Different ways of life

[Firebird]

The Parthenon- Blaze's penthouse

The hits just kept coming. The whole debacle with Frost, who they thought had returned, but hadn't really, but PART of her had been manipulated by Talisman, who herself was a cross time alternate of Cameron and Alison's mother, AND she'd been stalking/attacking Karen.

But when Morgan returned, it seemed like things could get better! Karen flexed her power as the matriarch and compelled Morgan and Blaze to try and make things right with Delilah. Wasted effort, at least on Blaze's part, and now, Blaze was over that...AND her. Then Morgan and Cameron fell out, HARD, and when he told Morgan she wasn't welcomed, and then talked badly to Karen? That was IT. Blaze wouldn't stand for it. The Victoria united, and Karen decided they should leave. But then HALEIGH happened.

To say that it was one big giant clusterfuck would be an ARTFUL way of putting it. Morgan and Blaze gained AND LOST another sister in record time, Karen erupted in what was a genuine feeling of betrayal after all the help she'd given Haleigh, Blaze struggled...first hoping that Haleigh would do right and STAY with them, THEN wondering if they could REALLY trust the DAUGHTER OF MALICE (AND their father Christopher Victory)!? But then she and Michael had this amazing heart to heart, and he calmed her, while she affirmed him.

Later that night, Morgan returned just as Blaze was setting out to find her. Something happened between her and Cameron because Morgan assured Blaze that they needed to stay together...ALL of them, and while she was not putting her santcorum project on hold, she WOULD be staying here with Blaze for the time being.

Through that night, the sisters held on to each other, hugging, crying...trying to process it all. Trying to understand what had truly happened, how their father CONTINUED To haunt and impact their lives, how they had lost Frost AGAIN, Karen had been attacked and nearly murdered, and how they gained and lost ANOTHER sister, HALEIGH in a way that couldn't be made up even in the wildest fairytale. Haleigh was their sister/she was MALICE'S daughter...and she was NOW at the HELLFIRE CLUB!


Days passed, and no one seemed to be in a productive mood. They cocooned in Blaze's penthouse, ordering in, avoiding the outside, avoiding the others. There was PLENTY of room in the penthouse to comfortably house them all , along with Morgan's cats...but it was becoming too easy for them to rely on JUST each other as a family, and exclude their extended family, The Six. Yes they'd shared a trauma, and they...KAREN in particular...needed time to pull back and process what ha happened...but they couldn't stay like this forever.

In a RARE moment, Morgan, Karen and Michael were now out of the penthouse, but still moving as a unit, with Morgan teleporting them where they needed to go, and Michael keeping CLOSE tabs on Karen, who STILL had no interest in seeing Cameron or any of the others on the Six.

Blaze stayed behind. She felt like she needed to "hold the fort", make sure things were safe. She had expressed to Michael her concerns about how safe this building could be since it was filled with technology that Haleigh could have power over, but he advised her that Haleigh had already begun cutting off her own access.

On top of that, RUBY had been following after her best friend. Keeping in contact, and putting that word in her ear that she didn't need to leave them, that she SHOULDN'T. None of them should. Ruby was definitely being true to Cameron's request to work on KEEPING Blaze here, and even though she was not fond of HIM, she could lean on Cass' word for the time being.

And so, on this night, Blaze enjoyed another quiet evening, reading by the fire, while Tinkerbell and the kitten rested nearby.

Suddenly...

:: A few moments later, a small, golden orb appears before both Ruby and Firebird, they hear Isis's elegant voice.::

Isis: Greetings. I am here in the Parthenon, and I need to speak with both of you. Richard and myself will join you in the VIP clubhouse, Ruby. Firebird will you meet us there?

Tinkerbell perked up a bit at the sound and appearence of the golden glowing orb. Blaze's apple green eyes narrowed a bit , but she relaxed when she heard Isis' voice::

Just a mystical projection, from an ally....


"Of course, Dominique!"

The fire elemental was just thinking how she could use a drink right now anyway!

After the mystical orb shimmered out, Blaze stood up.

But one simply does NOT go to meet DOMINIQUE DEVERAUX for a drink and conversation looking any old kind of way!

Any excuse to whip up a nice little ensemble! Plus, it had been a while since Blaze had been seen "in public", so she couldn't look like she was SLIPPING when it came to her image as a fashion plate, in the tradition of her big sis!

"Good thing I know how to get ready a TAD bit faster than Morg does!"

A short time later, Blaze Victory emerges from the elevators and makes her way to the VIP clubhouse, now wearing a nice little ensemble that includes her signature color of red, all suppled by Spectra Couture of course! She pauses a moment before entering the Clubhouse. This really HAD been her first time out in over a week! Took a moment to check herself over in a nearby mirror and do a little turn.

She puts on her best friendly face and struts into the bar in her black high heels. She spots Ruby, Isis and...

hmmm...Rich is here too. He rarely comes out to play.

She smiles a bit more, and reaches the private table.

"Hello ladies!"

Seating herself and now facing Richard

"Hiya Rich! Don't see YOU out too often! Lookin good there!"

She winks at him. She'd often felt that he was a bit shy, and certainly VERY serious, but The "strong silent type" could only go so far, and Dominique was FAR from a weak damsel in distress. it would be interesting what lay beneath that facade!

"And Dominique! Nice to see you again, love the new hairstyle."

:: Dominique smiles a bit, nodding to Blaze::

Hello Blaze. Thank you! It's nice to see you again. You're looking stylish as ever!

Blaze was right. One did NOT show up for any kind of meeting with Dominique Deveraux looking ANY old kind of way! But beyond that, Blaze wouldn't let herself be seen looking a mess, period.

"Hi Cass!"

Nudging her friend and smiling at her.

"So! We're all here!"

Yes. Let's order and then we can begin our little chat.

Easy enough, and given that Blaze KNEW Dominique wasn't one for idle chit chat or small talk, this HAD to be a topic of enough importance to warrant this invitation. A little drinky poo might be a good thing to keep things a bit LESS heavy, since Blaze was pretty certain of what at least ONE of the topics of discussion would be....

"Lemon drop, please. Extra sugar around the glass, and keep them coming, please."

"So, Dominique, what's on your mind?"

 

[Matrix]

I got cleaned up, 'dressed', and waited for Miss D to finish up. She came down the stairs, ready to show off. she was fine as ever. She liked my outfit, but she HAD to fuss a lil.

:: She stood on the last two steps, looking down at her waiting knight::

::sigh::

Much better, wouldn't you say?

:: She came all the way down and greeted him, taking a moment to straighten his shirt a bit::

You look very handsome.

:: Running her soft, manicured hand down the side of his face, she studies him for a moment, smiling, before turning away::

Now then, let's see who we can find.

She scrys a pool and finds Blaze and Cass. We set up something and I take her to the Lounge. We find our table with Cass (Blaze and Morgan tend to get right before they show up anywhere, pretty much like Miss D) and I seat her, then myself.

Good evening.

:: Dominique says as she looks upon Cassandra::

I expect that Blaze will be along shortly.

Richard, you remember Cassandra Johnson, don't you?

Yes. It is a pleasure to see you again. I hope all is well.

What? Don't be surprised! I said she cleaned me off, I know how to act! Anyway, Blaze comes in and...well damn. She saunters over and I stand to receive her, before seating myself again once she sits again.

"Hiya Rich! Don't see YOU out too often! Lookin good there!"

She winks at him. She'd often felt that he was a bit shy, and certainly VERY serious, but The "strong silent type" could only go so far, and Dominique was FAR from a weak damsel in distress. it would be interesting what lay beneath that facade!

I smile before I realize it and speak to her.

I could definitely say the same. I am the luckiest man in the room with this trio.

They ordered drinks; not me. I turn to the waiter, good thing all lounges served food here.

16 oz. NY strip, medium, baked potato, large chef salad, bowl of fruit by Diamond Suite specifications to start.

Dominique had set up a starter bowl of fruit according to my nutritionist's specs that was endless once ordered until I left a venue. It really gave me a boost! The ladies settled in as I received my first bowl of many.

Would anyone like fruit? The strawberries are coming into season and are delicious.

I am chatty as fuck right now. Why? Hmnn...the company does put me at ease. Fair enough. When Miss D starts to answer Blaze, the redhead glances my way and I wink back. Hell, why not?

 

[Recall]

The Clocktower

::: Vivica took a nice sip of some warm hot herbal tea. This has been the first moment all night that she hadn't been on the attack, or on the defense. She was enjoying the moment to just..be. But she knew that there were things she needed to talk to Oracle about, but it seemed after what happened between Ashley and Sharon just now she might not want to talk about anything. Vivica didn't want to push anything. She had spoken more today than she had planned on speaking for the rest of her life, so if Oracle just wanted to have some damn tea and sit in silence, that would have been fine with Vivica. She still was experiencing a dull headache and a very sore body from her attack earlier, but it was easy to forget all her physical ailments with everything going on. ::

Oracle: "So, Viv. We need to talk about Clandestine Intelligence."

"Yes...I guess that we do."

Oracle: "We can move the server, but will it be safer without Clandestine to protect it?"

:: Well that was a loaded question. One that she didn't really know she had an answer for. ::

Oracle: "I guess the real question is: how much do you trust Zach to lock Haleigh out of CI, to keep it safe?"

"I trust Zach and the agency with my life. I just don't know how it all looks from her on out, Zizi."

"I mean...they're an intelligence agency, and a highly organized one at that. I...have seen first hand how they deal with betrayal beffore, but I've never seen the framework in place for a board member to defect like that. Furthermore, it's Haleigh Davidoff. I'm just not sure that any protocols in place took into account that they might have to be used against HER...and you saw Zach.."

:: Setting her tea down. ::

"He still wants her to come out of this..as a hero. Like she's pulling the longest deep cover con in the history of the game, against the biggest bad guys there are out there..and who the hell knows, maybe she is. I hope for his sake that she is. But..sorry, Zizi. Maybe I just DON'T have that kind of trust. ::

:: Tapping her head ::

"I'm worried that if I take it away from Clandestine protection...that I'm turning my back on my agency, not getting enough credit. But I'm also worried that if I leave it there...and things get worse, as they so often do..and Haleigh decides that she REALLY needs to drive a message home to Zach..she WILL use Clandestine, without question. I just don't want anything I know..or have seen or heard...or SMELLED over the last few decades to be able to be used as a part of some endgame or horrible machination..."

"So if there's any way we could move the server to space and magick my brain problems away...that would be great."

:: There was something else there too. She didn't want Zizi to feel in the slightest guilty, which she was worried she might. Oracle had implanted and designed the chip that gave Vivica her full brain function back, gave her her POWER back, came up with the way she could now download information TO that server to give her more function and control over her mind. And it was something that Vivica was VERY grateful for. She knew she needed to, but she didn't necessarily WANT to have this conversation with Oracle...at least not now. The team seemed fractured and then here she was saying - "Oh yeah girl, that chipped you created that saved my life? Well it's probably gonna be the thing that kills me...if Ava Cassadine doesn't get to me first." She didn't want to put that kind of burden on her or cause her to feel any emotion that would make her feel responsible in the slightest for what was going on now. ::

"I'm just trying to figure out how to get out of this with minimal damage."

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

Vivica was apprehensive. She wanted to trust Zach, but she didn’t know if she could. And that was perhaps harder than not trusting him outright.

Furthermore, it's Haleigh Davidoff. I'm just not sure that any protocols in place took into account that they might have to be used against HER..."

Oracle sighed.

“I don’t know her as well you do, Viv, but from what I’ve seen of her? They just might.”

"and you saw Zach…He still wants her to come out of this...as a hero. Like she's pulling the longest deep cover con in the history of the game, against the biggest bad guys there are out there…and who the hell knows, maybe she is. I hope for his sake that she is. But...sorry, Zizi. Maybe I just DON'T have that kind of trust.”

Zizi nodded.

“We have to act based on what we know NOW, not what we hope. No matter how much we hope it.”

"I'm worried that if I take it away from Clandestine protection...that I'm turning my back on my agency, not getting enough credit. But I'm also worried that if I leave it there...and things get worse, as they so often do..and Haleigh decides that she REALLY needs to drive a message home to Zach..she WILL use Clandestine, without question. I just don't want anything I know..or have seen or heard...or SMELLED over the last few decades to be able to be used as a part of some endgame or horrible machination..."

Zizi patted her hand reassuringly.

“Viv, you can’t mix up loyalty with safety. You have to do what is right for YOU, because it is what keeps you the safest, not because you feel you own Clandestine anything. THEY would be the first to tell you that.”

"So if there's any way we could move the server to space and magick my brain problems away...that would be great."

“Well, I’d like to say yes to that, but I’m not sure our magick user is even coming BACK, so…”

Zizi smiled warmly at Vivica. She wanted so much to be able to tell the girl that everything was just fine, that she was safe, that nothing bad was going to happen to her because of Haleigh. But she couldn’t make those promises. Not yet, anyway.

"I'm just trying to figure out how to get out of this with minimal damage."

“Maybe we need to talk to Zach. Or…someone else at Clandestine. Find out just exactly what they’re doing about all this. Then you can make an informed decision. In the meantime, I’ll go over the encryption matrix, double down on everything. I have a few tricks up my sleeve even Haleigh Davidoff hasn’t seen yet.”

 

[Recall]

The Clocktower

Zizi patted her hand reassuringly.

“Viv, you can’t mix up loyalty with safety. You have to do what is right for YOU, because it is what keeps you the safest, not because you feel you own Clandestine anything. THEY would be the first to tell you that.”

"I know that's true..but it's hard to make that decision when the people you have been so loyal to and vice versa, are the ones that might inadvertantly cause you NOT to be safe."

“Well, I’d like to say yes to that, but I’m not sure our magick user is even coming BACK, so…”

Zizi smiled warmly at Vivica. She wanted so much to be able to tell the girl that everything was just fine, that she was safe, that nothing bad was going to happen to her because of Haleigh. But she couldn’t make those promises. Not yet, anyway.

:: Vivica furrowed her brow. ::

"She's going to come back. If I have anything to say about it, anyway. Which I'm sure she would tell me that I do, in fact, NOT!"

“Maybe we need to talk to Zach. Or…someone else at Clandestine. Find out just exactly what they’re doing about all this. Then you can make an informed decision. In the meantime, I’ll go over the encryption matrix, double down on everything. I have a few tricks up my sleeve even Haleigh Davidoff hasn’t seen yet.”

"I've reached out to a former commander of mine. I know that Clandestine is going to be having a board meeting. He should be at that meeting..and while he would probably be punished for telling me the details of that meeting? The two of us have always blurred the lines of appropriate co-worker relationships, and in this case...that could be a good thing."

:: She felt comforted that the piece of technology she had inside her was something that ORACLE created. She was a genius, and if there was any person that could face off with a technopath and give them a run for their money it would be HER. Vivica squeezed her hand. ::

"Zizi..you know, this friendship isn't just one sided. Things are getting bad out there..and we've seen how secrets make people sick...I want you to know...that I'm here for you, Oracle. Outside of everything you've given me...I appreciate and enjoy our friendship. I value it."

"You CAN come to me...I know I'm loud..and that sometimes I might pack a bit of a punch when I'm upset..but I just want you to know, nobody is perfect and all that kind of stuff I'm sure you would say better..If you need to vent, if you need to put down some things that are burdening you...I can help you carry them. I'm tougher than I look, I promise."

:: thinking ::

"That being said...how are YOU doing with all of this?"

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

"I've reached out to a former commander of mine. I know that Clandestine is going to be having a board meeting. He should be at that meaning..and while he would probably be punished for telling me the details of that meeting? The two of us have always blurred the lines of appropriate co-worker relationships, and in this case...that could be a good thing."

Zizi’s eyebrows raised and she gave Vivica a knowing smile.

“You sly devil, you…”

She laughed good naturedly as she teased her friend.

"Zizi..you know, this friendship isn't just one sided. Things are getting bad out there..and we've seen how secrets make people sick...I want you to know...that I'm here for you, Oracle. Outside of everything you've given me...I appreciate and enjoy our friendship. I value it."

Zizi reached out and squeezed viv’s hand warmly.

“Aw, honey, you’ve given me just as much as I’ve given you, if not more.”

"That being said...how are YOU doing with all of this?"

She let go of Vivica’s hand, and her smile faded.

“Well, you know…”

She scooted her chair forward to check the pot of tea, and decided to go for more hot water.

“Each of them has to make their own decision. It’s not something that you or I can do for them. But I just wish…”

She paused, searching for the right words.

“I wish they could see what I see. The good and the bad. All of them – that’s including Ashley – are only seeing their own hurt right now. All of them are hurting. But they don’t see that. All they see is what others are doing to them, and how they are being shown injustice. They don’t want to look in the mirror. They want someone to blame. And right now, for most of them, that’s me. But I choose to focus more on what people don’t say than what they do, when they lash out.”

Zizi thought of Ashley, who still was not home, with worry. She returned with the fresh water.

“But I will not be told who I can help and who I cannot. Dominique, Alycia and Sharon need us just as much as Ashley does.”

She looked down into her lap sadly.

“And Ashley needs us so very much.”

 

[Recall]

The Clocktower

She let go of Vivica’s hand, and her smile faded.

“Well, you know…”

She scooted her chair forward to check the pot of tea, and decided to go for more hot water.

“Each of them has to make their own decision. It’s not something that you or I can do for them. But I just wish…”

She paused, searching for the right words.

“I wish they could see what I see. The good and the bad. All of them – that’s including Ashley – are only seeing their own hurt right now. All of them are hurting. But they don’t see that. All they see is what others are doing to them, and how they are being shown injustice. They don’t want to look in the mirror. They want someone to blame. And right now, for most of them, that’s me. But I choose to focus more on what people don’t say than what they do, when they lash out.”

Zizi thought of Ashley, who still was not home, with worry. She returned with the fresh water.

:: Vivica was glad to see a refreshed pot as she poured herself another glass, the steam of the water hitting her face for a moment. ::

"It's a damn mess isn't it?"

:: taking a sip. ::

"I don't know that anyone blames you so much as they blame themselves. Look, I know and love Zach, but I gotta say..to see all that at once after I had been fighting for my life? Well moral of the story I punched him the face. You saw. It's definitely no excuse...but a girl can understand the anger."

“But I will not be told who I can help and who I cannot. Dominique, Alycia and Sharon need us just as much as Ashley does.”

She looked down into her lap sadly.

“And Ashley needs us so very much.”

"We need each OTHER..."

:: thinking about Ashley ::

"I feel terrible how I've been cutting Ashley off lately. Trying to quiet her..but she just always seems like she's pointing a gun at a tank of gasoline and I just don't want her to explode."

"And really...Sharon and Ashley would find that they have a lot in common, if they could stop shouting long enough to see it."

"I'm don't want to keep anybody here at gun point...but I believe in this team, and the good that we could do, not just for the city, but each other. Nobody is going to make any of us do anything, but I CAN remind some of them of why they are here...maybe help them see things in a different way...maybe see each other in the way that you were just talking about."

"I just hope we're not too late."

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

"I don't know that anyone blames you so much as they blame themselves. Look, I know and love Zach, but I gotta say...to see all that at once after I had been fighting for my life? Well moral of the story I punched him the face. You saw. It's definitely no excuse...but a girl can understand the anger."

“Yes, it is understandable to be angry and frustrated when people are not focusing on what is most important. It's not only you who is frustrated by that…”

Zizi gave Vivica a bit of a look.

“But perhaps next time, you could use your WORDS, dear Viv? Rather than your FIST?”

"I feel terrible how I've been cutting Ashley off lately. Trying to quiet her..but she just always seems like she's pointing a gun at a tank of gasoline and I just don't want her to explode."

“She speaks her mind, not always a good thing. Something you must understand: she has been on this earth a very long time. And she had no one, until she came to us. Think what that must do to a person. Think what it would do to you. They think I coddle her, but I don’t. It’s just that she has so very far to go, and giant steps for her seem like nanometers to anyone else. But doesn’t she deserve the opportunity to learn? The same opportunity we’ve given Sharon, or Dominique, or Richard? Did we shun Dominique because she chose not to assist us with Frost? Should we shun Ashley then, for a few unkind words?”

"And really...Sharon and Ashley would find that they have a lot in common, if they could stop shouting long enough to see it."

“That is very true. Perhaps someday…”

"I'm don't want to keep anybody here at gun point...but I believe in this team, and the good that we could do, not just for the city, but each other. Nobody is going to make any of us do anything, but I CAN remind some of them of why they are here...maybe help them see things in a different way...maybe see each other in the way that you were just talking about. I just hope we're not too late."

Zizi smiled over at her.

“My dear Vivica, it is never too late for hope.”

Then she sighed.

"And in the meantime we'll keep on muddling through this, just like we always have. We're still a team, three short or not."

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

Tachyon reported in that he had found Ashley and Steel had met them with the car to drive her back to the Clocktower. Knowing that Ashley would NOT want an audience, Vivica had left before she got there and other than to board up the hole in the wall of the Clocktower, Steel did not stay.

Zizi wheeled herself into the second guestroom on the lower level, two fluffy pillows stacked in her lap. Ashley was lying on the bed staring at the wall, hair wet and wearing a white robe from her shower. Zizi could see the cuts and bruises on her face, arms and legs. She eyed Zizi suspiciously.

Ashley: “Have you come to tell me what a horrible person I am for sleeping with Zach too?”

“Heavens, now why would I ever do a thing like that? Have I ever been concerned with who you were sleeping with before this?”

She deposited the pillows at the head of the bed on the empty side, then wheeled around so that she was facing Ashley.

“Seems to me Zach took care of you when no one else could. That makes him a pretty good guy in my view.”

Ashley sniffed, and nodded. Zizi smiled down at her, reached out and stroked her hair as she talked.

“We can take this as an opportunity to update things: new paint, new furniture. You’ve never really decorated your room since you’ve been here. I thought you’d like to pick out some things for yourself…really make it something special…”

She trailed off, then leaned down to look into Ashley’s face.

“Unless maybe you’d rather take a suite on one of the other floors. Maybe you’re tired of living with me?”

Ashley shook her head slowly no.

“Well that’s fine, that’s mighty fine.”

Ashley sat up and reached for Zizi, throwing her arms around her. Oracle hugged her tight. It reminded her of another day, one that now seemed so long ago…

<< FLASH! >>

STEEL returns late at night to his office at police headquarters, to find his young new detective Ashley Oldenburg, asleep on his sofa. He shook her gently awake. Seeing him, she rubbed her eyes and sat up.

Steel: “Detective, what are you doing in my office?”

She shrugged up at him. His eyes scanned the room and found a small bag on the floor next to the sofa, open, a jumbled mass of clothing peeking out.

Steel: “Have you been sleeping here?”

She shrugged again. His face softened, and he lowered his hulking frame to sit down next to her.

Steel: “Don’t you have a place to stay, detective?”

Ashley: “It doesn’t matter. I mean, I could have a place, if I wanted to. I could find a guy to bunk with. But there’s showers downstairs in the locker room. And it’s quiet at night. So.”

Steel wiped a hand over his face.

Jesus.

He stood up, and turned to look down at her.

Steel: “Get your stuff, and come with me.”

Ashley: “I keep all my stuff in the locker room during the day, you don’t have to get all annoyed about it.”

He raised a hand in a placating motion.

Steel: “Just get your stuff.”

<< FLASH! – Later that night >>

A smiling ZIZI greets Steel and his young charge at the door to her apartment at the Clocktower, and whisks them inside.

Zizi: “So YOU’RE Ashley! Well, it’s good to meet you, honey. Call me Zizi, everybody does.”

She led them to the empty bedroom near the kitchen, talking a mile a minute.

Zizi: “John says you’re a police officer? That is so cool. I always wanted to be a cop. My dad’s a cop. But then, you know-”

She made a face and pointed at the wheelchair.

Ashley’s face just looked blank through all this, a duffle bag thrown over her shoulder.

Zizi: “Well, this is your room. There’s a bath and shower connected. And the kitchen’s just there, help yourself, living area there. Make yourself at home.”

Ashley nodded, dropping her bag to the floor.

Zizi saw John out, and when she returned, the bedroom door was closed. It didn’t bother Zizi, though, and she decided to do some work before going to bed. It wasn’t long before she could hear the sound of crying from the bedroom. Zizi wheeled over to the door, and softly knocked.

“Ashley?”

There was no answer, so she tried the knob, and opened the door. Ashley was curled up on the bed in her clothes. Zizi wheeled herself over to the side of the bed.

“Ashley? Honey?”

But there was no response, she didn’t even look up.

Zizi took the girl in her arms, and stroked her hair, telling her that everything was going to be alright.

<< FLASH! – Back to the present >>

Ashley clung tight to Zizi.

Ashley: “I really loved him Zees.”

“I know you did, honey.”

Ashley: “I really thought he loved me back.”

“I know.”

Ashley sat up, pulling away from Zizi. She wiped her eyes.

Ashley: “I thought if I went there, he would beg me to come back to him. I thought, he would tell me anything, just to get me back. But he didn’t even care.”

Zizi reached over and wiped her tears away.

“You know what kind of person he is. He’s not a good man, Ashley. But he doesn’t have to be the last man you ever love. And just because he didn’t really care about you, it doesn’t mean no one else ever could.”

Zizi hugged her again, whispering soothing words before tucking her in and leaving her to rest. And then she returned upstairs to her computers, and set back to work on finding a message from Haleigh in all those ones and zeros.

 

[Isis]

Parthenon- VIP Clubhouse

Would anyone like fruit? The strawberries are coming into season and are delicious.

I am chatty as fuck right now. Why? Hmnn...the company does put me at ease. Fair enough. When Miss D starts to answer Blaze, the redhead glances my way and I wink back. Hell, why not?

:: Dominique looked over at Richard, he WAS being more vocal than usual, but it was a pleasant development as he showed all the refinment and social skills that she'd taught him, he was definitely charming Blaze::

Hmm, and some lovely champagne.

:: Rarely did she allow herself to indulge in any sort of alcohol but after the day she'd had....since hemlock wasn't available, this would do.::

What a relief that they have sense enough to avoid serving BURNED champagne...

:: Recalling that night Malice and Enchantrah showed up in her dressing room after they'd watched her perform, offering burned champagne and mushy caviar. Clearly HELENA was responsible for that substandard selection of offerings for their first contact ::

They ordered drinks; not me. I turn to the waiter, good thing all lounges served food here.

16 oz. NY strip, medium, baked potato, large chef salad, bowl of fruit by Diamond Suite specifications to start.

"Wow, Rich! You HANGRY huh?"

Blaze said with a laugh.

"Morg would GAG and probably FAINT if she saw that much food put in front of her."

:: Dominique smiled a bit as Richard blushed a bit. She placed her hand on his back and rubbed it reassuringly::

Yes, my knight does have quite the appetite, but with his abilities, it's all the better that he eats well. Food will never go to waste.

:: Cassandra ordered her drink, and Blaze ordered her's::

Easy enough, and given that Blaze KNEW Dominique wasn't one for idle chit chat or small talk, this HAD to be a topic of enough importance to warrant this invitation. A little drinky poo might be a good thing to keep things a bit LESS heavy, since Blaze was pretty certain of what at least ONE of the topics of discussion would be....

"Lemon drop, please. Extra sugar around the glass, and keep them coming, please."

"So, Dominique, what's on your mind?"

Surely you can guess.

:: Blaze, Dominique, Cassandra and Richard all take a moment to clink their glasses::

It's not often that I invite my allies for drinks.

And the last time I DID have dinner with a member of THIS group....well...look how THAT turned out.

:: She was, of course, referring to Haleigh, who was to be ONE of the topics of tonight's gathering .::

 

[Firebird]

Surely you can guess.

:: Blaze, Dominique, Cassandra and Richard all take a moment to clink their glasses::

It's not often that I invite my allies for drinks.::

Blaze nodded as she gulped down her first lemon drop and began her second one signaling the server for another one

"Cass told me that you, Sharon and Alycia had been here earlier."

Blaze looked at Dominique and could see the glint fade a bit.

"You all were here...to check on us after....HALEIGH...but things...didn't go so well."

That's putting it mildly.

"I heard about Cameron and Alycia. I feel so bad for Alycia!"

Blaze couldn't help but recall the crackling chemistry between Cameron and Alycia during the fight at Minerva's Aerie during the blue moon. From that...to THIS? And to know that he didn't regret what he'd done? That he could hurt a good woman like Alycia?

" He's been such a fuck up lately."

It WAS rather telling, how QUICKLY he fell from grace after he stood before Morgan crowing about how grand he was and how everything good in the Six's life was because of him.

Blaze shakes her head.

"And of course there's the whole thing with Haleigh."

Another round was delievered on time.

I WOULD ask if you're okay...but that would be a silly question, all things considered. I AM concerned about Shadow Weaver. She was closely involved in the events leading up to that....

"Horrible truth bomb?"

"Yes, she was...and she regrets it. She's physically fine, but she's definitely colder right now."

Sighing.

"It's all been such a MESS, Dominique."

"I mean really...HALEIGH? "

"She's my half sister...and DIANA is her mother!?"

"My sister, my mom, Michael and I...we've pretty much been holed up in my penthouse for the last week. But we can't hide forever. We're going to have to face this. "

Do you believe you're in danger?

"Are you kidding? A mutant technopath who knows ALL ABOUT US, and is the architect of pretty much ALL the technology that is supposed to keep us safe in this building, and who has been apart of our lives even before we KNEW her, turns out to be the daughter of our monster father, and the woman who's tried to destroy us ALL...tried to enslave the WORLD even....that mutant technopath decides to....do a complete 180 and BETRAYS us , GOES to the source of everything that is BAD and EVIL in all of our lives, who's already killed her ONCE...how can we NOT be in danger?

"How can she BELIEVE that she alone would be enough to SATISFY Malice!? "

Blaze shieks. But then she stops, bows her head and exhales.

"I'm sorry. I still can't even get my head around all of this."

"My family has been through some bad things lately."

Frost, the attacks on Karen, the problem between Cameron and Morgan.

"And Haleigh, who was...well she was a point of stability, it didn't matter how INFURIATING she was...you KNEW where she stood...and you COULD trust her. But then she completely obliterated that! She's not even IN the same body anymore. "

Yes, I noticed that. She looked STRIKINGLY different from the night I had helped her. Delilah told us that Malice struck her down on Sheena Island, and that her consciousness was transferred into a....a CLONE body?

"Something like that."

Blaze said as she rolled her eyes at the mention of Delilah's name.

"I would say we ARE in danger. Because now that Haleigh has given herself to Diana, Diana can force her to do WHATEVER she wants. But..."

Blaze and Dominique stare at each other for a minute.

You're wondering how much of this is Haleigh being under duress, and how much of it is her simply CHOSING to do it because of who her parents are...and it's always been in her?

"Yes. I'm sure Delilah and Cameron would get so upset with me, but I don't care. I HAVE wondered about it. I discussed at length with Mike. I'm not freefalling in despair like I was that night...but how can ANY of us not wonder. "

Delilah seems absolutely certain that this wasn't a betrayal, but rather this was Haleigh doing what she thought was necessary to protect all of you.

Blaze scoffs and waves her hand dismissively

"Yeah, well Delilah's opinions have been a bit JAUNDICED since the Blue Moon. so you'll pardon me if I take whatever she has to say with a grain of salt. She's part of the reason why our group is in such bad shape now."

Dominique was a bit taken aback by Blaze's cold dismissal of Delilah. They had once been so close! Cass nearly choked on her drink, and even Rich was surprised at how Blaze responded. The Fire elemental was unbothered.

So...your group is not in agreement on WHY this happened....what her motivations were?

"No, and because not all of us are ready to engage in group think, everyone has just retreated to their corners. Even Karen, who PROBABLY would have been able to bring us all together, has refused to help in that regard. When Haleigh walked out on us, Karen took it quite badly. After everything they went through in order for Haleigh to find out her truth...Karen assumed Haleigh would take her place in the Victoria family, and let US help her. She didn't. My mother feels she's been made a fool of, and she's VERY resentful about it. "

I'm sorry that this has happened to you all. You have my sincere sympathy, and although we didn't get to deliver the message to all of you earlier, I'm here to tell you now that you HAVE clear and definite support from more than once source. Are you aware of what's happened in the past 24 hours?

 

[Isis]

The Parthenon- The VIP clubhouse

:: Dominique looked upon Blaze with sympathy. The young woman was remarkably resilient, and clearly committed to standing with her family. The question of her EXTENDED family- The Six- was still not answered. Dominique noted that Delilah seemed to have come around, she even acknowledged her part in the dischord that effected the Six as of late, but Blaze seemed so cold and dismissive of her! The two of them had been close at one time.::

Well...there's no easy way to say this....

:: And as she had done with Nicolas hours earlier, she rebroadcasts Persphone's attack on Recall and Longshot in a small floating orb. The fire elemental's face went pale and she swallowed hard.::

Simon and Vivica! Persephone...that TURNCOAT!

:: Blaze saw the conclusion of that attack, so she knew Vivica survived...but...::

I know how...CLOSE the two of you have been...

She buries her face in her hands for a moment, shaking her head

"I had no idea...and I wasn't there for her when she needed help, but how could I have FORGOTTEN? That was one of her biggest issues with the Six for so long, one that I TRIED to help her through. She WAS a CI agent! "

"When this HALEIGH bomb dropped, it just scattered us ALL over the place. Instead of us quickly thinking to check on OTHERS that are connected to the team, we all just cocooned. It suddenly felt like NO WHERE was safe. But VIVICA, this had to be a NIGHTMARE COME TRUE for her!"


"DAMMIT! If I'd been there, I could've beaten Persephone BACK, protected BOTH of them."

You can't be too hard on yourself, Blaze. No one can be all things to all people in the midst of trauma. This trauma started HERE in this very building and it certainly effected you, Morgan and Karen...probably MORE SO than some of the other people around you, and even on the Birds of prey have recognized. You're at the EPICENTER of it, and the effects of it are rippling out reaching those of us connected to, and even those of who are NOT directly connected to you.

This isn't just a matter of a betrayal, it's an assault of all that represents ORDER and certainty in your lives. I know what it is like...

:: Memories of the day SET attacked her home village, sexually assaulted her sister, and when Dominique herself tried to stop him, he violently threw her out of their hut. EVERYTHING changed after that, and events were set in motion, some of which still had an impact on Dominique TODAY.::

...You weren't IGNORING Vivica, NOR were you purposefully neglecting her. You weren't sitting there, trying to justify Persephone's actions, NOR were you engaged in behavior that you knew would be HURTFUL, only to turn around and try to justify it and say you deserved that moment, and it's NOT too late for you to reach out to Vivica. I'm sure that she could use that.

But this is why we came here. We understood the tremendous TACTICAL shift that went along with Black Widow going to Malice, and those of us with close ties to people in this group, wanted to reaffirm those ties, offer support, and shore up defense.

"I don't care what Cameron or Delilah says. We ARE in danger. We've ALWAYS known that MALICE would be coming back for us, but now with HALEIGH? THAT'S what makes the danger more nuanced and uncertain. We KNOW what to expect from Malice, but how far will she AND Haleigh go? If they waste time trying to appeal to her...they're GOING to be killed. If they don't know what HALEIGH MIGHT do, they better REMEMBER what MALICE WILL DO TO ANY/ALL of us! "

" Dominique, thank you for caring enough to reach out like this. I guess you guys over at the Birds of Prey have a smooth operation."

:: Dominique's facial expression looked as if she'd just stepped on a NAIL as her aqua blue eyes looked UP at the ceiling, while Richard noticebly laughed/choked while eating::

....it's certainly an..."OPERATION..." but SMOOTH is not how I would describe it.

:: She looks at Blaze, calming after that moment::

Richard and I will be staying here tonight in my diamond suite. I have a few personal matters to attend to, and like to see Morgan and Karen as well. Perhaps you and Cass could keep Richard company?

"Oh, Morg, mom, and Mike should be back soon. I'll tell them you want to see them! The FIRST thing I'm going to do after this, is contact Vivica. But after that? SURE, we'll take GOOD care of Rich, won't we Cass?"

 

[Matrix]

This girl was wild as hell! She reminded me of some of the mouths you found in the South, where I'm from. If she feels like something, she will be telling you.

"I heard about Cameron and Alycia. I feel so bad for Alycia!"

Blaze couldn't help but recall the crackling chemistry between Cameron and Alycia during the fight at Minerva's Aerie during the blue moon. From that...to THIS? And to know that he didn't regret what he'd done? That he could hurt a good woman like Alycia?

" He's been such a fuck up lately."

I hear you, Red!

"Are you kidding? A mutant technopath who knows ALL ABOUT US, and is the architect of pretty much ALL the technology that is supposed to keep us safe in this building, and who has been apart of our lives even before we KNEW her, turns out to be the daughter of our monster father, and the woman who's tried to destroy us ALL...tried to enslave the WORLD even....that mutant technopath decides to....do a complete 180 and BETRAYS us , GOES to the source of everything that is BAD and EVIL in all of our lives, who's already killed her ONCE...how can we NOT be in danger?

"How can she BELIEVE that she alone would be enough to SATISFY Malice!? "

Blaze shieks. But then she stops, bows her head and exhales.

"I'm sorry. I still can't even get my head around all of this."

"My family has been through some bad things lately."

The last understatement was so dry that I actually paused from eating. This was all fucked up, but seeing Red trip out about it made it seem not so bad.

Blaze scoffs and waves her hand dismissively

"Yeah, well Delilah's opinions have been a bit JAUNDICED since the Blue Moon. so you'll pardon me if I take whatever she has to say with a grain of salt. She's part of the reason why our group is in such bad shape now."

Note to self: Call on Blaze when you want the straight talk. I choked for a second for the first time since my accident, coughing once. I actually took a short time out.

"No, and because not all of us are ready to engage in group think, everyone has just retreated to their corners. Even Karen, who PROBABLY would have been able to bring us all together, has refused to help in that regard. When Haleigh walked out on us, Karen took it quite badly. After everything they went through in order for Haleigh to find out her truth...Karen assumed Haleigh would take her place in the Victoria family, and let US help her. She didn't. My mother feels she's been made a fool of, and she's VERY resentful about it. "

Ouch. I figured that Michael Armstrong was mad as hell. Me and Set-boy might have had our issues but the security reports I saw said that Mike, even without powers, was respected among the security staff at HC. And he was chill when we met. I might holla at him. I remember it being said that he was the person Haleigh trusted with some of this security stuff. He might be working on it. Might need a hand. No better way to know than to check.

Break over. I went back to my fruit, the steak and potato already trashed...

...just as Blaze assumed that we were running smoothly in the BoP.

That was the funniest shit I ever heard given the day we had. I had to actually stop eating again!!! Even Miss D had to just look up and try to get it all back. Meanwhile, my damns were flying out the window.

Richard and I will be staying here tonight in my diamond suite. I have a few personal matters to attend to, and like to see Morgan and Karen as well. Perhaps you and Cass could keep Richard company?

Blaze promised to take GOOD care of me along with Cassandra. OK then...this should be interesting. I wrapped up my meal and signaled for the end of the fruit refreshes, then sat back, just looking at Red and wondering what in the world Miss D got me into...

 

[Ruby]

The Parthenon



Cameron: "I need to be alone. I will be in contact with you soon. Goodnight."

:: She felt her friend pull away and she looked at him, confused. What just happened? ::

“Are you s--?”

:: But the door had already closed behind him, leaving Cass to wonder what the hell happened. ::

“Okaaay.”

:: He had told her that he would always be there for her, and now he wouldn’t let her be there for HIM? That didn’t make any sense. Though he did have a right to his feelings and how he processed those feelings, it still hurt. Cass slowly got up and walked down the hall. After a moment’s hesitation, she opted to take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. Coming through the door leading to the stairs, Cass smiled as she noticed that her box was waiting by the door to her suite. Smiling, she picked the box up and headed inside. ::

What a day!!

:: Sighing, she went about the business of putting the food items and ingredients away. She wasn’t in any mood to bake Nicolas – or anybody, really – some treats. She felt shaken by everything that she had heard and witnessed. So, in a daze, she wandered to her bathroom and stripped down before getting into the bathtub for a nice, long, soak. ::

<< Two Hours Later… >>

:: Cass stepped out of the bathtub after a luxurious bath, and wrapped herself in a huge fluffy towel. She wasn’t sleepy. So, opting instead to have a drink or two up in the VIP Clubhouse, Cass put on a different outfit, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and headed upstairs. She made her way to the balcony where she placed an order for a Coors Light with a waiter. Stretching out on the lounge chair, she sighed. She would’ve liked to have gone out, but what if somebody needed her and she wasn’t there? ::

*shocked*: AVA has defected…AVA! PERSEPHONE!

:: Cass didn’t have time to dwell on that shocking piece of news when a small golden orb floated in front of her. Cass was mesmerized by it…and she was surprised when she heard Isis’ voice! ::

Greetings. I am here in the Parthenon, and I need to speak with both of you. Richard and myself will join you in the VIP clubhouse, Ruby. Firebird will you meet us there?

“O…kay.”

:: Sitting up, she handed her empty beer stein to the waiter that had mysteriously appeared beside her. ::

“Dominique Deveraux and Blaze Victory will both be joining me. Is there a private table I could reserve? Inside, preferably?”

:: The waiter nodded an affirmative, and led the dark-haired beauty back inside and to a private table. Cass nodded at him, and sat down, waiting for Isis. She couldn’t help but feel slightly unnerved about this meeting. She hadn’t interacted with Isis much, and the only time she could remember interacting directly was when she had healed her [Cass] after she was rescued from the Purifiers. She didn’t have long to wait. She smiled warmly as she spotted Dominique and her…ward? psuedo-son? coming through the door. As they neared her table, Cass stood up out of respect. ::

Good evening.

:: Dominique says as she looks upon Cassandra::

I expect that Blaze will be along shortly.

Richard, you remember Cassandra Johnson, don't you?

“It’s nice to see you; BOTH of you.”

Richard: “Yes. It is a pleasure to see you again. I hope all is well.”

:: Cass nodded the affirmative. ::

“Yes. All IS well. Thank you.”

:: Cass sat back down and engaged them both in some small talk until Blaze showed up. ::

"Hello ladies!"

Seating herself and now facing Richard

"Hiya Rich! Don't see YOU out too often! Lookin good there!"

She winks at him. She'd often felt that he was a bit shy, and certainly VERY serious, but The "strong silent type" could only go so far, and Dominique was FAR from a weak damsel in distress. it would be interesting what lay beneath that facade!

"And Dominique! Nice to see you again, love the new hairstyle."

Dominique: “Hello Blaze. Thank you! It's nice to see you again. You're looking stylish as ever!”

"Hi Cass!"


Nudging her friend and smiling at her.


"So! We're all here!"

:: Cass nudge her friend back. ::

“Hey you!”

Dominique: “Yes. Let's order and then we can begin our little chat.”

:: So they all ordered. Rich ordered some food, Blaze ordered her Lemon Drop, Dominique ordered champagne, and Cass ordered a pina colada this time. The drinks came and the three women clinked glasses. Soon talk turned to Haleigh. Blaze always had strong opinions on things, and she didn’t disappoint!! But then she mentioned Delilah. ::

Blaze: "Yeah, well Delilah's opinions have been a bit JAUNDICED since the Blue Moon. so you'll pardon me if I take whatever she has to say with a grain of salt. She's part of the reason why our group is in such bad shape now."

:: Cass choked on her drink. ::

“Blaze!!”

:: Dominique then mentioned that she was sorry that this all happened and then asked if they were aware of what had happened in the past 24 hours… ::

*softly*: [to Blaze] “I meant to tell you earlier…”

:: Isis broadcasts the attack on Simon and Vivica by Ava in a gorlden orb and Cass winced as she watched. It was horrible!! Isis said again that she would be there for them. ::

“Yes, Blaze is right: we ARE in danger, and…we NEED you [Birds of Prey] more than ever. I had told Cameron earlier that we can’t afford to lose our ties with you all…”

:: Cass began to get emotional. Her team, her FAMILY, was a complete MESS, and she just didn’t know how to even go about fixing it. Isis said that she had personal matters to attend to, and that she’d like to see both Karen and Morgan as well. Perhaps that she and Blaze could keep Rich company? ::

Blaze: "Oh, Morg, mom, and Mike should be back soon. I'll tell them you want to see them! The FIRST thing I'm going to do after this, is contact Vivica. But after that? SURE, we'll take GOOD care of Rich, won't we Cass?"

“Yes…but…”

:: She looks at Blaze. ::

*softly*: “I would hold off on contacting Vivi for now. She was a bit PISSED when she arrived at Cameron’s. I had never seen her like that, though after seeing what had happened, I can certainly understand her. I highly doubt that she’d want to hear from any of the Six right now.”

:: Cass cocked her head thoughtfully. ::

"But who knows? You just might be the one to get through to her."

:: She winked at her friend. ::

 

[Persephone]

The night seemed never ending...or maybe she was just restless, but Ava was already up and it was barely dawn. Trying to sleep in the Hellfire Club was nearly impossible, but she got a least a couple hours before awaking.

Deciding to head to the gym, that was one thing she had to give the club credit for: it had an amazing facility. Full scale gym with weights and cardio equipment, a yoga room, pool, sauna, sparing ring, boxing equipment, the list went on. It was probably the one place she spent the most time at other than her room. And ironically enough, it was usually empty.

Dressed in black Yoga pants, black Nikes, and a red sports bra, her hair was pulled back into a pony tail with some ear buds hanging from her ears. Walking down the red wing corridor, Ava scanned the music on her phone not really paying much attention to where she was going. It was then that she looked up nearly running into HIM.

She stopped suddenly, her eyes cold as she stared at Ravena's smug face. She didn't say anything to him, because there was nothing TO say. Side stepping, Ava went to move past Ravena but he moved in front of her once again.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Move."

 

[Lord Ravena]

Sleep is overrated. Especially when there is SO much to do. Like this morning for example. It was time for one of the children to learn a lesson. She was old enough but oh, so STUBBORN!

She was not careful and nearly stepped into him! It was bad enough that she apparently had forgotten abut him.

She attempted to evade LORD RAVENA, but the time for dodging was far past.

She stopped suddenly, her eyes cold as she stared at Ravena's smug face. She didn't say anything to him, because there was nothing TO say. Side stepping, Ava went to move past Ravena but he moved in front of her once again.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Move."

*SIGH*

He could only shake his head at first. But the lesson had to be learned.

That is no way to address the White King of the Hellfire Club. Perhaps if you were more polite you would achieve your objective. Try again.

 

[Firebird]

The Parthenon- VIP Clubhouse

“Yes…but…”

:: She looks at Blaze. ::

*softly*: “I would hold off on contacting Vivi for now. She was a bit PISSED when she arrived at Cameron’s. I had never seen her like that, though after seeing what had happened, I can certainly understand her. I highly doubt that she’d want to hear from any of the Six right now.”

:: Cass cocked her head thoughtfully. ::

"But who knows? You just might be the one to get through to her."

:: She winked at her friend. ::

Blaze could always count on Cass to point out a side or a view of something she herself might not immediately think of. In fact, Cass could be a calming, grounding influence on Blaze...SOMETIMES.

Cassandra is right. Let it wait at least until tomorrow, Blaze. For what you DID see in my mystical projection just now, there was more fallout that you didn't see at the Clock Tower. I imagine that she'd prefer to share that with you in her own way. When I took my leave of them for the night, Vivica and Zizi were planning to have a discussion. I'm sure that hearing from you after she's had time to rest will be the best thing.

Blaze nodded while finishing her next lemon drop and looking at Dominique. Vivica's face was in Blaze's mind's eye right now. Her beautiful face, and that "mary tyler moore" energy that she exuded with her smile. But the hard hitting, shocking images of what she'd just seen, the look of horror in Vivica AND Simon's faces as they were attacked by Persephone, who WOULD have killed them had it not been for the interevention of Rose, and her mysterious friend... that haunted Blaze. She cared for Vivica, and she LIKED Simon!

"I'll let it wait. But I'll want to reach out to her tomorrow for sure. I want her to know that if there's something she needs from me, I'll be there for her...and the NEXT time Persephone, or anybody ELSE comes after her, I'll melt them into nothingness."

"And you said that Simon was at the clock tower as well, so he's safe?"

As safe as he'll be for now, until Malice and her expanded Inner Circle decide to ramp up their efforts.

"Well, we're not going to be able to wait for that. We've GOT to fortify ourselves. Cass is right, we CAN'T let all of the ties between our teams be severed because of the Cameron and Haleigh's fu...."

In a RARE moment, Blaze thought to censor herself. In the presence of Dominique Deveraux, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Dominique was NOT unlike Karen in her preference for decorum.

"...BAD BEHAVIOR. "

And with that, they all came to the end of their drinks/meal. The bill was already taken care of.

"Dominique, thank you again for reaching out as you have. "

Blaze became a true fan of Dominique the songstress when she performed for Blaze during her "debutante" ball. That meant the world to her and she never forgot it. She also knew how much Dominique's involvement and approval meant to Nicolas. She was his only living BLOOD relative!

"We, the Six, we've stood alone for so long, we've come to see ourselves as unique...and we ARE in many ways, but we can't handle EVERYTHING, and...the way we do somethings is not always the healthiest."

" Most of all, our problems aren't JUST "our problems"...others are effected, Our allies, friends, former teammates that may have crossed over to the 'Birds' or simply gone their own way. Haleigh is gone. She chose to leave, she may or may NOT have been truthful for why she did that, but the time for trying to figure that out is OVER. We have to SURVIVE before anything else...and we have to be able to FIGHT BACK and defend ourselves and help our allies. I'm not here for Cameron, Delilah or anybody else trying to hesitate. "

When Delilah tried to mock or even threaten Blaze with the idea of her ACTUALLY becoming the justicer, Blaze didn't respond to that because words were one thing, actions were another. If that woman THOUGHT that Blaze would let her do anything CLOSE to what she'd done in her own native timeline? Her spirit would be looking at her ashes and sorchmark left from where Blaze OBLITERATED her the moment she tried. The same would go for Haleigh. Love her, hate her, misunderstand her...whatever, the moment Black Widow came for them and tried to hurt them? NOTHING would be offlimits in Blaze's mind as far as what she would do to protect her family, both the Six AND her blood family. Malice ruined lives, so did Christopher. Blaze would NOT stand by and watch Haleigh follow in EITHER of their foot steps.

"We HAVE to get it together! Malice won't wait for a time that's convenient to US to attack, and she'll force Haleigh to do whatever she wants. The OTHERS aren't ready for that...but I am."

But now that Dominique had that understanding from Firebird, and Ruby (who was a bit less emphatic about it, but had promised Sharon she would defend herself and the others from Haleigh if necessary), the time for HEAVY talk was over. Everyone stood up and made their way out of the VIP clubhouse together, with Dominique stepping ahead of the trio and turning to face them.

Richard, you've had a long day. We both have, but we're safe now, and this is our time. I'm going to attend to a few things, and I'm giving YOU the rest of the night "off." Relax, my knight, enjoy the company of Blaze and Cassandra. I'll see you in a while.

:: looking at Blaze and Cassandra, the avatar smiles a bit a both of them::

A pleasure, ladies.

Ciao, for now.

:: And with that, Dominique turns on her high heel and walks into one of the elevators, a "ding" is heard as the doors close::

"Take care, Dominique. Until next time!"

"WELL, Richie, "

Blaze wraps her arms around his arms, and YANKS him over into a sideway squeeze, shaking him a bit. He would be surprise that she was physically STRONGER than she looked, a by product of her being a mutant.

"Now that we have you, whatever are we going to DO with you?"

Her apple green eyes sparkle as she smiles sweetly, yet knowingly at him.

"Any ideas, Cass?"

Blaze asks as she takes the liberty of unbuttoning a few extra buttons on his shirt. NICOLAS knew that Blaze would often rearrange the wardrobe of a man if she didn't like it, but Richard was not accustomed to this. Dominique taught him to never miss an opportunity to LEARN, and to savor new experiences. Something HAD to tell him that this would certainly be one of those opportunities!

"We REALLY haven't had the chance to get to know you before, but if Dominique favors you, you MUST be KIND OF interesting!"

A little joke mixed with a compliment, as she nudges Rich playfully. She and Cass lead him to the elevator.

"C'mon. Let's go down to the main floor and see what we can get ourselves into."

 

[Matrix]

I electronically assigned the bill and stood, helping the ladies up for us to leave.

• Richard, you've had a long day. We both have, but we're safe now, and this is our time. I'm going to attend to a few things, and I'm giving YOU the rest of the night "off." Relax, my knight, enjoy the company of Blaze and Cassandra. I'll see you in a while.
  
  :: looking at Blaze and Cassandra, the avatar smiles a bit a both of them::
  
  A pleasure, ladies.
  
  Ciao, for now.
  
  :: And with that, Dominique turns on her high heel and walks into one of the elevators, a "ding" is heard as the doors close::

• And the next thing I know Blaze had almost snatched me up. She was way more...healthy than I expected!

• "Now that we have you, whatever are we going to DO with you?"
  
  Her apple green eyes sparkle as she smiles sweetly, yet knowingly at him.
  
  "Any ideas, Cass?"
  
  Blaze asks as she takes the liberty of unbuttoning a few extra buttons on his shirt.

• I had no idea what was next! I guessed not a threesome (tooooooooooooooo bad!) or even sex with Blaze (also toooooooooo bad) but she had my shirt where I guess she wanted it.

• "We REALLY haven't had the chance to get to know you before, but if Dominique favors you, you MUST be KIND OF interesting!"

• I guess you have to find out, right?

• "C'mon. Let's go down to the main floor and see what we can get ourselves into."

• You are the boss. Something tells me you are pretty interesting too. Lead the way.

• So we are on the elevator and I nudge her back. SHE started it, after all....

 

[Persephone]

Lord Ravena: That is no way to address the White King of the Hellfire Club.

Ava pulled the earbuds from her ears and slung them around her neck; tucking her phone into the waistband of her pants.

"My mistake. Move, NOW."

Lord Ravena: Perhaps if you were more polite you would achieve your objective. Try again.

"I don't need to be polite to get what I want."

Ava went to move past again and he stepped in the way. This time she forced her way past him, shoving him into the wall.

"Bored of Diana already?"

Her eyes steely and cold.

"I'm not impressed or intrigued by you your majesty. White King or not, leave me the hell alone."

 

[Lord Ravena]

This time she forced her way past him, shoving him into the wall.

"Bored of Diana already?"

Her eyes steely and cold.

"I'm not impressed or intrigued by you your majesty. White King or not, leave me the hell alone."

He laughed heartily as he moved impossibly quick, back within reach.

Bored of Diana? HARDLY. And I gathered that you were unimpressed. I had a meeting, a signing that you were to accompany me on, merely as a guest. I message you to request your presence and you don't. even. OPEN. the. request.

The best part of people like this one is that they have not been challenged in some time. They mistake a new position for more than it is. That is why as Lord Ravena speaks, she is MESMERIZED, in his thrall as he makes his VERBAL point.

This DISRESPECT must not go idly by. Frankly, I am more disappointed than angry, that you do not even REMEMBER me. That you think you may not heed me. I will make certain that the Queens take care of the latter, but as for the former...

The White King kisses Ava Cassadine and a deep, heavy bell tolls as she is flooded with memories, with painful memories, as he reveals to her what she somehow pushed aside, pushed deep inside to keep away the pain. His fangs also tap into her bottom lip and he tastes her, savors the stolen intimacy of the moment as laughter escapes his lips. He intentionally releases her from his influence so she can taste her own blood on his lips as he withdraws from her.

Her left breast is also exposed as his hands roamed and his nail has pierced the nipple, covering that index finger with yet more blood. He brings the secondary taste to his lips and laughs harder as he drinks in the horror she has experienced just now from her very essence! The delicacy is orgasmic, much better than her Red Knight-pulverized womb could possibly provide him. Alek could have her BODY. He just tasted, possessed, savored her very SOUL. And even sex, freely given, could not match what he had just taken from her.

So, Lady in RED, I take it we understand each other better now?

Lord Ravena continued to laugh at the sight of it all...