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The Watcher
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<< The Six elected to stay at Minerva's Mansion for several more days, allowing them and especially Cameron time to visit with Alison, update her on the situation with Viper, though she would be privvy to most due to her status as a precog and adjust to the departure of Sharon Kelly as well as the revelation that Alycia Barnett herself had never been involved in their latest caper.>>

<< It also allowed Haleigh time to fully assess her new status and the changes to her physiology following her restoration from the T Virus. She was now the ONLY other person beside Alycia Barnett who had SURVIVED the T Virus' final stage of infection but the trauma that Viper caused when she used her power on Haleigh and then Malice restoring Haleigh left the hybrid forever changed. She needed time to understand that and Minerva's Mansion, FAR AWAY from the general populace and backed by alien technology was a far better place to do it than Melrose Place.>>

<< Something about the fresh air and rolling sea around this mysterious cliff side villa helped to bring a calmness and refreshed feeling to most of the Six as they prepared to move on to whatever may wait for them. But there was at least one thing some were NOT looking forward to, and that was explaining to Morgan why Sharon was no longer with the Six.>>

<< Delilah was struggling with guilt, misplaced as it may be. But on a deeper level the guilt was not entirely linked to Sharon. It was linked to something else far more deep, another ghost like that of Mystech.>>
 
Delilah ran. The soft sand cushioned her bare feet, and the sea spray cooled her as the sun shone down. She had been at it for miles. It usually cleared her head but the demons were still there, her mind still addled. So she just kept running.

Finally, she gave up. She was wearing short black Under Armour shorts and light blue sports bra, so she jumped into the ocean in her clothes to cool off and then sat on the warm sand to let herself dry, still breathing heavily.

She rested her elbows on her knees as she looked out over the expanse of the ocean. If only she could bottle this moment and stay in it forever.

She didn't want to face what was inside her head. It was crippling.

It wasn't really about Sharon - she could deal with her leaving, in time. But the shame. The guilt. First that she had killed Bishop...and second that she regretted it. Her feelings betrayed her teammates, and her actions betrayed herself.

It was almost too much for her to bear. Her heart ached with it. She couldn't imagine having to go through the rest of her life like this.
 
Sitting outside on the terrace overlooking the ocean, Ava held a mug of green tea close to her mouth, softly blowing the heated liquid in an effort to cool it. Wrapped in a light weight blanket with her knees tucked up close to her body, the morning temperature was slightly chilly; even moreso due to the fact they were right by the sea. Though Ava could have easily manipulated the weather, heating the area just enough to make her comfortable, the goddess sometimes enjoyed having no sway over the elements. Just allowing them to be as they are.

Taking a small sip of her tea, the soft breeze managed to pull a few strands of hair out of the loose side braid that held the majority of her main together. The pieces tickled her face, causing her to brush them away so the wind could catch them in their current. Moments like this made Ava truly appreciate that there were places like Minerva's Mansion and Arie Island that she could go to and escape the realities of the six. However the memories and feelings of Sheena Island were still very raw within the goddess. Her talk with Alison had helped a bit...the precogs words sinking in even further as the days had passed and Ava had time to really think about them. But it was still a working progress; a progress that she knew was going to take some time.

For right now, Ava didn't want to think about those thoughts--those complications. Closing her eyes, with her hands still cupped around the hot mug full of tea, she rested the base of the mug on her knee and let her head relax back into the large lounge chair. The sound of the ocean was hypnotizing, and the overall air in Greece was just so much more intoxicating a light, unlike the thick smog of LA. Soaking in the sun that slowly began to sink into the ocean, it truly felt nice to be "home".
 
>>Subject Identified:
>>Delilah Trelaven
>>AKA Morningstar
>>Affiliation: Ally
>>Threat Level: Low
>>Status: Active Superhuman
>>Vitals: Out of Range
>>Distance: 475 m [1558.39 ft] stationary

Haleigh watched from the window as Delilah finally stopped running and sat down to catch her breath. Haleigh's return had brought about some changes that she was getting used to, one of which was a visual overlay of information. Any time she looked at a person or object, she automatically saw all the data she had about that particular thing in a type of 'heads up display' to the left of her visual field. There was now a constant stream of information running through Haleigh's peripheral vision but surprisingly, it wasn't all the distracting. She found it quite easy to process the information, things like vital signs, height/weight/age, known powers and abilities, social security numbers, contact information, criminal, bank, and public records, etc. All the while on the right information about herself was listed; her own vitals, emotions, hormone and energy levels, her GPS coordinates and elevation according to sea level, what direction she was facing, how many pounds per square inch of force she put behind a punch, anything and everything.

She kept an eye on Delilah for a minute. There was something BOTHERING Delilah, but she didn't want to just come out and say it. Haleigh wished Delilah trusted her enough to confide in her, but Delilah wasn't ready for that yet. Haleigh sighed and moved away from the window, turning back towards the door to her suite. Information on the mansion starting streaming on her left, its floor plans, exit routes, structural integrity, and the location of every living being within its walls displayed for Haleigh like a radar map. Haleigh went to visit with her sister, who was on the terrace. Ava had been quieter than usual since arrival at Minerva's. Something was bothering her too.

>>Subject Identified:
>>Ava Cassadine
>>AKA Persephone
>>Affiliation: Blood Relative
>>Threat Level: Low
>>Status: Partially Reincarnated -- Active Superhuman
>> Vitals: Pulse 78/min Respiration 15/min
>>Core Body Temp: 36.05 C [96.9 F]
>>Distance: 1.5 m [4.92 ft] and closing

"Are you cold, Ava?"
 
Minerva's Mansion

:: elsewhere, Alison Marble sat in her executive study. It was her personal "command office" within the sprawling mansion. ::

:: after her conversation with Ava, she decided she needed to contact Morgan. She knew the fellow witch would be upset if she was not informed of so many deep changes to the team and that she would have felt like she was denied the opportunity to have possibly change the course of events. Sharon Kelly and Nicolas King had left the Six, the team had a harrowing battle with Viper and Haleigh had become a zombie...these werent details you could just relay "another time". Morgan deserved to know.::

:: BUT FIRST.....::

:: She sat at her large desk, and across the room on one of the walls, an opening in the wall reveals a spinning, sparkling "vortex" effect that soon shimmers to reveal, the rotunda on Themyscria!::

:: Alison is contacting ALYCIA BARNETT.::
 
long distance

<< Themyscria, also known as "Paradise Island", home of the legendary and VERY long lived race of AMAZONS, a hold over from the "mythological" times that Persephone hailed from. The island itself was undetectable by men or their technology and on this island, free from the influence of men, the women had been able to develop their physical and mental skills for centuries. They were an ancient race of women who were among the BEST FIGHTERS on the planet. Their island was an impossible blend of classic antiquity, alien technology and mystical enhancement. It was also now the home to the former mistress of Minerva's mansion, Barbara Minerva, another hold over from Persephone's past with the MoE who was know reborn as an amazon after a heroic sacrifice and death. AND it was home to another key figure in the Six's lives...Alycia Barnett, who had been trained in the ways and discipline of an Amazon, affording a new status she'd never known before.>>

<< The Six had seen "Alycia" at LAX. She was different, STRONGER, faster, and wearing the mysterious "feminum" bracelets that essentially made her BULLET PROOF to most ballistic and conventional weapons and energy projections. But that was not the REAL Alycia. It was a "Life Model Decoy", a well planned psychological tactic used by Viper to shake and rattle the Six and it worked...too well. With the Six, especially Ava and Haleigh still reeling from the fact that it wasnt REALLY Alycia that had been involved in these recent events...it left Ava with extreme conflicted feelings and Haleigh was now puzzled.>>

<< Alison, who was currently hosting her former team and her forever family, felt it necessary to contact Alycia. To make sure she was truly okay and to inform her of what happened. Viper had used her image and likeness, her relationship to t he Six as a ploy against them. She deserved to know about it and Haleigh (and Ava) needed some closer on THAT part of all of this, to know that Alycia was STILL friendly with the Team still part of their FAMILY.>>

<< and so, using the special channels of communication she and the queen of themyscria established shortly after her succession of Barbara as the mistress of Minerva's Mansio, Alison opens a channel to Themyscria and speaks to Alycia first privately.>>
 
conference all

:: a lot of time had passed since the day Athena and Hecate had given her passage to Themyscria. She arrived a battered, broken shell of her former self, fresh off the trauma of having been attacked by Zombies in Arklay mansion and having her life blown apart thanks to Bishop. Everything she had worked for went down the drain, lost forever... and yet inspite of her near mental breakdown, that tremendous inner strength that had been apart of her since childhood allowed her to take one last brave step into the unknown for her own sake.::

:: It had been a long time....and there had been several times where Alycia could have, or wanted to contact The six but it was not the right time. She'd been through so much with them. Alot bad but some good as well. It all went into a deep, long standing history that had bound her life to the six and vice versa. She needed time to recover and during that time she had been trained and shown a new way by the Amazons, ones that helped her to be the woman she once remembered herself as being and MORE. She was now an AMAZON, a true gift that most in the mortal world would never know. ::

:: was it time to return to them now? she didnt feel ready to leave Themyscria BUT she was ready to at least establish communication and now was as good a time as any.::

:: having been summonded to the hall of knowledge by one of her amazonian sisters, Alycia was greeted by a true surprise when she saw HARBINGER in the shimmering scrying pool. She smiled and greeted Alison warmly, an instant contrast to the demeanor the life model decoy of her which had been programmed to exagerrate the WORST feelings Alycia may have had toward the Six.::

:: Alison greeted her and asked her how she was, if everything was alright. Alycia could hear and see the curiosity and CONCERN in the precog and if the PRECOG had something on her mind about Alycia enough to contact her , then it must be serious.::

I'm...fine Alison! Never better actually. I know its been a long time...but I needed this time to...recover. I needed to REALLY recover.


Alison: Nobody can blame you for staying away, Alycia. The things you endured....were more than we EVER had a right to ask...or even expect of you. You made the right choice to go to Themyscria.

Alison: However, as you must know, no matter where ANY of us goes, or what we do....we have a bond among us in the six, we have something that we've all survived....MYSTECH. The team recently was haunted by the ghosts of mystech in the very real form of Jessica Marcus...daughter of James Marcus....her name was VIPER.

:: Alycia listens as Alison fills her in on the main changes of the Six, their current residence in Melrose Place, the departure of Sharon and Nicolas, Barbas, Morgan's sabbatical etc. Then she tells Alycia the events of the past caper with Viper, Terra Save, WilPharma, the bio terror events, the Sisterhood....and the "life model decoy", it was awful! Alycia's face showed visible signs of agitation at the revelation of a "life model decoy" that assumed HER role and place in the outside world.::

Alycia: this is outrageous....

Alison: but not entirely unexpected. you were just a much a thorn in Mystech's side as we were. Jessica Marcus knew everything her father and Malice knew and you participated in the destruction of Mystech, Arklay and more...all things that she was the "heiress" to. She used you...or rather your image and likness to hurt team, which is already on shakey ground. you know how THAT goes.....family drama.

Alycia: Yes...I know. But I wouldnt have done those things...

Alison: I know that Alycia. and deep down they do too. I thought you should know what happened, and I wanted them to see you at least like this, so they could have closer. It was a deadly ploy that she used against them and it worked very well.


:: Alycia nodded.::

Alycia: of course. where are they?

Alison: They're here at the mansion. The Sisterhood dropped them off her after they left Sheena Island. It was a sensible move. Gave us a c hance to see each other, for me to help them as they recover etc. and now a chance for them to see you. They need to more than they might suspect.

Alycia: I had often thought about returning to "man's world"...but it just wasnt the right time. I thought about everything from before, including The Six.

Alison: It wasnt the right time. Sometimes they dont understand that...but as a precog, i know better than most. I had to take time once I became Harbinger, which is why i did not come to the Six's aid during the Silver Swan caper...despite my PERSONAL feelings...I had to do what was truly best in the overall scheme of things. NOW is the time, where even this brief appearence from you can do the most good. I'll summon them now.

:: Alycia continues to remain visible on the mystic viewing portal in Alison's office as Alison contacts the Six via the mansion's comlink asking them to come ot her executive study.::
 
Time seemed to pass more slowly here, like you could actually breathe without loosing your breath. Dire situations and missions all disappeared and relaxation was actually the way of life. It was a welcomed change, that was for sure. Resting her head back, Ava closed her eyes while tightening the blanket around her shoulders.

Haleigh: "Are you cold, Ava?"

Not bothering to open her eyes, a small smile appeared on her lips.

"A little chilled, yes. But it's nice."

Finally opening her eyes, Ava shifted them in her sisters direction.

"Join me?"

She hadn't really caught up with Haleigh since Malice had healed her. Ava wanted to give her sister time. Time to come to terms with what happened. Time to realize that there was no guilt to be felt because none of it was her fault. Unfortunately, it seemed they wouldn't have any time to actually have a conversation. Alison's voice rang over the comlink that ran throughout Minerva's Mansion asking the six to join her in her study.

Standing from the plush lounger, Ava let the blanket slide off her shoulders and down onto the chair.

"I guess that talk you want to have with me will have to wait."

Ava wasn't oblivious to the fact that Haleigh knew something was wrong with her. In fact, knowing her sister, she knew everything there was to know before Ava could even tell her. Walking with Haleigh up to the mansion, it took a few minutes before they reached Alison's study.

Walking through the doors, Ava's eyes first caught sight of Alison. But soon, they moved over to the mystic viewing portal that connected to Alycia. Ava's body immediately recoiled internally; stiffening at the site of the former district attorney. It took a few very LONG seconds to realize that she hadn't moved a muscle--that she was just staring at the image of Alycia with a disdain.

"You wanted to see us?"

Ava spoke evenly, finally pealing her eyes away from Alycia and moving them to look at Alison.
 
The deep blue sea was hypnotic. Alison's voice reached her ears but it didn't really register. She just kept staring at the ocean.

She had betrayed her teammates and left them for Bishop's ideals. And the rift she had set in motion between her and Sharon had become a chasm that drove the Silver Swan out of the Six altogether. She had wanted to punish "Alycia" for her supposed betrayal. But who was she to point fingers? How they could look at Delilah after all that had happened, she didn't know.

And Bishop...she had murdered him out of spite, revenge. And there was the secret that she kept from everyone, that she had truly loved him, loved him still...and she had blown him apart. What kind of person could do that? No "bigger picture", no "higher purpose" - she wasn't sacrificing someone in order to save the world. And the guilt was destroying her.

Her limbs were oh so heavy where she sat, water droplets still drying on her skin, the sand sticking to her bare feet. And then suddenly, they felt light as air. A peacefulness came over her as she knew what she had to do.

She stood and walked, trancelike, towards the sea, towards that peace she so longed for. The coolness of the waves lapped at her feet. The sun was warm on her face. And as the ocean washed over her, pulled her under, she felt a sense of perfect calm. And then everything was finally darkness.
 
Ava: A little chilled, yes. but it's nice. Join Me?

Haleigh smiled softly and moved in, but stopped abruptly. Haleigh could sense that Alison's voice was currently transmitting over the com link-- ah, yes, a summons.

Ava: I guess that talk you want to have will have to wait.

[chuckling] "I suppose so. It's alright... we'll have it soon."

She knew what Ava was thinking. What if the team would be better off without her? It was easier here, staring out at the sea. It reminded her of their sanctuary on Aerie. What if Aerie really was a better place for her? Haleigh considered this about her OWN fate as well, and she knew that Ava was even MORE tied to Aerie than Haleigh, for Ava had spent an extended time there, even after the rest of them went to Melrose. But Haleigh knew she could NOT leave the team now, she could not abandon them. What new outcome would be seen from her 'transformation', she didn't know, but the team had lost too many people recently for Haleigh to decide that she wanted to take a vacation. and so, whether she was the leader they needed or not, they were stuck with her.

Haleigh and Ava walked in comfortable silence to Alison's study. Alycia was easily visible through through a portal of some kind. Haleigh didn't quite know what to say, so she simply nodded curtly.

>>Visual Representation Of:
>> Alycia Barnett
>>Affiliation: ???
>>Threat Level: Low
>>Status: Human
>>Distance: Indeterminable

Her gaze shifted, as Ava asked Alison why she'd called. Likely, Alison was trying to give them some closure, and to help them [especially Ava] separate their recent experience with the clone from what was actually happening with the REAL Alycia, THEIR Alycia.

>>Subject identified.
>>Alison Marble

The stats kept coming. Haleigh tossed a glance out the window in this room. There was a spectacular view from every vantage point. She could see the beach where Delilah was again. It looked like Delilah had decided to go for another swim. But this wasn't a quick dip, and Haleigh found that she kept watching for Delilah to resurface. The others might think it rude for her to have turned her back on them, but her brow was creasing with concern. The surf was moderate, there was no visible riptide. Haleigh begin sweeping her gaze wider, in case Delilah had managed to swim farther than she initially expected, but Haleigh's eyes kept going back to the same dark shape among the tide that she was QUITE certain was Delilah. It was not moving the way a swimmer would.

>>WARNING!
>>Average Human Breathhold 60 seconds.
>>Current time underwater 01:45

[warily] "Alison, How long can Delilah hold her breath?"
 
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Minerva's Mansion

:: Alison and Alycia talked for a few more minutes before Ava and Haleigh arrived, but Delilah was not with them.::

:: Ava and Haleigh had their guarded reactions when seeing the image of the REAL Alycia who did not have the brooding, dark countenance that her clone had. Alison watched them even as they carefully regarded Alycia and tried not to show any visible reaction.::

It's alright...it's really her. :: Alison said as she leaned back in her large executive chair and steepled her two index fingers under her chin.::

I felt like it was time to actually check up on her. She's still part of our family, whether she's here or not. She's been on Themyscria for some time now and while she hasnt returned to the outside world like Sharon, it was because it wasnt the right time for HER. i'm sure you can understand that, Ava. :: referring to her the goddess' own extended solitude on Aerie::

I've been telling her what's happened. Because HER likeness and image was used in Viper's nefarious plot, as an emotional trump card against you all, it was only fair that the REAL Alycia know about it.


:: Alison looked distracted for a moment.::

Black Widow said:
[warily] "Alison, How long can Delilah hold her breath?"
Click to expand...

:: the din of the waves outside of her open windows suddenly rang LOUD in her ears as she looked out over the ocean.::

that's not a question you should be asking NOW of all times.... Delilah...

:: the way she says it, confirms what Haleigh might have suspected. something is wrong. she stands up.::

Alycia, there's something wrong. I have to go...but I...we'll be in touch SOON!

Alycia: :: with a concerned look on her face:: Okay Alison....you take care...all of you!

:: Alison moves over to the window and BLINKS out of sight. the others follow as quickly as they can as Alison BLINKS into view on the shoreline where Delilah was last standing. the waves and the wind move and alison's blue/black hair blows back in the wind as she peers out over the sea::

Even with her power to create a force field around herself...this is WRONG.

I didnt think it'd happen THIS quickly! I contacted Alycia to help bridge the gap, to help bring some peace and closure but she [Delilah] didnt give me the chance!

:: Alison said with distress.::
 
the sea of darkness

<< from the shoreline out into the endless sea, the waters flow and move with an unending rhythm. with each wave and current, the water welcomes Delilah into its all encompassing grasp. If its an escape she wants...its an escape she'll get. a deep, dark, cold hideaway from which there is no return. many have been claimed by the sea before so she wouldnt be the first...but her death would be such a tragic and senseless thing.>>

<< as she sank deeper and deeper into her own despair, the sea's subtle but unwavering grip pulls her down. it replaces her own feelings with a cold numbness that will soon be followed by darkness that even HER light cant dispell...and then...DEATH.>>

<< perhaps then she can finally resolve her true issue....that of BISHOP. Where ever he now was...perhaps she'd soon come face to face with him again.>>

<< the past never truly leaves us does it? no in most cases it remains and in the worst case it HAUNTS...KILLS.>>
 
Alison explained her reason for calling them and why Alycia was 'here', and Haleigh gave a polite, preoccupied nod, even as her concern for Delilah's well being escalated.

"Of course Alycia should know. It's not her fault it happened.... but it affects her and her reputation."

She replied curtly, her unease about Delilah begining to over ride her desire to resolve any lingering issues.

>>WARNING!
Current Submersion Time: 02:32

Alison: That's not a question you should be asking NOW of all times....

"I know it seems random, you'll have to forgive me but if what I suspect is accurate-- this takes precedence."

>>WARNING!
Current Submersion Time: 03:01

"That's too long. It's time to DO SOMETHING!"

Alison: Delilah... Alycia, there's something wrong. I have to go... but I.... we'll be in touch soon!

Alison comes to the same conclusion and blinks out of sight. Haleigh is fast on her heels, using molecular dispersion and knowing that Ava can transport herself. Alison reappears on the beach and searches the sea. Haleigh, in her haste, reappears in waist deep waters RIGHT where she last saw the shape she thought to be Delilah. But Delilah isn't here anymore, she must have moved once Haleigh lost visual contact!

>>SCANNING

Alison: Even with her power to create a forcefield around herself.... this is WRONG. I didn't think it'd happen THIS quickly! I contacted Alycia to help bridge the gap, to help bring some peace and closure but she [D] didn't give me the chance!

Haleigh's gaze jerked over to alsion increduously.

"YOU KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND YOU DIDNT WARN ME?!??!"

She went vehemently back to searching the waters for Delilah. It would waste precious time to argue right now. Haleigh felt a pang of guilt for being clueless, for not paying more attention, for not trying harder to get Delilah to admit to what was bothering her. She had been trying to respect Delilah's need for privacy. Stupid decision!

Over there! She ducked under the oncoming wave and swam parallel to the shore to where Delilah was being pushed around by the waves, lifeless. She reached Delilah as quickly as she could, and tried not to notice how suddenly ethereal Delilah looked, her hair fanned out and gently flowing behind her in the water, her body limp, her expression untroubled and almost peaceful. Not YET Delilah! She pulled Delilah up out of the water, cradling her high as she waded quickly back to shore.

>>WARNING!
>>Vitals: Pulse 0/min Respiration 0/min
>>Core Body Temp: 25.5 C [78 F]
>>Status: Deceased

"She's flatlined!"

Haleigh said quickly, laying Delilah flat on her back in the dry sand.

"GOD DAMN IT, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING ON MY WATCH!"

>>Suggested Reaction: Begin lifesaving measures immediately
>>Procedure recommended: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
>>2 repetitions assisted breathing per 30 chest compressions
>>Mouth to mouth Step one: tilt head back

She followed protocol to the letter, trying not to be TOO forceful during chest compressions, as she didn't wanted to inadvertently crack Delilah's ribs with her super strength. She said nothing aloud, as she was focused on her efforts and trying not to be overly emotional, but in her head, she was alternately pleading with Delilah to stay and admonishing her for trying to leave.
 
on the beach

:: Alison looks at Haleigh in disbelief. Was she really going to do this now?::

Haleigh, now is not the TIME. Delilah is a grown woman. Short of locking her in restraints from the beginning, which I don't think any of YOU would have approved of, what ELSE would you have had me do?

This goes far beyond what's happening HERE.

:: Alison said forcefully as she brushed some of her blue/black hair back behind one of her ears while Haleigh frantically retrieves Delilah. On the shoreline, Haleigh attempts to revive her. Alison is genuinely concerned but strangely, she holds back::

The problem here was in the making LONG before this moment and I think both of you know what it was.

:: reminding them that while she was a precog, she was no longer a front line member of the six and sometimes, it didnt take a precog to see the bigger picture. this situation was the breaking point of something that had been going on all along....everything from Bishop to Sharon and Alycia. Malice had pointed it out but nobody listened then. They were too busy trying to dismiss the validity of that insight because it came from Malice. Delilah had tried to stand in the gap for the team against Malice's cruelty. It was a bold but misguided sacrifice and NOW she was paying the price as her own mental stability seemed to have fragmented and now THIS.::

:: it was a painful indicator of how things really WERE with the Six now. Two members GONE. One member, broken and suicidal...and another one pulled back from the brink but still not sure what her life now would be like.::

:: what could Alison say as a precog to fix any of that?::

:: Alison was about to transport Delilah to the infimary when a roll of thunder could be heard across the horizon, subtle but standing out against the din of the waves.::

:: Alison looked up at the curiously grey and swirling skies above now.::
 
It was a slightly uncomfortable situation, standing there in the presents of Alycia knowing that she had done absolutely nothing wrong yet hating her all at the same time. Ava kept her eyes glued onto Alison knowing EXACTLY why she had brought them there, however she needed to ask anyway. Maybe just to buy some time...maybe to try and distract herself from the image of Alycia all together. Regardless, Ava didn't want to be there.

Haleigh: How long can Delilah hold her breath?

Snapping out of her mini funk, Ava narrowed her eyes in a 'what the fuck?' manner before glancing at Haleigh questionably.

"What?"

Alison: That's not a question you should be asking NOW of all times....

Haleigh: I know it seems random, you'll have to forgive me but if what I suspect is accurate-- this takes precedence.

"What's going on? [looking between Alison and Haleigh] Is something wrong with Delilah?"

The haste in Alison's voice and look in Haleigh's eyes were enough of an answer. Alison quickly severed the link with Alycia before blinking out of the room. Haleigh followed using her molecular dispersion. Ava quickly followed in a tornado of winds. Appearing on the beach, Haleigh was already waist deep in the ocean.

"What the HELL is going on?!"

Like she wasn't even there, Haleigh and Alison quickly conversed about Delilah being under the water for too long. It turned more into an argument once Alison revealed that she KNEW Delilah was trying to commit suicide. Ava looked at Alison in astonishment, utterly shocked that she wouldn't have atleast TRIED to stop Delilah; or atleast warn Haleigh or herself.

Tearing her eyes away from Alison just as Haleigh brought Delilah's lifeless body up to the shore, her sister immediately began chest compressions and mouth to mouth. Scrambling to her knees beside Haleigh and Delilah, Ava took over mouth to mouth, allowing Haleigh to concentrate on the chest compressions.

Alison: This goes far beyond what's happening HERE. The problem here was in the making LONG before this moment and I think both of you know what it was.

Continuing the mouth to mouth, Ava looked up at Alison, realizing that she wasn't the one to blame for this. Everyone had a part in what was happening to Delilah because they didn't pay enough attention to how deeply hurt she was....how BISHOP had truly effected her. Rolling her eyes shut, Ava honestly thought she had gotten over Bishop....psycho boyfriends who try to kill their friends tended to do that to people. But apparently Delilah was more in love with him than any of them realized.

"Damnit!"

Ava continued to blow in two breaths to every set of compressions Haleigh did.

"Common Delilah....breathe..."

Ava heard the soft rumble of thunder and immediately looked into the sky. The clouds were grey and swirling above them. She could sense there was no change in the atmospheric pressure in the surrounding area, therefore this occurrence wasn't natural.

[to Alison] "It's not me.."

She quickly stated before pushing two more breaths into Delilah's lungs.
 
arrival

:: the eerie change in the skies above, the roll of thunder and a haunting whistle in the wind herald the appearence of a column of wind and dead leaves.::

:: the shadowed form of Ororo appears before fully revealing her as she steps forward, wearing her customary white "goddess dress" and blue robe.::

Ororo: You cannot help her. Not now. Her spirit is broken.


:: taking a few steps forward, she stands over Haleigh, Ava and the fallen Delilah.::


Ororo: There lies, the SMALLEST flicker of life...that resilience that She is known for, deep within her soul. Give her to me, so that I may help her. She deserves a chance to truly HEAL from what she's been through...what lead up to this moment.

:: they knew Ororo enough to know that when she appeared on EARTH in physical reality that it was serious and that her requests were more "commands". ::

:: she motions for Haleigh and Ava to step back.::

Ororo: What has happened here is not at all Alison's fault or even her responsibility. Look within yourselves for fault and blame if you just need to fullfill that compulsion. You missed the warning signs and now here you are. I will do what I can for her and she'll return soon enough.


:: and with that Ororo stands over Delilah and another wider column of wind forms as they disappear. Ororo has carried Delilah away to her garden oasis in Limbo. For HOW LONG is anyone's guess but if Delilah will be saved through all of it, there can be no complaining.::

:: the skies return to their NATURAL form from before, and there is no more rolling thunder in the air. Alison, Ava and Haleigh are left there, with one LESS team member. It was a moment similar to one that they'd faced a couple years ago.::
 
Minerva's Mansion

:: Alison looks at Ororo with concern. There was a COLLECTIVE fail when it came to Delilah. There was no point, no need to blame anyone in particular and she didnt hold anything against Haleigh for her initial reaction, but would HALEIGH continue to press that issue?::

:: Alison hid her own DISMAY over Delilah quite well. Her time at Minerva's Mansion, a world away from her former team and family had allowed her to revisit some of her "old ways" but her task now as Harbinger was one of global importance and she NEEDED to be colder, more calculated.::

:: beneath her exterior, in her heart she ached.::

I know this seems abrupt...but there's nothing more we can do here. Delilah's gone and under Ororo's care. We have to trust that Ororo will do the right thing...just as she's done before.

We should go back inside. I'm contacting Morgan. You've lost 3 team members ....she needs to know about this.

:: Alison returns inside the mansion and back to her study. She then reaches out to Morgan with a mystic summons.::

:: the moment that Haleigh had not exactly looked forward to was now about to be at hand.::
 
Ororo: You cannot help her. Not now. Her spirit is broken.

Hearing Ororo's familiar voice, Ava looked up after another round of mouth to mouth.

"What does that mean? We can't let her die!"

Ororo: There lies, the SMALLEST flicker of life...that resilience that She is known for, deep within her soul. Give her to me, so that I may help her. She deserves a chance to truly HEAL from what she's been through...what lead up to this moment.

Hesitant to stop the mouth to mouth in fear that the lack of oxygen intake in Delilah would stall their reviving efforts, Ava finally moved her body back and sat on her legs which were tucked under her body from kneeling. Haleigh was just as hesitant, but finally Ororo took Delilah.

Ororo: What has happened here is not at all Alison's fault or even her responsibility. Look within yourselves for fault and blame if you just need to fullfill that compulsion. You missed the warning signs and now here you are. I will do what I can for her and she'll return soon enough.

Looking at Delilah's lifeless body in Ororo's arms, Ava looked defeated. She was right. This was THEIR fault. They didn't see the warning signs that something was wrong with Delilah. Either that or they dismissed them, believing she was strong enough to overcome them by herself.

Ororo disappeared and the sky returned to it's normal state. Ava sat quietly in the sand. Delilah was gone. Sharon was gone. Nicolas was gone. The six was now down to three....and even THAT was sketchy due to Ava's own hesitations about staying on the team. Lifting the back of her hand to her forehead to push back some strands of loose hair that stuck to her slightly perspired forehead, she vaguely heard Alison state that they needed to inform Morgan of their current situation in between her own raging thoughts.

Slowly standing from the sand, Ava made her way back to the mansion, following Alison into her study. Standing in the background with her arms folded across her chest and her shoulder resting against the large bookcase, Alison began to summon Morgan. THIS should be an interesting call...
 
Alison: Short of locking her in restraints from the beginning, which I don't think any of YOU would have approved of, what ELSE would you have had me do?

[while doing chest compressions] "Something! Anything! why wouldn't you at least TELL me?? Didn't you think it was important? Wasn't it something I needed to know? It would have made a difference in the way I handled the situation, we could have at least TRIED to prevent it."

She pauses as Ava takes over on rescue breathing, staring up at Alison, looking grief stricken, not angry. She slung her hair back out of her face and resumed compressions tirelessly.

"I'm not trying to place blame here, I just don't understand! Of ALL the information to share, why didn't you trust me with something as profound as THIS??"

Alison: The problem here was in the making LONG before this moment and I think both of you know what it was.

Bishop. Everyone knew that Delilah still felt terribly guilty about killing him. And try as Haleigh might, she couldn't get Delilah to see that there was nothing for her to feel guilty for, that she'd made the best possible choice. I should have killed bishop myself. I should have never left it to Delilah to end his malcontent life.

Ava: Common Delilah.... breathe...

But she wasn't going to. She was too far gone. Haleigh knew this, but couldn't bring herself to stop trying to save Delilah. She couldn't say out loud that Delilah was gone.

I waited too long. I should have done something immediately.

Her hesitation had cost them every chance they might have had of rescuing Delilah. She had known something wasn't quite right. She had watched Delilah walk into the ocean, to her death, and had not responded properly, and now all she could do was try to force Delilah's heart to keep beating, try to force air into her lungs... but it did no good.

Ororo: You cannot help her.

"I.... I know..."

She whispered, staring down at Delilah as the tears fell. the stats stayed the same. Zero pulse, zero breathing, and disasterously dead. The ghostly image of Delilah floating in the water haunted Haleigh. Ororo was speaking, but most of it was lost on Haleigh. She didn't need anyone to tell her it was her fault. She knew it to be the unequivocal truth.

Alison: we should go back inside. I'm contacting Morgan. You've lost 3 team members...she needs to know about this.

"Probably more than three. Where is your brother?"

The all to oft-asked question. Cameron had been scarce since they made it to Minerva's and now, during a time of crisis he hadn't even bothered with showing up? And Cameron wasn't the only one whose standing with the team was in question. Haleigh knew that Ava was thinking about leaving, going back to Aerie. Sharon left, Nicolas defected. That left only Haleigh.

There was a limit to everyone's endurance. Haleigh had survived a GUANTLET of tribulation just to get to this point, but now... she felt she couldn't move. The loss of Delilah was too much to bear, and it was the final blow in a very long line of personal failures that Haleigh had been suffering ever since Morgan had went on sabbatical.

"You can tell Morgan without me. I..... I can't do this anymore. It's too much."

Her tone was defeated, her voice broke with grief. Delilah had been the best of them, the purest, the kindest, the humblest. And now she was gone.
 
Minerva's Mansion - Alison's study

:: Alison rose from her chair at her desk, a look of disbelief followed by a frown of disapproval could be seen on her face.::

I can't believe what i'm HEARING.

You arrive on my doorstep courtesy of the Sisterhood, after saving the world from Viper and thereby preventing another reassurgance of Mystech....you get a NEW LEASE on life that FEW OTHERS with the T Virus could EVER HOPE FOR THIS is how you repay the sister fates? by turning tail?

didnt you hear ANYTHING Ororo said!?

BOTH of you....

:: she slams her hand down on the desk as a rushing chime is heard and the double doors to her executive study slam shut!::

I love you both....and think about how FAR I have come to be able to say that to ANYONE, Haleigh...let alone you. Ava, a woman whom I despised at our first meeting in the Time Stream is now a TRUSTED, CLOSE FRIEND.

You're welcomed here ANYTIME and this is no exception but the two of you need to GET A GRIP!

How DARE you stand there and wallow in your illogical, FOOLISH hang ups about Alycia and other MINOR issues when Delilah's life is at stake...when this TEAM as at stake! GET OVER IT! GET OVER HER! She wasnt there, its NOT her fault. END OF STORY!

:: moving on to the most pressing issue of Delilah.::

I KNOW this is upsetting...I'M upset! Think how MORGAN is going to feel when she finds out about this? Don't you think it would be BETTER for ALL of us to be here?


Ororo said she will do what she can for Delilah. This is nothing to be taken lightly...there was a collective fail here...no one person is at fault but it's NOT too late!

She's helped us before...she's snatched more th an a FEW of us from the oblivion of TRUE death...give her t he chance to do that for Delilah and then...instead cowardly coping out...be READY to do RIGHT when she returns because if you think THIS is the end??? you're WRONG.

The reason why I have NOT said more thus far is because even though I "saw' this moment...I also saw MORE to this time th read...its NOT OVER and it has PLENTY to do with Bishop...I dont know HOW, i can't quite "SEE" that yet..its some k ind of anamoly that exists across ALL timethreads relating to Delilah, probable or not.

Whatever's coming, she needs her FRIENDS...her FAMILY! Are you going to stand there and act SO selfish and SHORT SIGHTED as to abandon her and ultimately your destiny NOW?

as for Cameron...he's wandering through the mansion, struggling with his issues about Sharon mostly. He cared about her deeply, and he feels he failed her. THAT is another issue all together....Sharon...She and Nicolas' exit from the team.
 
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