Baptism by Fire

[Longshot]

"Simon, if you don't want Karen to assist you, that's fine. But don't go out of your way to criticize US for relying on Karen. We know what she can do, HAS done for us in times of need and it has worked. It's not about a Band-Aid. You wanted to find out more about us and what we do? Well...I hate to say it...but you asked for it and now you've got it. You're not wrong for how you feel...but neither are WE for taking care of our own. "

"just like we don't know you, you don't know her. She's risked her life for us time and again and tonight, you risked yours and despite how you feel, you still remain and if you need help, SHE'D give you that help regardless of how she feels about you personally."

"She's a doctor, a powerful witch and a brave woman. More importantly, Karen is our family, our matriarch If you can't show Karen the same respect you would want from anyone in this room , then I'm going to need you to stand back and let us do what we need to do to be ready to strike BACK at the purifiers."

"They wanted war....we're going to GIVE IT TO THEM but we're going to give OURSELVES a fighting chance to not only stop them, but to AVENGE those they have hurt and killed. "

< Simon thought for a moment. There was more that he could say. He WASN'T going out of his way to criticize the way they operated, but there certainly WERE people doing as much..and killing innocent people because of it. From what he gathered from the situation...The Six stayed fighting a battle they knew they couldn't win based on principle. They knew Cameron would be captured. So they decided to show a united front against something they COULDN'T win while 40 children were massacred for simply existing. It wasn't okay to Simon..and it was the reason he was LESS than receptive to somebody attempting to use their powers on him. He needed to maintain his own personal control over his body and mind in order to feel safe. >

"If Karen is what you need then by all means call her. It's not like my opinion would have really mattered one way or another anyway. That's not me being a dick...thats just a fact. I was simply saying that after what I went through tonight..the last thing I need or want is somebody that I don't trust or really like having anything to do with my psyche..which you've stated IS my perogative. That's just how I feel right now..."

< He stopped as Haleigh burst out in a fit of insane laughter looking at Sharon. >

Haleigh: "After EVERYTHING.... trashing my engagement..... blood brawl at Melrose.... and COUNTLESS personal disagreements..... it's YOU AND I... holding this circus together. Thank you. For Zach, for Ava, for EVERYTHING you've DONE to help our cause..... thank you."

< And then she went to go find Delilah. Simon stared at Blaze...just exasperated. >

"I don't even know what to say anymore. I'm exhausted, drained and pissed off. So I'm just to sit my ass in a chair and shut up now."

 

[Persephone]

Zach: "Wow, was I a jerk back there or WHAT?"

Lifting her eyes as she heard Zach's voice, Ava didn't bother to turn around. Haleigh got on his ass, that was probably the only reason he was here now. Because the man she saw downstairs? Downright wanted to strangle her.

"No. You were right."

Gripping her hands on the edge of the building, Ava let her head hang for a moment; her chocolate hair blowing across her face.

"I should have never been out there."

Shaking her head as the tears began to well up in her eyes, Ava finally turned to see Zach had accompanied her on the edge of the building. Ava wasn't an overly emotional person....aside from her occasional homicidal outburst or generally getting pissed off. But for the most part, she kept herself in check. She was able to control herself, not completely loose it. But MONTHS of internalizing everything and battling with her demons, she was literally a ticking time bomb. And what was worse was that she let her team down because of it--she let those KIDS down because of it.

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

Hesitating a moment, Ava tried to collect her racing thoughts. Finally, she turned to him, their eyes meeting.

"I thought I could handle it by myself....but I can't...I can't anymore."

 

[Orion]

Gods, did she HAVE to pick the roof?

He wasn't afraid of heights.... He was afraid of the way they made him FEEL. Up here.... with the breeze.... the open view..... the long drop.... He couldn't help but think of his mother. His mother, whose emotions he hadn't been able lessen, his mother, who had thrown herself over the edge.

Ava was sitting on the edge, and the sight struck fear into his heart. But he had to keep his cool.

Ava: No. You were right.

He scoffed, shaking his head. Even if he'd been correct, he hadn't been RIGHT.

"No, I was an asshole. I was full of frustration, and I had no right to take it out on you."

He sat down beside her, taking on her guilt, praying that he wouldn't see his fears realized.

Ava: I should have never been out there.

"If you hadn't been out THERE, I wouldn't be HERE."

Ava: I'm so sorry, Zach...

"Please don't do that..... don't apologize for trying to help."

Ava: I thought I could handle it by myself....but I can't...I can't anymore.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in, taking some of the pain.

"You don't HAVE to....."

 

[Isis]

[ Like a car reving its engine, desperately trying to gain traction to escape a mud trap, Dominique struggles in vain against the overcoming fumes of the black lotus blossom. When she's kicked to the ground by the last purifier, she can hardly care about that assault on her person. She needs to use her power. She needs to BREATHE but she can't]

[ Then? A [familiar] woman's voice, a flash of LIGHT and all at once, the purifier was GONE. Blown apart.]

Delilah helped Dominique up and way from any residual vapor.
"Isis, are you okay?"

the AIR!

[ Suddenly it was clearing up for her, almost SWEET as she breathed in deeply, coughing just a bit more before her lungs finally began to calm and her head began to clear.]

[She looked over at the person who had just helped her and finally realized it was]

MorningStar!

[ She said with a hint of surprise in her voice as she took a moment to breathe in and out again]

Yes...yes I am now, thanks to you.

[ She looked over to where she'd been. The purifier had been blown apart.]

Good riddance, to bad trash

[ She said with bitterness as she spoke on the destroyed purifier]

Thank you for your help.

[ she takes a step back]

Though I must ask was your presence in THIS of all areas, and subsequent intervention really that fortuitous?

[ It WAS surprising that MorningStar of all people would be here and while Dominique was not faint of heart when it came to violence and killing, what she knew about MorningStar suggested the woman operated in a way OTHER than this]

[ The baby's cries cause Isis to break her curious stare at Delilah, and the sorceress moves to where baby is, picking her up off the ground and holding her. It had to be an odd thing to see- the Black Queen of the hellfire club holding a baby AND looking rather...MATERNAL]


Shhh....hush now, little one. You're safe. Here, let me fix you right up! Shhhhhhhhh!

[ She says in a soft, low tone, gently wiping the baby's forehead and face and using her magicks to gently cleanse and heal any cuts and scrapes with a healing touch . ALong with her gentle touch comes a soothing golden glow that helps calm and warm the baby. In her former life, the one that SET blew apart, Dominique had been a highly skilled midwife. She was well versed in the care and nurturing of babies as well as supporting young mothers and assisting them in child birth. It was an aspect of her that was quite gentle and not something most people had seen. But there it was, for Delilah to see. Proof positive that she did NOT murder those other chidlren she was too late to save. ]


[ She looks up at MorningStar]

I must find some place to take this baby. Her father and mother were murdered by the purifiers. Her cries and her mother's cries drew me here.

Why are you here?

I realize we have a truce and I AM grateful for your aid, but if you're here to interfere with what I'm doing....I can't allow that.


Too much has happened...and the souls of the weak and helpless DEMAND vengeance.

 

[Silver Swan]

[Nicolas was interacting with the group, going through this with the group rather than regressing into a place that wasn't good for him or anyone else. That was one small thing among others pointing toward a glimmer of "turn around" in the mental state of the group. It was a small, but good sign. Still the struggle of the group from the bus attack was quite raw and complex, as evidenced by Simon.]

[ He continued to voice his strong protest to the idea of Shadow Weaver's assistance, which puzzled Sharon. Still, he was entitled to his opinion and as others said, he didn't have to accept any assistance from the doctor. Being told that once should have been enough, but he continued. Sharon COULD empathize with Black Widow right now, she herself had an initial impulse to take Simon and SHAKE HIM into unconsciousness if only to get him to be SILENT for his sake and theirs.]


[ Despite being one of the ones who'd also gone through the horror of the bus attack, Sharon had seen death before, Been scarred by tragic loss. She'd lost her husband and son both in one night in a house of horrors, And eventually, she would end up being murdered by Master Mold. as understandable as Simon's struggle was, she wondered how Simon would have fared in a place like Arklay Mansion. If this was his first taste of true horror and LOSS, as brutal as it was...he was going to HAVE to brace for MORE if he hoped to stand along side the Sixand possibly be of any real help to them . SHARON knew it even BEFORE she became a mutate and she didn't flinch from it, even though it cost her Life, A life she chose, MADE for herself after her husband and son were taken from her by an entity that Simon's parents probably FUNDED (knowingly or not, due to Mystech's deep pockets and political ties).]



[She sensed that Simon was a genuine young man that was being given a painful, sobering lesson in the world that the Six knew, and helped to SAVE many times over. She also sensed that even as he reeled from the events of tonight, there was a resilency about him, it was tied to his power the unconscious sense that somehow, things would eventually work out. She hoped that he would be able to hold on long enough to get to that place, but if not, and it was absolutely necessary to give him a respite from HIMSELF, she'd render him unconscious.]

And she just...... burst out laughing. She laughed so hard, she braced herself on the med bed, her whole body shaking with it. Every time she looked up at Sharon to EXPLAIN, the look of surprise sent her reeling again, until tears were streaming and her abs ached and she couldn't breathe.

Finally, she regained her composure, and was able make eye contact again.

"After EVERYTHING.... trashing my engagement..... blood brawl at Melrose.... and COUNTLESS personal disagreements..... it's YOU AND I... holding this circus together. Thank you. For Zach, for Ava, for EVERYTHING you've DONE to help our cause..... thank you."

Much has happened...and we have changed more than once , we have learned about ourselves and from each other, and yet...the roots of our alliance...our FRIENDSHIP still remain intact, and I suspect they always will.

The Six will always be apart of my life...no matter which one...

[ A surprising little JOKE from Sharon, regarding her multiple incarnations as Senator and now the Silver Swan]

It's an honor to stand with you, Haleigh, and in the absence of Spellbinder, I can't think of anyone else better suited to lead this team, and you will not have to face these mutant hating monsters alone.

[ Sharon's two silver gryfalcons, Artemis and Antiope, were resting comfortably on the roof of Charope, Inc. The two large, beautiful birds were intimidating to most, but for Ava, with her rapport with animal life, she was able to understand them and they always responded positively to her. Through their telepathic bond with their mistress, Sharon, they were an extension of Silver Swan and Even now, they attempted to offer Ava comfort and encouragement in their own little way as she talked with Zach. From their eyes, Sharon "Saw" Ava and Zach talking and closing the gap between them.]

Ava and Zachary are making progress...

But what about Alycia?

Blaze sent Vivica to check on her

....

I'm not sure that was the best course of action. Alycia DETESTS Vivica, and even though this is the first time I've seen Vivica SINCE our encounter at the Parthenon years ago when I was still the senator of NYC, I can "RECALL" that the feeling was mutual.

And what about Alison or Delilah??

Also...Isis? We could use all the help we can get.

While Karen is helping those in need, we have much to do.

 

[Persephone]

Feeling Zach's arm move around her, Ava didn't fight it. In fact, she invited his touch and comfort. Leaning into him, she rested her head against the crook of his neck. They had known each other for so long. Way back before he even started dating Haleigh and they were all just friends. Sighing out, Ava shut her eyes feeling like a 1,000 pound weight was slowly lifting off her chest.

Zach: "You don't HAVE to....."

He was absorbing some of her pain and guilt, helping her the best way that he could at the moment. Ava just sat there silently for a few minutes, soaking in the peace she felt. But despite Zach's supernatural efforts, Ava knew powers could only do so much. Opening her eyes, she looked out onto the skyline, still nestled into Zach's arms not wanting to move.

"Something happened to me...."

She finally said out loud. It wasn't Alison, or her mother, or Hecate saying it. It was HER. Finally, admitting that something had happened to her to cause all this distress she had been going through.

"Something terrible."

She murmured softly; almost inaudibly.

"Keeping it inside all this time has killed me. I just want to scream on the top of my lungs so all this guilt and pain and torture leaves my body. But I need to stay focused for Cameron and Cass. I can't let what happened down there [the children] happen again."

Though the details were vague, even just TALKING to Zach made Ava feel better--more like herself. Her mother was right. She needed her team and her friends....but she was too damn stubborn to admit it, and too damn proud to ask for help.

 

[Artemis]

:: Not a single light was on in Alycia's office suite. The only light coming in was in her actual office with its floor to ceiling windows and the night time lights from the outside, that did little to brighten up the office suite and that was fine with the amazon.::

:: She'd sat up a little bit ago, still at her desk. Tears flowing without any reservation and the occassional shudder of grief and anguish.::

Why did I come back here?

::FLASH!::

Nicolas rose, taking a folder out of his jacket and placing them on the table before Alycia.

I would be honored if you would be willing to not only stay with us as an active teammate at least until Morgan returns, but I would love it if you would help me in your expertise as a attorney. I have devoted more and more time and effort into efforts to help refugees around the world. A large percentage of those I am working to help are children. Isis has long taken the lead in this endeavor and that would continue. But I need someone who can file the proper briefs withe World Court, someone who can maneuver legal systems in several countries at once and someone strong who can persuade powerful men with the UN to help me do special things finding homes for the orphaned children in these situations.

:: Alycia's attention is definitely grasped by this. Her hazel eyes scan over the documents, pictures and other information. The presentation she's hearing, coupled with the reminder of her past, her past PASSION, it immediately resonated with her::

The work is based primarily in New York. But you can mostly operate wherever you wish. You will be given the finest equipment, assistants, amenities, transportation...no expense will be spared to help you in this regard. I will not demand a quick answer, I know this has to be a lot to ask. And no matter what you decide I am here for you for whatever you need. But in a world where even money cannot secure trust and where the powerless fall through the cracks, I could very much use someone who I know will do what she thinks is best, who I can trust to kick ass and take names, and who I would very much like to see practicing law...AGAIN.

Take as much time as you like Alycia. But if you practice law again, Charope LLP sounds damned nice in my opinion. Welcome back.

:: Alycia's hazel eyes widened without her even noticing her own facial expression at the sound of this. She continued to look over the documents. She looked up at him, genuinely taken aback...::

I believed him....

::FLASH!::

:: Delilah opens the folder and finds: two business cards.::

One of mine, one of yours. From our glory days as the DA of NY and a results prooven/driven, well decorated member of NY's finest.

:: News paper clippings of significant events they were both involved in::

Alycia handed her a folder. As she opened it, she found a stack of “memorabilia” from her and Alycia’s time working in New York City. She drew a deep breath in, then looked up from the folder to Alycia’s face with surprise.

“Alycia…where did you get these?”

We talked about our lives here. We both felt we were at a place that we could COME BACK, since we were now totally different than when left...

:: Alycia remembered the night she carried Delilah back to NYC in DOME. She told her that the wind was at their backs.::

:: She thought things could only go UP from here for BOTH of them. Well, she couldn't speak for Delilah, but everything was crashing DOWN THROUGH THE FLOOR for Alycia, and casualties like Cass, Cameron and now 41 children were more than anough to make her question her effectiveness::

:: She placed her hands over her face and cried softly for a moment ::

DELILAH! WHERE IS SHE? She doesn't know about CAMERON!

:: That had to be remedied right now and honestly, Alycia felt a NEED to reach out to Delilah. She retrieved her iPhone and dialed Delilah. It went right to voicemail! Normally , Alycia would assume Delilah was just busy, but she couldn't help but WORRY, with everything that was happening, Delilah could be in trouble and NO ONE had stopped to realize that!::

:: On the voicemail: ::

Hi Delilah, it's Alycia.

:: Alycia sounded shaken and like she'd been crying, but she didn't bother to hide that tone in her voice::

I need to know that you're okay? Please call me back immediately. I have urgent news as well.

:: Ending the call, she sets her phone down quietly and once again slumps over on her desk::

:: A few moments later, there's a KNOCK and VIVICA LENNOX enters! Alycia jolts a bit and sits up looking upon Vivica with her tear filled eyes and tear streaked face::

"Hey..it's Vivica..."

:: She eyed Vivica up and down and the look on her face was a mixture of emotion and anger, but there was one facial expression Vivica knew all too well; the face of a person worried about the safety of Cameron King. For a second, she softened her gaze and slowly made her way towards Alycia's desk. ::

:: Alycia's just stares at Vivica in the darkness as the woman approaches. There was a moment where if she could have...if she thought she was being checked on by a FRIEND, she would have reached OUT...but even in her weakened state, she knew that this was anything BUT a friend.::

"Are you feeling...better? I can grab you a water or something ibuprofen if your head is still killing you."

...


::How mouth was now agape. She knew DAMN WELL THIS woman didn't care about her or what she was going through. Why was she HERE anyway!? This meddling, redundant, GROUPIE was ALWAYS playing at being a PRO when she was nothing more than a RANK amateur. she was only as relevant as the CEO who's back pocket she was traveling in. Alycia TOLERATED this TRASH out of respect for Cameron but right now? She was NOT about to sit here and bit INSULTED by the sloppy, FAKE posturing of a two bit tape recorder!::

:: Alycia continued to stare at Vivica and suddenly, her VIEW of VIvica narrowed, as if she were looking at the woman from the long end of the barrell of a GUN .


Get....out.

:: She said coldly and with a tremblein her voice::

GET. OUT!


:: Her hazel eyes flash as she suddenly stands up so fast that her chair flies back and falls over::


:: She shouts::

I DON'T WANT YOU HERE! GET OUT! NOW!

:: SHE SCREAMS::

BEFORE I THROW YOU OUT!

 

[Recall]

Alycia: "Get...out."

:: Vivica rolled her eyes and pressed forward into Alycia's office. ::

Alycia: "GET. OUT!"

"Alycia, can you please ju--"

:: She was interrupted by Alycia once AGAIN. ::

Alycia: "I DON'T WANT YOU HERE! GET OUT! NOW! BEFORE I THROW YOU OUT!"

:: Alycia flies up with incredible force as the chair she was sitting in falls over in the tumble. Vivica stared at Alycia with a deadpan glance that only a person completely apathetic of another's pain can give. She cocked her head to the side and continued to walk further into Alycia's office, speaking loudly. ::

"Girl?! You MIGHT want to fix that chair and HAVE A SEAT...because you've OBVIOUSLY suffered some kind of concussion if you think for a SECOND that I volunteered to come check on you."

:: stopping for a moment, trying to regulate her own temper against Alycia's ::

"Sharon, Haleigh & Blaze are trying to keep things together downstairs...so they sent me up to check on you. I'm mean you LOOK fine... a few fly aways but nothing a good mirror can't fix. Think you can get a goddamn hold of yourself in the next few minutes to meet downstairs with Karen Victoria?"

 

[MorningStar]

Central Park Zoo

Isis finally looked like she was improving – her coughing lessened and she was able to stand on her own. The Black Queen looked over at the remains of the final Purifier.

Good riddance, to bad trash

Delilah followed her gaze.

“And a seriously bad dye job.”

Delilah didn’t smile.

Thank you for your help. Though I must ask was your presence in THIS of all areas, and subsequent intervention really that fortuitous?

Delilah’s eyebrows raised just slightly in surprise at Dominique thanking her. She wouldn’t have expected that – and if it had been a member of The Six, they probably would have yelled at her for interfering. She looked at Dominique for a second before responding.

“Yeah, I was following you.”

She raised her hands in a “so sue me” gesture. Delilah didn’t have any reason to lie about it.

“I was at the police precinct having a word with a friend there, and I saw you leave without your entourage. It seemed strange, and I didn’t have anything better to do.”

She rolled her eyes.

“I know, I know ‘you didn’t need my help’ and I did stay out of it, until they used that black lotus flower on you. You sure you’re not having a tiff with a certain white queen we all know and despise? That’s one of her favorite weapons.”

There was a baby there, the Purifiers intended victim, and Dominique became aware of its cries and picked it up. Delilah took an uneasy step back.

I must find some place to take this baby. Her father and mother were murdered by the purifiers. Her cries and her mother's cries drew me here.

“That’s…good.”

She couldn’t look at the baby, couldn’t be near it.

Why are you here? I realize we have a truce and I AM grateful for your aid, but if you're here to interfere with what I'm doing....I can't allow that. Too much has happened...and the souls of the weak and helpless DEMAND vengeance.

“Vengeance.”

Delilah gave a small sort of laugh. SHE had been the weak and the helpless until a short time ago, when her eyes had been opened. SHE also demanded vengeance. Much HAD happened.

“I’m not here to interfere, Isis.”

She had done everything right, everything by the book. Been a good friend. A good person. Protected the rights of the innocent and guilty alike. And what had it gotten her?

“I want to help.”

 

[Artemis]

:: Vivica fired back and let her true self show. And there it was, a REMINDER of just how UNWANTED and OBTUSE this
FOREVER CHATTERING DICTAPHONE could be. The sight of Vivica, the reminder that she was still THERE was WORSE than a bad diagnosis at the doctor's office! ::

::Without waiting another moment, Charope came out from behind her desk, QUICKLY closing the gap between herself and Recall::

:: As Vivica quipped about Alycia's hair, the Amazon QUICKLY strode right up to her. The taller amazon bared down over Vivica and took one forward step FORCIBLY BUMPING Vivica backward::

MAYBE I didn't make myself CLEAR, you PARROT with a BAD SEW IN, or maybe the batteries for that ATARI 2600 in your head you call a BRAIN are failing...I said GET OUT OF MY OFFICE, OUT OF MY BUILDING.

Whatever MY friends down stairs are doing, they don't need the constant chirping of a pathetic, IRRELEVANT, INCOMPETENT, MEDDLING BUSY BODY like YOU adding to the BURDEN.

You're NOT welcomed and you're IN THE WAY!

:: Alycia's voice was loud and pointed with venom and contempt and the message was clear. Vivica didn't belong here. She wasn't wanted or needed. She never had been.::

:: She was ready to DRAG Vivica out by her weave....HAIR if necessary::

 

[Recall]

:: Alycia was on her instantly as Vivica did not change her unwaiveringly aggressive stare. ::

:: As Vivica quipped about Alycia's hair, the Amazon QUICKLY strode right up to her. The taller amazon bared down over Vivica and took one forward step FORCIBLY BUMPING Vivica backward::

"MAYBE I didn't make myself CLEAR, you PARROT with a BAD SEW IN, or maybe the batteries for that ATARI 2600 in your head you call a BRAIN are failing...I said GET OUT OF MY OFFICE, OUT OF MY BUILDING."

:: Vivica gave a look of disbelief mixed with a curiously sadistic smile that seemed to say "Did this woman really just BUMP me!?" Alycia may have appeared TALLER than Vivica but she certainly didn't appear to be a THREAT. ::

Alycia: "Whatever MY friends down stairs are doing, they don't need the constant chirping of a pathetic, IRRELEVANT, INCOMPETENT, MEDDLING BUSY BODY like YOU adding to the BURDEN. You're NOT welcomed and you're IN THE WAY!"

:: Everybody had their breaking point...and Vivica had JUST REACHED HERS. Aggressively she walked forward, effectively BUMPING Alycia back with no abandon as the look in her eyes narrowed like a bird about to trap her PREY. ::

"Okay, you know what BITCH?! Enough is ENOUGH. Now BACK. UP."

:: She stepped forward once more, this time placing her hand on Alycia's shoulder roughly, which sent her jolting backwards a good distance, but it was not an OVERTLY aggressive move. It was clear that while both of them were ready to attack..they were testing each other. ::

:: Vivica spoke in a clear and LOUD aggressive tone. ::

"You keep talking about my relevancy. You think i'm redundant, that i'm not useful. Not everybody gets to be reborn as an Amazon, Alycia. Not everybody GETS to be a high powered attorney, or work for the damn government. Some of us have different paths..and SOME of us grew up in places where what YOU did in your previous life was NOT a reality...of them but not limited to MYSELF and the man you are [mockingly] SOOOO broken up about right now....CAMERON..."

:: She POKED Alycia's shoulder. ::

"I stuck by Cameron's side, and I took your BITCHY little comments and the being called USELESS and OBTUSE, but then again I didn't see ANYBODY clammering to learn anything about ME or WHY I might feel a certain way about you people. None of you gave ANY thought to what I might bring to the table because ya'll at the time were HELLBENT on destroying somebody I consider to be a sister to..."

[hands in the air]

"I put my time in...I never stepped out of line, I listened and helped the best way I knew how, and it wasn't enough for ANY of you. And then? When my best friend, my partner in crime, my LIFE for the last 14 years was DEAD...while under the care of these people he liked to tout as his new FAMILY, what did you do? Pushed me to the side like I was a footnote in his history...Nobody even NOTIFIED ME personally of his death! Then the days following his funeral and the reading of his WILL?!

:: closing the file::

and that, concludes the reading of the last will and testament of Cameron King.

:: looking at Delilah and Nicolas::

obviously some of you were not members of the Six or connected to Cameron King at the time this will was finalized and signed by the appropriate parties. Some of you were also "dead" at the time. :looking at Blaze: which is why Cameron allowed me the power to add the amendment of leaving a financial gift in equal shares to be given to every member of the six after all obligations are met.

given some of the guests in attendance...especially those who act as though they've just come down off the cross, and others who so eaily neglect their duties as a chaparone

:: a shot at Erika and Vivica::


:: glaring at Vivica::

I certainly hope for the sake of King Enterprises that you dont handle the company as absentmindedly as you did Cameron's children.

::rolling her eyes as she slammed her attache shut, she directed her assistant to place documents in front of Erika dn Vivica while she took the others over to Alison to sign. and now was the time for everyone to speak in reaction to the reading of the will.::


There will be several documents for you to sign Alison, as well as you Erika and ....:: in an cold, grudging voice:: you as well...Vivica.

:: POKE. ::

:: She began forcing Alycia to step backwards as she continued her MELTDOWN. ::

"You regarded me as INEPT and as a LIGHT acquaintance...you took EACH and EVERY opportunity you could to take a stab at ME...after my BEST FRIEND HAD JUST DIED, and did I say a GODDAMN word, Alycia? No I kept my mouth shut because at the TIME...unlike what you seemed to be INCAPABLE of realizing what with Erika going crazy, your insane bloodthirst to fuck with Ava and Haleigh was that there were FAR MORE IMPORTANT things to get done and do. But I am FAR from that woman NOW, Barnett...so let me take a page out of YOUR book and let me argue my CASE...."

:: Vivica placed her hand on her hip. ::

"As black women? We have it pretty damn hard. We get called ghetto, we get called uneducated if we sound in any way NOT like a white suburban housewife! We get shit because of our hair, because of our NATURE...of WHO WE ARE? Now ME? I've never really read too much into what crazy white people want ME to be...and when I look at another black woman? I see a SISTA. I see somebody who has my back and lifts me UP because we have been through a lot of the same shit..."

"Day ONE I feel like you looked me up and down, heard my name was VIVICA and didn't want to be associated with the girl from around the way! And for whatever reason...PROBABLY because deep down I was really in awe and proud that a sister had the career and the life that you did...I tried to impress you...to somehow PROVE my WORTH to you...and all YOU did was take every opportunity to let ME know that it was NOT going to happen and continued on your warpath to destroy my best friend, rallying behind two women who seemed to just USE you for your services whenever it became necessary...two women who because of your friendship and your undying loyalty to THEM...you wound up all but DEAD and SEXUALLY brutalized...and then what KILLS me?! You are an Amazon now. All about the Sisterhood of women, when you can't even look at one of your OWN, and give her the RESPECT she deserves as a Black WOMAN, a SISTER, who came from WAY less than you and DID some things she is INCREDIBLY PROUD of..."

:: POKE. ::

"Speaking of things I am incredibly PROUD of...I see what you have going on with Cameron, Alycia...and i'll give you SOME credit...I haven't seen you in a LONG time..I don't know who you ARE now, and you don't know who I AM now...but let me tell you a little something about that man you want to play doctor WITH. I met Cameron King when I was FOURTEEN years old...back then he was a cracker with low sagging pants and an incredible ability to get in about as much trouble as he POSSIBLY could. We lived a ROUGH neighborhood...and CAMERON had it about as rough as it could BE because he was HOMELESS....He was doing all kinds of nonsense, drinking, rolling with the WRONG people...trying to get into GANGS..."

"He had been a good friend of my cousins and when Cameron wound up in a HEAP of TROUBLE one night...after he KILLED an innocent woman and then FLED a GANG, he came to OUR house...and from that moment on, WE protected HIM. My Mama, God rest her soul, made sure he ALWAYS had a place to stay, even if it couldn't be with us because we DIDNT have enough ROOM, like MANY of the people in our neighborhood...."

"We were INSEPARABLE after that. We told each other EVERYTHING...our lives, the fact that we were MUTANTS? Every day we would hang out in this stupid...and DANGEROUS parking lot and just talk until the street lights came on...Later on he helped me apply for college and I helped him study for his BROKERAGE license. We used to DREAM about being incredibly RICH and POWERFUL....and while I was in COLLEGE? I helped him OPEN his first office...a small ass rented space in a STRIP MALL where I was a part time secretary..he knew I was overextended and honestly...I think that's why he started doing what he DID...(using his powers) in order to gain more success...I wasn't a fan of it, but honestly just to see a boy who was HOMELESS start a business and RUN with it? For the FIRST time in his life have a PURPOSE? I guess I turned a blind eye...."

"After college, instead of taking my BIG trip to Europe, I took a position with the thenprosperous KING ENTERPRISES...I helped him build offices in New York and Tokyo...AND I was the one who FOUND him the Hotel Chain to PURCHASE...So as you look at me and think I'm irrelevant, just know that when you look at CAMERON KING? You are looking at the many...MANY hours of time I sacrficed...of life I SACRIFICED in order for him to be standing in FRONT of you...Without me? Cameron King WOULDN'T EXIST."

"So forgive ME if I don't LIKE you ALYCIA...I am not fond of MANY of the members of The Six. HELL, I am not even fond of CAMERON at the moment. I stood by him through thick and THIN and when HE found this new family? NEW "sisters"...he immersed himself into their world...as anybody who spent their life looking for a family WOULD...but he FORGOT me, and he FORGOT to let it be known how much of HIS life is LARGELY due to the fact that I took CARE of him. So I did my best to step to the side and LET him live that life...and what did I get in return? Oh THAT's RIGHT..I got the honor of being regarded as some kind of TAPE RECORDER..."

"And FINALLY! Did you ever stop to think about WHY I was so "obtuse" or "redundant" as you put it? Did you use any bit of that brilliant little lawyer brain to dig the SLIGHTEST big deeper about why that might be? Do have ANY idea what it's like to have an ability like mine? Do you have ANY idea what's it like to have every single mistake you have ever made, every misstep, every tragedy, every time you've EVER done anything wrong or BEEN wronged just filed away in your mind? Most people have the luxury of TIME to separate them from the PAIN of these things..to MOVE on and FORGET details that are no longer important. I am not MOST people...all of THIS is SITTING HERE..in MY BRAIN..and it pops up with PERFECT accuracy and DETAIL every time I think about it. I don't only get to think about certain ASPECTS of it when I am sitting there watching television or on a job. I have to remember it in it's ENTIRETY."

"It's OVERWHELMING and for a large part of my life...it CRIPPLED me. I couldn't figure out who I was because of all the noise...because I was carrying not just MY story inside, but the story of EVERYTHING I touched..or heard..or smelled or SAW or had somebody tell ME. It wasn't until I was SHOT in the NECK and my ability STOPPED working that for the first time in my life...I had clarity. I could shut off FINALLY and focus on me. I was so mad at Ava Cassadine for so long...until I realized that she had given me a GIFT...and now that I am back? Now that my brain is FIXED and I have had a chance to go over the events of the past few years from my perspective alone, without all the clutter...I can SEE who did wrong by me Alycia. One of those people is a man I helped raise and love my like own BROTHER...a few are members of The Six...and one of them..is YOU."

"This isn't me being the ultimate VICTIM Alycia..so don't even TRY that with me. This is ME coming to you NOW because I finally feel able to, because I CAN...and because time has shown me that when it comes to ME..you're no less of an insufferable BITCH than you ever were."

:: And with that Vivica lifted back her right hand...and smacked the SHIT out of Alycia BARNET. ::

"And now I'm gonna KICK. YOUR. ASS."

 

[Isis]

Central Park Zoo

:: Isis frowned with disapproval at the revelation that MorningStar had been FOLLOWING her. She knew the woman had worked for the NYPD before, if she WERE..."doing them a favor" and "keeping tabs" on the Black Queen? THAT would piss Dominique off to end! But as she watched and listened, she noticed the demeanor of Delilah. This wasn't the woman she had encountered during the Viper caper or even during the start of the Blue Moon.::

I do NOT fear The White Queen, young woman. NOR would she DARE attack me in such a manner!

::Indeed, Isis made it CLEAER to Malice and Enchantrah when she accepted their offer to join the Inner Circle and Sisterhood that there were be personal agendas that she would handle on HER OWN and NOT for them to interfere in. And now, in the aftermath of Set, there was always the sense that even if they wanted to, they would think TWICE before attempting to harm Isis, knowing that Rampage would come knocking...if not WRECKING everything in his path to them. The truce of the Six and Sisterhood had come to mean many thing
to both sides, even if there were some among BOTH groups that wanted the truce disolved. MorningStar was one of those people::

:: Isis was about to take her leave of MorningStar but she held fast for a moment and surveyed the woman. She remembered the aftermath of the Blue Moon, she was present or it.::

:: She had been through an agonizing ordeal all her own and it had changed her, jarred her out of her original orbit. The fact that she IMMEDIATELY blew apart a Purifier- a HUMAN- with a photon blast without hesitation was further evidence. She would have EXPECTED that from Spellbinder, Harbinger or Black Widow. But MorningStar had always a reputation of taking a different path, a higher road,
and BELIEVING in certain standards that sometimes put her at odds with her teammates. In a way, Isis could RELATE. But the MorningStar standing before her NOW? This was definitely an intriguing development. She seemed to have nothing to lose and was LOOKING for another path to take. But Isis had seen this look before. She wondered if MorningStar truly KNEW what she was saying.::

“I’m not here to interfere, Isis.”

She had done everything right, everything by the book. Been a good friend. A good person. Protected the rights of the innocent and guilty alike. And what had it gotten her?
“I want to help.”

And what of your teammates? Would they not OBJECT to you working with me like this? MorningStar, I am not out to merely STOP the purifiers. I am out to DESTROY them.

They are a threat to the Six, the Sisterhood, the Hellfire club...but beyond that, They are crossing a line, much like Set did when he attacked my village...raped my sister. They are hurting the weak and the helpless. Regardless of my affiliation of the Hellfire Club, there are somethings that I PERSONALLY will not tolerate. I have endured watching spirits being broken and the blood of the weak and innocent running once before. NOW I have the power to make sure it NEVER happens again. The Purifiers will PAY for what they're doing to mutants, and no foolish, unimportant "laws" is going to bring that about.

:: MorningStar reaffirms her desire to help Isis.::

::Holding the baby with one arm, Isis lifts her other arm and ignits a teleporting spell. a ray of golden light beams down upon her and another upon MorningStar, teleporting them away from Central Park Zoo as sirens can be heard in the distance, closing in on the site after reports of gunshots and screams were called into the police. Isis and MorningStar didn't know it yet, but there was someone ELSE who bared witness to what they done. Her name was Oracle. The question was, what would she be able to do about it?::

 

[Artemis]

:: Alycia nodded as if to say "COME GET SOME!" as Vivica reeled from being bumped back. The taperecorder DID come and BUMPED Alycia back!::

:: She then reached up with her finger and press on nail and POKED Alycia in the shoulder! Alycia opened her mouth a bit, jutting her lower jaw out and looking down at the woman in astonishment AND anger.::

You little bitch!?

:: But Vivica KEPT coming. KEPT POKING. KEPT PUSHING.::

:: As she did so, thinking that she was intimidating Alycia, the Amazon remained silent and LISTENED. Odd as it seemed, she felt like she NEEDED to hear what Vivica had to say if for no other reason, than to get a sense of WHY this woman felt like she should be in their midst. Just WHO she thought she was that Alycia, or anybody ELSE needed to regard or RESPECT!::

Oh SPARE ME, Ms. 54th & Crenshaw!

:: mockingly gestures and throws up a gang sign::

If you were looking for camaraderie, you only have YOURSELF to blame for not finding it from me. Your APPROACH was WRONG from the start. Regardless of where you come from, there are RULES to follow in order to PROGRESS and CLEARLY you hadn't heard of them.

You yourself said you didnt care what others wanted you to be or what they thought. That was YOUR mistake and apparently you NEVER learned from it, which is why even NOW you are still seeking to be taken seriously.

And as for RESPECT!? :: Alycia laughs in astonishments:: Respect is EARNED, NOT GIVEN. What did you EVER do, besides FORCE yourself into scenarios that had NOTHING to do with you, and expect to be treated as an EQUAL, RESPECTED...for WHAT exactly, MEMOREX?

If you're MAD, perhaps you should look inside yourself, or BETTER YET, look to the man whom you clearly regard as MORE than a BROTHER. HE'S the one who INEXPLICABLY LEFT YOU BEHIND.It's not MY fault you lacked the skill, the INTELLGENCE or the SENSE to know how to remain RELEVANT to Cameron. Some people simply OUTGROW one another.

It's almost as if he KNEW he was destined for something MORE....BETTER than you. Whether it was his SISTER :: excluding Erika from that part:: or the CIRCLES he ran in.

Cameron, like the rest of the Six, were destined from BIRTH to come together. That's something that neither YOU NOR I had anything to do with. BUT UNLIKE YOU, I EARNED my place, made myself invaluable to them AND provided them with a much needed link to the human community. And PLEASE quit commenting on the same tired old story about "You brought the SEC down on Cameron". We were ALL different people then. Cameron was an ASSHOLE who was harrassing Morgan and Alison, INTENT on sending Morgan over the edge and the INFERNO resulted. HE'S faced up to his actions and the consequences of them. Why can't you? If there was fallout that YOU were caught in, maybe you should speak to HIM about HIS role in that because he had a VERY LARGE ONE, BUT he's managed to not only learn from it but GROW. AS HAVE I! He's not the ONLY ONE who had to change course, change behavior! It's funny how ALL OF US :: gesturing to herself:: in THIS group that you so DESPERATELY want to be apart of have managed to face the not-so-great choice they've made and not only learn but FORGIVE and MOVE ON.

He's a VASTLY different person now.He has a WONDERFUL realtionship with Morgan AND Alison...AND ME! YOU'RE the only one still lurking around the fringes being a pot stirring, shit starting HO, STUCK IN THE PAST like ALWAYS.


If you're looking for a MEDAL for what you did in your PAST, or for the torch you carry for Cameron? Go have one MADE, sweetheart, because you're NOT getting it OR any recognition from ME.

MY life and the validation of it doesnt REST on Cameron's acknowledgement OR the Six's. Can YOU say the same?

I was ALREADY established and SUCCESSFULL by the time I met Morgan and Alison. I didn't NEED them to survive OR thrive in what I was doing. MY friendship with Morgan and Alison was born from a genuine place, NOT some dysfunctional parasitic relationship like YOURS with CAMERON.

The witches had needs that were critical and they needed someone they could TRUST to help them. I PROOVED that I was that person. I didn't just walk in and DEMAND anything from them. And that LOYALTY you seek to mock? It was RETURNED 100 fold, not just by them, but ALL of their team AND their allies. Can YOU say the same? EVER? Let's imagine the DISASTER that would have unfolded if they'd had a loud mouthed, loose canon like YOU attempting to advocate for them and maintain their legal status & protection both personal AND professional?

Your JEALOUSY and BITTERNESS is as UGLY and SAD as your inability to BEHAVE in a way that inspires kindness or respect.

WHY ELSE is it that you've ALWAYS been LEFT BEHIND, FORGOTTEN, OVERLOOKED and SHOT IN THE FACE.

There's a reason why The Six has always LOOKED OUT FOR ME, because I looked out for them when few others had the means or willingness to do so. I did it because it was the decent, RIGHT thing to do and they saw my sincerity and genuine concern for their well being and legal protection. I didnt PLAY at being something I was NOT, unlike YOU. I didnt DEMAND respect from them or rest on my laurels. I EARNED IT and when necessary, i STOOD MY GROUND and when NEEDED, I was CHALLENGED by certain members of the group.
I pulled MY weight, Vivica, and I did it WITHOUT the benefit of POWERS, even ones as STUPID and POINTLESS as YOURS.

There isn't a DAY that goes by that I don't think about how fortunate I am to NOT be seen as merely a TOOL or a "means to an end" by the Six, I am regarded as a FRIEND because I showed myself to BE a friend and I EARNED trust and respect. I didnt DEMAND it.

That's ALL you've EVER done, just like a petulant CHILD, but what else could one expect from a girl 'around the way', where manners, style and substance are as RARE as clear sky at night? This AINT "the streets" honey, NOR is it some swap meet where you can buy KNOCK OFFS and PRETEND to be something you're not. This is a world BEYOND ANYTHING your tiny little mind was designed to handle and when you're WOEFULLY inadequate, NOTHING you do to hide that will change that fact.

For ALL you've done or IMAGINED that you've done and think you ARE today, you're STILL as USELESS as a VCR and it won't be long before you fade into the background AGAIN, WHERE YOU BELONG.

MY behavior, my willingness to think of others before myself, even when I didn't know how it would turn out, earned me favor with the goddesses. YOU weren't there for what it COST me to be reborn as an Amazon. You were NO WHERE AROUND when the Six were OUTED, when I was targeted for assassination by the GOVERNMENT *I* worked for because I had stood by the Six. If you were SO concerned with being acknowledged by us, WHY didn't you come HELP US? FUCK YOU, Vivica. You're a WEAK, WHINEY little girl.

"This isn't me being the ultimate VICTIM Alycia..so don't even TRY that with me. This is ME coming to you NOW because I finally feel able to, because I CAN...and because time has shown me that when it comes to ME..you're no less of an insufferable BITCH than you ever were."

The ONLY thing you've MISSED from your little tirade is that you're NOT the ultimate victim...you're the ultimate NOTHING!

:: Alycia smirked as she snickered at Vivica who was standing right in front of her. The Amazon looked down at her and could barely contain her laughter at Vivica, who was acting as though she was making Alycia fall back::

:: And with that Vivica lifted back her right hand...and smacked the SHIT out of Alycia BARNET. ::

"And now I'm gonna KICK. YOUR. ASS."

:: Alycia's moment of laughter, at Vivica's expense was abruptly ended as she was suddenly SLAPPED ACROSS THE FACE WITH SUCH FORCE that she GASPED, her head whipped to the side, her hair partially flew over her face as she half way spun away from her original position due to being caught off guard by such a strong slap!::


:: She remained at her current orientation for a few seconds, breathing rapidly and reeling from the shock and pain as she slowly ran her hand over her cheek and brushed her raven black hair back from her face::



::Even as she fully and openly reveled in her contempt for Vivica, perhaps for the FIRST TIME, there was this...EVER SO SMALL but ever present "voice" in the back of her mind. There was even a part of her that REBELLED against the contempt and cold dismissal of Vivica, with SYMPATHY and a sense of sadness over opportunities and time now lost; the chance to have offered support and assistance to someone who was once truly in need- LOST. But then again, Vivica COULD have said "I NEED HELP!" instead of doubling down on PRIDE and operating on her own prejudices against Alycia, couldn't she? There was responsibility and failure on both sides but the realization of that was lost in this [necessary] moment of ANGER and CONFRONTATION.::

::If ANYONE understood the need for networking, contacts and establishing key connections, it was Alycia! It was a large part of how she did her business! There were MANY reasons why Alycia Barnett and Vivica Lennox SHOULD have been allies, FRIENDS even, REGARDLESS of their personal backgrounds. As women, as black women- they both knew what it was to be minorities and treated as such. Alycia was deeply involved in another minority community, MUTANTS. She was an ADVOCATE for Mutants and had used her skill in the rule of law to help and protect them. They both had deep connections to Cameron King, who was now lost to BOTH of them and if they didn't find a way to get THROUGH THIS between them NOW and TRULY progress from it, they might both be MOURNING him, FOR REAL this time.::


::Some of Vivica's words were breaking through the stonewall that Alycia had erected regarding her. Some of them were...honest and worth regarding, weren't they? Alycia was recognized by the Amazons and Athena for her skill in interpreting the law and using the law to sheild and protect those who needed it. That was her gift, her calling. Vivica was looking for her's and perhaps she'd FOUND IT. But why couldn't she have come to Alycia BEFORE this? In a different way? DESPITE what Vivica thought, Alycia WAS a reasonable person. CAMERON found that out, as did Haleigh and even Nicolas. THEY'D all been severely at odds with Alycia, only to come out on the other side. But it wasn't just all effort on their part, Alycia had to extend herself as well, and she did, each time. Vivica seemed to think Alycia OWED her something. Regardless of their commonalities or overlapping personal connections, they were WORLDS apart. BUT Alycia had prooven time and again with others who were different from her, that ANYTHING was possible. vivica asked...DEMANDED much, but rarely gave anything to DESERVE it.THAT was where Alycia disconnected from her and so now, even IF there was apart of Alycia that HEARD Vivica? The moment Vivica put her hands on Alycia, THAT part of her mind was overridden by the repitilian part, the part that registered ANGER and the instinct to HIT BACK.::

....


:: for the moment, all the sound around her was GONE. She heard NOTHING but her own heart beat...and her RAGE::


:: another before she SUDDENLY stood upright once more and face Vivica::


YOU BITCH!?

:: Alycia steps forward with one foot, and thrusts out BOTH her hands as her feminum bracelets shimmer and she makes contact with Vivica's chest, slamming her hands into the woman's chest and SHOVING HER with such force, applying ALL her weight AND more than a fraction of her amazonian super strength to send Vivica OFF her feet and FLYING across the room. That shove would have put a person in ORBIT really , but Vivica is sent CRASHING THROUGH a book shelf and SLAMMING into a wall::


Ava did you a favor?


Well you're REALLY gonna like ME for this, because am I going to BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY! I'll send you BACK "around the way" in a BODY BAG!

:: Now in an full battle mode::

 

[Matrix]

Pissed off. That about covered it right now.

Rich was back at the Hellfire Club, and these raggedy motherfvckers have just told him that they do not have Dominique with them.

So, you are the Black Queen's personal guard and you have NO idea where the FVCK she is? Is THAT what you are telling me?

Chief of Security, visibly shaken: Yes... s-sir.

Imma call her now. If she does not answer, I will FVCK you and everbody that looks like you up until she IS found. I suggest you get scarce and find her or hope like hell she answers the phone.

The room clears as Rich dials up Dominique in his phone. It starts to ring...

 

[MorningStar]

I do NOT fear The White Queen, young woman. NOR would she DARE attack me in such a manner!

Delilah was pretty sure Diana would dare anyone, to do anything, but she kept that to herself. Her phone was buzzing in her pocket, but she ignored it.

And what of your teammates? Would they not OBJECT to you working with me like this? MorningStar, I am not out to merely STOP the purifiers. I am out to DESTROY them.

Delilah shook her head and scoffed.

“I don’t care what my so-called ‘teammates’ think. They’ve decided they don’t need my help – so I certainly don’t need their permission. I’m not going to just sit around and twiddle my thumbs while mutants are being targeted. I want – need – to do something. I want to make that mutant-hating scum hurt until no one thinks of targeting mutants ever again.”

Delilah clenched her fist.

… The Purifiers will PAY for what they're doing to mutants, and no foolish, unimportant "laws" is going to bring that about.

She smiled.

“When do we start?”

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

Oracle kept one ear on the goings-on with Vivica while she spam-dialed Ashley and initiated facial-recognition software to keep tabs on Dominique Devereaux. The Six was like a giant soap-opera, and Zizi really just wanted to get a bowl of popcorn and a Big Gulp and sit and watch. But they had pressing issues. She had to find the truth about Dominique’s connection to the Purifiers one way or the other.

Facial recognition got a hit, and she was able to hack into the security cameras for the Central Park Zoo.

Aw, bless…I love that place.

But what she saw on the screen was hardly the stuff of childhood memory.

Purifiers…attacking – a baby?! Isis killing two of them, before being overtaken by something…

“Black lotus blossom.”

Uncharacteristically, Oracle had a moment of indecision. Should she intervene with Isis? Who would she call? The police were not a great option. Her nephew? Could anyone actually get there in time to make a difference? And she had just watched Isis kill two people…

But then another woman appeared, brutally killing the remaining Purifier and kneeling beside Dominique.

MorningStar!

It WAS MorningStar. Zizi almost didn’t recognize her. And she had taken out that Purifier without a second thought. Definitely not her usual MO, and NOT the woman John Steele had spoken of so highly. What was SHE doing helping the Black Queen of the Hellfire club?

Isis magicked the two of them away from the Zoo, and before Oracle could track them she heard the door to the apartment unlocking. She quickly cut the feed. It wasn’t her usual practice to hide things from Ashley, and she wasn’t sure why she did it, other than the feeling that there was more to Isis and MorningStar teaming up than met the eye.

As she came into the room, Zizi brightened her expression.

"How did it go with Dominique?"

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower

"How did it go with Dominique?"

Ashley stopped walking and held up one hand.

“That woman. Is the biggest bitch. I have ever met. And I knew Joan of Arc.”

She dumped her keys on the counter with emphasis.

“You find anything more out?”

Zizi: “Not really. Vivica was attacked by Purifiers while she was with the Six. They also attacked a school bus of mutant children. And Cameron King has been taken prisoner.”

“Why didn’t you call me?!”

Zizi turned away from her and back to her console.

“You know what Queen Tut did? She tried to get me suspended.”

Zizi: “You hate your job, Ashley.”

“That is beside the point.”

She slumped down into an armchair with a huff.

“Ooh, I am going to get that bitch if it’s the last thing I do.”

Looking over at Zizi.

“So, what’s next?”

 

[Orion]

Ava: Something happened to me....

He barely heard her say it, she was so quiet about it, but something in the way she said it made him deeply concerned. Most confessions he was used to started with 'I did something'. 'Something happened to me' was the most chilling phrase he'd EVER heard from Ava, and this girl has said some scary shiit.

Ava: Something terrible.

More terrible than what they'd just been through? That had to be BAD. The emotions spilling out of Ava were heartbreaking. And though he was exhausted from everything he'd ALREADY felt today, he could handle a bit more. One person's emotion, no matter how bad, was manageable.

Ava: Keeping it inside all this time has killed me. I just want to scream on the top of my lungs so all this guilt and pain and torture leaves my body. But I need to stay focused for Cameron and Cass. I can't let what happened down there [the children] happen again.

"That wasn't your fault. You did the best you could, we all did. But sometimes..... even WE can't stop all the evil in this world."

When she didn't say much else, or offer more details, Zach continued.

"I understand if you don't wanna talk about what's bothering you, but it seems like you've realized that bottling it up is doing more harm than good. You're one of the strongest, most capable women I know, Ava. It's okay if you need someone to lean on every now and then. I won't think any less of you. And if you want to talk about it, I'm right here. If you DON'T? Then I can still help you unload some of this pain you're carrying. Please don't check out on us, Ava."

 

[Recall]

If you were looking for camaraderie, you only have YOURSELF to blame for not finding it from me. Your APPROACH was WRONG from the start. Regardless of where you come from, there are RULES to follow in order to PROGRESS and CLEARLY you hadn't heard of them.

You yourself said you didnt care what others wanted you to be or what they thought. That was YOUR mistake and apparently you NEVER learned from it, which is why even NOW you are still seeking to be taken seriously.

And as for RESPECT!? :: Alycia laughs in astonishments:: Respect is EARNED, NOT GIVEN. What did you EVER do, besides FORCE yourself into scenarios that had NOTHING to do with you, and expect to be treated as an EQUAL, RESPECTED...for WHAT exactly, MEMOREX?

"Are you dense?! I wasn't looking for camaraderie. I never APPROACHED you in anyway. I didn't want a GODDAMN thing from you, Alycia. You tried to sink my business because of a pissing contest between Morgan and Cameron that threaten to send the 20,000 people employed by King Enterprises out of a job and culminated in Morgan Victoria nearly destroying the WORLD. So ANYBODY who decided to put their hand in THAT game should be ashamed of themselves...."

"And don't misquote me. I said I never cared what crazy WHITE people thought I should be like. I said it to highlight the fact that there IS commonality between us..but considering the fact that you are just about as priveleged as they come, I can see how something like that went over your head."

[laughs]

"Of course respect is EARNED not GIVEN..but it doesn't mean you go around treating people like SHIT for no good reason. There is USUALLY an understanding among people. It's called decency. It's why you smile at your waiter and donate money to charity or let somebody ahead of you in line. It's a BASIC understanding between people you don't know and really..at the very LEAST something that should be expected of anybody..."

"And as for me forcing myself into scenarios that had nothing do with me?! Allow to me to roll back the tape because the entire time I have KNOWN you that's been YOUR schtick. You FORCED yourself into the situation between Cameron and Morgan..which had NOTHING to do with you. And don't go all "Oh Morgan was my friend, she needed me." She's a fucking sorceress who has proved time and time again that she could destroy the WORLD if she gets pushed too far. She didn't need a good LAWYER. She needed a Xanax."

If you're MAD, perhaps you should look inside yourself, or BETTER YET, look to the man whom you clearly regard as MORE than a BROTHER. HE'S the one who INEXPLICABLY LEFT YOU BEHIND.It's not MY fault you lacked the skill, the INTELLGENCE or the SENSE to know how to remain RELEVANT to Cameron. Some people simply OUTGROW one another.

It's almost as if he KNEW he was destined for something MORE....BETTER than you. Whether it was his SISTER :: excluding Erika from that part:: or the CIRCLES he ran in.

Cameron, like the rest of the Six, were destined from BIRTH to come together. That's something that neither YOU NOR I had anything to do with. BUT UNLIKE YOU, I EARNED my place, made myself invaluable to them AND provided them with a much needed link to the human community. And PLEASE quit commenting on the same tired old story about "You brought the SEC down on Cameron". We were ALL different people then. Cameron was an ASSHOLE who was harrassing Morgan and Alison, INTENT on sending Morgan over the edge and the INFERNO resulted. HE'S faced up to his actions and the consequences of them. Why can't you? If there was fallout that YOU were caught in, maybe you should speak to HIM about HIS role in that because he had a VERY LARGE ONE, BUT he's managed to not only learn from it but GROW. AS HAVE I! He's not the ONLY ONE who had to change course, change behavior! It's funny how ALL OF US :: gesturing to herself:: in THIS group that you so DESPERATELY want to be apart of have managed to face the not-so-great choice they've made and not only learn but FORGIVE and MOVE ON.

He's a VASTLY different person now. He has a WONDERFUL realtionship with Morgan AND Alison...AND ME! YOU'RE the only one still lurking around the fringes being a pot stirring, shit starting HO, STUCK IN THE PAST like ALWAYS.

"Oh EAT me! You didn't EARN your place?! You BEAT those people into submission via BLACKMAIL and MURDER and got yourself a job that would FORCE you into their affairs for reasons that were LESS than savory. You sit there like some hot shot telling me that I am a wannabe and I so desperately need the approval and respect of The Six but take a damn look in the MIRROR."

[thinking]

"And I have MOVED on. But I am not ABOUT to forgive ANYBODY until ANYBODY even LIGHTLY recognizes the fact that I am not talking out of my ass and that when it comes to certain things...THERE IS an apology owed to me. When we were sitting there, fighting for our damn lives? Fighting against something that the KEEPER OF TIME told us could not be prevented..I was alerted of Zach's situation via my own contacts. Contacts that jammed the damn power grid out for us and bought us VALUABLE time. I looked around and everything in my body told me to get the HELL out of there and get to Zach..somebody who maybe YOU should have a conversation with as HE is a person who has seen me GROW..and MOVE ON. So as for me desperately needing to be a part of THIS group? Not so much. This group SHOWED me how it felt about me when they left me for dead in GREECE. The only reason I am here now is because my OWN team mate is and because I care enough about Cameron and Blaze to help them if I can. Oh you know and help save the life of your good friend, Sally Spectra. "

If you're looking for a MEDAL for what you did in your PAST, or for the torch you carry for Cameron? Go have one MADE, sweetheart, because you're NOT getting it OR any recognition from ME.

MY life and the validation of it doesnt REST on Cameron's acknowledgement OR the Six's. Can YOU say the same?

I was ALREADY established and SUCCESSFULL by the time I met Morgan and Alison. I didn't NEED them to survive OR thrive in what I was doing. MY friendship with Morgan and Alison was born from a genuine place, NOT some dysfunctional parasitic relationship like YOURS with CAMERON.

The witches had needs that were critical and they needed someone they could TRUST to help them. I PROOVED that I was that person. I didn't just walk in and DEMAND anything from them. And that LOYALTY you seek to mock? It was RETURNED 100 fold, not just by them, but ALL of their team AND their allies. Can YOU say the same? EVER? Let's imagine the DISASTER that would have unfolded if they'd had a loud mouthed, loose canon like YOU attempting to advocate for them and maintain their legal status & protection both personal AND professional?

"Yeah you proved that you are a bloodthirsty shark who needs the slightest bit of chum in the water to make her salivate. The witches had needs that were short sighted and destructive. So really..lots of stuff to be proud of THERE. And protecting their personal and professional lives..ah yes..how WAS The Island of Aerie? And Bishop for that matter? Is he doing well?"

There's a reason why The Six has always LOOKED OUT FOR ME, because I looked out for them when few others had the means or willingness to do so. I did it because it was the decent, RIGHT thing to do and they saw my sincerity and genuine concern for their well being and legal protection. I didnt PLAY at being something I was NOT, unlike YOU. I didnt DEMAND respect from them or rest on my laurels. I EARNED IT and when necessary, i STOOD MY GROUND and when NEEDED, I was CHALLENGED by certain members of the group.
I pulled MY weight, Vivica, and I did it WITHOUT the benefit of POWERS, even ones as STUPID and POINTLESS as YOURS.

There isn't a DAY that goes by that I don't think about how fortunate I am to NOT be seen as merely a TOOL or a "means to an end" by the Six, I am regarded as a FRIEND because I showed myself to BE a friend and I EARNED trust and respect. I didnt DEMAND it.

That's ALL you've EVER done, just like a petulant CHILD, but what else could one expect from a girl 'around the way', where manners, style and substance are as RARE as clear sky at night? This AINT "the streets" honey, NOR is it some swap meet where you can buy KNOCK OFFS and PRETEND to be something you're not. This is a world BEYOND ANYTHING your tiny little mind was designed to handle and when you're WOEFULLY inadequate, NOTHING you do to hide that will change that fact.

For ALL you've done or IMAGINED that you've done and think you ARE today, you're STILL as USELESS as a VCR and it won't be long before you fade into the background AGAIN, WHERE YOU BELONG.

MY behavior, my willingness to think of others before myself, even when I didn't know how it would turn out, earned me favor with the goddesses. YOU weren't there for what it COST me to be reborn as an Amazon. You were NO WHERE AROUND when the Six were OUTED, when I was targeted for assassination by the GOVERNMENT *I* worked for because I had stood by the Six. If you were SO concerned with being acknowledged by us, WHY didn't you come HELP US? **** YOU, Vivica. You're a WEAK, WHINEY little girl.

[Vivica rolled her eyes]

"Alycia...I wasn't raised on a farm...but I know BULLSHIT when I smell it. You AREN'T a noble person. You DON'T think of others before yourself. You are a MURDERER. But you seem to just think that all of the GOOD you have done in your life NEGATES the fact that you've resorted to HORRIBLE things in order to bring your own sense of justice to the world and lumped that into some amalgam of your love for The Six and undying devotion. I didn't come to help ANY of you because where the FUCK were you for me?! Respect is EARNED not GIVEN remember Alycia?! I WANTED to be acknowledged by them...but NOT ANYMORE. Now? I just want to live my damn life..but seeing you standing here, toting your respect from The Six, your smug ass attitude, your CONDEMNATION of me as some ROUND THE WAY girl, sitting on the TOP FLOOR of your office..that was GIVEN to you? And your damn outburst because you can't keep your SHIT together about what's going on? Well..you poked the damn bear and now she is RABID."

:: As Vivica laid this out she was realizing how much Alycia and her did have in common if they had looked deeper. They were both incredibly talented business people. Vivica knew many people in this city and the connections she had overseas and otherwise would make the two of them incredibly invaluable to each other in the right circumstance. In fact with her background in law and Vivica's own abilities, if they put their minds together they could be unstoppable. ::

:: But these two women had come from very different worlds. Vivica really felt that Alycia was somebody who basically lived as a white woman, condemned her own people and yet was always championing minority rights. She was a total hypocrite. She couldn't look at Vivica and EVERYTHING that Vivica had accomplished and just say you are worthy of my time. She couldn't look at her as an equal because Alycia was also so determined to stand tall with the big kids. Vivica had been looking for decency from Alycia and she never quite measured up. ::

:: The SLAP was cathartic to say the least and it contained every single bitter and negative thought she had ever concealed in it and it DEFINITELY startled Alycia. ::

Alycia: "YOU BITCH!"

:: As Vivica watched Alycia step back it immediately put her on edge and as Alycia SHOVED her with all of her might, Vivica wrapped her OWN hands around the woman's wrists and took her along for the RIDE. They crashed through the bookshelf and into a wall. ::

Alycia: "Ava did you a favor? Well you're REALLY gonna like ME for this, because am I going to BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY! I'll send you BACK "around the way" in a BODY BAG!

:: Vivica rolled her eyes and elbowed Alycia in the face, knocking her head dead smack into the wall before taking one of the shelves from the bookcase and connecting IT with the top of her head, bringing it down hard before scrambling to her feet. She was definitely injured and bruised but it was one of those things where adrenaline and pure anger could cause incredible feats of strength and endurance and Vivica was CHARGED. ::

"Get up, Barnett..."

:: grimacing for a second, wiping blood from her nose. ::

"I said GET UP!"

:: She snap kicked Alycia in the stomach. ::

 

[Isis]

The Parthenon- Dominique's luxury suite

She smiled.

“When do we start?”

:: Isis brought them back to her diamond luxury suite at the Parthenon, instead of her command post within the catacombs of the Hellfire Club. The Parthenon, in the absence of anything else for the Black Queen, was "neutral ground" for herself and Morningstar.::

Please be seated...

:: She gestures for Delilah to make her way into the lounge::

Things are a little...unorganized at the moment. That boorish cow, Ashley Oldenburg, and her toy soliders "searched" my suite a few hours ago....

:: Dominique said with CONTEMPT::

I have a few important contacts to make. I have a trusted ally working on this from another end for me.

:: Still carrying the baby, she makes her way into her private master bedroom and with her free arm, she places her hand to her temple::

RICHARD, be at peace, my Black Knight. I take it that your assignment went as well as expected? I am at my residence at the Parthenon and I have an infant who needs to be placed in protective care immediately. I'll fill you in on the details when you arrive, now make haste!

:: Dominique waves her hand and conjures a plush crib. She gently places the baby down in the crib and then she conjures a bottle of milk for the baby::

After this eventful evening, I imagine you're quite hungry, little one. Isis always provides for those who are in need!

:: She says in a soft, gentle tone as she brings the bottle down to the baby, who instinctively takes hold of it::

That's a good girl!

You enjoy your nourishment now. You're safe!

:: And for good measure, Isis holds her hands over the crub and manifests sparkling gold orbs of various sizes that begin to slowly spin around over the crib, playing a soft, comforting melody for the baby. Isis looks upon the baby, and actually SMILES. Is this what it COULD have been like if her sister had been expecting under far better circumstances, Isis helping her sister and her newborn nephew like this? She'd never know for sure, but at least for now, she was able to prevent THIS baby from descending into a nightmare. She'd make SURE of it.::

:: Once she was certain the baby was settled, she emerged from her master bedroom and made her way through the luxury suite to where Delilah was now seated::

The baby is warm, comfortable and enjoying a bottle. She will be taken care of. I will see to that.

:: She looked upon the mutant::

Would you care for some water, tea?

I am waiting for a member of my Black Court to arrive, and then we will proceed.

:: She had noted Delilah's bitter response regarding her team mates, but that was a matter that was best left alone as far as Isis was concerned. The woman had her journey to walk, as did Isis and whatever path she chose, she must deal with whatever comes her way. As long as she was able and willing to assist Isis in crippling the Purifiers tonight? that's what mattered most to her, and because the truce was still in tact, they'd each ensure the other's safety.::