Marauders #1: Homecoming

Heritage Bar - Brooklyn

The last person he wanted to contact was Danny Donnelly. But he had to. Maxine was testing him and he had no choice but to pass this test. Danny had always been a fun distraction. He was so messy, and simple, and despite being a flaming queen, he was also at times very manly. In short, he was everything that Daniel was not allowed to be, which made Danny very, very attractive to him. And the fact that he went by a simpleton's variation on his own name was just the right amount of narcissism that Daniel liked to maintain.

>> "Not to soil your evening, but I need to talk to you, Danny boy. See you at Heritage in 45 minutes."

Daniel knew he would Danny would be there. He never ignored a text. And he was relieve to have that ideal proven as he saw Danny behind the bar as they walked in. Moving their way through the crowd, they sat down at the bar and waved Danny down.

"Dealer's choice, Danny. What would you serve the three most unlikely people to show up at a bar together?"

Danny: "I know just the thing, dumplin'."

Daniel cringed.

"You pour, I'll talk. Look, shit's kind of exploded as I'm sure you're well aware. I'm trying to get to the bottom of things. I'm trying to protect myself. And protect these guys. I gotta show some loyalty. This handsome woman wants me to exploit my connection with you in order to prove my trust. And right now I need all the allies I can get. Help a boy out, would you?"

Citadel: "I won't. Nobody needs to be in that place, Daniel. And while I've enjoyed the many generous sexual favors you've given me over the years, I don't really trust you...and neither does the city."

"Well that was a little too fast of a response for comfort..."

He didn't miss a beat, but Daniel wasn't surprised. Their relationship had been built on knowing what different people they were from each other. It was part of their attraction to each other. Daniel hadn't been asked to make this work, he had only been asked...to ask. His part was done.

Citadel: "And the city wants me to tell you that she shares that sentiment among the THREE of you, not just Daniel."

Domino: "Tell the city that she can fuck off. I prefer London anyway."

"Here here!"

New York City was a cesspool of chaos and bad breeding. Daniel only tolerated the city for the connections it had to offer. He preferred the historical and timeless elegance of England far more than the barren modern landscape of New York.

Citadel: "Pratt, I don't know how the hell you got yourself mixed up with these two, but I can tell ya, it ain't the smartest fuckin' decision I've seen you make..."

"Haven't we all made inexplicable choices when it comes to matters of the heart?"

He smirked.

Domino: "So you haven't known him for very long, have you?"

Citadel: "But you've also got the best heart out of the whole damn crew. If you're with 'em, they can't be all bad. So you tell me what you think, handsome. Why should i let these guys into Hellfire?"

This was for the best. Simon was a bleeding heart. And it turned out, very easily emotionally manipulated. Daniel had been metering his approval for the last hour to ensure that Maxine's moral compass would swing into his favor. All he had to do was stoke Simon's well of inspiration with his power before he would be able to get Danny to let his guard down. It would work mostly because Daniel could sense a hefty attraction that Danny had for Simon. For a moment, Daniel let himself entertain the thought of enjoying both Danny and Simon at the same time before he snapped back into reality as Simon answered Citadel.

Simon: "I don't know that you should Danny. But...I'd like you to. I can't speak for my colleagues, but I promise, we have a specific mission, and it's personal...not business. We are trying to clean up a mess, and we gotta start there."

He watched for Danny's response. In the end of, none of this mattered. If Danny refused, Daniel would simply just force him to. But he didn't necessarily want to take that route so easily. He wanted Danny to want to help, and it appeared that would become contingent on Maxine.

Simon: "She could probably tell you better than I can."

Maxine: "I'm dying to. "Look, I'm just gonna operate under the assumption that you know more things than we think you know about Hellfire...So here goes. I am the result of a genetic experiment at the hands of my father and this guy's father [pointing to Daniel]. For a long time I felt really alone, and then I met a girl who was a lot like me. She was an experiment that gave a different outcome than mine. They keep her in stasis, constantly waking her up and putting her back to sleep whenever they want to threaten someone or piss them off. They've clone her body and sold her to people. She is a sister to me, and I promised to protect her. I cannot let her down like this, Danny. Please. I hate asking for help, and I'll kill you if you ever told anybody I asked, but I can't get to her without you."

Maxine didn't have to explain his relationship with Jessica. He could see it with his power. He deepest and brightest emotional tie was to this Jessica Marcus who he had only encountered in London when both Domino and Viper were fighting to the death. Something had happened between them there, and immediately after, Daniel noticed a shift in Maxine. She treated Viper like she was a part of her. Like she was one of her limbs. This would make her very easily manipulated. If someone wanted to mess with Max, going after Viper seemed like a no brainer. If Daniel could help her recover Jessica, he would, if only so nobody could use Jessica against them, specifically Maxine.

Maxine: "Please. You can tag along if you want. Supervise us. I just need to get her out of there."

Daniel mustered up as much emotionally vulnerability as he could.

"I've never asked you for anything, Danny. And I never would if I didn't really need the help. We are very different people, and you may not trust me, but I hope at the very least you respect me. Because I respect you. I promise we are headed there for one thing and one thing only - Jessica Marcus. And then we shall take our leave. As Maxine said, join us if you wish. I assure you there will be no funny business."

He downed the rest of his beer.

"Well...perhaps after there can be some funny business. We can save that for when you have to grovel for your distrust of our intentions later."
 
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Heritage Bar - Brooklyn

Domino: "So here goes. I am the result of a genetic experiment at the hands of my father and this guy's father [pointing to Daniel]. For a long time I felt really alone, and then I met a girl who was a lot like me. She was an experiment that gave a different outcome than mine. They keep her in stasis, constantly waking her up and putting her back to sleep whenever they want to threaten someone or piss them off. They've clone her body and sold her to people. She is a sister to me, and I promised to protect her. I cannot let her down like this, Danny. Please. I hate asking for help, and I'll kill you if you ever told anybody I asked, but I can't get to her without you."

"Oh Jesus Christ."

Danny fought the urge to roll his eyes for a minute while also genuinely feeling sympathy for her. It was clear that from her tone of voice, she had been through a lot. And she didn't seem to be the type that led with her words, so it gave Danny pause that she was even willing to discuss anything like this with him. And even more convinced that she would never say these words out loud unless they were true. She was too proud. But so many people in this town did terrible shit in the name of good that Danny was just not as trusting as he once was.

"Please..this can't really all be contingent on me, can it?"

Maxine: "Please. You can tag along if you want. Supervise us. I just need to get her out of there."

Daniel: "I've never asked you for anything, Danny. And I never would if I didn't really need the help. We are very different people, and you may not trust me, but I hope at the very least you respect me. Because I respect you. I promise we are headed there for one thing and one thing only - Jessica Marcus. And then we shall take our leave. As Maxine said, join us if you wish. I assure you there will be no funny business."

That was much was true. Daniel had not been a very vocal sexual partner. He hadn't needed to be. Just as Daniel used him for his own sexual perversion, so did Danny. The boy was beautiful, and so tightly wound, that making him moan like a banshee every now and then really got Danny off. Their relationship was deep, but it was simple.

"No funny business...that's not like you."

Daniel: "Well...perhaps after there can be some funny business. We can save that for when you have to grovel for your distrust of our intentions later."

Danny laughed.

"There's our guy. I was worried for a second."

Citadel poured himself a shot of whiskey and downed it quickly. If he was going to have to come face to face with The Hellfire Mansion again he wanted to be drunk.

"But really, none of ya'lls gotta say all this shit. I can sense it. The city knows you don't want to mess with Hellfire, so she's approving your request."

[pouring another shot]

"She's a fickle mistress, what can I say? I can let you's down there for sixty minutes MAXiMUM. After that, I'll bury her deeper and not worry about who's inside. All you gotta do is promise that whatever bloodshed you're looking to exact is far outta the city limits, kapeesh?"
 
Heritage Bar - Brooklyn

Simon was relieved to have Danny be involved in the mix, and there was a part of him that was hoping he would tell them to fuck all the way off. The way that Daniel and Maxine spoke of Hellfire with such romance and conviction, it felt like the true power of the club was that it was a virus that was highly contagious. Be in it's orbit long enough and you became loyal enough to die for the place, and Simon was worried that the last few hours had inadvertantly starting showing him signs of infection. His parents were loyal to this place, people he cared about viewed it with reverence, despite how much destruction it caused. More than he cared to admit, Simon was curious. Perhaps there was something about this place that he was missing.

Maxine: "Please. You can tag along if you want. Supervise us. I just need to get her out of there."

That shocked Simon. Maxine was not the type of person to say please. She commanded authority and attention. She barrelled through everything in her way without so much as a second thought. He didn't know Jessica Marcus, but if she was this important to Maxine, he wanted to help her. He was the kind of guy who believed in destiny. Maybe there was a reason he was the one to see her get almost murdered by Talisman's blackjackets. Maybe, they could help each other.

Daniel: "I've never asked you for anything, Danny. And I never would if I didn't really need the help. We are very different people, and you may not trust me, but I hope at the very least you respect me. Because I respect you. I promise we are headed there for one thing and one thing only - Jessica Marcus. And then we shall take our leave. As Maxine said, join us if you wish. I assure you there will be no funny business."

He didn't trust Daniel Reed. He was too smooth to trust. He had anticipated their arrival at his flat and all but finessed Maxine into working with him. But he did trust Maxine. And she wasn't a fool. This Jessica may have been one of her blindspots, but everybody had blindspots. This meant a lot to her, so it meant a lot to him.

Daniel: "Well...perhaps after there can be some funny business. We can save that for when you have to grovel for your distrust of our intentions later."

Danny: "There's our guy. I was worried for a second. But really, none of ya'lls gotta say all this shit. I can sense it. The city knows you don't want to mess with Hellfire, so she's approving your request."

Simon smirked. Danny's accent always went into overdrive when he was drinking.

Danny: "She's a fickle mistress, what can I say? I can let you's down there for sixty minutes MAXIMUM. After that, I'll bury her deeper and not worry about who's inside. All you gotta do is promise whatever bloodshed you're looking to exact is far outta the city limits, kapeesh?"

"Okay, godfather, we get it. I promise, I won't let them get into any trouble."

Maxine: "As if you could stop us. But...there's no need. Do this for me for and I owe you a favor, Danny. And trust me, I'm the kind of guy you want to have owe you a favor."

"Enough of the peacocking. We got a trip across the pond to make after this remember?"

[to Danny]

"Lead the Way?"

Danny: "Soon as my second shift clocks on, we'll go."
 
From Heritage to Hell...

<< Miles beneath the city, underneath the catacombs and old routes of the NYC subway system, was the resting place of The Hellfire Mansion. It was a gothic beauty looking as if it had been phased into the very bedrock of the city, and it had - as a testament to the power of Citadel, though it was not without consequence. Something that stood for things as dark and depraved as Hellfire, embedded into the loins of New York would have long lasting consequences, both physical and metaphorical. For now, Citadel had granted access to the mansion to an unlikely group of friends who were finding their bearings in the wake of what was being referred to as The Battle at Hellfire. >>

<< Using his ability to maneuver anywhere in the city within an instant in a fuzzy blur, the group found themselves in the main foyer of the now crumbling Hellfire Mansion, a place that seemed to be buckling under the enormous pressure of the rock and rubble that was pressing against it. The lights were flickering flickering, as the sounds of the ghosts and abominations left behind freely roamed the mansion, making it a very dangerous place to be. >>

<< Danny Donnelly faced the group, shuddering for a second as he spoke to them. >>

Citadel: "The White and Black Wings have all been but destroyed thanks to The Birds and The Six. If you want to gain access to the lower levels, you'll have to go through the Red Wing."

Discord: "Sounds easy enough."

Citadel: "It won't be, handsome. Moving the mansion through the city like this unlocked more than a few cages. The place is crawling with bio hazards, escaped prisoners, ghosts, live power lines, and wreckage."

Domino: "Sounds a lot like my adolescence. We'll be careful, Citadel."

Citadel: "Lady, I don't care what you do to this place. You have an hour. Let me know the second you need extraction, and i'll be there. But I meant what I said. You pass that timeframe and I'm not coming back to get you. I'll assume you're dead or infected."

Longshot: "We'll be quick, Danny. The last thing I want to do is die at the fucking Hellfire Mansion."

Discord: "Famous last words..."

Citadel: "Anyway. I gotta get back to the bar. Good luck!"

<< Citadel disappeared in a blur as Maxine, Simon and Daniel were left alone, the reality of where they were creeping in on them. Whatever their feelings, they would have no time to process. They had a timeline and a mission, and as Domino took the lead, we WATCH. >>
 
The Hellfire Mansion

As soon as he had dropped them off, he had left and given them yet another warning that he might leave them there forever. Maxine wasn't worried, and it didn't seem Daniel was either. Simon however, seemed to be shaking in his boots a little bit, something that amused her. She took a moment to survey the scene. Hellfire always looked like something out of a horror movie but this was something else altogether. It was a bit pathetic, and more than that, it was tragic. Despite her anger at The Sisterhood for letting this place fall, it had once been a place of so much power. When she arrived in New York with Ravena, things seemed to be moving quickly upwards for them. The Sisterhood seemed to be at the pinnacle of power, their courts were filling and they were making moves to secure legendary status. But Diana had ruined that. She had gotten too hungry, too confident. She had been used to moving in the shadows, but it was clear that once Diana had firmly wrestled the spotlight from everyone else's hands for a long period of time, even the diamond herself had flaws.

"It feels like I'm in the morgue, about to ID'ing a body. I never thought I'd see this place look so....dead."

Daniel: "And yet it's oddly comforting. The dated furniture makes quite a deal more sense now."

Maxine laughed softly.

"As opposed to our own medieval manor?"

Daniel: "Our décor has actually history and meaning to it. This chintzy crap was just....ugly."

"Agreed. Alright. Let's go."

Maxine moved towards the Red Wing, knowing that both would follow her. She laughed to herself. Never in her life did she picture moving through a destroyed Hellfire Mansion with two dandy boys at her side, but here she was. As they made her way towards the red corridor, her mind went to Alek. The last they spoke, she had offered him an alliance. She would back his plays for power and grant him amnesty and protection in return for something she wanted...a biological backup of Viper. It was too dangerous to reach out to him now - she didn't even know if he was still alive. He had worked with The Six. Even if it was out of love for Ava - he had betrayed Helena Quartermaine, and Helena always got her revenge. She hovered for a moment as she reached the door to The Red Knight's quarters.

"We should arm up. I'm not sure whatever is running around here is going to respond well to luck and emotions..."

Kicking the door open purely for spectacle, she saw The Red Knight's room in surprisingly good order. His scent must have kept most of the things that would take refuge here away. She hadn't spent a great deal of time in his quarters, but she knew he would be well armed.

"Scour for any weapons you think you might be able to use before we head down to the catacombs. We are going to have to go in there light - the armory is sure to have been destroyed based on where it was..."
 
Hellfire Mansion

Citadel: "Anyway. I gotta get back to the bar. Good Luck."

Danny disappeared in a blur as they were left to look at the remains of The Hellfire Mansion. Daniel was a bit perversely relieved to know that despite all the destruction and broken bits, in the end, it was The Red Wing that stayed standing.

"As it should be."

The former Red Bishop eyed the place up and down. It was a building of great importance to Hellfire. In modern times, it had become the beacon of all that Hellfire could be, and while Daniel had very different ideological views on what Hellfire should have been focusing on, there was still an undeniable hum of power he begrudgingly felt pulsing through the place.

Domino: "It feels like i'm in the morgue, ID'ing a body. I never thought I'd see this place look so...dead."

He smirked, doing his best to ignore the absolute filth that was all around him and realizing he had left his hand sanitizer at home.

"And yet it's oddly comforting. The dated furniture makes quite a deal more sense now."

Daniel never missed a chance to remind him that despite the power of Hellfire America, their aesthetic was a cheap knock off of his home club.

Domino: "As opposed to our own medieval manor?

He scoffed.

"Our decor has actual history and meaning to it. This chintzy crap was just...ugly."

Domino: "Agreed. Let's go."

Daniel nodded following Maxine's lead. Reaching out with his power, he could tell that Citadel was correct. There were a ton of living emotional energy signatures still in the mansion. Most of the bio-hazards emitted low level pulses of anger and rage, and while that made them pretty undetectable, Daniel could still essentially trace them throughout the manor. He took a look over at Simon, who being braver than he wanted to be as Daniel smirked yet again, using his power to dampen Simon's fear, allowing him to move with a clear head.

The group made their way through the red corridor as they found themselves in front of The Red Knight's quarters.

Domino: "We should arm up. I'm not sure whatever is running around here is going to respond well to luck and emotions...."

"Speak for yourself, Domino. Not everyone needs fists to fight."

But she was right. They made their way into The Red Knight's quarters and began to take a look around. Hellfire hadn't been buried for that long, but it was immediately clear to Daniel that Alek lived like an absolute pig. But compared to Daniel, most people did. He curled his lip as he began to go through cabinets, looking for whatever they could find that might help them before they moved deeper into the catacombs. They should move quickly, as they didn't have much time, but Daniel always had time for a bit of Hellfire gossip.

"So, what do we think has happened to The Inner Circle? Are they all together? Still unified? Or do we think the courts spread to the wind when they heard Malice was dead...and do you think she's really dead? The woman was insufferable, but also bloody brilliant..."

[smirking]

"It just feels so anticlimactic. But if Talisman is sending out hits, she hasn't been targetting the Red Court...."

He continued to carefully look through things, pulling books on a bookcase to see if he might trigger some kind of trap door or some other mysterious thing.

"Which would mean Helena and Kelly might still be working together..."

Behind several books, Daniel found a large serrated hunting knife. Daniel only knew how to use one of these kind of blades procedurally...for actual hunting, but it was better than nothing.

"It makes me anxious to see what we might found out in London...."

[looking over at the other two]

"Anybody find anything interesting yet? Was The Red Knight hiding any dirty little secrets?"
 
He drowned both of their voices out as he couldn't take his eyes off of the destruction of The Hellfire Mansion. It looked as if several bombs had gone off in the place. It looked charred from the inside out. As usual, Simon had none of the details as to what had happened here, but whatever it had been, was very very bad. Bad enough for Ava to have asked Domino for help in finding Alek. For a moment he just kind of stood there, his eyes glazing over as he began to think of the last few months.

Domino: "Agreed. Let's go."

Of course it was just The Red Wing left standing. The pattern of life seeming to want to beat Simon into the ground continued as they soon found themselves in front of The Red Knight's door.

Domino: "We should arm up. I'm not sure whatever is running around here is going to respond well to luck and emotions..."

"Oh for fuck's sake, really?"

Discord: "Speak for yourself, Domino. Not every needs fists to fight."

Simon let out an exasperated sigh as they headed into the room, Domino breaking the door down because she couldn't go more than five minutes without punching or kicking something or someone. It felt weird. It felt like he was violating not only Alek but Ava's privacy, and that was just a gross feeling to sit with. Everywhere he looked he could see them in his mind, banging it out on the desk, gazing into each other's eyes on his bed. Thankfully, Ava and Alek's relationship was the least of his problems at the moment. He needed something sharp and pointy to fight whatever the hell we was about to have to fight in the catacombs.

Discord: "So, what do we think happened to The Inner Circle? Are they all together? Still unified? Or do we think the courts spread to the wind when they heard Malice was dead...and do you think she's really dead? The woman was insufferable, but also bloody brilliant..."

"I still don't even know what the fuck happened here. Malice is dead? Are they all dead? Was all of this because of Black Widow and Persephone?"

Discord: "It just feels anticlimactic. But if Talisman is sending out hits, she hasn't been targeting the Red Court..."

His mind went to his mother again, and his stomach turned. She had been deeply connected to Diana. Lunches, vacations, his mother seemed to deify Diana and he never really understood why. She wasn't a mutant, and she didn't seem involved with any of the events as of late...would she have been worth for Talisman to kill?

"Which reminds me, I probably should call my mother....soon."

Discord: "Which would mean Helena and Kelly might still be working together...It makes me anxious to see what we might found out in London...."

He was able to pull a long broadsword from a large vase in the corner of the room by Alek's desk. He hated that he might have to fight his way out of this place with Alek's sword, but he also realized how stupid that feeling was. He wasn't important to Ava and the sooner he cut that chord, the better off he would be.

"Hopefully we get a lay of the land. With the Americans in flames, Hellfire London is like...in charge now? Is that how it works? I mean it bodes well for you guys...."

Simon noticed something interesting on the desk. It was an envelope - address to Maxine.

Discord: "Anybody find anything interesting yet? Was The Red Knight hiding any dirty little secrets?"

"Uh Max, you might want to take a look at this..."
 
Meanwhile, At London Hellfire....

Archer Fairchild was sweating bullets as he entered The Red Parlour, following the haunting and yet ethereal cries he heard coming from within the room. Sweating was not something he often did as an ice elemental, which meant the ambient energies swirling around the room where affecting his power - and when he opened the doors, he could see why.

The Red Parlour was covered in blood. The bar, the chess table, the antique shelves - everything. It had been a tense twelve hours in Hellfire with the quick visit from Talisman and Enchantrah which left more questions than answer, but this? It was next level. They had only just been informed of the battle that ensued in America and the supposed death of Malice, while they themselves were going through their own growing pains. They had been planning a summit between the courts, and now, Bretta O'Malley, The Red Queen was huddled on the floor, covered in blood that was not hers, completely losing her shit. The Black King cooled himself down as he stepped forward silently.

Brienne: "What the ever loving FUCK happened in here?!"

His Queen's voice filled the space as he turned his deep chocolate eyes to meet her brilliant hazel.

"I think it's pretty clear, Brienne. Shhh...no need to draw any more attention."

Archer made a shushing gesture with his finger as his gaze left Brienne's flickering to the ground for a moment to see the mangled bodies of both Alistair Thatcher, The Red King, as well as Amanda Sefton, a promising new recruit to The Red Court that was blazing a path towards a throne at alarming speed. She had also been fucking Alistair for months. As he made his approach towards Bretta slowly, he was a bit relieved to not be romantically involved with the woman he ran his court with. They would never endure something like this. Still, brazen and romperous murder didn't seem like Bretta O'Malley. Something was off here. He leaned down.

"Bretta....[slowly] darling....do tell...what the fuck is it exactly you've done?"

Bretta: "I didn't...I didn't mean to, I couldn't control it - I was so angry! They....[sobbing] they were going to dethrone me, and...I had asked for help...but I -- I didn't kill them, I promise! Please!"

Brienne: "Really? Cuz it looks like you more than just killed them..."

He watched as Brienne made her way through the room, dragging her finger across the bar top as if she were inspecting for dust, tasting the blood with her lips for a moment and winking at Bretta.

Brienne: "It looks like you thoroughly enjoyed it..."

Archer fought it but he couldn't fight his smirk.

"Don't lie, Bretta. You are in the presence of artists...."

The Red Queen rose to her feet as her eyes shifted into a violet and ominous hue, her stance seeming to change instantly as her brilliant wings manifested behind her, her hair billowing from her face. Covered in blood she still managed to look like the beautiful dark faerie that she was.

Bretta: "I'm not going down for this...[manically] I'm not going to pay for something I didn't do! I WON'T!"

Bretta flexed out with her power as a violet energy surrounded her form and she prepared to fire off an eldritch blast. This was insanity, and this wasn't Bretta. Something was clearly affecting her. Was it possession? Had she been under some kind of spell? Bretta loved being Queen. She didn't really do anything, but she loved it. She wouldn't have destroyed it all - not like this anyway. Archer went to move forward.

"Bretta, get it together!"

Bretta: "I...I CAN'T -- I WON'T! Even if I have to--"

Archer's eyes widened as Bretta uppercut herself in the face, releasing the large eldritch blast she had been charging on herself, exploding her head into chunks and pieces that scattered across the room, including Archer and Brienne's faces. He turned around to see Brienne eyeing the carnage with little to no emotion before looking up at him.

Brienne: "What? She was going to kill us, Archer. It was self defense."

"That...I mean that wasn't her right? Bretta was an idiot, but I've never seen her hurt so much as a fly."

Brienne: "My guess is that this was a little parting gift from Helena and Kelly. They weren't pleased we didn't immediately trip over our own dicks to help them."

"So they used their power to wipe out an entire COURT? What's the sense in that? They're hobbled. They need allies."

Brienne: "I have no fucking clue Archer, but I can smell both Talisman and Enchantrah's energy signatures all over this room. Maybe an empty court gives them a convenient place to go if they need it? Maybe they are just declaring all out war on Hellfire? All I know is that I need a shower."

Archer's mind raced back and forthe. First the Americans had destroyed their own court and now they were coming for Hellfire London. Had they truly gone so rogue so fast? Instinctively, he felt like the answer was no, but looking at the carnage, it became clear to him that Hellfire was as unstable as ever, and if London was going to survive, they were going to need to get a jump on things.

"I agree, you stink. And with Sovereign running around here gunning for your crown, if she gets the slightest hint that magick was afoot, she'll come for both of our heads, we're already standing at the bloody center of the crime scene. As far as we know, this was some kind of crime of passion from a mentally unstable woman. I'll alert Liam and Juliette, you lay low, but get on using your witch powers to figure out where the two of those bitches went next. I'll check in on something Talisman inquired about before she left, and we'll go from there...."

Brienne: "Sounds like a plan. We're getting better at working together, Arch. Now if only we could get give fucking minutes to enjoy ourselves."

Brienne spun on her heels as Archer smiled. For as infuriated as they made each other sometimes, she was right. Stepping into leadership had been exactly what they needed to mend fences, because it was exactly what they both wanted. Power. Pleasure. Pain.

"There is always time for pleasure, my Queen. But right now?"

[to himself]

"We're on the clock..."
 
Hellfire Mansion - Alek's Quarters

It felt a bit sacrireligious to be in Alek's quarters like this, not knowing if he was alive or dead. But facts were facts. She needed weapons and she needed to get her "sister" out of this place while the dust was still settling. It had been only hours since The Battle at Hellfire and the hit that had been taken out on her life. She needed distance and space to clear her head, to think of her next step. But still, to be in his room, in such a private place, it didn't stop her mind from wandering to warmer moments the two had shared.

"IPlease please please don't let me have to tell Ava you're dead."

Alek treated her in a way that really resonated in her soul. Her relationship to her gender was always something she had struggled with. When she looked in the mirror, she had no problem with the biological presentation of her form. But she didn't always feel like a woman, and the rush she got when Simon called her "Sir" was something she couldn't ignore. The world was changing rapidly, and so many vocab words had been thrown in her direction, but she didn't know what to make of them. All she knew was that she felt comfortable as a woman, but also very much identified as a man in many respects. She had always had closer relationships with men despite never having romantic or sexual thoughts about them. She knew that she was....MORE than "lesbian", but also not just a man...She towed the line. Her google search history would tell her she was "non-binary" but she really didn't want to have that conversation with people. She just wanted to exist. And Alek was one of those people who just let her be who she was. There never needed to be a conversation about pronouns with a man who was also part bear. He just got it.

Simon: "Uh, Max, you might want to take a look at this..."

Weeks ago, when The Hellfire Club was planning their voyage to Ahadi, she had made a deal with him. She had been around The Inner Circle enough to know that the only people she really trusted were Alek and Ava. Their relationship reminded her of one she had in the past - a relationship that ended painfully and tragically. She didn't want the same for them. She had asked Alek to get him Jessica Marcus' genetic material in exchange for an alliance. If he got the goods, she would back him in his pursuits of a throne in Hellfire. That if shit hit the fan, she would find him sanctuary. And she meant it. The destruction of Ahadi at the hands of Helena and Kelly, and the consequent battle at Hellfire had happened so quickly that she couldn't have possibly kept tabs on him. She didn't know where he was, if he was alive, and if he was safe. And neither did Ava - who had requested a meeting with her shortly after shit went down. She had told herself that she would never again involve herself in the politics of Hellfire, and to her credit, she was trying not to. Alek and Ava blurred those lines. She cared about them as people. As friends. And right now she felt like a failure on both accounts, which meant she had work to do.

"It's empty."

Daniel: "Well that was rather anticlimactic."

Either Alek was being uncharacteristically organized, or whatever was in this envelope had been already been taken. Maxine knew the answer to her posited question as she sat the envelope back down on the table.

"Whatever he had to say was either removed or never existed at all."

Both of them deserved answers, and she had none, which angered her.

"You know what? This is creepy. We've got weapons, we head to the basement levels. I don't want to keep going through a presumably dead man's shit."

Daniel: "I agree, the smell of this room alone is enough to make me asexual."

Simon: "Are you sure it's the smell of the room or you're abject snobbery?"

"Down boys, let's move."

Maxine gestured her hand forward as the three of them made their way out of The Red Knight's quarters and down the security access staircase to The Catacombs of Hellfire, who somehow had managed to adopt an even eerier tone than they normal had. Maxine really had no need for weapons, but the phase gun she had lifted from Alek's headboard made her feel all the more safe.

"The sleeper cells are just ahead, but DON'T lose your wits - there was a bloody arsenal of horrific shit contained down here that has likely found it's way out. If you falter - for even a sec---"

<< CLLLLIIIIIIICKKKKK. HISSSSSSSSSSSSSS! >>

"Shit. LICKERS ahead. Swords UP, boys!"

Victims of the TO Virus that consumed a prodigious amount of human flesh sometimes entered a processed known as V-Act, which caused them to mutate further, sometimes becoming the hellish monsters that were tracing their every moves - lickers. They were faster, more robust, and more intelligent than things like hell hounds, and all it took was seeing one of these blind hunters impale someone from twelve feet away with their tongue, to know why they had their namesake.

"Flank me and attack! These guys are blind but they aren't stupid! Go for their tongues and then CUT their heads off!"

They were so close to the room that held Jessica. If the boys could just distrac the lickers long enough....

Disembodied Voice: "Must...go no further..."

<< WACK!! >>

Domino was punched in the face with great speed out of nowhere, blasting her back several feet, and dislocating her jaw as she scampered on the ground, finding her footing as quickly as she could and popping her jaw back into place.

"Oh, merde."

A Tyrant. Creatures she knew well. Much of the experimentation she had undergone at the hands of her father and Daniel's was in an effort create these very creatures, victims who infected twice in order to create super soldiers. She had taken out many of them single handedly in her adolescence, and today would be no different. A tyrant was too strong for Daniel and Simon, so she would need to keep him distracted. She was getting Jessica out of here. So she charged.

"Get ready to DIE, abomination!"
 
The Hellfire Mansion

Nobody seemed to have answers to his questions, which oddly comforted him. It meant that despite Hellfire America being essentially destroyed, the status of The Red Court was still up for debate. It meant they had faired better than their counterparts, so Daniel relaxed a little bit, despite the abject horror that was searching the sleeping quarters of a wild man. He had found weapons, so he began to search for dirt. Alek's relationship with Ava was The Red Court's worst kept secret, and with the way that Ava had all but thrown herself at The Red Knight, it had caused Daniel to look for any slip up's Alek might have made. Did he really love her like he said? Was she just a bargainning chip against Helena. It had been quite some time since he had been in front of the man, and the ambient emotional energies in this room were too weak for him to put together. He could feel Maxine's deep need to help Alek, to which Daniel simply kept in the back of his mind for later use.

Simon: "Uh Max, you might want to take a look at this..."

"Finally some action."

Daniel spun on his heels as he watched Domino's every facial expression looking at the envelope on Alek's desk that was addressed to her. Was it a love letter? Was it instructions? A gift? Daniel was intrigued. To be honest, he was mostly involved in this endeavour for himself. This war suited his ambition - to rule his own court. But he found his companions rather dull. Maxine was constantly chasing the approval of her dead father, and Simon seemed to be doing the same with his depraved mother. Daniel had been able to use his power to unite them, but he was beginning to wonder if they were worth the trouble.

Domino: "It's empty."

Discord rolled his eyes, adjusting the cuff on his button up.

"Well, that was anticlimactic."

Domino: "Whatever he had to say was either removed or never existed at all. You know what? This is creepy. We've got weapons, we head to the basement levels. I don't want to keep going through a presumably dead man's shit."

At least she was starting to make sense. Daniel had no objective problems with Alek, but his loyalty had always lied more to Helena than anyone else on the American courts, and it was clear that Alek was not wanting to play by the rules. And if he knew Helena, Domino was right - Alek was already dead.

"I agree, the smell of this room alone is enough to make me asexual."

Simon: "Are you sure it's the smell of the room or your abject snobbery?"

Daniel's eye rolling game would be strong after this caper as he once again demonstrated the ability.

"Just because Americans like to roll around in pig shit and not notice the scent doesn't mean I have to."

Domino: "Down boys, let's move."

Daniel was relieved for the change in scenery, and honestly ready to get out of this place as soon as possible. His compulsions were not allowing him not to notice the level of disrepair the mansion already had, and felt very unclean, which only amplified when they reached the catacomb levels of the mansion.

Domino: "The sleeper cells are just ahead, but DON'T lose your wits - there was a bloody arsenal of horrific shit contained down here that has likely found it's way out. If you falter - for even a sec--"

He had sensed the lickers before Domino completed the end of her sentence.

Domino: "Shit. LICKERS ahead. Swords UP, boys?"

Longshot: "LICKERS?! What in the he--"

"Aim for the tongue, Pratt."

Discord had never really prided himself on his fighting ability. Most of what he had learned growing up was more close range physical type of fighting. Very clean, very succinct. It wasn't something that would be very useful against these creatures.

Domino: "Flank me and attack! These guys are blind but they aren't stupid! Go for their tongues and then CUT their heads off!"

"Okay, dad. We get it."

He would have said more but Domino was someone who needed to fight through her feelings. The more flesh she cut through, the more confident and stronger of an ally she would be, so Daniel was content with letting her take the lead for now.

<< Hissssssssssssssss........! >>

A licker was on him in an instant. Daniel lashed out with his power. These lickers had little to no real brain function, but they still had instincts - ones that Daniel could manipulate. In a split second with a finesse that was all his own, he reached out with his power, his eyes flickering with blue crackling psionic energy, as the licker all at once began to view Daniel as something it felt safe with, comfortable with even. As it made it's long jump towards Daniel, originally to kill him it heeled and curled itself up next to Daniel's feet. Discord smirked.

"Good boy. Now get the others."

As Daniel had emotionally established himself as the alpha, the licker understood him, as Daniel used his power to cast out feelings of threat towards the two lickers in front of him, one coming right for him and the other headed straight towards Simon, who's stance with a sword was admittedly impressive.

"I thought you weren't a slouch, Pratt. Don't make me embarrass you."
 
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The Hellfire Mansion - To The Catacombs

The friendly banter was stopped upon the revelation of a letter addressed to Maxine on Alek's desk. He beckoned for her to take a look, as amped up as Daniel about it, though he would never admit it. Maxine was not a person who declared her alllies or friends vocally. In fact, Simon was reminded of just how little he knew about her in this moment. He had saved her life because he felt like she was trying to do the right thing about Ava - a person he cared about deeply despite not outwardly admitting it. He knew things between Ava and himself were more than over, but it didn't mean he didn't want to look out for her. Maxine seemed to be one of the only people capable of looking out for Ava, so to know that Alek respected her as well gave him hope. Though it was short lived.

Maxine: "It's empty."

Daniel: "Well, that was rather anticlimactic."

Simon rolled his eyes. Daniel never missed an opportunity to be an asshole. He'd known the man a total of two hours, and he was less than impressed. He didn't trust him, he didn't believe that Daniel had anything positive in mind for either him or Domino, but there was something about him that made Simon continue on. Daniel was an asshole, but it seemed like there was no pretense. Daniel Reed just was who he was, but that didn't mean Simon had to like it.

Maxine: "Whatever he had to say was either removed or never existed at all....You know what? This is creepy. We've got weapons, we should head to the basement levels. I don't want to keep going through a presumably dead man's shit."

This sentiment Simon agreed with.

Daniel: "I agree, the smell of this room alone is enough to make me asexual."

Simon laughed despite himself.

"Are you sure it's the smell of the room or you're abject snobbery?"

Daniel: "Just because Americans like to roll around in pig shit and not notice the scent, doesn't mean I have to."

"Uh....that's a reach, but good to know where you stand, Reed.

Maxine: "Down boys, let's move."

His and Daniel's chatter stopped instantly as they fell under Maxine's leadership, exiting The Red Wing and heading towards the catacombs. The last few hours had made Simon smarter and wiser than he was before, and more than that - he felt like a part of something. Like the two people next to him - Hellfire was a part of him. It was in his blood. As they searched for answers, he did as well, and as he walked down the catacomb steps, he began to wonder how many times his mother had been down these steps. How many missions had she participated on? planned even? His thoughts were halted.

Domino: "The sleeper cells are just ahead, but DON'T lose your wits - there was a bloody arsenal of horrific shit contained down here that has likely found it's way out. If you falter - for even a sec-- Shit. LICKERS ahead. Swords UP, boys?"

Simon followed her lead, positioning his sword in a defensive stance. He might have not been the strongest man around, but with a bit of rough steel in his hands, he felt invincible, despite how terrifying the lickers looked in their deliberate approach.

Daniel: "Aim for the tongue, Pratt."

Maxine: Flank me and attack! These guys are blind but they aren't stupid! Go for their tongues and then CUT their heads off!"

"Easy enough."

Daniel: "Okay, dad. We get it."

Simon rolled his eyes, not paying attention. Instead he charged, wanting to prove that neither Daniel or Maxine needed to worry about him as much as they did. Two lickers were on him in an instant as he charged them both, hitting the hilt of the sword on the ground before throwing himself up into the air, weaving his sword with incredible ease, slicing the tongue off both the lickers flanking him as he hit the ground, rolling forward before driving his sword up, impaling one as he flexed his arm muscles, driving the sword through the skull of one of the lickers attacking him, using the centrivical force to rip it's head off as the blade came all the way up into the air.

Daniel: "I thought you weren't a slouch, Pratt! Don't make me embarrass you."

Once again, he laughed to himself as he jumped in the air, bringing his sword down on the head of his remaining attacker at the perfect angle at the perfect time, like usual as he faced the licker under Daniel's empathic control.

"If I slice it will you feel it?"

Daniel eyed him pervasely and shook his head no as Simon grabbed the licker's tongue with his hand and pulled with all his might, a light green electric energy swirling around him as he attacked, ripping the tongue out of the lickers mouth before head butting it to the ground and pinning him to the ground, his sword once again flying high up into the air until it met the licker's throat, cutting it off in one fell swoop.

"Nothing to be embarrassed by here, Reed. In fact I think you owe me a beer."
 
Hellfire Mansion - Catacombs

Maxine smirked as she watched Daniel dispatch a licker with a finesse he was known for. He had never been one for the more physical aspects that youth in Hellfire were offered. Except for fox hunting - which made sense. He got to figure out ways to cleverly kill a clever animal, which was something she had never forgotten about him. He used his passive power as an offensive weapon, and watching him in "combat" made her felt a bit better about their currently alliance of necessity. He had a darkness that she understood, which meant she wouldn't be blinded by him. Simon, however was a surprise. She knew of him peripherally - in the current carnation of Hellfire, Maxine had worked for mostly Malice and Ravena - and Simon's mother was on Malice's list of untouchables. It was a list of a group of allies and people she had mutually beneficial working relationships with. Kristen Pratt had a bigger security detail than anyone on that list, which Maxine still hadn't been able to figure out, but she knew Simon came from a life of extreme privilege and peace. She assumed his ability in fencing was more academic rather than practice. To see him wield a sword like that was a bit of a boon, which set her all the much faster at the Tyrant who was beckoning for her.

"Get ready to DIE, abomination!"

She flexed the sword in her hand with a devious smile. Maxine Dupont didn't need weapons, but they sure looked cool. Her ability to decay organic manner allowed her to channel a lava like heat from her hands, and she used that at the sword in her hand as she lept into the air, a good six feet before colliding with the tyrant.

"Mes sincères condoléances..."

Domino said in french as she catapulted the sword from her hand, utilizing her super speed and strength to send it at the speed of a bullet train right to where one of the two hearts a tyrant had was located, in it's upper back. The blade swooped through him like a knife to butter as he WRITHED out in pain, landing on her feet and launching herself once again into the air siezing the opportunity to catch him off guard as her hands glowed in a bright crimson red, eventually decaying through the tyrant's chest and throwing it into a near by wall with ease.

<<< AAGGHHHhhhhuuhhhhhhhhhhhh-----! >>

The tyrant screeched out in pain as it collapsed to the ground. Maxine wasted no time at bridging the gap and blasting through the door of the holding lab she had visited Jessica in often. She called to the team.

Simon: "Nothing to be embarrassed by here, Reed. In fact I think you owe me a beer."

"You two can fuck each other after we get out of here. I told you, FLANK me and keep your eyes peeled."

She moved the lab until she got to a number of sleeping pods located in the far back chamber. All of them were shattered except for one - Jessica's. Despite her knowing the chances of Jessica surviving something like this were low - seeing that in tact stasis tube caused her pulse to raise just a little bit. All the electronics in the mansion were warped, and it left Maxine with little no choice - she had to break the glass and hope that Jessica would wake up. She felt Simon and Daniel approach on either side of her, falling into line like she knew they would.

"This is it guys - meet my sister, Jessica."

Maxine delicated tapped on the glass, controlling her strength to such a degree that the glass shattered in neatly caclulated fractals around her, neat and clean. Vapor poured from the tube as Max recoiled, trying to fight her super vision to see through it.

Simon: "Did she make it? Is she alive?"

Nothing. There was nothing. Maxine felt a wave of pain flood through her body as well as despair. Everything she had come to America for had meant nothing. She couldn't protect Jessica. Maxine fell to the ground in a huddle, as her vision clouded around her and a ringing in her ears was all she could see. She watched as Simon began to investigate the tube for a few moments, producing a scroll of paper from the bottom, SNAPPING her back into attention.

Simon: "It's a note.............."

He flipped it around in his hands as Maxine read the note, seemingly wrote in blood for added measure of flourish.

"Down low, too slow, Domino. Until we meet again. Xoxo, Talisman

Daniel: "Damn. What a proper CUNT."

"Mais c’est qui ce connard? Pour qui se prend-il?!" (Who is this motherfucker and who do they think they are?!).

She gritted her teeth, rising to her feet in an instant. The circumstances weren't ideal, but it meant, well maybe, possibly meant that Jessica was still alive. It was a lesser known fact that Talisman had been the one to introduce the two of them. In the inferno of the final battle they'd had to overthrow Hellfire Europe, Talisman had gifted Viper to Rebecca Everhart, the Red Queen. Maxine HATED Kelly Shaw. She was a Black Queen who had delivered a bio hazard to Rebecca and Camille, the two women who had executed the murder of her Sister Queen, Evelyn Pierce. Everybody outside of her own branch of Hellfire viewed Maxine as a knock off - ass the less than stellar version of Haleigh Davidoff or Jessica Marcus. But in her world...she was Haleigh. She was only survivor of her version of MysTech's (Meridian Industries). She was the girl who lived. So there was a part of her that didn't like Haleigh, despite how much she respected Haleigh. And really it wasn't a Haleigh problem, it was an America problem. Here she was nobody special. She maintained her elevation above the Inner Circle in Hellfire, but she had lost her edge. She wasn't the former gird girl jumping ship or the goddess of nature gone bad here in the states. And she was sick of it. Maxine Dupont wanted answers, power and protection, and she wasn't going to get it stateside. And it was likely that Talisman and Enchantrah had gone to Hellfire Europe before anywhere else. For the first time in a long time, it was time to go home - to the DuPont Estate, to the place that housed her branch of Hellfire. Her grandfather's signature was on the deed of the original Hellfire branch, and her name was on the title of the first branch's property. It was time to finally use some of the power she took brick by brick from them.

"Simon, call for Danny. We've got places to be."

Simon: "Do you know where she might be, Sir?"

Daniel: "Of COURSE she doesn't. She's just pissed off, but she's right. I can sense what she's feeling, and I agree. I haven't felt right since leaving London and I'm ready to go home myself."

"It's the only place we're going to find any answers."

Citadel: "Donnelly Express! Service from Hellfire to Chelsea! Doors close in thirty seconds....And with 15 minutes to spare. Either this mission was incredibly successful or incredibly pointless."

Danny Donnelly appeared in front of them, smirking like a cheshire cat. He was good for his word, and seemed like a good guy. She didn't mind playing by his rules because he was honest about his motivations. It was the city and it's inhabitants. Danny was refreshing, so she wondered even further how he could possibly find himself sexually attracted to somebody as invulnerable as Daniel Reed.

"How about service to Pier 25 marina? There's an unlisted hellfire asset there I think might help us along the way. Tech, defensive systems, armor weapons..the whole lot. I'm going to London. I'm going home. We need more information, and my connections here just aren't comprable to London. We need an advantage."

Daniel: "And gliding across the ocean in some sleek black sexy yacht gives us a bit of a Bond factor. Which, I for one, am looking forward to."

Simon: "I mean I've come this far. I gotta see this to an end."

"Yeah yeah yeah, say...Danny, might you possibly get us out of here, mon amour? And FAST?"

Danny: "Lady, looking around here?! You don't gotta tell me twice."

Her vision melted into a vibrating blur, and before she knew it, she was standing at Pier 25 Marina, in slot #13, the exact docking number of the unlisted hellfire asset Maxine had just acquired. It was a Timur Bozca fully customized war yacht. The ultimate combination of battle capability and luxury. It had been a hobby of hers since arriving in America. She loved large boats and watercrafts, and she had access to an unlimited amount of money, so she felt like it was her duty to build herself a vessel she could escape in, and she had coded it all under conciliatory expenditures, knowing she might have a need of an escape route. Ravena's death only confirmed it. The staff that Maxine kept on duty round the clock greeted the three of them as they made their way on board, with Danny following close behind.

"'Gents, meet my American lover, "The Marauder".

Maxine was worried about Jessica. But she didn't have time to fall apart. Right now, she needed allies and she needed a path to Dr. Shaw. Hellfire Europew as her best shot, and she knew Daniel wanted to go hom. Simon needed guidance, and if what Maxine had been thinking might transpire between him and his mother soon, the former black knight knew not to interfere with family. It was clear that Kelly need a reminder of this message. She would find Kelly, kill her and take Jessica wherever it was was she wanted to go. A place that wqs likely covered with flowers and meadows and curds and whey. And Maxine would willingly sit throught it.

"We can get to London in a matter of hours on her, and not only does she have a trapezoidal lazer defense system, but a twenty four hour chef. You want a quiche at four in the morning? We've got you covered. And armor. And weapons. I just need to make sure the two of you are in this with me."

Daniel: "Oh bloody hell, Maxine. We're with you. This war is going to be bloody. We need to find protection, and we need to protect each other. We have deep ties in London. We'll figue this out. We will find Jessica."

She didn't believe him because she never could fully believe him. She never knew if his words were a flex of his power.

"Look, I don't care if either of you betray me later on. I get it. But please, whatever you choose - wait until I find Jessica to do it. I won't let her legacy be all of this disaster. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves to have something outside of this. We all do. So don't stop me from letting her. The second she's free I don't care if you try to murder me. But until then.....I need your help."
 
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To London....

<< And so, The Marauders set sail for London, off to The Dupont Estate to get a better handle on the things to come, each looking for answers of their own. Daniel Reed AKA "Discord" was seeking power, in it's simplest form. The power structure of Hellfire was toppled and Daniel had promised himself he would not find himself as he did during The Rebellion. He was also genuinely curious to know what had happened to Helena. It didn't make sense for her not to contact him during a time like this. He would have helped her. His power told him she was alive - he surely would have "felt" her death, but he wasn't sure if she was safe. He worried that Alek may have gotten the jump on her. It would make sense considering just how perpetually busy Talisman seemed to be, despite current events. Simon Pratt aka "Longshot" was looking for answers. The last few months had, he had found himself in a tailspin, unsure of his place in the grand scheme of things. The Purifiers caused him to want to be a hero, though nobody wanted to seem to let him help. Worse, he found out that his mother was not only firmly aligned with the designers of The Purifier Event, but actively sabotoging his attempts to do the work he wanted done. He had made a snap decision in saving the life of Domino, but it had triggered something in him. With Hellfire at war, he need protection. He couldn't be sure there wasn't a group of blackjackets heading towards him right now. He also had a subconscious desire to know more about the secret life of his mother Kristen Pratt AKA "Mockingbird". Perhaps if he understood her motivations, he could get on board. Both Daniel and Maxine and they didn't seem so bad. Simon was ready to open his eyes, no matter the cost of them being open. Maxine Dupont AKA "Domino" wanted answers, but more than that - she wanted revenge. Talisman had almost ruined The Rebellion, but it gave her the biggest gift - Jessica Marcus. They fought each other in a brilliant firefight and at the end of it, found themselves bonded both psychically and mentally. Jessica was a victim of all of this, and Maxine had promised to keep her safe. Now Talisman was taunting her, and Maxine always answered calls as brazen as Dr. Shaw's. If the former black queen wanted to tustle, Maxine was more than prepared to take her out. >>

<< Over the next several hours, Maxine, Simon and Daniel spent bonding over drinks and various platters of food. They recounted stories of The Six, The Birds of Prey and of Hellfire, getting the chance to get to know each other. They found that they had come from similar backgrounds and upbringing, desperate never truly knowing each other. The Duponts had once broken bread with The Pratts, and had all joined The Reeds for parties in Tokyo. The overlap was alarming but spoke to just how connected Hellfire Global was. They arrived in the Port of London at just over 0600 hours, waking up after a brief nap and preparing to face old friends and enemies. After a light breakfast - The Marauders were greeted at the docks by a detail of The Black Guard, and some time after that they arrived at Dupont Manor. Maxine's pale blue eyes seemed a bit filled with hope, as Daniel remained steel faced, sensing that something was very wrong inside the mansion, and the feel of death was getting thicker and thicker the closer they got. Simon was amazed - it was like something out of a movie, though he was worried about whatever Maxine and Daniel might have up their sleeves here. It could get ugly, so Simon was making sure to stay guarded and to calculate an escape should the time come. >>

<< Making their way through the gates and down the long winding driveway, they rolled up to the front of the mansion as they were seen out of their vehicle. >>

Black Guard: "The Black King is requesting your presence. All three of you. He'll see you in The Parlor. He says not to keep him waiting....

<< Maxine shot a look to Daniel who nodded, confirming that something was very wrong in The Dupont Estate, and that things were about get messy. >>

Maxine: "Right then, let's not keep The Black King waiting...."

<< The three of them were led through the sprawling estate to The Black Wing, before being seated at The Black Parlour, drinks appearing in front of them that appeared to be their exact preferences. With our marauders waiting for the arrival of Archer Fairchild, so we watch! >>
 
Hellfire Mansion - Outside London

It had been a certifiable mess to clean up The Red Wing. Gossip and subterfuge were at an all time high in the mansion, and Archer was tired. He had been logging more field hours than anyone else in The Inner Circle cared to exercise. The American branch went down in flames and the inner circle was acting like it didn't mean anything. Liam and Juliette seemed eerily calm. He would have let it go if Alistair and Bretta hadn't been murdered. The Red Court was without a leader, and nobody seemed to care. His fears were that the white court was going to attempt to get in bed with whatever resulted from the war in American Hellfire. Archer and Brienne needed protection, so he was meticulously monitoring the current situation of the red court with an intentional eye. The Black Court needed allies and this seemed like as good of a time as any to garner favor. Still, he was uneasy to see both Daniel and Maxine again. He was one of the first to join the rebellion - but his intentions were pure. He loved Evelyn. He may have been a cocaine addicted arms dealer with a penchant for the naughty, but he was willing to work for his crown. That being said, nobody deserved the mantle of Black King more than him, in his eyes.

Nobody really took him seriously, and he liked it that way. He was never disillusioned by Hellfire. He was in the inner circle because he was a successful criminal. His counterparts had grown up wealthy and privileged, and often views his modis operandum with disdain or pity. But Archer was smart. He would not let an event like this not benefit his court. He pulled out all the stops for the home team's return, inviting them to The Black Parlour. He needed to key them in one what had gone wrong, how to fix it, and offer them one hell of an alliance. He would have to do all of this of course, without ever directly mentioning why. He had no fear. This was why Archer Fairchild was The Black King. He made his way to the parlour, sitting down across from the marauders, gleefully sipping a pint that had been sent his way.

"Maxine, Daniel. Good to see you're alive and that America hasn't turned you into obsese football lovers."

Archer eyed Simon up and down.

"You're.....Simon Pratt. My father spoke highly of your parents. But we've never had the pleasure of meeting."

Archer smirked seductively at the man. Archer's sexuality had always been something of a question mark within Hellfire London. The Black King was a lover of love. Pansexual. Whoever caught his fancy or stroked his ego really started his fire. And despite his muscles, Simon was curiously fresh faced.

Simon: "Uh....likewise?"

The Black King took another sip of his pint, setting it down gently on a coaster.

"So, what I am about to say has to stay between the four of us. I have no choice but to employ the circle of trust."

Maxine: [laughing] "Oh god. We're not sixteen anymore, Archy. What's going on here?"

Daniel: "Oh I know, but I'm looking forward to watching you try to spin this."

Archer laughed. Daniel was never really in his group of Hellfire friends. The Black Courts loyalties were usually aligned with The White Court. They had a history of loyalty, and when the dust settled on the rebellion, it was clear that The Black and White Courts were the future of Hellfire London. But now, things were up in the air, and Archer had promised Brienne he would fix this. Archer was a downright scoundrel, but he always made good on his promises, despite how grandiose they appeared.

"Bretta and Alistair are dead. We found Bretta screaming over a bloody athame at the body of Alistair, then Bretta attacked Brienne before killing herself. It was quite unpleasant. And unsettling...."

Maxine: "Unsettling how?"

He thought for a moment.

"Bretta and Alistair were idiots. But they were charming. They never reallly seemed to want to engage. It's why we made them the rulers of red. We knew we could steer them in whatever direction we needed. But this? It doesn't seem clean. Even at her worst, Bretta would never outright MURDER her king, would she? And Alistair?! He had the intelligence of a hot air balloon. How hard could it be to take the two of them out? There was no need, and that makes both Brienne and I on edge. We are worried that without a Red Court, that Liam and Juliette take hold. .."

Archer took yet another sip of his pint, smirking as he set the glass down.

"So, where I'm at right now? I need allies, and I need them on the Red Court. I have information that could be exchanged for such an arrangement."
 
As she waited for Archer in The Black Parlour, she couldn't help but get lost in nostalgia. She remembered when Archer had first joined the Hellfire Club. He was a crime kingpin in London, who had a reputation for absolute gall. Archer went after everything with an insatiable desire to conquer. He was one of the few that Evelyn elected to The Black Court that she truly respected. He was a foul mouthed arsehole, but he was also incredibly charismatic. The relationship between Rook and Knight was one of unspoken trust. On The Black Court, she found herself working incredibly well with Archer. He was a poser, but he had a very good understanding of the very rich and very stupid people they could easily convince to join league with Hellfire. And he had such a violent temper. Archer requesting an immediate meeting was a good sign to Maxine. It meant he hadn't forgotten their relationship.

Archer: "Maxine, Daniel. Good to see you're still alive and that America hasn't turned you into obese football lovers."

Maxine laughed.

"Trust me Arch, there is not a nacho cheese alive that would ever cause me to support American athletics."

Archer: "You're....Simon Pratt. My father spoke highly of your parents. But we've never had the pleasure of meeting."

It was comforting for her to see Archer be just as an insufferable pervert as ever. He truly couldn't help himself. Maxine wasn't interested in any of this. She needed a lead.

Archer: "So, what I am about to say has to stay between the four of us. I have no choice but to employ the circle of trust."

Maxine laughed again, loudly. Back in their twenties, Archer and Maxine were staples of the London Society social scene. When he was a rook, they often played with each other, often invoking the "circle of trust" whenever they had insane gossip they didn't want to spread.

"Oh god. We're not sixteen anymore, Archy. What's going on here?"

Daniel: "Oh I know, but I'm looking forward to watching you try to spin this."

Maxine smirked. Archer couldn't hide from them. But thankfully, he didn't seem to want to.

Archer: "Bretta and Alistair were murdered. They were idiots, but they were also charming. They never reallly seemed to want to engage. It's why we made them the rulers of red. We knew we could steer them in whatever direction we needed. But this? It doesn't seem clean. Even at her worst, Bretta would never outright MURDER her king, would she? And Alistair?! He had the intelligence of a hot air balloon. How hard could it be to take the two of them out? There was no need, and that makes both Brienne and I on edge. We are worried that without a Red Court, that Liam and Juliette take hold. .."

She knew this would be harder for Daniel to hear than her, so she continued to listen.

Archer: "So, where I'm at right now? I need allies, and I need them on the Red Court. I have information that could be exchanged for such an arrangement."

"I have no real interest in whatever the red court chooses. But I do care about what happens to you, Archer. And Brienne. We have to make sure whoever takes the Red Court knows what they're doing...."
 
Hellfire - London

God it was good to be home. As a citizen of the world, Daniel had grown up in between two worlds of immense privilege. His father Greyson Reed, was an accomplished politician who worked for The Great Offices of State. He was a man of affluence and intelligence, and also a mutant who refused to back down to societal norms. His mother was a writer and journalist. She was a staunch advocate of The Hellfire Club and many of her original articles were fluff pieces to draw attention to the club. He had been raised in a pocket of wealth. He had gone to the best schools, had learned all the impressive skillls. His family was the founding red court, and as the car arrived at Dupont Manor, Daniel began to feel things. He couldn't sense Bretta or Alistair throughout the club which didn't comfort him. And then Archer requested a meeting as soon as they arrived. Daniel was ready to hear bad news, so he began to temper both Maxine and Simon's emotions in order to ensure they could hear all the information without question. He would not let them ruin this for him.

Archer: "Maxine, Daniel. Good to see you're still alive and that America hasn't turned you into obese football lovers."

Maxine: "Trust me Arch, there is not a nacho cheese alive that would ever cause me to support American athletics."

Daniel laughed.

"Carbohydrates....even in their most complex forms seem to be the real enemy of America, along with it's sports programs. Rest assured we've held ourselves together."

He'd known Archer for six years. He remembered when he was just a hot party boy with a coke connection. But now he was Black King, and Daniel found himself confused as to what his next step was. For a moment.

Archer: "Bretta and Alistair were murdered. They were idiots, but they were also charming. They never reallly seemed to want to engage. It's why we made them the rulers of red. We knew we could steer them in whatever direction we needed. But this? It doesn't seem clean. Even at her worst, Bretta would never outright MURDER her king, would she? And Alistair?! He had the intelligence of a hot air balloon. How hard could it be to take the two of them out? There was no need, and that makes both Brienne and I on edge. We are worried that without a Red Court, that Liam and Juliette take hold. .."

Daniel reached out with his power. As an omega level mutant, meaning there was no upper limit to his ability, he was easily able to connect with the surging emotional energy he was feeling from both Bretta and Alistair. And then he got it. It was clear to him that the death of the red court was intentionally at the hands of Enchantrah and Talisman. And Daniel was trying to understand why. The brits would not accept either of them as their own. They were a liability. And then Daniel realized. Helena had done this for him. She had come here to kill the leaders of the red court. Daniel perked up, knowing what was meant from him in this moment. She knew he'd come here, she knew that he'd take his throne.

Archer: "So, where I'm at right now? I need allies, and I need them on the Red Court. I have information that could be exchanged for such an arrangement."

Maxine: "I have no real interest in whatever the red court chooses. But I do care about what happens to you, Archer. And Brienne. We have to make sure whoever takes the Red Court knows what they're doing...."

"Then I have no choice but to pull rank.:

[flatly]

"I am one of the only members of this club with dual citizenship. I have ties to the american branch, and I was broughtg up in London. I have a blood tie to the throne, and given current circumstances, I deserve to rule in this moment."

Daniel was no longer pulling any punches.

"I deserve to be Red King. Liam and Juliette will not disagree with my appointment. You need allies? Push me through as King and we can negotiate."

[smirking]

"Continue to ignore me? And BOTH of you will die without a dedicated fan base."
 
Hellfire London

< The Marauder was certainly a welcome relief to the shit that had gone down in the last twelve hours. For as unlikely a trio as they first seemed, the never ending parade of drinks and comfort food had allowed the three of them to relax, unwind and realize just how much they all had in common. They were prep school brats just like he was - both Maxine and Daniel had pedigrees to live up to, and felt the both the immense pressure to please their parents and the strong desire to rebel. If they weren't heading to Hellfire London in the wake of a war, it would have been a lovely trip. Simon even had gotten a nap, and for the first time in six months, he didn't wake up screaming thinking of children burning in a bus. He considered that a win. >

< In the morning they gathered for breakfast, all a bit quiet, which Simon found comical. They had been downright vulnerable with him last night, and he could tell they were suffering the effects of an emotional hangover. Simon himself had never had a hangover. He was just lucky he guessed. After breakfast, they had arrived into port where Hellfire had vintage rolls royce limosines to transport them to the mansion, complete with a coffee and pastry bar, which Simon fully enjoyed. He was certain his secondary mutation was to consume sweets, and it was an omega level mutation. After gorging himself on some fancy british pastry, he peered out the window as they began to make their way up to the long driveway to The Hellfire Mansion. While the New York Brownstone was impressive - this was from another world. The mansion was large and sprawling complete with a hedge maze and what Simon was sure were several level of european style dark catacombs. Despite the somber tune of their visit, Simon was excited. >

< As they pulled in under the port a cochere, they were greeted by a member of The Black Guard. >

Black Guard: "The Black King is requesting your presence. All three of you. He'll see you in The Parlor. He says not to keep him waiting..."

Maxine: "Right then, let's not keep The Black King waiting...."

< It was the nicest he'd ever seen Maxine be so he was sure they were about to walk into the Lion's Den. Still, the scenery on the way to hell was very, very nice. Simon eyed it up and down meticulously and in awe as they made their way through the foyer and down the hall that contained The Black Wing. >

"Okay, Hellfire London wins..."

< They were guided into The Black Parlour which was decorated like some sleek black speak easy as a Rusty Nail was placed in front of him under a black cocktail napkin. Thankfully, Simon had grown up in a world that consisted of four to five cocktail hours on a Summer day, and he didn't like to look a gift horse in the mouth. He took a sip as the sweet and spicy burn of the scotch whiskey tickled his throat. >

"Wait, how do they know our drink orders?"

< He got no answer as Archer Fairchild, The Black King of Hellfire Europe entered the room, in a sleek and immaculately tailored suit, a mark of good breeding, but as he came closer, Simon could sense that this man had a lot more grit than the tongue and cheek act he liked to put on. >

Archer: "Max, Daniel. Good to see you're alive and that America hasn't turned you into obese football lovers."

< Simon had seen more than his fair share of Love Island in his conquest to bed as many women in Manhatten as he could, so he knew that he himself was proper fit, but he understood the sentiment. He just didn't appreciate it. >

Maxine: "Trust me Arch, there is not a nacho cheese alive that would ever cause me to support American athletics."

Daniel: "Carbohydrates...even in their most complex forms seem to be the real enemy of America, along with it's sports programs. Rest assured we've held ourselves together."

"And here I thought our problem was poverty, the industrial prison complex, and capitalism. And let's keep things civil, gents. I've had a proper English Breakfast...and it's abjectly horrifying."

Archer: "You're Simon Pratt. My father spoke highly of your parents. But we've never had the pleasure of meeting."

< Archer's eyes were on him like he was a proper English breakfast, but Simon was used to it. People just found him attractive. He'd realized in his adolescence that it was a biproduct of his power, which made for a few awkward years at Summer Camp, but for the most part, it worked in his favor. This however, seemed predatory, but Simon did not want to offend. >

"Uh...likewise? Pleasure to meet you Archer."

< The Black King took a sip of his pint and set it down next to him, taking a seat behind the bar as he gestured for staff to clear the room. >

Archer: "So, what I am about to say has to stay between the four of us. I have no choice but to employ the circle of trust..."

< The three of them engaged in some good natured ribbing, which led Simon to believe that these three knew each other very well. Hellfire America had it's legacy families, but most of them were....dead or tortured or engaged in active full on war with each other. It was curious to see a branch where these families had grown up together, and where The Hellfire Club operated as a more formal, more meaningful court. >

Archer: "Bretta and Alistair are dead. We found Bretta screaming over a bloody athame at the body of Alistair. Then Bretta attacked Brienne before killing herself. It was quite unpleasant. And unsettling..."

"Great so both branches are going crazy. Good to know."

Maxine: "Unsettling how?"

Archer: "Bretta and Alistair were idiots. But they were charming. They never really seemed to want to engage. It's why we made them the rulers of Red. We knew we could steer them in whatever direction we needed. But this? It doesn't seem clean. Even at her worst, Bretta would never outright MURDER her king, would she? And Alistair? He had the intelligence of a hot air balloon. How hard could it be to taek the two of them out? There was no need, and that makes both Brienne and I on edge. We are worried that without a Red Court, that Liam and Juliette will take hold..."

< SImon made sure to keep an eye on Daniel as Archer spoke. The Red Court was his home. He was so perversely proud of his tenure and his legacy within the club, surely he would explode. But he didn't. He remained stoned face. It made Simon worried. >

Archer: "So, where I'm at right now? I need allies, and I need them on the Red Court. I have information that could be exchanged for such an arrangement."

Maxine: "I have no real interest in whatever the red court chooses. But I do care about what happens to you, Archer. And Brienne, we have to make sure whoever takes the Red Court knows what they're doing..."

"So we are just going to ignore their deaths? Seems pretty fucked up to me."

< They didn't listen. >

Daniel: "Then I have no choice but to pull rank...I am one of the only members of this club with dual citizenship. I have ties to the American branch, and I was brought up in London. I have a blood tie to the throne, and given current circumstances, I deserve to rule in this moment. I deserve to be Red King. Liam and Juliette will not disagree with my appointment. You need allies? Push me through as King and we can negotiate. Continue to ignore me? And BOTH of you will die without a dedicated fan base."

"Jesus Christ, Reed. No need to threaten..."

< He turned to Archer. >

"Seriously. We mean no disrespect...but I mean...he makes a good offer?"
 
Hellfire London

Daniel: "I am one of the only members of this club with dual citizenship. I have ties to the American branch, and I was brought up in London. I have a blood tie to the throne, and given current circumstances, I deserve to rule in this moment. I deserve to be Red King. Liam and Juliette will not disagree with my appointment. You need allies? Push me through as King and we can negotiate. Continue to ignore me? And BOTH of you will die without a dedicated fan base."

The Black King was silent for a moment before he had a fit of righteous and uprearing laughter, so much so that tears of joy streamed down his face. Oh this was very rich. This was a type of bravado that Daniel had never shown before, and it amused him. Archer grabbed his pint and down the rest of it completely, smacking it down on the table, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his blazer.

"Well, it appears [mockingly] Lord Reed has decided to find his balls. I guess I owe my father twenty quid."

He continued to laugh, as his mind settled on memories he hadn't recalled in quite some time.

Archer didn't like to dwell on memories of the man he considered his father very often, but Michael Fairchild's influence on Archer had largely informed who he was. Michael had plucked him from obscurity from East London when he was thirteen and seen something he shouldn't have. When Michael saw Archer's power in action, he became obsessed with the boy, taking him in, training him in the way of crime and depravity, going so far as to adopt him as his own son. And while there was ulterior motive, there was also an unbreakable bond. Archer had been affiliated with Hellfire since he was eighteen years old. He had known both Daniel and Maxine for over a decade. And while both of them liked to dance in the flames of being a rebel, Archer viewed them as spoiled little rich kids who thought they knew anything about the real world. Archer had experienced both abject poverty and disgusting wealth, and it had not changed him. It only showed him who he was. Listening to Daniel so boldly attempt to use his privilege for a crown disgusted him, and he was going to to tell the boy why.

"I would be remiss if I said I wasn't interested in hearing you out, Daniel. I'm just simply surprised."

[leaning forward]

"In my experience in Hellfire, there are those born to lead, and there are those who simply want to follow - and you've always been a follower, Reed."

It was true. Daniel loved to be up Rebecca's arse. He loved to move pieces behind the scenes, and watch as absolute drama unfolded. In short, Daniel loved to pretend he was better than everybody, and it was something that Archer no longer found the need to entertain.

"Your affliction with mess and germs don't just apply to your physical body. It applies to your whole life. You don't like to get your hands dirty. You LIKE being a number two. You LIKE having somebody in front of you who's stronger than you. Someone who has to take responsibility. You were Rebecca's pup. We all knew that. You joined the rebellion in the eleventh hour only when you KNEW it was a certainty that Rebecca would fail. In fact, most of us thought you were a mole. We were only convinced of your loyalty when you delivered the fatal blow to Chameleon. And even then, we didn't trust you."

Daniel was the kind of guy who was everywhere at Hellfire. He was at every party, part of every conversation, but it was clear that his motivations were murky at best. Nobody really spoke their mind around him, and given his power, he had to know that. They humored him and spoke carefully, knowing their words would be relayed to Rebecca. He was too comfortable being a pawn.

"The Red Throne was yours to take...but you didn't. You let Bretta and Alistair rise to rule the kingdom, and then you went to go suckle the TEET of Helena Quartermaine in America, because you didn't think that we knew what we were doing. Your snobbery has been entertaining at parties, but whilst you've enjoyed taking the piss out of us over the years, you never really realized that the butt of the joke....was YOU."

"When my father was killed? I sought out his murderer...I killed his entire family. I placed that bastard in a block of ice and I forced him to watch the bodies of his family decay as he died slowly...under MY command. I didn't care about the optics. I wasn't looking for a place to HIDE. I was making myself KNOWN, and that's something you've NEVER understood about Hellfire. It's not just about relationships, it's not just about social subterfuge. It's about having the BALLS to dance in flames that want to BURN you, and walking out unscathed. You've never once done that Daniel. You've never once shown ANYONE that might want to follow you exactly why they should..."

"So forgive me. I may be desperate, but I am not about to hand someone a court based on document or PEDIGREE. You want to rule The Red Court? You're gonna have to prove to me why you CAN, not why you SHOULD. So...care to elaborate?"
 
Hellfire London - Black Parlour

Archer: "Well, it appears [mockingly] Lord Reed has decided to find his balls. I guess I owe my father twenty quid."

"Paying a debt to your father with his own money, how remarkably ironic."

Archer: "I would be remiss if I said I wasn't interested in hearing you out, Daniel. I'm just simply surprised. In my experience in Hellfire, there are those born to lead, and there are those who simply want to follow - and you've always been a follower, Reed."

"Oh, do enlighten me, your highness. What exactly do you mean by that?"

Archer: "Your affliction with mess and germs don't just apply to your physical body. It applies to your whole life. You don't like to get your hands dirty. You LIKE being a number two. You LIKE having somebody in front of you who's stronger than you. Someone who has to take responsibility. You were Rebecca's pup. We all knew that. You joined the rebellion in the eleventh hour only when you KNEW it was a certainty that Rebecca would fail. In fact, most of us thought you were a mole. We were only convinced of your loyalty when you delivered the fatal blow to Chameleon. And even then, we didn't trust you."

:: He rolled his eyes quickly before eyeing Archer, dressing him up and down as he spoke, in his posh, Eton influenced accent. ::

"I stayed loyal to my Queen because I was loyal. You may not like my methods or my motives or how I choose to operate, but there is one characteristic I have that trumps most of my shortcomings. My loyalty. The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. I've never been a tank, because that has never been my role. You're right, I don't like mess, which is why I am fighting with every fiber of my being to not take a wet wipe to those filthy nail beds of yours...but I am nobody's pup. What I am is an omega level mutant who has a level of control over his power to such a degree that I don't need to flex my bicep to make a point. And let's not forget...If I wanted your trust, I could easily force it."

:: Daniel leaned in a bit, genuinely curious. ::

"You think you've somehow created a better Inner Circle? You didn't - you set a precedent that when you don't like something you destroy it. And now no matter who serves as your Knight or your Princess or your Rook, you will always have to look over your shoulder. Because you all proved that loyalty means nothing. That the only way to move forward is to kill the thing standing in your way. I don't share that belief, but it's becoming quite apparent that this new generation of Hellfire, on both shores, is going through some sort of identity crisis."

Archer: "The Red Throne was yours to take...but you didn't. You let Bretta and Alistair rise to rule the kingdom, and then you went to go suckle the TEET of Helena Quartermaine in America, because you didn't think that we knew what we were doing. Your snobbery has been entertaining at parties, but whilst you've enjoyed taking the piss out of us over the years, you never really realized that the butt of the joke....was YOU."

:: He could sense Archer's anger swell up inside of him. It was cloaked in jealousy. Archer didn't like that Daniel had connections in Hellfire that he didn't, and he had always had a chip on his shoulder when it came to Daniel's status in the club, though he was being honest. Daniel knew he had a bit of a reputation for being a snob, as well as a teacher's pet, but that was something intentional on Daniel's part. Being an empath at his level was not easy. Keeping emotional distance from others kept him feeling clean, and better suited to read the emotional energies of those around him. He kept his circle very close, and while that had consequences, the benefits far outweighed them. Still, he had waited a long time to let Archer Fairchild know exactly where he stood in the grand scheme of things, and now he was being given the opportunity to tell him. ::

"This wasn't your rebellion, Fairchild. It was Liam and Juliette's. They came to you and Brienne first because you've both always been so willing to flop your dicks on the table and force everyone to look at them. You both were easily swayed. And no offense to our recently departed, but intelligence was not a quality either of them had in spades. The White Court spent all of five minutes dangling a carrot in front of you, and you snapped at it immediately. I went back to the states because it was clear that this power upset was going to have ramifactions, and since I have dual citizenship in both the American and European branches, I fetl it my civic duty to see where our American counterparts would land. It's called being a tactician. Because in the wake of the fall of Hellfire America, guess who has insight as to what happened? Guess who knows what you don't? I do."

:: It was a bit of a bluff, but Archer didn't need to know that. ::

Archer: "When my father was killed? I sought out his murderer...I killed his entire family. I placed that bastard in a block of ice and I forced him to watch the bodies of his family decay as he died slowly...under MY command. I didn't care about the optics. I wasn't looking for a place to HIDE. I was making myself KNOWN, and that's something you've NEVER understood about Hellfire. It's not just about relationships, it's not just about social subterfuge. It's about having the BALLS to dance in flames that want to BURN you, and walking out unscathed. You've never once done that Daniel. You've never once shown ANYONE that might want to follow you exactly why they should... So forgive me. I may be desperate, but I am not about to hand someone a court based on document or PEDIGREE. You want to rule The Red Court? You're gonna have to prove to me why you CAN, not why you SHOULD. So...care to elaborate?""

:: Daniel smirked, the first time his face had shown any emotion as he took a sip of his martini, noting that it tasted particularly sweet in this moment. ::

"The Black Queen wanted your father's business, and she wanted you all for herself. But he would never budge...so she took matters into her own hands, and asked for a favor from the red court - specifically from me. All I had to do was to stoke the rage of your father's competitor just enough that he might want to try and shoot the man in broad daylight, and wouldn't you know it, Archie...he did. And then...well it was just a matter of stoking YOUR rage to get you to take his entire operation out of commission and make you feel....hopeful that Hellfire might be your best option to do that. Evelyn got your assets, ones she made sure to share generously with the red court, and she got her weapon - YOU."

:: It had been one of Daniel's first important assignments. He was barely out of highschool, had just taken a position as Red Bishop and needed to prove himself. He didn't know Archer then so he didn't care. And after getting to know who Archer was as man, he still didn't care. But one thing Daniel wasn't going to do was to tolerate the smugness of The Black King any longer. Because Daniel was going to get what he wanted, even if he had to warp the entire bloody inner circle to do so. He continued. ::

"Archer I am going to attempt to say this in the most delicate way I am able to - had a wealthy criminal not whisked you away from obscurity, poverty and the other abject horrors the slums of East London have to offer, you yourself would not be here. You simply wouldn't matter. He made you what you are. And while I will not return the favor of ignoring your own accomplishments - you have built his empire into a global crime syndicate, you are no more a pawn than anybody else here. And the fact that you sit in front of me so righteous in your belief that you truly fought your way to the crown that now sits on your head is laughable."

:: Satisfied, he took another long sip of his martini, and salaciously took a bite of one of the olives in his glass, before setting it back down on the table. ::

"Now...to answer your question. Hellfire currently has an optics problem. Your uprising coupled with the current war waging overseas in America is going to leave a vast majority of our members feeling uncomfortable. The floodgates have been opened, it will not take long for contracts to dry out, for investors to back out, and for general support to be withdrawn. I am a socialite of the highest order. I am the embodiment of everything the red court stands for. You may laugh at my pedigree, but it is my secondary mutation. When people see a banner under my family name, they will be comforted. They will know that everything their own families have fought for over the years are not to be forgotten. More than that, now that three members of senior leadership within the red court have been murdered in less than a year, you are facing another uprising of your own. Those of of us who wear red may prefer to operate behind the scenes, but do not underestimate us. There are those among us who would burn this court to the ground if they thought the other two courts had declared us to be an enemy."

:: Daniel continued. ::

"YOU may not trust me, but they do. Because I have a decorated record of service. Because I have made relationships and leaned into skills that you don't find useful. I can ease their minds, I can regain their trust in Hellfire. Everything you hate about me, is everything that makes me a good leader for them. And when it comes to the overall, bigger picture of Hellfire, I am the only one here who seems to remember the tenets of which this club was founded upon..."

"We are MUTANTS, who decided to consolidate power in such a way that we uplift each other. That we USE that power, not to FLEX it over our own kind, but to ensure that all of us enjoy continued success in spite of humans. We are the ones who run the world, and we can no longer entertain this stupid notion that our actual enemies are each OTHER. Anyone who threatens our solidarity is the enemy. You may think me a blueblood, Archer, but anyone who knows me, knows I bleed red, no matter where on the bloody planet I might be. Now...I'm not expecting a huge coronation, but at the very least might we be able to pull together a luncheon or a high tea to celebrate my ascension?"
 
Hellfire London - Black Parlour

:: Daniel and Archer were engaged in a good bout of verbal conflict, as they always were. Archer liked to ruffle Daniel's feathers and Daniel loved to dress Archer down, usually in a public forum. It had gone on for years. Max had gotten used to it, but it was often productive. They were both like mirrors to each other - Daniel represented a polish that Archer wanted, and Archer had a grit that Daniel always wished he had the opportunity to develop. In short, though this might get very ugly, it was likely to help both of them, so she tried not to pay tooo much attention to what was being said. ::

Archer: "I would be remiss if I said I wasn't interested in hearing you out, Daniel. I'm just simply surprised. In my experience in Hellfire, there are those born to lead, and there are those who simply want to follow - and you've always been a follower, Reed."

:: Maxine smirked. This was usually how it started. And again, Archer wasn't necessarily wrong. She'd known Daniel for most of her life, and he was a man who firmly loved being a number two - both in the sense that he liked to have a boss, and in the sense that he was also a little shit. He was a sniper from the side, and he often like to move through others rather than making direct contact, but it worked for him and it worked for his court. In summits and conferences, he was remarkably effective, and the way he could warp any number of angles all at once spoke to his power, but this was never going to be the type of thing to impress a rough and tumble guy like Archer Fairchild. The two continued. ::

Daniel: "I stayed loyal to my Queen because I was loyal. You may not like my methods or my motives or how I choose to operate, but there is one characteristic I have that trumps most of my shortcomings. My loyalty. The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. I've never been a tank, because that has never been my role. You're right, I don't like mess, which is why I am fighting with every fiber of my being to not take a wet wipe to those filthy nail beds of yours...but I am nobody's pup. What I am is an omega level mutant who has a level of control over his power to such a degree that I don't need to flex my bicep to make a point. And let's not forget...If I wanted your trust, I could easily force it."

:: On that account he was right. He was so tightly controlled and wound up that people often forgot the kind of power he had. Rebecca had been convinced that he was a nascent reality warper, which was why she had introduced him to Helena when he was barely starting high school. He needed a tutor. Daniel, like Helena, could completely alter the very makeup of the Inner Circle, and the world if they wanted. Them not doing so in their favor spoke to BOTH of their level of control. ::

Daniel: "You think you've somehow created a better Inner Circle? You didn't - you set a precedent that when you don't like something you destroy it. And now no matter who serves as your Knight or your Princess or your Rook, you will always have to look over your shoulder. Because you all proved that loyalty means nothing. That the only way to move forward is to kill the thing standing in your way. I don't share that belief, but it's becoming quite apparent that this new generation of Hellfire, on both shores, is going through some sort of identity crisis."

"Amen."

:: She said in spite of herself. During the rebellion, Maxine's only goal was revenge for Evelyn's death. Juliette and Liam's plan simply served her own agenda, and helped her figure out just what had been going on in her absence. This new Inner Circle was powerful, but they had set a deadly precedent. They continued to trade barbs as if they were playing tennis, vollying the ball back and forth to one another. It was exciting to watch, and then Daniel took a heavy serve. ::

Daniel: "The Black Queen wanted your father's business, and she wanted you all for herself. But he would never budge...so she took matters into her own hands, and asked for a favor from the red court - specifically from me..."

:: Max found herself lost in thought at the mention of the former Black Queen. ::

:: Despite everything they had done to her, despite how horrifying and depraved her home life had been, even despite the fact that both of her parents had died at her hand, her relationship with Evelyn Pierce had been the most defining of her life - it had felt like her deliverance. In a world of porcelain dolls, there was Eve. She was enigmatic, smart, curious, mischevious, but most of all accepting. She was the only person who didn't look at Maxine's gauges, her piercings, her tattoos, her androgyny and shake in fear, in fact she embraced it. She nurtured it. She had met Eve upon her own debut as The Black Knight at a Hellfire Gala when she was seventeen years old. By then, all the experiment, abuse, and trauma she had experienced had raped her of her humanity. She felt like a killing machine and nothing more. And she wasn't. The kind of abuse she experienced had allowed her to compartmentalize every part of herself to the point of which she didn't know when the "machine" began and she ended. But that night, Eve dazzled her of tales of her own adventures in the underground London Punk scene, and complimented her Icons of Filth T-Shirt. The rest was history. ::

"And a beautiful history it was...."

:: There was a side to Eve that most didn't know. For starters, her name wasn't Evelyn Shaw. It was Idie Okonkwo. Originally from Nigeria, she escaped when her mutant powers manifested and she accidentally burned down her village and killed her family. Despite her upbringing, her beauty found her in Paris, where she worked as a model and a muse to many of the greats. It didn't take long for her personality and her desperate hunger to survive to spark a flame across Europe. She had been the center of rumors for years that she was a glorified madam, that she connected powerful men to women who needed refuge, but it was something she didn't speak of, at least not to Maxine. All that Domino could remember was how good she smelled and how genuinely interested she seemed to be in her. Over the next two years, Eve often stood in between Jean Luc and Maxine, taking charge of sending her on missions, and building her confidence, until Jean Luc became desperate in his aggression and abuse behind closed doors. It had been Eve to suggest that Domino murdered her father in such a public way, and had given her the confidence to do so. The Black Queen had enchanted the courts, and Domino knew she would be protected. So she did it. In recent times, Maxine had begun to wonder if she had been a pawn just as Archer had, and if she had been so lonely and so sad that she jumped at the chance to prove herself worthy of love to a woman who showed her the slightest bit of kindness. It was a trait that certainly played out for her in her romantic life, often falling hard and fast for soft girls with kind eyes. But her entire life history had shown her that there was simply no more use in living in the past. What was done was done. She would never have the answers she wanted, so she would choose to believe that Evelyn was the beacon of light in her life that saved her. ::

Daniel: All I had to do was to stoke the rage of your father's competitor just enough that he might want to try and shoot the man in broad daylight, and wouldn't you know it, Archie...he did. And then...well it was just a matter of stoking YOUR rage to get you to take his entire operation out of commission and make you feel....hopeful that Hellfire might be your best option to do that. Evelyn got your assets, ones she made sure to share generously with the red court, and she got her weapon - YOU."

:: Maxine's eyes flickered back into reality hearing Daniel's words. What he was saying was true, but Archer was DEEPLY proud of his relationship with his father, and this was NOT something he would just sit back and hear without FLYING into a rage. She immediately tensed up, ready to intervene but....Archer just sat there. Albeit decidedly more pissed off looking than he normally did, but he sat there. She didn't know if it was progress, or if he was waiting for Daniel to finish before he killed him. ::

Daniel: "Archer I am going to attempt to say this in the most delicate way I am able to - had a wealthy criminal not whisked you away from obscurity, poverty and the other abject horrors the slums of East London have to offer, you yourself would not be here. You simply wouldn't matter. He made you what you are. And while I will not return the favor of ignoring your own accomplishments - you have built his empire into a global crime syndicate, you are no more a pawn than anybody else here. And the fact that you sit in front of me so righteous in your belief that you truly fought your way to the crown that now sits on your head is laughable."

:: STILL no reaction from Archer. It was like being in a parallel universe. Daniel and Archer had never gotten along, but she herself trusted him as much as she could in Hellfire. He wanted this more than anybody beside maybe Daniel. He loved all of the drama and the game, but he was very effective in the field. He was reckless, but he often gave sound advice and knew when to play his cards when. There was a reason he had been a Rook and not a Knight. While what Daniel was saying was technically true, it was a rather shitty thing to say, but she figured Archer threw the first punch. ::

Daniel: "Now...to answer your question. Hellfire currently has an optics problem. Your uprising coupled with the current war waging overseas in America is going to leave a vast majority of our members feeling uncomfortable. The floodgates have been opened, it will not take long for contracts to dry out, for investors to back out, and for general support to be withdrawn. I am a socialite of the highest order. I am the embodiment of everything the red court stands for. You may laugh at my pedigree, but it is my secondary mutation. When people see a banner under my family name, they will be comforted. They will know that everything their own families have fought for over the years are not to be forgotten. More than that, now that three members of senior leadership within the red court have been murdered in less than a year, you are facing another uprising of your own. Those of of us who wear red may prefer to operate behind the scenes, but do not underestimate us. There are those among us who would burn this court to the ground if they thought the other two courts had declared us to be an enemy."

"He has a point, Archer. The death of Bretta and Alistair isn't going to go over well, despite how useless they were. And the Red Court's contracts and endeavours give this club a LOT of political and social protection..."

"Am I actually advocating for this? Do I actually still care about this god foresaken place?"

:: She knew the answer, but pretended it was merely a trained response that still lived within her. Some kind of muscle memory that caused her to care about the status of the club. Daniel continued his rather brilliant verbal tirade before saying something that actually struck a chord with her. ::

Daniel: "We are MUTANTS, who decided to consolidate power in such a way that we uplift each other. That we USE that power, not to FLEX it over our own kind, but to ensure that all of us enjoy continued success in spite of humans. We are the ones who run the world, and we can no longer entertain this stupid notion that our actual enemies are each OTHER. Anyone who threatens our solidarity is the enemy. You may think me a blueblood, Archer, but anyone who knows me, knows I bleed red, no matter where on the bloody planet I might be. Now...I'm not expecting a huge coronation, but at the very least might we be able to pull together a luncheon or a high tea to celebrate my ascension?"

:: This made her soften. Daniel was right. This was not the true nature of Hellfire. They should have been helping mutants take the kind of social, political and economic power they deserved. What her father, what Malice had turned Hellfire into, had been well proven to be unsustainable, and to hear that Daniel was passionate about that was all she needed to hear. Still...she waited for Archer's next move before saying anything, just in case she had to stop him from ripping Daniel limb from limb. ::
 
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