Sharon Kelly: Past & Present

[Harbinger]

Illustra

:: Alison , still sitting, looked over as Nicolas and Ava arrived. Alycia immediately blammed him for this and Alison actually backed her in that this WAS leading to the eventual EXPOSURE of this team, not to mention Alycia.::

One isnt any less important than the OTHER, Nicolas. For Alycia went to great lengths to COVER Sharon's status...just as she has covered for this team from the legal scrutiny for over a year now. her position IS crucial, not just to us but to HER.

I warned you all last night that this was coming so it SHOULDNT be THAT big of a shock. Morgan is right...this is an important, although violent step forward for Sharon. She NEEDED a spark and she's found it. BUT the variable that i keep seeing...the one element that i cant quite place...path of that variable...that PERSON is GOING to cross with ours...with disastrous results...speaking of which...

:: since Ava was in the room and had been AWAKE last night, AND since Alison and Ava had already talked once before...::

There was a security breach last night.

:: who, what or WHERE in Illustra she didnt say just yet...but she looked at Ava as if to silently say "you know who was involved". But DELILAH would know...how could she NOT? who can fool a precog?::

Alycia..after the debriefing, you'll need to get back to the Parthenon as quickly as possible and make it look as though you've BEEN there. We'll maintain contact of course.

Bringing Sharon to Illustra is the best course of action...but we better do it soon. I see danger coming for her...and FAST.

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh and Ava shared more than just genes.... they shared an upbringing and that showed from time to time.... like tonight... when Ava found herself in the Danger Room while Haleigh herself went up to her small personal gym in the armory of her apartment to blow off some steam. She unleashed on a large punching bag.... a fury of kicks and punches that didn't stop until the chain suspending the bag finally BROKE and the bag fell to the floor with an exasperated thud.

She stared down at the bag, nonplussed. Everyone else was SO insistent that Kyle Kelly was somewhere in that monster.... but Haleigh couldn't bring herself to accept that. She'd argue it to her death.... to others it may have seemed like splitting hairs but to Haleigh it was important..... Haleigh may be a hybrid, but she was still human.... and she felt the strong biological instinct to protect children... the innocence of childhood was purifying, in a way.... it made her believe that the world wasn't so awful all the time.... it wasn't ALWAYS as awful as she KNEW it to be. But if they couldn't protect CHILDREN from Mystech....

She could still visualize a picture of Sharon's smiling family. Her.... her husband Robert.... and Kyle.... Kyle. That beautiful, happy, innocent little boy..... It made Haleigh want to cry.... maybe it would be easier if she let it happen.... but she had to draw a line somewhere. The whole team had begged her to change.... to remove the barriers and be more.... human.... and be less.... detached. And she did that.... but now she was struggling with Kyle. A few weeks ago this would have been a breeze.... it wouldn't have mattered if the others called the damn thing Kyle.... SHE would have been able to make the distinction. But now... they kept saying he was still alive... still IN THERE somewhere. How was she supposed to separate them if Alison and the rest kept reiterating that the creature was still somehow Sharon's son?

"No. He's gone. Mystech destroyed him.... the damage is LONG SINCE done. Our job.... is humane euthanasia. [using molecular dispersement to move instantly upstairs to the master bathroom, where she splashed water on her face, then looked up at herself in the mirror] Fuckin' A.... pull yourself TOGETHER already."

She dried her face gently and passed into the bedroom.... walking over to the balcony that opened up to her downstairs atrium. There was a clear view of the panoramic windows.... the night sky looked peaceful... not at all like Haleigh's tumultuous mind. A chime sounded off in warning and Haleigh turned to look at a monitor that turned over from behind a wall panel... there was a security breach.... a man.... Haleigh's heart skipped a beat.... but she relaxed when she saw he was with Delilah.

"Hmph.... I hope he fixes her little problem.... it's obviously BEEN a while."

She murmurs, as she turns and collapses into bed. She wiggles out of her skintight battle dress uniform and relishes in the fact that she can now take up the entire length and width of the bed for herself [or as much as a woman can in a king sized bed]..... and tries to get a little sleep.

*********

Haleigh sprinkles a little salt on her omelet and butters a piece of toast as she watches a recap of Football scores.... She's just about to get the score of the NY Giants game.... when it gets interrupted for some 'breaking news'. Haleigh almost throws her salt shaker at the breakfast area TV..... but then she sees it. The Silver Swan..... accosting some lowlife. Haleigh watches for a second and then leaps to her feet, grabbing her jacket and pulling it on as Delilah's voice comes over the intercom.

>>Haleigh, can you please meet the others in the war room - Sharon's been busy.

"Yeah.... that's an understatement."

Haleigh appeared right next to Delilah, in the midst of Alison speaking.... but she smirked as she caught the end of it.

Alison:"There was a security breach last night."

Haleigh gave Delilah a knowing, approving wink as she gently nudged the cop with her elbow.

"Aww, come on Alison, don't be so severe. I, for one, am happy for her. We ALL know she had enough pent up sexual energy to power a small third world country. Maybe now she'll be in a better mood."

 

[Spellbinder]

Illustra- War Room

<< Morgan looked concern at first...>>

a security breach??

<< but before Alison could continue, Haleigh interrupted and the way she spoke, indicated that it was merely a gentleman caller for Delilah.>>

<< Morgan smirked a bit.>>

wellll....Miss Lightengale is creeping in the late night now?

<< Morgan whistles playfully before looking at Alison.>>

And YOU....were you up to your old tricks again...WATCHING?

<< a nice moment of levity, a rare thing indeed for the six in times like this. But Alison didnt seem to share in the amusement....and Morgan wasnt sure why.>>

something's wrong....but what? what ELSE?

well.... << clears throat>> Delilah's personal affairs wont have any impact on our current situation I'm sure, so let's just move on.

<< with that, they all repaired to the war room. Alycia joined them and everyone took their spots at the circular confrerence table. Alison slipping into her old spot for the first time in MONTHS.>>

<< with the door shut, they began their meeting.>>

we're not going to rehash last night. we all AGREE that if nothing else, the creature....who was once Kyle cannot be allowed to continue , even left inside the Mansion. now that we know he is there...the burden of responsibility falls on US...and that certainly includes Sharon. Lately, Sharon has taking a liking to Nicolas, she seems to want to dote on him as a mother would her son. After dwelling on it...i think it's BEST that Nicolas and I go to her first. With the way she is NOW...itll be easier for those she was closest to to reach her.

But before we go....let's take this time to process what Haleigh and Alycia learned while they were in Arklay and Alison can go over the journal that they found.

 

[Persephone]

:: Catching Alison's look, Ava glanced over at Delilah. Even though Haleigh and Morgan were trying to lighten up the mood about Delilah having a male friend over as a guest, with the way the mutant had been acting lately, it didn't seem like a random 'hook up' or visit. And from the way Alison had giving Ava 'the look' rather than chime in with a joke of her own, Ava knew her concerns were valid. ::

"Well...regardless of Delilah's..guest, perhaps we should double up security and tighten up the systems. We don't want any unwanted visitors next time."

:: As the topic moved on from Delilah to Kyle Kelly and Sharon, Ava kept her eyes focused on Delilah for a few moments longer. Whenever Nicolas and Morgan went to speak with Sharon, Ava was sure to set up a little meeting with Alison to discuss last nights events, that was for certain. Glancing back at Morgan, Ava nodded with approval. It was going to be tough for Sharon to hear what is left of her son is still alive...and what turned Kyle into the monster today was the same people who turned her into Silver Swan. Although Haleigh's heart was in the right place, Ava strongly disagree bum rushing Sharon as a group and telling her....she needed to hear it from her closest friends in a private matter. ::

:: As for the Arklay mansion, the goddess was eager to see what Alycia and Haleigh had discovered when in there. She got a small glimpse of the mansion and it's capabilities when trying to rescue Alycia, but nothing compared to what Alycia and Haleigh had seen. ::

"Yes, i'm intrigued as to what the two of you found."

 

[Artemis]

Illustra- War Room

:: Alycia was given time to change and raidioed her 1rst officer on a private channel to inform him that all was well to keep on course::

:: in the war room, She was now in a tailored blazer and pencil skirt with high heels. her hair was down in a flawless wrap and she looked refreshed, if not a bit irritated.::

:: as everyone took their spots, Alycia had long enjoyed access to the war room...she and mike were the only non powered humans that had ever been into the war room to date. and her station was not at the conference table but a large wrap around console with a chair that gave her access to information systems around the globe. it was a bolster to her current position but one she had to keep secret from her colleagues in Washington.::

:: exhaling::

Haleigh and I journeyed to Arklay Mansion through the forest of the same name.

:: aerial views and sweeping, winding "tours" of the area played out on the holographic screen for the team.::

Arklay Mansion is the birthplace of MysTech...ALL that we know...leads back here. it appears that MALICE, who is still only known by the first name of Diana was also apart of it from the near beginning.

The forest itself is a hotbed for biohazards, castoffs that were either thrown away or ESCAPED from the mansion somehow through the years and have adapted to that envrionment. they are content to be there...and arklay forest has become a "zombie" ecosystem...even the water systems...the water fall, the lake, the streams...

:: footage of Alycia and Haleigh fighting off giant mutant wasps, devil dogs and a few straggling zombies in the forest during their trek can be seen.::



:: moving on.::

The mansion itself is completely in tact....although aged and clearly uncared for. the internal systems that lay beneath the structure are still intact as well. It is a sprawling complex that appears to be muti leveled and labryinth in designed. there are many hidden areas on every floor, one way one mirrors, passages, etc.

:: footage of Alycia shooting down "Peter", the zombie and Haleigh doing an autopsy can be seen. Haleigh takes the ID badge which is later shown being used as a key card.::

the zombies within the mansion are DIFFERENT than what we've seen in times past..they appear to be FASTER, more coordinated and physically STRONGER with more durability. they require SEVERAL hits from high powered weaponry , or definative seperation of the neck and spinal column.

:: views of the strange looking zombies with large, clawed hands, large feet and blood dripping from their mouths can be seen. as well as the fighting that Haleigh and Alycia did with them. ::

most of the zombies appear to be staff of the mansion, weather support or lab workers and researches from the massive underground network below. we never got down there...as you know but we DID cover some of the first floor and ONE of the halls of the second floor.::

:: more views can be seen of the creepy expanse. as they move down to the end and around that corner::

We found a small medical supply closet with some remarkably well preserved biological specimens. Haleigh retrieved some of them at my request. I also found this...

:: lays a medical log and chart for KYLE KELLY down on the conference table::

detailing his almost IMMEDIATE exposure to the G virus, the far more potent and deadly prototype of the T virus. this experimentation went on for 10 years....10 YEARS...he was treated like....WORSE than...an animal.

:: Alycia felt herself welling up as the picture of the little boy from the chart slipped out ahead of the other documents.::

we were successfull in finding the boy's JOURNAL in a small room..more like a DUNGEON with a bed, a little writing desk and a wall with shackles. this room was found within a passage way BEYOND the "wall" of the interior of the medical closet. the path lead back down the hall but on the interior wall where one way mirrors showed the rooms of what appeared to be sleeping quarters of some of the staff of the mansion.

:: a few rooms were shown...all dark, well preserved and a few had corpses that were barely animated in them.::

not too long after we found the journal.....we found....him

:: Kyle is shown emerging from a sliding wall and attacking a shocked Alycia just as Haleigh shoves her out of the way and takes a painfull hit.::

I threw a cluster bomb at him to keep him from making another pass at either us while we ran...but it didnt even slow him down. a cluster bomb can blast through 1 ton of concrete! Haleigh sealed the doors behind us as we ran...but he....managed to surprise us just as we escaped the mansion, probably because he is well familiar with the grounds after all this time and the passages hidden or known.

this is when you all arrived....

This goes BEYOND the personal implications for Sharon, whose own history with this place and this area is long and tragic history and whom we must help. this is a matter of NATIONAL SECURITY. the local authorities who have direct jurisdiction over this area are going to be RAKED ACROSS THE COALS for negligence. there are multiple health violations, human rights violations and more. SOMEONE has to answer for this and my boss on the Hill will not be content to "cover it up". There will be fall out...but so what. the question is...HOW do YOU ALL go about destroying this place. I dont want to risk my men going in there. NO amount of training can prepare them for what may lay within....and we STILL havent covered the entire place...

as for Kyle...I want to be there when you tell Sharon. I was the one who hired someone to RESCUE her family that night....and yet he was only able to save HER. I need to be there...

:: the six, of course could give feedback at any point of the meeting. it was Haleigh's turn to add anything before Alison took the journal.::

 

[Rampage]

War Room

Nicolas listened as Alycia gave her report. As she spoke, he analyzed the information, putting it with what he had already seen. He was slowly forming a checklist of things to be done and it was EXTENSIVE. This operation, by his estimate, would entail the probable destruction and sealing of the house, viral disinfection of the area including groundwater and soil, and probably a relocation of all living affected flora AND fauna.

Never mind powers, this will cost millions to accomplish correctly.

Nicolas listened as Alycia expressed the desire to be present when Sharon is told. She brought up a point that he found problematic, that Sharon may blame HER for not making sure her son was returned. He spoke up.

I can understand why you want to be there, but we will have to be VERY cautious about it. With news like this, Sharon could be quite...PHYSICALLY unpredictable. I don't want you to get hurt. As for cleaning Arklay up, I am compiling a list.

Nicolas silently engaged his own supercomputer as he began to lay out a list of materials and actions required for this undertaking.

 

[Seer]

and so

<< images of the Arklay mountain range, the forest, the cottage....the path through the forest up to the massive mansion and the waterfall nearby....followed by>>


the mansion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDW77rkSd50

more of the mansion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGk24EGCfwI
(THIS music is played in the Danger Room simulation)

more of the mansion-inside, outside, and various levels underground
(pardon the horrid music LOL it was the best clip i could find)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9-_rAx4II

<< they saw everything Alycia and Haleigh saw, plus a bit more based on the data gathered by Haleigh's own sensor systems and Alycia's scanner.>>

<< and finally...the massive creature that was once Kyle Kelly...so hideous, mishapen and monstrous was he....that it was almost MADDENING to even try to link him to the little boy in the aged pictures from the file. the scientific implications of his prolonged exposure to the G-virus and other experimentation alone were infuriating.>>

<< aerial sweeps around the mansion's outside grounds play out on the screen as Alycia finishes speaking and the Six get a better idea of what they are facing. even the GHOST of Mystech's past would proove to be as deadly as anything ELSE associated with them...and the mysteries that lay within were deadly....>>

<< all the while...as the six meet...Sharon settles in her home, satisfied with her new path, unapologetic for her methods, and confident that women and children will be safer. she's doing it for her little boy who she wasnt strong enough to protect all those years ago.>>

<< she's unaware that the man who had SAVED her that night was now out to KILL her now. it wouldnt be the first time someone has tried...but THIS man was perhaps more prepared...even INSPITE of her powers as the Silver Swan.>>

<< a collision course has been set. and so we watch>>

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh chuckled as her sister suggested they tighten security to prevent Delilah's 'special friend' from visiting without proper permission again.... but as she laughed off the suggestion, she noticed her sister wasn't kidding.

"You're.... serious? Ava.... it's not like he walked in through the lobby... he came in from the ROOF entrance.... if someone's trying to get in via roof access on a building with over a HUNDRED floors, they're going to gain access no matter how tight the security is. The concern shouldn't be how he got in, but how he got UP THERE."

Alycia began the briefing and Haleigh moved to take a seat near the front of the presentation so she could add to the briefing when necessary. She relaxed back into the leather office chair and offered supplemental commentary and evidence here and there.

it appears that MALICE, who is still only known by the first name of Diana was also apart of it from the near beginning.

Haleigh sat forward, presenting a photo of Malice... it was crumpled but then reflattened.... it had been the one Haleigh pulled from the display case and now she passed it to Nicolas, who had taken the seat nearest to her, so that he may view it and pass it on.

"Unfortunately, there's not yet any proof that she was RELATED to the Spencer family... she could have just been a close friend... but this definitely links her to the Spencers AND the fledgling entity that would one day become Mystech."

As footage of Alycia's short fight with the reanimated body of Peter Grant is shown, Haleigh leans over close to Nicolas and slides him a slender folder, making eye contact and speaking through thought so as not to disturb the proceeding.

I created a.... report, so to speak. I thought you'd be the best to appreciate my findings. VERY interesting stuff.... we should talk about it later.

the zombies within the mansion are DIFFERENT than what we've seen in times past..they appear to be FASTER, more coordinated and physically STRONGER with more durability. they require SEVERAL hits from high powered weaponry , or definative seperation of the neck and spinal column.

"Mmm... they certainly DID exceed MY expectations..... I have a theory on that... Nicolas may be able to agree-- or disagree.... I'll explain when she finishes."

Alycia continues, and hits all the bases.... it was a well organized briefing that left little to be desired.... but Haleigh was prepared to explain the zombie phenomenon more in depth. She slowly stood after Alycia finished, lifting a metal case to her chair and unlatching it, but not removing the contents just yet. Alycia passed the 'floor' to Haleigh and she gestured to the screen.

"Alright ladies... and Nicolas. Let's continue this little freak show and tell, shall we? This [pointing the screen] is your brain. [lifting a jar out of the jar and placing it on the table for display] This is your brain on the G Virus. Comparatively.... even the untrained eye can spot the damage. Now, I'm not quite the biological scientist Nic is.... but I did minor in biology and anatomy-- so that I could inflict more effective bodily harm in the field. As you can see, [gesturing respectively as she speaks] the parietal and occipital lobes located in the back of the brain are relatively normal, even a tad larger than the normal brain. These parts of the brain are sensory regions, sight, hearing, etc. The temporal lobe shows some slight damage, it is the area of the brain responsible for speech functions.... this deterioration likely caused diminished communication ability. That leaves the most important part of the human brain, and as you can see in this specimen, the most affected area.... I've never SEEN this type of frontal lobe decay in a living human. Now, the frontal lobe is responsible for the most COMPLEX functions in the human brain.... things like conscious thought, behavioral control, judgment, memory, language, rational planning, those types of things. Damage to this extent would completely destroy personality and self control.... the subject would be reduced to the most BASE functions, entirely instinctual behavior. I also have this.... [passing a jar to Nicolas] Soft tissue sample. You'll notice how incredibly dense the muscle is... that would explain both the enhanced strength in the zombies AND their... durability. These specimens are both labeled 'Experiment 12'.... Kyle's file designates him as 'Experiment 23'. I surmise that Experiment 12 didn't survive testing for very long but somewhere between 12 and 23 they engineered a viral strain that didn't completely destroy the host. They must have also found a way to pinpoint the parts of the brain that they wanted to destroy... because usually in cases where the frontal lobe suffers damage, motor skills are affected as well.... [rubbing ribs absentmindedly] but Experiment 23... and the other zombies throughout the mansion... exhibit well defined motor skills. No cognitive thought processes or 'self-awareness'.... but they are strong and quite coordinated."

 

[Rampage]

I created a.... report, so to speak. I thought you'd be the best to appreciate my findings. VERY interesting stuff.... we should talk about it later.

Nicolas nodded silently as he quickly scanned the report. His eyes widened as Haleigh spoke to the group. Her detailed outline of what was occurring was even beyond what he expected. He believed that maybe Mystech was working on a bio-weapon, but nothing quite like this. He thought to Haleigh as she spoke to the group, wanting confirmation of what he feared as he looked the report over.

If I am right in what you are saying here, this is tantamount to the attempted development of a bio-enslavement weapon! A series of experiments designed to enslave the victims, leaving them strong, coordinated and at least very long-functioning yet devoid of free will. It seems that they only lacked the technological capability to complete the process of controlling the monsters they created. Can we be sure this technology is contained here?

As she finished up, he awaited her thought response while he seconded her findings.

It seems that Haleigh's definitely on to something. I am curious as to how deeply this goes. If so, we may have a bigger situation than we figured.

 

[MorningStar]

[ Delilah crossed her arms, giving the others no satisfaction for their barbs but a cold stare. She would see who she wanted when she wanted – no one ELSE had their guests scrutinized.

Delilah watched Alycia’s footage with a shiver, remembering the short time she’d spent in the mansion and the creatures they’d encountered. Alycia and Haleigh were lucky to be ALIVE after meeting what had once been Kyle Kelly.

She analyzed what the others had said, then asked her questions. ]

“Do these experiments relate at all to the way they were controlling Sharon? Also do we know anything about what the diary contains? Has anyone read it yet?”

 

[Harbinger]

Illustra- War Room

:: Alison sat back, noting Delilah's cold stare, even at Morgan and Haleigh's lighthearted ribbing. something was DEFINATELY amiss but right now was not the time. she'd speak to Ava later.::


::as the briefing began, Alycia's voice guided them along the images they saw. Alison wasnt as unnerved as before when she first began being haunted by images of the mansion in Greece. having now VISITED the place , she FELT first hand the evil...the unresolved atmosphere of uncertainty and betrayal that reeked in the space of the mansion. Alycia and Haleigh were BRAVE women indeed to have stalked those halls as they did...and thank the goddess Morgan had been nearby...that made all the difference for all the events were connected.::

:: ...MALICE. the woman looked young, physically beautifull but behind that elegance and beauty was a soul as black as any she'd ever seen before. the woman must have dedicated her life to evil at a VERY young age. Haleigh remarked that it was unclear if Diana was related to the Spencers or just a close ally or some other connection...it was a question that was worth an answer but even Alison couldnt draw one with her powers as a Seer.::

Even I can't CLEARLY determine her link...though she has been gone for awhile...her shadow casts long and looms large. There's the faintest trace..of a psychic GHOST on the astral plane. Nicolas spends more time there than i do and he may have even "thought" he sensed her even this long after her death....she remains a mystery....Just as this Mansion, now long abandonned...stands to be an even more complex mystery and a more pervasive threat than anything that Mystech had thrown at the original six BEFORE.



:: as they moved on and Haleigh began to explain the mystery of these evolved zombies, she hit the nail on the head. the G virus was a prototype that had taken MANY "trial and error" sessions to even progression to the point when Kyle was exposed to it and that many of the creatures lurking through the mansion or the forest were , as Alycia said, earlier cast offs.::

fascinating..

:: she said as she didnt bother to turn away from the rather gory images.::

Kyle was the first major step, Patrick Phillips was the next but there h ave been so many unexpected "bio hazards" created along the way and MANY of them lurk in that mansion and the forest. we know that the T virus , which is what Haleigh carries was mass produced...we DESTROYED its stock pile when we destroyed NERVOUS but mystech had so many offshoots and cells...look how we MISSED THE BIRTHPLACE of it.

:: Nicolas wondered how DEEPLY this went...the experimentation that resulted in these unusual zombies and kyle's current state.::

what i see CLEARLY at this moment is that the zombies lurking in the mansion..these "evolved" ones that Alycia and Haleigh fought, were NOT purposefully exposed. there was an accident...an act of BETRAYAL.

:: Haleigh herself had speculated in the mansion with Alycia that Peter and the others like him had not been WILLING participants. the HUMAN zombies were accidental. and she was right after all...but precisely what happened was not clear yet.::

:: Alison could play "connect the dots" as a precog and could "see" many horrific implications and scenarios but at the moment, MANY of them were too remote to even fear the one from earlier remained the most looming.::

:: as Delilah asked about if this was at all or in part how Riley had been able to control Sharon, Alison nodded.::

Though i was not here...i can "SEE" that Riley used a serum that was derived from a chemical that was apart of the G-virus. but Riley was far from the GENIUS that Malice was, or the criminal enterprising master mind that Stavros was, or that Lord Spencer himself was. Riley was basically 'throwing whatever he could into the mix' and he didnt count on so many people who CARED about Sharon risking their lives to try to appeal to her humanity....you all also were able to CONFRONT HER in TIME...Kyle was not so lucky...not by a longshot.

:: Delilah asked about the journal::

No, but I will do that now...with magick.

:: as Alycia hands Alison the journal and as Alison sets it down, she holds her hands just over the journal and closes her eyes....wind and rushing chimes begin to sound off in the air as the journal opens on its own and the pages begin to turn and flow rapidly as Alison's hair flows.::

let my powers as a seer, tell the story that none of us were present for. let us SEE and understand so that we may know what to do.

:: as she had done before, Alison would use her magick to allow her friends to see what SHE could "see" as she reached into the past...and was about to tell the tragic story, of Kyle Kelly.::

 

[Spellbinder]

Illustra- War room

<< Morgan felt more than a little creeped out. this mansion was almost as deadly a threat as Malice herself had been. not only because of what it housed, but what it STOOD for. it was more than an abandonned building that had become a "haunted house"...it was the beginning of a nightmare that they THOUGHT they had extinguished but it seemed the embers were flickering for a new blaze. even MALICE...she seemed to be "not quite so dead" after all...but what did it mean? was she coming back? was she the reason that Morgan and Alison had been haunted by visions of the Mansion? was SHE the reason behind Nicolas' bizarre phone call?>>

<< that woman had harmed the families and the lives of nearly everyone present in the war room and even in death she still remained ever present in some way. morgan looked at the picture of the younger Malice and glared at it....>>

pretty on the outside...rotten to the core on the inside....just like me.

<< realizing she had more in common with Malice than she would care to dwell on.>>

<< as the meeting continued, Haleigh and Alycia covered alot of ground. they worked VERY well together when not at each other's throats and Haleigh demonstrated her own aptitude for science, anatomy and biology. >>

so there were TWO definative viruses that mystech were developing. and we...may not have been as thorough with erradicating the T virus ...certainly we knew nothing of the G virus until recently. there's no telling WHO Lord Spencer, Malice or Stavros could have "sold" these two...what governments...including OUR OWN may have access to it the last time we saw an outbreak of the T virus...was...when the ORIGINAL Six formed...just as Mystech's CITADLE had gone into meltdown. that was the same night Haleigh was infected.

::as Alycia spoke of Kyle and As Haleigh spoke on the G-virus' affects on "peter" and the zombies like him in the mansion, Morgan began to wonder just how they COULD possibly eliminate the viruses. Kyle was clearly beyond help and they all pretty much agreed the only thing humane to do was to euthanize him. SHE personally felt Sharon should be the one to set her "son" free...but they'd cross that bridge when they got to it. seeing the pictures of kyle,the file, and listening to haleigh made Morgan remember Blaze...and HER OWN brutal experimentation in the Citdale..when SHE TOO was purposefully infected with the T virus by her own father, MORGAN'S father...Blaze was lucky though, her secondary mutation, an omega class healing factor SAVED HER from a fate similar to Kyle or Patrick. Haleigh too had prooven to be very lucky. Still, Morgan struggled in this present moment...wishing there was something she could do with her magicks to help Kyle.::

my MAGICK cant erradicate the T virus...i tried it with Blaze and i failed and I couldnt reverse the process on HALEIGH either. so what other options do we HAVE to DESTROY all traces of the virus in the mansion? and the MANSION itself....i can SEAL it with a spell but wouldnt that be just putting a BANDADE on the situation? If we obliterate it....we will draw unavoidable attention to ourselves, AND Alycia who is supposed to be investigating this through the government channels and if someone ELSE "exposes" this....or US

i almost feel like we dropped the ball...HOW could we have missed this for so long!

<< wondering if again it wasnt something to do with MALICE, who Alison said was still present on the Astral plane. and this "VARIABLE" that Alison spoke of...that and the threat of exposure...it just wasnt adding up for Morgan. something was missing. but they certainly had LEARNED a great deal about the mansion and the G virus and she had , if nothing else made up her mind on what to do about speaking to sharon.>>

When this meeting is complete, Nicolas, Alycia and myself will go to see Sharon and ...deliver the news as best we can.

<< and now came the moment where Alison would unlock the secrets of Kyle's journal, filling it out with her own powers as a seer.::

 

[Black Widow]

Nicolas responded and Haleigh looked at him again, considering his thoughts....

I would have to concur.... this evidence would support what you suggest.... [regarding his other question]Nic.... I wish I could say yes.... but unfortunately I don't think we CAN be certain.... Mystech always played it smart. In fact.... it would be FOOLISH for US to assume that this was the only testing facility.

Delilah asked about how this G virus might be applied to Sharon, and Alison offered a few thoughts... with Haleigh nodding along. Morgan suggested that the G virus and the T virus had separate objectives, but Haleigh seemed to still be weighing that possibility. She did offer her thoughts and gave a progress report of her own:

"I don't know about that Morgan.... I haven't had the time to compare the G and T viruses side by side yet.... but I believe the G virus may very well be the T virus in its infancy. Like Alison said.... Experiment 23 was the first major breakthrough for 'G' testing.... Patch--[pausing and taking a deep breath] the Super Soldier, known to Mystech as Experiment 37 [pulling out a file on Patrick Phillips] was the next leap forward. I believe that I was selected by Dr. Chandler for T virus testing... with the same endgame in mind as the earlier G virus projects. When I escaped INITIAL capture on a mission gone wrong overseas and dropped off the radar a while... while I developed Clandestine and LCI.... they were forced to try picking a stand-in. That's were Blaze came in.... Dr. Victory thought that her regenerative ability could help her withstand the virus... Unfortunately.... Blaze was so traumatized by the experimentation that she was uncomfortable allowing ME to run tests on her. I've been doing tests on myself.... but the virus is so intertwined with me now... it's as if it has become a very part of my DNA.... it's difficult to separate a workable strain from my blood, bone, or tissue.... but I do know this... so far as I am aware.... I am the... successful experiment that would follow the Super Soldier. The super soldier was an improvement on Experiment 23 but he was still quite rudimentary and churlish. I, however, have managed to maintain cognitive awareness and the T virus and my body have a... symbiotic relationship. The PROBLEM, from Mystech's point of view, is that I went rogue.... they managed to CREATE what they wanted in terms of capability, but they couldn't control me. Logically, Sharon is the NEXT... version... so to speak. They found a way to keep her 'intelligence', so to speak, and they were able to CHANNEL her human emotions and desires toward the target of their desire, which, at the time, was me. But Alison's right.... Commander Riley was hasty and haphazard... whatever they did to Sharon... it was rushed and incomplete. It wasn't allowed the time to assimilate to her cerebral cortex.... and Sharon was able to reject the programming. She simply hadn't been field tested and she wasn't READY. If Riley had been more patient and more capable, the Silver Swan could have really been the success Mystech was looking for. Mass production would have been the next step. [laughing sheepishly] I guess we can all thank our lucky stars that I just pissed him off THAT MUCH.... and he COULD NOT WAIT for his revenge."

Morgan expressed dismay over not finding Arklay sooner... and Haleigh shook her head.

"Morgan, we can't blame ourselves.... I mean honestly... we've been far too busy trying to STAY ALIVE so far. If anything.... we should be proud of ourselves. This is the first OFFENSIVE move we've taken towards Mystech. They aren't coming after US this time.... we're after THEM."

Alison couldn't confirm anything in the way of Malice, and Haleigh was visibly disappointed.... She had expected some kind of lead to come out of this.... and Alison would have been the best person to get it from. Haleigh wanted information on Malice so bad she ACHED for it.... but that wasn't the primary objective here.... and Haleigh forced herself to focus as Morgan decided that Nicolas and Alycia would accompany her to tell Sharon. Haleigh still felt that everyone should be present....

"Morgan.... [looking ready to argue...] Telling Sharon.... [resigning] Look, this is your call.... if you think the rest of us shouldn't be present.... while I respectfully disagree... I... trust your judgment. Nicolas, if she reacts.... in a manner other than expected-- physically, I mean-- be sure to notify me right away. It's.... hard to explain that I understand WHAT Riley did to her in a way that would make sense to the rest of you..... but as far as her physiology is concerned, I'll help in any way I can, if it comes to that. Alycia.... I wonder if I could have a word with you privately... [indicating that she wanted to hear what Alison had to say about the journal first] Well, you know, before you go."

 

[Rampage]

I wish I could say yes.... but unfortunately I don't think we CAN be certain.... Mystech always played it smart. In fact.... it would be FOOLISH for US to assume that this was the only testing facility.

Nicolas weighed this thinking about the larger implications, including research he had read on mind control. He he spoke to the group.

Considering what we see here and its implications, I believe that not only do we have to cleanse this area, we also have to do it carefully enough that we find out all we can about this operation. Technology like this must be tracked down and destroyed WHEREVER it is, and that probably entails destroying Mystech's remaining loose ends worldwide. Otherwise, and this is a worst case scenario, we could be seeing this.

Nicolas used the top layer of part of the table to construct a model of Kyle as he is now.

Imagine it. A humanoid weapon possessed of strength rivaling my own, with even more durability, nigh invincible and extremely long-lived. Imagine that you can find a way to control these this being, even somewhat. A pheromone would suffice. In fact, I believe that it was no coincidence that Ky..IT was taken with Alycia. He probably SMELLED her and the active reptilian part of his brain was stimulated, creating the aggressive response. As an unscrupulous weapons design company, Mystech could easily envision an army of these...

The model of "Kyle" multiplies on the table a hundredfold.

You could airdrop them by remote somewhere and they would kill everything in sight, driven mad by a handkerchief filled with pheromone that any of you ladies naturally secrete in daily activity. Never mind what could be accomplished if you could actually effect true mind control.

The models collapse, melded back into the table.

I think that this will be no easy fix. If we simply seal the mansion or even destroy it, we may miss valuable information that will help us to make sure the scenario I described never happens. Because just as sure as Mystech has been crippled, there are literally hundreds of people out there who may know something about how to do what has been done to Kyle or Sharon or Haleigh. And these people are now out of work, possibly for sale to the highest bidder.

 

[Seer]

Part 1

<< from the turning pages of the old and tattered journal, swirling white orbs began to flow forth and around the room as a bell tolls. the expanse around them shimmers and blurs as Harbinger reaches out across time and space.>>

<< from the pages of the journal comes story of the Kelly's tragic night at the Arklay Mansion...>>

<< a rainy evening in 1982. a black Cadillac is driving up a winding path. a younger Sharon and her husband are in the front seats while little kyle is in the back. Sharon is sporting a "farrah fawcett feather" hairstyle and both she and Robert were dressed in the current style "of the day", looking like a successfull young couple living the high life that of the '80s>>

Sharon: Robert, I dont see why we needed to bring Kyle.

<< she looked back at her son, in that "superman" tee shirt that Haleigh and Alycia found 20 years later. he was happily playing with a portable pacman video game box.>>

Robert: it's a party for the potential investors AND their wives and family, Sharon. Besides...It'll be good for Kyle to have some new friends to play with. I hear the Mansion has everything anything could want, including an arcade for the kids.

Sharon: I dont care if "Lord Spencer" has an amusement park within the walls of his mansion...I dont like him. I find him CREEPY and I think YOU are being just a little EAGER about this Robert. I do not intend on keeping my son out till all hours of the night so you can hob knob with this pompous windbag and his cohorts.

<< Sharon's mistrust of the founder of MysTech was evident.>>

Robert: Sharon, youve been railing against Lord Spencer since you first met him. His offering us an opportunity, that from all accounts, appears to be poised to make us ALOT of money. You may NEVER have to work...

Sharon: Robert, i didnt MARRY you to get a meal ticket. I'm not the one whose OBSESSED with wealth. I didnt want to move to this area anyway, its so stagnant. Kyle needs to be in an area with activity, not a place with a MUSEUM LIKE HUSH. and dont talk to me like i'm some discontent housewife! I have MY college degree too!

Robert: Sharon, please. That's not what i meant.

<< Sharon, was momentarily distracted as she sees what looks like large, translucent LEECHES slithering around rock formations near the waterfall...whatever THAT was...it was more than a little gross. but Roberts annoying voice brings her back in focus and holds up her hand.>>

Sharon: let's just stop talking about this now. There's no need to argue about it in front of Kyle and we're nearly there anyway. But when It's time to leave....I'm taking my son and I'm going.

<< the pull up the road, passing the waterfall and into the lighted driveway, passing through the massive gates into the circular drive. several other luxury cars are already there and an attendant rushes to greet Sharon as she and Kyle exit the car. The mother and child wait for Robert, sheltered from the rain by an umbrella held by the attendant. Sharon hushes Kyle gently as he begins to jump with glee and excitement about entering the mansion. She can be seen with a look of concern on her face, noting the enormous size of the place.>>

<<the scene changes and shifts. they are now inside a mansion full of life and activity. it looks warm, cozy and the guests are now lead on a tour of the mansion, conveniently omitting certain areas and levels. many of the places they see are the same places Haleigh and Alycia covered but the workers are ALIVE at this time. in the GRAND dining hall it is now time for dinner. Among the guests is MALICE, who is obviously much younger and very beautifull. She is seated near Lord Spencer and Dr. James Marcus, the most powerfull and infamous researcher of Mystech's long history. He makes eyes at Sharon more than once and she returns his stare with a look of disdain. Some of the guests eat and enjoy the charms and courting of Lord Spencer. The most obvious exception is Sharon who politely partakes of some of food.>>


<< the evening progresses, most of the vision moves in fast forward....as Lord Spencer now gets down to business with the meeting of potential investors. Malice is in attendance again, wearing all white and the ONLY female in this meeting looking at the men like they were all her helpless playthings. She was seated next to Lord Spencer. Perhaps she was his WIFE? MISTRESS?

<< With the presentation of information in such a convincing manner, Lord Spencer and Dr. James Marcus succesfully courted HEARTY investments and made several of what would become long and deep running connections for Mystech in the political and social settings. This would seal Mystech's ability to only grow and increase its powers.>>

<< the view pulls back and sweeps away, traveling through the mansion to find Kyle and several other children having a ball in the Billiard room. the view of the room zooms in on several marble statues...with CAMERAS hidden in the eyes of the figures, watching the children even then. Sharon joins some of the other mothers in the room for casual conversation as she looks on her son. cut to a large grandfather clock in the the foyer begins to toll mournfully. it is now 11 pm. many of the guests begin leaving but Robert is still conversing with Lord Spencer, while Malice stands nearby...looking at James Marcus and then shifting her eyes to Sharon who is sitting with her son on her lap. the view shifts to Malice and James Marcus>>

Malice: I have conducted a psi scan on Sharon and Kyle. Sharon posesses as an A-line genetic structure, giving her the POTENTIAL to pass a latent mutant x gene to her son and through him it would become ACTIVE, resulting in super human ability. and he is POSITIVELY identified as a mutant. he is the prime candidate for exposure to the G-Virus.

Dr. James Marcus: :: in a voice that dripped with cruelty and greed:: Diana, your telepathic powers are fantastic. You are more valuable than Spencer himself at this point for this part of the operation....

<< he looks Malice over.>>

Malice: Keep it in your pants. Before i turn you into a vegetable with my psycho blast. NEITHER of you can satisfy me as a woman. What i do is as much for MY OWN pleasure and gain as it is YOURS. REMEMBER that i dont NEED EITHER of you. I have identified your mutant and the source of the genetic anomaly in Sharon. What you do at this point will make or BREAK your research on the G-virus.

<< even at this young age, Malice's voice drips with contempt as she visibly shatter's Marcus' ego and cruelly aids in setting the Kelly family up for trauma tonight.>>


<< the view shifts over to Lord Spencer and Robert Kelly as they finish their final chat and shake hands while a knowing Malice and Dr. Marcus look on. Robert walks over to Sharon, greeting her and their son as they begin to walk together to the large circular area where Haleigh and Alycia had first arrived in their exploration. the thunder crashes outside

----------------------------------------
break in the view and zoom out of the mansion toward the forest, down the slop and to the COTTAGE that was fully operational. the group sees a younger ALYCIA, pacing with worry on her face...as the storm rages...and she turns...to see a MAN standing in the corner, STARING at her

Alycia: ::jumping:: ::GASP:: what the hell is the matter with you? dont you know how to use a DOOR?

CONNOR aka BISHOP: you asked me to be here. I'm here.

Alycia: well you certainly have the PERSONALITY of a mercenary. :rolling her eyes.::

:: after a few moments, Alycia hands him a folder with some information.::

Sharon, Robert and their son...Kyle. The Kelly family. Robert is a powerfull and prominent fixture in the financial industry and was one of many to be personally invited by the reclusive "Lord Spencer" to Arklay Mansion for a party tonight. Sharon is a personal friend of mine. we've been friends since college...and she confided in me that she was VERY uncomfortable about going. She feared for her SAFETY. I did some checking...and Lord Spencer's background is...questionable to say the least and that mansion is shrouded in mystery but there have been reports...rumours...of HORRIFIC experimenation on HUMANS going on far beneath the ground of the estate...and "sightings" of "creatures"...in the forest. it sounds RIDICULOUS...but there've ALSO been reports of people DISAPPEARING in the forest or along the path closest to what passes for a "main road"...

Worse...Ive discovered that there's a Dr. James Marcus in residence at this mansion, his reputation in the medical world is MONSTROUS due to his penchant for biological experimentation and viral development.

the fact that i cant find MORE info than what's in this folder has made ME fearfull for Sharon and her family. I'm retaining your services to go there and watch them...and if need be...GET THEM OUT OF THERE.

Since you're HERE, that means you've received your "up front" advance. i have the rest here. you will have it once I know that Sharon and her family are safe. here's a map of the forest and possible routes to the mansion undetected.

as Connor looks over the information, Alycia prepares to GO WITH HIM. even THEN she was bold and brave but he COMMANDS her to stay at the cottage and wait. she tries to argue but he leaves without acknowledging her. she curses as he disappears into the stormy dark forest. for THE SIX watching this....DELILAH will immediately recognize BISHOP and will realize that he's had past dealings with Alycia. The others would see a bold and brave women early on in her life who cared very much about her friend Sharon.

Alycia: please ...please let them be allright...and let this man GET to them IN TIME!

she looks out of the windows...unable to see the mansion from the cottage...but the forest all around her looks so forboding in the stormy night.

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

zooming through the forest, up the slope and back to the mansion

the confrontation begins in the mansion as the Kelly family is about to be ambushed.

Robert: you see Shary? the evening went well, and you even seemed to enjoy yourself. Everything's gonna work out fine...and we'll be better off for it. the car is being brought up now.

Sharon: Fine. can we just go? its late and Kyle needs to be....

<< the thunder crashes the doors slam and two guards appear in front of them. Kyle jumps and Sharon moves him BEHIND her as she looks at Robert. Unaware that the danger is approaching from BEHIND.>>

Sharon: what is this? Let us PASS! we're LEAVING now.

Robert: is there a problem, gentleman?

<< stepping into view again...Malice and Dr. Marcus approach with some lab workers and two large men in suits.>>

Dr. Marcus: there's a "point of interest" that we have...namely YOUR SON.

<< he points at Kyle and Sharon defiantly slaps his hand away.>>

Sharon: YOU! KEEP away from my son! ROBERT..DO something!

Robert: What is the meaning of this, MARCUS...what the hell are you doing? Where's Spencer?

Malice: Spencer is UNAVAILABLE at the moment...

<< because she just stunned him into unconsciousness with a psi blast.>>

You're SON, is a MUTANT...he's SPECIAL and that is what we DO here. Dr. Marcus has come to show you all ONE LAST THING before you go, so keep you're wife on a short leash, Kelly...before i RUN HER OVER.

Sharon: BACK OFF! << she commands as Marcus reaches for Kyle and she immediately shoves him back.>>

Robert: lady, i dont know what the hell you're playing at, but if you think we're letting you near our son, you need to get your pretty little head examined.

<< he steps in front of Sharon and Kyle...bravely fronting off Marcus and Malice.>>

Malice: YOU DONT HAVE A CHOICE!

<< the thunder crashes almost on cue as the power is cut...and in the sounds pitch darkness, Robert is assaulted. Sharon screams and gathers up her son...as her eyes begin to adjust...she scrambles away...but not far enough. she finds herself in the small "museum" like room that Haleigh had extracted the picture of malice from....and as the storm rages, Sharon, shaking with panic kneels down.>>

Sharon: Honey...dont worry...I wont let them get you. Mommy will protect you!

<< Kyle is crying...asking for his father and wanting to leave this place...and as Sharon tries to shush and comfort him, she frantically looks for a window..but there's none here. two men burst in the room and Sharon shouts for them to keep away as she looks for something...ANYTHING...finding a firepoker by the fire place, she lunges forward...SLAMMING it across the face of one man and K.O.'ing him completely. the other man rushes her and slams her into the wall...but she braces the fire poker between herself and him and with her adrenaline flowing...she SHOVES him back and KNEES him in the balls as hard as she can and then slams the fire poker down on to his back.>>

Sharon: Come on baby!! we're OUT of here!

<< a mother defending her child...it gives even the most HUMAN of women a "super powered" feeling. Picking her son up, she is DETERMINED to get out of the mansion....praying that Robert is STILL out there...and she runs....carrying her crying son. here is a glimpse of her bravery...the same bravery she displayed the night of Master Mold when she tried to help free Morgan from the wreckage of the limo.>>

 

[Persephone]

:: Ava listened tentetively as Haleigh began to give a brief overview of the G virus and how it effected the brain. It was quite interesting on...on a disturbing level. But Nicolas made a good point; the six needed to make sure they destoryed everything in connection with this G virus, otherwise it could very well come back to haunt them in the future. ::

:: Adjusting herself into a more comfortable position, Ava watched as ALison brought what had happened to Sharon, Robert, and Kyle to life those many years ago. Spotting Malice alongside a man [Dr. Marcus], Ava narrowed her eyes suspiciously...he looked so familiar. Perhaps he worked with Stavros at one point...but she couldn't put her finger on it. Regardless, Ava continued to watch, seeing the horrid scene that unfolded. Sharon fought like hell to protect her child...and it made it even that more difficult to think that her son...what was left of her son...was still stuck in that mansion and unable to be rescued. Lowering her eyes, Ava sighed out softly, shaking her head. The fact that her family name was tied to the company that did this to SO many countless people -- a few of which were close associates with the six -- made her sick. Before Ava saw this 'footage', she knew Sharon wouldn't take the news of Kyle 'being alive' well....but after seeing what had happened, and how hard she fought to protect him, there was no doubt in her mind that Sharon would so everything possible to get back to Arklay mansion and try to rescue her son. ::

 

[Seer]

Part 2

<< out in the main area of the mansion, the power was still out but Sharon's eyes had suitably adjusted. she was terrified, her heart beating so fast...her breathing more rapid, but she struggled to keep it together.>>

<< Kyle was still upset, burying his head into Sharon's shoulder as she carried him, she stroked his head to try to comfort him as she spoke.>>

Sharon: don't worry...we're just gonna get daddy and then we're leaving here. we're almost to the door now.

ROBERT??

<< her voice echoed...as the thunder, rain and wind continued to play an elemental symphonay outside. there was no answer. no one was in the area aparently. could it have happened that fast? they were ALL gone?? but WHERE??>>

ROBERT? HONEY??

<< she took a few cautious steps, closer to the center, turning every which way. her high heels were the loudest sound beside her voice.>>

where is he?!

<< she looked up the stairs. she dare not go ANY FURTHER into the mansion, not when she was so close to the double doors....and after a few moments...>>

Kyle: Mommy? where's Daddy? I want to leave here!

Sharon: Me too, baby!

<< Sharon's then BLUE eyes darted toward every sound she even THOUGHT she heard...and after a few agonizing moments, She made a descision...she would leave with Kyle NOW..and call for help for Robert. She'd call the police...ANYONE she could reach and send them to this awfull place. THEY would save her husband...but SHE had to save herself and her son or there'd be nothing left!>>

Sharon: Mommy's gonna take us out of here now and she's going to get some help for Daddy, okay? I promise...he'll be with us again soon.

<< hopefull words at best. as she walked toward the double doors...still carrying her son, who was a bit more settled at the moment but still holding TIGHTLY to his mother. she opens them and as there is no immediate reaction from anything around her...she looks forward and then steps outside. >>

THE CAR!!

<< it was there!! she RUNS for the car and opens the door, hurridly putting her son into the back seat and telling him to buckle up tight and as she shuts the door she turns and is confronted by a ZOMBIE DOBERMAN. gasping with shock....Sharon is almost frozen with fear. the dog is feral, growing...and he's fixed on her as it's prey....after a few seconds that seemed like HOURS of a "stand off" Sharon LUNGES for the drivers door and opens it. the DOG launches into the air. Kyle screams for his mommy as she throws herself into the car and SLAMS the door shut at the LAST SECOND. the dog CRASHES into the car, the WINDOW and DENTS IT..and is now MADLY trying to get in...barking, foaming, standing on its hind legs. Kyle is screaming and Sharon covers her mouth with her hands as she cries. but she CANT give in now.>>

Sharon:.....the key....THE KEY.....

<< its not in the ignition....she fumbles around...tearing through the glove box,feeling under the seat, the sun visors....there's NOTHING>>

Sharon: DAMMIT!!! << she shrieks as she bangs the stearing wheel. the dog is now on the HOOD of the car...barking, biting at her even though the windshield protects her...for now. she flinches back....locking eyes with the beast....as tears stream down her face....she and her son are TRAPPED.>>


WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!? ROBERT...YOU ...

<< she started to curse her husband. this was ALL his fault. HE brought them here...HE brought them to this place...and now he was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND while SHE and her son were terrified and TRAPPED. no one knew...no one could hear..no one could HELP.>>

<< after an hour...the dog had surprisingly grown tired of barking and terrorizing Sharon and her son...and it LEFT! Kyle was now exhausted from fear and shock...and Sharon was WIRED.but the uncertain peace was doomed....as the LEECHES she'd seen earlier by the water fall began to slither up and on to the CAR....the WINDOWS. she looked to her right...they wre on the windows and as she exclaimed with disgust, the acid that they were secreating allowed them to BREAK THROUGH and fall into the car! Kyle began to pull away from them and Sharon reached into the back seat....hitting them away with her purse but it did little to help. she had no choice...getting out of the car, she retrieves her son and gets away from it as the leeches AGRESSIVELY converge onto the car and sure enough...the DOG was laying in wait....charging for them as Kyle frantically points it out. Sharon sees it and snatches Kyle up...RUNNING as fast she can, almost stumbling and falling as she scrambles BACK into the double doors and slamming them shut. the dog is outside, CLAWING like mad to get in.>>

Sharon: shhhh! shhhhh!! honey....you musn't...you musn't make too much noise. the bad people...may find us!

<< her first thought...FIND A PHONE! CALL FOR HELP! and as she nervously decides to go into the offshoot of the vestibule to the LEFT , she finds herself in a secondary dining area. the same one alycia and haleigh had come upon when they arrived. it was dark, and unoccupied. she looked around...nothing in the way of a phone, but there was a swinging door to the kitchen. but before she could even make an attempt...it happens. She is assaulted from behind, as her son is YANKED from her arms by one of the large men she'd seen earlier behind Malice. Kyle screams for his mommy and Sharon struggles.>>

Sharon: NO!! GIVE ME MY BABY!! LET GO OF HIM YOU BASTARDS! GIVE HIM BACK!!!

<< she struggles like HELL, even KICKING one of the men in front of her...cursing the men and calling for her son. until finally.....the PAIN of being JOLTED with electrical voltage causes her to SCREAM as everything goes WHITE then PITCH BLACK and her body falls to the floor. Kyle reaches his small arm out...crying for his mother as he is taken away from her and she lays...unconscious and helpless....his screams and cries are the last thing she will hear for a long time...for even in this unconscious state..they ring out like a beacon in the darkness. the men leave Sharon in that dining room...and Kyle is taken away...never to be seen again. the lightning illumintates the room as Sharon lays face down, unconscious. for HOURS. and as Alison continues to broadcast the vision, the Six gets the view of a split view...three ways. ROBERT is alive, but bruised and bloodied...feeling his way along a dark corridor in what is ultimately a MAZE between the mansion's underbelly and the underground lab facility. he wants to find his wife and son...he'd fought bravely against his assailants but was eventually over powered and BEATEN into submission but he wont stop until he gets out of this place. he will starve to death trying to find his way out. KYLE is taken to a place in the mansion that Alycia and Haleigh never saw...it is similar to one of the exame room in the medical office building the ORIGINAL Six had first saw. Being handled by men who were more goons than intelligent, the boy is now roughly strapped down onto an exam table....still crying for his mother before he is sedated for the first time. and Sharon lays....on the floor in the mansion. its a sad sight to see befall the Kelly family. Robert was lost, Kyle was lost and Sharon was left alone.>>

<< time passes. a shadow looms over Sharon and its CONNOR. he has encountered the leeches and devil dogs outside. and he had gained surprisingly easy access into the mansion. Connor found Sharon , picking her up after determining she was alive and quickly carrying her out.>>

<< zooming from the mansion, through the forest and back down through the slope and to the cottage. Alycia is sitting by candlelight. watching from the window. she soon sees Connor emerge, CARRYING Sharon, who is conscious and DISTRAUGHT. ALycia sees that the woman is CLEARLY worse for the wear as she opens the door to get them inside.>>

Alycia: Oh my god...SHARON.....WHAT HAPPENED!?

<< Connor lays her on the couch and Alycia tries to calm her but she is inconsoloble...screaming about her son and Robert and how they've been taken by those "evil people".>>

Alycia: YOU!

<< she shouts at Bishop!>>

where are Robert and Kyle! I PAID YOU TO RESCUE THE FAMILY and you've only returned with Sharon...what kind of....

Connor: Miss Barnett...Robert and Kyle were not able to be located. and there was no feasible way for me to explore the length of the mansion with Mrs. Kelly in tow.

<< he admits to seeing some "freaky" and "abnormal activity" around the mansion and finding Sharon unconscious and bruised on the floor inside of the dining hall and that he was unable to determine the presence of Robert or Kyle anywhere NEAR them.>>

Alycia: well we have to call the police. RIGHT NOW! get them up there....they need help!!

<< Connor snatches the phone from Alycia and she swears at him NEVER to do that again. as she points. In a moment that shows true concern on his part...he modulates his tone and informs Alycia that HE will ensure her's and Sharon's safe passage out of the cottage and this forest and that its b est they run and NEVER look back. its clear that even HE was a little spooked by the little that he had seen so far.>>

<< Alycia argues with him and he even agrees to forgo his BALANCE DUE if she will just stop fighting him on this and at that moment..as the thunder crashes again she looks at Sharon who is beside herself and realizes something TERRIBLE has happened and that they DO need to get the hell out of there and away from that area. and so, as ALycia wraps Sharon in a blanket and tries to calm her a bit more....Connor, picks up Sharon to carry her as Alycia follows along side. He goes about the business of getting the women as far away from that cottage and that forest as he can....the Six see the three escaping into the night....as the sound of feral animals can be heard in the forest around them.>>

<<...a night of terrifying endings and painfull beginnings...>>

<<the scene swirls and shifts. BACK inside the mansion...several days later. they see images of Kyle locked in the room that Haleigy and Alycia found the journal in. he writes by candle light...expressing his thoughts as best he can.

I'm waiting for Mommy and Daddy to find me and take me home. I thought this was a fun place but its filled with scarey, bad people. they take me to a cold room....and prick me with needles...i hate it. it hurts. I wish mommy would find me soon. She promised she'd take me home, but some men hurt her.

<< as he writes... a sliding wall behind him opens. Dr. James Marcus appears, with two large men in white coats...informing him that he must come with him. its a scene that repeats several times over the passage of time and Kyle asks for his mommy everytime. the journal entries become less and less intelligent...soon they are nothing more than crude scribblings....and soon there is nothing. the room remains empty...with FLASHES of Kyle crying and screaming...a rapid volley of images of James Marcus looking ESPECIALLY DEMENTED leaning over Kyle on an exam table , images of surgical instruments, virus strains, a view of the exam room, conversations between Marcus and Malice about Kyle's progress, images of dead bodies from other test subjects. a montage of various bio hazards encompassing species from insects, animals even flora, more needles, more chemicals...more EVIL>>


<<the last thing The Six see....is the turning of the grandfather clock....the hands move fast as days and nights pass...weeks, months, years. They see the long dead, skeletal remains of ROBERT in the underground dungeon maze and soon...there is no more crying from Kyle...there is nothing remotely human. as the room he was kept in is now dark...until the sliding door opens..and the MONSTER looms from the darkness beyond.>>


<< alison drops her hands...exhausted and clearly distraught as she covers her face...and the journal slams shut.>>

Alison: i can...do no more....

 

[Artemis]

Illustra- War Room

:: As Nicolas and Haleigh explained the G Virus and the implications behind it...and Alison helped fill in the blanks where she could, Alycia realized that this was more than a domestic terrorist situation....and this knowledge placed an EXTREME burden on her. could she balance her obligations with her PERSONAL feelings? In HER MIND she could still keep the six as "anonymous" as she could while they worked WITH her to deal with this problem...but WHO was the "variable" that Alison was talking about? who was the one that would EXPOSE them all..including Alycia HERSELF? It bothered her immensely....and as Nicolas explained the technology the g=virus represented...she spoke softly::

i wouldnt be surprised if our own government has ALREADY gained access to this technology or some form of it. Dr. James Marcus was WORKING for the government before he was terminated and went "private" with Lord Spencer...but he maintained MANY inroads...and Dr. Chandler, Dr. Victory were BOTH desciples of his. the government.....could be planning to use this technology on MUTANTS in theier foolish attempt to "control the mutant menace"....if they ARE...they're keeping it form me...but the way alison tells it....i'm pretty much doomed to be the "fall guy" anyway when all this blows up.

:: Alycia watches...she REMEMBERS Sharon at this point in their lives. both were young, fresh from college and ready to take on the world. both had strength, courage and drive which was one of the reasons they became fast friends. Robert and Alycia had already had some dealings in the business world and they enjoyed a cordial relationship as well.::

:: She sees the mansion when it as ACTIVE...Lord Spencer, Dr. James Marcus, MALICE and many other key guests. what a ruse that mansion was. Lord Spencer ...an enabler of such evil...working with people that would sooner KILL him than look at him. His dream...his money...HIS wreckless ambition...this was ALL HIS FAULT! and MALICE....her role seemed to be mysterious but HARDLY small. she was apart of tearing families apart right form the beginning! ::

:: as the events unfolded....Alycia found herself getting nauseated. She remembered her OWN involvement in that night. she had told that part of the story to Haleigh but THIS...she had NO IDEA it had been so bad. NO WONDER Sharon was so beside herself when Connor had brought her back to the mansion. Alycia's eyes began to grow misty with tears as she watched Sharon valiantly try to protect her son. the FIRST ever views of the zombie cannibal leeches and the devil dogs that terrified Sharon and her son, before she was finally forcibly seperated from him. ::

:: her memory came flooding back like it happened last night. she could FEEL the uncertainty she had felt all those years ago as she waited in the cottage. she was not nearly the trained fighter she is TODAY...but even then her desire to HELP and PROTECT was strong. She and Bishop did not exactly "get along"...she viewed him as an EMPLOYEE and nothing more and felt his bold agression toward her was disrespectfull to say the least. it had been so long since she'd seen this man. she wondered whatever became of him. if NOTHING ELSE....he ensured that both she and Sharon lived to tell about that horrible night even though they kept it to themselves for decades....::

:: as Kyle's descent from little boy into horrid, mishapen monster began to unfold. Alycia felt her stomach "drop"...::

that poor baby....how COULD THEY!?

:: she now realized how WRONG she was....for focusing on FLUSHING Lord Spencer...instead of trying to get someone BACK there to find Kyle..before it was too late. ALison ended the vision and was clearly shaken...and Alycia covered her face...wiping away her tears.::

I didnt know what else i could do...

:: her voice shaken.::

I failed her....and her son....what kind of friend....and NOW you all know why I kept this a secret for so long. Sharon never wanted anyone to know just what happened to her son or her husband...and I couldnt dwell on it for long myself. But the programming sequence in the danger room....it brought the images back for Sharon in a way i never would have guessed.


:: suddenly she began to remember the night of MASTER MOLD as well...all the events that had dogged Sharon through her life...Alycia had been there and always came up SHORT even when she tried her best to help!::

:: Nicolas had expressed concern of what could happen...how Sharon might blame HER for her son not being rescued....::

I ...i dont care. This is my fault....i should've hired more people...i shouldve CALLED THE POLICE instead of trying to handle it myself...Sharon lost her family...she's lost her life...and through it all...i've always been there...coming up SHORT.

EVEN NOW...my position...i thought i could DO something with it...and I may very well be looking over the edge of my own fall into DEATH if Alison's vision comes TRUE.

The LEAST i can do...is try to be there for Sharon now.

 

[Spellbinder]

Illustra- War Room

<< Haleigh clarified that the G and T virus were linked, with the G being more of a "rough draft" and the "T" being the final result of decades of experimentation. and she, Nicolas and Alison began to put together a bigger picture, Morgan listened carefully. while she was a powerfull sorceress, she felt at a loss because the T virus was one of the first and ONLY things that her MAGICK couldnt effect and it had long been a source of anguish for her due to Blaze and Haleigh. Morgan was intelligent to be sure, to be a mage of any sort of ability one had to have a strong mental capacity but science, and VIRAL technology was not something she dwelled on much. this was both a learning experience for her as well as a source of agitation for it REMINDED her that magick was not the solution to EVERYTHING. >>

<< one thing became clear. the target of the most brutal experimentations with these viruses were mutants or humans with an anamoly in their genetic structure that gave them the potential for mutation. Patrick was not a confirmed mutant but he probably WAS possessed of genetic potential for mutation, just like Sharon while Haleigh, Blaze and Kyle were bonafied mutants.>>

<< Nicolas explained more on Kyle as he...it ....was now and possibilities of a creature such as him. it was monstrous... the idea that any government entity would consider using this technology to enslave a class of people or for use in covert acts of violence or terrorism...it wasnt so shocking but it was disheartening. even though Morgan herself wasnt a mutant, the world historically didnt take a kind view of WITCHES either and if mutants were on the verge of being brutally persecuted...she knew that witches were the next in line.>>

<< Haleigh was not in agreement with Morgan's descision to only have Nicolas and Alycia in attendance with the meeting with Sharon but before that could be discussed further, Alison unlocked the contents of the journal better than anyone else could. using her powers to show the team the timeline of events even BEFORE the journal and Morgan saw the tragedy that befell the Kelly family. She wished she could leap into the past and attack Malice HERELF and yet....it didnt seem as though Malice was the ring leader. More like...a "consultant" probably someone Dr. Marcus had recruited on the side and she probably seduced Spencer to keep him just charmed enough to not QUESTION Marcus' dealings. what was the exact nature of that trio's relationship?>>

<< Sharon did all she could to protect Kyle but in the end, she was overwhelmed and rendered unconscious as her little boy was taken away. the man Alycia hired to rescue them finds Sharon and carries her away from the mansion back to the cottage where he and Alycia CLEARLY show signs of barely tolerating each other. Morgan cant help but find SLIGHT humour in THAT aspect alone but as Sharon's distraught cries can be heard and Alycia does her best to try to calm the woman while Connor ensures their safe escape from the forest, Morgan bows her head. Alison is clearly shaken, Alycia is fighting back tears as she remembers her first hand experience in that and Morgan herself is left feeling at a lost.>>


<< Morgan thought about her own family unit and how her father had been seduced by Malice. he turned on Morgan and her mother and joined Mystech fully. He presided over the torture and brutal experimentation of Blaze...but through it all...Morgan had been able to FIGHT BACK. SHE at least had super powers, as did her mother. SHARON was a human...left alone to do what she could to try to protect herself and her son and despite her bravest effort..she could not succeed...the odds were against her form the start.>>

Malice, she appeared to be working with Dr. Marcus on the side...she "identified' Sharon and Kyle for their genetic properties and left it up to Marcus to have them captured.

I used to think my own family's situation...how Malice had torn us apart was so "Tragic"....THAT was NOTHING compared to this....they were lured into a TRAP.

<< she thought about what Alison said about Malice.>>

I wish she WOULD somehow come back...so i could KILL HER AGAIN. She's been terrorizing people for DECADES and even NOW..her influence..her "LEGACY" is felt.

<< she looks at Haleigh.>>

Maybe you're right about going with us to see Sharon. I thought that the less people were there...the better it would be. But of us all...you're the only one whose experiences with Mystech's machinations most closely match her's. She may need your help when we tell her.

<< looking at Alison....who is clearly shaken. Morgan places a hand over Alison's>>

Alison...you've done an excellent job. all of you have. i dont know anyone that could bare the burden of being able to "SEE" what you see...and not literally crack up from the images and visions. without you, Haleigh's and Alycia's efforts...we wouldnt finally understand the tragedy behind Arklay.

But what we need to know still...is what happend AFTER...you said...that there was some sort of accident or act of betrayal that resulted in most of the inhabitants of the mansion dying and Alycia hinted at her efforts to "flush" lord spencer. we need to know THIS as well..maybe if we can tell SHARON that some kind of retribution was had and that might help.

 

[Harbinger]

Illustra- War room

:: Alison exhaled with weary feeling as she ended the broadcast of the vision. it was exhausting to her mentally. Even as the Harbinger, the keeper of time, she was not without her physical limits and this whole scenario touched even HER marble hard heart. ::

:: as the others reacted, she rubbed her face with her hand and remained silent. her red streaked hair fallen forward a bit. what could she say that the others werent already feeling? for all their powers, they had all been fighting so hard to stay alive and to protect the world over that through it all...they missed the BIRTHplace of mystech and all the secrets that lay within. no one was to blame...but after seeing THIS...it was hard NOT to feel responsible in some way, especially for Morgan and Alycia who were even closer to Sharon than anyone else in the room.::

:: as Morgan commended her on a job well done, Alison didnt react right away, instead letting the others talk for a moment before Morgan asked about the "act of betrayal."::

It took place...long after this night. Kyle was long "gone" by then but he was deemed a "failure". I will...need a few moments before i provide the next vision.

:: Morgan nodded in understanding and gave Alison's hand a gentle squeeze. the Seer appreciated her friend's understanding. but what was ALSO bothering Alison was Delilah....she saw Delilah's facial expressions during the vision ...especially when the man Alycia was consulting with at the cottage appeared. that was no mere coincidence...it couldnt be. but Alison was rather tired at the moment and while she was concerned..at the same time she HONESTLY couldnt care enough to speak on it just now. Just as Haleigh wanted a word with Alycia in sidebar after this meeting, Ava and Alison already KNEW they had a conference of their own to attend.::

:: for the moment, Alison was content to let the others process what they'd learn and discuss. she needed these few moments to herself. she stood up for a moment, to go to a rest room down the hall near a med lab and once inside where she knew no one see HER, she let the tears fall from her cobalt blue eyes.::

WHY?

:: she leaned over the sink as she struggled to get herself back under control. She remembered something Haleigh had said in her defense once when Morgan screamed at her after Sharon had died in Alycia's arms on the bus...the night of master mold.::

She's a precog, not a GOD.

:: her power as a precog allowed her TO SEE...but sometimes...seeing...knowing...made it HARDER for her than anyone would ever know...because sometimes even KNOWING didnt mean she could CHANGE it. with one notable exception...there was NO changing the past and nothing she could do would reverse the trauma that Sharon endured and now...with this mansion, its secrets and other uncertainties looming...they were ALL poised to go through another trauma all over again. Sometimes even seeing the FUTURE didnt guarantee that she could or was MEANT to change and so while Haleigh and Ava were both confident that they could effect the outcome of Alison's overall vision in this growing caper...she wasnt so sure. too many things were uncertain..including one of the people she trusted the most.::

:: sometimes she HATED being a witch, a seer...a harbinger...she hated it ALL. who watches the watcher in HER hour of distress??::