Lost in time and space

[Seer]

and so

<< what passes for "night" in Limbo wears on.... an eerie hush falls over the garden and through the castle and as Ororo and the two young women sit in the room with Alison, they quietly and patiently wait. time passes and Alison rests for a bit. her hand still in Ororo's. winds whisper and sweep through the gothic stone castle randomly, providing a haunting sound every so often.>>

<< Alison Marble had returned from the dead, pulled back from a dark and disorienting purgatory. The shock of being returned to the realm of the living prooved to be very unsettling for the Seer who hadn't really processed what had happened to her since the battle with Blackout but now she was back and whole. As time passed...she became more and more "herself"...the Alison that Haleigh and Blaze remembered was finally at easy in mind and body...and she began to stir....her eyes fluttering a bit as she lay in the canopy bed>>

<< the time had come for her to truly be reunited with her friends....her "family". she would reveal information that would proove to be even more shocking to them all for this was just the beginning>>

 

[Harbinger]

:: resting peacefully, the black void that had once surrounded Alison was melting away to reveal MEMORIES...flooding in like flashes, swirling, rushing full of stereo sound. her body was reacting to the memories/dreams...it was as if her mind was being "briefed" again.::

<< thunder crashes, energy pulsates and a bell tolls one last time before a radiating ballistic BACKLASH explodes from the point of collision between the two power signatures...the ballistic backlash is glowing, sparkling mixed with the blackness of Alexis and the ice cold blueness of Alison...and as its defeaning thunder errupts all around....the SCREAMS of Alexis and Alison can be heard as BOTH women are slammed by the backlash and hurled back and UP in the air almost in slow motion! both women's bodies are blasted upward in opposite direction and lost a wave of white light followed the black lash that incinerated anything not protected....including humans that were lurking about.>>

<< Guardian and Blackout are blown away....as the backlash consumes EVERYTHING in its path...and now charges for the force dome that was protecting Haleigh and Blaze. Everything and EVERYONE around them was DESTROYED >>

:: the backlash, the shockwave....the SCREAMS!!::

ORORO!

:: a gust of wind howls loudly through the castle as thunder crashes and a bell tolls...Alison awakens with a GASP of fear, shock and surprise...her body jolts as she sits up with her hand on her chest and looks around frantically...her eyes wide. She expects to see the monster that was Blackout...the destruction of everything around her! For HER its as if she is still in that MOMENT of her death...::

 

[Foxfire]

With Blaze consoling Haleigh's worries and recovery of heartache, Alison was left to slumber. Both teammates sat beside her bed watching her like a hawk. Blaze's stubbornness proved honorable as she refused to leave Alison alone, and she knew Haleigh felt the same way.

One arm running up and down Haleigh's back, Blaze kept herself quiet. She herself was still registering this new fact, Alison was alive! Even as Ororo had explained earlier how she lead Alison back, Blaze was still dumbfounded. Could that mean finding Morgan? No, that would never happen.

Shifting in her velvet chair cushion, her eyes shifting back to Haleigh. Her fingertips brushing a few strands from her intense green eyes, "honey...you should go see Zack...I know he would love to see you." She tried to cheer up Haleigh, who blamed herself for this disaster. Blaze was probably the first to nurture besides Delilah, it was in her blood. She radiated warmth all the time.

Her hand caressing Haleigh's dirt stricken face, "I'll watch Alison...or if you want to stay...then bring Zack here." Leaning forward she tilted her head to lean her own head against Haleigh's on an angle. Her fingertips running to Haleigh's thick luscious locks to massage the impending headache she knew Hales would probably receive from all the stress.

"An unknown chapter lies ahead. All that is certain is that darkness is still ahead. For now, for the first time, I look into the light with new hope."

Alison awoke with a start, panic wide in her eyes. "Your okay Alison, your safe." She tried to soothe the Seer, "your in Limbo now with your friends and family. Try to relax." She wanted to step closer, but she was slightly scared to, for fear of frightening Alison.

 

[Ororo]

:: Ororo sat forward in her chair next to the bed as Alison bolted up with a start, calling out her name.::

:: Alison looked around frantically, clearly expecting to be back in NYC at the moment of the backlash from her battle with Blackout.::

Ororo: It's allright Alison. You're safe now. All of you.

::Ororo's tone was reassuring as she sat forward a bit, offering Alison a glass of a soothing elixir as she stroked the Seer's blue/black hair::

You're in my garden within Limbo. the battle with Blackout and Malice is over. You died, but you heeded my call on the astral plane and followed my beacon back to this realm of existence. Your soul and spirit returned to your body and the process prooved to be unsettling for you, but it would appear now that you are fully aware of yourself again.

::looking over to a quiet and concerned Blaze and Haleigh::

You're friends are here as well. they've been sitting with me while you rested.

::Ororo smiled gently as Alison looked at her, surprised at what she was hearing..but apparently RELIEVED to be in the safety of Ororo's care and that her friends were okay as well::

 

[Harbinger]

::Alison took the elixir and slowly drank it, listening to Ororo's calming words.::

:: her own mind remembering things more clearly and connected as the immortal sorceress spoke.::

is it possible? we survived....Blackout has been dealt with??

::finishing the elixir, Alison hands the goblet back to Ororo and thanks her...as she sits up in the bed...taking Ororo's hand in her own. Ororo was the mother Alison never had.::

.....Ororo...i feel so....odd...its as if everything just STOPPED and now suddenly has resumed.

:: she paused for a moment before looking at Haleigh and Blaze::

Blackout...where is she? did she survive!? Where is Delilah??

::Alison's voice was not quite as cold as usual...with a softer tone and lilt to it::

 

[Foxfire]

Turning toward Alison, Blaze could see the Seer’s worried looks, the way her cobalt eyes shined with fear. Alison had suffered a tragedy, to die and be reborn like that of a Phoenix. Not many people could live to tell about it. It seemed that ability to return from the dead was given to herself, Haleigh, and now Alison. Blaze remembered her first time...everything was so frightening and new to her. Even the smallest thing was scary and unnatural until the mind learned to acclimate to the new environment. And Alison was in that same progression, slowly transferring back to the real world.

With both arms massaging Haleigh to soothe her, Blaze took the opportunity to speak. She wanted Haleigh to relax, as best she could. The whole team had been through pandemonium. As Alison inquired about Blackout, the mutant turned to gaze into Oruro’s bewitching pools.

"You’ve been through a lot Alison, we all have. But to answer your question...Blackout did not survive. You both were thrown backwards from the velocity of your powers. When we found you and Blackout, neither one was alive. Blackout has died....but Ororo can explain more about the true whereabouts of Alexis. During the battle though, Delilah was severely injured. She’s here with us in Oruro’s castle resting. Alycia and Zack are also here with us, safe and sound. But...somewhere along the way we lost touch with Dr. Victoria." She paused to allow Alison assimilate this bit of shocking information.

 

[Ororo]

::Ororo looked over as Foxfire spoke. watching and observing. she could hear the weary tone in Blaze's voice. She knew these young woman had endured much...not just this time but all this YEAR. whether they realized it or not, they were stronger than most....and Ororo, if nothing else, was relieved to see that they had taken her heed months ago and come together as a team..a FAMILY. It was what carried them through one hardship after the next.::

:: As Foxfire gave a brief summary of what happened, Ororo nodded slowly in agreement. speaking softly with a thoughtfull tone::

Ororo: You died in battle with Blackout. I cast a spell on the astral plane, creating a beacon as i reached out to your spirit, your soul in an attempt to lead you BACK to this realm...back to your body. It was a difficult process but ultimately you returned. the time that passed between your physical death and your revival moments ago was mot that long. as you know, time does not apply here as it does on Earth. Something that will come to all of your advantage when you finally DO return to Earth.

Blackout was the ultimate manifestation of plans laid years ago. the will of Adam Chandler and Helena Quatermaine's will superimposed upon Alexis and cemented and EXPLOITED by Malice. She lived her life as an unwitting pawn...full of chaos, betrayal and heartache. When the struggle between yourselves and Blackout climaxed, you Alison, stepped forward and attempted to neutralize the threat she posed to the city. but your powers...the both of you were EQUALLY matched in will and determination. the backlash from your confrontation destroyed EVERY THING in your physical envrionment and broke both of your bodies. in Blackout's case....it destroyed all of the psychic programming and indeed that entire persona but Alexis Quatermaine...as she really IS...survived. But her mind, her soul are in a state of infancy...damaged beyond repair. She would never recover...not in Earth's passage of time so she is here, in my garden, transformed into a statue so that she may live in peace, tranquility and know the serenity of life without the shadow of tragedy looming over her.

:: Ororo waved her hand in a circular motion, a small image bubble sparkled into view in the center of the room, giving a clear view of Alexis, who was now a statue...standing tall and elegantly out in the expanse of the garden near cascading crystal blue water fall. already some of the small , enchanted creatures of the garden were already inspecting the statue, which was posed in an artfull, feminine pose. although she was stone....Alexis looked oddly serene and at peace. perhaps Blaze would even reluctantly remember some of the HAPPIER moments they had with the meta human.::

She will stay here...in the garden. She will never be able to harm anyone or herself ever again and she will FINALLY be free from the grip of her family.

:: the bubble swirled and shifts..revealing the image of a resting Delilah, wthin another chamber of the castle...nestled in the elegant canopy bed, she looks so peacefull, her own natural luminescence back to full strength. Ororo looks among the three women::


Delilah is restored physically. She was very weary in mind and body and she is now resting. She will not be rejoining your team at least not right now...the life of a super hero...is not for her. Her world has changed so much, so many things have happened, she needs time. Her MAIN reason for coming to The Six was to help Morgan, her best friend, and with Morgan gone...Delilah's heart needs to heal from the pain of loss.

:: the image bubble swirls and pops softly, leaving a fading haze of sparkling green orbs::

Zach and Alycia, along Morgan's familiars are here....and as for Doctor Victoria, i sense that she is still alive....that is something we must attend to.

One of several IMPORTANT matters close at hand that you all must deal with while you are here in Limbo. Your lives..are about to turn to a new threshold...time to look ahead and BEYOND MysTech as your main goal

:: as Ororo ended that sentence...the winds continued to howl in an odd sort of melody around the stone castle. ::

 

[Harbinger]

:: Alison, who looked so fresh faced and free of the cold, stoic nature that was her trademark, looked upon Ororo with disbelief as she slowly touched her own face with her hands. moving them down her body, as if to make sure this wasnt some terrible dream.::

:: her cobalt blue eyes sparkled with a clarity and curiosity that had never been there before as she quietly whispered::


dead....truly dead....and now alive??

Ororo: yes.


:: Alison felt such an overwhelming feeling of reliefe...knowing that Blackout was DESTROYED, and yet somehow on a deep level, ALEXIS herself was now finally free of the evil of her family and her essense, wrapped in stone would rest in Ororo's mystical garden. Alison's friends, Haleigh, Blaze and Delilah were ALIVE..Zach and Alycia had been safe all along....::

Oh Ororo!!

:: she rushed forward in the bed and hugged her "Mother" as she closed her eyes, a smile of gratitude crept over her face, a tear slowly flowed down one cheek::


thank you...thank you for helping me this way...

Ororo: You are welcome, my child. :: Ororo returns her embrace warmly::


:: Alison leans back in the bed as she breathes deeply, appreciating the cool sweet air that flows through as she wipes her tears away. Ororo speaks on the doctor, and Alison's heart and mind IMMEDIATELY flash to Dr. Victoria....but her precognition is hindered in Limbo, she trusts in Ororo's words that the doctor is still alive and agrees that they will have to find her and SOON::

Blaze, Haleigh, ORORO..... there's something else. I saw something...even in death. something that I could never have foreseen in this life. I saw MORGAN....not dead!! but suspended outside of time AND space...in a dark, featurless and endless oblivion. She doesnt know who she is...or where she's at. she asked me to tell her who she was....to HELP HER but MASTER MOLD came and pulled her DEEPER into DARKNESS...

:: thunder rumbled as a slightly shaken Alison recalls what she saw. the winds rush again as well ::

Ororo...does that mean she's ....ALIVE!? is there a way you...WE can reach her??

 

[Foxfire]

Ororo filled the rest of the blanks in for Alison, even broadcasting an image of Alexis. Her statue was beautiful...so serene and peaceful. Her own mind nostalgic from the past, remembering the good times. The flirtatious behavior Blaze directed at Alexis, the way the Metahuman verbally spared with Morgan and Alison, the cat fight with Delilah. All these memories still fresh in her mind. But how would Haleigh feel seeing Alexis’ statue? And how would Alison feel? A sudden gloom passed through Blaze as she admired the statue of Alexis...maybe she didn’t give Alexis the credit she deserved. Maybe, she came from a dysfunctional family that wielded her into their exact image. All Blaze knew was...in the end she would miss the Metahuman...miss the good Alexis.

Her eyes following along the new image that formed of Delilah. Already Blaze felt her feeling getting worse. At least D was alive, but it meant she would need a reprieve from the team, as far as the super hero business. Flashbacks of the yacht sinking into her brain. It was almost like Delilah knew this would happen...and she had privately admitted to wanting to start over. Maybe this was a positive change for her, but no matter the fact Delilah would always be welcomed in the Six.

Blaze couldn’t help but feel misty eyed at the loving embrace shared by Alison and Ororo. She could sense and feel Alison’s uncertainly, but just as quickly as it appeared, the feeling vanished. Blinking away a few threatening tears, Blaze watched on in amazement. Here, the Seer was alive and breathing...but why couldn’t Morgan be? Blaze’s happiness subsided at the very thought of her dead sister.

Looking back up, Blaze awaited to speak with Alison. "Ali...what you did for the team was courageous, sacrificing your own life for yours. It reminded me so much of Morgan...how protective she was of her family and friends. I thought we lost you....Haleigh and I didn’t know what to do...so we called for Ororo. What I’m trying to say is... thank you for saving us...for putting yourself in danger to preserve our lives." Choking back a few tears, Blaze felt her emotions scattering throughout her soul, threatening to unveil themselves.

Taking a few breaths, Blaze calmed herself. Alison began to explain what she saw while she had passed on. At first Blaze felt as though she was dreaming. She stared blankly as Alison, only to replay Alison’s words back inside her mind. The thought of Morgan ALIVE and suffering punctured a whole through Blaze’s heart. Pacing her breathing to alleviate any tears that were threatening to leak.
She turned to Ororo, her own eyes now curious and full of hope. This new knowledge was Ororo’s expertise, if anything she would know. Fox anxiously sat in her chair, not quite sure if she wanted to jump for joy that Morgan could be alive or fall to tears knowing her sister was endlessly tortured by Master Mold, ceasing any eternal rest Morgan deserved.

"What does this mean?" Blaze’s voice shook with emotion, hoping to encourage Ororo to speak more about this matter.

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh drew and sighed a ragged breath, reticent as Blaze tried to comfort her.... lost in her own thoughts as Alison slept soundly. She shook her head, as Blaze suggested she go to Zach.... she wouldn't be able to think about anything other than tonight and Alison... and that would undo anything Zach tried in the way of comforting her. She stared off, her eyes out of focus, relaxing her body into Blaze's embrace... but her mind was afire, both replaying the torment of the entire night AND trying to answer so many of her own questions...

She gave a start of surprise, as Alison woke up, but Ororo nd foxfire were quick with answers and calming her back down, and so Haleigh remained silent as she listened to explainations. as the visual of Alexis appeared... Haleigh's very SOUL tensed... and that translated to body language that was edgy and angry... she looked like she was fighting the urge to SMASH the statue to pieces... because while Blaze remembered the good times and Alison was relieved that the Alexis she had grown to care for was at peace... Haleigh could think only of the PAIN and TRAUMA that Alexis had caused her only a few hours ago... and she knew deep down that it would be a LONG time before she could forgive ANYTHING... let alone forget.

Alison recounted a vision of some sort.... but Haleigh seemed skeptical and unwilling to get her hopes up. her voice was gentle as she tried to reason.

"But Alison... are you sure.... it wasn't some kind of nightmare? Death... is a very stilting experience... perhaps your visions were mixed with your unconscious fears about what might have happened to her after she disappeared into the vortex?"

 

[Harbinger]

:: sitting up more in the bed, Alison wrapped her arms around herself as she closed her eyes...breathing in. She slowly exhaled as she opened her eyes again and looked upon Blaze and Haleigh::

I'm VERY sure Haleigh.

::looking up at the ceiling, she closed her eyes....remembering the dreamy, bizarre space that she was in during death::



When i first became "aware" of anything after the moment i died...i felt that i was in a riptide...the outer most edges of a VORTEX and i saw the Seige Perilous. it was MASSIVE, larger than we have ever seen it before. but it wasnt "activated"....just OPENED for me to see into it and inside, MORGAN was floating as if she were suspended in water. naked and in a fetal position.

:: her eyes still closed...she begins to shed tears...remembering how lost and bewildered Morgan looked...so alone and so scared::

I could SEE her..but i couldnt DO anything because i had no form..no true sense of self...she saw ME...and called out. She didnt know who she was....the Seige Perilous must have already rearranged her..or was in the process of it...i dont know but she called out to me Haleigh.

:: she became adamant::

this isnt a trick by Malice, this was REAL and even as Master Mold appeared and ripped her away, i began to hear Ororo, she called for me....her beacon...it helped me somehow find my way to her and the closer i got, the more i remembered.

:: pausing, Alison thought about how it all felt, how she felt the tremendous sense of urgency to get BACK to life, back to her friends, Ororo and this reality.::

I remembered my astral form finally coming back together and running down a path lit by Ororo's orb. i cried out for Ororo to help me....and the next thing i knew...i was HERE.

But Morgan....she's ALIVE....and she needs our help.

Ororo...as the guardian of the dark trinity, what say you?

:: the winds whistled again, some twisting and swirling through the windows into the room they sat in as Alison waited for the answer.

 

[Ororo]

hypothesis

:: Ororo sat, with her arms folded and her legs crossed at the knee, her elegant white "goddess" dress hung just right on her body and the blue rube added to the regal look. Although FAR older than every woman in the room, Ororo's etherial beauty and elegance were timeless. She listened carefully as Alison was able to piece together what she saw while dead. Haleigh expressed doubt which was understandable, Malice had attempted to play on Morgan's death in a cruel manner hours earlier and the psychological, emotional damage the White Queen inflicted on the surviving members of the Six left them shaken to their core.::


:: as the elements outside continued to roll on providing a soft, echoing background noise to the silent castle, Ororo spoke::

Ororo: the night that Morgan and Sharon Kelly died, Delilah called for me in Morgan's penthouse. She was distraught and I came to her in what she thought was her dream. She asked me if Morgan was truly gone. I told her that I could not say for certain that she was TRULY lost to us.

:: Ororo waves her hand...and a swirling trail of sparkling green orbs spirals in the center of the room...as a chime sounds off...the image of the Dark Trinity: Magik, Darkchilde and Spellbinder appears. the striking resemblance between the three women is UNCANNY.::

Morgan is apart of the dark trinity, one of only three counterparts in all the Multiverse. This trinity forms a unique pattern in the universe in which each point symbolises a hole in the space time continuum known as Limbo. Their is only one sentient essence that can only inhabit the power of each point one at a time which is why when Spellbinder lost herself in darkness during the Inferno, she referred to herself as "dark child" did not become "Darkchilde" in FACT. They can never exist in the same place at the same time.

:: the images shift, to show a three way visual of each woman using "stepping discs"::

Morgan's basic power is the ability to circumvent or move through time and space through the use of the stepping discs which are bound to Limbo.

:: images of Ororo's conversation with a distratught Delilah begin to play out as Ororo talks::

As I told Delilah, it is POSSIBLE that when Morgan was pulled into the vortex, her mental instinct to TELEPORT as a defense or an escape may have manifested before the Seige Perilous could "rearrange" her completely to reflect another aspect of herself.

:: an image of Morgan by herself now appears::

if Morgan is alive, and suspended outside of time and space....her sense of self may be fractured because she escaped the transformation process of the Seige Perilous. She may in fact be locked in her own nightmare...the last moments of Master Mold pulling her to her death but she cannot remember who she is or how to escape.

:: Ororo stood up, as thunder began to rumble more threatening in the skies outside. her tone was deeper, more serious. she seemed to be addressing herself as much as she was the young women::

I believe what Alison saw after HER death is what i suspected would happened when i first became aware of Morgan's "Demise"....the same night Delilah called me. When Alison answered my call on the astral plane, and began to come back ...following the glow of my beacon...the look on her face even in her ASTRAL form was that of distress, urgency. She clearly had seen something that upset her, something that she HAD to tell me but could NOT because she was not yet coherent.

:: looking at Haleigh as she turned, her blue robe sweeping around with her turn as her elegant white hair did as well::

You've trusted Alison's visions before, do not waiver now. This may be our only chance to SAVE Morgan..to bring her BACK.

Through Limbo...ALL times and places are possible..time and space do not rule here as they do on your earth which is why events that happen here in what you would consider "past" and "present or even the "future" can take place before your very eyes at any given moment.

If Morgan is IN FACT languishing just outside of the Seige Perilous' effects....we must find a way to get to her.

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh sat forward, interlocking her fingers together as Alison assured her and Ororo explained. The more she heard the more things began to come together for her logically. She watched Ororo speak... her mind mulling over what she was hearing... Ororo wanted her to trust Alison's visions as she had before, but she didnt seem so gung ho to.

"There were MANY things I trusted before that FAILED me tonight... events I had accepted to be TRUE... my powers... my decisions... my own thoughts.... but if YOU think there is a chance for Morgan.... then I will put my trust in YOU... and let us do EVERYTHING in our power to help her in any way we can."

Haleigh said, taking a deep breath. Unlike Alison or Blaze... she didnt appear to be any more hopeful now about saving Morgan than she did last night... but Haleigh had a way of internalizing her desires... and protecting her heart from being set up for a terrible fall. Her facial expression was profoundly thoughtful, as if she was still cycling through everything, and trying her best to make sure nothing was being forgotten.

"What about her mother? Karen risked her life to liberate us and lead the super soldier away... if she's STILL fighting him... she could be in GRAVE condition... I remember him being.... quite resilient."

 

[Ororo]

::Ororo looked at all three women, a look of understanding on her face could be seen as she turned to Haleigh again::

Ororo: it is okay to be hesitant.

but do not deny yourself that which you feel in your heart. i have lived longer than most...and i carry with me the pain of loss. earlier you mentioned that it was easy for me to be "objective"...but rest assured that it did not come without a HEAVY price through the years i have spent here Haleigh. You have a place to go back to on earth....I do not. Your friends, your family are here....my beloved X-men are forever lost....and for all my power, i cannot ever bring them back. Do not think you are unique when it comes to pain, loss and betrayal.

::when Haleigh inquired about Doctor Karen Victoria, Ororo didnt miss a step::

Let us use a Scrying Pool to find out just where the Doctor is..


:: swinging her arm around, with two fingers pointed Ororo weaves a sparkling, waving scrying pool and with an eerie sound, the hangar/dock area of MysTech's Citadle just beyond the access tunnel. Haleigh , Blaze and Alison now get to see FIRST HAND the battle between Doctor Karen Victoria and The Super Soldier.::

:: even as the doctor battled her monstrous foe, she maintained a poise and gracefull elegance about herself. as Haleigh, Blaze and Alison watched her igniting spells, hurling mystic daggers and fighting against the monster..they could easily see "Morgan" in her mother. but at the final stage of battle..the same moment when Blackout reached critical mass, the Super Soldier grabbed the Doctor and began to crush her to death, she seemed to go limp but at the last moment...she escaped his grasp AGAIN when he dropped her, thinking she was dead. The doctor ignites a DEADLY powerfull spell summoning the demon storm/power of shadow to consume the super soldier on ALL levels of his existence...the climax of the spell occured at the same the citadle itself was ravaged by Blackout. This was the moment when MALICE had transported the others above ground...the moment that Karen was left behind.::

:: the view of the battle shifted....and as Karen seemed to seal the fate of the super soldier, from the eye of the demon storm, a TERRIFYING sight is beheld as MASSIVE piece of metal debris is hurled by the super soldier in one last attempt to strike down the doctor. the massive piece of hagged metal SLAMS into the doctor full on and she is smacked down to the ground so fast..and so hard. the sound is SICKENING. ::

:: the super soldier is erradicated...destroyed from within and without on a physical, mental and spiritual level by the power of shadow spell and the ceiling of the hangar begins to collapse from the forces from the spell.....huge chunks crashing down all around the now unconscious and BADLY HURT doctor who is now laying on her back, her head turned to the side...not moving...blood dripping from a large rip in her flying suit about her chest area...and blood on her face as well::

:: the scrying pool shimmers and fades away ...leaving the dreadfull images of the Doctor's downfall AS WELL as the violent death of the super soldier to linger in the minds of Haleigh, Blaze and Alison::

Ororo: It is worse than I thought. Karen is trapped, badly hurt...and if she is found by DHS or any federal entity....the consquences could be dire.

 

[Harbinger]

:: Alison was now slipping out of the canopy bed. tying the exquisite white silk robe around her nude body as she went to Ororo's side. her first few steps were a bit off balanced, and she wasnt even wearing high heeled boots...but it was to be expected. these were her first steps since returning from death hours ago.::

:: she didnt want to seem weak so she quickly steadied herself as she made her way to Ororo, standing between her and Haleigh just as Ororo finished speaking to Haleigh and weaving the scrying pool.::


:: Alison watched with intent, there was the doctor, the woman who had indeed risked her life to free them and make their escape possible. She lead the Super Soldier away and did magnificent battle with him. her elegance and grace....countered whatever fear the doctor must have been feeling.::

I see where Morgan gets it from

:: But even as Alison was relieved to see that the doctor managed to stay at least a step ahead of the massive creature...he kept coming for her...enduring her powerfull spells, her mystic daggers...everything. and he would move ANYTHING to get to her. finally he caught her and began to crush her. Alison's heart jumped. it was like something out of a terrifying horror movie.::

:: Karen out witted him and sealed his fat with a POWERFULL spell that ravaged the envrionment..the very AIR around the super soldier as well as HIS BODY, hiS MIND (what was left of it) and his very SOUL. But even as the moment of victory as at hand... the large, jagged metal projectile spun out from the fury of the spell and SMASHED Karen full force and sent her down to the ground::

NO! KAREN!!

:: the pool shimmered away, and Alison was horrified...continuing to show more emotion than she ever had on earth, the Seer was now distraught::

we left her behind!! HOW could this have HAPPENED!? why didnt i "SEE" this before!?

:: Ororo spoke and Alison turned to her::

Ororo...we have to go back to the Citadle....Karen's trapped down there...and she could be DYING.

 

[Black Widow]

Ororo's words hit home with Haleigh... it seemed... they were not so far apart as Haleigh thought... she nodded, taking consderation as Ororo moved on to Karen and created the scrying pool. Alison got up.. and wobbled a bit... causing Haleigh to lurch forward in her chair, as if ready to spring forth and catch Alison should she fall.. but she remained seated, as they all watched in horror as Karen defeated the SS.

Alison reacted first, and with such depth that Haleigh did a double take... before standing and shaking her head.

"NO." She began firmly, as she moved in closer to Alison and Ororo. "YOU will do no such thing. You need TIME to recover and I won't have you traipsing about in that wreckage." She says, looking at Alison directly and speaking with a tone that was more serious than ever. She turned to Ororo with an air of determination. "On top of that.... Blaze and Alison BOTH will be instrumental in recovering Morgan... we don't know WHAT Morgan remembers about her SELF... her LIFE... or her loved ones... the FIRST thing to come back is instinct. Blaze and Alison were there for her for most of her life... THEY will be most capable of coaxing her back to reality. I will go back for Dr. Victoria... I'm trained in stealth, I can get in and out of there without being seen... I'm best suited to deal with that environment...it just makes SENSE. Let's not put off EITHER rescue... and NOT endanger any more lives than absolutely necessary."

 

[Ororo]

:: Ororo heard Alison exclaim and Haleigh immediately rebuted Alison's assertation that "THEY" had to go back to the Citadle::

Ororo: Haleigh is right, Alison. You cannot go back.

:: looking among the three women again::

But neither can YOU Haleigh.

:: thunder crashed in the distance...seemingly OUTSIDE the realm of the garden...a sign that whatever was happening beyond the realm of the garden was growing more turbulent.::

None of you can return to that reality now...you are public enemy number one and if ANY of you are seen..you are to be slain on sight. I will facilitate the doctor's rescue....for the devices of man cannot detect OR contain me.

:: Haleigh would remember Adam Chandler's references to an "unseen force" that seemed to aid Morgan in times past...he was unknowingly refering to Ororo::

The three of you must stay together...for you will be traveling through Limbo....and if you do NOT stay together..you ill be LOST in time and space..beyond my reach. I cannot bring Morgan back....she is beyond my reach as i do not control the stepping discs. but there is someone who CAN help you.

:: Ororo lifts her hands...and in a BLAST of thunder and a rushing swirl of wind....Haleigh, Blaze and Alison are now in their costumes...fully restored and looking as if they had never been worn before.::

Alison's precognition is limited in Limbo but her knowledge of dark magick will make up for my absence. the three of you must go forward TOGETHER...and I will see to the doctor.

:: she pointed out of the carved out window over looking the night shaded mystical garden. at the outer most edges of my garden...where the barrier between it and the rest of Limbo is thinnest..you will see stepping discs...they appear randomly and can take you ANY and EVERYWHERE with the speed of thought. You must travel through those discs...to find ...Darkchilde.

:: thunder rolls ominously as Ororo says this::

Darkchilde is the crown jewel of the trinity, the strongest of the three...she is sorceress supreme in her reality as Morgan is here but there is something about Darkchilde that is different.

Beware that her reality is different from this one. things that are one way here may not be there...and there is no guarantee that you will find ME there either. just remember, your goal is to find Darkchilde...Alison will know what to do then.

now go.

:: Ororo motions for them to make haste. she knows that they will not see HER in that timeline because she is DEAD there...all times and places in limbo overlap...it is one of the many strange facets of this arcane realm. she watches as the three women leave....with Haleigh helping Alison a bit.::

:: speaking softly as they disappear around the corner::

may the goddess protect and keep you all.....may you return with Morgan.

 

[Foxfire]

Still held securely in her warm and inviting embrace, Blaze could feel Haleigh's frail body tense at the explanation Ororo gave. But, she didn't say anything, after all Haleigh was entitled to feel hatred, and the others were allowed to feel as they wanted. Haleigh's skeptical words leaked a more vulnerable emotion, one that Blaze knew well too, for she carried the same tone. She awaited a reaction from Alison and Ororo on the subject of Morgan.

Alison explained more about what she saw, and for the first time Blaze saw Alison convey emotion. Nothing but real emotion, something that Blaze knew lurked inside the Seer. It was pleasant to see, feel, and watch. It proved exactly what the mutant said, behind the Marble heart was a woman. Alison's descriptions were so detailed...so REAL...Blaze felt as though Alison was truthful, and this was not a nightmare.

With Ororo to confirm Alison's sighting, the wise weather witch supplied some impute of her on. One that was enlightening for all parties involved. Blaze remembered Darkchilde from the stories she had been told. How would the team react to her and vice versa? This was the same woman, Blaze had been trying to get in contact with weeks ago.

Haleigh and Ororo conversed on the subject of Karen while Blaze listened keenly. Anything she needed to say was addressed either by Haleigh or Ororo. Ororo revealed the Doctor's true location and the vicious battle taken place. She gasped in horror as the doctor was slammed to the ground, the sickening thud bouncing off the castles walls. The sound making Blaze cringe with horror. Immediately after the scrying pool vanished, Haleigh and Alison argued who would be leaving to save Karen.

Blaze stood to argue against both women, but Ororo timely stepped in. Sitting back down, Blaze couldn't seem to get a word in, not that it was a bad thing. Ororo addressed their new mission, finding and locating DC. Standing back up, Blaze noticed her battle armor shimmery with new life. Did they plan on battling DC? Blaze hoped not, she knew what DC was capable of after the Inferno incident...if that's how the real Darkchilde behaved.

Following the two team leaders out of the doorway, Ororo's words crawling into her mind. Blaze took the rear position, her eyes observant over Alison. She too was prepared to catch her if she fell, although Haleigh's solid grip over the Seer would secure no harm would happen. Blaze was left to her own private thoughts, Alison's descriptions were so vivid....how on earth did Morgan survive. Did she survive? Blaze never understood the netherealm, but she did understand her mission. She could only hope this one was a success.

 

[Harbinger]

Limbo: Ororo's Garden

:: Alison looked at Haleigh in disbelief as the woman practically FORBADE her from going to rescue Karen. It was the first time that anyone, let alone Haleigh had outright challenged her in this way. But Alison understood why Haleigh felt the way she did. The Seer was still "new" to her body ...as strange as it sounded, and it wouldnt be wise for her to rush off like that..back into such a dangerous, hostile evironment.::

:: Ororo spoke up and informed them that NONE of them would be going back to Earth and that SHE would be handling it. if Ororo was taking this task, there had to be an extreme reason, for she RARELY involved herself directly in the affairs of those on earth. Alison trusted her "Mother's' judgement on this and looked upon Haleigh and Blaze with a softer expression, her cobalt blue eyes did not have the same cold, stern glare that she was known for. she seemed much more "human" now than she had before and it was surprising to her friends.::

:: as she felt the winds rushing around her and a flash of light, she was now in her trademark battle suit complete with the high heeled boots. the suit was brand new, it felt perfectly fit to her as it countoured her feminine frame.::

:: As Ororo conveyed their mission and goal, Alison slowly ran her hands through her blue/black hair. traveling through Limbo via stepping discs would test their logic, their senses and they would most likely see things they would never have suspected. the "dark trinity" was one of the multi verses rare gems and each woman involved had a history rooted in pain and tragedy. Alison wanted nothing more than to save Morgan and bring her back....she would gladly go to the ends of HELL to do so....and with Haleigh and Blaze with her...they would face this together. For once, Alison did not fell compelled to go it alone, it was a feeling that was new to her::

We will, Ororo. Good luck to you as well.

:: Alison left with the others, making their way out of the mysterious, dark castle and out into the garden in what passes for "night" in Limbo. they walked through the serene and seemingly endless expanse::

My precognition does not work as well here, as Ororo said, none of our powers will work exactly as they would on earth. Once we are to the edge of the garden, we will see the other side of Limbo, the wild, harsh, icy hell dimension filled with demons, floating land masses, raging skies and sounds of violence...we MUST stay together.

 

[MorningStar]

Ororo's castle in the garden

[ Delilah's eyes fluttered open. She started, disoriented and in unfamiliar surroundings. She saw that she was lying in a canopy bed, and blinking her eyes clear, realized where she was: the castle in limbo.

Details of recent events were fuzzy: Illustra, the Citadel...Blackout, Malice. She had been injured...but how? Oh yes, they had poisoned her. Fading memories of the firey pain came back to her but for a moment. She threw off the covers of the canopy bed, revealing her body perfectly intact. Had the whole thing been a dream? Perhaps they were still here in Ororo's garden, resting after they had been infected on the yacht. Perhaps Morgan was still...

But no, even as she thought these things, she knew it wasn't so. These things had happened, of that she was sure. But how did she get here? And where were Alison and the others?

She threw her legs over the edge of the bed and landed softly on the stone floor. Opening the door, she looked into the empty hallway. ]

"Hello?"

[ She slowly began to walk down the hall, looking for signs that she was not alone here. A light breeze and soft chimes filled the air. She felt at peace here, more peace than she had felt in a long time. ]