God loves, man kills

[Seer]

<< The underground catacombs of St. Patrick's cathedral.>>

<< Dark, cool and gothic.>>

<< But not even unconsciousness is a reprieve for those held CAPTIVE here. As Cassandra Johnson had found out before, now it was Cameron King's turn. Now, Cass is forced to WATCH as Mary Justice focuses her attention on Cameron>>

<< Cameron is STRUCK across the face by the energy baton that Sister Mary Justice carries, jarring him awake.>>


<< They are in a large, dark, circular room, with what APPEARS to be 5 lights in a specific pattern high above his head.>>

<< The shadowed form of Mary Justice is standing before him.>>

<< Like Cass, HE is chained up, wearing a power neutralizing collar a prison cloth.>>

Sister Mary Justice: You do not deserve the sleep of the just, you wretched creature.

<< she slowly taps the head of the energy baton in her palm. After a few moments of silence...>>

Mary Justice: How many lights are there above you?


Cameron: ....5?

<< He is IMMEDIATELY bombarded by ear piercing, brain splattering WHITE NOISE. Then it stops.>>

Mary Justice: No. That is incorrect. Once again. How many lights do you see?

<< Cameron answers, in a smart way that only HE can, only to be bombarded by the white noise again. This time, the burst is longer.>>

Mary Justice: The devil's children cannot see what is true and just. But that's only to be expected from such wicked, imperfect creatures. HOW. MANY. LIGHTS. DO YOU. SEE?

<< Cameron's answer once again brings forth another, LONGER burst of white noise, his head feels like it will explode. His nose is bleeding.>>

Mary Justice: You consort with unholy instruments of death [Silver Swan] and revel in it. You deceive people with your human facade and lure them to the path of destruction.

Mary Justice: You're so used to invading and violating the privacy of minds, the purity of innocent thoughts. You can also PUT thoughts into people's heads, tempt them, just like the snake in the garden of eden. You are EVERY BIT the emmisary of the devil, and you must be forever SILENCED!

<< she raises her hand in a gesture and Cameron is AGAIN bombarded by the awful white noise, to the point that he nearly nashes his teeth. Finally it stops again and he is left slumped over, barely catching a glimpse of the badly beaten and bruised Cass across the way from him.>>

<< The two team mates now face brutal treatment at the hands of a woman who believes she is directed by god. Cass' spirit is nearly broken, she believes that Harbinger was killed by the Purifiers. How can she possibly tell Cameron this!? but the presence of Cameron has given her some HOPE and even though he is depowered, he somehow senses that. He must now do all he can to by her time...by BOTH of them time to HANG ON while their friends...their FAMILY tried to find and rescue them!>>
--------------------------------
<< Charope, Llc>>

<< The members of the Six and their allies have had a chance to be healed and recover their strength.>> They are now, at least, stable- healed in body and soothed in mind, but none are truly at peace.>>

<< In these precious moments of calm, they had a chance to talk amongst themselves and prepare to carry on. Cameron and Cass' lives were hanging in the balance, and they knew it.>>


<< That will only come when they finally rescue their friends AND deal with the Purifiers. Now they have a better chance of doing so.>>


<<The Six and their allies may have been thrown off, and BURNED...but they were now slowly starting to come back together and see clearly and as any enemy of the past had learned, the Six could only be kept down for so long before it was their turn to STRIKE BACK.>>

<< Oracle needed to talk with Zach and Vivica. That communication would not go unnoticed by Haleigh, and the time was at hand for Vivica and Zach to explain just who their other connections were. NO more surprises, no more secrets. That was something The Six knew all too well could cost them. But would their pride allow them to accept that outsiders had ALREADY been providing them with much needed assistance?>>


--------------------------------

<< Isis and MorningStar have decided to go hunting. Using her unique connection to sense the plight of the weak and distressed, Isis manages to focus in on a homeless mutant just on the outskirts of Central Park who has been found and is being beaten by a trio of Purifiers. But THIS time, instead of killing them all, they CAPTURE one of them, in order to obtain vital information. MorningStar advises Isis to let HER handle this part, and Isis agrees. >>

<< They now have their captive in...the old warehouse that was once owned by BISHOP and now had fallen under MorningStar's posession>>


--------------------------------

<< Harbinger and Tachyon move across rooftops, toward St.Patrick's cathedral, but before they get any further to the building, they duck inside a smaller building on a high floor.>>

<< The precog wants a chance to scan inside the cathedral and see how many guards are present and the most likely time threads surrounding their attempt to go inside the building. She's also still rather ShAKEN by her encounter with the Nimrod component, which had GROWN before her very eyes.>>

<< She and Xavier have managed to be...civil thus far, but she is STILL not terribly happy with him. She knows though that it is to her BENEFIT to have him by her side and she HOPES that he is as "good" as HE thinks he is.>>

<< Inside the small storefront on the top floor, Harbinger sits in a meditating position, floating above a blue/black glowing pentagram of magick as energy chimes and hums around her.
She is reaching out with her power as a SEER now as Xavier watches.>>

Harbinger <<she JOLTS a bit as she registers the presence and PAIN of Cameron deep within the Cathedral's hidden underground network>> Cameron...they've captured him..

<< she says softly as she continues to float and "see"as Xavier scans the streets outside around the Cathedral, eventually turning back to look at the Precog.>>

---------------------------------

<< Detective Steel has been in contact with Oracle and Vaklyrie as well. Clandestine Inc did an amamzing job "CLEANING UP" ground zero of the bus attack, leaving very little trace of what actually occurred. They also got Rose and the surviving children to safety. The general public would never really know what happened, but Oracle, Valkryie and Steel did. Oracle had seen Dominique attack another group of purifiers after she was released from custody. She'd also seen that same group of purifiers murder the parents of a baby, before nearly killing the baby. Hard as it may have been to believe, Oracle was not so certain that Steel and Valkryie were on the right track about Dominique and NOW that MorningStar had seemingly joined her? AND they had gone after ANOTHER group of Purifiers and captured one of them...Should she TELL Steel this? Valkyrie was dying to get out on the streets before anything MORE happened. She felt that she had missed too much already. >>

 

[Ruby]

:: Cass still thought she was her former self, Bryda Jesko. Whether it was a psychotic break or some kind of amnesia, Cass was in the mindset of Bryda. She had all the feelings of Bryda, and all the thoughts and emotions of who she was. Her “Cass” memories were still there…SOMEWHERE. But, for now at least, Cass was Bryda again. ::

:: She watched with half-hearted interest as the guards brought in another prisoner; a man. The main leader, Frau Mary, soon entered and started to attack him! ::

*Polish*: ”Szalony Suka…”

:: Bryda!Cass winced at the white noise. At the brief reprieve, she sighed. ::

“STOP IT! He’s unconscious, you stupid COW…”

:: The guards beat her and so she was forced to watch this brutal attack on one who didn’t deserve it. As she watched, she couldn’t help but have the eerie sensation that she had met this person before….but how? She was pretty sure she had never seen this man before in her life and yet…and yet he was somehow FAMILIAR to her. Bryda!Cass filed this piece of information inside her mind for the future. ::

:: The curious thing about BRYDA is that she…had no use for comradeship or even friendships after what she had experienced back in the German lab. Her heart and character was hardened by her years in the lab as well. But all that had transpired back in the 1930s-40s. It’s a NEW era and Bryda!Cass was no longer in the lab. The terrifying experience at seeing Alison ‘die’ caused a break to happen in Cass’ mind. It may seem all is lost for Cassandra Johnson, but this NEW experience will certainly help aid in her emotional and mental healing by what had happened to her friends in the German lab. It may not be an ideal place for this type of healing, but she NEEDED to deal with what happened in order for her to move on. ::

*softly*: “Hey…you okay?”

:: Usually she wouldn’t even bother with asking. But she couldn’t ignore the fact that he seemed really FAMILIAR to her. He seemed familiar AND his presence filled her with…HOPE!? She had to make sure he was okay, that he was strong enough to endure what the bitch dished out. It surprised her that his well-being was so important to her. ::

Who is this? Have I met him before?

:: It bothered her that she couldn’t even touch her foot to his in comfort. It bothered her that it bothered her that she couldn’t comfort him. But there WAS something really familiar… ::

 

[Tachyon]

They had finally made her way back, the raven-haired sorceress leading the way, or so she thought. Xavier was done with surprises, and so he appeared to be by her side...and he was mostly. 9999/10000 of the time he was there. The rest he was ahead scouting the area so as to not be taken unawares. He did this until she ducked into a building nearby and immediately turned into the most stereotypical mage one could imagine. He was almost ready to look for an eye of a newt as she meditated, but she was in one hell of a mood and he was not ready to fight TWO sets of enemies.

So as she meditated, he stood at the storefront completely still save for his eyes.

Imagine the eyes of someone who can move between continents in moments. Imagine the details not missed, the tendencies noted, the velocities of an unnumbered multitude of things large AND small. He saw the small contingent rotating in and out, noticed that they were reasonably well-trained though not as physically hardened as he would expect. He noted the number and placement of windows and doors, the mechanisms they used, noted the time necessary to dismantle any of them versus blowing through them or a couple of other things he had done a time or two that might be needed if things got bad. He was still completely motionless save for his eyes, nearly in a trance of his own when she spoke.

Harbinger <<she JOLTS a bit as she registers the presence and PAIN of Cameron deep within the Cathedral's hidden underground network>> Cameron...they've captured him..

He turned to her as she registered a look of pain. It WAS her brother after all, and he supposed even Miss Attitude had to have a heart somewhere in there. He cleared his throat and decided her name was better to use than any nickname he could muster. Good thing she finally gave him her name.

We will get him back Alison. The key is to know as much as we can about what is going on in there. Then I can go take what is ours and you can start doing...whatever we do with them after he and the bird are safe.

His face was confident, but focused. No arrogance here. Even Alison would recognize that he was no longer messing around.

 

[Arsenal]

Nicolas came roaring in his head like his ass was on fire, and he relayed the news to Doc. Vivica's ankle was broken, the team was freaked by a mass casualty event (KIDS no less!) and Nicolas has almost lost his shit. He kissed her forehead as she prepared to leave and then, alone and on guard, he took it to the next level.

His armor folded out over his body, its heads up displays scanning in a multitude of ways from IR to UV to laser topography to add to his already good old vision. Some members of Clandestine that had accompanied the scene now cleared the area above and below and in every direction of Sally. The doctors who treated her were already pre-cleared and Sally's whereabouts were forged so as to have her at another hospital for 'exhaustion'.

Using the cloaking tech of the suit itself, Arsenal faded from view, a silent sentry keeping watch over the redheaded fashion mogul.

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas assured Dr. Victoria (he always jokingly used her professional name when she was there in such a capacity) that he would be fine, that he needed to get to finding Cam, and with him Cass, and get ready for battle. After a maternal grasp of his face and reading of his eyes, she obliged.

Nicolas teleported to the top of the building. The uninterrupted view had a purpose other than being a fabulous example of his and Alycia's tastes. It gave him a chance to try to pinpoint Cameron no matter what they had done to him short of bring Malice herself into the room.

All brains have signature wave patterns. Some are slippery to hold and track (Silver Swan), some are changed and have shielding to make tracking them difficult, though there are workarounds (Haleigh and Morgan). But Cam? Cam was a good old strong-minded telepath, a brain that had a signature as strong and unyielding and dependable as they come. And given then number of times they had worked mentally in concert, pinging his signature and pinpointing him by its resonance should be cake.

It was working! Nicolas could see himself eliminating large swaths of NYC, getting closer to where he was until...he had him! Now just to zero in...

Cameron: ....5?

<< He is IMMEDIATELY bombarded by ear piercing, brain splattering WHITE NOISE. Then it stops.>>

Mary Justice: No. That is incorrect. Once again. How many lights do you see?

<< Cameron answers, in a smart way that only HE can, only to be bombarded by the white noise again. This time, the burst is longer.>>

The first white noise burst and Nicolas hung in doggedly through the psionic feedback. The second one knocked him offline and he teleported back to the infirmary instinctively, but out of place, falling from the ceiling and landing on one knee with a groundshaking impact. He looked shaken and his nose was bleeding rather profusely. He staggered over to a console and pulled up a few blocks of New York in an aerial view. His hands were shaking.

I-I narrowed it down, but they are torturing him w-with white noise. Could not complete the psionic ping. But he is in these 20 blocks. I KNOW it.

 

[Isis]

Bishop's Warehouse
:: The sorceress and the mutant, MorningStar had managed to lock on to the cries of an innocent mutant being beaten by a group of purifiers thanks to Isis' empathy to souls of the weak and those in need. They managed to get to him IN TIME.::


:: Isis and MorningStar took down one purifier each and prevented the other from relaying the data his mutant detector had scanned about them back to their HQ. Before MorningStar was about to kill him, Isis quickly suggested they take him somewhere and interrogate him and force him to reveal his secrets, namely where the Purifiers were coming/going from. If he should NOT survive the interrogation, so be it, AS LONG as he revealed to them the information they required.::


::Once again, unbeknownst to either Isis or MorningStar, ORACLE had a visual feed on BOTH of them, up until the moment Isis teleported them away to a location she couldn't find. This was the third time Oracle had seen Isis come to the aid of a mutant under an attack by the purifiers. It was becoming clear to her, despite her previous intel on the sorceress, that the woman was NOT in league with the Purifiers. And now, MorningStar was working WITH her. What should she do with this information? should she tell Detective Steel?::

:: Knowing that the police would be watching for Isis, MorningStar had her teleport them to the last place they'd ever think to look for her, the warehouse that once belonged to her star crossed lover, Bishop.::

:: the history and significance of this place was lost on Isis, as Bishop predated her involvement with the Sisterhood. It was now in MorningStar's posession and though she'd rarely made use of it, it clearly had it's benefits, among them being that it had technology capable of scrambling outside technology from scanning the internal structure or listening in on any communication inside.::

:: Isis teleported them all to the warehouse and bound the captive purifier in mystic chains. She ripped away his helmet and mask, revealing his face. He was a 20 year old blond boy, filled with rage against "mutant filth" in his bright blue eyes as he cursed them both.::

It is not WE who have reason to be afraid, young man.

:: Isis said coldly as she stood before him, her own face partially enshrouded in shadow::

You are now in OUR custody, subject to OUR whims and mercies...the later of which you will find in scarce supply from EITHER of us.

TELL US where your base of operations is located!

Purifier: ALL MUTANTS BURN!

:: MorningStar quietly urged Isis to move back and let HER handle the interrogation process.::

 

[Harbinger]

Storefront near the Cathedral

:: The sound of Xavier's voice was less irritating to her now than it was a few hours ago. He had infuriated her to no end and other different circumstances, she would have GLADLY devoted her time and efforts toward HUMILIATING him in a number of ways, but now was not the time.::

:: She had barely escaped capture and DEATH due to a trap she fell into, one that had far reaching implications not just for her, but the Six, Sisterhood and mutants all over the city.::

:: Xavier prooved to be another anamoly, like Bianca. But while Alison WAS prideful, she was no fool. She hadn't survived on her own from an early age OR become the Six's tactician for no reason.::

:: She knew that sometimes, even if it was distasteful, unexpected and uneappealing choices had to be made. In this case, it was to work WITH Xavier, rather than fight him. Her own life had shown her that FEW things were "random" and his sudden presence in her life was no exception. He had demonstrated that he had more than a little knowledge of the occult, and he was possessed of of a unique power that had been seldom seen. THe Purifiers were benefiting from something that they shouldn't have. There was no reason why Harbinger couldn't use that same strategy to her advantage.::

:: The rest...particularly his BRAVADO...would have to be dealt with later::

:: As she scanned the Cathedral and time threads leading to/from it, she expressed sadness and concern over her baby brother, who was being brutally tortured by Sister Mary Justice.::

:: Xavier spoke with calm and care, attempting to encourage her that they would rescue him::


:: She places her hand to her temple, shaking her head for a moment::

The front entrance is heavily guarded as are the sides. They also have telepathic suppression devices on the roof top. There is one back entrance that is minimally guarded.

The main floors on covered by snipers and rigged with a wide range of booby traps and anti-personnel devices.

The Nimrod Component, that is her...their source of "visions". They're USING it's database. It's NOT native to our timeline but it's able to channel massive amounts of data and broadcast events not only from it's own native timeline, but OURS, showing any number of variances as it responds to her queries. She actually thinks she's receiving visions from a divine entity!

:: Alison said with a mix of astonishment and contempt as she moved out of her meditative position and dispelled the pentagram beneath her, now standing upright on her high heeled boots and wrapping her cloak back around her form::

Worse, the Nimrod component has been becoming more and more "AWARE" as it has registered more mutants in it's presence. First Ruby (Cass); then myself and now Prophet (Cameron). It's instinctively drawing on materials around it, from the cathedral itself, adding to its own form, and GROWING, but somehow, The Purifiers think it's their....god responding to them...GROWING from their praise
and efforts brought about by it's "visions".

The more powerful the mutants it detects, the more it wants to adhere to it's "ULTIMATE PROTOCOL", which is to DESTROY all mutants. THe Nimrod...is ultimate hunting SENTINEL. The FIRST FORM of what eventually EVOLVES into a...

::FLASH!::

::Images of Harbinger, Black Widow, Shockwave, MorningStar and Frost battling to try to save a fallen Spellbinder, Sharon Kelly and Alycia Barnett from a....::

Master Mold...

:: She says in a haunted tone::

And the purifiers....they intend to "SACRIFICE" Cameron and Cass to it...like some sort of perverse blood offering ritual!

If it....if it...comes FULLY ONLINE....it will be able to assess and ADAPT to nearly ANY mutant int comes into contact with, even OMEGA level mutants. It WILL become a MASTER MOLD!

That's how they KNEW about me...and why they left Ruby on the alter! They KNEW that the Nimrod would react to my presence and my power.


:: She looks over at Xavier with a grim facial expression::

Even YOU will not be able to elude it's sensors for long, Xavier. Just as I can now CLEARLY see you as you move across time threads, the Nimrod will be able to lock on to you on a biometric level. It IS, first and foremost, designed to scan, detect ANY mutant genome and then analyze and find ANY counter measures available to NEUTRALIZE any mutant power/threat...


The others....my friends...they'll fall into the same TRAP that I did, unknowingly providing it with the POWER it needs to come fully online!

When we make our move, it has to COUNT because if we fail...Ruby and Prophet's lives will be forfeight and those fool purifiers don't realize that if the Nimrod component becomes fully self aware, it will no longer merely "provide" them with data and "visions"...it will act on it's own directives!

:: She says this next part with coldness::

Some of THEM carry the anamolous-gene structure, a human who possesses "mutant genetic potential" that may be fully expressed in their off spring or descendents. Nimrod will sense that...and destroy them as well.

 

[Artemis]

Charope, Llc

:: Alycia, who know looked refreshed and well put together after receiving a healing touch from Shadow Weaver, was quietly conferring with Ana-Leigh over security protocols for Charope, Llc while Rampage was reaching out,
trying to see if he could find Cameron.::
:: It had been just a little while since she and Vivica had emerged from their knock down, drag out grudge match in her top floor office and now, the page had been turned and the two of them were operating with a different view of one another. It would take time for them to completely gel with one another, and there would likely be moments of bickering between them, but it would never be like it was before. BOTH had learned something this evening and they shared common goals and loved ones, so that was enough of a solid starting point to keep them going in the right direction.::

:: Still, Alycia, along with Haleigh, had questions about who Vivica's "contacts" outside the Six were. Alycia had no idea that one of them was someone she had an interesting history with, but as things go in the lives of the Six,
no one is a stranger or unaware for very long.::

:: She returned to the group, who had moved from the infirmary to a conference room on a higher floor in the building that housed her offices::

:: Nicolas arrived at roughly the same time, explaining his findings about Cameron King::

:: She looked grim as Nicolas relayed that Cameron was actively being tortured with white noise generators::
Oh Cameron....

::She HATED to think of what he must be going through. It took her back to the revelation that Erika King and Malice had been responsible for torturing Cameron to death during the Cassadine/Greece Caper!::


And what about Cass??

We can only guess what these mutant hating monsters have done to her!

:: She looked at the others::

Before Cameron was captured, he said that Harbinger had been captured as well. There's no way for us to know if she's even ALIVE now...

And what about MorningStar? I don't think she even KNOWS what's happened now with Cameron...the....bus incident...any of it.

I tried to call her, but she didn't respond. What if SHE'S been captured as well?

We need to be sure we know where we're going and we're completely ready before we go, because they've been hitting us from all sides and they've left MORE than a few bruises...

:: Looking over at Ava, Zach, Simon and Sharon::

Shadow Weaver has given us a much needed boost, we need to make the most of it.

Blaze asked Karen if she would stay, but she insisted on returning to help Mike and Clandestine protect Sally from any further attacks from the Purifiers.

 

[Tachyon]

Xavier had no idea what she was going on about, but he knew that ANYTHING was possible. He listened as she continued to explain about some AI robot named Nimrod.

:: She looks over at Xavier with a grim facial expression::

Even YOU will not be able to elude it's sensors for long, Xavier. Just as I can now CLEARLY see you as you move across time threads, the Nimrod will be able to lock on to you on a biometric level. It IS, first and foremost, designed to scan, detect ANY mutant genome and then analyze and find ANY counter measures available to NEUTRALIZE any mutant power/threat...


The others....my friends...they'll fall into the same TRAP that I did, unknowingly providing it with the POWER it needs to come fully online!

When we make our move, it has to COUNT because if we fail...Ruby and Prophet's lives will be forfeight and those fool purifiers don't realize that if the Nimrod component becomes fully self aware, it will no longer merely "provide" them with data and "visions"...it will act on it's own directives!

:: She says this next part with coldness::

Some of THEM carry the anamolous-gene structure, a human who possesses "mutant genetic potential" that may be fully expressed in their off spring or descendents. Nimrod will sense that...and destroy them as well.

Nimrod...the Hunter King. A hell of a name if one wanted to name a mutant-hunting robot. So...he can and will scan and prepare for us as he encounters us eh? If that is the case, then we need to hit it HARD, one time, and be done with it. I DO have a quick question. That gas that gave you fits before, can a gas mask protect you from it? If so, would you be willing to wear one for such an assault? I do believe that you would be best to make the overall plan given your knowledge of our target, but I am unwilling to risk your death or disability if we can avoid it. I mean, how can I continue to vex you if you are no longer alive?

Xavier gave Alison a light-hearted smile from his attempt to keep some levity in the situation. He knew that stress could be debilitating if not managed properly and he wanted to get her to either relax a bit or focus her fury on his versus her own problems.

 

[Rampage]

Oh Cameron....

::She HATED to think of what he must be going through. It took her back to the revelation that Erika King and Malice had been responsible for torturing Cameron to death during the Cassadine/Greece Caper!::


And what about Cass??

We can only guess what these mutant hating monsters have done to her!

:: She looked at the others::

Before Cameron was captured, he said that Harbinger had been captured as well. There's no way for us to know if she's even ALIVE now...

And what about MorningStar? I don't think she even KNOWS what's happened now with Cameron...the....bus incident...any of it.

I tried to call her, but she didn't respond. What if SHE'S been captured as well?

We need to be sure we know where we're going and we're completely ready before we go, because they've been hitting us from all sides and they've left MORE than a few bruises...

:: Looking over at Ava, Zach, Simon and Sharon::

Shadow Weaver has given us a much needed boost, we need to make the most of it.

Blaze asked Karen if she would stay, but she insisted on returning to help Mike and Clandestine protect Sally from any further attacks from the Purifiers.

We CAN know where Delilah is and what is going on. I CAN contact her telepathically, I am just not sure she wishes to BE contacted. But I will do so if all of you wish me to. As for Alison...much tougher lift to check on her if she wishes not to be contacted. Has anyone tried calling HER?

Nicolas paces a bit, chewing his lip as he did so...he dials Alison's phone. Straight to voicemail.

Does anyone answer their phone anymore? Geez, why even get you jerks the latest shit if you cannot even text that you're busy?!

Nicolas stopped and turned back, looking between Haleigh and Alycia.

Ladies, what do we know? I there something I am missing out there? Or should we focus on this square mile I narrowed things to?

Nicolas gestures to the map on the large screen at the wall. He grabs a wet wipe and wipes more blood from his nose...

 

[Harbinger]

Nimrod...the Hunter King. A hell of a name if one wanted to name a mutant-hunting robot. So...he can and will scan and prepare for us as he encounters us eh? If that is the case, then we need to hit it HARD, one time, and be done with it. I DO have a quick question. That gas that gave you fits before, can a gas mask protect you from it? If so, would you be willing to wear one for such an assault? I do believe that you would be best to make the overall plan given your knowledge of our target, but I am unwilling to risk your death or disability if we can avoid it. I mean, how can I continue to vex you if you are no longer alive?

Xavier gave Alison a light-hearted smile from his attempt to keep some levity in the situation. He knew that stress could be debilitating if not managed properly and he wanted to get her to either relax a bit or focus her fury on his versus her own problems.

::It honestly HADN'T occurred to Alison if a gas mask would protect her from the debilitating effects of the fumes of the black lotus blossom. But with what was at stake and what was already known? It was clear that all defensive measures should be considered::

Well...It certainly couldn't hurt to try! The fumes of the black lotus blossom are an anathema to high order magick users and since the Purifiers know that, they'll obviously be highly organized and prepared with other strategies as well.

:: To his OTHER little comment about needing her alive, if for no other reason than to VEX her? Alison rolled her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling and groaned while he gave her a light hearted smile::

Oh YOU just wipe that smile off your face before I wipe it off FOR you!

:: She replies in a bitchy tone as she turns away and tosses her her blue/black hair back::

You haven't faced a sentinel in combat before...

:: She wasn't asking, she was declaring, as she looked at him and used her power of sight on him::

Just WHY are you here, Xavier?

:: Giving HIM a chance to level with her before she calls him out::

I can see the obvious necessity and BENEFIT in working with you, but by no means will I proceed without knowing what YOUR motivation is...what brought YOU here in the face place. You have no connection to me or any member of the Six!

 

[Tachyon]

Well, light-heartedness was a bad move on his part. This one was determined to be half-bitch, half-crazy.

Oh YOU just wipe that smile off your face before I wipe it off FOR you!

:: She replies in a bitchy tone as she turns away and tosses her her blue/black hair back::

You haven't faced a sentinel in combat before...

:: She wasn't asking, she was declaring, as she looked at him and used her power of sight on him::

Just WHY are you here, Xavier?

:: Giving HIM a chance to level with her before she calls him out::

I can see the obvious necessity and BENEFIT in working with you, but by no means will I proceed without knowing what YOUR motivation is...what brought YOU here in the face place. You have no connection to me or any member of the Six!

He rolled his eyes and sighed. Seriously.

Look Alison, I can't just want to help? People do that you know.

She was still eyeing him with...whatever it was that she did. He had nothing to hide so he spoke further.

Look, I go everywhere. And when I arrive wherever I end up, I generally take things that should have been left where they WERE and return them to where they BELONG. Running into you was happenstance as I planned to end that supplier's pirating trade at the consumer end before those stones were scattered to the four corners. And for WHAT? So that the vast majority of people who have them can LOOK at them?! Because most of them cannot do any GOOD that's for sure.

So yeah, I steal things back to where they belong. But then I ran into you, and you INTRIGUED me. Much more than simply your looks, though your affinity for near-lingerie as outerwear is certainly delightful. The thing that really piqued my interest was THAT.

Xavier points at the Time Staff.

I know what it is and, until I saw you again at the cathedral and realized HOW much of a 'good guy' you were, I had a mind to return it to where it belongs. But I saw in that sanctuary that you were willing to forfeit your life to help someone else. Given the circumstances I could only retrieve you, but at that moment I decided that, if I could, I at LEAST wanted to help get that girl you risked so much for back safe and smack some sense into those idiots with the guns.

Now, given what you have told me, and I have no reason to disbelieve you, I am TRYING to help HER and your BROTHER. Any man that has such a kick-ass hotel deserves to live to enjoy it, and anyone who targets people for how they were born need not expect me to ignore them. The British stopped doing THAT shit with Chamberlain and we will NOT start it NOW. So now, can we get on with it? Or is the strip search next?

Xavier's mouth was set but his eyes sparkled...

 

[Harbinger]

the storefront

:: Alison ran her hand through her blue/black hair as she continued to stare at Xavier, unmoved by his initial plaintive response::

Selfless?

We'll see about that.

::Well aware of his more than passing interest in her time staff::


And as for my talisman?

:: The red garnet jewel on the crown of the time staff shimmers as Harbinger holds on to it::

You could TRY to "return" it...AND suffer the consequences.

:: She said with coldness::

You'd find YOURSELF being "returned" to your ANCESTORS.

The time staff was GIVEN to me by Hecate, the Goddess of Witchcraft herself, from whom I and one of my teammates directly descends. It is one of the tools that I use to carry out my duties as the "Keeper of Time".

Who are YOU to think you should interfere with DESTINY?

:: She looked out of a window, toward the cathedral as Xavier said he'd seen her do be best to try and rescue Ruby. Listening to him just now, she realized that she hadn't completely lost her way. She'd been so plagued doubt and turmoil since the blue moon, but here was a stranger that pointed out what some others, including Delilah, seemed to have forgotten. She WAS willing to risk and even lay down her life to protect her friends, her team, her FAMILY. She might make mistakes...in fact she WOULD. Not even a precog was immune from that, but her heart, her motivations WERE in the right place. Haleigh had realized that when she confronted Alison, as did others following the aftermath of the Blue Moon, and if this stranger could see this about her, why couldn't she give him the same benefit of the doubt?::



::Sighing::

It isn't easy for me...or the people I am closely associated with to just...TRUST that someone want's to help, "just because." That has NEVER been our experience.

But nothing I "SEE" about you in your immediate past or future suggests you will BETRAY me.

:: After a few moments of uncertain silence, she nods her head, Deciding to go ahead with working with Xavier::

Does your power allow you to pass through technology or machinery?

 

[Tachyon]

Selfless?

We'll see about that.

::Well aware of his more than passing interest in her time staff::


And as for my talisman?

:: The red garnet jewel on the grown of the time staff shimmers as Harbinger holds on to it::

You could TRY to "return" it...AND suffer the consequences.

:: She said with coldness::

You'd find YOURSELF being "returned" to your ANCESTORS.

The time staff was GIVEN to me by Hecate, the Goddess of Witchcraft herself, from whom I and one of my teammates directly descends. It is one of the tools that I use to carry out my duties as the "Keeper of Time".

Who are YOU to think you should interfere with DESTINY?

Xavier simply looked, a small smile betraying his amusement. He had no doubt that she believed what she said, but history was FULL of people who had nice things and then declared it their destiny for such a fortuitous event to occur. However, she had his attention. She claimed to be descended from Hecate; indeed, she claimed that the deity gave the staff to her personally. That alone was claim enough to pique the interest of the archaeologist. In any case, that talisman was so powerful that it was in many ways safer with one who would use it well than really...ANYWHERE. And so he watched as she came around silently in terms of her trepidation concerning his offer of help.

::Sighing::

It isn't easy for me...or the people I am closely associated with to just...TRUST that someone want's to help, "just because." That has NEVER been our experience.

But nothing I "SEE" about you in your immediate past or future suggests you will BETRAY me.

:: After a few moments of uncertain silence, she nods her head, Deciding to go ahead with working with Xavier::

Does your power allow you to pass through technology or machinery?

Xavier smiled more widely. One could do worse than receive a passing background check from someone who, he was certain, actually was a true oracle.

Yes. There is not anything as of yet that I have not been able to vibrate or phase through. Extremely dense metal, however, can become unstable if I stay phased with it too long.

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh politely declined Karen's help, but did quietly ask for a sidebar, in which she vaguely discussed wanting to talk to Karen about something after Cass and Cameron were recovered. They were discreetly setting up a meeting when Nic spoke up about narrowing down Cameron's location. Haleigh handed him a clean piece of gauze to wipe his nose bleed, and glanced at the map as Alycia worried about Cass and what she might be going through.

"Beatings, torture, light and sound deprivation, rape. And they are probably starving her. It's the typical method for gaining and maintaining psychological power. But Cass has been through it BEFORE, and she's stronger than she looks. The only one of us more suited to what she's experiencing..... is ME. And, as it so happens, Cameron. He'll be alright Alycia. They both will. It may look like we're getting our asses kicked, but we're about to take these motherfucckers to Sunday school."

Alycia also worried about Alison and Delilah, but Haleigh shook her head.

"We can't get hung up on what if scenarios. Alison had her own plan, and Delilah CHOSE to go off solo. If we're lucky, Delilah's holed up somewhere boning some dude that will eventually try to kill one, or all, of us.... and Alison is following a vision that will lead to success. If we aren't lucky, and they are both at the mercy of these wackos..... then all the more reason to locate their base of operations, because we'll likely find ALL our friends there together."

Nic: Ladies, what do we know? I there something I am missing out there? Or should we focus on this square mile I narrowed things to?

Haleigh looked more closely at the map this time, and almost laughed. There was one place in that square mile that was more significant than the rest. Sharon would see it too.

"Son of a fuccking religious-ass-zealot bitch. I know where they are."

She points and zooms in for them.

"St Patrick's cathedral. It's been closed for renovations since the Silver Swan first..... arrived. It's the perfect place for these holy nut bags to congregate, and it holds some political significance as a reminder of the capacity for mutant destruction."

 

[Silver Swan]

[ Sharon had heard everything unfold between Alycia and Vivica. She would never have agreed with Vivica's opinion of Alycia, after all those two had been through, SURVIVED together. But Sharon was also DEAD at the time that many things had happened between Alycia and Vivica. Just as she had had her own confrontation with Haleigh shortly after HER return as the Silver Swan, Alycia and Vivica evidently had their own collision course that was set long before tonight. It just so happened that emotions were so raw, nerves were so frawed and hearts were so ablaze, that to night was the "perfect" setting for more emotional aftershocks after the very REAL explosions the two groups had experienced.]

[Nicolas demonstrated his own growth and helped bridge and foster COMMUNICATION between the two women, and they eventually managed to truly resolve things and step forward together. It was a common theme among the Six, somehow coming TOGETHER when it was needed most, even if there were fractures in the group.]


[Alycia and Vivica returned to them, looking every bit like they'd been in a catfight. Between them, Simon, Zach and Nicolas, it WAS rather unusual that Haleigh and Sharon would be the calmest in the group right now, but disasters always had a way of highlighting strange things]


[ Sharon watched as Shadow Weaver helped those who were in need or who asked, restoring health, vitality and a sense of calm. Normally, Sharon wouldn't have needed any healing herself. She was well nigh invulnerable, but the blow she took to her head from that large piece of wreckage had caused a concussion and so, the doctor used her magick to heal any internal injuries Sharon had sustained, making sure she was in top form physically.]

Thank you.

[ She said to the doctor. Eventually Karen and Haleigh were having a quiet discussion. Sharon didn't pry. Nicolas soon revealed that he had gotten somewhat close to pinpointing Cameron's location and manifested a map of the square mile. She immediately began searching over it while Alycia expressed concern over a missing Alison and Delilah. Haleigh once again correctly assessed the situation. Delilah, for her own reasons, COULDN'T be with the group right now, but was plenty powerful and they had to trust that she could get herself through any situation she was facing. Alison apparently had another angle to approach this situation from and probably confirmed it with her precognition, which most everyone in the room trusted. They HAD to believe that she too was able to handle herself and continue on their own course. But as Haleigh continued, and looked at the map, it was as if she and Sharon BOTH had the same realization....at the same time...

Haleigh: "Son of a fuccking religious-ass-zealot bitch. I know where they are."

It's the only thing that makes sense now. Just like I told Elizabeth [Zizi]

[FLASH!]

Silver Swan – Sharon – why did the Purifiers mention St. Patrick’s Cathedral to you? I know that’s where you first… appeared. Why was it important to them?

You know, it fell into disrepair after..... the...... events......of the debut of Silver Swan. For a while, I was afraid they'd demolish it, I was talking with Infrared about her possibly purchasing the place and keeping it for photo shoot opportunities, but then they began the renovations..... it's been closed this whole time, I think. It's be a great base of operations for a misguided mob of religious zealots.

St.Patrick's cathedral...is the place I first arrived, after I was somehow RESURRECTED from death and turned into the Silver Swan, by MYSTECH.

I was meant to be their newest and most powerful "bio weapon" and to be USED to COLLECT another piece of [in their minds] PROPERTY. Black Widow.

The process they used to resurrect and transform me into this ALSO left me INSANE and they used that to their advantage, programming me with a mix of psi manipulation, other mental "therapy" and technological means.

I had ONE THING on my mind, the brutal capture of Black Widow. If she'd happened to DIE in the process...so be it.

She didn't die...thanks to her own resourcefullness and resilience, along with the help of her teammates, the Six...but OTHER people DID..

Haleigh: "St Patrick's cathedral. It's been closed for renovations since the Silver Swan first..... arrived. It's the perfect place for these holy nut bags to congregate, and it holds some political significance as a reminder of the capacity for mutant destruction."

[FLASH!]

<< St. Patrick's Cathedral. The day Haleigh and Zach visited the church. Rapid fire images of The Silver Swan on a RAMPAGE. She SLAUGHTERS the entire staff of the church, including the priest. His broken body lays at silver high heeled boots. Blood is splattered and sprayed over the walls, body parts EVERYWHERE.>>

Spellbinder had her INFERNO on top of the Empire state building....and I was unleashed upon the populace, with St. Patrick's Cathedral being my flash point.


But these Purifiers I fought in Central Park would have been TEENAGERS at the time and were clearly not present the day I first returned.

Someone there...must have SURVIVED my "debut"...

This...is all because of me.

 

[Persephone]

After having an almost therapeutic conversation with Zach, he agreed to help Ava ease her emotional turmoil until Cameron and Cass were found. Returning to the medical bay, Ava looked far less zombie-like an a little more like herself. Although the aftermath of the bus accident still weighed heavily on her heart, she soon found out that Alison had potentially been captured by the purifiers as well, and Delilah was still MIA. She had to place her own guilt and pain on the back burner and focus on her teammates--her FAMILY.

Nicolas appeared out of no where, nearly collapsing to the ground with his nose gushing of blood. He was able to pinpoint a general area of where Cameron and Cass were...explaining that Cameron was being assaulted by white noise. Ava's jaw tightened in anger. She was going to rip those mother fuckers apart piece by piece. If it was one thing Ava was good at, it was making a person's death PAINFUL and UNFORGETTABLE. And she was sure as hell NOT going to disappoint these Bible hugging little shits.

Haleigh: "Son of a fuccking religious-ass-zealot bitch. I know where they are."

Finally, some good news.

"Where?"

Haleigh: "St Patrick's cathedral. It's been closed for renovations since the Silver Swan first..... arrived. It's the perfect place for these holy nut bags to congregate, and it holds some political significance as a reminder of the capacity for mutant destruction."

"How quaint....[starting for the door] Can we go kill them now."

Stopping at the door, Ava turned around hearing Sharon say this was because of her. Shaking her head, she turned and looked at the blonde.

"NO. This is all because those people are EXTREMISTS who use a 1,000 year old book and a man--whom i've met by the way and ISN'T that spectacular--to do terrible things and justify it. They're terrorists. They're evil. And they would have done the same damn thing whether the incident at St. Patricks cathedral happened or not. This is NOT your fault Sharon. THIS is all on THEM."

Ava was not about to stand there and listen to the woman who defended her less than an hour earlier take the blame for all to this. She owed Sharon, in more ways than one.

 

[MorningStar]

Bishop’s Warehouse

It was as if she had been kept in a cage all her life and was finally free.

She had spent so long trying to fit in with the Six but never really being a part of their group, and now, here – with Isis no less – she could finally do as she pleased. And it felt good.

Actually, it felt great. The first one she had killed, the one who had been attacking Isis – she had hardly time to think about it. But this one – she had just let go. It had been so easy. She blew a hole right through him. Just like that.

And then she had turned to the last Purifier, and she smiled.

MorningStar raised her hand to dispense the justice the creature before her so deserved, when Isis stopped her. Wouldn’t he be better as a captive? For now. She had used her power to scramble their mutant detector, so they knew he was cut off from whoever had sent him.

“I know where to take him.”

She had given Isis the location of a place she had been with the Six before. But neither they, nor anyone else would think to look for her there. Not now.

A top floor warehouse. A loft formerly a Bishop safehouse, where Delilah had brought the Six when they were investigating the murder of Ron Davis. Red brick covered steel panels in the walls, and upon arrival Delilah went to a panel on the inside wall near the door and flipped a switch, jamming any listening devices and soundproofing the floor.

She looked around her. There was no chance of Bishop showing up – he never went back to a location once it was burned. But Delilah wasn’t worried about it – if he did somehow appear she could deal with him as easily as she did any Purifier.

The last time they were here, the Six had still been pissed at her about Bishop. As is if they ever really stopped. And he had been dead. But for as much as had changed so much more had stayed the same. The Six was still on one side and she was on the other.

They had refused to listen to her warnings about how their actions would result in mutants being hunted. No matter how many times it happened, it seemed, it made no difference to them. And they would rather sit around and wait for Cameron to be taken than to do something to prevent it. Well, she was doing something. For as much of an asshole as Bishop was, he had at least gotten one thing right: killers deserved to be killed. Killers of innocent mutants most of all.

TELL US where your base of operations is located!

Purifier: ALL MUTANTS BURN!

Delilah put a hand gently on Isis’ arm, a silent, “I’ve got this.”

She was calm. He was clearly spouting rhetoric his leaders had pumped into his brain like poison. But he was young enough that he wouldn’t yet be a fanatic. He could still be turned.

And if not, they would kill him where he knelt.

One side of her mouth curved into a half smile as she looked down upon the Purifier, bound as he was.

“How does it feel?”

She tilted her head slightly to the side.

“This room is completely soundproof. No electronic signals of any kind can penetrate its walls. A tank couldn’t blow a pinhole in the door. And you are alone with two mutants who don’t even consider you human.”

She crouched so she could look directly into his face.

“No one can find you. No one is coming to get you.”

She whispered as she repeated.

“You are alone.”

She paused, letting him look into her cold eyes for a long moment, then she stood quickly to her full height.

“But you are lucky.”

She began to pace the room.

“We are not scum such as yourself. We don’t kill innocents. So if you were to tell us where your base is, we would take that as a sign of your innocence and let you go.”

She stopped, standing in front of him again.

“But if you decide to stay silent, we’ll have no choice but to take that as a sign of your guilt and torture and kill you.”

She looked down at the Purifier, expectantly.

“Nothing? Well, then. Torture it is.”

Stretching out her right arm, she spread the fingers of her hand, and watched it as it began to glow with laser light. She slowly brought her hand closer and closer to the side of his face. The Purifer would be able to feel the extreme heat coming closer and closer. And as finally she made contact, the smell of burning flesh and the sound of his screams would fill the air.

 

[Prophet]

Cameron was washed in the comfort of unconsciousness. As the black filled his mind it offered him a brief reprieve from everything he had endured in the last few hours. When he had been taken he had made sure to broadcast his psychic signature for as long as he could knowing that he would most likely wake up with a power neutralizing collar on. As long as he could broadcast his location up until being knocked unconscious or having a collar placed, he knew that Nicolas would be able to discern his general location and lead them closer to rescue.

For a moment everything seemed almost...peaceful. Until he was SHOCKED awake by a high power energy baton at the hands of Sister Mary Justice. Cameron eye's open as he screams out in pain as the baton meets the side of his face.

"AAAAHHH!!!!"

He is confused for a moment as his eyes try to adjust to the darkness around him and he finds himself bound in chains with only a cloth hanging over him. As he slowly begins to come around to what is happening to him he can see the form of Cassandra Johnson off to the side..but no sign of his sister. In front of him is his captor..an older woman in a nun's habit and a look of utter disgust across his face. His body is still convulsing from the shock.

Sister Mary Justice: "You do not deserve the sleep of the just, you wretched creature!"

The telepath exhaled deeply as he focused his attention on the woman in front of him. Her entire body seemed to be wild with abandon and determination. He could ascertain that the torturing priveleges would have to have been left to the LEADER of The Purifiers. He was now face to face with the woman responsible for everything that had transpired in the last few hours. He remained silent as he returned the harsh glare back to her.

Mary Justice: "How many lights are there above you?"

Cameron squinted his eyes upward. Right now he was opting to play nice with the woman as long as it meant her attention would be focused on him and not Cassandra or possibly his sister whom he had yet to see.

"....Five?!"

His answer is met with the IMMEDIATE and painful broadcast of WHITE NOISE as it FILLS his brain with piercing pain. Though the pain was incredible, this was a form of torture quite commonly used by those who wished to incapacitate or kill him and over time Cameron had grown to know how best to manage that type of pain. None the less...it was not an easy task. He groaned out in pain as his chest heaved up and down.

Mary Justice: "No. That is incorrect. Once again. How many lights do you see?"

So playing nice wasn't going to make a difference. That was good to know. Although this woman seemed incredibly well put together..most religious zealots hellbent on destruction had buttons that were very easy to push and to coerce. And Cameron King was an expert at pushing buttons. Though he had made an incredible amount of progress in life..the Cameron King that people hated, the self serving, arrogant son of a bitch that had made him infamous was still alive and well within him, it was just hidden very deep down inside him. He worked hard daily to keep his own "demons" in check, but in certain situations this Cameron was neccessary..and looking at the face of his captor...THAT Cameron couldn't wait to come out and play. It was his only card to play to keep her angry and focused on him long enough to spare Cass her own torture and allow The Six time to find him.

"I'm sorry, Sister..I'm too preoccupied with what might be under that little black number you've got on. A sexy red slip perhaps? Or maybe nothing at all? Just matte black fabric cupping a pair of suprisingly perky breasts just aching to be touched by somebody other than yourself.."

He winked before his body was subjected to the White Noise yet again. He braced through the pain as it rocked his brain in the way that only it could. The pain was INCREDIBLE..but for as bad as it was..Cameron had endured WORSE at the hands of somebody FAR more capable of torturing him in ways this woman could only dream about.

Mary Justice: "The devil's children cannot see what is true and just. But that's only to be expected from such wicked, imperfect creatures. HOW. MANY. LIGHTS. DO YOU. SEE?"

[short of breath] "Oh...Sister...now..now you're just turning me on. Enough with the foreplay! Light me up!"

THIS blast of white noise was stronger than the ones before as Cameron struggled with all of his might not to give into the incredible amount of pain coursing through his brain. Blood begins to trickle from his nose and into his mouth..still he tries to remain strong.

Mary Justice: "You consort with unholy instruments of death [Silver Swan] and revel in it. You deceive people with your human facade and lure them to the path of destruction. You're so used to invading and violating the privacy of minds, the purity of innocent thoughts. You can also PUT thoughts into people's heads, tempt them, just like the snake in the garden of eden. You are EVERY BIT the emmisary of the devil, and you must be forever SILENCED!"

Before Cameron can respond he is once AGAIN bombarded with a white noise assault...and this one was a doozy. His entire body throttled with pain as he began to grit his teeth and brace his body for what felt like forever. Still..the strength of his resolve and his need to see this mission out as NOT a victim of the Purifiers..but a driving force in their destruction kept him conscious. The attack stopped as Cameron slumped over. Looking over at Cassandra who mouthed to him.

Cassandra: *softly*: “Hey…you okay?”

He nodded to her very subtly as he propped his head back up towards Sister Mary Justice.

[coughing] "You're right about a few things...Sister. I mean I'm assuming you ARE a nun or at least you WERE before something in your head told you to kill kill kill. I AM the emmisary of the devil. I CAN put thoughts in people's heads..and tempt them..make them do things they wish they wouldn't have..but all of that? HUMAN ability. Never needed to be a mutant to do any of it..."

[cocking his head to the side] "So are we torturing me because I'm a mutant..or just a generally very very bad guy? Or both? I'm just trying to keep up...Also I should mention that when it comes to death? I have a history of thwarting it. And you're going about it completely the wrong way...Torture is the DEVIL'S playground you amateur..these chains don't hinder so much as turn me ON..."

Cameron laughed sadistically.

"Rest assured you BETTER make sure you kill me..because if I manage to slip out of this collar..or catch you off guard for one second..the things I could do to you!?..Go through your mind...find each and every little bit of sin you've committed..sin you haven't repented for because you thought nobody was around or that it wasn't a big deal...everytime you've showered and took a lingering touch of your body...everytime you've sat in service and lusted after one of the congregates...every single bit of sin that resides in your tragically human body and bring it to the forefront..FORCE you to revel in it..why I could turn you into my own personal little WHORE of BABYLON..and you'd like it Sister...I'd MAKE you like it..."

"..and just as you reach the HEIGHT of esctacy..the PINNACLE of pleasure..I can bring it crashing down around you..I can make you feel WORTHLESS..HOPELESS. I can guide you to the knife and watch you slice it across your own wrists. You have no idea what you're dealing with sister. Or maybe you do...is what you are doing now any worse than ANYTHING I am capable of? You take in young people full of life and hope and ambition...and you sell them your ideas, plant your own seeds and force them into undying loyalty...loyalty which in turn leads to murder and crime and pain...religious mission or not Sister..you're no better than me. You just coward behind GOD where as I actually stand and ANSWER for my crimes.."

[thinking for a moment]

"You know...I'm a little thirsty. What is the house wine tonight?"

 

[Oracle]

Bus Crash Site

Oracle wheeled herself down the middle of the empty street. Clandestine Intelligence wasn’t the best for nothing: they had cleaned up everything, quickly and efficiently. No sign that anything out of the ordinary had happened here was apparent.

Not that she had expected there to be evidence left lying around the scene of the bus attack. Mainly, she had needed to get out of the Clocktower to think. She had seen MorningStar, teamed up with Isis, kill Purifiers and rescue a baby. No matter how much Ashley disliked Isis, the pieces of the puzzle just didn’t add up to her anymore. Yet – MorningStar was clearly acting out of character. Could she somehow be joining forces with the Sisterhood against her teammates?

She tossed a handheld gadget to Ashley, who caught it, then looked back at her blankly.

“Sand power detector.”

Ashley nodded as if that was normal, then went off. John Steele had met them at the scene and was walking the area, making sure there was nothing that could clue them in to who, specifically, was behind this.

John Steele had been Delilah Trelaven’s mentor back in the days when she was a rookie cop. If she were working with the Sisterhood now, it would kill him. How could she tell him that his protégé might have gone over to the other side? But on the other hand, they couldn’t keep going after Dominique if there was nothing there, it just wasted time. She covered her face with her hands.

Her phone beeped in her pocket, and she took it out. Alerts from her console were automatically routed there when she was out. She touched the screen to see another MorningStar-Isis teamup. In what seemed like a split second, two Purifiers were dead and another captured. MorningStar seemed to enjoy – no, revel in – the attacks. It was almost as if… Mind control? She touched the screen, moving with incredible speed. But there was no sign of Isis nor MorningStar – their trail had gone cold.

Ashley: “Nothing.”

Oracle was startled. She turned her chair to see both Ashley and John standing together, waiting for her. But as she had turned, she had glimpsed something. She turned back to a parked car on the side of the street – an old sedan, beat up and nondescript.

“There, under the car. There’s something. John if you please.”

She nodded as he took a quick look around him and then his body began to melt into actual steel, as if a wave of it was crashing over his body. He easily lifted the car up, allowing Ashley to kneel and retrieve the item, a beaten up and dirty piece of circuitry. Ashley set it in the palm of Oracle’s hand. It only took seconds for her brain to process what she was seeing.

“Isis hasn’t been here. And this is similar tech to what we saw at the SUV crash site when the mechs arrived. You can set the car down now, John.”

Using her phone/console again, she punched in their coordinates.

“I’ve been running a plot of the trajectory of the missiles fired here and at the SUV. Cross-referencing that with the locations of the Purifier attacks, and Zach and my discussion with the Silver Swan. There is only one place the Purifiers could be hiding out.”

She shook her head.

“I HATE it when I miss something.”

It was clear now that Dominique was NOT working with the Purifiers, or responsible for attacking children. But that also meant that she and MorningStar had valuable intel that they needed PRONTO – and they didn’t have time to wait any longer. She pressed her right hand to her ear.

over comlink: “Orion, Recall – I know it’s a bad time for you both but we NEED to talk.”

In response to blank looks from Valkyrie and Steele:

“I’m sorry, John. MorningStar is working with Isis. I saw them kill several Purifiers earlier tonight. I didn’t want to have to tell you…”

She put a hand on his arm.

“They’ve captured one – and I don’t know where they’ve gone with him. When we saw Silver Swan save the little girl from the Purifiers, one of them mentioned St. Patrick’s Cathedral.”

She turned her phone around and held it up for them to see. It was a map, with red dots for the Purifier sightings and two dashed lines for the paths of the missiles. In the center was St. Patrick’s.