of the quiet nights, because she wasn't stupid enough not to think that the Birds of Prey wouldn't be chomping at the bit for a fight. Things were going to get messy and soon, but with her court now fixed and Diana back to her old self, let the little birdies come to play.

Helena was dreaming of sexy men in little speedos when she felt a tickle on her cheek. She could feel herself being pulled from her wonderful dream, stirring as she woke. She slowly opened her eyes, her vision a little blurred at first, not realizing someone was on top of her. It wasn't until she tried to move that she felt a body straddling her...then her eyes adjusted. Helena gasped, seeing her neice on top of her, ALIVE.

Alexis: "Surprise bitch."

Alexis lifted a dagger above her head and swung it down with a quickness and speed that would have left anyone incapacitated. But Helena wasn't just anyone. Helena rolled what she could of her upper torso to the side while simultaneously morphing into a giant pile of insects. The insects scurried off the bed in a pattern onto the floor before morphing back into Helena. She clamped her hand around her upper arm, blood seeping from between her fingers. She had not been stabbed in the chest as Alexis had intended, but there was a deep enough cut on her upper arm that suggested if she hadn't reacted as quickly as she did, she would be dead right now.

Helena's eyes darted around the room, Alexis no where to be seen.

"HOW?!"

Taking a step back, Helena kept looking around the darkness before she quickly flipped the light switch with her bloody hand. Wincing in pain as she reapplied pressure to her wound, still, there was no one in the room.

"ALEXIS! Show yourself! Stop hiding you insufferable little bitch!"

Alexis: "I'm not hiding. I'm right here."

Helena gasped, the voice sounding like it was RIGHT in front of her. She quickly backed up, frantically looking around the empty room.

Alexis: "What's wrong, auntie? You like to play with others, but can't handle being played with yourself?"

"WHERE ARE YOU!?!?"

Helena screamed in fury, rage radiating from her eyes. It was then she felt what could only be described as a sledge hammer to her face strike her, sending her flying into her vanity with a giant crash. Helena groaned, her lip busted and her head throbbing as she grabbed her head in pain, laying on the floor. It was then she heard clicking of heeled boots on the hardwood, Helena opening her eyes and looked up.

"MYSTIQUE!"

A rush of relief came over Helena as she slowly pushed herself up from the floor.

"Get Alek and Persephone immediately! We have an intruder!"

Helena was pulling herself up with the help of her vanity when she realized that Mystique wasn't moving. She was just standing there, staring at her like a brainless moron.

"Mystique! I gave you an order! GO!"

Helena shouted, finally to her feet.

Mystique: "I don't follow orders from you anymore."

Helena stared at her in disbelief, her eyes red hot with anger.

"Excuse me?"

It was then Helena's look of disbelief turned aghast, watching as her beautiful Bishop morphed into her niece.

"No...no...NO! IT CAN'T BE!"

Alexis: "How does it feel, Helena? To know you put your trust into the one person you loath with a burning passion? That you were absolutely clueless about who I really was this ENTIRE TIME? Violated? Hurt? Angry? [viciously] GOOD! Now you know exactly how you've made everyone feel your entire LIFE!"

Alexis lunged forward, tackling Helena against the vanity hard and causing the mirror behind her to shatter upon impact. Helena began to struggle with Alexis, both woman falling to the floor as they fought to gain the upper hand.

Alexis: "I came here to kill you, and i'm not leaving until YOU'RE DEAD!"

Helena rolled on top of Alexis, grabbing a shard of glass that had fallen to the floor and holding it to her nieces throat. Alexis fought off her attack, holding Helena's hand at bay as she tried to slice the bitches throat.

"You have ALWAYS been a failure, Alexis! Today will be NO EXCEPTION!"

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire — The White Queen’s Chambers

They were in the garage, sitting in the cab of her car. She was about to do the unthinkable, but even joining her mother at Hellfire was better than watching her family stand up for her, and die as a result. Cameron wasn’t trying to talk her out of it. He understood her better than anyone, but that was really no surprise. They’d always understood each other implicitly. He connected with her mentally again, and it was comforting.

He told her that he loved her, and that it seemed stupid to him now how much time they’d wasted being afraid of saying that. She was so stunned to hear it that she let him keep talking without interruption, as he told her many times that despite many different circumstances that threatened to force them apart, he still loved her.

Cameron: “Even if you really end up being the monster you think you are, I will still love you Haleigh.”

They kissed, and it was like all the horrible shit in her life didn’t exist for a few precious seconds. He told her he didn’t think anything could really keep them apart, not the Six or Mystech or even Diana. They kissed again, and she was about to completely forget she even had to go when some thugs interrupted them. A slaughter occurred then, as if Haleigh’s pulse hadn’t already been hot enough.

When the gang laid dead at their feet, Cameron caught her gaze again, and then they were in each other’s arms, pushing aside clothing, falling up against a car. Neither of them were going to put a stop to it. They had gotten in their own way for too long, and this threatened to be their last chance to be together. So fuck everything else, because they were going to fuck each other like it was their last night alive, in case it was.

It was a danger, after so many years of unrequited desire, that there could be disappointment. There wasn’t. She could still remember the smell of him, his warmth, the way he felt. Being with Cameron was unlike anything else, came with a depth of feeling she hadn’t experienced, even with Zach. She never wanted to touch another man again, but deep down she knew that wouldn’t be possible where she was going.

It was the last nice thing she got before coming to Hellfire, and his was the first love she betrayed. But it had to be that way. She couldn’t let herself think about him in this place. She had to crush what she felt for him, tear it asunder as much as possible. She could not allow herself to cherish it or to find solace in the memory or to need it in any way, for fear she’d be sent to hurt him.

Waking up was a painful experience, not just because she had to leave him again. She was sprawled facedown on the floor next to the bed. Her skull seemed three sizes too small for her brain, which was in a constant state of ache. She must have tossed herself out of bed, it wouldn’t be the first time. Usually it was nightmares that did it, but this hadn’t been one. She hadn’t cut his throat in this dream, which was a marvel considering she’d watched her sister’s old friend Gabe get the pez dispenser treatment last night, and been able to do nothing but stand there watching mutely. That had been fairly horrifying, but that was her life now.

When she lifted her head slowly, she looked around to realize this wasn’t her room. She pushed herself up to her knees, ignoring her stiff body and the way her head felt like a balloon about to pop. This was the White Queen’s room. Her mother was in a deep sleep in the bed, looking half a corpse. She wanted help take her all the way to dead. She reached for her gun, and that was when Haleigh realized her mother wasn’t controlling her anymore.

She backed away silently, worried that her murderous intent would wake her mother, and then she’d be taken over once more. She had to be careful. Last night had been the worst of her life. She told herself it could have been worse still, just to be able to stomach it. She hadn’t killed Delilah like she’d been ordered, and though she spent the rest of the time a literal slave to her mother’s wishes, she hadn’t killed Seph either. That had been close. She had been fighting with all she had, but in the end Seph had saved herself by submitting.

Haleigh stood as still as possible, scarcely daring to breathe as she checked the camera feeds for her sister now. She was okay, alone with Alek, for however long that would be allowed. She didn’t watch them for more than a minute. There was another feed nearby that caught her attention. Helena was in bed with a woman, which was unusual for her. Haleigh might have shrugged it off, though, if it weren’t for the knife, and the fact that the woman atop Helena looked like a ghost from the past.

It wasn’t too long ago that Haleigh had sworn herself to help Helena, made a deal with a devil to keep her sister alive. But last night Helena had reneged that deal, gloated and taunted Haleigh. It had infuriated her, so much so that she’d very nearly overthrown her mother’s control and punched Helena right in her haughty mouth. Unfortunately she hadn’t been successful. But now she smiled, because Helena had set the bar herself. No honor among bitches, and it seemed they didn’t need to ‘stick together’ after all. So that bitch could fend for herself. Haleigh looked back at Diana, who was still out cold.