The Wrath of Rose

[Jezebel]

All Seems Lost...

"I knew I shoulda pulled her ass out of here and taken her with ME!"

:: Rae thought to herself as she made her way into the courtroom, fighting ever fiber in her being that told her something very bad was about to happen. She saw a rabbit in a hat, a two souled women, that PIG from HELL, Dennis Nedry..all prepared to dance in the flames and fan them straight at Rose. But what else could she do? This was part of the reason Rae shucked a lot of responsibility in her life. Rae liked to know that if she WANTED to run...she COULD. But that wasn't Rose - she had dug into life, made so many connections, had so much responsibility to the kids and the people around her. Rae was a good person...but she just wasn't that GOOD. ::

:: This needed to be seen through, that much Rae could discern when she separated her own fear from the visions she was seeing. She didn't have the understanding just yet, but she was right. Rae took a defensive stance and sat near the back of one of the pews, in a close path to Rose and and equally close path to signal Xavier should the threee of them need a quick escape. She enjoyed these Birds of Prey, but she didn't care about them like she cared about Rose, and though she might regret it later, she was fully prepared to leave them all behind if it meant saving her, Rose and those children. ::

:: The proceeding happened as anticipated. Dennis Nedry acted as if on his BEST behavior when everybody knew he was more crooked than Penny Lou Freebush's teeth (Rae's cousin, twice removed). The judge was most certainly evil, and powerful. Demented even. She saw a bird rocking a small cradle in a large tree at night. This woman, her origin was mysterious and dark. Complex. Alycia Barnett, was a goddamn beautiful and brilliant son of a bitch. Rae was a bit envious - she came from a VERY impoverished background. Never had much of a formal education. For a moment...even a woman Rae's age couldn't help but wish she could have been the kind of woman Alycia Barnett was. Though they would never admit it. ::

:: But this judge was in league with Nedry and she wasn't watched she seemed, and unfortunately, the judge knew exactly what to say to stoke the fires in both Rose AND Alycia and before Rae knew it she was in the middle of a goddamn battle as the judge revealed herself to be The Black Queen of The Hellfire Club and Rose murdered Nedry on the spot. The amount of psychic energy that Rose was channeling in this moment was causing quite a "chaotic feedback" in Rae, a woman very sensitive to those kinds of psychic presentations. ::

"Get it TOGETHER, Rae Ann! You're stronger than this shit!"

:: Being the kind of medium that she was, Rae had a number of psychic defenses about her that would make it hard for even high level telepaths to probe her, and so she used those defenses to push back against the feedback Rose was giving her, but it was too late. She wasn't paying attention to anything else. She could only watch Rose in horror. ::

Rose: "I AM NOT RAGE, LITTLE ONE, I AM THE VOID THAT SWALLOWS HOPE AND DIRECTION. I AM THE ABSENCE OF LOVE AND ALL THAT COMES FROM IT. I AM WITHOUT LIMIT, AND I CONSUME WITHOUT RESTRAINT! WITH EVERY LOSS, EVERY ACT OF BETRAYAL AND JUDGEMENT THAT ROSE ENDURED, THE BINDS SHE'D PLACED ON ME WERE WEAKENED. NOW, AT LONG LAST, I AM FREE! THROUGH THIS WOMAN, AND THIS BODY, I WILL DESTROY ALL THAT I SEE! YOU. ARE. NOT. READY."

:: A black tear fell from Rae's eye. ::

"Oh baby girl..goddamn...I FAILED you."

:: She felt so ANGRY at those around her. How could they know a woman like Rose and not know she was as deep as the ocean?! How could they not have known something was going ON! Rae was only ONE PERSON! She felt regret and and anger. These people, all of their agendas were so MURKY, so convaluted and STUPID! They weren't COMPLEX. It was a full on CANNIBAL act and it made Rae sick. Rose was a pawn, a piece on a chessboard and in a vision Rae finally saw that chess board and it's pieces VERY clear..in fact her vision made her know that is was CRYSTALINE clear. ::

:: Rae felt paralyzed. How could she fix this? The Unloved had BONDED itself to the girl in such a deep way. Rae Ann Reynolds was one fantastic exorcist, but she specialized in the undead! She had LITERALLY been from hell to back...MANY times, but on the Astral Plane? Although exponentially more powerful, she didn't know the full scope of the rules there? If she found herself without the right support, she would die..but if she didn't do SOMETHING...she would DIE. Even somebody as rough as Rae wanted to live. In her brain she heard a loud and BOOMING toll of a giant bell. Somebody was coming. ::

ORION!

:: Orion is TELEBLINKED from Rose's grasp, and reappears before the form the newly arrived Harbinger! He falls into the arms of Shadow Weaver! Both witches appear in their latest costumes, and look very stern. ::

:: Harbinger stands, with her Time Staff in hand, and the garnet jewel in the crown of the time staff begins to hum and glow, buillding in intensity, until...::


HALT!

:: And as the keeper of time commands, there is a CRASH, and the mournful toll of tower bell is heard as TIME STOPS::

:: Rae had seem suck incredible shit in her days, but this was impressive. From total and complete chaos..to STILLNESS. ::

"Thank GOD! A moment of PEACE!"

:: This woman with the blue/black hair was INCREDIBLY beautiful and powerful...as HELL. Rae felt drawn to her. This was the woman she needed and, thankfully for her, the Harbinger of TIME seemed to agree with her as she spoke. ::

Shadow Weaver: His BODY is restored, but he is STILL in the clutches of the conflict with Rose/the Unloved on the astral plane.

:: Rae's eyes widened for a moment as an older blonde woman spoke. Rae recognized the woman's voice immediately - it was so distinctive. ::

"Dr. Victoria?!"

:: Immediately Rae was taken back to her days as consultant at Westin Hills. She quickly shook her head. She would make sure to catch up with this woman before the night was over, but for now, it seemed as if she was poised to help do what needed to be done. The moment was ironic to Rae for reasons that were her own. ::

<< Rae is TELEBLINKED from where she's standing, over to the witches side.>>

Harbinger: The danger is not over. PHYSICALLY, you're all ALIVE, and I've stopped time all around us. But the conflict still rages on the Astral plane, a place where NONE of you, save Rae Reynolds, and Isis, are qualified to assist. The TRUE enemy is not Rose, but rather the psionic entity that has been stalking her since shortly after she was born, the UNLOVED. She faced it once before, and defeated it, but finding that she could not KILL it, she resorted to imprisoning it DEEP within HER OWN being with her SOUL POWER, so that no one else would EVER face the kind of fear, the pain, and LOSS that it brought to HER. But from that moment, up till recent events, that burden has required her to tap into her PSYCHO power, and the binds have grown weaker with each loss, each setback, each time she was judged, mistreated, abused, betrayed. The Hellfire Club's campaign of harrassment, Black Widow's attack on her sanctuary, and the near death of Jake, Zach's neglect, and this attempt to seperate her children from her...all of these things pushed her over the edge.

Shadow Weaver: Harbinger, myself, and Rae will go to the astral plane, to save Orion, and EXORCISE the Unloved from Rose's being.

Harbinger: Isis, your help would be valuable, but you're needed HERE in the physical realm. The Unloved has added Rose's soul AND psycho power to it's repertoire and now has the SAME command of the astral plane's power as SHE does. IF we fail, ISIS, you are now restored, and you must use your magicks get your team OUT of here. I've already contacted Spellbinder , Prophet, and Rampage, and they will be READY to step in...pick up where WE left off...IF it comes to that.

"We ain't failing, Riannon. Don't you worry."

:: She said. The hallmark of the Fleetwood Mac song seemed appropriate for this woman. She turned her eyes and took a good look at Karen Victoria, a little bemused and cheeky. Part of her hated that she still looked so good, and part of her knew that the reason she looked like that was because she was just as powerful, if not more so than Rae. They were two old BITCHES. ::

"Been a long time, Doctor. You look fuckin' fantastic. Now...let's save this poor child, shall we?"

:: She turned her light brown eyes towards Harbinger. ::

"Whenever you're ready, dark lady."

 

[Seer]

The astral plane

<< Rose/The Unloved holds Zach by his wrists, much like she did Valkyrie. She is CRUSHING Zach's astral form, and DRAINING his soul. Her astral form, normally purple in color, is now WHITE, with the Unloved's flickering form all around her, and as her hair flowed upward, her face now bears the Unloved's features.>>

Rose/The Unloved: You thought you were BETTER than her. You LOATHED her, just like all the others, and she was WEAK. She HOPED that by continuing to DO, to GIVE, to SACRIFICE that people like YOU would COME AROUND to her, and ACCEPT her. She wanted to be LOVED by weak, pathetic WRETCHES like you, but now she knows that your pathetic, FAILING emotions are NOT what she needs. She has MORE POWER than she could imagine, she NEVER understood how SPECIAL she was from BIRTH. She WASTED her time caring for these weak children, and trying to prove herself to people like YOU, but NOW she's LET GO of the restraints, and given herself to ME...and what I...WE want..is to DESTROY EVERYTHING, starting with YOU! You will PAY for your arrogance, your COWARDICE, your HYPOCRISY and then EVERYONE ELSE will too! WE WILL HAVE OUR VENGEANCE!

<< Her laughter is like thunder across the astral plane, which itself is now in the midst of a "STORM", as it bends, warps, and sways to the chaos that is her PSYCHO POWER.>>


<< Across the way, THREE distinct forms begin to appear, their color signatures indicate them to be Harbinger, Shadow Weaver, and Jezebell. Harbinger had already communicated to Shadow Weaver, and Jezebell where they needed to be. Her own task would be to get Zach away from Rose/The Unloved's grasp and protect him long enough...and so, as she has so many times before, she went forward, while Shadow Weaver, and Jezebell waited for their cues.>>

<< Karen took a moment to look at Rae, they could see and perceive each other clearly, just as they did in waking/physical reality. Rae had already spoken to her before they arrived here. Karen hadn't seen this woman in quite some time, not since the days of WESTIN HILLS, when Karen AND Christopher were both young doctors at the facility, that turned out to be one of MANY mystech strong holds. NEITHER of them imagined, even in their wildest scenarios, that their reunion would occurr like THIS! But any further attention to that would have come AFTER this pressing moment at hand, should they SURVIVE.>>

 

[Harbinger]

From the courthouse, to the astral plane

:: Rae was ready to assist. A good sign!::

:: Oracle handled the information she provided well enough, considering all she'd just been through.::

Oracle nodded.

"Save them both. We will do what we can, here - for as long as we can."

She looked to Isis and Sharon, then back to the witches in front of her.

"Godspeed."

:: Harbinger nodded with reassurance as Shadow Weaver and Jezebel formed on her::

"Shhh...Ashley...let them be, let them help Zach..."

He turned, and spoke solemnly to Harbinger, Rae and Shadow Weaver.

"Please save him."

We'll do what we can, for BOTH of them. Just be ready...

:: Steel did his best to steady to Ashley. It was an odd thing, to see THIS woman be so beside herself over Zach. For as long as Alison had known Zach, he was tied to Haleigh. He had become a trusted ally to the Six. He was with them in the dark period after Sharon and Morgan's "deaths" but now, that relationship was no more, and here he was...apparently tied to HER. In less pressing times, Alison would scan the future, and THEIR time threads, to see if this was destined to last. ::

:: She looked at the Amazons. Alycia was shaken, and both she and Sharon were visibly distressed over Rose. She silently wished she could reassure them, but nothing in this moment was guaranteed.::

Let's go.

:: she holds up her time staff, and a BLUE pentagram snaps open beneath the three women and begins to spin, faster and faster, as the three women are surrounded by swirling, dark glowing orbs that swirl around them faster and faster, until they all VANISH, and reappear on the astral plane, where they see Orion locked in brutal conflict with Rose/The Unloved::

Shadow Weaver: By the dark moon!

Harbinger: She'll kill him, she'll leave NOTHING of him , and his body will be nothing but a mindless shell, if we don't stop this!

:: The precog communicates the plan to Shadow Weaver and Jezebel, and they move into action, with Harbinger shimmering into view at another position::

Rose/The Unloved: You thought you were BETTER than her. You LOATHED her, just like all the others, and she was WEAK. She HOPED that by continuing to DO, to GIVE, to SACRIFICE that people like YOU would COME AROUND to her, and ACCEPT her. She wanted to be LOVED by weak, pathetic WRETCHES like you, but now she knows that your pathetic, FAILING emotions are NOT what she needs. She has MORE POWER than she could imagine, she NEVER understood how SPECIAL she was from BIRTH. She WASTED her time caring for these weak children, and trying to prove herself to people like YOU, but NOW she's LET GO of the restraints, and given herself to ME...and what I...WE want..is to DESTROY EVERYTHING, starting with YOU! You will PAY for your arrogance, your COWARDICE, your HYPOCRISY and then EVERYONE ELSE will too! WE WILL HAVE OUR VENGEANCE!

<< Her laughter is like thunder across the astral plane, which itself is now in the midst of a "STORM", as it bends, warps, and sways to the chaos that is her PSYCHO POWER.>>

:: Harbinger stands fast and holds out her hands::

ORION!

:: Orion's astral form is enveloped by a swarm of colbalt blue orbs, as he is TELEBLINKED from Rose/The Unloved's grasps, and travels toward Harbinger with the speed of thought. In a demonstration of her own awareness on the astral plane, and her power, she REORIENTS Zach's astral form, allowing him to regain his sense of awareness::

:: He reaches her, and she CATCHES him in her arms::

I've GOT YOU!

:: He would hear her voice, and FEEL the coldness that was associated with her colbalt astral form. It acted as a SOOTHING, CALMING effect against his red form, allowing him to draw from her clarity and strength::

:: MOMENTS after she stole him from Rose, she was CHARGING for them, moving like a "GREAT WHITE SHARK" across the expanse of the astral plane, closing in on them.::

:: Alison didn't move, instead she held out her hand, and formed a WALL with her TK AND her TEMPORAL based powers.::

:: The IMPACT/CRASH was enough to rock them all, and send shock waves across the expanse. Alison, still holding Zach, dropped to her knees, but continued to hold out one of her hands::

Orion, ZACH, it's ME, Harbinger....ALISON.

Karen, myself, and Rae are here to save you......AND Rose, but you HAVE to help us! Talisman convinced her that YOU are responsible for this, and in a way...YOU partly ARE. ALL of you in that courthouse are.

:: She speaks, keeping her voice ABOVE the din of Rose/The Unloved trying to BREAK her sheild, and the adversary's roar of agression::

Pull yourself TOGETHER and help us PROVE that what she's saying isn't true!

:: She commands::

:: Powerful as Harbinger was, Rose manipulated and channeled the very power of this realm itself, and now, Rose/The Unloved was starting to get THROUGH the time witch's barrier.::

NOW, Shadow Weaver!

:: She said, as she started to feel the STRAIN, as Rose/The Unloved began to WARP the area around them in order to weaken her barrier, and then battering it::

 

[Shadow Weaver]

The Astral Plane

<< Shadow Weaver, having moved to her new position, watched as Harbinger rescued Orion from Rose/The Unloved, but in many ways this made things more dangerous than they had been BEFORE. Rose's power on the astral plane was second to NONE, and she would stop at NOTHING To get what she wanted, and what she wanted NOW? was to DESTROY Zach for his role, real OR perceived, in what brought her to this moment!>>

Orion, ZACH, it's ME, Harbinger....ALISON.

Karen, myself, and Rae are here to save you......AND Rose, but you HAVE to help us! Talisman convinced her that YOU are responsible for this, and in a way...YOU partly ARE. ALL of you in that courthouse are.

:: She speaks, keeping her voice ABOVE the din of Rose/The Unloved trying to BREAK her sheild, and the adversary's roar of agression::

Pull yourself TOGETHER and help us PROVE that what she's saying isn't true!

:: She commands::

:: Powerful as Harbinger was, Rose manipulated and channeled the very power of this realm itself, and now, Rose/The Unloved was starting to get THROUGH the time witch's barrier.::

NOW, Shadow Weaver!

:: She said, as she started to feel the STRAIN, as Rose/The Unloved began to WARP the area around them in order to weaken her barrier, and then battering it::

<< Karen hold up her hands, gesturing and weaving a pattern of power as she manifests mystic chains, and sends them across the way to ENSNARE and BIND Rose/the Unloved.>>

<< A chime sounds off as the chains WHIP forward and ensnare her target, BINDING HER, and with a strength of mind and will, along with a an indication of POWER as Shadow Weaver, Karen FORCIBLY pulls back a few paces from her intended targets.>>

<< Another mystical tone sounds off, as Shadow Weaver delivers the "2" of her 1/2 punch, as she SCRAMBLES Rose/The Unloved's POWERS.>>

But the effect WON'T hold for LONG...

<< She thinks to herself. And ALREADY, Rose/The Unolved is fighting back against the mystical chains >>

UGGNNN!!

<< Shadow Weaver continues to HOLD her quarry in check, for NOW.>>

Rose/The Unloved: Your MAGICKS will fail you before I am defeated, witch! And when I divorce your soul from your body, and add your essence to my own? I'll use your powers to satisfy my every whim!


<< Rose/The Unloved begins to resist in ERNEST.>>

Harbinger: ZACH, You need to appeal to ROSE. She THOUGHT she could trust you, and the belief that she couldn't is part of what what pushed her over the edge! She LOCKED the Unloved away with her power years ago, she CARRIED the burden, unspoken to anyone, save Rae, all this time. With everything that's happened to her, up till today, she's finally GIVEN IN to the resentment, the sadness, the grief, the belief that she IS unloved, and that no matter what she does, it will NEVER be good enough.

Shadow Weaver: << now beginning to show signs of strain, as she valiantly works to KEEP Rose/the Unloved from BREAKING through Harbinger's barrier, and reaching them>> You CAN'T stop her with VIOLENCE, Zach. You KNOW there's a better way. You may have made a mistake before, but it's not too late to FIX it! TELL her, Zach. CALL out to ROSE. I've worked with patients before, I KNOW what I'm talking about. Tell her SHE is valued, WANTED, TELL HER that WE need her NOW!

Harbinger: This is HER playground, We WON'T survive without HER help!

<< FLASH!>>

<< a horizontal, three panel view. Shadow Weaver and her mystic enchantments in the top panel. Rose/The Unloved SAVAGELY attacking Harbinger's barrier in the center panel. Harbinger holding on to Orion with one arm, while doing her best to maintain her shield with her other hand in the bottom panel.>>

<< But Shadow Weaver's power scrambling effect is wearing OFF, and CRACKS are starting to form in Harbinger's shield.>>

 

[Cypher]

Rose was going to kill them. She was going to kill all of them. Gabe could hear Zizi's screams and it cut through his own soul, as if Rose was directly attacking him as well. His eyes were filled with tears as she screamed, watching as Zach began to falter, watching as John fell while trying to protect Dominique, Ashley, Sharon--EVERYONE began to succumb to Rose's powers.

[com-link to Oracle] "LIZ! STAY WITH ME! DO YOU HEAR ME! LIZ!"

Then everything stopped. Gabe's breathing included. He looked at the monitor in utter horror as the feed had froze....and he assumed it was because Rose had succeeded. She had taken out the entire Birds of Prey. She had killed them all....she had killed Zizi.

"NO!!! NO! NO!!!"

[com-link] "LIZ! Can you read me?! ANYONE! DO YOU COPY?!"

Nothing. There was only silence. He could barely catch a breath as he stared at the frozen screen, the last visual feed he had portraying Zizi screaming in agony on the ground, John holding Dominique, Zach and Ashley fighting Rose, and Sharon on the knees. Gabe shook his head in disbelief--in HORROR. He quickly tried to change camera feeds, frantically tapping the keys on the keyboard. Camera two: frozen. Camera three: frozen. The camera outside the courtroom, frozen. EVERYTHING was fucking frozen. EVERY technological equipment within the courthouse wasn't WORKING. NOTHING was working. Then reality hit him....Rose had destroyed everything--everyone.

Zizi was dead. She was dead. His best friend. His life. She was gone.

Rage and sorrow struck Gabe like a freight train. Slamming his hands repeatedly into the desk, he flung the keyboard across the room, followed by the computer chair with a primal scream. He ripped the ear piece out of his ear and fell to his knees, hot tears spilling onto his cheeks as he shut his eyes tightly and fell back into a sitting position; his back against the desk. Everything had changed in one singular moment. And he wasn't able to do anything but watch it happen...watch the woman he loved die helplessly. Gabe head fell back against the desk, his eyes blood shot as he stared forward in pain.

"I'm so sorry, Liz....I'm so sorry...."

He repeated over and over. The agony filling every fiber of his being until he literally broke down.

 

[Matrix]

The feedback hit me like a freight train and I damn near dropped to the ground, catching myself before I crashed and stabilizing as I reached the Sanctuary. I lay the car on the ground and open the doors on each side all at once.

Out! Head in ASAP. I may have to roll back... Miss D is struggling real bad.

They rolled over to the building as I prepared to head back at high speed when suddenly... Her pain was gone. She was there, I could feel her. But she was suddenly well. No way to take that other than to be glad, but there was another problem. Gabe still had the door locked even though he should have been watching and unlocking the door. Then I realized why.

[com-link] "LIZ! Can you read me?! ANYONE! DO YOU COPY?!"

Gabe was losing his shit. I would to if I were in the dark, I imagined. I tried to be chill.

Gabe. Gabe. GABRIEL.

Nothing... The fuck?

Yo Gabe! Isis is fine, that means that Zizi probably is too. I need you back in the game either way! Open the door for precious cargo or I will cut my way in. DO YOU COPY?!

I turn my right hand into a carbon dioxide laser and begin to walk to the door. I can always weld it back after but I want the others inside.

 

[Orion]

The Courthouse

Whatever else was going on in the world, Zach couldn't have said. His gaze was locked on Rose, his peripheral vision was darkened, so that his target was all that he focused on. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out most of the other noise. Faintly, he could hear Zizi scream, as he continued to throw projectiles at Rose. He heard Ash shouting as well, but she sounded far away, and whatever she was saying was lost to him. All he knew was that he had to stop Rose, or they'd all die.

When he got close, she grabbed his wrists, and suddenly he felt pain ripping up his spine, searing his brain stem, right into his mind, spreading into every part of him. It felt like being on fire. There was a flash of something terrible on Rose's face, something dark and horrifying, true evil with glowing eyes and needles for teeth.

Zach clenched his jaw as he realized the feedback loop wasn't working. It wasn't a loop at all, it was just a constant siphon, from him to her. She was draining him down. He couldn't pull away, or break her grip. He couldn't move, or cry out. It was all he could do to hold on to the good feelings. He closed his eyes tightly and focused. The love and support he'd gotten from Ashley in the last couple of days, the happiness they'd shared was all that sustained him now.

Rose was shouting at him, laughing cruelly in his face as he weakened. He ignored it, and recalled the sound of Ashley's voice, the sincerity in her tone when she'd said she loved him, only him. And then all the pain stopped, and someone was calling his name.

Alison: Orion, ZACH, it's ME, Harbinger....ALISON.

He groaned in acknowledgment. He felt so weak and confused. Where was he? This wasn't the courthouse. Where had Alison come from? Karen was here too. There was a lot of background noise. He wondered if this was what it was like to be inside a tornado. Alison kept talking to him, trying to tell him what was going on.

Harbinger: ZACH, You need to appeal to ROSE.

"I tried, Alison! She won't listen! She's attacking us, we have to stop her!"

Harbinger: She THOUGHT she could trust you, and the belief that she couldn't is part of what what pushed her over the edge!

"She can though! Why won't she listen, we've all tried to tell her that!"

Alison: She LOCKED the Unloved away with her power years ago, she CARRIED the burden, unspoken to anyone, save Rae, all this time.

"She.... What??"

He coughed. Was he in the middle of a nightmare? He couldn't make sense of what she was saying. The 'unloved'? Who was she talking about? They were trying to get him to understand what was wrong with Rose, and he was trying to put the pieces together with a scrambled brain.

Alison: With everything that's happened to her, up till today, she's finally GIVEN IN to the resentment, the sadness, the grief, the belief that she IS unloved, and that no matter what she does, it will NEVER be good enough.

Shadow Weaver: You CAN'T stop her with VIOLENCE, Zach. You KNOW there's a better way. You may have made a mistake before, but it's not too late to FIX it! TELL her, Zach. CALL out to ROSE. I've worked with patients before, I KNOW what I'm talking about. Tell her SHE is valued, WANTED, TELL HER that WE need her NOW!

He turned to look at Rose, who was trying to break through a protective barrier to get to them. This lady looked absolutely crazy, but Zach trusted Alison and Karen. His own attempt to stop Rose hadn't worked. He might as well try their plan, since he wasn't about to think of a better one, feeling half dead like he did.

Harbinger: This is HER playground, We WON'T survive without HER help!

"ROSE.... PLEASE! I'm sorry! I know.... that I let you down, and I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault. I wasn't.... I wasn't strong enough, for your guilt and grief, on top of my own. But you aren't unloved, not at all. Your other children all love you, Jake, Katie and all the rest. They need you, don't abandon them! You aren't alone in this... you've got Rae, and Danny, and the Amazons, along with the rest of the Birds of Prey. and I'll help again, if you'll let me."

 

[Shadow Weaver]

The Astral Plane


Harbinger: This is HER playground, We WON'T survive without HER help!

<< She was RIGHT. Rose, now possessed by the Unloved, could TOTALLY upend them all, and do any number of terrible things to them.>>

<< THANKFULLY, Zach prooved to be the smart, PRACTICAL man that she recalled him being, and he LISTENED. And not a moment too soon! Rose was beginning to STRAIN the mystical bindings, and reassert her power, fighting through Shadow Weaver's scrambling effect! The doctor was beginning to feel pain!>>

I MUST...endure!

<< She was stronger than some gave her credit for, both mentally AND physically. She was not a novice, she had years of training not only in the use of magick, but also how to tap into her mental and physical reserves, and how to maintain spells about her person to bolster her strength. This was what helped her during the effort alongside Harbinger and Isis during the Blue Moon, and she'd need that NOW.>>

"ROSE.... PLEASE! I'm sorry! I know.... that I let you down, and I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault. I wasn't.... I wasn't strong enough, for your guilt and grief, on top of my own. But you aren't unloved, not at all. Your other children all love you, Jake, Katie and all the rest. They need you, don't abandon them! You aren't alone in this... you've got Rae, and Danny, and the Amazons, along with the rest of the Birds of Prey. and I'll help again, if you'll let me."

<< His plea was SINCERE, and Karen backed his play.>>

Rose, Zach is a genuine young man. But even those with good hearts can make a mistake. A MISTAKE, not something out of spite or MALICE. ROSE, HEAR him, HEAR ME. In THIS of all places, it's OKAY to LET GO. We NEED your help now! Together, we can FREE you of this burden, and you'll NEVER have to carry it anymore!

<< Karen gritted her teeth, and dug her high heeled boots in as she struggled against the advance of Rose/The Unloved.>>

You've STOPPED him before, you can do it again, and I PROMISE, we'll make SURE you don't have to do this alone, and he won't be able to come back for you!

<< Time was running out, Karen's SPELL was almost done...and soon, Harbinger's shield would shatter.>>

Rose, PLEASE help us!!!

<<FLASH!>>

<< Harbinger and Orion would see Rose's form falter...and her face, a FLASH of HER face, in utter distress would be seen before the Unloved's features returned. But the struggle for dominance became clear. Shadow Weaver's words reinforced Zach's...and soon...SPARKS of ( purple) SOUL POWER began to pierce the white form, and ROSE'S true form FLOWED out of the Unloved, and back toward Shadow Weaver, who was now crying out with pain.>>

<< Rose JOINS Karen, adding her power to her own. >>

<< glowing PURPLE tendrils SNAP forward, and wrap around The unolved, charged with Rose's own command over astral energy>>

YES, Rose!

<< Karen cried out.>>

:: at that moment, Harbinger shatters her own shield! and narrows her eyes. A rushing/chiming sound is heard, as she HURLS the shrards at the Unolved, viciously slicicing at it's form, while she once again "moves" herself and Orion AWAY form it, now along side Shadow Weaver and the REAL Rose. She then teleblinks Jezebel to face The Unloved directly.

Harbinger: Now, Jezebel! PURGE this creature from ROSE, from the Astral plane, Rose is actively FIGHTING it's hold on her, and it's energy and focus is DIVIDED!

<< Karen and Rose bolstered each other, with Karen "communicating" to a distressed Rose that she would be safe, and FREE very soon!>>

<< Rose's astral form emerges from Karen's, terrified, as she had been all those years ago, and Karen takes her arms, in a protective hug, as Harbinger places an arm over Rose, joining Karen's effort to shield Rose as the Unloved turns, to face her, and ROARS.>>

Karen: The moment before breaking free is ALWAYS terrifying, you fear that you won't be able to get away fast enough, that the thing, or the creature that has abused you for so long will PREVENT your escape! You've been abused, hurt, betrayed, abandonned, and left to make choices no one should have to make for SO LONG, But you've taken that first BRAVE step forward, and it won't be that way. TRUST us, Rose! We will NOT abandon you.

 

[Jezebel]

The Astral Plane

:: Almost immediately they were in The Astral Plane and the battle had begun! Rose/The Unloved continued their brutal assault on Zachary Armani as Harbinger and Shadow Weaver stepped in with QUICK and brutal force, wrestling Zach and raising defenses. But this was not their playground as Harbinger had said, this was Rose's and it wouldn't be long until she would CRACK through these and claim what she believed to be rightfully hers. ::

:: For a moment Rae was somewhat awestruck. She should have been fine. She had seen the most angelic of children turn demonic in front of her, completely change the way they moved and operated. Contort their bodies, climb onto ceilings, puke blood, hurt themselves. But seeing Rose like this - it gave her great pause. ::

:: She watched as Zachary called out to Rose, pleading with her. ::

"ROSE.... PLEASE! I'm sorry! I know.... that I let you down, and I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault. I wasn't.... I wasn't strong enough, for your guilt and grief, on top of my own. But you aren't unloved, not at all. Your other children all love you, Jake, Katie and all the rest. They need you, don't abandon them! You aren't alone in this... you've got Rae, and Danny, and the Amazons, along with the rest of the Birds of Prey. and I'll help again, if you'll let me."

:: Rae felt both anger and empathy for Zach. Perhaps he had good reasons for his absence from Rose. Perhaps his own world was imploding..but he was a man who knew what it meant to be a public servant. To be a hero. And if THAT was the job and path one wanted to take, then there was no TIME for personal pain, no TIME to fall apart. Those were the breaks, and it was why Rae would never describe herself as a hero. It didn't have to be like this, but here they were. ::

"Dig in your heels and hold ON, baby girl!"

Shadow Weaver: "Rose, Zach is a genuine young man. But even those with good hearts can make a mistake. A MISTAKE, not something out of spite or MALICE. ROSE, HEAR him, HEAR ME. In THIS of all places, it's OKAY to LET GO. We NEED your help now! Together, we can FREE you of this burden, and you'll NEVER have to carry it anymore! You've STOPPED him before, you can do it again, and I PROMISE, we'll make SURE you don't have to do this alone, and he won't be able to come back for you! Rose, PLEASE help us!!"

<< Harbinger and Orion would see Rose's form falter...and her face, a FLASH of HER face, in utter distress would be seen before the Unloved's features returned. But the struggle for dominance became clear. Shadow Weaver's words reinforced Zach's...and soon...SPARKS of ( purple) SOUL POWER began to pierce the white form, and ROSE'S true form FLOWED out of the Unloved, and back toward Shadow Weaver, who was now crying out with pain.>>

<< Rose JOINS Karen, adding her power to her own. >>

<< glowing PURPLE tendrils SNAP forward, and wrap around The unolved, charged with Rose's own command over astral energy>>

:: at that moment, Harbinger shatters her own shield! and narrows her eyes. A rushing/chiming sound is heard, as she HURLS the shrards at the Unolved, viciously slicicing at it's form, while she once again "moves" herself and Orion AWAY form it, now along side Shadow Weaver and the REAL Rose. She then teleblinks Jezebel to face The Unloved directly.

Harbinger: Now, Jezebel! PURGE this creature from ROSE, from the Astral plane, Rose is actively FIGHTING it's hold on her, and it's energy and focus is DIVIDED!

Karen: "The moment before breaking free is ALWAYS terrifying, you fear that you won't be able to get away fast enough, that the thing, or the creature that has abused you for so long will PREVENT your escape! You've been abused, hurt, betrayed, abandonned, and left to make choices no one should have to make for SO LONG, But you've taken that first BRAVE step forward, and it won't be that way. TRUST us, Rose! We will NOT abandon you."

"It's time to come HOME, Rosie Q!"

:: She was face to face with The Unloved! She trembled for a moment before she remembered who exactly she was - an incredibly gifted HUMAN woman standing in The Astral Plane with a few of the most powerful beings in the universe, doing battle WITH them. Rae had felt guilty herself, guilty that she hadn't investigated Rose's story further. That she couldn't have purged this creature from her YEARS ago. But Rose's feelings and secrets were held TIGHTLY beneath beautiful petals. ::

"YOU! THE UNLOVED! FACE ME!"

:: Rae held her hands together almost as if she were about to pray. Soft winds breezed past her face as her chunky blonde and chestnut brown hair billowed in the wind. On the physical plane, from inside her Brooklyn brownstone, a mysterious artifact dissappeared in a swirl of white orbs as it reappeared on her neck. It was the "Mark of Andraste" - the most powerful tool in her arsenal, something she reserved for the most dire of circumstances, and this was one of them. ::

:: The mysterious symbol at the end of the necklace glimmered with an orange like haze as Harbinger and Shadow Weaver would immediately sense the mystic nature and power of this amulet. What they didn't know, was this item was given to her by Tachyon many moons ago. He said he was giving it back to it's "rightful" owner. As Rae opened her eyes, they were no longer brown, but a brilliant gold and amber. Her voice took on an ethereal and almost stereophonic quality. ::

"BRING FORTH THE GIRL."

:: The Unloved Roared at her, blowing hair from her face at it roared. ::

The Unloved: "SHE BELONGS TO ME! Even as she fights me, she knows she will fail. I cannot be destroyed. Not as long as there are those in the world who FEED ME."

:: Rae gave a smug smirk as she FLICKED her hands out (ala Piper) as a BLAST of pure and HOLY energy SMITED The Unloved, coursing through it's body, causing fractures and amber like veins to cascade across it's skin. ::

"She does not BELONG to you, foul CREATURE! SHE...is kept in LOVE and protected by the warmth of OUR POWER NOW!"

BOOM!

:: She smited the creature again as more cracks of glowing amber veins appeared all over the body of Rose/The Unloved as it began to morph and rearrange quite rapidly. ::

The Unloved: "You are FOOLISH..You cannot...UGH!!!"

"ROSE!"

:: Rae's mind was flooded with images INSTANTLY showing Rae a number of things about Rose - including the moment that The Unloved found her as a girl, how he was able to get her, and what he had been doing with his time. He was not holding on to ADULT Rose persay, he was still VERY firmly CHAINED to the memory of her as a scared child, when her power was it's most potent and UNTAMED, when she was so SCARED. As a psionic entity...this was how he had been able to bide his time..and to come back! And she had figured it out not a MOMENT too soon. ::

:: She RIPPED the necklace from her neck as the chain stayed in tact and held the amulet out in front of her, the eye turning a glowing a brilliant amber as she smiled in her signature sarcastic way. ::

"You are DONE with my girl!:

"The Power of RAE ANN REYNOLDS COMPELS YOU...YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

:: The amulet began to GLOW as a BRILLAINT beam of white and heavenly light shot down onto to the Unloved, illuminating a giant part of the astral plane like a UFO trying to beam an innocent bystander. The Unloved CRIED out in pain. She couldn't kill the thing, she didn't have THAT kind of power, but she most DEFINITELY hurt it and SEVER the connection to rose ONCE and for ALL ::

The Unloved: "AAAAAHHH!!!! NO!!! SHE IS MINE! MY UNLOVED! MINNNNEEE!"

:: The light beat down on The Unloved, warping it in a twisted and BRUTAL manner as from the very center a CRACK could be seen. Several seconds later, this crack got BIGGER and several small fingers could be seen...appearing to CLAW out from INSIDE The Unloved itself! ::

"That's my girl!!!! Come on!"

:: In a rather grotesque yet BEAUTIFUL move, a small...CHILD version of Rose clawed it's way out of The Unloved as if The Unloved was giving BIRTH to her. She fell out of the mass as the bright white beam ceased. Rae cradled this small child in her arm for a moment, wiping hair from her face and smiling. ::

"You're a cute kid you know that?"

:: There were no other words spoken as she looked at the part of Rose's SOUL she had FREED from The Unloved COMPLETELY. In a few seconds, the child Rose faded in a brilliant purple light, recconnecting with the part of herself that had long been inaccessible to her. Rae wasted no time, turning her head towards Shadow Weaver and Harbinger. ::

"It's DONE! FINISH HIM!"

 

[Cypher]

Gabe's head was resting back against the desk, his face tight from the dry tears that had fallen. He stared blankly into the empty room in front of him, feeling like the world was moving in slow motion. He had taken his ear piece out--it laying on the floor next to him. He faintly heard his name being called, his eyes slowly looking down at the discarded equipment.

[via com-link] Matrix: Gabe. Gabe. GABRIEL.

Inhaling a deep breath through his nose, he finally reached over and picked up the ear piece, fitting back into his ear.

[via com-link] "Gabe here."

His voice was robotic in tone.

[via com-link] Matrix: "Yo Gabe!"

It was Matrix. He wasn't at the courthouse--he was still alive.

[via com-link] Matrix: Isis is fine, that means that Zizi probably is too. I need you back in the game either way! Open the door for precious cargo or I will cut my way in. DO YOU COPY?!

Gabe's brows furrowed for a moment, quickly turning to look up at the monitors above him. The feed was still frozen....and there was no communication from anyone within the courthouse. He wasn't sure if Isis reached out to Matrix personally, telepathically, whatever...but if Isis was alive maybe Zizi was. There was a flicker of hope--but Gabe shook his head knowing that Isis was a powerful witch. She could withstand so much more than Zizi could have. But maybe Isis helped her? Maybe she was able to shield her? Gabe pushed his way up to his knees, a renewed fight building in him once again. He reached over and grabbed the wireless keyboard he had thrown from the desk that was laying on the floor and stood back up.

[com-link] "Copy. Opening the door now."

He quickly opened the doors for Matrix and Jake, watching as they both entered. He then closed the doors behind them.

[com-link] "Have you heard from Isis? Or the others? Rose unleashed a vicious attack against everyone and the feed went dead. I can't reach anyone. I can't see what happened inside the courthouse."

He prayed that Rich had insider knowledge that everyone was okay and that they WEREN'T dead. He fucking prayed to any God that would listen.

 

[Matrix]

[com-link] "Copy. Opening the door now."

He quickly opened the doors for Matrix and Jake, watching as they both entered. He then closed the doors behind them.

[com-link] "Have you heard from Isis? Or the others? Rose unleashed a vicious attack against everyone and the feed went dead. I can't reach anyone. I can't see what happened inside the courthouse."

Solid. I knew it was hard not knowing, but he did not fold. +1. He asked for me to confirm that the others were cool so I hit Miss D up, so I did in our special way.

Miss D, is everyone OK? Gabe is tripping because he cannot confirm that Zizi is cool. I am watching the Sanctuary and Vivica and X are inside with the others and Jake. Holla back.

 

[Rose]

The Astral Plane- FREEDOM AND REBIRTH

<< Shadow Weaver and Harbinger held and shielded the disoriented and terrified Rose, who instinctively KNEW the UNLOVED was not something she wanted to be apart of or CARRY any longer. Orion didn't know what kind of act, and strength of WILL it had taken for Rose to PULL FREE of the Unloved and join Karen. >>

Karen: The moment before breaking free is ALWAYS terrifying, you fear that you won't be able to get away fast enough, that the thing, or the creature that has abused you for so long will PREVENT your escape! You've been abused, hurt, betrayed, abandonned, and left to make choices no one should have to make for SO LONG, But you've taken that first BRAVE step forward, and it won't be that way. TRUST us, Rose! We will NOT abandon you.

<< And then Jezebel, Rae Reynolds, perhaps the only TRUE friend and advocate she had, stepped in.>>

:: Rae's mind was flooded with images INSTANTLY showing Rae a number of things about Rose - including the moment that The Unloved found her as a girl, how he was able to get her, and what he had been doing with his time. He was not holding on to ADULT Rose persay, he was still VERY firmly CHAINED to the memory of her as a scared child, when her power was it's most potent and UNTAMED, when she was so SCARED. As a psionic entity...this was how he had been able to bide his time..and to come back! And she had figured it out not a MOMENT too soon. ::

:: She RIPPED the necklace from her neck as the chain stayed in tact and held the amulet out in front of her, the eye turning a glowing a brilliant amber as she smiled in her signature sarcastic way. ::

"You are DONE with my girl!:

"The Power of RAE ANN REYNOLDS COMPELS YOU...YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

:: The amulet began to GLOW as a BRILLAINT beam of white and heavenly light shot down onto to the Unloved, illuminating a giant part of the astral plane like a UFO trying to beam an innocent bystander. The Unloved CRIED out in pain. She couldn't kill the thing, she didn't have THAT kind of power, but she most DEFINITELY hurt it and SEVER the connection to rose ONCE and for ALL ::

The Unloved: "AAAAAHHH!!!! NO!!! SHE IS MINE! MY UNLOVED! MINNNNEEE!"

:: The light beat down on The Unloved, warping it in a twisted and BRUTAL manner as from the very center a CRACK could be seen. Several seconds later, this crack got BIGGER and several small fingers could be seen...appearing to CLAW out from INSIDE The Unloved itself! ::

"That's my girl!!!! Come on!"

<< Bolstered by the magicks of Shadow Weaver and Harbinger, Rose LABORED to FREE that part of herself had been sacrificed in her DESPERATE effort to defend herself from the Unloved all those years ago!>>

Shadow Weaver: That's RIGHT, Rose! Your moment of truth, your moment of FREEDOM is at hand!

Harbinger: DON'T LOOK BACK!

:: In a rather grotesque yet BEAUTIFUL move, a small...CHILD version of Rose clawed it's way out of The Unloved as if The Unloved was giving BIRTH to her. She fell out of the mass as the bright white beam ceased. Rae cradled this small child in her arm for a moment, wiping hair from her face and smiling. ::

"You're a cute kid you know that?"

:: There were no other words spoken as she looked at the part of Rose's SOUL she had FREED from The Unloved COMPLETELY. In a few seconds, the child Rose faded in a brilliant purple light, recconnecting with the part of herself that had long been inaccessible to her.

<< Rose GASPED and CONVULSED, as she was finally TRULY WHOLE, FREE of the trauma, the dysfunction, and the self imposed COPING mechanism that had ultimately done more harm than good, and Both witches hold on to her, and steady her>>

Rae wasted no time, turning her head towards Shadow Weaver and Harbinger. ::

<< Harbinger TELEBLINKS Jezebel, snatching her from the wild, ANGRY, chaotic strikes and thrashes of the Unloved's now GROTESQUE astral form. Rae appears behind Rose, at the "12 o clock" position, while Karen and Alison are at the 3 and 9 o'clock position around Rose. Rae places her hands on Rose's temples...and provides ANOTHER source of strength and support.>>

 

[Harbinger]

From the astral plane, back to the courthouse

"It's DONE! FINISH HIM!"

:: without hesitation, Shadow Weaver and Harbinger both hold out one of their hands, keeping their free hands clasped together behind Rose's back, as Jezebel stood behind Rose, bolstering her spirit.>>

::FLASH!::

<< A TRINITY. A symbolic formation of The Maiden, The Mother, and the Crone. The ultimate expression of knowledge, experience, and power, all together to DELIVER Rose from a pain, a burden that NO ONE should have to bear!>>

:: Together, the witches ignite a powerful spell, as a vertically oriented pentagram of POWER snaps open in the space all around the Unloved, and begins to spin faster and faster, glowing brighter and brighter. ::

Shadow Weaver/Harbinger:

Evil , terrifying entity that flows,
That which exists and plagues across the astral plane.
No longer may you dwell, and vex this or any OTHER soul
Death takes you with this spell!

:: A mystic tone sounds off, a crash of force, and a flash of LIGHT< and the Unloved begins to ROAR, as it's body begins to spin around....and TURN...INSIDE OUT!::

<< Rose CRIES OUT, with FREEDOM, and a focused STRENGTH she did not have the LAST time she faced this creature>>

<< a MASSIVE BLAST of PSYCHO POWER charges from her ENTIRE BODY, and SMASHES into the Unloved, It's the equivalent of a high speed train SMASHING through a stationary truck on the train tracks!>>

<< Now, with no power source to draw from, the witches hasten it's destruction, and ROSE FINALLY gets her justly deserved moment of REVENGE. The creature is VANQUISHED.>>

<< And the space that Rose, Shadow Weaver, Harbinger, Jezebel and Orion are in SHATTERS. The sound of a mirror being smashed is heard allaround them, and shards of the "place" they had just been fly every which way, as they now find themselves BACK in the physical space they'd originally been.>>

<< Orion is restored in spirit and body, still protected in the pentagram cast by the witches, as he ADJUSTS and reorients, while Rose, surrounded by the witches, and Jezebel reappear. Rose is back to her original, serene looking state, and collapses into Harbinger's arms, who lifts and carries her easily via her telekinesis.>>

<< Karen checks Rose's vitals>>

Shadow Weaver: She's alive. She's just EXHAUSTED, as I expected from such an event. She'll be unconscious for several days.

<< Shadow Weaver looks at Rae, who shows serious concern for Rose as well, before their eyes meet once more.>>

Shadow Weaver: Good work, Rae, as only YOU could do.

<< Karen said in a way that confirmed that the two women did know each other, their history went all the way back to Westin Hills, actually.>>

Harbinger: I'll be taking Rose, AND Rae with me. We will provide care for her as she recovers.

:: Looking at Oracle, the precog already knew that some would object. But she ALSO knew Oracle would see the bigger picture::

Harbinger: Rae EXORCISED the Unloved from Rose, FREEING that key part of her soul that the creature had been attached to ever since she first encountered it- after it had slaughtered her birth family, and THEN stalked her, destroying her adoptive family. Her soul and her power were wild and untamed then, and it was pure INSTINCT that drove her to survive.

Shadow Weaver: But even when she defeated it, it came at GREAT personal cost. She'd been CARRYING this creature, CHAINED by her own soul power, inside of the deepest recesses of her soul and psyche ALL THIS TIME. With each betrayal, trauma, loss...those binds weakened...until this moment today. But now, thanks to assistance of Rae Reynolds, Rose is FREE, and WHOLE again, but she needs time to rest, and recover. She needs time to fully integrate that lost piece of herself, AWAY from all of this.

Shadow Weaver: When she RETURNS, hopefully you all will regard her with a better understanding. She's been regarded as an outcast, a project, "crazy", a potential weapon to exploit, and a host of other unkind, inappropriate things....

Harbinger: But what she IS, is ONE OF US, and she deserves to have the same sense of inclusion that we all enjoy....or TAKE FOR GRANTED.

<< Shadow Weaver went over to Zach, entering the pentagram of protection, and now performing a medical and mystical check on him.>>

Shadow Weaver: Everything is in order, You'll be fine. << she said to him with a smile as she helps him to his feet>> I am pleased that you are still the young man I remembered, Zach. Do not forget what you saw, experienced, LEARNED on the astral plane with us. Let that INFORM you in your interactions with Rose going forward, if you wish to see her trust in you restored.

<< and with that, she snaps her fingers, a mystic tone sounds off, and the pentagram snaps close as she releases Zach.>>


:: The TIME STAFF now floats in the center of the room, among those gathered.::

Harbinger: Oracle, the last thing we need to do, is fix THIS. I will use my temporal and telekinetic power, backed by a spell that Shadow Weaver and I will cast, to TURN BACK time, and REVERSE the damage to this building, set everything right. ONLY the people in this room will REMEMBER what has occurred. No one else outside of this room, or this building will remember.

As a COURTESY, I will extend the benefit of that provision to the rest of your team, and Gabriel Jerome.

:: A reminder to Oracle that Alison could see more than just with her physical eyes. She looks at Steel::

Yes, we ARE covering this up, and that is for the best. This entire scenario was a set up, a PLOY of the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle to push Rose over the edge and to seperate her from her children. Some of you unwittingly AIDED in that effort, but what's done is done, and Some things do not NEED an outside mortal audience and I'm sure you can understand that.

Shadow Weaver: Rose will return soon. Be ready to turn the page with her.

 

[Oracle]

The Courthouse

They waited. Unable to contact either the rest of the team or see what was happening on the astral plane, there was nothing else for them to do. After what felt like an eternity, Harbinger, Shadow Weaver, Rose and Jezebel reappeared in front of them. And Zach was moving again!

She's alive. She's just EXHAUSTED, as I expected from such an event. She'll be unconscious for several days. Good work, Rae, as only YOU could do.

"You were successful then?"

Zizi had a sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop, for them to tell her it hadn't worked. That something else terrible was coming for them.

I'll be taking Rose, AND Rae with me. We will provide care for her as she recovers.

Zizi nodded to her.

Rae EXORCISED the Unloved from Rose, FREEING that key part of her soul that the creature had been attached to ever since she first encountered it- after it had slaughtered her birth family, and THEN stalked her, destroying her adoptive family. Her soul and her power were wild and untamed then, and it was pure INSTINCT that drove her to survive.

Shadow Weaver: But even when she defeated it, it came at GREAT personal cost. She'd been CARRYING this creature, CHAINED by her own soul power, inside of the deepest recesses of her soul and psyche ALL THIS TIME. With each betrayal, trauma, loss...those binds weakened...until this moment today. But now, thanks to assistance of Rae Reynolds, Rose is FREE, and WHOLE again, but she needs time to rest, and recover. She needs time to fully integrate that lost piece of herself, AWAY from all of this.

Zizi looked at Rose's sleeping form with sympathy.

"Help her to heal. I expect it will be a long journey."

When she RETURNS, hopefully you all will regard her with a better understanding. She's been regarded as an outcast, a project, "crazy", a potential weapon to exploit, and a host of other unkind, inappropriate things....

Harbinger: But what she IS, is ONE OF US, and she deserves to have the same sense of inclusion that we all enjoy....or TAKE FOR GRANTED.

Zizi raised her chin. She didn't like the accusatory tone, and felt the need to stand up for her team.

"We only wanted to help her, and her children."

In truth, few among them had known Rose long enough to know that something was wrong with her - if someone like Rae who had been good friends with her for so long didn't know there was a problem, how could they have been expected to? She wanted Rose to get the help she needed, and she was glad that Harbinger was there to provide it, but placing blame solved nothing.

Karen checked that Zach was okay before closing the pentagram of protection, and then Harbinger addressed her once more.

Oracle, the last thing we need to do, is fix THIS. I will use my temporal and telekinetic power, backed by a spell that Shadow Weaver and I will cast, to TURN BACK time, and REVERSE the damage to this building, set everything right. ONLY the people in this room will REMEMBER what has occurred. No one else outside of this room, or this building will remember. As a COURTESY, I will extend the benefit of that provision to the rest of your team, and Gabriel Jerome.

"Thank you, Alison. And you, Karen, Rae. For everything. We are in your debt."

Rose will return soon. Be ready to turn the page with her.

Oracle nodded.

"We'll do what we can for the Sanctuary while she's away."

She watched as Alison weaved her magick using the Time Staff, resetting the building to where it had been before everything had happened. It was fascinating, really. When Alison was finished, Zizi thanked her again, then opened a com link to the rest of the team.

[via com] "This is Oracle. Harbinger and Shadow Weaver have intervened, and along with Rae have saved Rose from the entity that was possessing her. Everyone is fine here. Keep vigilant for a Hellfire attack at the Sanctuary, but I think the danger has passed for now. Harbinger is taking Rose with her for a time to heal."

 

[Jezebel]

Back To Life...

<< Harbinger TELEBLINKS Jezebel, snatching her from the wild, ANGRY, chaotic strikes and thrashes of the Unloved's now GROTESQUE astral form. Rae appears behind Rose, at the "12 o clock" position, while Karen and Alison are at the 3 and 9 o'clock position around Rose. Rae places her hands on Rose's temples...and provides ANOTHER source of strength and support.>>

:: And just like that Rose was pulled from the Unloved for good and she was right again by Rae's side. They had pulled this off! ::

"That was a close one, darlin'.."

:: Instinctively, Rae moved towards Rose and placed her hands on Rose's temples..bolstering her with some divine spiritual healing and psychic feedback alleviation. She could feel Rose's energy begin to activate. Her aura was brighter and visage restored. Now the only thing left to do was to let these witches VANQUISH the bastard and go HOME. Rae walked with her head in the clouds, but her body chained to the Earth. She didn't like to be "gone" for too long and she was starting to get antsy. ::

<< A TRINITY. A symbolic formation of The Maiden, The Mother, and the Crone. The ultimate expression of knowledge, experience, and power, all together to DELIVER Rose from a pain, a burden that NO ONE should have to bear!>

:: Rae had been to Lilith Fair before. But she had been drunk and high and not really attentative of where she was going that day. But still, she kinda liked it. Seeing these two powerful women, it gave her a sense of kinship - of sisterhood. She trusted these women more immediately than she had ever had a MAN, and it was because they were wise for their years, and powerful by nature. ::

:: Together, the witches ignite a powerful spell, as a vertically oriented pentagram of POWER snaps open in the space all around the Unloved, and begins to spin faster and faster, glowing brighter and brighter. ::

Shadow Weaver/Harbinger:

Evil , terrifying entity that flows,
That which exists and plagues across the astral plane.
No longer may you dwell, and vex this or any OTHER soul
Death takes you with this spell!

:: A mystic tone sounds off, a crash of force, and a flash of LIGHT< and the Unloved begins to ROAR, as it's body begins to spin around....and TURN...INSIDE OUT!::

"Sayonora!"

:: Rae let go in just time to Rose to become WHOLE again. ::

<< Rose CRIES OUT, with FREEDOM, and a focused STRENGTH she did not have the LAST time she faced this creature>>

<< a MASSIVE BLAST of PSYCHO POWER charges from her ENTIRE BODY, and SMASHES into the Unloved, It's the equivalent of a high speed train SMASHING through a stationary truck on the train tracks!>>

:: Rae covered her ears at the sound of breaking glass all around her. It was like the entire Astral Plane was CRASHING around them. It was a most HAUNTING and MEMORABLE display of power that Rae had ever seen. Top Three at LEAST. ::

:: And just like that...they were back in the courtroom, as if no time had passed or nothing had happened. ::

Shadow Weaver: "She's alive. She's just EXHAUSTED, as I expected from such an event. She'll be unconscious for several days."

:: From her jacket pocket, Rae produced a bottle of prescription pills and shook them with a smirk. ::

"Oh honey, we can do better than several DAYS. This girl needs at LEAST a month of sleep."

:: Rae watched Rose for a moment, taking in this moment of happiness. ::

Shadow Weaver: "Good work, Rae, as only YOU could do."

"Back atcha, K. It's good to know you haven't gotten RUSTY!"

:: She smiled. ::

Harbinger: "I'll be taking Rose, AND Rae with me. We will provide care for her as she recovers."

"Uh..what now?!"

:: Where exactly did Harbinger think they were all going together? But she couldn't say no. Not after what Harbinger had done for her. ::

Harbinger: "Rae EXORCISED the Unloved Rose, FREEING that key part of her soul that the creature had been attached to ever since she first encountered it - after it had slaughtered her birth family, and THEN stalked her, destroying her adoptive family. Her soul and her power were wild and untamed then, and it was pure INSTINCT that drove her to survive."

"And some awe inspiring self CONTROL!"

:: She said it somewhat reprimanding of the others. Yeah it was hypocritical of her, but it was one of those instances of "do what I say not as I do." These people were about to go even FURTHER into Hell, and they needed to get it together. Plain and Simple. ::

Shadow Weaver: "But even when she defeated it, it came at GREAT personal cost. She'd been CARRYING this creature, CHAINED by her own soul power, inside of the deepest recesses of her soul and psyche ALL THIS TIME. With each betrayal, trauma, loss..those binds weakened...until this moment today. But now, thanks to the assistance of Rae Reynolds, Rose if FREE, and WHOLE again, but she needs time to rest, and recover. She needs time to fully integrate that lost piece of herself, AWAY from all of this."

:: Rae nodded in agreement. ::

Shadow Weaver: "When she RETURNS, hopefully you all will regard her with a better understanding. She's been regarded as an outcast, a project, "crazy", a potential weapon to exploit, and a host of other unkind, inappropriate things."

Harbinger: "But what she IS, is ONE OF US, and she deserves to have the same sense of inclusion that we all enjoy...or TAKE FOR GRANTED."

:: She agreed with both women, but she couldn't help but to fight the urge to roll her eyes, just a tad. She always had a problem with authority and these women were AUTHORATIVE. Rae didn't wanna lose the importance of the message, in case others felt scolded or chided. She sighed. ::

"Moral of the story here..Look. Shit happens. Sometimes we fuck up..and sometimes we come face to face with those fuck ups. And it sucks. I haven't spent a lot of time with ya'll..but in the small amount of time I HAVE spent..it's clear. A lot of what Karen and Harbinger are saying about Rose..you should probably try and apply to each other."

:: From her jacket, she pulled out her pack of American Spirits, lit one up and exhaled in esctacy. Nothing was better than a cigarette after an exorcism! ::

"Ya'll are good people. And trust me. I deal with demons everyday. I know what a bad thing looks like. And you all feel called to help those around you..but you should FIRST try and help YOURSELVES. Let your walls down, let each other in. Because do you wanna go through somethin' like this again..the next time one of you goes through somethin'...crystalizes it and just shoves it down? I sure as hell don't want that."

:: Shaking her head. ::

"I'm no head coach..or really much of a team player..so maybe I don't have a clue what I'm talking about. All I am saying, is be good to each other. And make an effort to really dig in, if only so you can protect each other.."

:: Her eyes met Rose's floating ethereal form. ::

"Because you never know what's bubbling underneath the surface."

Harbinger: "Oracle, the last thing we need to do, is fix THIS. I will use my temporal and telekinetic power, backed by a spell that Shadow Weaver and I will cast, to TURN BACK time, and REVERSE the damage to this building, set everything right. ONLY the people in this room will REMEMBER what has occured. No one else outside of this room, or this building will remember. As a COURTESY, I will extend the benefit of that provision to the rest of your team, and Gabriel Jerome. Yes, we ARE covering this up, and that is for the best. This entire scenario was a set up, a PLOY of the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle to push Rose over the edge and to separate her from her children. Some of you unwittingly AIDED in that effort, but what's done is done, and some things do not NEED an outside mortal audience and I'm sure you can understand that."

:: She looked at Oracle up and down for a moment, hoping that she would go along with it. ::

"She's been through ENOUGH. This is a SMALL consolation."

Oracle: "We'll do what we can for the Sanctuary while she's away."

:: Rae nodded and smiled at the cute girl with the great aura. ::

Shadow Weaver: "Rose will return soon. Be ready to turn the page with her."

:: And so she was about to go with a formal colleague and a time bending witch god knows where to take care of Rose. ::

"I guess I'm gonna have to free up some of my bookings!"

:: She smirked at Harbinger. ::

"We goin' to your place? I can't wait to see what kind of dark twisted gothic sexy den YOU live in, witchy poo!"

:: Laughing. ::

"You got cable?"

 

[Cypher]

He didn't hear Rich respond, Gabe's hands gripping the edge of the desk in anticipation. But the next voice he heard nearly knocked the wind out of him.

Oracle: [via com] "This is Oracle. Harbinger and Shadow Weaver have intervened, and along with Rae have saved Rose from the entity that was possessing her. Everyone is fine here."

It felt like the world had just lifted off his chest and he could breath again. Gabe's head fell forward and hung as he let out an exasperated yet joy filled laugh. She was alive. They were ALL alive. Panting out air that it felt like he had been holding in since the feed went dead, he continued to listen to Zizi speak.

Oracle: [com link] "Keep vigilant for a Hellfire attack at the Sanctuary, but I think the danger has passed for now. Harbinger is taking Rose with her for a time to heal."

Finally looking up at the video feed, it was still frozen but that didn't matter. He collapsed into the desk chair and switched over to a private channel.

[com-link to Oracle] "I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice, kid. Jesus Christ, you scared me..."

Shutting his eyes, he let everything he had just witness sink in. These people were incredible....it was one thing to read in files what they were all capable of, but to see it live? It was mind blowing. He respected the Birds of Prey tremendously, even those [Zach and Ashley] that he wasn't on good terms with. But now, he understood exactly what kind of people they were. They were heroes. They were selfless and strong and willing to DIE to save a little boy from getting into the hands of Hellfire. That was fucking enough for Gabe to look at them all in a different light. As for Rose? Whatever happened that made her lose it was obviously something that caused her great distress. He had witnessed it first hand in his encounters with her. Gabe sincerely hoped she would be able to recover, because she was a great woman doing great things.

[com-link to everyone] "The Sanctuary is holding strong. I've got it covered."

He relayed to everyone, reassuring them that Rose's Sanctuary and children were in good hands.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Courtroom

A memory. Twenty lifetimes ago, but remembered like it was yesterday. A cold battlefield. A boy dying with blood coming out of his mouth...

Not again.

Kalf had died protecting her, and now Zach...

Her tear streaked face watched him. He looked so alone in there. She couldn't even hold his hand...

Steel whispered to her that everything was going to be alright. But how could it be? She had guarded her heart for so long, and then at the moment when she had set it free it was ripped out, and she remembered why she had loved nothing and no one for so many hundreds of years. The wounds of battle were nothing to this pain. She wanted to die. She wished Rose had torn her soul out when she had the chance.

And then she drew in a sharp intake of breath. Zach was moving.

She stood up, her hands flat on the barrier.

"Zach..."

She glanced around her, to see that Alison, Karen and Rae had reappeared, with Rose, who was lying in Alison's arms.

I hope she's dead.

Karen was worried about Rose. ROSE. When Zach was right here. She slapped her hand against the barrier. And they were still keeping her from him.

"Zach...Zach, I'm here..."

Karen finally went to examine Zach, helping him stand.

Everything is in order, You'll be fine. I am pleased that you are still the young man I remembered, Zach. Do not forget what you saw, experienced, LEARNED on the astral plane with us. Let that INFORM you in your interactions with Rose going forward, if you wish to see her trust in you restored.

Ashley felt the barrier lower and she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug.

"I thought..."

She closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Alison.

"Thank you, for saving him."

She closed her eyes again, hugging him harder before pulling back and looking into his face.

"Are you sure you're okay? You should sit down."

She looked him over as if to make sure he was whole, then reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand. She brushed his lips with her own, and then tears began to flow once more.

"I'm so sorry...I failed you...I couldn't protect you...I'm sorry..."

Rose will return soon. Be ready to turn the page with her.

"You keep her. I don't want her anywhere near Zach ever again. You can make your excuses for her all you want, but she tried to kill Zach, and almost did. Almost killed us all."

 

[Orion]

The Courthouse

Zach pleaded with Rose, at Karen and Alison's behest. He wasn't sure it would work, but it couldn't hurt to try again. Karen started to back him up.

Karen: Rose, Zach is a genuine young man.

Zach got a warm, affectionate feeling that helped to perk him up a little.

Karen: But even those with good hearts can make a mistake. A MISTAKE, not something out of spite or MALICE.

Zach's face fell flat. A mistake?

So if you said you needed me to jump out in front of a bus and stop it from moving, and I said I couldn't, because I'm not strong enough to stop a bus, and that it will run me over and likely cause fatal injury to me, you would call my decision not to attempt such a feat..... a mistake?

He thought with mild frustration, but now wasn't the time to discuss it, so he let Karen continue on, and tried to stay out of the way. He may have been angry with himself for not being able to help Rose and the Sanctuary kids, he may have been ashamed of pulling back from them, and leaving them to deal with their grief the natural, slow way.

He knew he deserved some of the blame for neglecting Rose. But there was something about it being called a 'mistake' that made him defensive and a little bitter. How was HE supposed to know Rose was demonically possessed by this freaky needle-toothed dude?!

There was an honest-to-Gods exorcism happening in front of his eyes. Zach was fairly amazed by the whole thing, but he was also exhausted, mentally, emotionally, and physically. He was glad when it was over.

The next thing he knew, he was waking up on his side, laid on the floor of the courtroom. He was instantly battered by deep feelings of depression. He didn't even want to breathe, it was so bad. He rolled onto his back, and next to him, Ashley gasped. The depression lifted, like a thick fog that rose up and became a low layer of overcast clouds. She was calling his name, and pressing her palms against some kind of barrier that was holding her back. Zach sat up a bit, supporting himself with one hand flat on the floor. He put the other up against the barrier, his palm against Ashley's, almost.

"Hey, I'm back, I'm okay."

He said reassuringly, sensing her distress. There was a great deal of discussion about Rose. Alison, Karen and Rae explained Rose's predicament a little better. Zach couldn't help but think it would have been very helpful to have been made aware of this earlier. After deciding how to handle Rose's recovery, Karen came over to him. She passed easily through whatever it was that kept Ashley in place. Zach sat still as she used her powers on him. He had no idea what she was doing, but at least it didn't hurt. She helped him up after, declaring him to be fine.

Karen: I am pleased that you are still the young man I remembered, Zach. Do not forget what you saw, experienced, LEARNED on the astral plane with us. Let that INFORM you in your interactions with Rose going forward, if you wish to see her trust in you restored.

"As always Doctor, I'll do my best."

He replied honestly. Karen snapped her fingers and Ashley was there in an instant, hugging him tightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, wrapping his arms around her too.

Ashley: I thought...

"Yeah, that was a close one."

He whispered. Ash thanked the others for saving him, and Zach nodded.

"Yes, thanks indeed."

She hugged him again, harder this time, and he smiled. It was exactly what he needed. The color returned to his face.

Ashley: Are you sure you're okay? You should sit down.

"I'm much better now. Are YOU okay??"

He asked, searching her eyes. She looked like she was about to cry. They kissed, and then the tears spilled, and Zach felt like he'd gotten the wind knocked out of him.

Ashley: I'm so sorry...I failed you...I couldn't protect you...I'm sorry...

He reached to wipe her tears away, shaking his head. He'd drawn Rose's attention directly to him, to protect the REST of the Birds of Prey, and especially to protect Ashley.

"No, no. You have nothing to apologize for. I took point on that one, I knew the risk I was taking. And I'm okay, anyway. Good thing we've got some allies willing to help when we're out of ammunition, eh?"

He asked her quietly. Rae had a few insightful things to say, and Zach found he liked this woman, and her rough-around-the-edges, biker mom kind of presence.

Karen: Rose will return soon. Be ready to turn the page with her.

Ashley: You keep her. I don't want her anywhere near Zach ever again. You can make your excuses for her all you want, but she tried to kill Zach, and almost did. Almost killed us all.

Zach pressed his lips together for a moment. He couldn't exactly blame Ashley for the way she felt. What she said was true, Rose had almost killed them all. And Rose had attacked Ash and Zach more than just once, as well. He understood why Ashley might be against the idea of making nice with Rose again, after all that. He gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"She wasn't herself, my love. She'll be much less homicidal when she returns, I promise."

 

[Oracle]

The Courtroom

"No, no. You have nothing to apologize for. I took point on that one, I knew the risk I was taking. And I'm okay, anyway. Good thing we've got some allies willing to help when we're out of ammunition, eh?"

Zizi smiled over at him.

"And good friends to put themselves on the line to save us."

Rae might have been a little...colorful...but she gave a good pep talk. Zizi was a little sorry to see her go. Valkyrie was not sorry to see Rose go, however, and was vocal in her not wanting to have anything to do with her in the future.

"You keep her. I don't want her anywhere near Zach ever again. You can make your excuses for her all you want, but she tried to kill Zach, and almost did. Almost killed us all."

Zizi sighed. Sometimes Ashley had tunnel vision, especially now when it came to Zach.

"She wasn't herself, my love. She'll be much less homicidal when she returns, I promise."

"Everyone deserves a chance to be helped, Ashley. Now that the Unloved is out of her life, we can get to know Rose as she really is."

Once things were settled at the courthouse, she made sure the others knew what had happened.

[com-link to Oracle] "I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice, kid. Jesus Christ, you scared me..."

Oracle turned her chair away from the others.

[via com, to Gabe] "It's good to hear your voice too."

She smiled.

[via com, to Gabe] "We'll be leaving here shortly. I can't wait to see you."

She bit her lower lip. She did take strength in hearing Gabe's voice, knowing that he was alright, that there hadn't been some OTHER attack while they had been there at the courthouse.

[com-link to everyone] "The Sanctuary is holding strong. I've got it covered."

Zizi turned back around to face the others.

"Someone will need to step in for Rose while she's with Harbinger. Isis, perhaps that is a task for the 'Magic Lady'?"

A smile spread across her face.

"I don't think we want to leave it to Rich and Andrew, bless their hearts."

 

[Valkyrie]

The Courtroom

Zach held his palm up to her hand through the barrier, and that gesture said everything. He was going to live. A shaky half laugh came out of her mouth as she wiped her eyes with her other hand.

"Hey, I'm back, I'm okay."

Karen looked him over, and then finally the barrier dropped. Zach wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her face in his chest.

"Yeah, that was a close one."

"Too close," she murmured.

She pulled back so she could look at him, and asked him if he was sure he was okay.

"I'm much better now. Are YOU okay??"

She kissed him lightly, and then she shook her head, crying again.

"How can you be worried about me at a time like this?"

She apologized for not keeping her promise, for not being able to protect him from Rose. He touched her cheeks, wiping her tears.

"No, no. You have nothing to apologize for. I took point on that one, I knew the risk I was taking. And I'm okay, anyway. Good thing we've got some allies willing to help when we're out of ammunition, eh?"

She nodded yes, sniffling. The others were talking about Rose coming back, and how they were to treat her. Treat her to a hole in the head, more like. Ashley said as much.

"She wasn't herself, my love. She'll be much less homicidal when she returns, I promise."

"Yeah, until she's not."

"Everyone deserves a chance to be helped, Ashley. Now that the Unloved is out of her life, we can get to know Rose as she really is."

"I bet she's still a bitch."

She slid her arms down to circle Zach's waist, resting her head on his shoulder so she could look at Zizi.

"I reserve the right to say I told you so. A lot."

"I don't think we want to leave it to Rich and Andrew, bless their hearts."

Ashley scoffed.

"Who are the children in that scenario? Those kids probably have them bound and gagged by now."