What's the matter with Rose?

[Isis]

The parthenon- Cameron King's penthouse

:: Tears fell from his face. He was having a panic attack. The breathing wouldn't come. His lungs wouldn't take in air. Did it matter? Would anyone care if he ever muttered another word? Eventually, he seized out, trying in one LAST desperate attempt to get air to his body. ::

*coughing*

"Hellpp...meee.."

:: But there was no more help, and maybe there never would be again. Cameron passed out cold. ::

:: sometime later, Cameron King would hear sounds, that grew into tones/voices, that grew into words. The darkness would give way to the light::

My magicks were correct, it WAS him who cried out for help.

Cameron?

:: He would open his eyes to find Isis kneeling down over him, and Shadow Weaver and an armed Arsenal standing just behind her::

CAMERON.

:: Isis said more firmly::

Shadow Weaver: Lay him flat, in a supine position, Isis.

:: Karen says as she draws a bit closer and conjures one of the crystals that she used to scan haleigh::

He's had a full blown panic attack and passed out. He's semi-conscious now, but he's injured, he appears to have been attacked by....

Isis: a SNAKE!

:: the trio were all visibly surprised, puzzled and for Karen, CONCERNED....::

Shadow Weaver: But...where is it NOW? If it's in this hotel...my daughter....

Arsenal: Isis, can you fix Cameron up, while Doc uses her magick to scan for the snake?

Isis: Of course.

:: minutes later...::

Isis: EASY, Cameron. I've just healed your body and stabilized your lungs.

Shadow Weaver: There's no signs of the snake in this room, or anywhere in the hotel.

Arsenal: Morgan said she was attacked by a snake at Melrose Place that disappeared when Nicolas came to help her, could this be the same scenario?

Shadow Weaver: Cameron is the only one who can tell us....

Isis: Cameron, what happened here?

:: the trio has all taken in the grisly scene, and the state of Cameron in which they found him, and now, Isis, Shadow Weaver and Arsenal, who HAD been dining together and discussing the situation before Sharon called Isis, were wondering if the Hellfire Club had made another strike.::

 

[Silver Swan]

Times Square - The Pig N’ Whistle

[ Inside the dimly lit bar, Sharon seats herself and waits for Delilah to return. She's commanded her silver eye mask to disappear and takes a moment to survey the area around her. ]

[This place is curious, most of the patrons appear to be mutants or metahumans, many are "street level" inviduals, some how "quiet" powers, and others have obvious physical mutations that preclude them from going to higher end establishments. ]

[ It wasn't the WORST place she'd ever been, but Senator Sharon Kelly would never have been seen here. ]

[ But for not, the mutate was not worried or bothered. Like Delilah, she was just worn, tired even, a rare feeling for her in her current form]

[ She could hear all sorts of conversations, even the whispered ones in the furthest corners of the bar. She could hear the buzzing about HER and Delilah's appearence, comments ranging from curiosity, to recognition, to lust. But again, in this moment, Sharon couldn't care less.]

They ordered drinks and then Delilah turned to Sharon and put a hand on hers.

“Are you okay, Sharon? Something seems wrong…”

[ She looked over from the moment]

Don't these places have anything...STRONGER?

[ Sighing]

I guess my physiology, combined with the liquid concoctions i've sampled on Themyscira, just make all of these drinks seem...elementary.

[ she decided she'd try a variety of things, wondering if she'd be as durable as Firebird when it came to drinking. ]

Delilah...

It's not going to get any better for either of us. SHE [Haleigh]....THEY [ The inner Cirlce] won't stop until they've done all the damage they could possibly do!

I...was at the black out party...the very night that Haleigh left all of you, and when I saw her on that dais with Malice, I couldn't believe my eyes!

Well I confronted her, and when that availed nothing, I shared all of this with my....THAT team.

They didn't believe me, and what have they been doing since then? Wasting time and SCREWING AROUND with each other, QUITE LITERALLY, especially ZACH!

It's like he can't handle REALITY!

But I WARNED them.

And now, it's coming to pass.

[ She looks at Delilah]

The other thing is that viking woman, Ashley Oldenbug. I can't STAND her. She walks around talking so much trash, and she thinks that everyone is too scared or UNABLE to push back? Well I showed HER!

I punched her OUT of the clock tower into Central Park, and THEN I used a tree to knock her OUT of the park, literally!

I refuse to help a man who can't see the danger in front of him. That is foolishness.

If ROBERT had listened to me...he and my son would still be alive! ZACH won't listen, and i'm NOT going to stand by and wait to pick up the pieces.

[ Shaking her head]

Last night the answer was clear. I needed to leave, and that's what I did. But NOW...after talking with Simon who, had it not been for Rose's intervention, would've DIED at the hands of Persephone, I'm not so sure.

He reminded me of who I was in some ways...before all these changes, and he told me that I should go back to them.

I don't know If i WANT to though.

I don't know HOW I can tolerate the WEAKNESS and the FOOLISHNESS.

I thought I knew Zachary...but he's become as ALIEN to me as Haleigh has, and that ANGERS me.

I thought I knew what I was going to do earlier, Delilah, but then Malice and Black Widow struck...and in the infirmary, when I heard Bishop warn you that you need to kill Haleigh on sight, It just reminded me of how THEY reacted to me when I tried to tell them we needed to regard her as a MORTAL THREAT.

[ huffing with annoyance]

But maybe we've devoted enough time discussing that TURN COAT.

 

[Enchantrah]

Diana handed Helena a celebratory flute of champagne. The Red Queen grinned, clinking it against The White Queen's in triumph.

Diana: Another powerful weapon added to our arsenal. Another LOSS for the Six, for even IF they were some how able to wrest her from our clutches, they would not find the woman they knew or cared about.

"The perfect outcome. If she doesn't kill them, she'll disregard them like the trash they are."

Diana: Scion is going to be in for a little surprise when she returns.

Sipping the champagne, Helena smirked.

"And she fought so hard to protect Ava."

She laughed, knowing Scion would take a hit finding out that her 'sister' was gone. Despite Haleigh's best efforts, she not only lost The Six, but she lost the only person who hadn't turned their back on her.

"I know she fliped her emotions off, but THIS will hurt her despite that. And I KNOW you're relishing it."

They both laugh, the pain of Scion and transformation of Persephone being a one-two punch for the Queens. But their celebration took a pause as Diana turned to her, becoming more serious.

Diana: Helena...you and I are survivors. But more than that, we TURNED THE TABLES on the men who thought they were going to subjugate us. We TOOK from them what gave them their power, and used it to DESTROY them. WE did that. No one else in this current Inner Circle...not even TALISMAN, since she wasn't HERE for it, can hold to that. Ravena is here for a REASON that will benefit ALL of us.

Helena and Diana had been through the ringer together, more than most people knew about. If there was anyone that Helena would consider her sister it was Diana, and she knew the feeling was mutual. But what had happened earlier was a trigger, one that Diana was very much aware of. She lost her temper in such a way that was uncharacteristic to her, and she lost her trust in Ravena. But as Diana spoke, explaining their bond and that what she was doing was for THEIR best interest, Helena exhaled slowly nodding.

"I know you don't do things idly, Diana. Don't misunderstand my outburst earlier as questioning your loyalties. You KNOW why I reacted the way I did."

She responded evenly, not wanting to dive into THAT particular skeleton in her closet. Diana further explained a bit more as to why Ravena was there, teasing that possibly Ravena was somehow linked to the witches of The Six. Now THAT was intriguing.....and definitely a fair reason as to WHY he was so important to Diana and the Inner Circle. Helena still had her reservations about him, but Rome wasn't built in a day. She would let her anger ease and revisit a cordial relationship with Ravena at another time.

Diana: And YOU know me, Helena. I wouldn't jeopardize EITHER of us...after what we've been through. What we've OVERCOME.

"I DO know that. I trust you Diana, above anyone else. THAT is why I didn't rip his head off and feed it to Coco earlier."

She smirked at her friend.

"You and I have been through a lot. Many men, many wars....many bodies."

She chuckled, a nod to the fact that weren't the 'original' Helena and Diana of their current timeline.

"Like I trust you, YOU can unequivocally trust ME."

They both looked at each other, KNOWING that in the end there was no doubts between them. It was then Helena's iPhone buzzed indicating a text message.

Diana: I've been scanning Persephone since the personality change, and the Ava Cassadine persona is dormant.

Reading the text, Helena's eyes widened in anger seeing Persephone send a photo of her CAR with "Berserker wasn't the only fun thing I rode today".

"UGH! I'm beginning to QUESTION my sanity on that particular plan.."

She grumbled, texting Persephone back furiously and warning her that she would be speaking with her later.

Diana: WATCH her, Helena, AND Berserker. Not everyone can BALANCE pleasure and power. My telepathy and empathy register the VOLATILE nature of their relationship, it could have UNINTENDED consequences for the Red Court AND the Inner Circle.

She knew the relationship between Berserker and Persephone was a heated one--one that was VERY similar to Berserker's relationship with Valkyrie. But she put a stop to that one IMMEDIATELY when she saw Ashley and Alek were becoming a little too comfortable with each other. No love, no losses. And she certainly wasn't about to loose everything she worked for because her Knight and Rook were moving BEYOND the physical.

"I'll keep a closer eye on them. If they become serious, i'll have you lobotomize Aleksander. He'll be my bear, and ONLY that. No free thinking....no future problems."

She stated maliciously. She cared for Aleksander like a son....but she cared about power MORE. NO ONE would jeopardize what The Sisterhood was building.

Diana went on to describe the little mission that Scion was sent on regarding the beefcake known as Bishop. Oh the things she would let him do to her. It had crossed her mind to morph into Delilah just to get a taste...perhaps another day. But with Scion's most egregious act of deception yet, it was another hit against the six, and further alienation of Haleigh.

Diana brought up a feed on the monitors of Silver Swan and Morningstar at a bar. They looked positively miserable...it was hilarious. What would be even MORE entertaining was that Domino was on the way. And after what Mystique had told her about her little tryst with Sharon, it was going to be fucking epic.

"Oh now THIS should be good.

Diana: Where is Talisman? I want her here as well.

"She was with me earlier....we were both studying the physique of Zachary Armani---OH! Yes! I almost forgot!"

Helena had been so distracted by everything else, she almost forgot to share the delicious details of her little mission for Persephone.

"I'll be sending Persephone out on an errand later. What better way to test the dissolution of Ava Cassadine than to have Persephone KILL her oldest friend, Zachary Armani. A DIRECT hit against the Birds of Prey, secondary to The Six....and of course...little Scion. Her ex-fiance being torn apart and delivered to her chambers by her ex-sister? It's too perfect."

 

[Prophet]

The Parthenon Hotel - Cameron's Penthouse - Bedroom

:: The blackness brought him peace. For however long he was out, there was no pain, no war to plan, no endgame to keep in mind. For a few moments, he simply existed without any ties, without anything bogging him down and making him feel so incredibly..human. But just like every good feeling Cameron ever experienced, it was fleeting. He began to hear a stir of echos. Voices and shapes. ::

:: sometime later, Cameron King would hear sounds, that grew into tones/voices, that grew into words. The darkness would give way to the light::

My magicks were correct, it WAS him who cried out for help.

Cameron?

:: He would open his eyes to find Isis kneeling down over him, and Shadow Weaver and an armed Arsenal standing just behind her::

CAMERON.

:: Isis said more firmly::

"Dominique...you came."

:: His vision was incredibly blurred as he began to make out her beautiful face. He hadn't seen her for quite some time. She was as beautiful as ever and for once her stone cold demeanor brought him an incredible amount of comfort. Cameron began to make out others in the room, among them Karen and Mike which immediately put him on edge. For a moment, he wondered if this was just the second act to what he had experienced. Cameron attempt to struggle against his own blurred senses and lack of coordination. ::

:: Isis said more firmly::

Shadow Weaver: Lay him flat, in a supine position, Isis.

:: Karen says as she draws a bit closer and conjures one of the crystals that she used to scan haleigh::

He's had a full blown panic attack and passed out. He's semi-conscious now, but he's injured, he appears to have been attacked by....

Isis: a SNAKE!

:: the trio were all visibly surprised, puzzled and for Karen, CONCERNED....::

Shadow Weaver: But...where is it NOW? If it's in this hotel...my daughter....

Arsenal: Isis, can you fix Cameron up, while Doc uses her magick to scan for the snake?

Isis: Of course.

:: He wanted to fight it. He didn't want MAGICK to be used on his body, not without his consent. Not by this group of women, but what could he do? Cameron needed help, and they were providing it. But he knew that they would have questions when he was in his right mind. Questions he didn't want to answer and stands he didn't want to make. He hated to be this vulnerable in front of Dominique. Karen had seen him through some of his darkest times. She had offered counsel to him, and over the years, their relationship had blossomed. Both worked together to ensure that everything was in place when Delilah returned from Aerie after The Blue Moon, and when she made her way to New York. ::

<< FLASH! >>

Knowing that his sister literally was feet away from him..just beyond the enchanted door in Mike's apartment...well, it made him antsy. Cameron moved over to Karen and grabbed her hand for a moment.

"Again...Thank you for all of your help these past few weeks with Delilah. I mean, I know it's probably been a little rough on you...what with Morgan in Limbo.. the argument...I know it's taken a toll on me..."

[he gestured his head in the direction of Mike's Apartment]

"And...i'm a little anxious to see my sister... Would you mind if I leave now? I know Delilah hasn't arrived yet, but I can send her a text...and i'm sure she'd like a little alone time.. I HAVE probably been a little suffocating lately... I've just been so worried."

[Cameron let go of Karen's hand and sighed]

"But...we've gotten her to this point.. and I think we are out of the woods in the suicide department...What do ya say, Dr V. ?"

<< FLASH! >>

<< It was an unpleasant memory they BOTH shared. A nightmare they both SURVIVED. And here they were now.>>

I can't tell you...the sense of sadness and at various moments...utter LOSS that i've felt since that night in the infirmary right after the Blue Moon. I was helpless to do anything to help ANY of them [Delilah, Alison and Morgan]. Morgan is my daughter of course, but i love ALL THREE of them as daughters and no mother wants to see her daughters fight like this...be angry or disconnected like this.

There hasn't been much any of us could do, but YOU, Cameron, YOU have stepped in to help where it was most needed. Delilah needed someone...and the reality was...it could NOT be anyone else...not even ME at that moment. Not because I didnt want to , but because she was not ready to receive anything from me.

Times like this...emotions are too strong, too primal. They make strange bedfellows with INSTINCT and for Delilah...it had become something of a "us vs. them" situation...when clearly it is not.

You've done everything you can...and now, I will take over, but that hardly means this is the end of your involvement or the need Delilah will have of you and your support.

<< FLASH! >>

Of course. Alison and Morgan are doing what they know to do to help themselves get through what has been a horrible experience. But we ALL know that no one is an island. Go to you sister. It will do you as much good as it will do her.

We'll connect later on at some point.

<< She winks as she lets go of Cameron's hand.>>

Off you go now.

<< She says gently with a smile as Cameron departs for Michael's apartment, leaving Karen to look around Delilah's apartment once more.>>

Well.

I think everything is as it should be.

<< Nodding with satisfaction as she looks over to the table where some freshly made afternoon snacks and drinks are waiting.>>

Delilah should be here at any moment.

<< Looking over at a clock>>

And Sharon and Cass said they'd be coming to visit as well.

<< Karen pushes the front door of Delilah's apartment nearly closed before moving further inside, fluffing up a few pillows on the couch and then waiting...>>

:: The things that he said to her in anger, after Morgan tore into him for having an opinion about the way she was acting. THAT was something that he regretted. To know what she experienced at the hands of his interloper mother, it was horrifying. He understood that. But Karen SHOULD have known better than anybody, in their private sessions, in EVERYTHING that he confided to her over the years under her counsel, that he always felt a void in not knowing his family, knowing who they were, both the good and the bad. He had been ROBBED it of it his entire life thanks to MAGICK. But Talisman had struck a deadly and SMART blow. If Talisman was trying to avoid a conversation with Cameron, the perfect person to have attacked was Karen. It would pit the others against her in a VICIOUS way..and it had. But to Cameron, that meant that she felt remorse for what she had done. He knew it wasn't his actual mother. That woman was dead and gone, but it was the closest thing he would ever come across again. He deserved to at least try and figure things out on his own. Or be allowed to experience her...even if it was only once. ::

:: minutes later...::

Isis: EASY, Cameron. I've just healed your body and stabilized your lungs.

Shadow Weaver: There's no signs of the snake in this room, or anywhere in the hotel.

Arsenal: Morgan said she was attacked by a snake at Melrose Place that disappeared when Nicolas came to help her, could this be the same scenario?

Shadow Weaver: Cameron is the only one who can tell us....

Isis: Cameron, what happened here?

:: the trio has all taken in the grisly scene, and the state of Cameron in which they found him, and now, Isis, Shadow Weaver and Arsenal, who HAD been dining together and discussing the situation before Sharon called Isis, were wondering if the Hellfire Club had made another strike.::

:: blinking for a few moments, he sat upright immediately, gaining his barings. He looked at Mike and Karen and said nothing. He looked at Dominique and said nothing. For a few moments, there was just silence. ::

"I don't know..who did this. I entered my bedroom..and this is what I found."

:: Shaking his head. ::

"This..was a woman..a friend of mine. I used to play chess in the park with her. She was homeless. Nobody..nobody knew about her. She was just a sweet woman I liked to spend time with. Somebody murdered her to prove a point...to vex me."

"I don't know if it's Hellfire..but whoever it was..they know things about me.."

[he looked at Karen a bit pensively]

"Things..only a few people know."

[his gaze softened at Karen for a moment]

"I TK'ed the snake out the window. It's not here...it was a Cobra."

:: Cameron tried to rise from his seat but he collapsed on the bed for a second. ::

"Please...I thank you for coming to my aid. Really, but please you don't have to stay. I don't need it. I don't want to occupy any more of your time. I prefer being alone these days anyway."

 

[MorningStar]

Times Square – The Pig N’ Whistle

I guess my physiology, combined with the liquid concoctions i've sampled on Themyscira, just make all of these drinks seem...elementary.

Delilah internally rolled her eyes. What was it with the super-powered community that they had to prove how tough they were with special drinks? The witches and their hemlock were bad enough…

“I’m sure if you ask they have something in the back…”

She spoke absentmindedly. She wanted to know what was really bothering Sharon.

It's not going to get any better for either of us. SHE [Haleigh]....THEY [ The inner Cirlce] won't stop until they've done all the damage they could possibly do!

Delilah shrugged.

“Same old shit, different day. We allowed the truce to make us forget who we were really dealing with. That hasn’t changed.”

I...was at the black out party...the very night that Haleigh left all of you, and when I saw her on that dais with Malice, I couldn't believe my eyes!

Delilah stared into her beer.

“Were we really just fooled all this time? Was everything a lie? That she would attack Bishop..attack ME in this way?”

She shook her head.

“I would have never believed she could go through with it. And then I think, could I kill Zach, if I thought it would save her? Could I kill Nicolas to save Morgan?”

She sighed.

“I don’t think I could, but maybe…I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

Well I confronted her, and when that availed nothing, I shared all of this with my....THAT team. They didn't believe me, and what have they been doing since then? Wasting time and SCREWING AROUND with each other, QUITE LITERALLY, especially ZACH! It's like he can't handle REALITY!

“He will come around. Haleigh WAS his reality for a long time. But he’ll see what she’s become. He has to.”

But I WARNED them. And now, it's coming to pass.

Delilah nodded.

The other thing is that viking woman, Ashley Oldenbug. I can't STAND her. She walks around talking so much trash, and she thinks that everyone is too scared or UNABLE to push back? Well I showed HER! I punched her OUT of the clock tower into Central Park, and THEN I used a tree to knock her OUT of the park, literally!

Delilah looked at Sharon with wide eyes.

“Oh, Sharon…she’s your teammate.”

I refuse to help a man who can't see the danger in front of him. That is foolishness. If ROBERT had listened to me...he and my son would still be alive! ZACH won't listen, and i'm NOT going to stand by and wait to pick up the pieces.

Delilah stretched out her hand and put it on Sharon’s sympathetically.

“Isn’t this all because you’re afraid of losing him? Maybe THAT’S what you need to tell him, rather than yelling? Sometimes you get more flies with honey…”

But Sharon shook her head.

Last night the answer was clear. I needed to leave, and that's what I did. But NOW...after talking with Simon who, had it not been for Rose's intervention, would've DIED at the hands of Persephone, I'm not so sure. He reminded me of who I was in some ways...before all these changes, and he told me that I should go back to them. I don't know If i WANT to though. I don't know HOW I can tolerate the WEAKNESS and the FOOLISHNESS.

“Maybe by being the leader you were meant to be? The one you have been for the Six? They are young, a new team. Maybe they need a practical voice? Maybe that’s your role?”

She turned in her seat to face Sharon.

“These things don’t happen overnight – look at the Six when they started out. Remember Alexis? What if any one of them had left the team because it was too hard…where would we be today?”

She smiled at Sharon and held up a hand.

“I’m not saying you should necessarily go back. I am your friend, and I want you to do what is right for YOU. I just want you to do it for the right reasons”

But maybe we've devoted enough time discussing that TURN COAT.

Delilah nodded.

And then she bent over, her hair falling over her face, her hand going to her mouth.

“I want to KILL her for what she did. I HATE myself for defending her, all this time. I HATE that I STILL don’t want it to be true.”

She turned her head towards Sharon.

“He could have died. WOULD have died if you hadn’t been there, Sharon. And minutes before what was I doing? Checking out some guy I bumped into on the street.”

She shook her head.

“I don’t know if Maxim would have been better off if I had refused to ever see him again or if I had been there with him so I could protect him. Have I been wasting time or have I been selfish?”

She went back to her beer.

“I just don’t know what to do next.”

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

Oracle arrived back at the Clocktower, and hung up her coat on the hook by the door. She wheeled herself absentmindedly back into the main area where the others were still discussing Rose. She went to get a water out of the refrigerator.

Ashley came over into the kitchen and crossed her arms, leaning against the butcher block.

Ashley: “And where did you sneak off to?”

Zizi sighed.

“A friend needed me. Gabe.”

Ashley’s eyes widened in surprise.

Ashley: “GABE?! He of the ‘dark smoldering eyes’ and the ‘beautiful code’ and the ‘please throw me down on the floor and make me a woman even though you don't know I exist’ Gabe?”

Zizi sighed again.

“Yes. And guess who he’s been doing some work for? Ava Cassadine.”

She put her head in her hands.

“And also, apparently, they [makes air quotes] dated for two years.”

Ashley made a face.

Ashley: “Ouch. That bitch.”

Zizi nodded. She had no claim on Gabe, none at all. He’d never seen – or ever would see – her as anything more than his hacking buddy from the old days. And she could never compete with someone like Ava.

"And I acted like a total idiot. He must think I've suffered brain damage or something."

Ashley patted her on the shoulder.

Ashley: “Would it make you feel better if I killed her for you? Cause I will.”

Zizi smiled.

“Don’t do it for me, but, you know, if she tries to kill you you go ahead and kill her right back.”

 

[Talisman]

To Midtown...

< Her brief encounter with Helena had been time well spent. It felt good to drink champagne and gossip as women sometimes like to do. She realized the benefit in growing her relationships with other members of The Inner Circle. Helena was the easiest for her to get along with, though she still didn't trust the woman completely, which was to be expected. The Red Court was known for being the eyes and the ears of The Hellfire Club, and even though Kelly had the mutant ability of Omni Sight, the red court seemed to be able to meet Kelly at her measure, which was a testament to the strength and endurance of Helena. >

< As the two said goodbye, Kelly returned to her suite, refreshed her look and called a town bar to escort her to Midtown, specifically King Cole Bar at The St. Regis. It was one of Kelly's favorite places in the city. It was a posh, upscale and sophisticated lounge that was frequented by the likes of Salvador Dali, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio and John Lennon. It was a quintessential New York location that exuded luxury and wealth. It was also a favorite location of the woman that she was meeting. >

< A piano player in the corner tickled the ivories with a soft jazz tune as Kelly Shaw made her way towards the bar, her posh and vintage style garnering several looks as she reached the bar, took a seat at one of the plush leather barstools and crossed her legs, her cobalt blue eyes sparkling at the bartender. >

Bartender: "Good evening. What do I have the pleasure of making for you, Madamoiselle?"

< Talisman smirked. >

"A glass of your finest hemlock."

< The bartender cocked a confused eyebrow. >

Bartender: "Uh..pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is hemlock?"

"Mortals. Gotta love them."

< Admiring her nails before shooting a warm glance back at the bartender. >

"Never you mind, dear. What type of wines do you pour from Anne-Claude LeFlaive?"

< The bartender seemed impressed. >

Bartender: "I don't requests for that very often. The only kind this bar serves is the Chardonnay..a vintage Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet Grand Cru...but it's very expensive."

< She smiled. >

"So am I...I'll take a bottle. Two chilled glasses please? I'm expecting a guest."

< The bartender nodded and went to the back to grab a most likely dusty bottle of a six thousand dollar Chardonnay. Her Omini Sight detected the arrival of the guest she was about to receive. She smiled not looking back as she spoke. >

"Good evening, Camille. I hope you like white wine."

 

[Chameleon]

King Cole Bar

:: Though many had clung to whatever power they had left, Camille had surrendered it easily. In the wake of the rebellion, she had been considered dead and in death, she had found freedom. As a shapeshifter, she could be whoever she wanted to be and her vast wealth gave her endless options. She settled in Monaco for quite some time, moving in circles of incredible wealth and affluence. She gambled at Monte Carlo, she regaled her new friends with stories of her time as a primaballerina on some of the world's greatest stages. Camille was finally living outside of the shadow of Liam, The White King and his precious Juliette. She felt free, well as free as a woman who consumed prescription pills like they were candy could. For all intents and purposes, Camille was living a life that people could only dream of, but it had come at a cost...one that she was more than willing to play. ::

:: The attack on The European Hellfire Club had left her maimed, disfigured beyond recognition, and though she was one of the world's most gifted and effective metamorph's, as she limped from the ashes of the rebellion, she found herself unable to change her form. Unable to glamour away her scars. For months, she had experienced a terrible darkness. Hidden away from society, medicating herself in any number of ways, resolved to die as a eunuch. But Talisman found her. Gave her hope. Promised that she could fix Camille in exchange for her services. Though she had felt burned by Hellfire, lost everything trying to be exactly what it was that her king wanted her to be, she knew that her service to the club would never be over. She would never truly be free of the allegiance that she had pledged when she was too young to know what she was doing. ::

:: She agreed to Kelly's terms because she simply didn't have any other options, and The Black Queen made good on her word. Her abilities and her body were restored to heights she never knew were possible. All that was required of her, was to use these abilities to further Talisman's agenda. It was an easy trade. She split her time between the states and Monaco, acting as a spy, her abilities allowing her to assume any number of identities, making her the perfect mole. Camille had played a number of different characters, playing them with the same intensity and perfection that she did when she was a primaballerina, she had inserted herself into the world of The Six and The Birds of Prey in a number of ways. She had sat in as "Ana-Leigh" in a number of meetings, watching as Alycia Barnett planned her attack on WilPharma. She had been Cameron's "secretary" the night that he found the body of Haleigh Davidoff in his office. She had bared witness to the sexual encounter between Domino and Silver Swan in the Black Diamond Suites of The Hellfire Mansion during The Blackout Party. She had been a "hand-maiden" for Alek and Haleigh during her arrival. Camille was Talisman's crown jewel of espionage, and she had played the part incredibly well. Because she was assumed dead, nobody was looking for her, and her ability as a shapeshifter, able to commit and articulate a role so well and so convincing, she had not yet been detected. ::

:: Camille Rowe stepped out of her town car, dressed in all black - she didn't wear white any longer as she made her way into King Cole, one of her favorite places in the city, though it didn't hold a candle to anything that Monaco had to offer. Still, with a regal elegance and a waspy elegance, she sauntered through the bar as Kelly called out to her, without looking. ::

Talisman: "Good Evening, Camille. I hope you like white wine."

:: The european beauty sat down next to Kelly, crossing her legs in the same fashion and exhaling lightly. ::

"White's not my favorite color these days, Talisman. But I trust your taste level."

:: Soon the bartender returned with two chilled glasses of incredibly expensive, incredibly delicious chardonnay. ::

"There's something about drinking this expensive of wine in the states that makes me feel a bit...trashy."

:: The two women laughed as Camille took her index finger and circled it around the rim of her glass. ::

"Everybody is certainly in a tailspin lately aren't they? I almost wish Rebecca were alive to see this. To see what women who were actually inspired and committed to moving forward could do. We connected too late...before we could really do what needed to be done."

[looking off into the distance]

"I will never forgive myself for allowing Liam to bring that..woman into the fold. I knew that Juliette couldn't be trusted...as most vampires can't. If only we had more time...but waxing poetic on time..it's rather a fool's errand, isn't it?"

:: Camille opened her chic black Chanel clutch as she pulled out a prescription bottle, unscrewing the top and popping a blue pill into her mouth with an aloof look on her face. ::

"In any case...in current events, I've primed the man you wish to be your Black Bishop extensively. Assuming the identity of his superior wasn't easy..he was a brute and a pig of a man..though killing him was easy enough. Americans are so stupid. So driven by base sexual instinct. He was dead before he could even ejaculate...but I've been working on him for weeks. Ezra Solomon is getting ready to break, and the second that happens, you will have the man that can bring your experience and ideas into fruition."

:: taking a sip ::

"Which I believe was what you wanted. But all this "shifting" of identities...it's given me a bit of insight. They don't trust you, Kelly. They are wary that you don't quite get what it means...to be here in this timeline. They have contigency plans. At this point...your failure is my failure. If you don't adjust..."

:: The lounge was somewhat empty. Camille leaned back, slicking back her very short hair behind her head as she cracked an inquisitive look in Talisman's direction. ::

"I speak only out of concern..as a former queen...to a current queen. How does The Black Queen plan on surviving this current incarnation?"

 

[Talisman]

King Cole Bar

< Camille took a seat next to her, looking as glamorous as ever. Discovering that the woman had survived the fire fight between Domino and Viper that nearly destroyed the entire mansion in Europe was surprising. Camille knew things about Domino and Ravena, and the second that it became clear that the two were in league with Diana, Kelly went about finding herself a level of protection against THAT unholy alliance. >

< Her Omni Sight set her right on Camille's Rowe's path, at a moment of great despair. She had been ripe for the picking. The former White Queen was a woman who enjoyed the social aspects of the club, possibly more than anybody. But she was incredibly bright, if one was able to decipher the subtext of her Xanax induced speech. She had been slept on, underutilized and essentially cast aside..so Talisman capitalized on that. >

"Everybody is certainly in a tailspin lately aren't they? I almost wish Rebecca were alive to see this. To see what women who were actually inspired and committed to moving forward could do. We connected too late...before we could really do what needed to be done."

"Well...Rebecca ISN'T alive...and by all accounts, neither are you. So stop dwelling. You've been given a chance..much like Domino and Lord Ravena were given a chance by Malice. Both Diana and I watched the destruction of your club with great intrigue, even with my gift of Viper to The Red Queen. I watched you clammer..wanting to rise to the occassion, but you were right..you were too late. But you are here now. And if there is anything I've learned since my arrival at this timeline...it's that second chances don't mean anything if you never learned the lessons of your first mistake."

"In any case...in current events, I've primed the man you wish to be your Black Bishop extensively. Assuming the identity of his superior wasn't easy..he was a brute and a pig of a man..though killing him was easy enough. Americans are so stupid. So driven by base sexual instinct. He was dead before he could even ejaculate...but I've been working on him for weeks. Ezra Solomon is getting ready to break, and the second that happens, you will have the man that can bring your experience and ideas into fruition."

"Nicely done. But we won't avert our eyes from the government just yet. The identity you've assumed within the walls of that organization will serve us in the days of come. It will allow us the foresight to know when they feel poised to take our kind down..."

< Taking a sip. >

"And then we will end them."

"Which I believe was what you wanted. But all this "shifting" of identities...it's given me a bit of insight. They don't trust you, Kelly. They are wary that you don't quite get what it means...to be here in this timeline. They have contigency plans. At this point...your failure is my failure. If you don't adjust..."

:: The lounge was somewhat empty. Camille leaned back, slicking back her very short hair behind her head as she cracked an inquisitive look in Talisman's direction. ::

"I speak only out of concern..as a former queen...to a current queen. How does The Black Queen plan on surviving this current incarnation?"

[coldly]

"I've been adjusting just fine, Camille. Thank you very much."

[sighing]

"Life with Diana is a constant pissing contest and since there is nowhere I won't lift my leg if I feel like it, our relationship is never going to be like what her relationship is with Helena. But she doesn't need that from me. She needs somebody who can do what I do. I helped her renew her focus on her goals, and as her goals are similar to mine, I will stand by her to see them through. But I won't be domesticated. And if she stopped TRYING, we'd be a lot better off."

"Just as there are contigency plans in place regarding me..I have my own exit strategy. Thankfully neither of us are nowhere near that point..and when it comes time for me to play my part in all of this, I am certain any doubts she had, will be silenced."

< Smirking she set her glass down on the counter. >

"But do not worry for ME, Camille. *I* know how to survive a war. But thank you for your concern."

< Kelly rose to her feet, smoothing her suit out as she looked at the woman that stood before her. This former queen, one of only a few who lived past their titles. She felt a bit of sympathy which she quickly pushed down deep inside of her. >

"It's good to see you like this..outside of the world of cloak and dagger. For now, I give you leave. Continue to enjoy your new life."

< Turning to leave. >

"But don't forgot how you got it."

< Kelly gave a traditional european air kiss on either side of Camille's face. >

"I will be in touch soon."

< Taking her leave of the expensive bar, Kelly found herself back at the mansion, making her way towards the catacombs, as her heels made a signature clacking across the floors, down the stairs, rounding hallway after hallway before arriving in the control room. >

It appears my White Knight and Domino are looking for some trouble.

:: Tapping into the camera feed of a dive near Time Square, showing images of MorningStar and Silver Swan::

And they've just found it.

THIS should be interesting to watch.

It'll pass the time while we wait on Scion.

Where is Talisman? I want her here as well.

"I'm right here!"

< She said with a smile as she made her way over to Diana and Helena. >

"Hope I didn't miss anything good."

< Her phone vibrated with a message from Amanda. She noticed that Diana's did as well. >

"It appears my Black Knight has something to say."

< Kelly cast the message onto the holographic screen for them all to watch. >

 

[Firebird]

Parthenon- Starlight Lounge

Andrew smirked as he took another gulp of his beer.

“You DO know the French word for ‘fire’ isn’t ‘fire’, right?”

Blaze shot a look at Andrew

"I think we both know what part of the brand I was referring that contained the french word, smart guy."

Rolling her apple green eyes as she gulps down another lemon drop.

"Well it sounds like you've been a busy girl..and I do love a party. And I do love to sin..but let's not forget, it was a woman responsible for the ORIGINAL sin...or so the story goes. Are you trying to tempt me to eat from your tree of knowledge, Blaze? Get me into trouble?"

"Mmhmmm, I have a feeling you need NO help from me to find...or MAKE trouble. But what's one more demon at an event that's sure to be hot like fire?"

Andrew questioned Derek about his business ventures and whether they'd place him in competition with Sally. One thing Blaze was sure of, he didn't have any devious motives where Sally Spectra was concerned. his own blood family though? That was a different story. Would his motives (among other things) lead to his undoing? Blaze would watch and see, and certainly do what she could to make sure Morgan, Sally and anyone SHE cared about wouldn't be caught up in the fallout of his crash and burn.

:: Derek smiled, taking a sip of his martini, shaking his head side to side in an "eh" manner. ::

"I mean techinically...yeah, we would be rivals once my women's line launches, but...Sally tends to do things a bit different. She's not really competing with anybody but herself. We aren't trying to do the same thing..I'm pushing the envelope instead of delivering it so to speak."

Richard was here, and definitely feeling more encouraged and bold than he had the previous two times he saw Blaze. Not that she minded, but she found herself feeling in an ALTERED STATE. She wanted to keep herself occupied in anyway she could, but one of the main issues that she was feeling "some kind of way" about was sitting right beside her. And THEN....

:: As everyone was talking around them, Vivica leaned in and whispered to Blaze, lower so that the others couldn't hear. ::

"Not to damper the mood...but are we going to talk, or are we going to pretend that everything is fine and that nothing about this group of people gathered together is strange?"

Blaze looked down for a moment, then looked over at Vivica.

"Yes, we are."

"I just needed this time..."

Maybe Viv would understand, maybe she wouldn't. But Blaze was definitely "coping" by trying to keep herself occupied, trying to create an environment that was suitable for her. Whether or not it was working depended on who you asked.

 

[Spellbinder]

Starlight Lounge

"Mmhmmm, I have a feeling you need NO help from me to find...or MAKE trouble. But what's one more demon at an event that's sure to be hot like fire?"

maybe we have enough demons lurking about.

<< Morgan's voice, with its icy resonance rings out from behind Derek, as she is now standing behind him, and looking upon the assembled group. She'd arrived from LIMBO only moments ago, sight unseen, still wearing an outfit that was far edgier and revealing than anything anyone at the table (save Blaze) would recall seeing her in before. >>

<< She'd observed this gathering from Limbo, via her scrying glass.>>

Derek.

I certainly hope you've NOT been trying to give my sister a hard time, tonight?

<< She looks upon the others, and slowly circled the table >>

Hello Cass, Vivica....Andrew.

<< And finally Richard>>

You're...Dominique's ward. Richard, is it?

<< She'd only seen him once...MAYBE twice before. She'd HEARD Nicolas reference him as well, but she never formally MET him herself.>>

<< Richard stood up to greet her and she accepted his hand>>

<< she eyed him for a moment>>

So...are you enjoying the company of my sister?

<< She cast her violet eyes on Vivica , who was on Blaze's OTHER side. She couldn't help but "recall" THEIR special conversation outside of time and space, where Vivica unabashedly declared the nature of her friendship with Blaze. Morgan wasn't offended or disapproving, but she wondered now what Vivica must be thinking as Blaze seemed to be evolving in her sexuality, and she and Richard were definitely on a fast track of "getting to know you." ALWAYS concerned for her younger sister, She'd be keeping an EYE on all of this. >>

<< What an interesting development THIS was for Blaze. Morgan couldn't help but share a knowing look with her sister, but that look slowly shifted to concern as she could see Blaze was TRYING to enjoy this moment she crafted for herself, but did not seem to be succeeding.>>

To Blaze via their rapport as sisters: You OKAY, sis?? I'm taking Derek off your hands, but if you need me to, I can evacuate ANYONE ELSE here as well!

<< Morgan was DEFINITELY in tribal mode, as Michael and Nicolas had observed >>

Blaze: Yeah....I'll BE okay. I'm just...I'm feeling UNEASY right now. I have some things to discuss with Vivica, but it's HARD to look at her knowing what nearly happened to her.

Morgan: ...and you're feeling the way you did when Sally Spectra was nearly killed. I can feel that FROM you. Viv cares about you, otherwise she wouldn't be here right now! She cut her ties with Cameron, and this ....IS his hotel...and yet she's back here to see YOU. So TELL HER how you feel. Be honest with her as you've always been. isn't that why the two of you have had such good time together? It's OKAY to be something other than "put together" Blaze...and now, after what YOU AND I have been through? We dno't owe anybody ANYTHING other than the TRUTH. You handle this, girl! If you need me, you just CALL me, and I'll be there in a flash. But for now, it's time for me to WRANGLE this...naughty little puppy << Derek!>> I may even take him to Sally's office and use that PADDLE on him.

<<Blaze and Morgan share a "giggle" in their silent commmunciation. And then...>>

Derek, you're coming with me. I have some things I want to say to you.

<< A message chimed in on her device, and she pulled it out to look at it for a moment. >>

Walking back to the bar she sent a text message to the Six members:

Haleigh tried to kill Bishop/Ava tried to kill Vivica. Watch your backs.

<< Morgan's violet eyes widened for a moment, as she looks up and at Blaze>>

To Blaze: I want you to stay HERE inside the parthenon. Tell Vivica that Black Widow just tried to kill Bishop!

<< and then verbally to everyone else...>>

Everyone, enjoy the rest of your evening, and be SAFE.

<< she then looks at Derek>>

Let's go, Derek.

<< Snapping her fingers, and walking away on her high heels>>

 

[Artemis]

Charope, LLC- Alycia's office suite

“I heard a CRASH and I wanted to see if you were OKAY.”

He pulled his hand back and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Jesus.”

:: Bishop looked upon Charope with a mix of astonisment and disbelief. He'd seen and FOUGHT enough people to know when someone was on the verge of attack. Charope looked upon him, but with each breath, she slowly backed off that plateau of RAGE. it wasn't HIS fault. And he actually had been concerned...DECENT enough to come to see if she was OKAY. It was...a hint...a WHISPER of the man she'd FIRST met all those years ago, when she hired him to try and save Sharon and her family from the clutches of the monsters inside the Arklay Mansion.::

:: She ceases her aggressive posture, and slowly relaxes...a bit::

::sigh::

....

I'm sorry.

You STARTLED me.

You caught me in a...vulnerable moment. A moment that I would never want anyone to see me in.

:: She says as she looks away.::

:: She walks across the suite, once again stepping on the crushed picture frame and photo of herself of Cameron with her high heel. she makes it a point to KICK that away and it goes sliding/crashing into the wall::

:: she sets her chair behind her desk upright, and drops down into it. When the rage in her hazel eyes fades, Bishop sees a woman who's hurt, weary...EXHAUSTED.::

:: She reaches for a tissue from a nearby box of kleenex and wipes her tear streaked face::

You've only been conscious for a couple of hours. You should probably sit down...Maxim....Connor.

:: she says in a lower, weary tone, as she gestures for him to sit in the chair that's on the opposite side of her desk. ::

And to answer your question...no...I'm NOT okay.

:: she pulls out a curious looking bottle that contains a rosy red "nectar", and fills a shot glass for herself and then another for Maxim::

Here. It's a concoction from Themyscira, something that the goddesses gifted the Amazons with an endless supply of. It's more potent than any mortal alcohol, but it also promotes longevity.

:: Alycia had come to enjoy this, and it was something that, unlike hemlock, non-amazons could have, but it would DEFINITELY have a POWERFUL kick to it for Bishop. It was another example for him for how much this woman before him had changed.::

:: Alycia slams her first shot, and then pours another and leans back in her chair.::

I'm in a lot of PAIN, right now, Maxim, and I'm TIRED of watching people do whatever they want, regardless of how it will affect and hurt others, and NOT having to answer for it!

Physical pain can be healed, even mental damage caused by someone like Malice can be reversed. But the kind of FUCKERY that people like Haleigh Davidoff and Cameron King engage in?

There's no cure for that, and they know it. They REVEL in each other...all the SICK...TWISTED...DISGUSTING....AMORAL things in each of their cancerous souls responds to the other like FLIES to GARBAGE and they can't have enough of it, of EACH OTHER. And no matter how much other people change, GROW...LEARN from their failures or other events, the two of them remained the same. NEITHER of them deserves a healthy relationship because they have no care or RESPECT for anyone else's relationships, they DESTROY all that is good and decent!

People are just NOW starting to open their eyes to haleigh, but the truth about her was ALWAYS there...and for people like ME, the biggest mistake I EVER made was thinking she had grown past the woman I was once locked in "info wars" with.

:: another shot. She looks at Bishop::

I guess we have something in common in a way, you and I.

I'm an amazon now, and you're in an entirely different body, with a new identity, and yet...when we had the chance to go anywhere in the world, we BOTH came back to our ties with The Six.

I know why I did it. I was a FOOL. I actually thought I could return to that CESSPOOL and somehow get anything OTHER than what I have just now...nothing but PAIN and betrayal. And NEITHER of those bastards has ANY regret or remorse for what they did.

It'll make cracking her skull ALL THE MORE satisfying. Haleigh thinks she's so smart and clever. She forgot one of the OLDEST lessons- it's a FATAL mistake to piss off someone who KNOWS all of your secrets.

Speaking of THAT, Maxim....

:: Another shot::

Now that you're here, now that I'm accommodating you, I want to ask you something.


WHY were you so driven to try and destroy ALL of us?

The things your actions set in motion...

:: she shakes her head::

We might not even BE in this moment right now...had it not been for YOU.

Do you ever think about what you've done, the things you set in motion? What you COST us...especially DELILAH? Or are you just as devoid of any decency as Black Widow and Prophet, able to justify your destructive actions in some bizarre, "alice in wonder land" logic?

 

[Bishop]

Charope LLC

Alycia backed off from psycho land, thankfully.

You caught me in a...vulnerable moment. A moment that I would never want anyone to see me in.

“YOU’RE in a vulnerable moment? I’m wearing a hospital gown and my bare ass is on display to the world.”

You've only been conscious for a couple of hours. You should probably sit down...Maxim....Connor.

“I’ve had worse done to me.”

But he assented and took a seat across from her as she poured them both a drink. Hell, maybe he’d been wrong about her.

Here. It's a concoction from Themyscira, something that the goddesses gifted the Amazons with an endless supply of. It's more potent than any mortal alcohol, but it also promotes longevity.

“Booze that makes you live longer? That island really IS paradise.”

He knocked back the red liquid, feeling it burn pleasantly on the way down. He held out the glass for a refill.

I'm in a lot of PAIN, right now, Maxim, and I'm TIRED of watching people do whatever they want, regardless of how it will affect and hurt others, and NOT having to answer for it! Physical pain can be healed, even mental damage caused by someone like Malice can be reversed. But the kind of FUCKERY that people like Haleigh Davidoff and Cameron King engage in?

“I hate to say this…who am I kidding, I don’t mind saying it at all: The Six are a cancer. They chew people up and spit them out – those that care about them, like Delilah, get it the worst. They’re self-centered miserable assholes who aren’t happy unless they’re making everybody else miserable too. They’ve done it to Delilah over and over again, and now it sounds like they’ve done it to you.”

People are just NOW starting to open their eyes to haleigh, but the truth about her was ALWAYS there...and for people like ME, the biggest mistake I EVER made was thinking she had grown past the woman I was once locked in "info wars" with.

He grimaced and threw back another shot at the mention of Haleigh. He shook his head.

“I never understood what Delilah saw in her, but I tried to be supportive of her. Respect that she at least cared about Delilah. But now? I wish I had told Delilah to cut her ties and run from all of them. No offense.”

I guess we have something in common in a way, you and I. I'm an amazon now, and you're in an entirely different body, with a new identity, and yet...when we had the chance to go anywhere in the world, we BOTH came back to our ties with The Six.

He shook his head.

“I came back to DELILAH. The Six can burn in hell as far as I’m concerned.”

I know why I did it. I was a FOOL. I actually thought I could return to that CESSPOOL and somehow get anything OTHER than what I have just now...nothing but PAIN and betrayal. And NEITHER of those bastards has ANY regret or remorse for what they did.

“It’s because all they care about is themselves and their own pain. They scream and cry anytime someone else makes a tiny mistake, but when it’s THEM, they won’t admit to ever doing anything wrong. I mean, let’s face it, Delilah killed me for them. But did they give her credit for that? No way. They drove her to suicide instead.”

It'll make cracking her skull ALL THE MORE satisfying. Haleigh thinks she's so smart and clever. She forgot one of the OLDEST lessons- it's a FATAL mistake to piss off someone who KNOWS all of your secrets.

He held up his glass in a “cheers” motion.

“If I can help you take that bitch down, don’t hesitate to call. I’d love to wrap my hands around her throat.”

Speaking of THAT, Maxim...Now that you're here, now that I'm accommodating you, I want to ask you something. WHY were you so driven to try and destroy ALL of us? The things your actions set in motion...We might not even BE in this moment right now...had it not been for YOU.

He shrugged at her.

“If you want to play THAT game, we might not be here if YOU hadn’t hired me to rescue Sharon Kelly…”

Do you ever think about what you've done, the things you set in motion? What you COST us...especially DELILAH? Or are you just as devoid of any decency as Black Widow and Prophet, able to justify your destructive actions in some bizarre, "alice in wonder land" logic?

He looked at Alycia long and hard, his fingers playing with the glass in his hand.

“Since we’re being straight with each other…and this is a very damn fine drink you’ve got here might I say…

You know what I do, what I am. Imagine what it was like for me when I saw that Sharon Kelly, now back from the dead as Silver Swan, was murdering a hell of a lot of innocent people in the middle of Manhattan? A person I’D saved, was a multi murderer many times over. And she was working with a group of people who were all murderers too. Can you see what that looked like? Even you, Alycia, have killed in cold blood.”

He sat up straighter in his chair.

“Does the Six ever think about the people who get hurt by their actions? The ‘collateral damage’ of innocents? I don’t think they do.”

He looked her in the eyes.

“I kill the killers, that’s what I do. And THAT’S why I took the job to take out the Six. I put Sharon Kelly out on the street and I needed to clean up my own mess. The Six were just icing on the cake.”

He closed his eyes and breathed out heavily.

“And then I met Delilah. And then I died. And then I came back. And I understood what they were trying to do. What she was trying to do. So I tried to make up for it by handing them the person who had hired me.”

He shrugged.

“There wasn’t much else I could do.”

He looked at her directly again.

“So to answer your question. Yes, I think about what I did every day. I think about how our lives might be different if I had given up that mission. I might be with Delilah right now if I had. Yes, I had a reason. Yes, I changed my mind and tried to make up for it. But let’s be clear: I am not a good person. Not ‘decent’. Decent people don’t do the things I’ve done. I exist so that decent people can go home to their families at night instead of having to visit them in a cemetery.”

The corner of his mouth turned up into a half smile.

“Does that answer your question?”

 

[Silver Swan]

Times Square – The Pig N’ Whistle

Delilah stared into her beer.

“Were we really just fooled all this time? Was everything a lie? That she would attack Bishop..attack ME in this way?”

She shook her head.

“I would have never believed she could go through with it. And then I think, could I kill Zach, if I thought it would save her? Could I kill Nicolas to save Morgan?”

She sighed.

“I don’t think I could, but maybe…I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

I think so....but there was another part to it.

We had been through so much, experienced things that no one else could even imagine...it binds us together. BEYOND the truce, our lives were intertwined, and I think all of us- including Alycia, felt that by NOW...we'd be somehow safe...insulated. But maybe we forgot...sometimes the deadliest threats can come from WHITHIN.

[ She thought for a moment]

I think there are some things, like SET, that we'd ALL react to IMMEDIATELY, because we went through it before, we know what the signs are, and what the implications of Nicolas being taken over Set are, not just for Morgan, but for the world. If ISIS didn't beat us to it...I've no doubt that if Nicolas was turning, you'd STOP HIM before he could hurt Morgan, or anyone else. We BOTH would. I love him...like a SON...but I would NOT allow him to be used as a vessel for destruction by that demonic monster.

“He will come around. Haleigh WAS his reality for a long time. But he’ll see what she’s become. He has to.”

Well he's running out of time, and casualities are piling up.

Do you know he actually tried to find a reason to justify Persephone's attack on Vivica and Simon!? They were almost KILLED, and where was HE? Screwing around with ASHLEY...AFTER he'd got done doing the same thing with Persephone!

He hasn't checked on Rose in MONTHS, and NOW...there's...a question...an ISSUE regarding her that's emerging. I dismissed it at first, but then when I talked to Simon earlier today, I realized that there was truth to what was being said.

[ She looks down at the bar counter]

I know that grief and loss are processed differently by each individual...but this doesn't make sense to me, Delilah.

Delilah stretched out her hand and put it on Sharon’s sympathetically.

“Isn’t this all because you’re afraid of losing him? Maybe THAT’S what you need to tell him, rather than yelling? Sometimes you get more flies with honey…”

I thought he TRUSTED me. did he REALLY think I would LIE about Haleigh? Did he think I would just...MAKE UP A STORY to cause him confusion or distress?

He was my page when I was a senator...he...HELPED me during my grief over Robert and Kyle. We have history, and I thought that he KNEW me well enough to know I wouldn't want to hurt him with something like this.

I expected a different reaction...a better response. But maybe...I didn't give him enough of a chance.

[ She said in a moment of reflection]

“Maybe by being the leader you were meant to be? The one you have been for the Six? They are young, a new team. Maybe they need a practical voice? Maybe that’s your role?”

She turned in her seat to face Sharon.

[ And again, Sharon felt that same twinge of...EMBARRASSMENT that she felt when Simon spoke to her regarding his perception of her and what she'd done for him, and the Six. Delilah was echoing the things Simon said, about being a practical voice, even about being a bridge.]

Oh Delilah...you remind me of things Simon said to me earlier. But everytime I try to channel that woman I used to be, it always seems to cause CONFLICT with the woman I AM now!

[ She moves her hand from Delilah's and holds them out in front of her, between them]

LOOK at me now? I'm supposed to be DEAD, but here I am, "the vengeful Silver Swan." I NEEDED the Six because there wasn't going to be anyone else in this world who could understand, let alone try to HELP me in tihs form I now have, and just the idea of that left me feeling embarrassed...FURIOUS...and I didn't know how to process it.

I lashed out at everyone...including you.

I was the WRONG choice for leader, and I failed Morgan's faith in me.

Do you remember who ended up having INSIGHT and even UNDERSTANDING of my struggle near the end of that rough period? Haleigh!

I never forgot that...it meant A LOT to me, considering what she and I went through, and there's another reason why I'm so ANGRY with her...with this WHOLE mess!

How could she just...GIVE herself to Malice like this! That woman has blighted ALL of our lives! Did Haleigh REALLY think she'd be ENOUGH to satisfy Malice? Does she REALLY believe what she said to me, that she "BELONGS with them?!"

There were other options. OTHER CHOICES, and she knew DAMN WELL that we were stronger TOGETHER.

[ On to the topic of Ashley]

Delilah looked at Sharon with wide eyes.

“Oh, Sharon…she’s your teammate.”

Is she? You saw how she behaved. Could you really trust OR respect someone like that?

She has no respect for anyone...except MAYBE Oracle and Steel.

It's HARD for me to tolerate her, Delilah. Part of it is due to the changes in me caused by Rick Riley and that "suit" faction of Mystech. It's now...second nature for me to respond with aggression and violence. That's in SUCH CONFLICT with the woman i used to be, and while the AMAZONS have helped me to reconcile those things in me and do a better job of controlling them, I look at someone like ASHLEY, who doesn't CARE about controlling herself or even exhibiting BASIC traits of decency...and it INFURIATES ME!

I HAD to show her that she couldn't just say or do what she wanted...STOMP on other people's feelings the way she does...and get away with it! She HAD to learn that lesson!

But...

:: thinking about it some more::

...it won't change anything, will it?

:: She thought about what Oracle said in the park that night::

I feel like they're asking SO MUCH of me, but the expectation of HER is so low. If we're supposed to be a TEAM, the burden, the expectation should be the SAME, should it not?

[ But Delilah herself had just said...things don't happen over night. The SIX didn't start out as a cohesive unit. most of them were constantly at odds and at each other's throats, but somehow...things began to change, they began to come together. ]

Maybe you're right, and time is what's needed.

“These things don’t happen overnight – look at the Six when they started out. Remember Alexis? What if any one of them had left the team because it was too hard…where would we be today?”

She smiled at Sharon and held up a hand.

“I’m not saying you should necessarily go back. I am your friend, and I want you to do what is right for YOU. I just want you to do it for the right reasons”

It seems like today, I've been getting confirmation from all sorts of places about what Oracle said. First Simon, now you.

The goddesses, Artemis and Athena especially, that's a pattern they're known for in order to provide insight and clarity. They would rather it come from a lateral source, so that it is more meaningful to us, because THIS is the plane of existence we operate on.

[She smiles a bit at Delilah]

You ARE my friend, so is Simon. So is Alycia. I trust you, and I believe that there's a reason that I've had these moments today with the two of you.

[ Sharon thought about it for a few moments longer. She FINALLY allowed herself to answer the question. COULD she go back to them and try a different approach? YES. It wasn't just the right descison for her- although that was certainly first and foremost. But also her friend, Alycia, and THEIR friend, ROSE.]

And then she bent over, her hair falling over her face, her hand going to her mouth.

“I want to KILL her for what she did. I HATE myself for defending her, all this time. I HATE that I STILL don’t want it to be true.”

She turned her head towards Sharon.

[ Sharon looked at Delilah with sympathy, and placed her hand onto Delilah's hands]

“He could have died. WOULD have died if you hadn’t been there, Sharon. And minutes before what was I doing? Checking out some guy I bumped into on the street.”

She shook her head.

It's HER [Haleigh's] fault, Delilah. NOT yours.

SHE did this, she CHOSE to do it. Even if Malice commanded her, since WHEN has Haleigh EVER just...OBEYED?

I think we ALL had this moment of thinking that somehow Haleigh is AFRAID of Malice. She's NOT. How COULD she be...she CAME FROM HER! She came from two of the most TWISTED PEOPLE on the PLANET!

Apparently even SELF PRESERVATION isn't going to be a motivating factor for her, because she has...MULTIPLE BODIES. It didn't even OCCURR to me that night when I saw her on the dais, in that drastically altered look she now has, WHY/HOW that happened.

And as for Bishop's life being saved...credit goes to Isis. I...simply called her.

Thank the goddess WE were able to get to him in time, so that we could work together to save him, and now, Alycia is keeping him safe.

You needed this time to yourself, Delilah. That was a terrifying thing for you to see...to experience.

“I don’t know if Maxim would have been better off if I had refused to ever see him again or if I had been there with him so I could protect him. Have I been wasting time or have I been selfish?”

She went back to her beer.

“I just don’t know what to do next.”

Well...I think your situation with Maxim is one that only someone like Alison could answer THAT question [Whether he would be better off if Delilah had completely cut him off]. Your ties...Alexia...that curse...those are things that are going to overshadow EVERYTHING ELSE in your lives.

But you haven't been wasting time. Nor have you been selfish. You've been through HELL...and SHE [ Haleigh] just tried to push you further down into, striking at you through Bishop!

If she was the person who WE thought she was, she would have sooner cast herself into the seige perilous before hurting you like this.

It's time we STOPPED seeing her through the old lense, and view her as she WANTS us to...and then? DEAL with her accordingly.

[ she squeezed Delilah's hands]

You won't be alone. You'll have HELP, from all sides.

I came to see Bishop in a...different light in that shared dream/nightmare we had. But I hope for his sake that he knows it is the strength of our relationship with YOU that allows us to INCLUDE him in our efforts to help you.

Speaking of that dream...I'm RELIEVED that ONE thing in that shared dream we had has come to pass...you, Morgan and Alison have found each other again.

You ALL needed that, and I think that it's happened NOW is a telling thing.

 

[MorningStar]

Times Square - The Pig N’ Whistle

I thought he TRUSTED me. did he REALLY think I would LIE about Haleigh? Did he think I would just...MAKE UP A STORY to cause him confusion or distress?

Delilah looked at Sharon sadly.

“I’m sure he didn’t think you were lying. I’m sure he just had misplaced hope – same as I did.”

I expected a different reaction...a better response. But maybe...I didn't give him enough of a chance.

“There’s always tomorrow.”

Delilah smiled.

How could she just...GIVE herself to Malice like this! That woman has blighted ALL of our lives! Did Haleigh REALLY think she'd be ENOUGH to satisfy Malice? Does she REALLY believe what she said to me, that she "BELONGS with them?! There were other options. OTHER CHOICES, and she knew DAMN WELL that we were stronger TOGETHER.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have allowed her to leave. Or maybe…I don’t know…it just seems insane! Going to Malice like that. I guess we were fools to believe that she thought she was helping us.”

Their discussion moved on to Sharon’s former teammate, Ashley.

But...it won't change anything, will it?

Delilah thought about it.

“I just think justifying her negative opinion of you only makes the problem worse. Show that you’re better than that, because you are.”

You ARE my friend, so is Simon. So is Alycia. I trust you, and I believe that there's a reason that I've had these moments today with the two of you.

“Well, I just hope I’ve helped you.”

If she was the person who WE thought she was, she would have sooner cast herself into the seige perilous before hurting you like this. It's time we STOPPED seeing her through the old lense, and view her as she WANTS us to...and then? DEAL with her accordingly.

“You’re right, I know you’re right.”

You won't be alone. You'll have HELP, from all sides.

Delilah smiled.

“Thank you.”

I came to see Bishop in a...different light in that shared dream/nightmare we had. But I hope for his sake that he knows it is the strength of our relationship with YOU that allows us to INCLUDE him in our efforts to help you.

Delilah laughed.

“It was Bishop who pressed me to go with you tonight – even HE sensed something was wrong. He urged me to help you.”

Speaking of that dream...I'm RELIEVED that ONE thing in that shared dream we had has come to pass...you, Morgan and Alison have found each other again. You ALL needed that, and I think that it's happened NOW is a telling thing.

“Well, we’re a long ways from where we WERE, but we’re at least on the road. I understand WHY they did what they did, but it still…hurts. I still feel like a trust has been broken. And that’s going to take time to heal.”

She took a sip of her drink to steady herself.

“And then there’s Blaze. I can forgive Alison and Morgan acting out of anger, and doing what they thought was best for me, but I cannot forgive Blaze. She was so cruel to me – she sought me out to say horrible things, untrue things. That wasn’t a person acting out in anger, that was someone pre-meditating going after a person. It was like she was a different person to the Blaze I knew. And then I realized, she was a different person. This one is heartless. And I can’t forgive her actions when she’s not even sorry she did them.”

 

[Domino]

Ding Ding Ding!

Fathom: "Alright, alright, I'm coming."

"Good girl."

:: Domino lifted herself back over the mezzanine and cracked a smile as Heidi finished herself off right in front of her. ::

Jack started moving a bit more feverishly and Heidi giggled. That was a PARTICULARLY good angle. She could feel his fingers wrapping around the nape of her neck, and she started to moan, not so quietly in his ear. Maxine got her musical number after all.

When they were done, Heidi lifted them both up on a column of water next to the mezzanine. Jack gave Maxine a wink and a smile, as he 'toweled off' using his shirt, and then pulled his jeans on. Heidi grabbed his damp shirt from his shoulder and slipped into it, because there was no sense trying to fight her way back into HER clothes at this point. It was way too big for her, and clung to her body but she didn't seem to care. She could dry off properly and put on something worthy of a night out in her chambers.

"I'll need time to get ready, or did you want to watch me do THAT as well?"

She asked Maxine playfully, a gleam of wicked pleasure in her eyes.

"And I thought *I* was a pervert. Nicely done."

:: Thinking for a moment. ::

"But now that I've your "O" face..I find myself losing interest."

[smirking looking off into the distance]

"I finally understand what my therapist was talking about...before I killed her."

:: Laughing. ::

"You should just go like that. I mean the whole point of us going is to start a scene."

:: Heidi was unimpressed. ::

"Fine, fine. Go and compose yourself, Ariel. I'll be waiting."

Some time Later:

:: The Pig & Whistle was like a literal pig stye and as such, Maxine felt right at home, despite the fact that there bloated, fat drunk Americans running around on all sides of her. With Heidi by her side, she took a drag of a cigarette and exhaled as she made her way through the bar, grabbing a stranger by the balls and grabbing his beer from him as she moved through. If she wasn't allowed to smoke in the bar, nobody had been brave enough to tell her that. Soon, the two narrowed in on Sharon and Delilah. ::

Delilah: "And then there’s Blaze. I can forgive Alison and Morgan acting out of anger, and doing what they thought was best for me, but I cannot forgive Blaze. She was so cruel to me – she sought me out to say horrible things, untrue things. That wasn’t a person acting out in anger, that was someone pre-meditating going after a person. It was like she was a different person to the Blaze I knew. And then I realized, she was a different person. This one is heartless. And I can’t forgive her actions when she’s not even sorry she did them.”

"Did somebody say heartless?"

:: Her maniacal eyes flashed red for a second as she caught the gaze of Sharon Kelly and Delilah Trelaven. ::

"Nice to see you again, Sharon. Though I preferred when you were topless and straddled over me..."

:: smirking she moved closer. ::

"You haven't called. Are you trying to hurt a girl's feelings?"

:: Maxine flicked her ash into Sharon's glass, before turning her head towards Delilah. ::

"Speaking of a girl with lots of feelings. Malice sent me to check up on you."

"Haleigh attacks your precious Bishop and leaves him to bleed out in his dreary little apartment? Well...we just wanted to make sure you haven't found yourself near a large body of water..though the park is nearby in case you change your mind."

:: Puffing her cigarette, she blew the smoke in both of the women's faces before dropping it into Delilah's glass. Her head quickly shifted back over towards Sharon. ::

"And you helped save that man who tried to destroy our kind? I guess I was wrong about you..I guess these mutants who wish they could be FLATSCANS really did CLIP your WINGS."

:: Taking a long swig from her beer she CRASHED it to the floor as a rush of energy overtook her body. Oh this was going to be good. VERY good. ::

"Perhaps Talisman can make you new ones."

:: Looking around. ::

"Now who wants to buy the first round?"

:: She peered at the two of them with a feigned genuine sincerity at her own question. ::

 

[Artemis]

Charope, LLC- Bishop's office

“Booze that makes you live longer? That island really IS paradise.”

He knocked back the red liquid, feeling it burn pleasantly on the way down. He held out the glass for a refill.

It IS.

[ She said as she exhaled a bit, feeling the comforting effects of the nectar. She refills Bishop's glass. There's plenty more.]

But the path each woman took to finally REACH that island, and the life therein, is anything BUT.

Sharon and I know this personally.

“I hate to say this…who am I kidding, I don’t mind saying it at all: The Six are a cancer. They chew people up and spit them out – those that care about them, like Delilah, get it the worst. They’re self-centered miserable assholes who aren’t happy unless they’re making everybody else miserable too."

[ She felt a flash of guilt as she thought about Morgan, Blaze, Alison...but Bishop WAS right. Delilah, Vivica, even Karen, and most recently Alycia herself had ALL been victims of it]

[She closed her eyes]

My code name is amazonian for "Brilliant Confrontation." Queen Hypolytta gave it to me because of my skills as a legal counselor, my knowledge of the law, and my use of it to protect the weak, and punish the guilty.

24 hours ago...I would have debated...ARGUED with you until the sun came up...in defense of "The Six." But now? I can't. I don't CARE to.


::FLASH!::

You DISGUST ME!

It was a MISTAKE for me to come here. It was a MISTAKE for me to CARE about you OR this team...because once again, I realize that NONE of you ever saw that MONSTER for what she was and now that she's PROVEN it to you, you can't handle it, and in the back of your lazy, entitled minds, you HOPE that Sharon, myself, Dominique, ANYONE who would take PITY on your pathetic asses will come to HELP YOU.

Thier group dynamic CAN overshadow what some of them have to offer as individuals. I know that...I've ALWAYS known it. My friendships with Morgan, Delilah, Alison are among the evidence of that. I just...allowed myself to give the GROUP more credit than it deserves.

He grimaced and threw back another shot at the mention of Haleigh. He shook his head.

“I never understood what Delilah saw in her, but I tried to be supportive of her. Respect that she at least cared about Delilah. But now? I wish I had told Delilah to cut her ties and run from all of them. No offense.”

She made the same mistake I did. When you go through the things that Delilah or I went through with Haleigh...you want to believe that those unique experiences bring you closer together and that SHE learned/took something from it just as Delilah and I did.

Haleight never learns. She just TAKES.

:: Alycia said BITTERLY as she slammed another shot and without missing a beat, she filled Bishop up again::

He shook his head.

“I came back to DELILAH. The Six can burn in hell as far as I’m concerned.”

I came back to help Delilah during the Blue Moon as well. I let Cameron and Blaze tug at my hear strings. I let the NOVELTY of what I THOUGHT was an older, wiser, REPENTENT Cameron King, intrigue me. THAT was my mistake right there.

“It’s because all they care about is themselves and their own pain. They scream and cry anytime someone else makes a tiny mistake, but when it’s THEM, they won’t admit to ever doing anything wrong. I mean, let’s face it, Delilah killed me for them. But did they give her credit for that? No way. They drove her to suicide instead.”

[ Alycia jolted a bit. She had been on a video conference with Alison, JUST learning about the activated LIFE MODEL DECOY of her that had lead the six on a collision course with VIPER. but the moment Black Widow and Persephone were confronted with the TRUTH, that Alycia herself had been on Themyscira the entire time...there was an EMERGENCY and they had to end the communication. It turns out, that emergency was DELILAH...DROWNING in the aegean sea]

I...can't believe that, Bishop.

I won't. The team was down to THREE at that point. They were ALL in a bad space that time, but I won't believe that they knowingly drove her to that.

[ But if that wasn't a damning, almost SOBERING indictment of them and what they could do to each other, what ELSE would be?]

"They’ve done it to Delilah over and over again, and now it sounds like they’ve done it to you.”

:: Since they WERE being so open and honest with each other...::

I have a lengthy history with Cameron King. From attempting to BURY him under the SEC, to being the excutrix of his estate when he was presumed dead...AND having a one-night stand with him the night we drafted his estate papers...to reaching out to him for HELP when I was captured by Rick Riley and left tied up in Sharon's cottage in Arklay forest- the one you and I first "worked together in."

But more recently? I began a relationship with Cameron King shortly after the Blue Moon. It progressed to the point where the topic of "long term" and even "marraige" was discussed...MOSTLY by him, and yet...I went along with it because at the time, I BELIEVED him and I believed that he was a man who could recognize a healthy relationship with a GOOD woman, and that he'd do what he needed to do to KEEP that relationship and that woman. But I was WRONG. I was a FOOL.

Long story short? The night that Haleigh betrayed the Six, her relationship with Zach had been ended just an hour or two earlier. AFTER she officially "broke the news" about being Malice and Christopher Victory's daughter....Morgan and Blaze's HALF SISTER....to the team...and THEN announced that she was GOING to Malice? She went to the parking garage. She and Cameron killed a group of would-be car jackers, and then had SEX on top of Zach's car RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

Zach and I BOTH were aware of the toxic, co-dependent relationship these two individuals had, but we BOTH wanted to believe they were capable of a higher level of thinking, and that they wanted something BETTER for themselves. But they didn't. They never did.

When Sharon, Dominique, and myeslf went to CHECK on the Six after we learned about Haleigh, that's when Cameron told me. And he had NO. REGRETS. he told me so himself, in a cold, detached manner, as ONLY a sociopath could. But I should've remembered who he WAS. Where he CAME frome. A leopard never really changes his spots, does he?

:: She said with a scoff and a laugh::

In his warped, diseased mind...it was all perfectly okay because he NEEDED her.

That selfish, reptilian BASTARD!

And HER!

::another shot::

she could never be a real friend to another woman, because she's a self centered, backstabbing, twisted SLUT who NEVER respected ANYONE else's relationship.

But she had the NERVE to get mad at Zach about SHARON, something that happened BEFORE they were even together! While CAMERON was ALWAYS insanely jealous of Zach, who...

:: her mind lingered on images of Zach...and her friendship with him::

...is LIGHTYEARS beyond Cameron in the quality and character of a man.

Haleigh betrayed the team, and then she left me with one last parting gift, to REMIND me of what a sick BITCH she is.

They DESERVE each other. in HELL, and if the rest of the Six are STUPID enough to follow CAMERON instead of MORGAN? then THEY deserve whatever is coming THEIR way too. He's not a leader. He's not even a MAN. He's selfish, unfeeling piece of GARBAGE.

He held up his glass in a “cheers” motion.

“If I can help you take that bitch down, don’t hesitate to call. I’d love to wrap my hands around her throat.”

:: filling up his glass once more::

You know how to use an EMP wand? Because I've got TWO in my weapons cache. We can play that whack-a-mole game with her head, and then I'll shove a bolt of Zeus' divine lightning down her throat!

:: she raises HER glass in a cheers motion ::

:: they peeled back another layer as they conversed, touching on THEIR personal history that wasn't always acknowledged by the rest of the people around them. ::

He shrugged at her.

“If you want to play THAT game, we might not be here if YOU hadn’t hired me to rescue Sharon Kelly…”

She was...IS my friend, Maxim. She told me she was afraid something was going to happen to her family that night, and it turned out she was RIGHT. I had to help her. THAT'S why I hired you. I found the BEST that money could by, to help my friend, and I don't regret THAT.

You know what I do, what I am. Imagine what it was like for me when I saw that Sharon Kelly, now back from the dead as Silver Swan, was murdering a hell of a lot of innocent people in the middle of Manhattan? A person I’D saved, was a multi murderer many times over. And she was working with a group of people who were all murderers too. Can you see what that looked like? Even you, Alycia, have killed in cold blood.”

He sat up straighter in his chair.

That wasn't HER fault, Maxim. She DIED. Master mold killed her and the whole world saw that. Then THEY [ a faction of mystech] brought her BACK because they wanted someone...something MORE POWERFUL to recover their OTHER asset, HALEIGH DAVIDOFF. When they revived and mutated her into the Silver Swan, she was INSANE. It wasn't HER fault. if anything...it was HALEIGH! It was because of HER!

:: Alycia said with bitterness in her tone. She REMEMBERED how deeply divided she and Haleigh had become following Sharon's death, and now, to hear Bishop say things as he saw them, her instinct to defend Sharon was as strong as her desire to blame Haleigh for ALL that had gone wrong.::

And as for ME?

I KNOW what I did.

:: FLASH!::

<< That night in Illustra, following the Erika King/Cassadine Caper, Alycia found herself being CONFRONTED in her satellite office by Stavros himself!>>

:: now sitting here with Bishop, she recalls that night, that MOMENT in clarity.::

He was there to kill me. He wanted retribution. He ATTACKED me! Self defense is NOT murder.

He sat up straighter in his chair.

“Does the Six ever think about the people who get hurt by their actions? The ‘collateral damage’ of innocents? I don’t think they do.”

He looked her in the eyes.

:: She had no answer or rebuttal in this instance. She simply looked him in the eye. It was another damning moment when the woman, who had once been the legal counsel for Morgan, Karen, Cameron, and even the GROUP as a whole, and was now known for her "brilliant confrontation," could no longer defend them as a group::

“I kill the killers, that’s what I do. And THAT’S why I took the job to take out the Six. I put Sharon Kelly out on the street and I needed to clean up my own mess. The Six were just icing on the cake.”

He closed his eyes and breathed out heavily.

“And then I met Delilah. And then I died. And then I came back. And I understood what they were trying to do. What she was trying to do. So I tried to make up for it by handing them the person who had hired me.”

He shrugged.

“There wasn’t much else I could do.”

Yes, there WAS something you could've done differently, Maxim...I wish you had sought ME out first.

I put my career on the line when I made contact with you.

THAT should have told you how much I cared about Sharon and her family.

You were a husband and a father. I KNOW you have recollection of the feelings and emotions associated with close, deep, abiding relationships. You had more in common with Sharon than you realized.

I WISH you had come to ME first. I kept things straight with you the FIRST time we met, and if you'd given me the chance to, I would have TOLD you what was going on with Sharon, so that you could make an INFORMED decision, rather than relying on the words of someone ::Bianca:: who's opinion was obviously JAUNDICED.

“So to answer your question. Yes, I think about what I did every day. I think about how our lives might be different if I had given up that mission. I might be with Delilah right now if I had. Yes, I had a reason. Yes, I changed my mind and tried to make up for it. But let’s be clear: I am not a good person. Not ‘decent’. Decent people don’t do the things I’ve done. I exist so that decent people can go home to their families at night instead of having to visit them in a cemetery.”

The corner of his mouth turned up into a half smile.

“Does that answer your question?”

:: Alycia stared at him with her Hazel eyes, filling up his glass one last time, and then her own.::

Decent people do bad things all the time. I could go down a list that includes myself, Delilah, Sharon, Morgan, EVERYONE.

But the difference between the others, yourself, and CAMERON AND HALEIGH, is that YOU know that things don't happen in a vacuum. You DON'T just have eyes for Delilah, at the EXPENSE of everyone else around her.

You're the person who, faced with an IMPOSSIBLE choice to make, had the courage to MAKE a choice in order to save Delilah and Alexia's lives during the Blue Moon. You WORKED with Sharon, and with ALISON to do that.

You were...ARE a father, you have the SAME emotions, and feelings that Sharon OR I have, you HAVE respect for at least SOME of Delilah's relationships...which is why you insisted she go with Sharon tonight.

HALEIGH AND CAMERON don't have those things. Haleigh has RUINED EVERYTHING, and Cameron was her pathetic CHEERLEADER because he FINALLY found an excuse to REVERT TO TYPE. He's WEAK and SHE'S the same MISERABLE OPPORTUNIST she's ALWAYS been. She's not going to stop until she hurts or kills ALL of us. But she has YET to try someone who has the WILL and the POWER to FIGHT BACK.

:: She leans back in her seat::

Sharon told me about the Badiane nightmare. She told me it changed her perception of you, and inspite of what you'd done to her when she first returned as the Silver Swan, she would allow her friendship with Delilah, and what she'd learned about you in that dreamtime experience to inform her actions toward you going forward. THAT'S why she took action tonight, to help ensure you survived.

And as for me?

Well...the same thing goes regarding my relationship with Delilah.

My feelings toward you are a work in progress, but you're NOT a MONSTER, not like HALEIGH.

:: she takes a framed picture of Cameron and herself at the Parthenon the night of Blaze's party, dancing in the club, in her hand::

And you're more of a MAN than CAMERON KING will EVER be!

:: with a FRACTION of her amazonian strength, and the accuracy of a hunter's eye due to her training as a federal agent, and from her time on Themyscira, Alycia HURLS the picture like a disc, it whizzes right past Bishop, and CRASHES into the fire place::

 

[Bishop]

Charope, LLC

My code name is amazonian for "Brilliant Confrontation." Queen Hypolytta gave it to me because of my skills as a legal counselor, my knowledge of the law, and my use of it to protect the weak, and punish the guilty.

He knocked back another shot.

“Yeah, and my Amazonian name is ‘Smith & Wesson’.”

He smirked.

I came back to help Delilah during the Blue Moon as well. I let Cameron and Blaze tug at my hear strings. I let the NOVELTY of what I THOUGHT was an older, wiser, REPENTENT Cameron King, intrigue me. THAT was my mistake right there.

“I know Cameron helped Delilah out a lot…after. When I couldn’t. But he’s still part of that whole thing. Where who they step on doesn’t matter. Just once I wish Delilah would do something in her own interest. Like with the Blue Moon. You’re an Amazon, right? So Delilah dies, and the goddesses come in, whatever, on their clouds or whatever, and offer to make her an Amazon. Take away her pain, the whole nine yards. And what does she do? She goes back to them, because they were in trouble. Who the hell does that? And it keeps happening over and over. How many times is she supposed to sacrifice herself? For them?”

Or for me.

I...can't believe that, Bishop. I won't. The team was down to THREE at that point. They were ALL in a bad space that time, but I won't believe that they knowingly drove her to that.

“They ostracized her, Alycia. Because of what happened. Which wasn’t even her fault.”

Alycia confided in him that she and Cameron were an item.

She and Cameron killed a group of would-be car jackers, and then had SEX on top of Zach's car RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

“Aw, man. That totally sucks. What a couple of assholes.”

And plus one right here.

In his warped, diseased mind...it was all perfectly okay because he NEEDED her.

“Like I said, it’s all about them and they don’t care who they hurt.”

Alycia filled his glass again.

You know how to use an EMP wand? Because I've got TWO in my weapons cache. We can play that whack-a-mole game with her head, and then I'll shove a bolt of Zeus' divine lightning down her throat!

“Just give me the time and place and I’ll be there. You can count on that.”

THAT'S why I hired you. I found the BEST that money could by, to help my friend, and I don't regret THAT.

He held up his glass to her in a salute.

“Ladies usually DO tell me I’m the best…”

They discussed Sharon’s return as Silver Swan.

When they revived and mutated her into the Silver Swan, she was INSANE. It wasn't HER fault.

“But those people are still dead, Alycia.”

And if Alycia wanted to believe what she’d done was self defense, so be it. Whatever let her sleep at night. He wasn’t there to punish her.

I WISH you had come to ME first. I kept things straight with you the FIRST time we met, and if you'd given me the chance to, I would have TOLD you what was going on with Sharon, so that you could make an INFORMED decision, rather than relying on the words of someone ::Bianca:: who's opinion was obviously JAUNDICED.

“At the time, I thought I had all the facts.”

Now she was trying to tell him that he was decent. How wrong she was.

But the difference between the others, yourself, and CAMERON AND HALEIGH, is that YOU know that things don't happen in a vacuum. You DON'T just have eyes for Delilah, at the EXPENSE of everyone else around her.

“No, I just hurt her over and over and over. Even without trying.”

You're the person who, faced with an IMPOSSIBLE choice to make, had the courage to MAKE a choice in order to save Delilah and Alexia's lives during the Blue Moon. You WORKED with Sharon, and with ALISON to do that.

“I did what I had to, because I couldn’t live without her. It was selfish. It was all selfish.”

Sharon told me about the Badiane nightmare. She told me it changed her perception of you, and inspite of what you'd done to her when she first returned as the Silver Swan, she would allow her friendship with Delilah, and what she'd learned about you in that dreamtime experience to inform her actions toward you going forward. THAT'S why she took action tonight, to help ensure you survived.

“You know what happened in that dreamtime? They showed us our dreams, and then turned them into nightmares. You know what my dream was? Delilah and Alexia and I, living in a little house in a small town. Delilah was a cop, and I took care of the baby. Can you imagine that? I had given all this up, for them. God I wish I had done that, made Delilah leave with me, somehow. Avoided all this…shit. Gotten her away from this life.”

And as for me? Well...the same thing goes regarding my relationship with Delilah. My feelings toward you are a work in progress, but you're NOT a MONSTER, not like HALEIGH.

If she only knew what he had done.

“Oh, I am. I am a monster. That’s all I know how to be.”

And you're more of a MAN than CAMERON KING will EVER be!

Alycia threw the photo of Cameron into the fire.

He stared into the flames for a long moment before responding.

“I'm sorry for what I did to you, Alycia. And you deserve better than what he gave you. I hope you find it. And I’m going to do all I can to be the man Delilah deserves. I can promise you that.”

 

[Silver Swan]

Times Square - The Pig N’ Whistle

“Well, we’re a long ways from where we WERE, but we’re at least on the road. I understand WHY they did what they did, but it still…hurts. I still feel like a trust has been broken. And that’s going to take time to heal.”

She took a sip of her drink to steady herself.

“And then there’s Blaze. I can forgive Alison and Morgan acting out of anger, and doing what they thought was best for me, but I cannot forgive Blaze. She was so cruel to me – she sought me out to say horrible things, untrue things. That wasn’t a person acting out in anger, that was someone pre-meditating going after a person. It was like she was a different person to the Blaze I knew. And then I realized, she was a different person. This one is heartless. And I can’t forgive her actions when she’s not even sorry she did them.”

[ Sharon DID want to respond to that, particularly regarding Blaze Victory, but....]

"Did somebody say heartless?"

:: Her maniacal eyes flashed red for a second as she caught the gaze of Sharon Kelly and Delilah Trelaven. ::

[ Silver Swan immediately turned from Delilah to the direction of Domino's voice]

YOU!

"Nice to see you again, Sharon. Though I preferred when you were topless and straddled over me..."

:: smirking she moved closer. ::

[ Sharon's fingers SCRAPE across the bar counter, as she balls her hand into a trembling FIST. She narrowed her silver eyes as she glares at Domino, her level of aggression was already rising as she was ready to wrap her hands around Domino's neck and PULL HER HEAD OFF her body!]

"You haven't called. Are you trying to hurt a girl's feelings?"

:: Maxine flicked her ash into Sharon's glass, before turning her head towards Delilah. ::

[ Sharon watched as Domino demonstrated her disrespect AND an attempt to to draw a line with Sharon by flicking her ash in her drink]

I'll do WORSE than hurt your FEELINGS, you walking petrie dish!

[ She looked at her drink again for a moment....]

"Speaking of a girl with lots of feelings. Malice sent me to check up on you."

"Haleigh attacks your precious Bishop and leaves him to bleed out in his dreary little apartment? Well...we just wanted to make sure you haven't found yourself near a large body of water..though the park is nearby in case you change your mind."

Fathom: HI THERE! :: The water elemental slides into view, andsmiles "sweetly" at the two women :: Need help with a DROWNING?


You need to SHUT YOUR MOUTH, Domino.

And you can take your wet rag of cohort [ gesturing at Fathom] back to the hole you both crawled out from. This ISN'T what you want.

:: Puffing her cigarette, she blew the smoke in both of the women's faces before dropping it into Delilah's glass. Her head quickly shifted back over towards Sharon. ::

"And you helped save that man who tried to destroy our kind? I guess I was wrong about you..I guess these mutants who wish they could be FLATSCANS really did CLIP your WINGS."

:: Taking a long swig from her beer she CRASHED it to the floor as a rush of energy overtook her body. Oh this was going to be good. VERY good. ::

"Perhaps Talisman can make you new ones."

Better for you to ask her to help you, once I FLATTEN you.

[ Silver Swan's silver eyemask flashes into view]

:: Looking around. ::

"Now who wants to buy the first round?"

:: She peered at the two of them with a feigned genuine sincerity at her own question. ::

How about we start with a game of DARTS first?

[ Silver Swan thrusts her drink , ashes included, into Domino's face, and then SMASHES the glass itself into Domino's face. ]

BITCH.

[ She then SNATCHES Domino up by her collar and power tosses her across the room, sending her slamming/CRASHING into a dart board, and through the wall itself, and what a THUNDEROUS crash she makes upon impact]

Fathom: How about trying that on ME, Grey Parrot!

[ Fathom gestures, and am odd sound is heard, as a glowing aqua blue orb forms in front of her, unleashing a powerful TORRENT of water that charges for Sharon and Delilah. Sharon has enough time to push Delilah out of the path of the torrent of water, which blasts right into Silver Swan. It's sufficient enough force to caues Silver Swan to fall from her bar stool on to the floor, but nearly enough to hurt her. It just leaves her wet...and MAD.]

[ Silver Swan immediately rises off the floor, now hovering in the air]

Silver Swan: Well ALRIGHT then, you barnacle bitch, since you asked so NICELY!

<< the OUTSIDE of Pig n'Whistle bar at 10:00 pm.>>

<< The OUTSIDE of Pig n'Whistle bar at 10:01 om.>>

[ An EXPLOSIVE crash is heard, as Fathom comes crashing through window, flying OUT of the bar like a bat out of HELL after Silver Swan LAUNCHES her with only a fraction of her super strength]

[ Inside the bar, other patrons are scattering, reacting to the violence, but no one is making moves to actually ESCAPE the bar. SOME are even mad that a "bunch of broads" are now tearing the place up!]

 

[Recall]

The Parthenon - Starlight Lounge

Firebird: "Yes, we are. I just needed this time..."

:: She looked at Blaze softly. It was clear that she was going through something and was coping the best way that she knew how, but after everything that Vivica had been through in the last twenty hours, she just wasn't able to click into the frequency that Blaze wanted her to, and it was bothering her that she couldn't. ::

"B..I'm sorry, but I'm OUT of time."

:: Vivica gathered herself as if she were preparing to leave until Morgan arrived. ::

<< She'd observed this gathering from Limbo, via her scrying glass.>>

Derek.

I certainly hope you've NOT been trying to give my sister a hard time, tonight?

<< She looks upon the others, and slowly circled the table >>

Hello Cass, Vivica....Andrew.

:: Vivica hadn't seen Morgan since her interesting experience in Limbo. It had been a moment of great healing between the women. Her words still resonated with Vivica until this day, but it was clear. The way that Morgan was presenting herself was rather consistent to the way she presented herself just before the moments she gave into the darker aspects of herself. Normally, this would have concerned Blaze, but she seemed to pay it no mind as Morgan gave her salutations to the rest of the group and communicated Morgan and Blaze via their sibling bond. She watched as Blaze and Morgan seemed to be transfixed on each other and speaking without really thinking. She half hoped that Morgan was taking Blaze back to reality. ::

<< and then verbally to everyone else...>>

Everyone, enjoy the rest of your evening, and be SAFE.

<< she then looks at Derek>>

Let's go, Derek.

<< Snapping her fingers, and walking away on her high heels>>

:: But Morgan left, furthering confirming to Vivica that whatever was going on with Blaze was definitely resonating with Morgan as well. This night was absurd. But she couldn't just leave things like this. She turned to Andrew. ::

"Titan..one of SHOULD really be back at The Clocktower. The team is reviewing footage of Rose..and every set of eyes can help. I will join you as soon as I can. Apologize to the others for me."

:: She rose to her feet, grabbing Blaze by the hand as she turned to Richard. ::

"Excuse me, Richard. I'll just be a moment."

:: Vivica dragged Blaze to a private corner of the lounge and she looked at her honestly and sweetly. ::

"Blaze..honey, I know you are trying to deal with things. But in the last twenty four hours, I've broken a good friend's heart by revealing the ties that his mother has, have nearly been killed by Ava Cassadine, have watched a poised and serene woman seem to lose her grasp on things, watched my own team threatened to be torn apart...and I'm just..."

:: Shaking her head and blinking quickly. ::

"I'm just not about to pretend like all of that's not going on, because you feel like blowing off some steam. I'm sorry, I'm just not. I come here, and you don't make any kind of mention of what's happening, you smile and dazzle and make small talk with some preppy HACK, and you are more than sending a signal or two to Richard. If you want to self destruct, you go right ahead, but I'm not going to sit around and watch it."

:: squeezing her hand. ::

"I know you are going through a LOT right now. But you're NOT the only one. I came because I'm here for you, Blaze. But I need you to be there for me too...and all of [gesturing around her] THIS? It just isn't how I deal.."

:: shaking her head ::

"And this makes me nervous. You NEVER once contacted me about what was going on. I know it's a lot. I get that. But come on Blaze...you KNOW my insecurities about The Six. And really? You KNOW I would have never done that to YOU. And now? My life is in danger. It's already been threatened. And you want to sip cocktails? I mean Blaze, this isn't who you are. None of it is who you are or how you deal with things...and I really don't like it."

:: Vivica stroked her face. ::

"We work because we are honest. Because there aren't any secrets. But I'm not a pet, Blaze. I'm a woman. I have my own feelings that have to be recognized. I want to help you through this..I would NOT be in this hotel if that wasn't the case..but this whole night on the town..it's leaving me feeling a bit disrespected. So help me through this..."

:: She kissed her. ::

"How are you doing and WHAT is going on with you, Blaze?"