The folly of Bianca

[MorningStar]

"Oh, MAY we? Might we please be allowed that small concession? I'm so glad we've got your fucking permission. Thank you ever so much. BITCH."

Bianca didn’t seem fazed by Haleigh’s comments at all. In fact, she smiled.

Bianca: “Yes, you may.”

Delilah, though, kept being distracted from Bianca and Alison by Haleigh. And by this point, she was looking too intently at Haleigh to even roll her eyes at Bianca’s bravado. Black Widow was acting weird…fidgeting. She kept moving the sword – it was like the woman couldn’t keep still. And she was more impatient than usual.

She walked away from Bianca and approached Haleigh, still looking at her curiously. She spoke evenly, calmly, but authoritatively.

“Haleigh, give Alison the sword.”

 

[Black Widow]

Bianca: Yes, you may.

Haleigh got that narrow, murderous glare that came when her patience was running out.

"You know, I don't have to KILL you outright. I could just beat that pretty face of yours to a bloody, permanently disfigured pulp. I could do things to you that made you WISH I'd just kill you..... things that haunt you for the rest of your already miserable life. In fact--"

Delilah: Haleigh, give Alison the sword.

Redirected for the time being, Haleigh released Bianca from her glare and turned to Delilah, for a moment still looking outraged, but her expression softened quickly and she took on a mirrored calm as she replied to Delilah.

"First of all.... I'd appreciate it if you didn't use your hostage-negotiator-cop voice on me. I'm not a deranged terrorist waving an AK."

She said, balancing the sword on its tip and resting both hands on the hilt.

"Secondly, I think I'll hang on to this for now. Logically speaking, I'm the best person to guard this weapon's safekeeping until it is returned to the Vault, if that's even what we decide to do with it now that its previous owner have been vanquished. Alison and I can discuss that at a more appropriate time. It's not a pressing matter anymore. Right now we should see to Morgan, before I do something to this annoying little girl [Bianca] that none of us will be very proud of."

 

[Harbinger]

empire state building

Morgan didnt murder you during the inferno..neither did I for that matter. We werent even aware of you. What happened to you was a terrible, tragic accident...one that we ALL bear responsibility for. What you've done SiNCE then, has taken away from your "victim card" status. You didnt give anybody the chance to try to rectify what happened to you. In your own glaring way....you were no better than Morgan was at her worst moment.


:: Harbinger glared unwaveringly at Bianca.::

You can choose not to reply and it doesnt change the reality, Bianca. You've the heard the terms of your continued freedom from OUR scrutiny and you understand the alternatives and consquences.

If you decide you want Morgan to look into undoing the spell that has turned you into what you are now, YOU "may" contact Delilah, who will then let US know. DON'T overstep your bounds with us AGAIN. We know who you are...and will be READY for you.

:: Bianca gave her word that she and her people would "clean up" here and make sure nothing got to the media or law enforcement. that was acceptable and enough for Alison to let things go as they were.::

:: and now, they walked taogether few paces from Bianca. Alison saw the exchange between Delilah and Haleigh.::

Black Widow, you're the "best person" to hold on to the sword AT THE MOMENT because I can't physically touch it. When we return to Minerva's, it's GOING BACK THE VAULT and I will make sure it is placed in the CORE of the vault this time.

:: looking at her, the precog spoke with a tone that suggested she was looking at time threads involving haleigh and her own wildest ideas about the sword .::

Haleigh....don't let the idea of this sword and your unusual rapport with it, tempt you down a path you can't begin to fathom the consequences of. remember the inferno. remember SET. remember ....THIS HERE. ::gesturing to the area around them , including bianca.::

now, let us go. bianca knows where we stand. Delilah, a wormhole please, straight to the infirmary in the mansion.

:: she nods to Delilah, appreciative of the woman's own perception regarding Haleigh's unexpected attachment to the sword.::

 

[MorningStar]

"You know, I don't have to KILL you outright. I could just beat that pretty face of yours to a bloody, permanently disfigured pulp. I could do things to you that made you WISH I'd just kill you..... things that haunt you for the rest of your already miserable life. In fact--"

Bianca put a look of mock concern on her face.

Bianca: "You know, you really should see someone about these anger issues, Haleigh."

"First of all.... I'd appreciate it if you didn't use your hostage-negotiator-cop voice on me. I'm not a deranged terrorist waving an AK."

"More like a 10 megaton nuclear bomb."

Delilah continued to look askance at Haleigh. Something was not right there. Harbinger all but confirmed it.

Alison asked for a wormhole, and Delilah was all too happy to oblige. She raised her hands and threads of blue lights swirled from her fingertips, creating a tunnel to Aerie. As Haleigh passed her, she added:

"And PS, you are not bringing that thing anywhere NEAR Morgan."

 

[Persephone]

"Delilah, bring us to the vault first so Alison and Haleigh can put that thing back. We'll go from there to see Morgan."

Ava interjected knowing that Delilah was on edge about the sword and that Haleigh was way WAY to nonchalant about it. The last thing they needed was for the sword to have sway over Haleigh and for there be yet another crisis just when they got over one.

"Haleigh, i'll go Ororo on your ass if you object. Got it?"

Giving her a cutesy smile, it was a less than hostile way of telling her she needs to not be pig headed about the sword and realize it belongs in Alison's vault.

"Lets go."

 

[Black Widow]

Bianca: You know, you should really see someone about these anger issues, Haleigh.

With the speed of a jackhammer, one of Haleigh's hands left the hilt of the sword, balled into a fist, and popped Bianca right in that smart ass mouth of hers.

"You should really see a dentist about those teeth I just knocked out, bitch."

Alison: Black Widow, you're the 'best person' to hold on to the sword AT THE MOMENT because I can't physically touch it. When we return to Minerva's it's GOING BACK IN THE VAULT and I will make sure it is placed in the CORE of the vault this time.

"Historically, when a being is defeated by his own weapon or talisman, that object then passes on to the conquerer. 'To the victor belong the spoils'. Since the moment I impaled Black with it, I've felt a connection to this sword. I think I've 'inherited' the right to it, and the responsibility of it."

Alison: Haleigh....don't let the idea of this sword and your unusual rapport with it, tempt you down a path you can't begin to fathom the consequences of. remember the inferno. remember SET. remember..... THIS HERE.

"Look, I don't want to use it as a WEAPON, I mean SERIOUSLY.... it's a beautiful relic, but it's utterly OBSOLETE. My interest in keeping it--"

She stops herself and glances at Bianca, as if remembering that she was an outsider and that they were discussing private matters in front of an inappropriate audience. Delilah and Ava both side with Alison in wanting the sword back in the vault. It wasn't the power of the sword that she wanted, acquiring more power wasn't her concern. Her concern was the way her heart and the sword itself seemed to thrum together, and the way she felt it was an extension of her body, and not just some object with no intrinsic properties. Hadn't Black felt the very same connection with it, prior to his demise? The sword had been his strength AND his weakness, though. Was it now Haleigh's? She needed more time to figure it out.... and she didn't want to voice the theory with the company they were in.

"Alison, I think you and I should discuss this later, in private. It hardly concerns EVERYONE here, and besides, the less people privy to its final resting place, the better. [glancing at her teammates] No offense, of course."

 

[Millennia]

”You can choose not to reply…”

Alison must be even older than she looks, because apparently she didn’t hear Bianca. But she decided to let that go. Anyone who needed a blow out as badly as Alison did, deserved a break.

"You know, I don't have to KILL you outright. I could just beat that pretty face of yours to a bloody, permanently disfigured pulp. I could do things to you that made you WISH I'd just kill you..... things that haunt you for the rest of your already miserable life. In fact--"

"You know, you really should see someone about these anger issues, Haleigh."

And Haleigh actually punched her. She rubbed her jaw.

“I’ve never met anyone who was so ‘all talk’ before. Do you have that low of an opinion of yourself that you have to resort to cheap shots to make yourself feel important? Hmm…interesting.”

She let them do whatever it was they were still doing standing on a half demolished rooftop at night, while she contacted her people to make sure everything was being taken care of. Crews would come into the building as soon as it was completely cleared, the news outlets had been silenced, and the police were handled. She turned her attention back to the Six for a moment.

If the media industry weren’t such low scumbags, she could make millions off a reality show of these people. They could call it Idiot Mutants. If these people were trapped on an island together, it was clear they wouldn’t last two weeks before they’d killed each other. Maybe it should be Idiot Mutant Deathmatch.

But Bianca was tired and there wasn’t anything left for her to do…and the metal one seemed really worried about her overhearing “all their important secrets”. As if she cared what they were talking about.

She stepped to the back side of the roof, and signaled her chopper to land. She stepped inside and it lifted off. She said,

“Ciao, losers.”

without looking back.