Casualties of War

Hellfire — the Catacombs

Zach renewed his efforts on Helena with extreme prejudice. He told her that he’d killed his father like this, by way of heart attack, so that she’d recognize the signs and know she was dying. She struggled, buckled under his onslaught, and managed to reply that he was as weak as his father.

“So says the Queen kneeling to ME.”

He replied, his voice low and gravelly. His heart was racing and sweat rolled down his skin, but he pushed through the pain, his tunneled gaze locked on Helena, his focus sharp. Ashley reached in to help hasten the results, and Alexis recovered enough to lend a hand as well. Helena burst into a swarm of bees, and slipped out of Zach’s hold like sand through a fist.

He grunted in frustration as she disappeared, and sank hard into a chair to catch his breath. His chest heaved as he unzipped the jacket of his battle suit partway to let some ventilation in. He tried not to think about how nauseous and exhausted he felt, as he waited for the dizziness to pass. When it did, he pounded on the table with a balled fist.

“I almost had her!”

He scowled. There was chatter on the comms, had been for a while. He couldn’t have been paying attention before, but now he did. Oracle told them all the Queens were now together in the White Wing. The rest of the transmissions had to do with arranging care and evacuate for Titan. Zach’s brow creased with concern as he listened until it was clear Andrew had gotten out. Then he looked at Ash.

“He’ll be okay. They’ll take care of him.”

He said, more to convince himself than anything. His gaze shifted to Alexis, who seemed to be looking at something in the room. An illusion, maybe? Zach pushed himself up from the chair and moved quickly to Ash’s side, putting himself between her and Alexis protectively. When Alexis broke out of her trance, though, she didn’t attack. Zach breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“We should all stick together. We have two options, chase Helena and face all three Queens with the Six team, or regroup with our own and bring down the rest of the mansion.”

He said to both of them, then looked at Ash.

“What do you think, babe?”
 
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The hits from the psionic wands were weakening Alexis substantially, her shield flickering as she struggled to regain her composure and attack the Red Guards. But Orion surprising peeled himself away from Ashley long enough to help her out, getting rid of a few of the guards and allowing Alexis to finish off the last two by encasing them in invisible bubbles and sending them flying across the room head first into the wall, a sickening crunch heard as their necks broke. Alexis got to her feet, her body tingling from the residual feedback of the psionic energy. Zach began to attack Helena, Ashley amplifying it with her own power. Helena was on her knees struggling hard and Alexis reached out her hand and began to squeeze around Helena's body with invisible energy, focusing on her chest since she was already having a hard time breathing. The vice like grip got tighter and tighter and Helena looked like she was seizing up when suddenly she exploded into a swarm of bees, flying around the room before disappearing into the vents. Alexis let out a low sigh as she raked her fingers through her short hair with frustration. If it wasn't Emiko, it was Helena's on resourcefulness that was keeping the bitch alive. Helena ran her mouth a lot, but she survived as long as she did for a reason. She had no qualms about retreating to regroup.

Alexis placed her hand to her ear, listening to the security feed throughout Hellfire. The Queens were all regrouped within Diana's chambers, the six had made it to the White Wing, Rampage and Gorgon were still fighting in the Black Wing, and The Birds were evacuating due to an injury. Alexis was prepared to head to the White Wing when she saw a flickering of energy in front of her before Cameron fucking King was there.

Cameron: "You didn't think I'd leave without saying hello, did you?"

Ashley and Zach were talking to each other, so obviously Cameron was only projecting himself to Alexis.

"I really don't care what you think."

Cameron hadn't been around during the Blackout situation, supposedly 'dead', or so everyone thought. Alexis had no feelings in regards to Cameron King at this point in her life, other than he would do anything to protect the people who turned their backs on Alexis without a second thought. The very same people who used to turn their backs on HIM. Alexis lost far too much time because of the six and their allies to EVER associate herself with them again, and that included Cameron King.

Cameron: "I don't know how the hell you got here, but nothing makes much sense these days. What I do know is that you don't intend to leave this mansion without Helena's head on your hip. I intend to do the same thing with Diana. Which means we can serve each other's interests."

"The only interest I serve is MY OWN. Now get the fuck out of my head, Cam."

But he kept going.

Cameron: "Helena is in Diana's chambers, where we are about to storm. Thankfully for me, Helena wants you dead more than she wants to save Malice. You really want your chance? Now's the time...You can help the B team and their friends, or you can get your ass up to The White Wing and get the pound of flesh you so righteously deserve."

Alexis groaned out and rolled her eyes, his speech getting on her nerves.

"Jesus Christ, you're sounding like an after school special with this 'lets rally the troops, go team go!' bullshit. I don't need a fucking pep rally, Cameron. I WILL get my pound of flesh. Now GO AWAY."

But he kept going, AGAIN. Was this computer automated? Like an astral projection telemarketer?

Cameron: "And if Diana dies before Helena? I will help in whatever way I can to destroy her...I failed you before. Let me help make it right."

"Oh don't you fucking dare. There is NO making up for what was done to me. I don't want your help or your pity."

Alexis walked through the astral projection, batting at it as she went, like she were walking through a swarm of pests.

Cameron: Hope to see you shortly. And Alexis? -- It's really good to see you again."

"Oh fuck off."

He finally disappeared and that was when Alexis noticed Zach standing defensively in front of Ashley. As if that would help if Alexis wanted to attack them.

[deadpan] "What?"

Zach sigh out with relief realizing Alexis wasn't about to attack.

Zach: “We should all stick together. We have two options, chase Helena and face all three Queens with the Six team, or regroup with our own and bring down the rest of the mansion.”

"Or options three: you two do whatever you want, and I go back to working alone."

Alexis began to head for the conference room door.

"Teams get you killed, or worse."

She softly stated, her tone a bit more somber than prior.

"Take the passage away from the Aqua Ring to get to the main foyer. They're likely going to release the biohazards."

Ashley would be aware that the majority of the biohazards were kept near the Aqua Ring, so while going in that direction was quicker, it would be far more dangerous. Alexis' body disappeared from sight as she began to make her way to the White Wing.
 
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The Queen's Conference Room

Ashley was enjoying Helena's pain, pushing her power into her, hurting her. She has ordered Zach attacked, said horrible things to him, hurt Zizi, killed Gabe. She deserved to feel this before she died.

Helena: "I got...rid of the..TRASH. And...he'll [Alek]...DIE SOON...ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU WILL!"

Ashley was doubtful that Helena would ever go through with killing her golden boy, but that was neither here nor there to her. And Helena would be dead before she got the chance. Alexis added her power to theirs, binding Helena, constricting her. Helena was on all fours in front of them. This was their moment of triumph.

And then Helena was gone in a swarm of bees.

"NO!"

She turned to look at Zach, who was sweaty and looked like he'd just run a marathon. He sank into a chair, and Ashley moved to kneel beside him.

"Are you okay?"

She jumped as Zach pounded his fist on the table.

Zach: “I almost had her!”

Andrew was being evacuated, which left Recall and Steel in the Black Wing, and everyone else going after Malice in the White.

Zach: “He’ll be okay. They’ll take care of him.”

Ashley rubbed his arm and gave him a sympathetic smile. She knew he was worried.

"Yeah they will."

She turned to see Alexis staring off in to space. She stood up and walked a few steps towards her, trying to figure out what she was doing. Then Zach was standing protectively between them, which made her smile in spite of the fact that Alexis might be seeing some illusion and preparing to try and kill them.

Alexis: [deadpan] "What?"

But apparently, she wasn't going to kill them right now, so for Zach that meant they were a team.

Zach: “We should all stick together. We have two options, chase Helena and face all three Queens with the Six team, or regroup with our own and bring down the rest of the mansion.”

Alexis: "Or options three: you two do whatever you want, and I go back to working alone. Teams get your killed, or worse."

"Yeah, usually. But we're better than the other ones."

Alexis: "Take the passage away from the Aqua Ring to get to the main foyer. They're likely going to release the biohazards."

And then Alexis disappeared. Ashley let out an exasperated sigh.

"I wish she would stop DOING that."

Zach: “What do you think, babe?”

"Well,"

Ashley pursed her lips in thought, putting an arm around Zach and starting to rub his back. She didn't like how he'd been looking a few minutes ago. Her mind ran through the possibilities, which she then vocalized.

"As much as I'd like to just say fuck 'em to the Six, go get Viv and John and hightail it out of here...Steel along with Rampage with Recall giving instructions should be more than enough to bring down the Black Wing. I don't think we're really needed there. AND we did of course actually come here to get [makes air quotes] "Black Widow" out of here."

She looked into Zach's face.

"And if Helena's with Malice - the others probably won't bother with her, especially if Alek has been weaving a tale for them about focusing on Malice. We owe it to Zizi to follow her. We were so close - we can't stop now. As long as you're feeling okay."
 
Hellfire — The White Wing

Her Queen wanted the captives secured, so Heidi waved over a couple of guards to take care of it. She looked away for five seconds, and when she checked back, the two women were gone. Outraged, she questioned the guards, who only stammered so stupid responses. She hit them both with narrow jets of water that were so concentrated they bored into the guard’s eyeballs and out through the backs of their heads.

The men dropped dead, as Heidi turned to see her Queen was taking the loss in stride. The Black Queen had a new assignment for Heidi, and she nodded as she pulled a phone from the pocket of one of the guards. She tried accessing their security app, but only got a link to ‘forces remaining’. How could they only have 30 left, out of the scores they normally had? Heidi told her Queen she needed to go to the control room.

She was reluctant to leave Diana, but if the Queens wanted her to take command, she’d have to. And she could send them back up, though truthfully she doubted they’d need it. They were Queens, after all. The Six were on a suicide mission. Her Queen gave her leave to go, and Heidi nodded as she was instructed to regroup at the Arklay Replica if necessary.

When she got to the control room, she found complete bedlam. Alarms were sounding off, people were shouting and arguing, and the screens were either playing the countdown, or replaying some footage of their men getting killed, and if nobody was dying on screen it was because they were all dead, or fire and explosions were overtaking and destroying the source camera.

Heidi commanded the alarms to be silenced at once, so she could think. Apparently they were struggling to shut the sirens off, even, and had no control over anything. Heidi hit the speakers with blasts of water to destroy them, and then there was blessed silence. A dozen pairs of eyes shifted to look at Heidi.

“Alright. Who’s the highest rank here and what do we know?”

She asked, and got the report. The Red Court, in its entirety, had turned on its Queen and the Red Wing was in ruins, heavily damaged and spreading fire to the rest of the mansion. The Black Court was dead or dying, and a contingent of the enemy was destroying the structure as they fought their way through it. The White Wing had just suffered a devastating explosion.

Biohazards had been released between the two remaining wings, to cut a line between the birds in the Black Wing and the Six in the White. That would serve two purposes, to flank the enemies, attacking them from behind, and to prevent them from consolidating to focus on the White Wing. That was all good and well, but none of it would matter if the whole place burned down around them.

“How did I become in charge of the bloody fire brigade?”

Gia: “Well, at least the White Princess didn’t chain you to the floor.”

Heidi glanced to her left to see Gia’s masked face. The girl was rubbing her throat with one hand, tossing a power suppression collar aside with the other. Heidi sighed. Of course the one Inner Circle member left at her disposal was the bratty little mafia princess. She was practically useless. Heidi would give another head just to have Emiko here instead, but nobody seemed to know where the White Rook had gone.

Heidi mulled over what tasks she could give to Gia. Sending her to die at her Queen’s side was tempting, but a bit of a waste. And since Heidi would have her hands full putting out fires, there was another priority high on her list that even Gia might be able to manage. It was worth the risk.

“I want you to go find Dr. Jack Chondrich in his lab. Tell him to secure the Aqua Ring, and evacuate to the Arklay Replica. D’you think you can handle that, Gia?”

Gia lifted her mask to reveal a face Heidi didn’t recognize. The woman had dark grey eyes and a more serious demeanor than Gia had ever presented.

Adriana: “Gia’s gone, and I can handle anything. I’ll get your Dr. Kondrick out. Does he know where Arklay is?”

Heidi stared for a moment, weighing what she should do about this imposter, this infiltrator wearing the mask Diana had given Gia. There wasn’t time to really think about it. If she could be used to save Jack, then she could be dealt with properly later, when the house wasn’t burning down. Heidi nodded to answer the woman’s question, and then the imposter replied that she’d see her at Arklay, before turning abruptly to leave. Heidi watched her go for a moment, and then she began barking instructions at the staff remaining before heading up to the Red Wing to drench the fires.
 
Hellfire — The White Wing

Haleigh captured the White Bishop but wasn’t going to execute her, a decision Max apparently took umbrage with. He implied Haleigh was a true Hellfire member, a comment that Alek retorted should be taken as a compliment. Haleigh didn’t like being rebuked by the likes of Max, though, so she derisively asked if he expected her to murder the woman.

Max: "Either she's got crimes to kill her for - or for you fluffy heart squad folks, arrest her for - or not."

Haleigh rolled her eyes. Fluffy fucking heart squad. He could be so condescending sometimes. Was that what he thought of Delilah? Haleigh was starting to think she’d maybe done Delilah a favor in killing the romance. She hoped her friend would find someone less patronizing.

“Well I know I’ve committed crimes I could get the death penalty for. And you aren’t a saint either, my friend. In fact I’m sure all of us here would find ourselves on death row if we didn’t cover up our messes habitually. So which of us has the moral superiority to sit in judgement of the rest, huh? Maybe Delilah, but I’m pretty sure she wants us both D-E-A-D, so I’m thinking the fluffy heart squad is the one where we don’t act as judge, jury, and executioner just because it’s fucking convenient.”

She fired back, and then Cameron broke in to remind Max that they were going after the real threat. Max was stubborn, though, and insisted Haleigh was untrustworthy. To a certain degree that was true, in that Diana could and would turn her. But while Haleigh had control of herself, she’d done everything she thought she could get away with to mitigate the damage done. In many cases she’d been punished for it, but none of them seemed to care about what she’d been through. Delilah had openly mocked her for it, in fact.

Haleigh understood, her friend was hurt and angry. It was frustrating, but something they needed to address later. Right now they needed to deal with the threat her mother posed. However, Haleigh did want to get one thing straight with Max. If she’d wanted to hurt Alexia, she would have. The threat was empty, obviously, though she suspected it was something her mother might order. And conveying that threat had been intended to serve as a warning for them to circle the wagons. She reminded him that she had been pulling every punch, and that she could easily have killed him before.

Alek: "How didn't you kill this guy?"

“I didn’t want Delilah to have to bury him. Or Alexia to grow up looking for a father figure, like I did.”

Max: "Even if you're not a monster. Your mother is. And she's in the driver's seat, isn't she, Haleigh?"

“Yep. So you’d better watch your back, Max.”

She sneered, giving him a once over.

“What’s this, Kevlar?”

She asked rhetorically, before reinforcing his armor with ceramic plate over his vitals, both front side and back. She wanted to give him a helmet, but was concerned that if she did, when she turned she’d just crush that helmet. If she was thinking it now it’d be a go to option as Scion, and then his head would be pulped as easily as a tomato in the hand.

“Don’t forget to keep your fucking head down, tough guy.”

She warned, and then she told the others that Malice had set up a defensive position in her chambers at the end of the hall.

“It looks like it’s just the three Queens now.”

She added, and then Adriana called after them, insisting she could be trusted. Given that even a preliminary records search revealed Adriana had recently been released from Blackwell’s, Haleigh shut that down quickly, advising her to call her lawyer, while Alek consoled her with a ‘maybe next time’. The woman seemed lucid, but Haleigh didn’t know her well enough to trust she wouldn’t get triggered and turn on them. Adriana resigned to her fate and asked for a chair, which Haleigh produced by flicking her wrist over her shoulder as she walked away.

Alek joined Haleigh by her side, while Max positioned himself to cover Delilah’s six. Haleigh chuckled as Max asked for his guns back, and Alek replied that if he though Max could actually do damage with them, he wouldn’t let the man have them. Then Alek turned to her with his usual perverse grin, asking her for a picture of her as a redhead. Haleigh glanced at him, a knowing little smile on her lips and an arch forming on one eyebrow.

“Stick around a while, you might get to see it in person. As soon as I’m free of my mother, I’m going back to my roots.”

She replied, before Cameron sent a telekinetic blast through the White Wing that destroyed much in its path. That was sexy... she thought, watching the back of Cameron as he walked ahead of her. Then many replicas of his attractive backside appeared in front of her, and Haleigh smiled even wider. She looked around, spending time on each hologram. They even each had heart beat sounds. It was a smart move. If Haleigh was made to attack she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake very easily. Well done, Delilah.

Kelly unleashed a swarm of nanites, and laser shields began to form around all the pairs of Camerons and Delilahs until they were protected. Alek picked up a slab of granite to shield himself and Haleigh, who manifested a flamethrower and blasted any nanites that came around the edges. The air around them became quite warm, and the parts of the debris around them that were flammable caught fire. Haleigh laughed when she realized the fire suppression equipment had been disabled.

Despite everything around them now roasting, Haleigh felt cold washing over her. Her levity died as she focused to resist her mother’s hacking of her mind. She put up a good fight, for several seconds, but her mother was getting familiar with her mind and she seemed stronger than ever. Haleigh was once again forced under, and Scion rose up to her mother’s command.

“Kill the flatscan, Aleksander.”

She said, before turning her attention on the nearest set of Cameron and Delilah. They had a laser shield over and around them, but underneath them was bare floor. Scion lifted a hand, and sharp metal spikes emerged instantly from the floor, impaling what turned out to be just holograms. The spikes disappeared and then Scion turned to the next pair.
 
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Hellfire — The White Queen’s Chambers

Kelly: "Diana, dear. There is no less exposed position - the Oracle and the Prophet have us right in their sight. We need to strike them NOW."

“PATIENCE, Kelly. FOOLS rush in.”

:: Diana was watching more than one group at work. She’d sent Emiko to evacuate Helena, but the little lovebirds had caught back up to her, and were haranguing her along with Alexis. Diana wasn’t about to get involved with the Six group when it looked like it might be necessary to step in where Helena was concerned. That little brat Alexis should’ve been GRATEFUL they didn’t abort her all those years ago. Instead she was getting her ‘revenge’. Did she think she’d succeed just because Nordic Barbie and the emotional basket case were helping her? Helena escaped and regrouped with them. Diana helped her up while Kelly healed her.::

:: Diana’s focus went back to the other group she’d been keeping an eye on, what was left of the Six. Malice watched through Bishop’s thoughts. The big dumb oaf wouldn’t even recognize her presence in his mind, and it was easier to shield herself from Cameron’s detection. She knew he’d be busy monitoring Haleigh’s mind for infiltration. ::

:: The group was bickering as always. How they even managed to function was a wonder. Diana saw the Red Knight, as usual beholden to Haleigh since Persephone wasn’t around. What a man would do for a woman who let him into her bed. He’d have to be mind-wiped now, or killed. Either was fine with Diana.::

:: The flatscan was focused on protecting Delilah, which was such a joke that Diana laughed softly. Even MORE entertaining was Delilah’s furious rebuttals. Unfortunately the closest they came to discussing their plan was Delilah telling Bishop that Haleigh was NEEDED for it. Diana’s lips curved into a cutting smile. They weren’t going to have their precious Haleigh for LONG. ::

Kelly: “I was just telling Malice that the time to wait is over.”

“And I was just telling Kelly that a smart cat doesn’t WASTE ENERGY chasing mice around the house when she can wait for the PREY to present THEMSELVES.”

:: Kelly reiterated that they needed to attack, but Diana ignored her, going into her diamond form as Cameron was preparing to attack. They were destroying the mansion, like children throwing temper tantrums. Kelly released a swarm of nanites and a maelstrom of dark energy. Diana focused immediately on capturing her daughter’s mind.::

:: As usual, there was resistance, but Diana had the boost of having siphoned off Rampage’s telepathy. It was only a short struggle before she had the girl’s mind in her grips. Haleigh was forced to surrender, and became Scion, ready and willing to take orders again. Diana told her to have Aleksander kill the flatscan, while she focused her efforts on Delilah and Cameron. ::

Cameron: "Oh Diana, I'm HOME!"

“Been PRACTICING that in the mirror, haven’t you?”

:: Diana deadpanned, before she noticed Delilah was turning to focus on her.::

“Well well, little lightengale. I see you’ve fallen back on your SUICIDAL tendencies. You can’t keep a MAN no matter WHAT you try, your friends decided behind your back to SAVE your child from having to be raised by you, and rather than getting your SHIT together, you’ve come here to die. How PATHETIC. But I suppose I should be pleased, you’ve brought my DAUGHTER back to me, and presented me with my all-time FAVORITE victim, Cameron King. You’ve even lured the rambunctious little flatscan Bishop here. Do you think he’ll cry over your dead body? I DO HOPE SO.”
 
Hellfire — The White Wing

Alek was finding it difficult to figure out how Haleigh hadn't already killed this Bishop guy. He was a flatscan, with a mouth. A combination that wouldn't keep him alive long.

Haleigh: “I didn’t want Delilah to have to bury him. Or Alexia to grow up looking for a father figure, like I did.”

"Oh, you old softie."

He said it good-naturedly though. The child was a better reason than most. And it wasn't like he was actually a threat to Haleigh. He would have told the guy not to push his luck, but Haleigh beat him to it before giving them intel on what was happening in the wing.

Haleigh: “It looks like it’s just the three Queens now.”

Shit - that meant Helena was definitely with the others. He was trying to work out a plausible reason for being with these people. For now, he stuck with Haleigh, because the truth - that he was protecting Malice's daughter - was still an option. He leaned in to ask Haleigh for a picture of herself as a redhead.

Haleigh: “Stick around a while, you might get to see it in person. As soon as I’m free of my mother, I’m going back to my roots.”

"Well, it certainly explains the temper."

Prophet started things off, with a huge psionic blast rocking the entire wing. Then Morninstar set up duplicates of the two of them all over the place as decoys. That was pretty smart, assuming that the Queens guessed wrong when they attacked...which the Black Queen did. Alek picked up a section of wall and used it as a shield for he and Haleigh; she burnt to a crisp any of Talisman's nanites who made it to their side. Alek wasn't attacking - he was purely playing defense.

He noticed Haleigh's face go blank.

"Haleigh?"

And then he saw the strange halo over her head that she had described to him.

Aw, fuck.

Scion: “Kill the flatscan, Aleksander.”

"You got it."

Oh, right, he wasn't supposed to kill Haleigh's "friends". Though he suspected she was better off without the flatscan around. He could always get a lucky shot in. Plus, he was a pain in the ass. Though Alek was pretty sure Seph wouldn't want him to kill any of them either. But deep down, she'd in all actuality probably be okay with it, considering how Douchebag #1 had tried to kill her just in the past hour or so.

That thought started bringing others with it, ones he did not want to think about right now, concerning Seph's well-being at the moment. So he pushed it out of his mind and focused on the situation at hand.

He threw the piece of wall he was holding at the flatscan. To his credit, Bishop reacted quick enough to shoot at it which broke it up, though he was still buried under the rubble. Alek casually returned to Haleigh's side.

"What's next?"

Alek brought up the EMP wand, not flipping it on until the last moment, as he pressed it into Haleigh's back.
 
Oracle: "Recall, Citadel is inbound for extraction. Once Titan is safely in his care, proceed to rendezvous with Rampage. Then bring the Black Wing down."

Steel: "Copy that, Oracle."

She had to admit, she was a bit pleased with herself. She'd always been quick on her feet, but she was finding her ability to be thriving in a group setting. And the more she got to know her teammates, the stronger she would be.

Citadel: "Extraction Express. I take it this is my passenger?"

Steel: "Yes. Be...careful."

"Careful. He's been roughed up enough."

Danny dissappeared in an instant as John expressed a hint of regret.

Steel: "Maybe one of us should have gone with them."

"He's in good hands. And we have a vengeance plot to get going.."

Steel made sure the coast was clear like the gentleman that he was and the two began to make their way towards Rampage, but not before she grabbed a few bottles of rubbing alcohol and other combustible materials with her, unloading them and spraying them against the walls of the Black Wing as she went. They had nearly killed Andrew. And they murdered Gabe in front of Zizi. The Birds of Prey were going to send a message right back to Hellfire. Vivica fully intended to set the mansion on fire and watch it burn into ash. She continued to walk with Steel.

Oracle: [via com] "Make a right at the next hallway. You should be able to see Rampage up ahead."

Vivica nodded.

Steel: "So, do you really think Zach and Ashley won't go through with it?"

"Well, they are both messy as hell when it comes to love, so I don't doubt they'll go through with it as much as I doubt the validity of their sudden union."

[pausing]

"There's too many loose ends they haven't tied up - in fact, they're ignoring them. He's gonna rescue Haleigh and not feel that swoon of everlasting love afterwards? And Ashley will feel it. She's the most confident jealous woman I've ever met in my life. That's part of the reason I love her - but she does have a tendency to love something until it explodes. And there's the whole Alek and Haleigh thing. I mean it's all so damn con-"

She stopped herself.

"Sorry I just blurted all that out, I just haven't had the chance to say any of this outloud. And I would NEVER say any of this to Zach or Ashley, because I love and support them, but I can't help but to have some concern."

[to John]

"So what are your thoughts, Johnny? You think they'll make it to Paradise? Or Burn in Flames?"

She stopped dead in her tracks. She could see Rampage and an unknown assailant engaged in battle.

"John! There's Rampage! Let's go."

Vivica's foot hit a bit of crushed rubble as she looked down. A pristine statue like shard of part of a face who's identity became morbidly clear to her.

"Cassandra..."

Suddenly, this little battle at Hellfire was getting a bit too real. And it was starting to piss Vivica off. She turned to Steel.

"You go get Rampage and I'll start lighting this bitch up. We get outta dodge and link up with the rest of the birds and finish this goddamn mission."

[smirking]

"Sorry. I'm about to blow up a building. It's got me talking like Bruce Willis."

Vivica turned around, her back turning on Steel as she began to spray the rest of the bottles of liquids and flammable objects down the hall with great speed.

[via com]

"I'll give you a sixty second head start, Steel!"
 
Delilah: "Cameron? See you on the other side."

"Delilah now..."

They executed their opening move flawlessly as Talisman comically attacked a hologram and Haleigh torched the nanites. He underestimated what seeing The Black Queen in person would do to him.

"Oh Diana, I'm HOME!"

Talisman: "Cameron! My baby Boy! What a fantastic surprise. Please....make yourself at home...while you still can."

She looked exactly like his mother, or rather, the image of his mother he wished he had. This woman was part of The Sisterhood, not some mentally twisted victim of Diana, like his actual mother had been. He felt angry, but also a bit happy. Prophet was a cocky man. He had built a life with his image, and a world in his hotel. This Kelly seemed a better fit to be his mother. And it was thinking things like that that made him somehow understand a bit better the types of choices Haleigh and Ava had to make here.

"She's not your mother, Cam."

Delilah's words snapped him back into reality. She was right. And he had bigger fish to fry than his would be mother. He regained focus as Malice turned her attention to them. He could sense a bolster in her power and his eyes widened for a moment.

[to Delilah] "She drained Nicholas. Completely."

He saw Rampage in his mind fighting against Gorgon and The Birds of Prey closing the gap. Relieved that he had backup, Cameron returned his mind to the battlefield and in good time.

Malice: "Well well, little lightengale. I see you've fallen back on your SUICIDAL tendencies.."

Cameron gritted his teeth with rage.

Malice: "You can't keep a MAN no matter WHAT you try, your friends decided behind your back to SAVE your child from having to be raised by you, and rather than getting your SHIT together, you've come here to die. How PATHETIC. But I suppose I should be pleased, you've brought my DAUGHTER back to me, and presented me with my all-time FAVORITE victim, Cameronn King. You've even lured the rambunctious little flatscan Bishop here. Do you think he'll cry over your dead body? I DO HOPE SO."

Prophet flexed out with his power, knocking into The Sisterhood with all his psionic might as they were barrelled apart from each other as Delilah delivered her boom to Talisman. Cameron locked eyes with Diana, giving her a bit of a smirk.

"You realllly love to hear yourself talk, don't you?"

He began to walk slowly towards her.

"Though, I gotta admit. It gets me a bit hard to know you had to siphon the world's 3rd 4th...7th strongest telepath? ...to face little old me?" God that's good..."

Prophet manifested his PSI blade as it's electric crackling blade appeared, his energy swirling around his left arm and chest area.

"But I'm done talking. You know why we're here. So let's go, bitch..."

He seized Haleigh's mind from Diana in a matter of moments in a flex of power, keeping her at bay, but still letting her feel his hold against hers.

[to Haleigh] "Haleigh, stop."

She was promptly batonned by Alek.

"Or that works too..."

Cameron cast Diana out of Haleigh's mind for the time being before delivering a little teaser blast from his blade, his power crackling like lightning towards her.

"Pity to say it, but you just...aren't strong enough to keep hold of Haleigh AND not be consumed by my blade. But before that happens how about a bit of a light show?"

He gave the cue to Delilah. The only way they could pull this off was to completely thwart the focus of Diana and the rest of The Sisterhood. Morningstar's ability to bend and transduce and weave energy was unparalleled. She could deliver a chaotic and never-ending assault on them, annihilate them completely, OR...give Cameron long enough to MURDER Diana while they defended against Delilah.

[to Alek] "I think I can keep Diana out. But stay alert. And find cover. Delilah's about to light this place up like the 4th of July."
 
The White Wing

Delilah couldn't get distracted by the other queens: this was about Malice. She had to keep her focus on the plan.

Cameron: [to Delilah] "She drained Nicholas. Completely."

Jesus.

But they couldn't dwell on it - it was done, and they couldn't let it change anything. They weren't going to give up because of it. And Nicholas would have to take care of himself for now.

Cam, it's done now. Just stick to the plan.

Malice tried to provoke her, but Delilah barely heard it. She was so past caring what that bitch had to say. The only thing she cared to hear from Diana was her death rattle. Cam hit them with a psionic blast, pushing the queens apart.

Cameron: "You realllly love to hear yourself talk, don't you? Though, I gotta admit. It gets me a bit hard to know you had to siphon the world's 3rd 4th...7th strongest telepath? ...to face little old me? God that's good..."

That made Delilah half chuckle.

Petty, petty.

A thought flitted through Delilah's mind about how much Cameron had grown in power since she'd first met him, his psi blade flashing, energy swirling around him. He had focus, and that was good.

Prophet: "Pity to say it, but you just...aren't strong enough to keep hold of Haleigh AND not be consumed by my blade. But before that happens how about a bit of a light show?"

She didn't wait for him to finish before she was summoning her power. She was bursting with it: the mansion coming down around them was supplying her with plenty of juice. She raised her arms away from her sides, spreading her fingers, her eyes glowing with white light. And she threw everything she had at their adversary.

She combined light bursts creating a flash bulb effect with strobe lighting, then added sonic light blasts - ballistic sonic booms followed by flashes of light. These continued rapidly, one after another, over and over without giving reprieve. And finally she lit the place up, quite literally - creating flashes of light of different colors, in two different patterns to alternately stun and then create nausea in their foes. It was full on sensory overload, and Delilah was targeting it around the queens, weaving it around them. There would be no escaping it, no where for them to turn, no where to run. They had gone too far, and now they were going to pay.
 
The Black Wing

Steel felt bad leaving Andrew to a near stranger, but Viv was right: they had to finish what they started. They moved out into the hallway, continuing on to find Rampage. Viv was spraying shit on the walls as they went, and he nodded to her. She was a smart woman, their Viv.

He asked Viv if she really thought Zach & Ash wouldn't go through with the wedding, after a comment she had made earlier. It didn't hurt to keep their minds off Andrew.

Vivica: "Well, they are both messy as hell when it comes to love, so I don't doubt they'll go through with it as much as I doubt the validity of their sudden union."

He looked at her. She was never one to pull punches, but it honestly surprised him that she felt that way.

Vivica: "There's too many loose ends they haven't tied up - in fact, they're ignoring them. He's gonna rescue Haleigh and not feel that swoon of everlasting love afterwards? And Ashley will feel it. She's the most confident jealous woman I've ever met in my life. That's part of the reason I love her - but she does have a tendency to love something until it explodes. And there's the whole Alek and Haleigh thing. I mean it's all so damn con-"

Viv stopped, and he couldn't help but grin at the look on her face.

Vivica: "Sorry I just blurted all that out, I just haven't had the chance to say any of this outloud. And I would NEVER say any of this to Zach or Ashley, because I love and support them, but I can't help but to have some concern."

"I have to admit, I expected you to be more of the 'If they're happy, good for them' POV."

Vivica: "So what are your thoughts, Johnny? You think they'll make it to Paradise? Or Burn in Flames?"

He shrugged.

"I think they're nauseating to be around, for the most part."

He chuckled.

"BUT despite my personal revulsion at the public displays of affection, I do think they are good for each other. Even if it doesn't work out in the end, it's another step forward they both need. But if I'm honest..."

He stopped, and looked at her.

"I think it's real."

He saw Viv's eyes register something, and then she was shouting.

Recall: "John! There's Rampage! Let's go."

He turned his head, and could see fighting at the end of the hall. He remembered Nicholas from the battle against the Purifiers, but he didn't know who he was fighting.

Recall: "You go get Rampage and I'll start lighting this bitch up. We get outta dodge and link up with the rest of the birds and finish this goddamn mission."

John raised an eyebrow at her.

"Damn, Viv..."

Recall: "Sorry. I'm about to blow up a building. It's got me talking like Bruce Willis."

She started spraying the walls of the building, and he started running towards the ongoing battle.

Recall: [via com] "I'll give you a sixty second head start, Steel!"

[via com] "Copy that."

Oracle: [via com] "Sprinkler system is disabled."

Steel put his head down and ran, coming up behind Rampage's foe and unleashing a punch to the center of his back like a targeting battering ram.

Rampage: "Don't look into his eyes!"

Steel looked at Rampage.

"Leave him, this place is about to blow."

Steel hooked his thumb and got ready to hightail it out of there.

"Come with me if you want to live."
 
The Clocktower

Zizi was almost enjoying herself, throwing wrenches into the Hellfire Club's works. Shutting down elevators, locking doors, leading what was left of their troops on wild goose chases. Their coms were nearly worthless to them now, though Oracle was relaying anything of interest back to her Birds.

[via com] "Mina, you and your new friend have a casualty incoming."

Mina Harker: [via com] "Understood."

[via com] "He's been exposed to snake venom. He's been given injections to lower his blood pressure."

[via com] "Citadel, I'm sending coordinates to your phone. Extract Titan from the mansion. Around the corner on 65th and Fifth there is a limousine, license plate New York TRF4364. It belongs to Mina Harker. Take him here. You are expected."

Andrew was hurt, but Zizi had every confidence that Danny would not let her down. She almost had him pull them all out, but no. They needed to finish the job. This was their chance, and she had to trust in her team. Or they'd be waiting for a Hellfire attack for the rest of their lives. Not to mention the countless more innocent lives that Hellfire would be allowed to take if they survived this.

Citadel: [via com] "Mina Harker? Now this is a treat, Oracle. I'll have him out in under sixty seconds. Really ten, but I don't want to sound cocky."

The corners of Zizi's mouth twitched just a bit.

[via com] "No, never."

She watched from a convenient traffic cam as Danny appeared with Andrew in his arms, and hustled him into Mina's car.

Citadel: [via com] "Oracle, I'm worried about this spilling out into the streets. Because if it does, I have to send this place away...no matter who's inside."

[via com] "Understood, Citadel. Give me as much time as you can."

And she did understand. Danny had an obligation to the City, but it wasn't unlike her own or her team's. Destroying Hellfire was important. It was a risk they would have to take. Which was not to say they were going to dawdle. She let Recall and Steel know they had almost reached their objective.

[via com] "Make a right at the next hallway. You should be able to see Rampage up ahead."

She had shut down the sprinkler systems, and cut the line between the mansion and emergency services. No one would be coming to put the fires out.

Persephone had been extracted, and Black Widow was no longer with Hellfire. With the Red and Black Wings destroyed, that would only leave the White, where the queens had been herded. The Six were there, but they were focused on Malice. Not that that was a bad thing, but her Birds had another score to settle. And with Diana fighting her own battle, that would leave them free to get their justice from Helena. Zizi's hand clenched into a fist, but she quickly pushed the thoughts away that were raging through her mind. She had to stay focused on the mission. They were nearly there.

A security feed flashed as Mina's car pulled up to the building. Oracle cleared them and opened the doors, the elevator standing open and waiting. She saw Mina's new friend get out of the car and hold out her hand. Andrew's unconscious body floated out of the back seat, and the girl seemed to steer him inside without touching him. It was fascinating. Mina followed, her driver closing the car door behind them.

When the three were in the elevator and on their way, Oracle initiated a scan of Karen Victoria's young witch. She didn't match to any known mutant or witch in her database. Which didn't mean they shouldn't be cautious, but at least for the time being they could give her the benefit of the doubt.

Computer: "Recognized: Mina Harker, b zero 6. Titan, b zero 7. Alert: unrecognized intruder."

"Computer, override alpha b zero 1."

She met them at the door.

"Put him in the guest room."

She showed them the way, and pulled back the covers on the bed, the witch depositing Andrew on it. She covered him, tucking the blanket around him, then putting her hand on his cheek. He felt warm, which was good.

"Is he...?"

Seraph: "He's alive. He'll be out for a while, though."

"I'm sure the rest will do him good."

The witch followed her back out into the apartment, where Mina was waiting (with her usual perturbed expression).

Mina: "Oracle, this is Alix Osbourne."

Zizi wheeled closer to her, and held out her hand.

"Call me Zizi."

Alix looked wary, but after a pause shook Zizi's hand.

"Thank you for helping him."

Alix shrugged.

Seraph: "I respect Karen Victoria. If she asks me for a favor, I do it."

"Well, we are grateful nonetheless."

Zizi started back towards her workstation, but continued speaking to them.

"Please, help yourself to anything you'd like, and make yourselves at home. Mina, there's hot water in the kettle."

Mina: "Lovely."

Seraph: (under her breath) "I preferred the champagne."
 
Kelly was a bitch, obviously enjoying Helena's moment of misery before finally healing her. But then again, Helena would have done the same. Seeing a King on in pain was highly entertaining. Speaking of entertaining, the entire Suicide Squad decided to finally make their grand appearance, lead by none other than Kelly's son. Helena leaned into Kelly with a smirk.

"I see where he gets his subtleness from."

Helena had more to say, but her face froze in visible anger upon seeing who was WITH Cameron. It seemed as if Diana had lost control over Scion and she was now BACK with the Six....but THAT wasn't what was causing her blood to churn and boil. Oh no. Her sapphire eyes were murderous as she watched Berserker flank Haleigh as the battle began. Cameron and Delilah unleashed an attack that Kelly began to counter. In that moment, Alek protected Haleigh and himself, shielding them from the nanites as Diana began to unleash a scathing verbal assault on Cameron. But that was all in the background, her eyes laser focused on her former Knight.

"After everything i've done for you..."

Helena hissed lowly, her teeth clenched and jaw tight.

"After EVERYTHING I GAVE YOU!"

She screamed, the walls around the chamber warping and pulsing as if they were alive.

Whatever was happening between Cameron, Diana, and Haleigh didn't register to Helena as she stepped forward, pushing through one of Delilah's holograms, eyes locked on Alek. The room pulsed, a vignette of black shadowing around them all. His games were over. His excuses were worthless. And Helena's love for him was as COLD and DEAD as HE would be once she was finished with him.

"You chose the sweets of an ancient pussy over someone who gave you a second chance at LIFE, you repugnant LITTLE BOY! I never would have thought YOU of all people would turn on ME. ME! I will make you SUFFER for playing me a FOOL!"

Just as Delilah unleashed her massive light and sound attack, Helena recoiled in pain trying in vain to cover her eyes and ears from the onslaught. The room's 'pulse' became rapid until the darkness 'exploded' outward and around the sisterhood, Helena warping the reality around them and altering the element of Delilah's light power to that of darkness. The six would see a 'mist' of shadow surrounding where the Sisterhood once was before the mist was then sent exploding out at THEM, blinding them all in darkness.
 
Hellfire — the Catacombs

Zach was frustrated with himself for not being able to provoke a heart attack in Helena fast enough. The horrible woman had managed to escape, and Zach sank hard into the nearest chair to catch his breath and scrutinize his performance. He was so wrapped up in thought that he didn’t even register what Ashley asked him, though he heard her voice. He pounded the table, growling that he’d almost had her. Helena had been very close to dying, but almost didn’t count.

The dizziness and nausea from pushing himself to the limit was beginning to subside, as Zach’s attention was piqued by the comm chatter regarding Andrew’s evacuation. Concern flooded him, but he assured Ashley that Andrew would be taken care of. Ash rubbed his arm comfortingly, and he began to immediately feel better. He gave Ash a small smile and kissed her cheek.

Then he noticed Alexis had a thousand yard stare, and he became worried that Helena was tricking her the way she’d tricked Ashley before. He pushed himself to his feet and positioned between Alexis and Ash protectively. When Alexis snapped out of her daze and didn’t attack, Zach suggested they stick together and proposed the options. Alexis rejected them, sharing her bleak opinion that teams got you killed, or worse, while Ash countered that they were better than the rest.

“YEAH we are.”

He smirked, but Alexis apparently wasn’t in the mood, and she advised them on the route they should take before disappearing. Ash remarked that she wished Alexis would stop doing that, and Zach nodded in agreement before a thought crossed his mind.

“Wait, do you think she’s really been watching us this whole time, or was Helena just saying that to creep us out?”

He asked her. Now that ‘Mystique’ was an identifiable person, Helena’s threats seemed more substantial. Alexis May have turned on Helena, but she clearly had been under cover here in Hellfire for a while.

“Gods, did she lurk around watching us make love and everything?”

He wondered aloud, and then he asked Ash for her opinion on what they should do next. Go help the rest of the birds take down the black wing, or back up the six and chase down Helena. Ash rubbed a hand on his back, giving Zach a significant morale boost as she reasoned through the options. Ash said they owed it to Zizi to pursue Helena, which Zach nodded in agreement with. Then she conditioned the decision on whether or not he was feeling okay. He smiled warmly.

“I feel great—”

He started, and then fell silent. There were noises out in the hall, no doubt coming from the recently released biohazards which were seemingly approaching their position.

“That doesn’t sound good.”

He whispered to her as he knelt to strip a fallen Red Guard of his rifle. He kept his voice down as he trained the rifle at the doorway, preparing to blast whatever came through.

“Do you happen to remember the shortest route to the White Wing, babe?”
 
Hellfire — the Catacombs

Ashley was starting to think maybe Helena had been right about Alexis - she disappeared, leaving Ashley and Zach alone. Not that Ashley was really heart broken about that. But it was damn unsettling.

Zach: “Wait, do you think she’s really been watching us this whole time, or was Helena just saying that to creep us out?”

Ashley shrugged.

"If she could really do that, why wouldn't Helena have had her kill us all in our beds?"

Zach: “Gods, did she lurk around watching us make love and everything?”

"So what if she did."

A devilish smile spread slowly across Ashley's face.

"I'd watch us if I could. We're hot."

She put an arm around Zach and started to rub his back, still inwardly concerned about how he was feeling after his attack on Helena. He asked her opinion on where they should head next, and she felt they couldn't back down from going after Helena. Unless Zach wasn't feeling a hundred percent...

Zach: “I feel great—”

They both could hear noises from the hallway...unnatural noises.

Zach: “That doesn’t sound good.”

He pulled a gun off a dead guard, and aimed for the door.

Zach: “Do you happen to remember the shortest route to the White Wing, babe?”

She gave him a look, scoffing at the question.

"I could detail five underground routes out of Damascus - I can remember my way around this place."

They could hear something throwing itself against the door. She redrew her sword.

"Unfortunately, the shortest way is not going to be the easiest. There's a passage for servants that shouldn't take us too far out of our way though. When we make it through the door, we're going right."

She moved between Zach and the door.

"Stay behind me - I can't get infected."

She turned her head and smiled.

"And aim for their heads."

Ashley took a fighting stance and waited. The door burst open, with three Devil Dogs pushing against each other to get to their prey inside the conference room. The dog that made it ahead of the others leaped into the air, jaws snapping. Ashley stayed still until what seemed almost the last moment, when she released, her sword arm coming forward, the blade spearing the dog through it's mouth and out the back of its head. One down, two to go.
 
Hellfire — The White Wing

Alek: Oh, you old softie.

He teased, when she admitted her reasoning for not killing Bishop outright. She had considered it, and was even going to go through with it up until the second she’d had the knife in her hand. Her eyes tracked Delilah as they walked to their collective doom. Delilah had been one reason Haleigh hadn’t murdered Maxim yet. The other was Alexia. Haleigh’s own father had been taken from her, not just her biological father which was arguably no true loss, but her adoptive father, the one who’d been worth a damn. Haleigh hadn’t wanted to inflict that pain on her god-daughter, a girl she’d reluctantly agreed to raise in the event of Delilah’s demise. Bishop had at least proven himself to be a decent father to Alexia during the Badiane nightmare. So instead of giving him a quick death, Haleigh had struck him more strategically. Serious enough to be a fatal wound, yet slow acting enough to allow him to call for help.

“Yeah, that’s me, captain of the fucking fluffy heart squad.”

She replied in a self-deprecating tone. That’s why your cross time alternate shut down her emotional core. Maybe it IS better that way after all, she considered pensively. It certainly would’ve made everything less painful for her. Max challenged that her mother was in control of her, and Haleigh facetiously agreed. She sniped that he should keep his head down, and then upgraded his armor to give him at least a moderate chance to survive her next attempt on his life, which was undoubtedly coming soon.

They marched on down the hall, quite probably the least cohesive team that had ever been, which was quite an achievement given the Six’s storied and tumultuous past group efforts. Haleigh warned them that they were down to just facing the three Queens now. Alek looked like he’d swallowed a bee. Even without being a mind-reader, Haleigh knew him well enough to guess that he was thinking about Helena, and how he was going to massage the truth when this was over. Clearly he thought there was going to be a ‘Hellfire’ left when they were done. He was mistaken, but Haleigh wanted to reassure him anyway.

“Don’t worry. Cameron is shielding your thoughts from them. Stick with me. When we’re done with Malice you can tell Helena that I made you think I was playing the Six, luring them to the trap, and that I double-crossed you in the end.”

She suggested smoothly. She didn’t want him to feel trapped. A trapped animal could attack anyone. They bantered about her natural hair color for a bit, but then it was time to work. Cameron kicked things off with a telekinetic bomb blast, which was rather sexy, in Haleigh’s opinion. Delilah created holographic duplicates of herself and Cameron, complete with heartbeat sounds, which was clever and would serve well to disguise their true position from the Queens and Haleigh as well.

The Queens returned fire. Kelly unleashed a swarm of nanites. Alek blocked most with an improvised shield of marble stone. Haleigh pulled a flamethrower out of thin air and blasted whatever made it past the shield. Haleigh laughed as the mansion caught fire, realizing that Oracle had shut-off the fire suppression system. She felt something sting the nape of her neck and reached up with her free hand to brush the nanite away, but all that came back on her fingertips was a little smear of blood.

Must have just been some shrapnel, then. Haleigh had bigger problems than a little flesh wound. Her mother was winning the battle for her mind. It should have felt like a furnace in here but Haleigh was cold. Her face went serious as she resisted her mother, but it was a futile effort. Soon enough she was Scion again. She could hear herself telling Alek to kill Bishop, as she attacked the holograms of her loved ones systematically.

There was a wave of warmth, and Cameron’s voice in her head, telling her to stop, and then Alek was rejoining her after taking Max out, asking her what was next. Then he zapped her in the center of her back, and she immediately lost her balance as her spine seized and the electromagnetic pulse shot up into her brain stem. She stumbled into Alek, her expression dazed and confused for a moment. Delilah began to light the place up. Haleigh recovered enough sense to pull Alek into what was left of the nearest alcove.

“Shield your eyes or she’ll scorch your retinas!”

Haleigh warned, but seconds later everything then dark, and then the chill crept back in. Scion peeked out of the alcove with x-ray vision active. Three skeletons grouped together, the Queens. The other two were Cameron and Delilah. Her mother released her grip suddenly. There was a slight pause, and then a bolt of psi-lightning flashed through the darkness and struck the smaller skeleton down.

No! Haleigh thought, but then her mother was back, seizing her thoughts again. Scion manifested a rifle, chambered the first round, and aimed for Cameron. Haleigh resisted, despite the splitting headache it gave her. She didn’t care if she went catatonic, she wasn’t going to watch herself shoot the man she loved. Her whole body started to shake. She shut her eyes and grit her teeth. No no no no NO!
 
Hellfire — The White Wing

:: The children were throwing their tantrums, DESTROYING the place. Diana brought her daughter to heel first. Helena addressed Alek, and Kelly distracted Cameron. Diana smirked as she caught the thoughts running through Cameron’s mind with regards to his mother. This would be TOO EASY. Diana dressed Delilah down, more as a means to hold her focus than anything else. Her daughter was working through the holograms a set at a time, and with each stroke she narrowed the field of targets. It wouldn’t be long before the REAL Cameron and Delilah were impaled.::

Prophet: “Though, I gotta admit. It gets me a bit hard to know you had to siphon the world's 3rd 4th...7th strongest telepath? ...to face little old me?" God that's good..."

“Just like a man, to think everything is about you. Arrogant, FOOLISH cretin. Rampage was an APPETIZER, to which you will be the meal that I chew up and SPIT OUT.”

:: Diana scoffed, as Cameron manifested a psi blade, dividing her attention. Haleigh was as NON-COMPLIANT as ever, but she could be subjugated, with enough effort. Diana had to ease up, however, with Cameron’s psi blade threatening. She didn’t want to sustain a strike from that weapon unless she was in diamond form, but her diamond form also took considerable psi focus. She had to choose.::

:: She allowed Cameron to ‘push her out’ of her daughter’s mind. It benefit her to Let him THINK he was powerful enough to do that. She went to diamond form in time to be unaffected by the first spark from his blade. Delilah started to flash them, but in Diamond form, all Diana needed to do was look away. Helena stepped in to negate the bright lights.::

“Okay Disco Ball. I think it’s NAP TIME for you, little girl.”

:: Diana remarked. Under the cover provided by Helena, Diana dropped out of diamond form and struck back for Haleigh. Just for a few seconds, just long enough to activate Scion’s X-ray vision, and locate the two BRATS wrecking her house. Then she released Haleigh again, letting Cameron ‘win’ again, and in the next instant she seized DELILAH. She forced the mutate to lower her defenses. Then with a salute gesture, she sent a psi-bolt straight at Delilah, holding her mind captive, like a deer in the headlights until the bolt hit her full in the face. As Cameron reacted, Diana’s focus bounced back to Haleigh.::

:: She was feeling the fatigue, but she could still control her wayward daughter. In time she would convert her daughter fully. For now she coerced the girl into shooting Cameron. At least, that was what she commanded her daughter to do. Scion obeyed, but Haleigh put up the fight of her life. Even after absorbing Rampage’s psionic power, Diana was tiring. Between Haleigh’s resistance and Cameron’s attacks, she was going to have to release her daughter. If only she could get the girl to SHOOT HIM FIRST!::
 
It didn't take long for Alexis to make her way from the catacombs to the White Wing, seeing the Devil Dog's snarling and growling as they ran past her invisible form toward where Zach and Ashley were. She didn't care...all she saw was red. She NEEDED to kill Helena, not only for herself, but for Ororo too. Ororo was the only person who had given her a second chance. She was the only person who saw potential in Alexis and allowed her to thrive and learn in Limbo. She was the only person who treated Alexis humanely and not like a traitor who's memory was buried away in embarrassment. Alexis owed so much to Ororo, but first and foremost she owed Ororo this kill. So she waited and watched the battle unfold.

The Queen's huddled together in one corner while the Six and Alek were in the other corner. That revelation didn't surprise Alexis at all. She had witnessed the growth of Alek and Persephone's love within the Red Wing's walls first hand. But to watch Helena's skin turn as red as her dress seeing Alek on the opposing side made a satisfied smirk tug across her lips. But soon her attention was diverted as Alexis noticed the flickering of a halo above Haleigh's head -- Scion was about to resurface. Her eyes narrowed knowing Haleigh's laundry list of excuses would get longer if she hurt anyone during this battle. It was Scion...I wasn't in control...It was my mother. It was all bullshit, but the Six would eat it up like soft serve on a hot day.

Diana: “Okay Disco Ball. I think it’s NAP TIME for you, little girl.”

Alexis attention was then drawn to the White Queen, seeing her do her signature salute pose as a psi bolt formed and began to fly right at Delilah. Alexis hated Delilah. She hated that Delilah had turned her back on her so easily without a single fucking doubt. The 'voice of reason', the 'lightengale' of the group. She was supposed to be the humanity within The Six, yet she fell in line like everyone else and threw Alexis to the wolves. Alexis hesitated watching the bolt...it was like slow motion...and the closer it got to Delilah, the more Alexis felt sick to her stomach. She wanted so badly to see it strike...to see Delilah suffer....but she couldn't. Alexis grimaced, lifting her hand just as the bolt was about to strike Delilah, creating an invisible force field in front of both Delilah and Cameron that the psi bolt struck instead. The residual feedback of the bolt still knocked them on their asses, but it wasn't a death strike.

Damn you...

The only thoughts in her head at that moment were of Alexia and how that sweet little girl loved her mother with ever fiber of her being. How she missed her and had such hope that she would see Delilah again soon. Alexis wouldn't be the reason that little girl lost her her mother...she cared for her too damn much.

The moment went by slowly, only seconds passing before Alexis let all that sentimental shit go and got back to why she was really there. She quickly let off a blast of invisible energy between Helena and Diana and Kelly, sending all the Queen's stumbling away from each other and separating Helena from the others. That was when Alexis made herself visible, grabbing Helena by the throat.

"Boo, bitch."

She threw Helena against the nearby wall, pinning her there with a force field.

"Lets see if your Sister Queens are more concerned about YOU or THEM."

The force field began to push against Helena, quite literally crushing her like a heavy steal compactor to trash.
 
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Hellfire — the Catacombs

Zach shuddered to ask if Ash though Alexis had been watching them make love. Ashley, though, was not the least bit bothered by the idea of an invisible stranger standing in the room and watching them do it. Ash told him that she would watch them if she could, that they were hot. Zach’s expression broke into a sudden grin.

“Oh babe... that can absolutely be arranged. I mean... we could film ourselves... if you were comfortable with that.”

He offered, perhaps a little too eagerly. He cleared his throat, making himself a bit more serious as he brought up their next plan of action, and they discussed what they should do until the noises out in the hall got too close for comfort. Zach knelt by a fallen red guard and took the rifle off the man. He asked Ash if she remembered the shortest route.

Ash: "I could detail five underground routes out of Damascus - I can remember my way around this place."

There was something at the door, violently attempting to breach. Ash drew her sword and told him the shortest route would not be the easiest. Zach slapped the bottom of the rifle’s magazine to ensure it was fully seated, and pulled the charging handle back slight to peek into the chamber and check that it was loaded. He released the bolt and pressed the forward assist firmly with his thumb, then switched off the safety.

Ash: "Stay behind me - I can't get infected."

“My favorite place to be. I’ll watch your backside.”

He replied with a smirk. She smiled and advised him to aim for their heads.

“Good thing we were just at the range a couple weeks ago, eh?”

He suggested before the door finally gave. He pulled the stock into the pocket of his shoulder, lifted the optic to his line of sight, and looked for a target. He grimaced to see they were dogs, but there wasn’t time to hesitate. Ash took down the first one with her sword. Zach gave the other two a bullet each and put them out of their misery.

“Ugh, dogs deserve better treatment than that.”

He commented as he followed Ash out the door. She turned right, and he checked their left flank before turning to follow her. It was a good thing he did, too, because Crimson Heads were everywhere. He snapped his sight from one target to the next, clicking the trigger each time. No misses yet, but the range was so close there was no excuse for poor aim. He and Ash took care of the small group of humanoid biohazards, and then he followed her down the hall.
 
Hellfire — the Catacombs

Zach seemed concerned that Alexis had been watching them have sex for some reason. Ashley would certainly do that, if she could.

Zach: “Oh babe...that can absolutely be arranged. I mean... we could film ourselves... if you were comfortable with that.”

"If you want."

She shrugged nonchalantly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"We could just have sex though, instead of watching ourselves have sex."

The worked out a plan, because obviously they couldn't just stay here in the catacombs forever. And before she'd fucked off, Alexis had let them know the biohazards had been released, so the quickest route to the White Wing would not be the best for anyone not immune to the T virus. Like Zach. Not that they were protected here. The door gave way revealing some infected dogs, which they dispatched relatively easily.

Zach: “Ugh, dogs deserve better treatment than that.”

"You can write an angry letter to MysTech about it after this place is a pile of rubble."

They moved into the hallway as a unit, Ashley looking right while Zach covered her left. He was picking off Crimson Heads with his rifle, while she lopped heads off, clearing their path down the hallway. They turned another corner, then Ash stopped at a door on her left, outfitted with a card reader. If she smashed through it, they couldn't block the path behind them with it.

[via com] "Oracle, uh we got a locked door here."

The door clicked open. Ashley pushed it open to reveal a staircase going upward.

"This leads to a passage parallel to the main corridor. Should get us where we need to go."

Oracle: [via com] "I'm containing the bio hazards the best I can, but it's like herding cats. I'm afraid you're still going to have some to deal with."

[via com] "Do what you can, we'll handle the rest."

The door shut behind them and then emergency lighting clicked on. She started up the stone steps.

"This way."
 
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