The rose fades to black

[Titan]

The Sanctuary – Monitor Room

Andrew sat listening as Vivica talked about how badass Black Widow was. And from what he’d seen, he agreed with her.

“She’s not a GOD, she’s human. Playing her up to be indestructible is what has gotten us into this mess – we’re just psyching ourselves out. Using Malice against her is fine, but I agree with Oracle – we have to take this fight to her. Or there just will be more people hurt…”

“Yeah, except every time any of us has come into contact with her or her sister they’ve had their asses handed to them.”

He shifted in his seat.

“Vivica is right: let her destroy herself. We need to focus on keeping the innocents out of the way while she does it.”

Suddenly the monitors rearranged themselves, and Rose and two other people appeared on the screen.

“Hey, look, it’s Rose!”

But she was not very happy. She threatened to kill anyone who stood between her and Black Widow. Again, with the killing? And then, out of the blue she was thanking them for their help. A confused expression passed over his face, but only for a moment.

“You’ve got a great group of kids, here, Rose.”

Then Xavier spoke up.

I know you have a had an unfathomably difficult night, but I was hoping to ask you: what did you mean when you said that Black Widow "made a choice that lead to 42 innocent lives being snuffed out, lives that she deemed inferior...INCONSEQUENTIAL." Did she specifically have something to do with that attack's outcome as well? And I realize that you have endured a severe trauma from the bus accident and the last week's events combined. Have you had a chance to speak with someone about it? I am concerned that you are being personally negatively affected in a more emotional or spiritual way. Have your cards spoken to you about this as well?

Andrew gave him a look.

“Dude…you can’t just ask someone if they’re in counselling…”

He looked back up at the monitor, half expecting “bad Rose” to come back out and kill them all.

 

[MorningStar]

Charope – Alycia’s Office

There IS a favor I'd like to ask of you, Delilah.

“Whatever you need.”

See if you can dig up ANYTHING on this creep, Dennis Nedry. When I confronted him in the hospital, several things became apparent to me. He's a chauvanist pig, and I think he engages in perverse behavior with women.

“You got it. I can have his personnel files and a background check in an hour. Give me a day or so to have his coworkers interviewed.”

“Why not let me pay him a visit. He won’t bother her again if he values his pitiful life.”

She gave him a disapproving look.

“Let’s try it my way first, before you land yourself in jail, okay?”

She expressed her dismay over how it had all gotten to this point. Bishop was unforgiving.

“Haleigh is a killer. That is what she’s always been. You tried to make her something else.”

Delilah made a little involuntary shake of her head.

But she will do whatever is necessary to accomplish her aim, and she’s proven that over and over. YOU know that to be true, even when she was with the Six. She’s a broken arrow and we need to take her down.”

Haleigh WOULD do whatever it took. That was why she was a natural leader. As for taking her down…Delilah knew it was true. They couldn’t allow her to hurt anyone else. But that didn’t mean Delilah WANTED to kill her. Her emotions were a jumble. She almost wished she could turn them off the way Cameron had. She WANTED to hate Haleigh for what she’d done to Bishop. But there was a part of her that didn’t. Delilah reached over and took Maxim’s hand and gave it a squeeze, more for her own comfort than his.

Alycia gave them some more info on Rose’s background, and why she was so involved with the orphaned mutant children. It was a heartbreaking story.

Too much time has been wasted. And thanks to HALEIGH, the spotlight is back on Rose. I've GOT to fix this, and I'm going to need all the help I can get!

“We’re here for you, Alycia, you know that.”

Speaking of Bianca...Isn't she a member of the Hellfire Club? I think at this point…with the revelation of Sharon and Domino, Sharon will be too much of a lightning rod to surveil the Hellfire Mansion's activities, even with her membership. But if BIANCA was willing to play the role of spy...a role I'd be easily able to compensate her for...with her powers, we'd be able to gain some valuable intel!

Delilah shrugged.

“I don’t know if she’d be willing or not, but I can try and set up a meeting…”

 

[Bishop]

Charope – Alycia’s Office

I'll outfit you with that EMP wand, Bishop. But not just now. You're still in recovery, and the safest place for YOU right now, is here within these walls.

“Better make that TWO wands.”

Alycia asked Delilah to see what she could find on this Dennis Nedry person, and he suggested he pay him a visit with a few well selected pieces of fire power.

“Let’s try it my way first, before you land yourself in jail, okay?”

He scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’d like to see them try to put me in jail. Besides, I can do just as much damage on the inside as out.”

They discussed Haleigh, and he could tell Delilah STILL had reservations. But he knew she would do what needed to be done. She took his hand, and he looked down at her in surprise.

He's right. We're not dealing with "OUR" Haleigh anymore. Even at her WORST moments in the past, she NEVER would have hurt a child. But considering who's DAUGHTER she is...i guess the old saying, "the apple never falls far from the tree" is very true.

“Anyone who would hurt a child deserves to be put down like a dog.”

Bishop didn’t know much about Rose, other than she took care of mutant children. In another life, had things gone another way, Alexia might have been put in her care. Rose had a tragic background, it was true, though didn’t they all? What mattered is that now she spent her time trying to protect these children, and now Black Widow was trying to destroy that. Bitch.

Speaking of Bianca...Isn't she a member of the Hellfire Club? I think at this point…with the revelation of Sharon and Domino, Sharon will be too much of a lightning rod to surveil the Hellfire Mansion's activities, even with her membership. But if BIANCA was willing to play the role of spy...a role I'd be easily able to compensate her for...with her powers, we'd be able to gain some valuable intel!

“I don’t know if she’d be willing or not, but I can try and set up a meeting…”

Bishop couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

He looked back and forth from Alycia to Delilah. He waved his hands in front of him.

“Absolutely not. You are not going to contact that psycho. It was bad enough you let her go in the first place.”

Now his focus was on Delilah.

“You cannot trust a word that lunatic says. She’ll sell you out to Malice the first chance she gets.”

Crossing his arms again.

"I forbid it."

 

[Orion]

Giovanni's

He was fighting for every shallow, slow breath, his forehead resting in the growing pool of his own blood. There was a spike in rage coming from across the patio, and his eyes fluttered in response. There was a sharp pain, as she kicked him in the face, and the whiplash pushed him onto his back, stretching his chest wound painfully.

She mounted him and pinned his hands above his head with her knife. He choked out in pain. The cut on his chest bled even more freely. It was possible to see nicks across his sternum and ribs where the tip of the dagger had dragged. He was dizzy with pain, barely aware of her on top of him. Her voice sounded distant.

Persephone: Ahh memories. You enjoyed when she was on top.....watching her grind you like you wish you could of before that day.

He opened his eyes as she leaned in, and he was fairly certain she was going to kiss him, but she licked his blood from his chin instead. He drank from the well of her fury, and seem to revive a bit.

Persephone: I like it a little dirtier. I'm going to pull your insides out.....And SHOVE them down your THROAT.

He gasped as she forced her hand into his abdomen, and screamed in pain. She was taking pleasure in this, actually enjoying it, he could feel it from her, and was horrified. The fear of being tortured by her boosted his adrenaline again, and he tightened his core, pulled his feet up, pressing his thighs against her back. He was almost ready to buck her off when she stopped. She got up, yanked the dagger back out of his hands, he immediately rolled onto his side and curled up, wincing in pain.

She was standing a few feet away now, her eyes turned up to the sky, saying something about duck. He dragged himself towards her and reached out, grabbing her ankle with all his might.

"YOU.... WILL.... FEEL..... THIS.....TOO"

He rasped. If he was going to suffer this betrayal, this traumatic heartbreak, then SO WOULD SHE. He pulled any GOOD emotion from her, and filled her with all the emotional pain he'd been through, all the grief, anxiety, and torment. It was enough to bring her down to her knees, and a perfect distraction as Sharon swooped down to strike.

 

[Rose]

Communication from the Hospital to the Sactunary Monitoring Room

“Hey, look, it’s Rose!”

But she was not very happy. She threatened to kill anyone who stood between her and Black Widow. Again, with the killing? And then, out of the blue she was thanking them for their help. A confused expression passed over his face, but only for a moment.

“You’ve got a great group of kids, here, Rose.”

<< Rose looked at Andrew, and smiled warmly. In this moment, she looked like the woman SIMON had first befriended. >>

“We’re here for you, and the children, Rose. Stay with the young man as long as you need – we’ll be here.”

<< As Rose looked at Oracle, more than one person noticed the SHIFTS in countenance and demeanor that Rose displayed, and how they were mere MOMENTS apart. Oracle was carefully watching Rose's facial expressions, and Tachyon finally spoke.>>

• As am I, Rose. I am at your service to keep the children safe.

• He paused for a second, then continued on with what could be a tougher conversation.

• I know you have a had an unfathomably difficult night, but I was hoping to ask you: what did you mean when you said that Black Widow "made a choice that lead to 42 innocent lives being snuffed out, lives that she deemed inferior...INCONSEQUENTIAL." Did she specifically have something to do with that attack's outcome as well? And I realize that you have endured a severe trauma from the bus accident and the last week's events combined. Have you had a chance to speak with someone about it? I am concerned that you are being personally negatively affected in a more emotional or spiritual way. Have your cards spoken to you about this as well?

• Rose was too powerful not to engage on this front if there was a question of stability. The children could be at risk from HER as well. And there was no way to sugarcoat this particular issue so he tried to be diplomatic but up front about his concerns.

<< Rose's purple eyes fixed on Tachyon, and she began to grow agitated again, looking noticeably unhappy.>>

Andrew gave him a look.

“Dude…you can’t just ask someone if they’re in counselling…”

He looked back up at the monitor, half expecting “bad Rose” to come back out and kill them all.

<< From HER side of the communication, in the hospital, Rae and Danny could see Rose TREMBLING...as one her hands balled into a fist. She closed her eyes, her face contorted into a look of visible pain, black tears began to fall.>>

<< She wasn't angry at Tachyon. He REMINDED her...>>

<<FLASH!>>

<< Earlier this week, Rose sits in her parlor >>

<< All of the children are asleep, and the security/defense systems around the two-building orphanage are ACTIVATED.>>

<< USUALLY, she would hear from Zachary Armani every evening, just to "check in", say hello, and assure him that HE and Clandestine Inc were watching over her block. But the last SEVERAL night, she has NOT heard from him. At first...she assumed he might have been delayed due to other obligations. But now she was beginning to worry. It wasn't JUST that...there was something else....>>

<< Surrounded by the spectral, purple light that was the signature of her "Soul Power" (her personal name for the energy of the ASTRAL PLANE that she channeled and manipulated) , Rose performed a tarot reading on herself. SEVERAL of them.>>

<< EACH time, no matter how she focused her power over the glowing deck, she was given: FIVE OF CUPS, THE DEVIL, THE MOON, and DEATH!>>

<< Rose's face shows her genuine dismay!>>

Something's WRONG.

<< FIVE OF CUPS, THE DEVIL, THE MOON, and DEATH.>>

<< The DEVIL card, for ROSE! And what was it's meaning for ROSE? Ravage, violence, vehemence, extraordinary efforts, force, fatality; that which is predestined but is not for this reason evil.>>

<< She thought she had it together, a clear path to control the outcome. Whatever it was that could have called this card forth for HER, she would be able to deal with it. But she didn't realize the problem wasn't EXTERNAL, it was from WITHIN. >>

<< She hear's Rae's voice guiding her back into focus, and she finally opens her eyes, and responds to Tachyon, and the rest of them, not bothering to wipe away the black tears that streamed from her purple eyes>>

....Black Widow is a woman without conscience, or decency. Mine is the power to divine the truth, what lies beneath, and I cast my soul power over Black Widow, in an effort to learn WHY she was doing this. I offered to HELP her. I COULD HAVE....but then I LEARNED something...

Through her own power, she perceived the purifier's missile launches against herself and her companions, AND against my children.

<<FLASH!>>

<< MOMENTS EARLIER, as the aircraft had descended into a bombing pattern...>>

"Sorry, but it's my SISTER and the love of my life we're headed to, DO believe me when I say I'm properly motivated to expedite this--"

She fell silent when she spotted the plane. It was flying a standard bombing run flight pattern, and Haleigh had direct access to its target database. Two targets...... their SUV..... and the bus full of innocent orphan children. The aircraft launched two missiles simultaneously, and Haleigh's heart sank.

She had to choose. There was no time to second guess or weigh the options. She decided to save her SUV, and the six lives inside. She detonated the missile several meters before it reached them, muting the impact on their vehicle. She swerved forcefully, throwing the SUV into an induced roll so that the belly of the vehicle would absorb the shrapnel and most of the blast. As they flipped upside down she saw what twisted metal remained of the warhead hit the pavement and ricochet back at her. She tried to shield her face, but it wasn't enough. It knocked her clean out.

She USED her power to detonate one of the missles BEFORE it made contact with it's target. She CHOSE to let my CHILDREN BE MURDERED!

<<FLASH!!>>

<< Zachary and Rose are THROWN clear of the blast and barely conscious as they are PELTED with glass. SHARON, who was RUNNING forward is knocked back and SLAMS into a nearby car. Ava is knocked off her feet. BOTH women are still fully conscious. The BUS has been HIT! It's in FLAMES...car alarms near by are going off, CHILDREN are crying in pain. >>

She COULD have saved them, but she REFUSED. She decided they were too WEAK and inconsequential...and in her own words...

<<FLASH!>>

<<Hours earlier, during the confrontation at the Sanctuary between Rose and Scion>>

"Yes, I chose to let them die. If I had tried to save THEM.... I would have risked Rampage, Firebird, Recall, Charope, Prophet, and myself. Logically, I chose to save those who had the most to contribute to society."

She replied, unapologetic.

<< Oracle, Isis, Steel, Titan, Recall, Citadel, and Jezebel, ALL saw/heard it, via Rose's psionic projection. They saw and HEARD the truth.>>

She regarded my children like so many OTHERS in this mortal jungle of stone and steel do. They meant NOTHING to her.

She didn't regret. SHE DIDN'T CARE.

And she came BACK to my Sanctuary, the ONLY safe space these children have...and decided to VICTIMIZE them again, by stealing one of the surviving children, to DELIVER HER to TALISMAN for EXPERIMENTATION!

<< Rose's anger began to SPIKE...and her purple hair was now flowing. Jezebel, Oracle and Recall saw for themselves, the aura around Rose now shifting up the spectrum, from purple, to WHITE. From Soul power, to PSYCHO power.>>

She isn't USED to someone baring her way, someone who has the POWER to fight her and STOP her, and when she found that in ME, she drew her gun, and tried to SHOOT me, but she ended up shooting JAKE, the child she had LIED to in order to lead him from this place, and then tore him away from me, UNFEELING as he cried with fear, IN THE BACK.

And even THEN, she had NO REGRET!

It is only BECAUSE of Citadle, and his REMINDING ME that saving Jake's life was MORE IMPORTANT TO ME that I did NOT kill that woman then and there.

<< FLASH!>>

<< The very moment that Jake O'Brien was shot, and now laying face down on the ground>>

<< Her purple aura shifts up the spectrum to WHITE. The sound of soul power giving way to PSYCHO POWER activating.>>

I WARNED YOU.

<< She says as she now looms over Haleigh , who is now back on her feet>>

<< her voice reverberates all around the city block, and in the sky above, as well as the astral plane itself>>

NO MERCY!

YOU KILLED MY CHILDREN!

NOW I'LL SEE YOU DEAD!

<< It's IMPOSSIBLE for Scion to dodge or evade, as Rose LUNGES forward and is instantly upon her, SCREAMING as the energy of the astral plane itself ROCKS the night sky! >>

<< Unlike soul power, PSYCHO POWER is meant for BRUTALITY, CRUSHING, DESTRUCTION , and Rose attacks Scion in a way she has no defense against.>>

I'll TEAR YOUR SOUL FROM YOUR BODY, AND RIP IT TO SHREADS! YOU'LL NEVER HURT OR KILL ONE OF MY CHILDREN AGAIN, OR ANYONE ELSE!

<< Rose unleashes a PSYCHO SPIRAL attack, as she "PUNCHES" through EVERY facet of Scion's physical and mental being, and reaches her SOUL, taking hold of it and RIPPING IT out of synch with her mind and body, and TWISTING IT in the most VIOLENT and CHAOTIC pattern!>>

<< she intends to MURDER Haleigh right then and there>>

FOR EVERY ONE OF THOSE 42 CHILDREN, FOR JAKE, YOUR LIFE...YOUR SOUL FOR THEIRS!!!

<< She DRAGS Haleigh's soul, and TWISTS IT back and forth, before she begins to YANK It from the woman's physical body>>

<< And it was in this moment, that the DEVIL CARD in Rose's reading on herself had fully ACTIVATED, but unlike her earlier thought that she would be aware enough to stop herself, she was NOT. And NOW? It was becoming easier for her to reach "PSYCHO" power levels, and stay in that mode. As Jezebel had said, this was NOT a good sign.>>

SHE KILLED MY CHILDREN! It's ALL HER FAULT!

<< her eyes GLOWED at this point>>

AND I WANT HER DEAD!

<< but then, as terrifying as she appeared to them, once again...she SNAPPED back, and she seemed completely unaware of her own wild shifts back and forth.>>

I...will be in touch. I must continue to work with Jake on the astral plane, while the mortal doctors here work on his body.

Please keep my children, AND Sable, safe for me. I will be returning soon.

<< She closes the channel of communication, leaving the Birds of Prey to ponder and discuss yet another truth bomb regarding Haleigh, as WELL as an UPCLOSE example of what a woman with Rose's power "ON THE EDGE" looks like. Zach was RIGHT to be worried.>>

 

[Firebird]

The Parthenon- The War Room

Blaze glared at Cameron. She wanted to kick his ass, just like she had done to her own native timeline's Cameron. She WAS upset about Frost, and ANGRY over what had happened to her mother at the hands of Talisman, and HIS expectation that they should "WAIT" until He decided how it should be handled!? Oh HELL no!

But as the others took in what she said, she had a few moments to herself.

::FLASH!::

....But your family will survive these revelations and their implications, because that's what the Victory women are. They are survivors. There hasn't been anything you've all faced that's been able to take you down. But just remember...your family is bigger than just Morgan and Karen..and Mike and Nicolas. Your family includes Cameron and Delilah. Cameron is no friend of mine anymore, but my reasons are my own, and when it comes to you..he definitely rallied around you during one of your darkest hours, stopped you from doing something you might have regretted and pulled out every stop he had to make you feel cemented here. To keep you close.

Sigh

She cared for Viv, and that woman, who'd nearly lost her life 24 hours earlier, as well as losing her life long friendship with Cameron, had said this to her. It mattered. She was right. Thankfully, her mother would be the bridge...

Shadow Weaver: << looking at Michael>> You should've let me render her unconscious and bind her in mystic chains THAT NIGHT, Michael. I am a DOCTOR and a psychotherapist, It is within my state sanctioned power to force involuntary committal when a patient is a danger to herself OR those around her, and unlike any MORTAL doctor, I COULD have stopped Haleigh. We let her leave...and NOW look she has done. What BOTH of them have done! Persephone REMOVED the safeguards I placed on her for her own mental well being, and she IMMEDIATELY defected from this group to follow after Haleigh, and then she nearly killed Vivica and Simon.

Blaze could FEEL Karen's rising agitation.

Shadow Weaver: I saw BOTH of them as patients, and for all the help and EFFORT i put into treating them, THIS is how it turns out!?

"They had ALL of us fooled, mom. You did all you could for them. Persephone CHOSE to remove the elements you put in place to help her regulate her emotions, and Haleigh? Well...she may have BELIEVED giving herself to Malice was for our benefit, but I believe on some level she KNEW that there would be NO satisfying Malice. She thought she could OUTLAST Malice. We all know better than that. I think part of her WANTED to be with Malice, that IS her mother afterall."

Spellbinder: But she's OUR sister. Yours, mine, Frost's. You're forgetting...We have a CONNECTION that not even MALICE can affect.

Blaze and Morgan looked at each other. In all this time, it HADN'T occurred to her! The same telempathic bond that Firebird, Spellbinder, AND Frost had, SHOULD also be present within Black Widow as well!

The look on Blaze's face said it all. "oh GODDESS!"

"But how do we..."

Spellbinder: Remember when I told you I was going to be spending time in Limbo researching this? I'll explain that to you LATER, right now...we HAVE to fix what's going on around us.

<< Spellbinder stands up, and brings Nicolas over to stand beside her at the circular war room conference table>>

Spellbinder: This is NOT a "Birds of Prey" problem, even though some of our loved ones ARE on that team. This IS a Six problem, and my mother is right, we NEVER should've let her walk out of here, even if we had to KO her for her own good. Now, people we know, and care about, have been HURT...and a CHILD is at death's door!

OK...time to put everything on the table and see how to proceed. We need all available intel and any protocols anyone might have to deal with this going forward. I have a hunch, but I want to see where everyone is first.

Mike pressed a button on the central console and gave a input he had been working on.

Bedtime protocols - Black Widow and Persephone.

The computer produced 3-D models of each of them with stats on them both as Mike began to speak.

Haleigh is a technopath and has metallokinesis of some sort. Nonmagical metal weapons are not useless, but can be appropriated or easily disarmed by her. She is EXTREMELY durable and almost without peer in fighting prowess, only Rampage or Sharon can destroy her by physical power alone. Blunt force trauma by anyone else is a waste of time. Explosives and penetrating damage is much more effective. Her weakness is electromagnetic energy because it disrupts the techno-organic virus that powers her. Richard can generate that with his powers, the magic users can do similarly with magic power and I have some EMP weapons for anyone who wishes to utilize them, including wands and fired tracer rounds. She should also be susceptible to extreme

<<<looks at Blaze>>>

heat.

In the absence of Harbinger, Arsenal was making a DAMN good tactician! He provided visual and data analysis of Black Widow, and what her weaknesses would be. He finally rested his eyes on Blaze. As Firebird, Blaze Victory was FAR more powerful than her original mainstream counterpart, and the Six had gotten to see just what that meant. She was an omega level FIRE ELEMENTAL , and what made her stand apart from other mutants and metahumans that might have some connection to the element of fire was her genetic level "Elemental EMBODIMENT", which was a RARE distinction. This allowed her to not only control fire, but ALL it's derivatives. Rampage and Arsenal had analyzed combat data on Firebird from certain battle events, including the dreamtime sequence, and determined that she could also tap into and manipulate stellar flame based energy such as PLASMA.

It was EASY to underestimate Firebird because of her fun loving, dramatic demeanor, but she'd proven that she could be quite vicious and deadly on the battle field with her fire power, and other abilities.

Personally, Blaze wanted to go after PERSEPHONE. She owed the renegade goddess a reenactment of THE BURNING BED for what she'd done to Vivica and Simon, but as she listened to Michael, it made sense that SHE would be better suited to face Black Widow.

Mike continues.

Next is Persephone. She is far less durable, but her status as an actual goddess gives her remarkable healing power and she does not tire in conventional ways. She is a skilled combatant who wields mystic daggers that are - and I would know - VERY effective. She also has powers over the elements that seem to have an extremely high climate changing threshold and powers of influence over animals, making her even more deadly. She can be killed by conventional means but it will require a severe dismemberment, perhaps a beheading to be effective. Another major weakness is to mental manipulation and attack.

Neither should be engaged alone. The risk is too great. Suggested kill teams are: Firebird, Spellbinder and Rampage for Black Widow and Morningstar, Cassandra, Silver Swan and Prophet for Persephone.

And there it was. "KILL TEAMS." And Spellbinder and herself were assigned to the kill team for Black Widow. How...FITTING. Sisters taking down ANOTHER sister, one they'd only JUST discovered, despite her being in their presence for how long!? You couldn't make this stuff up for a SOAP OPERA!

Thankfully, Mike had left Shadow Weaver OUT of this. Not because Shadow Weaver wasn't a powerful sorceress, because she certainly was...she was the MOTHER of this world's sorceress supreme, and not because she hadn't proven to be as deadly as anyone else in this room, because she HAD, many times over. But she'd been through ENOUGH relating to all of this. She'd tried to help both of these women, and it blew up in her face, and now Haleigh turned out to be yet ANOTHER reminder of just how horrible and TWISTED Christopher Victory was? They all knew Karen would go to the ends of the earth to right his wrongs, and HELP any of his children, but she'd done ENOUGH for Haleigh, and she didn't need to be exposed to ANY MORE danger because of this, because of HER.


"We should evacuate my mom...AND Michael to Minerva's Aerie, where they can stand by with Harbinger. Black Widow and Persephone have already attacked people we know and care about. What's to stop EITHER of them from coming after my mom, for SEVERAL reasons? "

Shadow Weaver: Blaze, I'm NOT some weak and helpless woman. I CAN take care of myself. I put Talisman in her place, and I'll do the SAME THING to either one of those foolish girls if they attack me!

Firebird: "That's NOT what I'm saying, MOM!"

Blaze shouted , as she looked visibly pained, pulling away from Rich, and standing up

Firebird: "It's just that you've SUFFERED ENOUGH from all of this! ALL OF IT! CAMERON, AVA, HALEIGH, DELILAH...all these people that you've tried to help, and look how it's BLOWN UP IN YOUR FACE!? And once again, something that your husband...OUR :: Morgan, Blaze, and Jasmine's:: father set in motion, is haunting you, haunting ALL of us."


Blaze calmed as she looked at Morgan, Mike and Karen

Firebird: "I just don't want you to be BURDENED with it anymore...that's all I'm saying."

"Black Widow and Persephone don't care who they hurt, and ONLY a goddess will be able to save them if they hurt YOU or anyone ELSE that I care about. If there's a way for us to END THIS without anymore casualties, I'm fine with that...but if THEY make that impossible...I'd rather YOU not have to be apart of that."

Spellbinder: I agree with Blaze, Mom.

The sisters were supporting each other, as they had before, and it felt good. As Karen's facial expression softened, Blaze hoped that Michael and Nicolas would agree as well.

 

[Arsenal]

Shadow Weaver: << looking at Michael>> You should've let me render her unconscious and bind her in mystic chains THAT NIGHT, Michael. I am a DOCTOR and a psychotherapist, It is within my state sanctioned power to force involuntary committal when a patient is a danger to herself OR those around her, and unlike any MORTAL doctor, I COULD have stopped Haleigh. We let her leave...and NOW look she has done. What BOTH of them have done! Persephone REMOVED the safeguards I placed on her for her own mental well being, and she IMMEDIATELY defected from this group to follow after Haleigh, and then she nearly killed Vivica and Simon.

Blaze could FEEL Karen's rising agitation.

Shadow Weaver: I saw BOTH of them as patients, and for all the help and EFFORT i put into treating them, THIS is how it turns out!?

And it was this shit again. Doc HAD to try to save everyone. Was she gonna imprison her forever? And was she gonna let this eat at her as if she could simply save the day. This was not the first time that he and Karen had discussed this and he was not going to rehash it here, not now, not for anyone. Mike ground his teeth and counted to 100 silently as he allowed the anger to subside. Meanwhile, Blaze had his back. And he knew the boy was in his corner. Or he better be, because he could take it, and Mike felt like shooting someone in the face.

The reaction to his assessments was positive overall. He was waiting for someone to suggest Karen get involved so they could get cussed out. Luckily, Blaze and Morgan followed his lead.

"We should evacuate my mom...AND Michael to Minerva's Aerie, where they can stand by with Harbinger. Black Widow and Persephone have already attacked people we know and care about. What's to stop EITHER of them from coming after my mom, for SEVERAL reasons? "

Shadow Weaver: Blaze, I'm NOT some weak and helpless woman. I CAN take care of myself. I put Talisman in her place, and I'll do the SAME THING to either one of those foolish girls if they attack me!

Firebird: "That's NOT what I'm saying, MOM!"

Blaze shouted , as she looked visibly pained, pulling away from Rich, and standing up

Firebird: "It's just that you've SUFFERED ENOUGH from all of this! ALL OF IT! CAMERON, AVA, HALEIGH, DELILAH...all these people that you've tried to help, and look how it's BLOWN UP IN YOUR FACE!? And once again, something that your husband...OUR :: Morgan, Blaze, and Jasmine's:: father set in motion, is haunting you, haunting ALL of us."


Blaze calmed as she looked at Morgan, Mike and Karen

Firebird: "I just don't want you to be BURDENED with it anymore...that's all I'm saying."

"Black Widow and Persephone don't care who they hurt, and ONLY a goddess will be able to save them if they hurt YOU or anyone ELSE that I care about. If there's a way for us to END THIS without anymore casualties, I'm fine with that...but if THEY make that impossible...I'd rather YOU not have to be apart of that."

Spellbinder: I agree with Blaze, Mom.

Mike stood and turned to Karen, taking both of her hands in his. He looks into her eyes as he squats down to face her and speaks gently.

Darling, NO ONE IS UNDERESTIMATING YOU. You are one of the mightiest magic users on the planet. But you are also these people's MOTHER and the love of my life. And we all want you to be safe. If you want to blame me for this as well, then do so. My shoulders are broad enough for any blame you wish to give me. But if the trade-off is that you are SAFE and you can REST and RECOVER, which you still have not done, then I can live with that. Once this is over, I want us to go upstairs. Rich and Nicolas will watch us pack and I want to take you HOME, to Aerie. And I want to do that as peacefully as you will allow, but you can rage all you wish as long as you will DO IT. FOR ME. FOR your CHILDREN. PROMISE ME, Karen Verna Victoria.

Mike stood to his full height and waited. There would be no more meeting until this was settled. He was pleading with Karen with his eyes not to make this any more difficult. He knew how much it bothered Blaze and Nicolas and he could only imagine how Morgan felt.

 

[Tachyon]

Xavier knew that the team wished he had not said what he said. But it was important to know what they were dealing with, and he wanted to see how reactionary Rose was.

And she was VERY reactionary. Xavier doubted that Rose even KNEW what she had said. She was almost in a dissociative fugue state, full of anger, the white power signature in play...and then she was normal again, as if it had never happened.

I...will be in touch. I must continue to work with Jake on the astral plane, while the mortal doctors here work on his body.

Please keep my children, AND Sable, safe for me. I will be returning soon.

They had a lot to grasp. This woman, Rose, was more than holding a grudge, though he could identify. Haleigh had made tough choices in the past, terrible choices. And now...she had made a terrible new enemy in Rose. He spoke first after the channel closed.

I am not the only one that saw her black out into a ball of fury and then recover as if nothing had happened, yeah? I apologize if anyone is upset over my method of questioning but I wanted to see how strong her grasp on her emotions was. And we have a fucking PROBLEM. She is beyond upset. That is a CLINICAL condition she is exhibiting and without dealing with that, even these kids could be at risk.

Xavier turned to Oracle.

Do you have any resources we could bring to bear to help her with....THIS?

 

[Spellbinder]

The War Room

<< Spellbinder appeared before Nicolas, wearing a different outfit than the one he saw her in earlier. This outfit- a purple top and a black mini skirt, combined with coordinating high heels, dark make up, and her hair down gave her a very edgy, sexy look. It was DEFINITELY a sign of an older persona from Morgan's past reasserting herself, and it was a response to the devastation, and the PRESSURE that she and her family facing.>>

<< There was one other thing. She had cleaned and refreshed herself in Limbo, following her dark, unholy sexual encounter with Derek Forrester. Part of what she was displaying now...was "after glow." >>

She was looking sexy as hell, but the outfit was different. Oh well, her and Madonna could not be bothered with just ONE outfit per night. He grasped her hands and gave her a greeting kiss on the lips but something seemed...off.

You OK, baby? I know the last few have been hell but I have some good news for you. I will tell you after this meeting if we have time.

<< she took Nicolas' hands into her own, and leaned in to kiss him before pulling back>>

No, Nicolas....I'm not okay. I don't know that I will be for sometime.

<< She felt...HORRIBLE as she looked at this man that she loved standing before her.>>

<< How could she have let herself get CARRIED AWAY like that with DEREK FORRESTER!!? >>

UGH!

So she teleported them the rest of the way and he held the door as she entered. His face was all business as he saw the assembled. Even Auntie D's pool boy was there. And he was holding Blaze's hand. WHAT. IN. THE. HELL. WAS. GOING. ON.

<< Morgan's violet eyes fixed on Blaze, who sat next to Richard Martin, hand in hand (!?) Blaze had always expressed interest, and preference for WOMEN. This was definitely UNEXPECTED. >>

<< More than one person took notice of Morgan's outfit, including Cameron.>>

What is HE staring at!?

<< She looked at him with a flash of concern AND disapproval for his unwavering stare. But then she felt ANOTHER pair of eyes on her, BLAZE'S, and she could sense what Blaze was thinking.>>

Not NOW Blaze. LATER, okay!?

Blaze to Morgan: I WON'T let you run away on this one, Morg. We're GOING to talk about it.

<< Even if she WANTED to, she wasn't going to be able to hide the truth. But she had no intention of lying to Nicolas, or anyone else. She loved him, and she knew where her destiny lay, even she'd just had a DETOUR along the way. >>

:: The two made eye contact for a moment as Cameron broke it immediately, not wanting to betray his thoughts to her. ::

:: He looked over at Blaze. ::

"What's the situation, Blaze? How bad is it?"

<< Firebird delivered the bad news, and the hits just kept coming.>>

<< Morgan exhaled with audible agitation over the situation. It would've been easier if they'd all just stayed cocooned, but that wasn't a real solution, just a coping mechanism, and ultimately, more damage would've been done.>>

<< Morgan knew this was going to come to a head, but she was ready. NOW, more than ever, she knew she'd returned at the right time.>>

<< Blaze was bitter, ANGRY about Frost. But Morgan had heard from Cameron about that situation, and she saw his sincerity. He was trying to keep Blaze safe...and while the ESSENCE of Frost was at play...she HERSELF had never been here. Still, what Talisman had done was foul, and it WOULD be answered in the proper time and place.>>

<< Her mom expressed anger at Mike for not letting her subdue Haleigh the night she told them all who she REALLY was, and then left the team. She could understand why her mom felt that way. She watched Michael. This wasn't the first time Karen and he had discussed this, and everyone in this room knew how brutal and unrelenting Karen could be in some instances. >>

Mom, please...it's not Mike's fault.

Even if you had bound Haleigh in mystic chains, nothing short of a psychic lobotomy was going to make her change her mind.

I KNOW what you're thinking, and how that moment felt for you. Haleigh and Ava BOTH betrayed you...AND the rest of us in a major way.

But in that moment...you didn't have a choice, neither did we.

Haleigh, and now Ava have made their choices, and they've REMOVED many options that would have been available to them before.

"They had ALL of us fooled, mom. You did all you could for them. Persephone CHOSE to remove the elements you put in place to help her regulate her emotions, and Haleigh? Well...she may have BELIEVED giving herself to Malice was for our benefit, but I believe on some level she KNEW that there would be NO satisfying Malice. She thought she could OUTLAST Malice. We all know better than that. I think part of her WANTED to be with Malice, that IS her mother afterall."

But she's OUR sister. Yours, mine, Frost's. You're forgetting...We have a CONNECTION that not even MALICE can affect.

<< Blaze, Nicolas and others looked at her, and they realized what she was saying.>>

Blaze and Morgan looked at each other. In all this time, it HADN'T occurred to her! The same telempathic bond that Firebird, Spellbinder, AND Frost had, SHOULD also be present within Black Widow as well!

via their sibling rapport: YES, Blaze, you're getting it!

"But how do we..."

Remember when I told you I was going to be spending time in Limbo researching this? I'll explain that to you LATER, right now...we HAVE to fix what's going on around us.

<< Spellbinder stands up, and brings Nicolas over to stand beside her at the circular war room conference table>>

This is NOT a "Birds of Prey" problem, even though some of our loved ones ARE on that team. This IS a Six problem, and my mother is right, we NEVER should've let her walk out of here, even if we had to KO her for her own good. Now, people we know, and care about, have been HURT...and a CHILD is at death's door!

OK...time to put everything on the table and see how to proceed. We need all available intel and any protocols anyone might have to deal with this going forward. I have a hunch, but I want to see where everyone is first.

Mike pressed a button on the central console and gave a input he had been working on.

Bedtime protocols - Black Widow and Persephone.

The computer produced 3-D models of each of them with stats on them both as Mike began to speak.

Haleigh is a technopath and has metallokinesis of some sort. Nonmagical metal weapons are not useless, but can be appropriated or easily disarmed by her. She is EXTREMELY durable and almost without peer in fighting prowess, only Rampage or Sharon can destroy her by physical power alone. Blunt force trauma by anyone else is a waste of time. Explosives and penetrating damage is much more effective. Her weakness is electromagnetic energy because it disrupts the techno-organic virus that powers her. Richard can generate that with his powers, the magic users can do similarly with magic power and I have some EMP weapons for anyone who wishes to utilize them, including wands and fired tracer rounds. She should also be susceptible to extreme

<<<looks at Blaze>>>

heat.

Mike continues.

Next is Persephone. She is far less durable, but her status as an actual goddess gives her remarkable healing power and she does not tire in conventional ways. She is a skilled combatant who wields mystic daggers that are - and I would know - VERY effective. She also has powers over the elements that seem to have an extremely high climate changing threshold and powers of influence over animals, making her even more deadly. She can be killed by conventional means but it will require a severe dismemberment, perhaps a beheading to be effective. Another major weakness is to mental manipulation and attack.

Neither should be engaged alone. The risk is too great. Suggested kill teams are: Firebird, Spellbinder and Rampage for Black Widow and Morningstar, Cassandra, Silver Swan and Prophet for Persephone.

<< Arsenal stepped up in a way that would make HARBINGER proud, and Spellbinder could find no fault with his logic or plan. BUT there was something Spellbinder had decided while she was in Limbo...>>

Haleigh has much to answer for. DEATH will be TOO EASY an OUT for her, and...I strongly suspect that's what she wants. She doesn't WANT to face us in the aftermath of what she's done. But if I didn't get a pass after the Inferno, she's not getting one NOW.

<< She looks at Michael, and then the others>>

Your information and tactical plan is solid, and I will go with it. HOWEVER, there is something that I have in mind to try with Black Widow, and as her sister...I'm GOING to do just that.

IF she OR Ava leaves us no other alternative, then for the safety of ourselves, our friends and allies, Rose and her children...and everyone ELSE in this city, will ELIMINATE them.

<< Morgan noticeably had refrained from speaking too much on the things Haleigh and Ava had done since Haleigh's truth bomb. But just because she had been silent, didn't mean she hadn't been paying attention. There were ADVANTAGES to being sorceress supreme, AND having an eldritch dimention in which to do "RESEARCH." Malice wasn't the only one who could find things others could not. >>

<< Moreover, with all that Morgan had done, and BEEN through , most recently the events of the Blue Moon, it had all CHANGED her. She could no longer see Haleigh through the lens she had pre OR immediately post Inferno. BUT she knew the woman was no saint and never would be. >>

<< Still, the moment she learned the truth about Haleigh being her SISTER? EVERYTHING changed, and Haleigh had denied Karen, denied herself the chance to experience the help and support she needed and DESERVED. It was MISGUIDED on her part. She thought that giving herself to Malice, and even DYING were the only options.>>

<< if SHE MUST die, it would not be at Malice's hand, nor would it be in the name of violence or even vengeance, it would be in the name of SETTING HER FREE of the nightmare, the CURSE that THEIR father had placed on her, and her death would come from her sisters, NO ONE ELSE.>>

"We should evacuate my mom...AND Michael to Minerva's Aerie, where they can stand by with Harbinger. Black Widow and Persephone have already attacked people we know and care about. What's to stop EITHER of them from coming after my mom, for SEVERAL reasons? "

Shadow Weaver: Blaze, I'm NOT some weak and helpless woman. I CAN take care of myself. I put Talisman in her place, and I'll do the SAME THING to either one of those foolish girls if they attack me!

Mom...

"That's NOT what I'm saying, MOM!"

Blaze shouted , as she looked visibly pained, pulling away from Rich, and standing up

"It's just that you've SUFFERED ENOUGH from all of this! ALL OF IT! CAMERON, AVA, HALEIGH, DELILAH...all these people that you've tried to help, and look how it's BLOWN UP IN YOUR FACE!? And once again, something that your husband...OUR :: Morgan, Blaze, and Jasmine's:: father set in motion, is haunting you, haunting ALL of us."


Blaze calmed as she looked at Morgan, Mike and Karen

"I just don't want you to be BURDENED with it anymore...that's all I'm saying."

"Black Widow and Persephone don't care who they hurt, and ONLY a goddess will be able to save them if they hurt YOU or anyone ELSE that I care about. If there's a way for us to END THIS without anymore casualties, I'm fine with that...but if THEY make that impossible...I'd rather YOU not have to be apart of that."

I AGREE with Blaze, mom. You've suffered enough, you've been through ENOUGH with all of this, with all of US, and WE (Blaze, herself, certainly Mike and Nicolas) don't want you to be exposed to ANYMORE danger!

Mike stood and turned to Karen, taking both of her hands in his. He looks into her eyes as he squats down to face her and speaks gently.

Darling, NO ONE IS UNDERESTIMATING YOU. You are one of the mightiest magic users on the planet. But you are also these people's MOTHER and the love of my life. And we all want you to be safe. If you want to blame me for this as well, then do so. My shoulders are broad enough for any blame you wish to give me. But if the trade-off is that you are SAFE and you can REST and RECOVER, which you still have not done, then I can live with that. Once this is over, I want us to go upstairs. Rich and Nicolas will watch us pack and I want to take you HOME, to Aerie. And I want to do that as peacefully as you will allow, but you can rage all you wish as long as you will DO IT. FOR ME. FOR your CHILDREN. PROMISE ME, Karen Verna Victoria.

Mike stood to his full height and waited. There would be no more meeting until this was settled. He was pleading with Karen with his eyes not to make this any more difficult. He knew how much it bothered Blaze and Nicolas and he could only imagine how Morgan felt.

<< She knew that Karen would NOT tolerate what looked or sounded like them "piling on" her. That's NOT what they were trying to do, but in the interest of avoiding even the APPEARANCE of it, Morgan let Mike speak for not only himself, but also Karen's daughters, and Nicolas.>>

<< She AND Blaze silently pleaded with their mom to listen to what they were saying, and the place it was coming from.>>

Mom...PLEASE. Let US [The Six] take on this responsibility.

<< After a few moments...>>

Shadow Weaver: << pulling her hands away from Michael, and turning away>> Very well. << she said begrudigingly>>

<< Morgan held Nicolas' hand and squeezed it, as she exhaled with relief.>>

<< She knew her mother did NOT like her children or Mike trying to protect her, but she always seemed to know when the time was right to step back and let others step in. The recent string of events- The aftermath of the Blue Moon, The Purifiers, The counseling sessions with Persephone, the emerging mystery, and the emergency sessions with Black Widow, Frost, Talisman, the confrontation with Cameron, and then the revelation of Black Widow, followed by the defection of Persephone, it had all taken a HUGE toll on Karen. She'd endured more than enough, and it was time to let THEM handle things.>>


We'll take care of this, Mom. We'll FIX THIS. I promise you. But IF something goes horribly wrong? I KNOW that you, Harbinger, Arsenal, and our allies will give them HELL.

 

[Black Widow]

The Hellfire Club -- Red Knight's Quarters

She laid with her head cradled in his shoulder, eyes open, watching his ribcage rise and fall as she traced patterns in his chest hair.

She wanted to ask him about her sister, because she knew that he had spent a lot of time with both Ava AND Persephone, and she wanted to know everything. How had Ava REALLY been doing, since Haleigh was certain Ava had been merely putting up a brave face. When had the personality switch happened, and what had been the catalyst? Did he know about what had happened with Ava and Rav? Would he even care if he did?

She wanted to, but then a timer went off in her HUD, reminding her about the Black Knight. She lifted her head, pushing herself up on her elbow and kissing him softly.

"While junior rests, [she pauses to kiss him again] I'm going to go have a chat with the Black Knight. [another kiss] Maybe I'll bring her back."

She gives him a final kiss, this one deeper than the rest, then she disappeared from his bed without further delay.

She briefly reappeared in her own suite, pull on a pair of workout pants and a sweater, and then finally, she arrived in the Black Parlor. She'd been here before, mostly to hang out with Maxine and avoid the awkward stares she got in the White Wing common areas. She spotted Amanda, nodded as she joined her, and ordered scotch neat at the bar.

"So.... you're here to play, are you?"

She asked in an even tone, as the bartender poured a lowball glass 3/4 full of scotch and then set the bottle in front of her.

 

[Isis]

The Sanctuary- Monitoring Room

:: Recall offered a rather thoughtful and, in some places, circumspect analysis of Black Widow and the situation they were facing.::

:: In the BEGINNING of all of this, Isis had wondered if PERHAPS Black Widow was under duress, perhaps acting against her will, but with Sharon'a eye witness account, and everything that hapened since, it became harder to entertain that possibility, plus, Isis' own intimate knowledge of Black Widow, and her dynamic with Malice, something that not even Recall knew about, came into to play. Haleigh was equal parts strategist AND fatalist. ::

There are other things to consider, Recall. There was hardly ANY "place" Black Widow is afraid to tred, and she was FASCINATED with Malice's thought process, because as it turned out, she SHARED them, since she is her DAUGHTER. But the one thing she hadn't counted on, was how Diana would TREAT her once she possessed her outright.

Beyond that, any consideration that Haleigh could have received from ME has EVAPORATED.

:: once the the news of Haleigh's attack on The Sanctuary, and Jake's near fatal injury reached her, that was a wrap. Oracle, Steel, and anyone else who knew Isis well- INCLUDING Black Widow, knew that she was SENSITIVE to the plilght of the weak and helpless, particularly CHILDREN. That was what made her such a force to be reckoned with during the Purifiers caper.::

:: Recall seemed to suggest she was well nigh indestructible. That was an exaggeration, at least. But the woman implied that they didn't have the means to kill her...::

“Yeah, except every time any of us has come into contact with her or her sister they’ve had their asses handed to them.”

She CAN be killed. She simply hasn't encountered anyone with the power, and the WILL to do it...until ROSE tonight.

:: Isis had magicks at her command that were sufficient to reduce Black Widow to nothing more than a scorch mark, and she felt the problem was that the people Black Widow and Persephone had encountered so far were just NOT STRONG ENOUGH to strike them down. ROSE had put them both on the ground, and there were others who could do the same, but they noticeably hadn't come after those people yet.::

“She’s not a GOD, she’s human. Playing her up to be indestructible is what has gotten us into this mess – we’re just psyching ourselves out. Using Malice against her is fine, but I agree with Oracle – we have to take this fight to her. Or there just will be more people hurt…”

Agreed.

:: Isis had something of an advantage, with the runes still afixed throughout the interior of the mansion, that no one, not even Talisman or Ravena , could yet detect. This would allow them a way to "look in" on the Hellfire group, and determine what the next move should be::

We HAVE the means to get ahead of her, AND we have individuals among us with sufficient power to put her DOWN.

:: Courtesy of her "hearing thoughts spell" and rapport with Richard, she was aware that Firebird, Arsenal and some of the Six were discussing that same thing just now. At least THAT group was starting to get themselves together and realize that the time for treating Haleigh and Ava delicately was PAST.::

:: And then ROSE appeared before them on the monitors. Dominique sensed a war of duality within her. her mana was STRONG...but it was...CHANGING from something bright, to something DARK. It wasn't a purely magickal energy, it was the very power and energy of the astral plane itself that she channeled. That ALONE made Rose intriguing to Dominique, but in this moment, as she watched the woman, she saw and FELT a familiar feeling. Dominique HERSELF had been in this place many moons ago, when Set first attacked her village, raped and impregnated her sister, and then, when Nicolas was born, and her sister DIED...Dominique had SNAPPED and tried to KILL Nicolas with a mystically charged athame::

:: She saw the way the others looked at Rose as she curiously shifted back and forth from a presentation of calmness, to that of RAGE, seemingly without knowing it herself.::

:: Tachyon broached a very sensitive topic with Rose in a very...crude way. She looked at the young man with disapproval::

Andrew gave him a look.

“Dude…you can’t just ask someone if they’re in counselling…”

He looked back up at the monitor, half expecting “bad Rose” to come back out and kill them all.

Xavier, what in the goddess' name are you DOING!?

:: but while his method left something to be desired...it DID yield some telling, and rather MONSTROUS results::

....Black Widow is a woman without conscience, or decency. Mine is the power to divine the truth, what lies beneath, and I cast my soul power over Black Widow, in an effort to learn WHY she was doing this. I offered to HELP her. I COULD HAVE....but then I LEARNED something...

Through her own power, she perceived the purifier's missile launches against herself and her companions, AND against my children.

<<FLASH!>>


She USED her power to detonate one of the missles BEFORE it made contact with it's target. She CHOSE to let my CHILDREN BE MURDERED!

<<FLASH!!>>

She COULD have saved them, but she REFUSED. She decided they were too WEAK and inconsequential...and in her own words...

<<FLASH!>>


<< Oracle, Isis, Steel, Titan, Recall, Citadel, and Jezebel, ALL saw/heard it, via Rose's psionic projection. They saw and HEARD the truth.>>

She regarded my children like so many OTHERS in this mortal jungle of stone and steel do. They meant NOTHING to her.

She didn't regret. SHE DIDN'T CARE.

And she came BACK to my Sanctuary, the ONLY safe space these children have...and decided to VICTIMIZE them again, by stealing one of the surviving children, to DELIVER HER to TALISMAN for EXPERIMENTATION!

<< Rose's anger began to SPIKE...and her purple hair was now flowing. Jezebel, Oracle and Recall saw for themselves, the aura around Rose now shifting up the spectrum, from purple, to WHITE. From Soul power, to PSYCHO power.>>

She isn't USED to someone baring her way, someone who has the POWER to fight her and STOP her, and when she found that in ME, she drew her gun, and tried to SHOOT me, but she ended up shooting JAKE, the child she had LIED to in order to lead him from this place, and then tore him away from me, UNFEELING as he cried with fear, IN THE BACK.

And even THEN, she had NO REGRET!

It is only BECAUSE of Citadle, and his REMINDING ME that saving Jake's life was MORE IMPORTANT TO ME that I did NOT kill that woman then and there.

<< FLASH!>>

<< And it was in this moment, that the DEVIL CARD in Rose's reading on herself had fully ACTIVATED, but unlike her earlier thought that she would be aware enough to stop herself, she was NOT. And NOW? It was becoming easier for her to reach "PSYCHO" power levels, and stay in that mode. As Jezebel had said, this was NOT a good sign.>>

SHE KILLED MY CHILDREN! It's ALL HER FAULT!

<< her eyes GLOWED at this point>>

AND I WANT HER DEAD!

<< but then, as terrifying as she appeared to them, once again...she SNAPPED back, and she seemed completely unaware of her own wild shifts back and forth.>>

I...will be in touch. I must continue to work with Jake on the astral plane, while the mortal doctors here work on his body.

Please keep my children, AND Sable, safe for me. I will be returning soon.

:: Rose told them what she meant, and SHOWED them::

Bright lady!?

:: Dominique covered her opened mouth and looked HORRIFIED::

I am not the only one that saw her black out into a ball of fury and then recover as if nothing had happened, yeah? I apologize if anyone is upset over my method of questioning but I wanted to see how strong her grasp on her emotions was. And we have a fucking PROBLEM. She is beyond upset. That is a CLINICAL condition she is exhibiting and without dealing with that, even these kids could be at risk.

Xavier turned to Oracle.

Do you have any resources we could bring to bear to help her with....THIS?

WAIT a minute!

:: Dominique commanded::

Did you not hear what she said!?

Black Widow DELIBERATELY let those children DIE because she felt they...she felt they had NOTHING to contribute to society! She COULD have saved them, but she chose NOT to, and she was UNAPOLOGETIC when Rose divined that truth from her!

That SAME woman RETURNED to this place, and RETRAUMATIZED the surviving children, and put one of them in the hospital after she tried to kidnap her ...to give her to TALISMAN, only she was confronted by Rose, so she SHOT the child in the back!

But you're going to suggest that ROSE needs an intervention!?

This is intolerable! Black Widow has crossed ALL lines of ethics and boundary. She must ANSWER for what she's done!

I say we marshal ourselves, go to the Hellfire Mansion, and BURN IT TO THE GROUND.

 

[Tachyon]

Isis had misunderstood Xavier and reacted to his statement in kind.

WAIT a minute!

:: Dominique commanded::

Did you not hear what she said!?

Black Widow DELIBERATELY let those children DIE because she felt they...she felt they had NOTHING to contribute to society! She COULD have saved them, but she chose NOT to, and she was UNAPOLOGETIC when Rose divined that truth from her!

That SAME woman RETURNED to this place, and RETRAUMATIZED the surviving children, and put one of them in the hospital after she tried to kidnap her ...to give her to TALISMAN, only she was confronted by Rose, so she SHOT the child in the back!

But you're going to suggest that ROSE needs an intervention!?

This is intolerable! Black Widow has crossed ALL lines of ethics and boundary. She must ANSWER for what she's done!

I say we marshal ourselves, go to the Hellfire Mansion, and BURN IT TO THE GROUND.

Xavier turned to Isis, trying to reason with her as he saw her fiery disposition show itself. It was good to see her care so much, but he needed her to understand.

I did hear her Isis, and believe me, I know she is not the enemy. But her short and long term mental health is important here for the children's sake. We need to watch them for now and find a way to reach her that will not set her off. And while I would LOVE to burn that festering cesspool to the ground, the kids and ROSE have to be more important. They have already taken a back seat for too long.

 

[Silver Swan]

Charope, LLC- Rooftop

[ On the Rooftop of Charope, LLC, Silver Swan tends to her beautiful silver gryfalcons, Artemis and Antiope, inside of their large, state of the art aviary. Having fed them, she now has them outside the aviary, allowing them some exercise time while she sings softly , hovering in the air. Her voice is beautiful, it's different from Isis' but after Sharon's rousing rendition of Whitney Houston's "Step by Step" at Minerva's Aerie, Cameron King had stars in his eyes at the idea of Sharon and Dominique one day performing together on the stage of the Starlight Lounge, maybe in happier, more certain times, that would happen...but for now?]

[ Her gryfalcons had come near her, and their attention was drawn to a curious visitor, a single crow, that had just landed on the rooftop]

Hmmm....

[Normally, this species of bird would not socialize with gryfalcons or any other birds of prey, but something was wrong! The crow came with a MESSAGE! ]

<< Zoom IN on Sharon's silver eyes as the crow looked up at her>>

[GASP!]

[FLASH!]

As he looked forward, he saw a single crow hopping across the patio, only a few inches from his face.

"Help me..... Silver Swan...."

He rasped quietly, and the bird took flight as Ava started talking.

[ She saw PERSEPHONE looming over him. Attacking him, stabbing him, tearing him apart!]

Oh NO! Zachary!!!

[ Sharon lands on the rooftop, and commands her silver gryfalcons back into the aviary, and she looks at the crow, who tilts its head as it watches its larger "distant" relatives staring at it]

Thank you, my friend

[She gently pets the crow on it's feathered head]

Go now. Tell the others to get ready. I'll need their HELP.

[ The crow vocalizes, and takes off.]

[FLASH!]

[At that moment, Oracle would register the unusual activity of birds, of SEVERAL different sizes and species flying across the sky, toward the direction of Giovanni's. At night time, most birds were resting or inactive! but they were on the move, in large numbers and sounded rather ANGRY. That could only mean one thing, Silver Swan was on the move, and going AFTER someone.]

Bishop couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

He looked back and forth from Alycia to Delilah. He waved his hands in front of him.

“Absolutely not. You are not going to contact that psycho. It was bad enough you let her go in the first place.”

Now his focus was on Delilah.

“You cannot trust a word that lunatic says. She’ll sell you out to Malice the first chance she gets.”

Crossing his arms again.

"I forbid it."

[ Sharon bursts through the double doors of Alycia's office, in full "Silver Swan" mode, startling them all]

I'm sorry...but this is an EMERGENCY.

[ She looks at Alycia]

Zachary is being ATTACKED...MURDERED by Persephone RIGHT NOW!

Charope: WHAT!? where are they!?


Sharon: GIAVONNIS! He....

[ Sharon was VISIBLY upset...not just at the situation, but at herself...]

...he sent his distress call through a bird. I heard his voice...

We have to get to him!

Charope: Yes we do! RIGHT NOW!

:: Alycia stands up, and moves out from behind her desk, extending her arms to either side, she SPINS a' la wonder woman, and in a flash of light, she is now in her battle outfit. ::

Delilah, Sharon and I have to get to Zach before it's too late! Giavonni's is not too far from here! If Persephone is attacking him like this...Black Widow could be in the area as well...she could be trying to come HERE! Please stay here and protect yourself and Bishop. I will place the building on ALERT, my defense systems are IMMUNE to Haleigh's manipulations, and will buy you time if she DOES attack this place.

:: Sharon and Alycia take off...and Alycia turns back as she heads through the doors::

Be SAFE, you two! We'll follow up when we can!

<< Charope and Silver Swan move at high speeds throughout the building, to underground hangar where DOME is now sitting, in aircraft form>>

Charope: Persephone has control over animals, but she can't override your telepathic control over all species of birds. Still, there's no doubt she KNOWS that Zach's distress call has reached you. She'll be EXPECTING you to come CHARGING for her. But instead, we'll BUSHWACK her with DOME. She won't be able to see it coming until we're RIGHT ON TOP OF HER!

Silver Swan: And then I'm gonna POUND HER FACE INTO THE GROUND!

Charope: Let's GO!

a section of an open lot just two plots over from Charope LLC OPENS UP, and DOME rises up, turns , and then STREAKS OFF toward the hot zone where Persephone is in the process of murdering Orion!

:: Delilah and Bishop watch from a window, seeing Charope and Silver Swan charge to confront Persephone::

 

[Oracle]

The Sanctuary – Monitor Room

Tachyon’s words once again brought out the anger in Rose, and she revealed to them what was behind her rage. Haleigh.

She USED her power to detonate one of the missles BEFORE it made contact with it's target. She CHOSE to let my CHILDREN BE MURDERED! She COULD have saved them, but she REFUSED. She decided they were too WEAK and inconsequential...and in her own words...

Zizi gasped, her hand going to her mouth. So, Black Widow had made the choice to save her team instead of Rose’s children. It was a terrible choice to have to make but…how could she choose to snuff out 42 lives before they had barely begun?

And again with a turn of personality, Rose became kind and gracious.

Please keep my children, AND Sable, safe for me. I will be returning soon.

The communique ended.

I am not the only one that saw her black out into a ball of fury and then recover as if nothing had happened, yeah? I apologize if anyone is upset over my method of questioning but I wanted to see how strong her grasp on her emotions was. And we have a fucking PROBLEM. She is beyond upset. That is a CLINICAL condition she is exhibiting and without dealing with that, even these kids could be at risk.

Zizi smiled warmly at Xavier.

“It was a good source of information. But next time, Xavier, try not to do it when the subject is standing in the middle of a hospital. We had no way of knowing how she would react – another time and place would have been more fitting.”

Do you have any resources we could bring to bear to help her with....THIS?

But Isis did not let her answer. Instead she got angry, and lashed out at Tachyon.

But you're going to suggest that ROSE needs an intervention!? This is intolerable! Black Widow has crossed ALL lines of ethics and boundary. She must ANSWER for what she's done! I say we marshal ourselves, go to the Hellfire Mansion, and BURN IT TO THE GROUND.

“Dominique, please, calm yourself. Whatever course of action we take, we must come to it calmly and rationally – and go in with a plan. I understand your anger and I feel it too, but we have to be smart, and we can’t take that anger out on each other. We have more power at our disposal than just the six of us, and we should use it. And, as much as destroying the Hellfire Club in one stroke sounds excellent right about now – we have to remember that at this point in time our first duty is to the children asleep upstairs. We cannot leave them.”

Looking back at Tachyon.

“As for Rose, if she is truly in crisis, then we should help her. Karen Victoria is an option – though she will be reeling from her recent failures with Black Widow and Persephone. As Rose is a magick user, perhaps Hazel Hawthorne should be consulted. Unless, Isis, you feel like you would have some assistance to offer her?”

An alarm started going off on the control pad strapped to Zizi’s arm.

“Excuse me.”

The alert showed her a disturbance of birds – the calling card of someone they all knew.

“There is a large congregation of birds near the old Giovanni’s restaurant.”

She called up the tracker on Sharon.

“And Silver Swan is headed in that direction. Steel, get over there and check it out, offer your support if she needs it. The rest of us will remain here to protect the children if necessary. Now go.”

He nodded to her and was off.

“We must be prepared – if this is another Black Widow attack she may return here next.”

 

[Wallflower]

Hellfire Mansion - Black Parlor Room

Scion: "So...you're here to play, are you?"

"A girl gets lonely in The Black Corridor by herself..."

:: She stirred the rim of her crystal wine glass with her finger for a moment as she smirked, her tone becoming more serious. ::

"But don't get too excited. I called you here because..I have some information I think you might want to know.."

:: From her jacket, she placed an ominous and beautiful rose quartz orb on the table between them. It had been one of Talisman's many trinkets.. A precious and beautiful stone empowered with an anti-telepathy spell that held a few charges. Dangling her fingers over the orb for a few moments, she spun it and as it spun around on itself, it began to glow with a heavenly and beautiful like energy, causing a whirring vibration sound as Amanda looked back up at Scion. ::

"This little thing will give us room to speak freely but only for a few moments. It's clear that Persephone has taken reign of your sister's body. This is a good thing. This will help her survive. The others might want to ride you hard, subjugate you..that's not really my style. Not being the belle of the ball has afforded me the unique opportunity to go almost unnoticed. To see where the power in this place lies. So I'm telling you this as a gesture of good faith, which is rare in these walls I know."

:: Tucking a strand of her very long and silken hair behind her ear. ::

"I know you didn't want Ava Cassadine to join rank with you. But she's here...well..Persephone is here. As I said before, Persephone in the forefront might help her survive the PRESENT...but the future is not being accounted for. Persephone might end up doing things that Ava will not survive knowing she has done after the fact.."

:: She took a sip of her wine. ::

"The Red Queen has sent her Rook to assasinate Zachary Armani...who I'm told you BOTH have a rather deep relationship with. She has left already to perform the task. I do not give you this information in spite..to taunt you. I give this information to you because I know what it is like..to slash and kill and rage because there is no other choice..because it is the only way you survive. And because I know that YOU know this is something that could potentially destroy the woman you call your sister...destroy Ava."

:: Amanda grabbed Haleigh's hand. ::

"There are allies here for you that don't require your body for your allegiance. I think enough has been taken from you. I only ask that you use this information wisely..and that the trail of this conversation does not lead back to me. The fact that I'm even daring to tell you this, knowing what you might do, should be proof enough that I am willing to go out on a limb for you, should you need it..should the circumstances require it. Please remember that in the days to come. The Black Court is still being built..which means there is endless opportunity to garner more power for yourself...to give you room to figure out...whatever it is that you are REALLY doing here..."

:: She leaned back in her chair. ::

"What you do with this information is yours...but I thought you had a right to know."

:: Amanda took another sip, this time Haleigh could see the slighest indication of a FANGED tooth in Amanda's mouth as she took a sip, wondering how The White Princess would react. Once the orb stopped spinning, their conversation would not be protected and as such...would be over. ::

 

[Artemis]

Giavonnis

His screams were like a symphony as her hand slipped deeper. But suddenly she stopped, looking up from Zach. There were birds, everywhere. She could feel their eyes on her--feel their thoughts going back to none other than Silver Swan.

Her eyes shifted down to Zach.

"Looks like it's your lucky day."

Withdrawing her hand from Zach's stomach, Persephone pulled the Mystic Dagger from his hand as she stood, stepping across Zach's body and seeing a flash of silver streak across the sky. He wouldn't survive, she would keep Silver Swan distracted enough for him to DIE in front of his teammate.

"I HAVE been craving roasted duck."

The skies above cracked with a thunderous roar, Persephone standing covered in Zach's blood awaiting the arrival of the Silver Swan.

:: Little did Persephone know, that "silver streak" she saw flashing across the sky was actually a DIVERSION created by Alycia, a bolt of zeus' divine lightning, fired from the legendary silver bow of Artemis::

:: And as Persephone stood over the badly wounded Orion, reveling in the damage she caused and CRAVING a confrontation with the Silver Swan...she believed that Zach was done...but not quite!::

<< an aerial view of DOME, closing in on Persephone at HIGH speeds, but the Goddess does not register it at all. She thinks Sharon is coming toward her from another direction. Contact...COLLISION is IMMINENT.>>

She was standing a few feet away now, her eyes turned up to the sky, saying something about duck. He dragged himself towards her and reached out, grabbing her ankle with all his might.

"YOU.... WILL.... FEEL..... THIS.....TOO"

He rasped. If he was going to suffer this betrayal, this traumatic heartbreak, then SO WOULD SHE. He pulled any GOOD emotion from her, and filled her with all the emotional pain he'd been through, all the grief, anxiety, and torment. It was enough to bring her down to her knees, and a perfect distraction as Sharon swooped down to strike.

Charope: Sharon...NOW...

[ At Silver Swan's mental command...]

Sharon: HURT HER BADLY!

[ On the heels of Orion's crippling attack, Persphone is ATTACKED by DOZENS of ANGRY birds! They claw, peck, bite at her skin, her face, her EYES, they pull her hair, they beat her with their flapping wings. ]


[ But as soon as that massive, vicious attack happens, it STOPS as the birds QUICKLY scatter away from persephone. She STILL can't see it coming though, all she AND Zach can hear is]

Silver Swan: Orion, GET DOWN!

[ DOME is now in "view" and SLAMS into Persephone, running her DOWN, as it flies across the area]

Charope: GOT HER!

[ The two amazons drop down in front of Orion, standing tall and posed, each with an arm extended to the side and crossing over to form an "X" pattern in front of Zach, the Amazonian sign of assistance and PROTECTION. It takes Persephone more than a few moments to even regain her bearings, before she can try to get back on her feet again]

Charope: This stops NOW, Persephone.

[ Dome has completely disappeared from view, but is still in the area, and will take on whatever shape Alycia telepathically commands it to]

Silver Swan: And you're gonna PAY for what you've done!

[ Alycia bends down to immediately administer assitance to zach, bringing forth a healing plant extract from Themyscira from the pocket of her jacket]

Charope: Oh...goddess....oh Zach....

[ She shudders at she looks at him, and his wounds, laying him flat]

Charope: Lay STILL now....and don't talk. Just open your mouth for me.

[ She She supports his head, and administers the healing plant extract to him orally. It will immediately counteract the pain and jump start his body in a regenerative process. THIS is what will save his life, keeping him here long enough for ISIS to finish the job this starts but they can't just get him out of here with Persephone right there. She won't let them, and that's FINE because Silver Swan AND Charope are ready to defend Zach...and FIGHT Persephone]

Charope: Persephone, you treacherous BITCH! ( ) You won't get away with this!

Silver Swan: And you WONT run over US the way you did Simon and Recall!

[ Silver Swan now stands mid way between Persephone and Charope/Orion. She squares up]

Silver Swan: Come on, bitch. TRY and get past me.

[ Persephone KNOWS she can't match Silver Swan's raw physical power.]

 

[Prophet]

Parthenon - War Room

"I agree with Morgan."

:: The words came out of his mouth almost against his better judgment. Everything was so different now. Before, he would have been so heated at their words, so absolutely against the THOUGHT of attacking Haleigh or not believing that she had some greater reason for what she was doing. But with that love removed, without those feelings that colored his opinion of her, it was almost like hearing about somebody he knew a lot about for the first time. The things she had done, what she had put the team through. All under the guise that she was doing this because she loved them so much. Haleigh's ability to reach Cameron in that way gone, and without that it made him see things quite differently than he had before. ::

"Karen will stay if she pleases...but I hope you reconsider. Nobody doubts your power...but you be safer with my sister. We are worried about you is all..not about your capability, but of the knowledge that everyone is fair game. We are just trying to protect the ones we can."

:: Cameron looked over at the group. ::

"Morgan. You've mentioned that you have a plan. If you can, I would like to hear it. If you can't...I trust that you know what you're doing and whatever part I can play I will."

:: Morgan was coming from a different place. It was clear that the way she felt about Haleigh had changed upon learning that they were sisters...a revelation that he had been in love with a VICTORY woman all of this time..well it almost felt like a personal attack from Christopher Victory himself. Some kind of long con. He shooked his head for a moment, almost wanting to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but laughing would be frowned upon right now. ::

"I need to mention though...in an effort of honesty. I couldn't let the love I have for Haleigh Davidoff cloud my mind. Not anymore. Not when we are at the beginning of a WAR. So I took care of them. I need you all to know that for the first time..."

[pausing in a moment of reflection]

"Perhaps in a LONG time...my head is fully in the game and committed to all of you."

:: He rested one of his legs on his knees as he exhaled a bit looking around the room. ::

"That being said...I did mean ALL of you...that includes Delilah. If we are going to talk about things like this..she deserves to be here before we decide ANYTHING. Where is she?"

 

[Recall]

The Sanctuary

Isis: "But you're going to suggest that ROSE needs an intervention!? This is intolerable! Black Widow has crossed ALL lines of ethics and boundary. She must ANSWER for what she's done! I say we marshal ourselves, go to the Hellfire Mansion, and BURN IT TO THE GROUND."

Oracle: "It was a good source of information. But next time, Xavier, try not to do it when the subject is standing in the middle of a hospital. We had no way of knowing how she would react - another time and place would have been more fitting."

"It's not intolerable, Dominique. It's clear that whatever Rose is experiencing..she is losing herself to it. You have a nephew who experiences the very same thing. You know what happens when HE loses himself to it. We have seen how POWERFUL Rose is..don't you believe it to be in our best interest to say we did everything we could to prevent it."

[pausing for a moment]

"It's part of the reason you stood next to those women as allies. If it was as simple as just burning the place to the ground, wouldn't you - a woman of immesne power done just that? This whole situation - the ties are astounding, the pain and the loss is far reaching, effects so many people we care about. A split decision...a gut reaction, it could cost everybody we know and care about's lives...including the children upstairs."

Oracle: “Dominique, please, calm yourself. Whatever course of action we take, we must come to it calmly and rationally – and go in with a plan. I understand your anger and I feel it too, but we have to be smart, and we can’t take that anger out on each other. We have more power at our disposal than just the six of us, and we should use it. And, as much as destroying the Hellfire Club in one stroke sounds excellent right about now – we have to remember that at this point in time our first duty is to the children asleep upstairs. We cannot leave them.”

"And we won't leave them. Not until we know it's safe."

Oracle: "As for Rose, if she is truly in crisis, then we SHOULD help her. Karen Victoria is an option - though she will be reeling from her recent failures with Black Widow and Persephone. As Rose is a magick user, perhaps Hazel Hawthorne should be consulted. Unless, Isis, you feel like you have some assistance to offer her?"

"I hope so. You would be the only magick user I fully trust to do so..but if you feel like there is nothing wrong..I do have options within The Six I am willing to entertain."

:: For a moment..she almost said Blaze's name, but after everything she had just seen at The Parthenon..she was worried that maybe was going through something that might not make her the best option. ::

"As of late...I've had a somewhat copacetic relationship with Morgan. I could approach her. She is Sorceress Surpreme..that seems about as good as it gets in terms of somebody able to help Rose."

n alarm started going off on the control pad strapped to Zizi’s arm.

“Excuse me.”

The alert showed her a disturbance of birds – the calling card of someone they all knew.

“There is a large congregation of birds near the old Giovanni’s restaurant.”

She called up the tracker on Sharon.

“And Silver Swan is headed in that direction. Steel, get over there and check it out, offer your support if she needs it. The rest of us will remain here to protect the children if necessary. Now go.”

He nodded to her and was off.

“We must be prepared – if this is another Black Widow attack she may return here next.”

:: Vivica's eyes widened she grabbed Oracle's forearm. ::

"Zizi..Zach loves that place. He could be under attack..."

"I just hope for everyone's sake the person he is under attack from..ISN'T the Silver Swan."

"Please...Oracle. We HAVE to get a visual on that building!"

 

[Persephone]

Zach: "YOU....WILL....FEEL....THIS....TOO!"

Zach managed to move close enough to grab Persephone's ankle, overwhelming her with everything he was feeling in that moment. Pain, agony, betrayal, anger, mourning....everything hit all at once. Screaming, Persephone grabbed at her heart with one hand, a horrible burning feeling pulsating within her chest. Her other hand went for her head as the emotional onslaught caused her head to feel much like it did when Diana psi blasted her. In that moment, she lost all focus and didn't realize that a massive flock of birds were flying directly for her. Immediately, she felt the pain of their beaks pecking at her skin, pulling at the flesh all over her body. She shielded her face immediately, the clawing and flapping of their wings creating chaos around her. But the more they pecked and clawed, the more they were BURNED by her acidic blood causing them to immediately flee from the acid. Staggering, Persephone didn't have time to get up before she was SLAMMED by something...she didn't know what, but it was massive. Enough to cause her to fly a few feet away from Zach and tumble into a heap on the ground.

Charope: "This stops NOW, Persephone!"

Silver Swan: "And you're going to PAY for what you've done!"

Rolling onto her back, Persephone looked over at the Amazons standing in front of Zach posed and ready for battle. Rolling her eyes shut she began to LAUGH, then cough.

"Pay for what exactly?"

Persephone slowly began to push herself to her knees.

"I thought Amazons HATED men?"

She finally gathered herself to her feet.

"Don't you bull dykes get tired of being hypocrites?"

Alycia immediately began to tend to Zach, Persephone's eyes darkening. Oh HELL no, she was not going to save him after everything she had just done.

Charope: Persephone, you treacherous BITCH! You won't get away with this!

Silver Swan: And you WONT run over US the way you did Simon and Recall!

"Lets test that theory, shall we?"

The atmosphere around the building began to build as a thick white FOG instantaneously enshrouded the roof.

Silver Swan: Come on, bitch. TRY and get past me.

They would see NOTHING beyond their own extended hands. Even seeing EACH OTHER was nearly impossible. A loud CRACK of thunder shook the building.

"Since you asked so politely."

Silver Swan heard directly BEHIND her as Persephone sent a massive GAIL FORCE blast of wind SLAMMING directly into Sharon's back, sending her FLYING OFF the building and disappearing into the fog. Sharon was right, Persephone was no match for her physically. But ALYICA was. As quickly as Persephone attack Silver Swan, she disappeared from Alycia's sight, leaving the woman within the mass of endless white alone. There was only silence, no movement. It wasn't until Persephone flicked her acidic blood INTO Alycia's EYES that she made her presents known, running full force at the woman and jump kicking her in the chest with a animalistic growl KNOCKING Alycia to the ground. It was in that moment the fog began to clear, revealing Zach once again.

"HE'S DYING TONIGHT BITCH!"

Persephone sent a blast of wind at Zach, sending him flying to the other side of the building. She would be DAMNED if they would take him alive.

 

[Black Widow]

The Hellfire Club -- The Black Parlor

Haleigh drained about half the contents of her glass, as Cobra talked of being lonely. The Black Knight was clearly being coy. Haleigh looked over at her with interest as Amanda mentioned having information. She watched calmly as Amanda produced a small crystalline orb.

"That's not a flash drive."

She observed before emptying her glass smoothly.

Amanda: This little thing will give us room to speak freely but only for a few moments.

"This oughta be good."

She commented dubiously, refilling her own glass.

Amanda: It's clear that Persephone has taken reign of your sister's body. This is a good thing. This will help her survive.

Haleigh gave the Black Knight a steely stare.

"Already aware of that, Miss Soto, tell me I didn't get dressed just so you could get a kick out of taunting me."

Amanda: The others might want to ride you hard, subjugate you..that's not really my style. Not being the belle of the ball has afforded me the unique opportunity to go almost unnoticed. To see where the power in this place lies. So I'm telling you this as a gesture of good faith, which is rare in these walls I know.

Haleigh's expression eased a bit, as she considered whether or not Amanda was being genuine. She raised her glass briefly, and then took another drink as Amanda continued.

Cobra: I know you didn't want Ava Cassadine to join rank with you.

"And just HOW do you know that, I wonder...."

Cobra: But she's here...well..Persephone is here. As I said before, Persephone in the forefront might help her survive the PRESENT...but the future is not being accounted for. Persephone might end up doing things that Ava will not survive knowing she has done after the fact...

"Well thank you for your concern, Cobra, but we'll deal with that no sooner than we have to."

She said before she tipped her glass back again.

Cobra: The Red Queen has sent her Rook to assasinate Zachary Armani...who I'm told you BOTH have a rather deep relationship with. She has left already to perform the task.

She'd just drained the last of her second drink when the lowball shattered in her hand and skittled down the front of her sweater in tiny little cubes of tempered glass. At the bottom of her HUD, the transcript of her conversation with Persephone scrolled by like a news feed.

Persephone>> Such a shame I only got to fuck him once.
Persephone>> He's in for a rude awakening.
Persephone>> Well as entertaining as this has been, I have business to attend to.

Damn, the snake just bit me.

She thought, lowering her now empty hand a bit mechanically, then grasping the front of her sweater and 'popping' the glass particles off the fabric, and waved the barkeep over to get another lowball delivered, along with a refill for Cobra.

Amanda: I do not give you this information in spite..to taunt you. I give this information to you because I know what it is like..to slash and kill and rage because there is no other choice..because it is the only way you survive. And because I know that YOU know this is something that could potentially destroy the woman you call your sister...destroy Ava.

"She was given an order. She will complete her task or suffer the consequences of failure."

She replied in a detached tone. She didn't want either outcome. She couldn't hope for Zach's death anymore than she could hope for her sister to be subject to more punishment. She poured herself a third glass, and as she reached for it, Amanda grabbed her hand. The targeting reticle of her HUD locked on Amanda, as Haleigh maintained unwavering eye contact. Under the shade of the bartop, right next to her hip, she trained a revolver on the Black Knight with her free hand.

Cobra: There are allies here for you that don't require your body for your allegiance.

"Excuse me?"

Haleigh said, incredulously amused.

Cobra: I think enough has been taken from you.

Haleigh scoffed, pulling her hand from Amanda's, and taking up her glass again, as she shifted the revolver to her lap, now no longer pointed in Amanda's direction.

"Nothing can be TAKEN from me when all is freely given."

She replied coldly, and began to drink again.

Cobra: I only ask that you use this information wisely..and that the trail of this conversation does not lead back to me. The fact that I'm even daring to tell you this, knowing what you might do, should be proof enough that I am willing to go out on a limb for you, should you need it..should the circumstances require it. Please remember that in the days to come. The Black Court is still being built..which means there is endless opportunity to garner more power for yourself...to give you room to figure out...whatever it is that you are REALLY doing here...What you do with this information is yours...but I thought you had a right to know.

"You DO realize that as soon as that little magic ball of your deactivates, the White Queen will see this entire experience in my memory bank? I hope you really calculated the cost of this conversation, Amanda."

She kindly warned, her steady gaze not as harsh as before.

"What is it, exactly, that you want in return...."

She asked, running her fingertips along the Black Knight's forearm.

"If you don't require my body?"