The Wrath of Rose

[Steel]

Precinct 19

Steel sat on desk in the squadroom, listening nearby while the two patrolmen gave their statements about Rose. He held her file in his hands. The ONLY bright spot was that Rose had used her powers, and getting someone to believe that Rose had thrown a grown man across the room would not be easy for them. Still, if he could get the officers to amend their stories, that would make this whole thing a lot simpler. He told the officer taking the statement that he wished to speak to the two patrolmen, since their incident affected his witness. Steel made sure to take them into a box to do it, too, putting one in each room.

Steel sat across from the one who said Rose had attacked him, ankle balanced on his knee, head resting on his fist in a relaxed posture.

"So...explain to me why two police officers needed to accompany a CPS worker to an orphanage to remove a child? What was the basis for wasting taxpayer money like that?"

Officer: "Dennis - the CPS officer - had been attacked on a previous visit."

"That's strange - I see no report in the file to that effect."

Officer: "Uh, I guess he didn't file one."

"Then the NYPD shouldn't have had cause to send officers. That looks bad for the department, son."

He shook his head.

"Now, why don't you tell me what happened?"

Officer: "She threw me across the room!"

"Really, son? Cause I've seen the woman in question. She don't look like no bodybuilder."

He leaned forward.

"You sure it wasn't something else? An electric shock, maybe? Or maybe she was holding on to the boy, and accidentally pushed you when you took him from her?"

He looked the patrolman up and down.

"You don't look like you got hurt. I mean..."

He smiled, but there was no mirth to it.

"If I threw you across a room, you wouldn't get up so easily."

The patrolman said nothing, but looked very uncomfortable. John stood up, gathering the file from in front of him.

"I'll let you think about that."

He exited the room, ready to go warm up the other patrolman, when he noticed a familiar form. Rae, he thought her name was. He had seen her with Rose. She was arguing with one of the officers, trying to get past him.

Steel walked over to them.

"It's alright, sergeant, let her through."

She was agitated and started to argue with him, when he held up a hand.

"Rose is in my office, I'll take you to her."

 

[Orion]

Manhattan -- East Village, Altitude: 2,000 feet

The helicopter blades sliced the air, as the pilot smoothly flew the stealth attack chopper to the location Orion had given them. Civilians paid them no mind. Even if they HAD been visible, helicopters were a common enough sight in the city that hardly anybody noticed them anymore, and this particular model was one of the quieter ones, so it drew even less attention than most. Still, the co-pilot was monitoring the Active Camouflage Shield, watching the radar for other air traffic that might collide with them unknowingly, and listening to the radio frequency for any chatter that might indicate they'd been spotted.

In the back, the hostage extraction team were getting the game-plan straight from THE Orion, and they were all paying rapt attention. Not only was it rare to get to run an op with someone so high up in the company, but Orion had developed a legendary reputation during his 'glory days'. Plus, he had been with the Director for a very long time.

Zach laid it all out. When they got to the extraction zone, the helicopter would hover as low as practical. The door gunners would provide coverage in case there was any kind of hostile response on the ground. Four men would repel down, two to secure the immediate area around the car, one to deal with Nedry, and Zach himself, to get Jake. They'd drop smoke canisters when they were thirty feet from above the scene, to obscure their activity upon landing from the surrounding cars stuck in gridlock.

Hang in there buddy, I'm almost there.

Zach thought. He frowned, though, because it didn't feel right. The 'beacon' of Jake's emotional turmoil should be getting closer, but it felt like it was moving further West, and they were going East. Soon the helicopter stopped moving forward and transitioned to a hover, starting to drift down towards the car. The pilot's silky voice was in his helmet, saying they could repel at 500 feet, and that they had 45 seconds to prepare for their egress.

"No, Phoenix, this is wrong!"

He said, and then they were suddenly swamped in by fog. Zach was losing Jake, the sensation of his pain fading quickly. Someone was obscuring the boy's emotions from him. The pilots up front were unperturbed by the fog, and seemed to be doing just fine flying by reference to their instruments. The extraction team in the back were all checking their rappelling gear as if nothing was amiss. And then suddenly, the aircraft was climbing, and weaving through the buildings, which seemed to materialize quickly in the fog.

"Where are you going??"

Zach asked with mild alarm. The pilot's voice was calm.

Phoenix: I don't have a destination in mind, but apparently the autopilot does. I can't over-ride the controls either, which is strange. Thunder, pull the circuit breaker to disengage it.

Zach got a sinking feeling as he realized, before the pilots seemed to, that they were being commandeered. For a second, it looked like they were going to regain control. Phoenix sounded as confident and pleased as she felt.

Phoenix: Now, that's enough of your attitude, sweetheart.

She told the chopper when she took over again and they swayed as she adjusted their flight path. Then Zach sensed a spike in apprehension from both pilots simultaneously.

Phoenix: Oh, shit... now the displays have failed. And.... the controls are non-responsive. Try yours, Thunder.

Thunder: I've got the flight controls.

Phoenix: You have the flight controls.

Thunder: Negative, my controls are non-responsive as well.

"Prepare to bailout?"

Phoenix: Negative! We're too low to have time to deploy our chutes, and too high for the repelling ropes.

Thunder: We aren't going to crash, anyway... this bird's flying itself.

It was true. They'd risen above the buildings and started a smooth course. The next thing they knew, a helipad came out of the fog beneath them, with a lone figure standing on the edge, one hand raised in their direction. The chopper set down on the pad in front of her, the downwash of the blades blowing short blonde hair around wildly. Twenty feet was all that separated Zach from Haleigh, but it felt like twenty miles. The door gunner on this side took precautionary aim.

Haleigh: Don't do anything stupid.

Her voice was in their headsets.

Phoenix: Is that Black Widow??

Zach rose to his feet, his hands going to his helmet. He lifted it off, staring at her as the engine powered down. His pulse raced. Was she about to attack? There was a flicker of emotion from her, and then it was gone. She wasn't going to attack them.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, HALEIGH?!"

He shouted, his anger rising. Even if she wasn't striking, she was preventing him from rescuing Jake. There was a pang of regret from her, and it was powerful enough that Zach grimaced, but her expression never changed, and then the feeling was over, as quickly as a lightning strike. Her voice betrayed nothing.

Haleigh: Sorry, but Jake's got a court date he can't miss!

She said, and then disappeared, leaving them on the rooftop. Zach swore loudly in two different languages.

 

[Persephone]

The fog began to dissipate from around the city, the sun finally finding the concrete jungle once again. However, Persephone was gone from her position over 5th street, not sticking around to watch Haleigh take out Zach's chopper. Instead, she was contacted by Helena privately, sent to another task while Mystique took over the operation.

Blind them.

Her orders going beyond Zach and Clandestine. Persephone stood outside The Clocktower, the crackling of electricity coursing through the air. Just as Gabe was watching the chopper being pulled over to the Beekman Tower by Haleigh, a massive lightning bolt STRUCK The Clocktower, sending a massive electrical surge not only throughout the building, but throughout the entire city block. The block went into a total power outage, including The Clocktowers' computer systems. LUCKY for Gabe, the security features stayed in place due to the backup generator. However the computer systems automatically shut down in order to prevent 'frying' and losing data. He was now blind to help the Birds--at least for the time frame Helena needed.

>>Clocktower computer systems are down. I'm returning to Hellfire.

>>Well done, Rook. We'll let Mystique handle it from here.

With that, Persephone disappeared in a tornado of winds and returned to Hellfire.

 

[Cypher]

Gabe watched as the chopper Zach was on flickered into view. It had been in stealth mode, but for some reason it appeared in the sky; unbeknownst to him due to Black Widow. His eyes went back to the decoy car, three red dots and a green dot indicating that Jake and his handlers were still inside. But soon a dense fog began to roll in, enveloping the chopper and the car.

"Shit...shit shit shit shit shit--"

Despite the fog he could still see the chopper, the car, and the surrounding city with his computerized visual map of the feed, but the actual real life camera feeds were blocked out by the fog. He saw the chopper weaving in the air as it headed away from the car, Gabe's brows furrowing. But just as the chopper was hovering over the Beekman Tower, a massive CRACK and CRASH scared the living shit out of Gabe as he jumped back from the computer and the entire Clocktower went dark.

With wide eyes.

"SHIT."

But the backup generators IMMEDIATELY kicked in, the lights flickering back on and the security system auto relaying that it was running properly and on backup power generators. HOWEVER the computer system and monitors were black; a smart safety feature ANY tech would have. In order to prevent the loss of data and frying of the main motherboard, the computers would automatically shut down. Unfortunately that meant Gabe had to reboot everything, which made him BLIND to everything that was going on.

"FUCKING Hell."

He connected his com link to the other Birds.

>>The Clocktower systems were compromised. Security is holding strong, but i'll be blind for the next seven minutes while I reboot the system.

Private com link to Zach.

>>Orion, did you get Jake? The systems went down before I could see what happened.

 

[Jezebel]

:: Her day had gone from multiple orgasms with a devlishly rugged new fuck buddy to watching over the children in the orphanage, and the perversion of those two ideas made her laugh. She felt like she often did in church as a girl in Georgia - sitting there smiling and praising the lord as her father preached to the congregation, all the while with Billy Montgomery's hand placed strategically in her skirt. ::

"Goddammit I was trouble."

:: Rae sat at the edge of Jake's bed, with her hands on his legs as he slept. She was laying hands on the boy, channeling divine energy of healing and peace into the boy as he slept. Maybe she was getting a bit soft, and maybe she was deflecting a bit of her remorse at not taking care of her own son, but she liked Jake and wanted to help see him through this. Rae had always learned things the hard way, and that was her choice. She liked mess. She liked grit. But that way of learning about the world came at a cost. She had deeply held faith, but she had seen the darkest corners of the world. It hardened her. She was blunt, she was a realist..but there was a part of her that sometimes wished that she still had the stench of hope that children did. So she had somewhat imprinted on Jake out of guilt. ::

:: She smiled as she took a free hand and brushed some hair from his forehead smiling. ::

"I guess you ARE pretty cute."

:: Her eyes widened. ::

"Nedry!"

:: Almost as if on cue. ::

Katie: "RAE! RAE!!!!"

:: Katie ran into the room. She had had a flash. ::

"It's alright Katie. I promise. That piece of shit is gonna take this boy over my dead body."

:: Rae reached out to Rose psionically as Jake shoots up from the bed, crying out for Rose - who was there in a matter of moments, gathering the boy into her arms. Rae looked at Dennis Nedry's face as she stood up and strongly, peering at the man. ::

Rose: "Mr. Nedry. Jake is recovering from a TRAUMA at the hands of a woman that is STILL on the loose! Instead of HARRASSING ME and the children in my care, why aren't you assisting in making sure that woman does not make a SECOND try for this boy, or any of the other survivors in my care?"

"Because he's up to no good, darlin. THAT'S WHY"

Dennis: "I have an emergency order to take Jake into my custody due to the obvious abuse he suffered that landed him in the hospital and the subsequent lack of cooperation from you culminating in an assault on my person during my last visit."

:: Rose snatched the paper away from Nedry and handed it to Rae who promptly pulled out her lighter and torched it, throwing it at his feet. ::

Rose: "Mr. Nedry, what you're saying makes NO SENSE! And your allegations that these children are being abused in anyway are FALSE."

"And non substancial."

Rose: "You CANNOT remove Jake, he is NOT WELL ENOUGH to travel under such circumstances!"

:: The men lurched forward towards Jake. ::

"Back the fuck up, PIGS!"

:: She was attempting to strong arm the cops as they moved forward. ::

Rose: "STOP IT! You're HURTING HIM!"

Officer: "Ma'am...you need to STEP BACK!"

"And you need to get REAL if you think we are letting you take this boy!"

Rose: "RELEASE ME!"

"RELEASE HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

:: This was getting out of hand. Twenty years ago, she would have grabbed the cop's night stick and walloped all three of them RIGHT good, before robbing them all and going to Sizzler. But Jake had seen enough violence, and once again the system was trying to ensure that they would BREAK him before he reached adulthood. She backed down. It looked like Rose was about to catch charges and SOMEBODY needed to be a point person, ready with bail money. ::

Rose: "NEDRY! I WON'T STAND FOR THIS ANY LONGER!"

"Shit."

:: Rose was about to channel her psycho power on Nedry, which would only make things worse, as much as she wanted to see that little piggy FRY. She rushed in front of Rose and grabbed her by the arm FIRMLY. ::

"ROSE, DON'T! If you do that...you'll play RIGHT into his hands!"

:: curling her nose up in disgust. ::

"And I can only imagine where those hands have BEEN!"

:: And Rose was going to the slammer. Xavier showed up at the worst and best possible moment. She shot him a quick look. ::

"Road Runner! I'LL go with them. You know how to find me..now GO FIND ALYCIA, FIND SOMEBODY, Rose needs HELP!"

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

At the Precinct

"Let me through!"

Officer: "I'm sorry Ma'am, we can't do that."

"Don't you dare call me MA'AM, dick face! You pigs are all the same, you know that!? Holding a public servant hostage while private interests fill your pockets with blood money! Why don't you do something useful and STEP ASIDE?! Or better yet..why don't you take that pretty little PIGGY nose of yours, bend over..and EAT MY--"

Steel: "It's alright, sergeant, let her through."

:: She looked at the man. The very sexy, very fragile but also very muscley looking man and smiled. She saw him carrying a giant silver shield on his back. He was part of the Birds of Prey. Friend. ::

"You heard the fine piece of obsidian! Lemme through!"

:: Rae STRUTTED past the sergeant, before turning around making a face and doing a pig noise as she turned back to John. ::

Steel: "Rose is in my office, I'll take you to her."

"Thank you. Sorry to cause a scene, but..what these ASSHOLES have done today. Lookin' for TITS on an ANT! I swear!"

 

[Recall]

The Clocktower

:: The night had been a long one, but there had been progress made. Ashley had actually thanked Isis for healing Zach, which was a step in the right direction. Vivica had put in her two cents on all fronts. She had led the horses to water, but she couldn't make them drink, which was why she had remained silent during the entire fiasco that ensued the night before. Part of the problem here was that the roster of Birds of Prey was expanding which meant more voices and more opinions. Vivica didn't want to add to the fire - she had done enough. When the dust settled, Vivica found herself yet again exhausted, having been in overdrive for quite some time. She had decided to stay in one of the guest rooms of The Clocktower instead of going home, and she melted into the plush accommodations. ::

:: And then she slipped into a sleep coma. Flickering her eyes open, she looked at the clock - horrified to see that it was 10 o'clock in the morning, the latest she had ever slept in her entire life. But there seemed to be no sense of urgency this morning. No disaster to report - or at least she thought. Slipping into the shower unnoticed, she changed into a wife beater and some shorts with some combat boots, relieved to be at The Clocktower. She could relax, only a moment's notice away from the team should anything happen. She had removed her com link the night before and left her phone on the nightstand as she went about her morning routine of applying makeup and fixing her braids, tying them into a compact bun on the top of her head. She was just about to apply a coat of lip paint when the entire building was THROTTLED with a rumbling crack and CRASH as the lipstick hurled down the side of her cheek and the building went dark. ::

"SHIT!"

:: Rubbing her face clean for a second, she placed her com link in and grabbed her phone, running up the stairs and rounding the corner where Oracle was normally firmly planted only to find Gabe. ::

"What exactly did I miss and what the hell is going on Gabe?"

:: Vivica looked at the monitors which were in the process of rebooting as she heard Gabe come across the link. ::

>> The Clocktower systems were compromised. Security is holding strong, but I'll be blind for the next seven minutes while I reboot the system.

"That crash? Was it..Persephone!?"

:: Her eyes widened. ::

"Has Hellfire attacked again? Fuck! The one day I sleep in!"

:: She clicked her com link. ::

>> Recall active and ready to head into the field. Where do you need me?

 

[Rose]

Steel's office

"Sometimes Zach cares too much for his own good, but he does care. About that boy, about you, and your children."

And the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

<< Rose replied as she gazed upon Valkryie. What a curious creature SHE was. Such a glamorous facade, but a soul as ancient, and by now, as BLACK any she had encountered. Still, The woman CRAVED the trappings of the life mortals. Her recent soul ties to Zach Armani RADIATED to and from her physical form, but she was unaware, misinformed...and ultimately DOOMED.>>

"Zach doesn't understand why you would keep someone away who could help."

There is much that Zach CHOOSES not to understand, or LISTEN to, much that he CHOOSES not to see, including the face of EVIL...she calls herself, Haleigh Davidoff. He called her, his HEART, his soul SWAM through the DARKNESS of her soul, and he FREELY immersed himself in all that she was, no matter how DESTRUCTIVE it was.

This woman has MURDERED DOZENS of my children, and she tried to kidnap, then nearly MURDERED Jake, SHE walks free, while I sit here, and JAKE is in physical AND mental distress. SHE walks free, Valkyrie.

And HE does not believe that I deserve VENGEANCE!

You seek to advocate on his behalf. Who advocates for YOU when you have detractors pointing at you from all directions, HIM? Will he help you, the way he's helped JAKE?

He has recently established soul ties with YOU, but you do NOT have all of him. You NEVER WILL, and soon, he will be gone, SOONER than you dare suspect, and YOU will still be here.

<< Rose tilts her head slightly, gazing at Valkyrie with her purple eyes.>>

"Sometimes Zach cares too much for his own good..."

<< If Ashley thought Rose was saying these things to HURT her, she was mistaken. If she chose to lash out, rather than LISTEN, she would REGRET it.>>

"I'm sure there was a damn good reason. But he's here NOW. Isn't that what's important?"

There isn't, and no, it's not.

<< Rose said matter of factly>>

She thought about that for a moment. If someone killed Zizi. If someone killed Zach.

She leaned forward and looked Rose dead in the eye, responding with icy certainty.

"No place would make them safe from my vengeance."

And yet, Zach would see Haleigh Davidoff safe from MY vengeance.

If you value him, if you would wish to have meaningful impact in his life while you still have time, you will make SURE that he does NOT stand in the way of the VENGEANCE against Black Widow that I deserve.

<< and with that, she changes course, refusing to discuss Zach any further.>>

Jake has been brought to the courthouse.

I have managed to CALM him...but he is in physical pain, and my psionic suppression of it will only go so FAR before it causes unintended consequences for him.

<< she stands up>>

I've had enough of the foolish games of these men in their costumes (the police in their uniforms).

<< Rose was about to leave, by FORCE if necessary, when Steel and RAE showed up.>>

RAE!

<< The two women hug>>

Has there been any word about Alycia?

Jake is at the courthouse now? I've done what I can for him...but we need to put a STOP to this charade!

 

[Valkyrie]

Steel's Office - Precinct 19

There is much that Zach CHOOSES not to understand, or LISTEN to, much that he CHOOSES not to see, including the face of EVIL...she calls herself, Haleigh Davidoff. He called her, his HEART, his soul SWAM through the DARKNESS of her soul, and he FREELY immersed himself in all that she was, no matter how DESTRUCTIVE it was.

Ashley swallowed.

"That's over now."

This woman has MURDERED DOZENS of my children, and she tried to kidnap, then nearly MURDERED Jake, SHE walks free, while I sit here, and JAKE is in physical AND mental distress. SHE walks free, Valkyrie.

"We're working on that..."

And HE does not believe that I deserve VENGEANCE!

"He...he believes in everyone. But he will do what has to be done, in the end."

You seek to advocate on his behalf. Who advocates for YOU when you have detractors pointing at you from all directions, HIM? Will he help you, the way he's helped JAKE?

"He DOES. He's the only one who stood by me..."

He has recently established soul ties with YOU, but you do NOT have all of him. You NEVER WILL, and soon, he will be gone, SOONER than you dare suspect, and YOU will still be here.

Ashley just stood there, and stared at Rose. A coldness crept over her chest. And then panic. She knew it couldn't be forever. The here, the now, that was what she focused on. But Rose's words...for a moment she felt his loss as acutely as if it were happening right then. She had lost many, but none were like him. Not since she was human. She wouldn't survive it. Wouldn't.

She tilted her head, one eye narrowing as she appraised Rose.

"What did you mean...I don't have all of him?"

And yet, Zach would see Haleigh Davidoff safe from MY vengeance.

"She won't be safe from mine."

He had promised her. No one else gets hurt by them. Rose didn't know what she was saying; he would do what needed to be done. No matter how much it hurt him.

And it would hurt him.

If you value him, if you would wish to have meaningful impact in his life while you still have time, you will make SURE that he does NOT stand in the way of the VENGEANCE against Black Widow that I deserve.

The threat was there, under the surface. Anyone who got in the way would be forfeit. Including Zach.

Jake has been brought to the courthouse. I have managed to CALM him...but he is in physical pain, and my psionic suppression of it will only go so FAR before it causes unintended consequences for him. I've had enough of the foolish games of these men in their costumes (the police in their uniforms).

"Wait - you can't just leave."

A crazy ass looking woman was entering the room, and Ashley's eyes went behind her as Steel gave her a signal and was off again. Fuck. Him. Leaving her here with these lunatics. Crazy #2 was hugging Crazy #1. Great. They knew each other. But at least they weren't trying to leave now. Yet.

As the two of them canoodled, Ashley turned herself partly away from them, and shot a text to Zach.

>> Jake's at the courthouse.

 

[Steel]

Precinct 19 - Steel's Office

After a few more minutes, he returned to his office, to see a shaken up and somehow also perturbed Valkyrie standing watching Rae & Rose. What the hell could have happened in the short time he was gone? And then he remembered who he was talking about.

"Good news. I've managed to get you released with a warning. Since Nedry never filed a complaint the last time, he was not within his rights to have officers there to remove Jake. And the officers have since decided that they were just moved backwards by the act of taking Jake from you. You are free to go."

He looked from Rose to Rae.

"I'd be happy to take you wherever you'd like to go. Zizi is still working on getting Alycia to you."

Valkyrie: "Rose said they've taken Jake to the courthouse."

Steel nodded.

"My car's outside - I'll drive you there."

 

[Longshot]

Vanguard Headquarters

< It was a lot of money. And he had an idea of where it had come from. Xavier Winston. From the few stories he had heard at dinner, it was clear that Xavier fancied himself a bit of a Robin Hood. Simon faced a moral dilemma. This money had been earned on the blood of people in New York City and likely the world. It was dirty. It was filthy. And could Simon justify using that money to help get Vanguard off the ground? And if he didn't use it...all of this money would go to waste, and again...it was a lot of money. >

"Why did he do this for me...?"

< Taking this money would be a handout, something he vowed he would never do. Not using the money would be stupid. So he did of the only logical thing he could think of doing. His morning was spent getting the proper documentation, meeting with a few finance guys he had from his corporate day, and by late morning, he had officially established the "Vanguard Education Fund" - a modest but helpful scholarship fund open to young mutants interested in pursuing careers in public affairs and social services. He had a meeting with Alycia later in the day, and he needed SOMETHING he could show for all the work he had been doing in getting Vanguard off the ground. This way, he wouldn't be touching the money for personal gain, and it would go towards the education of the next generation of mutants preparing to fight the good fight. >

< He was having a far better morning than he had in ages. The dinner at Rose's had been energizing and renewing, and the small bit of funding he had gotten from a bank, before his parents black balled him, was allowing rennovation of his offices to move forward. Things were progressing and it felt good. As he began to to oversee the rennovation process, his phone rang. >

Rich: "Simon, this is Rich. Rose needs your help."

"I'll be right there."

< He took off towards The Sanctuary, hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. >

 

[Millennia]

The Hellfire Mansion - Bianca's Suite

Bianca awoke gasping for air. There was the flash of memory. Of suffocating. Pain. Then nothingness.

She sat up, choking down air, slinging her legs over the side of the bed. She looked down to see that she was covered in blood. And then she remembered.

"THAT BITCH!!"

Bianca's eyes narrowed, her breathing even heavier as she SEETHED.

"And she RUINED my DRESS!"

Bianca stood up and ripped the dress off her body. She went to the bathroom and wet a towel and began to clean herself off. She raised her wrist and spoke into the tiny receiver specially fitted to her Harry Winston bracelet.

"David, come to my suite immediately."

Her assistant was never far. Once she had slipped into a new dress, he had arrived and was knocking at the door. She sat at the small secretary, legs crossed at the ankles, and she called to him impatiently.

"Yes, yes, come in already, I need you."

She was writing on a personalized notecard embossed with her initials. Finishing, she put it into its envelope and sealed it, handing it to him.

"Take that to Alycia Barnett. Discreetly."

He nodded and left. She stared at her reflection in the looking glass situated on the top of the desk, and smiled.

"Oh, I am going to get you, you bitch. You have no idea what you've done."

 

[Artemis]

The Cell

"Pssh."

Zizi reached to hug Alycia.

:: The Amazon reached forward, and returned Zizi's embrace, squeezing her a bit to convey her sincerity, and in that moment..::

Gawd, I'm so sorry, Zizi!

:: Alycia shuddered with a mix of emotion and embarrassment::

I really have been going

it...but I shouldn't be lashing out at the people that I care about, my true friends.

"There's no need to be sorry. We've both been having a bad couple days. But mine got better, and yours will too. And I'm here for you, the way you were for me."

:: she sighed as she let go of Zizi and sat back, holding one of her friend's hands with her own.::

She looked into Alycia's eyes.

"And let Zach be your friend."

:: She returned Zizi's gaze. She loved Zach...the feelings she had for him developed over time, and were understandable...given their chemistry, all they'd been through/SURVIVED together, the nature of their working/personal relationship...they were both "only human..." and the heart wants what it wants. But for a woman like Alycia, this sort of thing was the next best thing to CHAOS, while she was a woman of ORDER. It seemed everytime she let herself get carried away on the winds of the affairs of the heart, she crashed into a wall. It was painful, HUMILIATING and the timing of everything that happened with Cameron, Haleigh and Zach was just TOO MUCH for her.::

:: She'd PUNISHED him, but something in her stopped her from physically attacking him when it mattered the most, and Zach knew what she, in that moment, tried to forget. He proved it, and he no loner deserved her resentment, or her scorn.::

....I will.

:: She said, softly.::

When you talk about embarrassment...you weren't alone in that. Now you know mine.

:: she squeezed Zizi's hand.::

And it isn't EASY for you to see me this way, or to have told you these things. But you're not my hostile defendant in a criminal investigation, you haven't been that girl in a LONG time. It's RARE...almost UNHEARD of...for an ADA to ever have contact with someone she dealt with in the legal setting, let alone to become FRIENDS with them. But as with so many other things regarding you, this was a special "first." for me. One that I do NOT regret.

:: Alycia wipes away some of the tears from her face::

Thank you...for this moment.

:: Isis affirmed Zizi's support of Alycia, and it appeared that she had reached Sharon, and broken her out of her tribal mode that she was in. The sorceress reminded them about NEDRY....and Alycia, NOW fully aligned in her mind and soul again...stood up.::

Great HERA!

I've been SO UPSET...so LOST in my own despair...that I...I didn't even FINISH what i was trying to DO here!

:: She looked at Sharon, and then back at Zizi and Dominique.::

I....Sharon and I...some TERRIBLE things happened to us here. But I've managed to "keep an eye" on this place ever since Riley was destroyed. No one would ever think to look for me HERE....or so I thought

:: Glancing at Isis, and smiling a bit::

I came here today because I thought If I could....sift through whatever of mystech's old data base was in tact...

:: she threw her hands up in the air.::

Oh...who am I kidding! I got this damned machine powered up with my divine lightning...but i'm an interpreter of the law, not a computer genius. I managed to find files on MYSELF, SHARON, and a few others...but there's no way for ME to get further into this system...all I've done is waste more time...and I STILL don't have enough to....

:: ROSE! What was she going to do now!? NOW that SHE was back "online"...her mind began to race for an option, no matter how creative, if nothing else, she could STALL Nedry and whatever court proceedings...but...::

You have so many other people working for you, who want to help you."

She held up the flash drive again.

"Gabe only met you two days ago and he knows what kind of person you are, will do whatever he can for you. He's found so much on Nedry already."

:: Alycia stared at the flash drive...::

Gabe?

:: she reached out and took it from Zizi's hand.::

May Athena smile on that boy...

"Alycia. Neither Dominique nor I have ever lied to you. We are your friends."

:: Nodding::

Thank you. BOTH of you.

I know what I can do....to buy Rose, and US some time, and this will will help me!

Isis: Richard, Xavier, Andrew, along with Simon and Danny are at the Sanctuary. John and Ashley went to help Rose at the precinct. YOU, Alycia are needed at the courthouse.

:: Even flying in DOME would take precious MINUTES that could not be spared::

Isis: I can get us ALL there easily...

Sharon: Alycia, disengage the power of your lightning , so that this place goes completely dark again. We don't want anyone else using it.

:: and with that, the gathered around Isis::

Alycia: I can't go to court looking like this.

Isis: I'll take care of that. Let us be on our way!

:: The sorceress weaves her spell, and they are enveloped in a golden ball of light that immediately shrinks down to the size of a "will'o the wisp" and ZIPS away, and "The Cell" once again goes DARK.::

 

[Citadel]

Gleason's Gym - Brooklyn

:: Danny was sweating. Right cross. Left hook. Right cross. Kick. Jab. Right uppercut. Left Hook. Right hand. A shirtless Danny bounced back and forthe in Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn in front of a boxing bag, doing a number combos. Growing up he had loved boxing, even entering a number of amateur boxing matches. He did okay, but mostly he just loved the sport for the thrill of it. It helped him keep his focus, bounce out any unsavories from his bar, and he also liked how it made the boys look at his abs. ::

:: After a few more moments, he grabbed a towel and wiped his sweat soaked face and the rest of his chest before swinging the towel over his shoulders, heading towards the showers. After cleaning off, he unlocked his locker and pulled out his gym bag just as he was receiving a phone call. Glancing at the number he didn't recognize but answered anyway because that was the kind of guy that he was. ::

"Hello?"

Rich: "Look, you don't really know me but I know that you are close to Rose. My name is Richard Martin and I am with the Birds of Prey. Rose has been arrested and Jake was taken into custody this morning. Three of us are here to watch the remaining kids and I was asked to contact you to help."

"Wait what!? Rose. Jake!"

:: He threw his clothes on, immediately reaching out with his powers to get the exact physical address of both Rose and Jake. He didn't know what kind of case Alycia was going to bring against Nedry, but he knew that there was little time. That was where he COULD help. Squinting his eyes for a moment, they began to glow a flickering yellow as he put his focus on the courthouse. He asked the city for help and it responded. The courthouse where they were about to try and remove Jake from Rose's custody would find any number of things to be going wrong. Pipes bursting on the third floor, flooding the bathroom, the floors becoming weakened for a moment. Rats would find their way through the walls. All of it was a very subtle manifestation of his ability. It wasn't total chaos, but it was DEFINITELY slowing things down to a snail's place at the courthouse as people began to scramble to try and solve these pressing issues, pushing things back a bit and giving everyone on the Birds of Prey time to try and figure out how to fix this. Worse case scenario, he could call in a favor and have the building shut down for not being up to code. ::

:: Once outside the gym, Danny dissappeared in an alley immediately reappearing in front of the orphanage. Doing a mental scan, he put the entire city block on HIGH security and alert. Any intrusion. ANY disturbance, he would be immediately aware of. There would be no easy escape or entrance into the area. He entered the Orphanage to find all the men taking care of the children. He cracked a wicked smile. ::

"Well if this ain't a feminist's dream I don't know what is."

 

[Dennis Nedry]

COURTHOUSE
​

And in record time! The kid was delivered and sitting with a CPS assistant. Dennis was chilling, gloating in how well the plan went inside when he was messaged by a courier of the Red Queen herself!!

Standing quickly, he turned to the assistant.

You better not lose that kid, you hear me?! I will be right back.

What could be waiting for him? Perhaps that dark haired Rook to pinch his prick. But no, everybody knows by now that the Knight will kill you if you touch that, even though she apparently has a turnstile on it and admission is free and easy. But she might have sent one of her legendary messengers: pretty, young, eager to please and morally deficient. Dennis walked to one of the meeting rooms to get his next instructions, dreaming of mounting a girl out of his league in the no-no hole from behind in a broom closet in the most famous municipal courthouse in the world.

​

 

[Jezebel]

Precinct

Rose: "RAE!"

:: The two embraced in a warm and deep hug. ::

"Look at you Rosie! I never thought I'd EVER see the day you'd get taken out in handcuffs..and I gotta say..I'm damn proud of you, baby girl!"

Rose: "Has there been any word about Alycia?"

:: She furrowed her brow. ::

"Uh..not that I'm aware of, but what do I know? I've spent the last twenty minutes yelling at a number of people to get to you, so there could be something I don't know."

:: Her eyes met Ashley's for a quick second. Her energy was undeniable. An old and powerful soul with a bright fire and a dark and highly complex nature. Rae was a mystic able to connect to a number of pantheons and interact with deities and ascended masters. She immediately felt Odin's presence and could see Ashley holding a giant shield on her back. In fact, she was able to see Ashley as she was in her days as a Valkyrie, and it was incredible. ::

:: The next flash was a rather graphic image of Ashley sitting at a table, a bloody and beating heart on a stark white plate, with a fork and a knife flanking it. She watched as Ashley methodically and delicately ate her own heart. This woman had been through one hell of a run, but she could see the kiss of Odin on Valkyrie's cheek. She had mostly encountered the greek, egyptian and christian pantheons. This was a new energy and feeling altogether, and it was pretty fuckin' cool. ::

:: Plus from the icy stare she was giving both of them, it was clear that Ashley was a bitch, which immediately made Rae respect her a little more. ::

:: She wanted to prod this icy norse bitch a bit and see what happened, but Steel reappeared. ::

"Damn, it never gets old lookin' at him."

Steel: "Good news. I've managed to get you released with a warning. Since Nedry never filed a complaint the last time, he was not within his rights to have officers there to remove Jake. And the officers ave since decided that they were just moved backwards by the act of talking Jake from you. You are free to go."

:: Rae laughed. ::

"Just decided? Honey, what did you do to them?"

"And can I see you do it again...with your shirt off. Mmm. That reminds me, I should text Ramsey."

Steel: "I'd be happy to take you wherever you'd like to go. Zizi is still working on getting Alycia to you."

Valkyrie: "Rose said they've taken Jake to the courthouse."

Steel: "My car's outside - I'll drive you there."

"Shotgun."

:: She winked at Steel. ::

 

[Oracle]

The Cell

And it isn't EASY for you to see me this way, or to have told you these things. But you're not my hostile defendant in a criminal investigation, you haven't been that girl in a LONG time. It's RARE...almost UNHEARD of...for an ADA to ever have contact with someone she dealt with in the legal setting, let alone to become FRIENDS with them. But as with so many other things regarding you, this was a special "first." for me. One that I do NOT regret.

"I'm almost glad I was caught all those years ago. Almost."

She winked at Alycia. In truth, she was glad. It had changed her life, and for the better.

Oh...who am I kidding! I got this damned machine powered up with my divine lightning...but i'm an interpreter of the law, not a computer genius. I managed to find files on MYSELF, SHARON, and a few others...but there's no way for ME to get further into this system...all I've done is waste more time...and I STILL don't have enough to....

She showed Alycia the flash drive, told her what Gabe had accomplished.

Gabe? May Athena smile on that boy...

Zizi smiled.

"Your lips to a goddess' ear."

Alycia was back in gear, and ready to take charge. Isis prepared to take them all to the courthouse, where apparently little Jake was now. She prayed Steel had been able to do something to help Rose. Suddenly, Gabe was in her ear. His voice was strangely soothing after the tense conversation she'd just been through, despite the subject matter he was talking about.

>>The Clocktower systems were compromised. Security is holding strong, but i'll be blind for the next seven minutes while I reboot the system.

Compromised? What does that mean?!

[via com] "You've got this Cypher, you're doing great. Everyone lets talk out there, Clocktower is blind."

>> Recall active and ready to head into the field. Where do you need me?

[via com] "Head to the Courthouse. God knows we could use all the friendly faces we can get."

And then she found herself enveloped in an orb of bright golden light, and it was amazing.

 

[Seer]

<< And So>>

<< Steel drives Rose, Rae and Ashley to the courthouse. Ashley and Steel escort the two women to one of the sound blocked attorney conference rooms. Once again, he left Ashley with the omega level psi and her mysterious ally, as he stepped out, to try and make contact with Oracle.>>

<< And speaking of Zizi, she, Sharon, Alycia and Dominique appear at the top of the front steps of the court house! When Steel and she make contact, he rushes out side, relieved to find that she and Isis were successful in finding Alycia. >>

<< Alycia needed to change, and Isis would help her with that. She still had connections at the courthouse, and had access to one of the well furnished, large ancillary offices. Dominique went with her, while Steel took Sharon and Zizi to another sound blocked attorney conference room so that Zizi could make contact with the "Birds" at the Sanctuary, as well as Gabe and Zizi at the clocktower. She wanted Vivica at the courthouse, as well as Tachyon. Her instincts told her that they would be needed. She couldn't yet know how RIGHT she was.>>

<< Soon, Dominique was waiting outside of the ancillary office. She'd already used her magicks to restore and refresh Alycia, now the amazon was changing into court appropriate attire that Isis had magicked up for her. >>

<< They found that they had a bit of a BUFFER, GSA was running rampant throuthout the court, due to a sudden, and totally unexplainable series of structural "MISHAPS" happening all around the building, on various floors, the nature of them was TOO MUCH to be a mere coincidence. Something...or SOMEONE was tampering with the courthouse itself on a massive level, and the resulting confusion and chaos was causing some evacuation of non essential personnel, the closing of various courtrooms and floors, mass cancellation of dockets and the like. DANNY had given Alycia one HELL of a time buffer without even knowing it!>>

<< The office she was in, was unaffected, thankfully, and she had tech with her, courtesy of oracle that allow her to view and pour over the contents of the flash drive. It might not be the SMOKING GUN she needed, but it was PLENTY to ensure she could get this hearing POSTPONED, AND negotiate Jake being placed with in a SAFE HOUSE, allowing visitation until the formal hearing, and that SAFE HOUSE would be ZACH. Rose might be furious with her, but she would make her friend understand the practicality of this move for Jake's sake, as well as TRIPPING Nedry up.>>

<< Alycia had gone into battle against tough odds before, this would be no different, and now? she was ready to fight, and WIN.>>

<< Dominique sat outside the ancillary office. Many others had already left the building, and there was no one else around on this floor, or so she thought...>>

<< While she waited, she took a moment to check in with Richard. She used her own "hearing thoughts spell" to communicate with him.>>



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

<<At the same time>>

<< Nedry had left Jake alone, in the cold victim-witness waiting room. It was hardly a comfortable place for an adult, let alone a child. But Rose had "stayed" with him in a way that neither Nedry, or his goons, could effect! And now, her presence seemed that much stronger for him. He didn't KNOW she was now in the same building as he was. She was so close, yet still so far...for NOW. But in this moment? He'd find another welcomed, comforting face in front of him...>>

 

[Matrix]

>>The Clocktower systems were compromised. Security is holding strong, but i'll be blind for the next seven minutes while I reboot the system.

What the fu-

I look at the kids and decide not to teach them any new words.

What the fudge is going on over there? Are you OK, Gabe?

He entered the Orphanage to find all the men taking care of the children. He cracked a wicked smile. ::

"Well if this ain't a feminist's dream I don't know what is."

Before I even thought about it, I put both babies in my left arm as I widened it and twisted it behind my back, shielding them as my right arm turned into a MKA 1919 Match Combat Tactical Shotgun.

Xavier: Rich! That is Danny.

I turned my hand back and brought the babies back around.

Oh, OK. People better start announcing ish in here. I am on EDGE right now. My bad, Danny.

I smelled a pooh on a toddler that ran past and I grimaced. Time to get back to work. I motioned to Danny.

Watch these. I have to change this one.

I pulled out the bag and grabbed the powder, a diaper and some wipes. Nedry was dying tonight. Real talk.

 

[Millennia]

The Courthouse

David had found out that Alycia Barnett had arrived at the Courthouse, but he had been unable to gain access to the room where she was at the moment. Well this was just great. Who did this bitch think she was? Beyoncé? Bianca would just have to go to her herself, because she was not ABOUT to sit around and wait for Miss out of work ADA to be available. People waited to see BIANCA, not the other way around.

Her driver was at the ready, Bianca picked up her bag and headed out of the mansion. They made it downtown in record time, as everyone made way for HER. She instructed the driver to pull around the block, and Bianca was able to easily slip into the courthouse undetected. It was easy to find her, with all her minions buzzing about. Bianca moved right past them without even being noticed, and finally stood in the room where Alycia was prepping. Bianca stared at Alycia for a long moment, contemplating if she really wanted to do this. Then an image of Persephone entered her consciousness and she had a vision of stabbing her in the face with a corkscrew. Bianca smiled, and made herself visible in the room.

"Alycia Barnett."

Bianca walked forward, towards her.

"I sent my assistant ahead to set up a meeting location, but he had trouble getting past your...circus."

She waved her hand absentmindedly in the air.

"I was forced to come to you myself."

She sighed, as if to underscore the effort that such a thing had taken.

"I've given some thought to your...predicament."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a file folder.

"Your little nuisance is quite a disturbed piece of garbage. The Red Queen is all over this guy. As I'm sure you suspected, Nedry's membership in the Hellfire Club is a buy off for the use of his services."

Bianca clucked her tongue.

"It's disgusting. Letting someone like that in the club for any reason is just...dereliction of duty. I mean, she allowed him to attend the past two Blackout Parties. Can you imagine?"

She shuddered.

"In return for doing her bidding, Helena allows him to satisfy his perverse sexual appetites within the walls of the Mansion. It seems that several of his "playmates" have never been heard from again."

She looked at Alycia for a second, and then leaned in and whispered, as if Alycia needed it dumbed down for her.

"Because they're dead."

Bianca straightened up again, and continued, opening the folder and glancing at it.

"Oh and this part's quite good: Nedry made sure that several orphaned children never made it to your friend Rose's care - they ended up in the new Black Queen's lab instead. Charming, isn't it?"

Bianca crossed her arms, holding one elbow with her other hand, and dangled the folder in front of Alycia.

"The proof is right here...if you'll do me one-"

She raised her hand and pinched her fingers together.

"Tiny..favor...in return."

Bianca's smile was replaced by a sneer, her eyes becoming stone cold, as she leaned in towards Alycia.

"I want you to kill Ava Cassadine."

 

[Steel]

The Courthouse

Steel parked down at the Courts, using his police placard to park on the street right outside. He and Ashley quickly ushered Rose and Rae up the steps and inside, stationing them in one of the conference rooms.

"Stay with them, Ash - I'm going to see if I can contact Zizi and find out where the hell Alycia is."

Once he was outside the conference room, he activated his com to Zizi.

[via com] "Steel to Oracle, are you reading me?"

Oracle: "Go ahead, Steel."

[via com] "I'm at the Courts, where are you guys?"

Oracle: "That's terrific - we've just arrived. I'm on the front steps, and I have Charope with me, as well as Isis and Silver Swan."

[via com] "I'll be there in one minute."

He made his way back outside and immediately saw Zizi and grinned.

"Thank god you're here. I have Rose and Rae in a conference room. Let's get you all inside."

Isis and Alycia went to prep for the proceedings, while he showed Sharon & Zizi to another conference room.