The sisterhood strikes back

[Seer]

<< they wanted to come here, the wanted to stand boldly in the face of Malice and Enchantra in THEIR home turf, the newly revived and THRIVING Hellfire Club. Well they did that, and then some and now they were about to see just what it would get them.>>

<< Black Widow, Rampage, Silver Swan and Firebird stood together in what was a dark hallway on the second floor of the mansion, but now, it seemed that all sense of space and the original structure were no longer applicable.>>

<< Enchantra, who was actually ANOTHER "alternate" implant in mainstream along with Persephone and Firebird, was much more powerfull than her original mainstream counterpart. The fact that she was often underestimated due to her seemingly petty, self absorbed, superficial ways, made her all the more dangerous. She was behind this, playing havoc with Haleigh's sensor array and keeping Nicolas from being able to "look" much further with his telekinetic ability.>>

<< the wanted to confront the queens, the new BLACK Queen especially. and the Sisterhood were not about to make it easy for them.>>

<< at the same time, a rune flashed into view on the lower part of where the wall once was...before fading to black. a sparkling trail of energy flows to the floor near Nicolas as the form of large, golden scorpion takes form...moving in to strike him in his leg. this scorpion was far larger than any natural species existing today and appeared to be "armoured" as well. the scorpion ATTACKS Nicolas with a bio electric blast from its sting that would take down an elephant.>>

<< and inspite of this, it was either a warning or a an attempt to further antagonize. the queens KNEW the six were looking for them.>>

a world away- Minerva's Mansion

<< Alison was given an excellent bill of health. she was sitting up, talking with Ava. As soon as she finished with that, she wanted to take a shower...a nice, long shower. >>

<< While Delilah and Pandora tended to Tinkerbell and Morgan's small white Kitten, Mike and Karen were on Aerie. Karen had reluctantly agreed to a BRIEF trip to the Island, away from Alison and Ava, since now both of them were up and about.>>

<< it seemed that things were getting into full swing for both halves of the team, only one half was finding it increasingly difficult to keep things together as their plan to charge headlong into the Hellfire Club seemed to look less and less like a good idea now.>>

 

[Silver Swan]

The Hellfire Mansion

[ Silver Swan looked on as the interviews took place. from room they prowled, using the boldness and sense of entitlement that prevailed in the the hellfire mansion as they used varying degrees of "persuasion" to gain the information they needed.]

[Years ago, Sharon and her husband Robert might have reveled in a night like this, before Kyle was born but now, it all seemed so pointless. Her detachment from "humanity" was the biggest struggle she faced, but her time on themyscria helped her gain ground on that. Still, it was hard for her to focus in on what Nicolas and Haleigh were doing, as her perfect hearing allowed her to hear so many OTHER things nearby. whispers of erotic nature, plotting from corporate bed partners, rumours, gossip, beating hearts, heavy breathing...it was all...intriguing at best.]

[ FINALLY Haleigh and Nicolas determined from their interviews that their "person of interest" was in fact a woman and many clues were seeming to point toward the Black Queen. Sharon had never seen Dominique before and the woman definately seemed both to "fit in" AND to "stand out" among her fellow queens. there was something truly different about her. The fact that she seemed to already have a HATRED of Nicolas was also curious. How and WHY could that be?]

[ Sharon remained close by the door of the last room they were in and as they all moved out into the hall, everything seemed to just truly blackout. no sense of space, no sense of direction...it was as if they were in...]

...oblivion.

[ she said softly.]

[ but soon, the soft hum of energy was heard by her before the others. she looked down and saw a LARGE golden scorpion moving through the darkness and ready to strike Nicolas! she points.]

a SCORPION!

[ but before she can act herself, everything around them warps and churns...and they find themselves...inside ARKLAY MANSION the large, gothic, creepy place that was supposed to be DESTROYED. Sharon didnt immediately react, she kept calm as she looked around, and then she heard her name....once, then twice. from the right came a man, tall, handsome and distinguished.]

Robert?

[ and he was carrying little Kyle!]

My baby?

[ she began to leave the group and walk toward them. as Robert and Kyle called out to their beloved wife and mother.]

 

[Seer]

just like home?

<< for all intents and purposes, they appear to be well within Arklay Mansion, it looks like it did from the footage that the team had first seen when Alycia shared her files with them. Everyone, with the exception of Firebird, knew what a terrible place this was....and now, Sharon was being lead away by what APPEARED to be her husband and young son.>>

<< the music around them was very "phantom of the opera" esque...and as Sharon moved away from the group, the golden scorpion struck at Rampage. Firebird and Black Widow would find themselves being accosted by the evolved zombies of the mansion. Haleigh would remember her original encounter with these zombies for being faster, stronger, with larger heads, bleeding mouths and their more coordinated movements. some of them even brandished weapons like axes, butcher knives etc.>>

<< but HOW could they be HERE? this place was supposed to have been DESTROYED and yet everything looked and would FEEL real...damage could be sustained.>>

<< it may not have been IMMEDIATELY obvious at first, but this WAS the work of Enchantra and example of how much more thorough and far reaching her powers were now. Yet, there was no indication that she or anyone ELSE from the sisterhood was nearby.>>

<< They lost sight of Sharon, as she seemed to be lead away by her "husband" and "son". NOT a good thing.>>

 

[Rampage]

As the group entered the the hallway, the perspective began to canhe. ven the doorway was no longer there to his senses as he reached out, even his telekinesis stymied at least for the moment. He worked to regain his focus as he took in the scene...ARKLAY MANSION!!! As he turned about a bit, his mind worked to devise a way to cut across what was obviously a powerful hallucination/reality warp. As he began to enter a trance to foucs past this, he felt a sting on his leg that quickly traveled up to his back, causing him to lock up. He used his TK to turn himself around while his body worked to overcome the temporaray harsh effect of the attack.

He saw a large scorpion. It was not a biological specimen however, appearing to have an origin that was technological with its gleaming armored hide. He grimaced as he worked through the cramping following such an attack and used his TK to pin the creature, holding it steady with thousands of pounds of pressure at every joint, then proceeded to make it his own pawn, manipulating it like a marionette on a string.

As he worked to unlock his body's muscles, he used the scorpion and his axe to protect the group, attacking the zombies that presented themselves. He noticed someone missing, and his eyes widened as he relaized who the real victim of this attack was. He called her through clenched teeth.

SSSHRNN!!!!! SSSSHHHHARNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!

 

[Firebird]

NYC - Hellfire Mansion

As the minutes ticked by the eerie black fog would continue to swallow the team up whole. It was almost like they were walking into the hell mouth of the underworld. Walking right into a trap, even Blaze seemed cautious and careful in her prowl. She didn’t trust this place, especially with the lack of information they had on Dominique. The woman wasn’t just another pretty face, she was welcomed with open arms for a reason.

The darkness that enshrouded the team would only worsen the deeper they traveled together. Peering over to the side, Firebird could feel the sensory overload on her senses as well. Blinking her eyes to try and focus as the walls around them would lengthen and animate. “This isn’t real.” She told herself knowing this was a form of an illusion as she reached out her hand to touch the wall.

Turning towards Sharon, Blaze reached out through her in an effort to make sure she was still there. Blaze was all too familiar with the ‘divide and conquer’ method. Reaching through the darkness, Blaze’s hand would touch Sharon’s. The simple gesture would trigger a new power of Blaze’s as she was overwhelmed with an image. The black void around her would shift into color as she was having a premonition, something she never had before as her senses were jarred. Both of her eyes were closed as she could see Sharon in some sort of decrepit mansion walking off in the distance, being separated from the team. Nicolas’ screams for her would also be revealed in the dream. The premonition was short and Blaze seemed shaken up by it as she stumbled back, her nerves would tingle as her heart raced. “Ooh.” She’d groan as she touched her forehead unsure what just happened.

While Firebird was distracted by her premature premonition, the real life events would play out in waves. “Something’s not right you guys, hold up.” Blaze’s voice rose over the warped illusions just as the atmosphere would morph into the Arklay Mansion. The same place she had just witnessed in her premonition. “Wait a min-“ The fire elemental was cut off as a scorpion would appear next to Nicolas. Blaze’s senses would tingle as the darkness would continue to cascade around them. Immediately Blaze’s hands would hurl forward as a stream of her firepower would engulf the area to supply light around the team. Nicolas’ roar of pain startled her as she would turn to see him being stung by the creature. “Nicolas!!” She called out just as a horde of zombies appeared before them.

Everything was happening so fast that it was slipping through the sands of time. With the zombies surrounding herself and Haleigh. Blaze’s eyes would widen as blood dripped down their mouths, a horrifying sight indeed for she had never encountered them or the Arklay Mansion. The pulse-pounding sound of a large axe was dragged across the floor making Blaze’s hair fall erect. A pins and needle sensation as they were surrounding her and Haleigh.

“Get AWAY!!” Throwing her hands up into the air, a bright fiery aura would surround Blaze while her eyes would illuminate. The ground between Haleigh and Blaze would tremble like an earthquake was shaking. Chunks of the ‘ground’ would explode as a large volcanic eruption would ascend from the floor to propel the entourage of zombies into the air. A blast of hot molten lava would slam into each of the zombies as Nicolas would assist them. The extreme temperature was hot enough to melt the weapons the zombies had and even themselves.

Firebird’s large winged Phoenix aura would swoop down as its cry would pierce the ears of its enemies. “Find Sharon!” She commanded as the bird would swoop down. Being close to her old Sharon, Blaze knew that Sharon had an uncanny connection to birds. Hopefully her firebird form would be able to try and snap her out of the illusion projected.

Shoving her way past the melted slag of a few zombies, Blaze would turn to see Nicolas had things under control. But there was still the threat of poison inside his body. “Don’t let Sharon get away, she’s under some sort of hallucination of her husband and her son.”

The flaming aura of Blaze’s firebird would call out to Silver Swan, its sonic shrill cry would attempt to snap Sharon out of it as it would hover above her. Hopefully Sharon would pull through as the team would attempt to locate her as the battle would continue.

 

[Arsenal]

As the emerged on Aerie, Mike grasped Karen's hand gently, taking her for a leisurely walk around an area he had marked to make it safe. As they walked, the warm breeze blew across them, blowing through Karen's hair and mingling the sweet scent of flowers and naturally growing fruit with her own scent.

Mike walked just a relatively short way, saying nothing but conveying his feelings for her as he walked; a caress here, playing with and grasping her hand, his hand alternately rubbing her side or her hip as he never let her go.

Aftr a few moments, they emerged on a small outcropping that overlooked the river than ran throughpart of Aerie. It seemed to be made fot them as it had two stones close together upon which they could sit relatively comfortably. The rocks were clean and, unbeknownst to Karen, Mike had worked them to make sure they would be of the right height for them. He eased Karen onto her smooth large stone and he sat facing her, his hand still holding hers in her lap.

Mike looked into Karen's eyes, his face filled with warmth for her but something else. He looked at her and smiled, trying to be upbeat.

So, Doctor, I know you have lots to say about what has gone on between us lately. I want to take time to listen to you and talk about everything, because right now I miss that about us. We connected because we spoke to one another frankly, with emotion and respect for one another. I believe that we still have those feelings, but with everything that is going on I miss our talks. Please, take your time and let's talk a while.

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh felt her sensors losing orientation.... and she slowed. Blaze called for everyone to hold up, saying that something wasn't right.... but things happened to quickly. Nicolas was attacked by a scorpion of gigantic size, Sharon started just WANDERING off and Blaze and Haleigh were surrounded by the living dead. They were back in Arklay.... but Haleigh knew they weren't. She told herself they weren't. That was IMPOSSIBLE.... they had destroyed that place.... so that meant Malice was messing with their heads. The good news was, with a mental attack, one could overcome it.... it being only IN their heads, they needed only to convince THEMSELVES that it wasn't actually happening.... and a logical, rationalized mind such as Haleigh's could do something like this fairly easily.

[closing her eyes] "This isn't real.... this isn't happening... this is NOT REAL. This isn't-- SON OF A BITCH!"

She exclaimed, as a zombie GRABBED her and attempted to bite her.... evidently... this WASNT a mental illusion. Haleigh opened her eyes, quickly manifesting a semi-automatic handgun and letting the zombie chomp on that. A quick couple of rounds later and the back of the zombie's head was gone, along with all signs of life.

Blaze unleashed a fast and furious attack of her own, taking care of most of the horde in one fell swoop. Haleigh's handgun morphed into and assault rifle, and she unloaded several rounds [all direct and accurate headshots] into the remaining Zombies.

"Sharon?! DAMN IT, I told her we had to STAY TOGETHER! OOOH that woman is hard headed!"

She swore, blasting a few more zombies as she drew nearer to Nicolas and waved Blaze over as well.

"Well.... [looking around]shit. [looking around some more] She went that way. We've got to go AFTER her.... we've got to do it together. Nic? Are you alright to move? Take the time you need.... Sharon can protect herself until we find her again.... we've just got to make sure the Sisterhood doesn't find her FIRST."

 

[Rampage]

?????????

MMM....MMM...I'm GOOD!!

Nicolas bellowed as he painfully recovered, bringing his hand up as his axe returned to it. He immediately started at a walking pace after Sharon, "speaking" with Haleigh as he went and continuing his tutelage in binary code.

Hales, it was Enchantrah. The new one is more..capable apparently. Once we get back together though, we will figure this out. Hey! How about we simply have Blaze turn up the heat? We are notably more invulnerable than them and we should still be comfortable at about 200 Celsius while they certainly would not be...

 

[Firebird]

Hellfire Mansion

The ominous racket of Haleigh's assault rifle caused the whole area to tremble as flickers of the light would illuminate the hallway. A smirk fell across her lips as she watched Haleigh blow a few zombies away. Chunks of brain matter, blood, and gore splattered the wall.

As Haleigh waved her over Blaze winked her way, "That's hot, I could kiss you, bitch." Her expression sobered as she glanced over to Nicolas. "Don't move, babe." Moving to crouch down to see where the scorpion had left its mark. "We need to remove that poison, Nic. Your a strong guy but the poison will only seep through your body until your paralyzed or even dead."

Blaze knew the severity of this matter and without Morgan hear to heal Rampage, things were starting to look bleak. "Before we can even look for Sharon, we need to focus on Rampage. You won't get far with that wound. I've got my Phoenix keeping an eye on her."

"We also need to inform the others that Malice has returned to this world. One of you will need to make that happen. The rest of the team needs to be informed of this and the new Black Queen." Glancing from Black Widow to Rampage.

 

[Rampage]

No worries, Blaze. The sting was bioelectric and I have already metabolized it. Let's not lose Sharon, their best hope of beating us is separately.

Nicolas began to make his way towards Sharon, his telekinetic and telepathic scanning in overdrive...

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh kept a lookout for other threats as Blaze attested that she could kiss the hybrid. Haleigh chuckled.

"Yeah, well I don't think now's the best time. [as Blaze crouched down to check Nic's wound] Blaze.... it's alright. Nicolas has a remarkably high resilience to poisons, virus, and neurotoxins. If he says he's good, I'd take his word for it."

Checking around the corner that Sharon disappeared, she gestured for the others to follow. Haleigh had a fix on Sharon's DNA signature.... but she was starting to lose it in the 'fog'.... she didn't want Sharon to get TOO far ahead of them. Blaze suggested they inform Morgan and the rest.... Haleigh wasn't too sure about that.

"So they can worry about us when they should be caring for Ava and Alison? The mansion's been SEALED.... we aren't getting out and no one's getting IN until the Blackout is over. and if they CAN bust into the mansion, they'd most certainly have to do so in a very public way that would blow our cover to hell. If we get in over our heads, I'll send a distress call.... until then, we need to keep our priorities in order. Find Sharon. Confront the Sisterhood. Protect our anonymity. Talking to the others is low on the list. We've got to worry about what WE can do first."

 

[Silver Swan]

Hellfire Club- "Arklay" illusion

[ Away from the impossible chaos of the Mansion, through a hall or two, in a ballroom, Sharon was now dancing gracefully with Robert Kelly, her husband. While her young son, Kyle, played on the floor with some toys nearby.]

[ Sharon was light on her feet, gracefull as ever in the arms of her husband. It felt so nice, being with her husband again, having her son again. But the place they were in...this was the place where her family fell apart! why were they here? Part of her was delighted, but the other part was a bit...uncertain.]

[ with every move they made, her new team mates, the rest of the six were battling hoards of the undead nearby in another part of the mansion, but she couldnt hear any of that.]

[ heart beats, breathing, the music, eyes locked onto one another, it was like a dream, a perverse escape in the midst of what was ultimately a nightmare.]

[ but as the Silver Swan danced with her husband, she began to wonder why he hadnt commented on her changed appearence.]

Robert.....

[ But before she could speak, a rush of flame , a flash of fire and a the sound of a bird pierced the large marble ball room. a flickering, flame apparition of a bird courtesy of Firebird. an indication of something MORE than what was "real" at the moment.]

[ the flame apparition gets the mutates attention as it disppaears and Sharon pauses and looks around for a moment.]

this isnt right...none of it.

[ she knew in her heart.]

Kyle...

[ an image overlays the little boy...the image of a monstrous form...gigantic, hulking , disfigured creature...tentacles out his...IT'S back...and all the other awfull things that she was confronted with the LAST time she was in Arklay. THIS was what she remembered...this was THE TRUTH.]

You're both dead. Your memories are being defiled...

[ she steps back...now in the large ball room, she looks between her husband and her son.]

I can't allow it. I won't allow you to be pawns.

[ and right on cue, the stained glass windows shatter as zombies come bursting through, surrounding Sharon on all sides. reaching for her, groaning, growling, drooling, the Crimson Heads were clawing, and lunging for her.]

I'm NOT afraid of you ANYMORE!

[ she shrieks as she spreads her arms and spins, "wonder woman" style, faster and fater until she turns into a funnel of wind and high speed, adamantium SPINNING STARS begin to hurl out in all directions, slicing off arms, heads and tearing the zombies apart. She knows in her m ind that her husband and son would be caught in the cross fire, but better for them to be destroyed quickly and this cruel illusion brought to an END than to have them be pawns a moment longer.]

[ the zombies are sliced up brutally and quickly and soon...there is nothing left. the shredded bodies fall to th e floor...and then fade out of view. leaing the mutate standing there, now back in her Silver Swan costume. her blonde, silver streaked is hair down and her armoured fists are clenched as she shuts her eyes for a moment.]

Robert...Kyle...you must remain among the innocent dead. Not be reborn as pawns...like i was.

You wont be made to serve the twisted, perverted designs of MYSTECH...like i was...and you won't have to....

[ covering her face with her armoured hand, as she sheds tears.]

kill your own child...to save him...to free him...to FIX what you COULDNT stop.

[ The Silver Swan, her life pre and post master mold was a story filled with tragedy and bitter sweet victories. at this moment, though she had easily protected herself and liberated herself from the lull of the illusion, the fact that it cost her even the LUXURY of enjoying her husband and son again...knowing that she had to "Kill" them again...it HURT her just as much as it did the FIRST time she lost Robert and Kyle in Arklay.]

[ the members of the Six would soon find her in the ball room with the last remains of the zombies that she had destroyed fading from view and that the mutate herself was clearly struggling with emotion right now. she was obviously more effective in battle, in more control of her powers and abilities, but this illusion, this "reality warp" was DEFINATELY a hit below the belt for the mutate where it was meant to trip up the others.]

 

[Seer]

into the night

<< with Black Widow's DNA tracking of the Silver Swan, the rest of the team finds their way to her. Her emotional state is understandibly erratic but it appears that she did what she HAD to do to liberate herself from the trap. Rampage can see the fleeting images of what happened, but due to her mind's unique nature, he can't get a solid fix on her thoughts.>>

<< Rampage himself is still "tingling" from the attack of the golden scorpion, but his body has managed to metabolize most of the attack. the scorpion was DEFINATELY not the work of Malice, who could pull astral forms from a person's mind and manifest them as "real as life" illusions. and while this alternate Enchantra's power was greatly enhanced, it seemed unlikely that she would choose a giant, golden scorpion of all things to attack Nicolas. That left only Dominique, who was definately not showing too much of herself too soon. WHY was she already attacking Nicolas with such a grudge?>>

<< She was impossible to scan by him. Even Malice could not read her MIND, but unlike Nicolas who was Telepathic/Telekinetic, Malice was telepathic/empathic, which allowed her a a small "back door" entrance to psi screened individuals in order to understand/possibly manipulate them. Malice could sense the HATRED Dominique had for Nicolas. it was so forcefull if it could be harnessed into a WEAPON...it could h ave smashed a house down. >>

<< the team was reunited and yet, the illusion/warped reality of Arklay still remained active. There were no creatures, no music either. And though she was not apart of the original Arklay caper, Firebird was prooving to be a much needed asset.>>

<< The team needed to find a way to get to the queens, or draw them out if they were hidden among the illusion. it was time to draw the line and make a stand rather than reacting all the time.>>


on Aerie

<< while Morgan remained at Minerva's mansion, talking with Delilah and Pandora and Ava and Alison continued to speak privately, Karen had agreed to take a walk with Mike on the shores of Aerie.>>

 

[Persephone]

:: What seemed like months of uncertainty and fear for Persephone, became a source of strength for the goddess after speaking with Alison. Perhaps it was because Alison could truly relate to what Ava had been through in the alternate timeline rather than hearing words of comfort and remorse from her other teammates. Perhaps Ava was finally allowing herself to FEEL the emotional strain of what she had been through. Whatever it was, she felt a weight lift off her. The sufficating self torture of trying to be 'strong' and avoid what had happened rather than confront it and defeat it. In some ways, Ava realized her TRUE weakness was not letting people in enough to help her. ::

:: After excusing herself to allow Alison to shower and change, Ava made her way through the rotunda to where she thought Morgan would be. Arriving at the closed bedroom door, Ava paused for a moment to try and think what to say. She was never good at apologise....hell, she couldn't remember the last time she actually admitted she was WRONG. Call it the curse of being a stubborn, bullheaded goddess, but it really did need to be done in these circumstances. ::

:: Gently tapping her knuckles against the wood door, Ava pressed her lips together hearing Morgan and Delilah conversing inside. ::

"Morgan...it's Ava, may I come in?"

 

[Shadow Weaver]

on Aerie

<< it was a lovely walk. the wind, the ocean air, the din of the waves...the natural wonder around them. after so many months living "in exile" on Aerie and recently spending more timat Minerva's Mansion, the Doctor had really found herself mellowing out at least in terms of her own outlook on her life. Memories of the past, mystech, christopher, and so many other things were now put in their proper place. Even the arrival of Firebird was warmly regarded by the doctor. She vowed that she would be kind and charitable to this alternate Blaze, making sure that the young woman had a mother figure if she needed it and she was also glad to see the effect Firebird's arrival to this timeline had on Morgan and the rest of the team.>>

<< Ava and Alison were awake, and very much down the road of recovery, things, on THIS end at least, seemed to be going well for The family of the Six. But then again, they werent aware of what the other four were facing at the Hellfire Club in NYC right now.>>

<< now, with Mike, the doctor was sitting on a large stone that seemed to be perfectly made for sitting on. She felt a little like Audrey Hepburn, posing on the french riviera. She was older than Mike but the young man demonstrated a maturity and understanding and charm that made him appealing to her. inspite of all the younger women in their midst, he showed affection to her. He tripped up a few times, as most men will do, but unlike some men, he was willing to admit his mistakes, and demonstrated a gentility that seemed to be lost on many men of "today's generation.">>

So, Doctor, I know you have lots to say about what has gone on between us lately. I want to take time to listen to you and talk about everything, because right now I miss that about us. We connected because we spoke to one another frankly, with emotion and respect for one another. I believe that we still have those feelings, but with everything that is going on I miss our talks. Please, take your time and let's talk a while.

Well, I havent been thrilled about you descision to go gallavanting off into the wildness of Aerie. With all that's happened...I just didnt think it was a good idea. You've been injured a few times...and now you have these...these WOLVES in our midst. The seem unpredictable a best. Not at all like Ava's panther or Haleigh's dogs. What if they attack Morgan's cats? what if they harm someone on Alison's staff here at the mansion?

I dont know what to make of your "journey of self discovery" and i guess that's ironic, considering I am a psycho therapist and i have encouraged people to do that very thing.

<< Karen speaks with clarity, with a hint of concern in her voice.>>

 

[Firebird]

Deeper within the HF Mansion

Turning to Nicolas, Blaze nodded slightly not knowing the full extent of his powers. "Very well then." Her words calm as she stood up.

For a moment, Blaze was quiet weighing Haleigh's words carefully. A frown would seep along her forehead. "If Dominique is behind these attacks, which there is a good chance it is who knows the abundance of information she has on the rest of us." Blaze didn't fully agree with Haleigh's methods at times, she felt that the team needed to be kept abreast on all fronts. Shaking her head in disagreement, Blaze let it go for the time being. Morgan did trust Haleigh's better judgement so would the fire elemental.

Turning their attention to the pitch darkness, Blaze's hand would raise to illuminate with a high-powered flame around the epidermis as they trudged along to find Sharon. What they found would be remains of zombie corpses.

Blaze moved closer to Sharon, her hand reached out to touch her shoulder. "Its alright, Sharon." Offering the woman a squeeze of support to her shoulder. "We all come face to face with our demons. We all do things for the greater good of man, remember that." The brunette could see Silver Swan seemed on edge even still. "Look at you, you kick some zombie ass and STILL manage to look good." Flashing her a playful smile to raise her spirits, Blaze stood beside Sharon for support even though the woman was tough as nails.

 

[Enchantrah]

"Well it seems like our Silver Swan has turned into a Blue Bird..."

Helena hissed as she watched Sharon cry over her son and husband yet again. For someone with such power to be reduced to a pile of running mascara and snot all because of images of man and child who have been dead for quite some time, was amusing to the red queen. Pouting playfully as she looked over at Malice, Helena waved her finger as a box of tissues dropped next to Sharon with a note reading:

"Cry me a river, build me a bridge....and jump little birdy. <3"

Smirking, Helena found so much joy in exploiting others emotions and traumas. It was a past time for her....like golf or knitting. Unlike Malice and Isis--who enjoy the kill above anything else--Enchantra loved to toy with her prey before ripping them of their dignity, then their lives.

"What a waste. She could of been a wonderful addition to the Hellfire Club...Not to mention a tremendous asset to us. [taking a sip of champagne, Helena shook her head, changing her mind] But then again, if she's going to cry over spilt milk, she's better off blubbering along side the six."

 

[Spellbinder]

Minerva's Mansion

<< Morgan had some time to herself. the first moment like this in a while but now that Alison and Ava were both awake and doing very well, the sorceress' job was not as demanding.>>

<< she sat in front of her crystal vanity, slowly brushing her blonde hair and looking at herself, THROUGH herself really. chimes played softly in the air as Tinkerbell and the kitten both lay on the large, plush king bed and Morgan hummed softly.>>

<< It had been a while since Morgan had to "prep" for a photo shoot, a fashion show, or some other media event. She'd been well out of the spotlight for months now and was deposed as the "world famous super model". It was a tremendous blow to her on many levels and only a precious few seemed to understand how bad it was for her. She was a supermodel BEFORE she was forced into the role of "superheroine" one role she releshed, the other one she stumbled her way through.>>

<< both Nicolas and most recently Ava had regarded her struggle with the loss of her career with varying degrees of dismissal or even worse, mockery. They didnt know how LUCKY they were that they werent dealing with the Morgan from the "Valiant" days...as one of them would have gotten their jaw broken and the other one wouldve been vaporized by an eldritch bolt. Morgan had come far, and yet, whenever she seemed to show signs of weakness, distress...someone ALWAYS managed to criticize her for it, somehow making her believe she was WRONG for being as Alycia would say "only human"...and they wondered why she had a heart of ice?>>

<< she'd been caring for Ava and Alison, and through it all, Ava went out of her way to make it difficult and thankless for borth Morgan AND Karen. Morgan was understanding of Ava's needless difficulty but as she sat in the room, had time to think , had time to REMEMBER that her thoughts were her own...she realized that she was NOT okay with Ava's attitude. NOT ANYMORE. Between her and Nicolas...SOMEONE was going to get told off...or worse. Did Ava think she was the ONLY ONE who had experienced a loss of control? >>

<< everytime she tried to show the part of herself that she kept hidden, it was either trampled on or taken lightly.>>

<< and so, as the woman sat and looked at h erself in the mirror, slowly brushing her hair....the chimes slowly faded away...to a soft rumble of limbo's thunder. her facial expression went from one of reflection to one of bitterness.>>

<< how fitting that at THAT moment, a knock at the door was heard.>>

"Morgan...it's Ava, may I come in?"

<< Morgan paused...hesitant to speak.>>

i'd rather you go away...go back to your own timeline.

<< Morgan kept her mouth closed as her mind screamed from hurt and resentment.>>

.....

yes. come in.

<< she said in an icy voice>>

 

[Persephone]

Minerva's mansion

:: Ava could tell from Morgan's tone that she wasn't welcome, but the witch offered to let her in anyhow. Opening the door slowly, Ava stepped inside, seeing Morgan's face through the mirror's reflection. Inhaling a deep breath through her nose, it was an awkward moment as she stood silently for a few seconds trying to shuffle through what exactly she was going to say. ::

"I'm sorry."

:: Not exactly the works of William Shakespear, but it got straight to the point. Closing her eyes, Ava cleared her throat preparing to dive further into her apology. ::

"Morgan....I know that i've been horrible to both you and Karen the past couple of days, and I....I truly am sorry for that. I just---I've always been the leader....I paved my own way through life...I controlled my destiny--my EVERYTHING....but when I was there...when I was in that timeline...[pausing, Ava cast her eyes to the floor, feeling them fill with tears] It was bad."

:: As her voice cracked, Ava nodded to herself to try and distract the fact that she was tearing up. Finally, she lifted her eyes to look at Morgan, composing herself once again. ::

"So when I woke up....my first reaction was to...get back that power they stole from me...because I felt weak and like a victim--which I hate mind you. So I blamed you. I wanted to yell and make you feel as worthless and defeated as I felt. But even then...I knew this wasn't your fault, Morgan. None of this was....and for me to say that...was wrong. I of all people know how your power works...I worked along side of Darkchilde for so many years; she was my closest friend. Just like my emotions are linked with my powers, your emotions are linked with yours. And I know you would never send me, and especially Alison, to a place like that.....but I just, I was being cruel because I felt horrible, so I wanted to make everyone else feel horrible too. I...I can't excuse the way I reacted because that was the only way I knew how to react at the time....but I can offer you my appologises...whether you take them or not, is up to you....But uhm..."

:: Pausing again, Ava was definitely not used to this whole 'emotional rollercoaster' she was currently on, so she gracefully wiped a couple of the tears that managed to fall onto her cheeks away before continuing. ::

"...I want you to know that I....I wouldn't of been able to survive the past couple of days if I didn't know that you and Karen were here to help me. I know I didn't show it...and I certainly didn't admit it, but it helped...SO much to know that I wasn't alone...I just wanted to let you know that..."

:: There was so much more she wanted to say, or even try to clarify, considering she wasn't exactly sure WHAT she had just said made any sense...but Ava decided to leave it at that and hope that Morgan understood why she had acted the way that she did and forgive her for it. ::

 

[Arsenal]

on Aerie

Well, I havent been thrilled about you descision to go gallavanting off into the wildness of Aerie. With all that's happened...I just didnt think it was a good idea. You've been injured a few times...and now you have these...these WOLVES in our midst. The seem unpredictable a best. Not at all like Ava's panther or Haleigh's dogs. What if they attack Morgan's cats? what if they harm someone on Alison's staff here at the mansion?

I dont know what to make of your "journey of self discovery" and i guess that's ironic, considering I am a psycho therapist and i have encouraged people to do that very thing.

Mike smiled in spite of himself as the sorceress spoke. He knew her pretty well and he was still surprised a bit by the depth of her feelings for him. He cleared his throat and responded.

I can understand how you feel about this. Believe me, it would be much easier to spend all day chasing you around.

He touches her face under the chin in an playfully affectionate gesture, exposing her neck. He loved to kiss her there, almost as much as she loved to be kissed there herself.:love10:

And it is definitely hard to go against your wishes, especially having to face you when you are upset or angry about what I am doing. That, in fact, is the hardest thing because the easy way is simply to make you happy, do exactly as you wish. But I no longer have the luxury of simply being Nic's driver and maybe your boyfriend one day, as I was not so long ago. My role with the team and my inability to walk away from any of you and this situation has left me in a position where I HAVE to be able to stand as my own person in this team, because this is all that I have.

I am HAPPY to be known as your man, or as Nic's friend, but I also need to know MYSELF as more than that, to have something, build something MORE while I am here. I promise I will be as careful as I can. I actually am safer than I have been in a while considering where I have been, especially with YOU watching over me. <<touches her face again, chuckling>>

I couldn't BE more safe. As for the wolves, I have experience both with wild animals and with dogs, so I feel good about them. Besides, they are smart as hell, I'll bet they get in line in NO time, especially since they seem to have imprinted on me a bit.

Look, Karen, just promise you will keep caring for me and about me and I PROMISE I will give you less to worry about, OK? I am getting stronger and faster out here, and I am developing skills I never knew I had. But it won't be worth it if you won't be by my side.

Mike hugs Karen tightly, looking into her eyes. She will notice that his body was much harder, stronger than before but he was just as gentle as ever...