Gathering at the clock tower

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

She told Viv that she & Gabe were just friends, same as they had been yesterday, and the day before. Suddenly everyone was so interested...

"Damn, Ziz. That sucks. Well..screw him then. Anybody who doesn't want to dance in the flame of your brilliance...and killer rack is just plain dumb, deaf or stupid. Possibly all three but it looks like his vision is fine."

"He is none of those things. And you have to say that because you're my friend. And it's not that I don't appreciate that...but Gabe is not the bad guy and everyone needs to stop treating him that way."

"There's too much going on these days to worry about boys anyway, right?"

"Viv, if not now, when?"

Any of them could die today. And if someone could eke out a little happiness before then? Well more's the better.

"But..if it stings a little I'm always down for some blush colored wine and a movie that tries to convince us that Rachel Leigh Cook has ever been anything other than HOT."

She scoffed.

"As if overalls suddenly make a girl ugly."

"Have we made contact with the others this morning? Is everybody okay?"

"This be honest, I got a late start this morning, so I haven't checked in yet. Ash stayed over at Zach's last night, and John crashed with Andrew. Xavier stayed at Rose's after the dinner and so did Alycia. I had a message this morning from Isis that she & Rich would be stopping by. I haven't spoken to Sharon, but Simon said he had."

"We never got to meet up and compare notes the other night. I sent you everything I could find in Harker Library about how to kill Ava should the time comes, but I want another set of eyes to take a look at things.There's some promising Massai rituals."

Zizi's eyes darted to Gabe, coming back from the other room. Had he heard that? She gave him a sympathetic look.

"Well, let's hope we don't have to use it, but it's good information to have. I stayed uo all night analyzing that fight footage..."

 

[Hellion]

Bell, Book & Candle

Seraph: "Be careful what you wish for. I can make you a hell of a concoction."

<< He never knew what it was, but being around Alix made the good parts of him want to peek through for a moment and say hello. The two had a tumultuous history. She had tried to kill him, he had tried to kill her, both had nearly succeeded on multiple occassions. But in the wake of everything that happened to him, in the aftermath of his curse/blessing, she had softened in her resolve against him while remaining hyper vigilant. >>

<< She was one of the only people in the world who could help him, that is, when he wanted to be helped, when his darker side wasn't in control. And that was why he was here. Because despite his demonic nature, his angelic soul called for her to try and help him put the pieces back together again. It wasn't fair to her, but nothing that had happened to him had been fair, so he didn't think about it much. >>

Seraph: "Anything I need to know about?"

"Need to? Probably. Want to? Definitely not."

<< Alix gestured for him to follow her to the back as he surveyed the shop around him. It had definitely gotten an upgrade, though it still smelled like misplaced hope and patchouli. He had his way to the back room that looked more like a Christian Science reading room, a place where Derek had done quite a bit of damage in over the years. He cracked a cheek smile as he sat down in the leather chair next to Alix. For whatever reason, he felt nervous. The inner conflict he was always in somehow coming to the forefront. But the dark was getting the best of him. It was a fight to get the good to come through. >>

Seraph: "So, Derek. Why have you come to see me at the shop?"

<< He paused for a moment, fiddling with his ornate and personally designed pocket square for a moment. >>

"Courtney. She wanted me to come see you."

<< So the good part of him had broken through. How depressing. Or so he thought. While his soul may have been doing the talking, he couldn't help but notice the vein on Alix's neck throbbing, pulsating. Her nephilim blood just there, ripe for the taking, and Alix was STRONG, and he knew from experience...she tasted DELICIOUS. >>

"I had a slip up..a few weeks back. I went to Los Angeles on business..and then I hunted. I knew it was coming, but I'd been able to stop myself for awhile now. I might have tracked them [angels], watched them go about their duties...but something took hold. I couldn't..just watch them anymore..I needed.."

<< flatly. >>

"To kill them. To drink their blood."

<< He shook his head quickly, his good parts trying to center himself. >>

"If that would have just been it..I could have managed. Three days shivering in a hotel under blankets and a pitch black atmosphere and I was fine..But I met somebody when I was in LA. Somebody I actually have met before..but it was different this time."

<< Derek's beautiful eyes looked at Alix, remarking her physical features for a moment in his mind. >>

"I met somebody. Somebody VERY powerful."

[pausing]

"The Sorceress Supreme. Morgan Victoria."

<< Derek leaned back in his chair, his eyes glazing over for a moment as he spoke. >>

"I worked with her..back in the nineties. We were both models.."

<< smirking >>

"And bite your tongue, I was and still am HOT."

<< lost in thought. >>

"She was different. POWERFUL. I sensed her arrival in Los Angeles like a beacon of light. I felt..COMPELLED to find her..and when I did?"

<< smiling in a seductive manner. >>

"Well..it shifted things a bit. I needed to have her. And so I did."

<< he mindlessly played with the ring on his finger before his gaze met Alix's once more. >>

"Or rather..she CONSUMED me in Limbo...I thought...it was just a conquest thing, Alix. But it's more than that. I've never...met anybody who..knew what I go through everyday like she does. That darkness..mixed with that aching white light that tells me I need to do better...to do good. To fullfill the end of my bargain...become an Archangel."

<< shaking his head. >>

"She gets that. Her darkness..it's so GREAT and VAST and ENDLESS and I want to consume every part of it. I want to get lost in it..and she does too."

[quickly]

"She has a boyfriend..not that it's ever mattered to ME..but it would appear to matter to her. And she still gave into me..I can...still feel her on me...IN me.."

<< Derek crossed his leg over his knee and began to twitch it wildly. >>

"That's why I am here, Alix. Because..I'm equal parts worried and ready to give into the dark."

[seriously]

"And I'm fully prepared to take her down with me."

<< Derek pouted his lip for a moment as he looked at Alix one more time. >>

"So please..give a guy some clarity. Craft me a potion, make me a rune to help the parts of me that you like. Because the parts of me you don't like...they're getting ready to come out to play...in a big way."

 

[Persephone]

He tried to explain away what Haleigh just revealed. That he had promised to KILL her in order to become the Red Prince. And he. didn't. deny. it. He lashed out at Haleigh for outing him, only causing the rage within Persephone to grow. She was already in a fragile situation inside Hellfire Club because of her association with The Six, now she was being made to look like a FOOL by her own court member--by someone she thought she could trust.

Instinctually, she began to shut down.

Alek: "I didn't...Seph...I do love you. More than anything. Everything I said to you was true. I love you."

"The ONLY person you love is your QUEEN."

She snapped viciously, remembering all the times Alek spoke so highly of Helena and how she helped him, made him who he was, gave him everything he had. She felt HUMILIATED thinking she measured up to that....that he could love anyone BUT Helena.

He tried to touch her arms and Persephone forcefully backed away.

"DON'T touch me."

Alek: "No...Seph, don't do this, don't shut me out...I didn't know how to tell you...I did it for us, to give us time, to find a way..."

"And DON'T call me that [Seph]."

She didn't want him to call her anything that allotted a connection of friendship or otherwise.

"If you EVER come near me again....outside of a Red Court or Inner Circle professional capacity....I will TEAR your HEART from your CHEST."

Alek: "Just let me explain. Please."

He grabbed her arm again and Persephone slapped the HELL out of him, drawing blood from his lip.

"I swear to the Gods, Alek....if you touch me again...i'll make what you did to Angelo look like CHILDS PLAY."

She threatened, her voice trembling in anger; not giving a damn WHO heard her, Helena or otherwise. He began to speak to her in Swedish, but Persephone shook her head, done with the excuses and the lies. Done with his bullshit. With ALL of this bullshit. Hellfire, Helena, the Red Court, EVERYTHING.

Alek: "I didn't want to lose you. I didn't know how to tell you without putting you in more danger. Can't you see, they want to break us up. You're playing right into their hands."

Persephone stepped up to Alek's face, her cold black eyes staring directly into his.

"I'm done."

She said evenly, devoid of emotion. Her eyes clear, her face eerily distant. She wasn't giving him or Helena any more ammo to hurt her with. Stepping away from Alek, she looked at Haleigh with the same expression.

"I'll inform Helena myself that your deal is null and void. She can have her Prince."

Persephone didn't bother leaving the Morning Room. The entire Hellfire Club was bugged with security systems ran and watched by Haleigh, linked to any of the queens, plus spies everywhere including Mystique. She disappeared in a tornado of winds, LEAVING Hellfire all together before reappearing in a dark living room....the only place she knew no one could find her--or even know to look for her--technology and all.

Sinking into the couch, Persephone's hard facade finally dropped as she clenched her chest and collapsed onto the sofa, feeling like her heart was literally breaking apart. Shutting her eyes tight, she cupped her hand over her mouth as a sound of anguish escaped her lips, finally allowing herself to feel the humiliating, horrible, pain that she couldn't hold back anymore.

 

[Cypher]

He had splashed some cold water on his face, rubbing the stubble along his jaw line roughly while letting out a sigh. The water felt good...but he still wanted to take a long hot shower knowing that would revitalize him even more. Looking at Zizi's tub, he noted the pink loofa and smelly bath balls and gels. Yeah, definitely wouldn't be able to do that there.

Vivica: "Okay Gabe! I'm done talking about my menstrual cycle! You can come out now!"

Gabe let out a small laugh, picking up the empty paper coffee cup as he exited the bathroom. As he made his way down the hall, he heard Vivica casually discussing some Prey stuff with Zizi.

Gabe: "We never got to meet up and compare notes the other night. I sent you everything I could find in Harker Library about how to kill Ava should the time comes, but I want another set of eyes to take a look at things."

Gabe's smile dropped after hearing her mention how they were going to kill Ava. Zizi looked at him with a sympathetic eyes, Gabe not really sure how to react to the info. He knew now that Ava was merged together with a woman named Persephone--a fucking actual Greek Goddess. But he still couldn't get past the fact that this was all Persephone that was doing this bad shit, NOT Ava. But again, he studied everyone's histories and knew Vivica had bad blood with AVA, so her willingness to want to eliminate her wasn't surprising.

Zizi: "Well, let's hope we don't have to use it, but it's good information to have. I stayed up all night analyzing that fight footage..."

"Yeah, I hacked in and got a few more angles from different security camera's around the area giving us a better look at that red head's barrier thing--"

Gabe's phone buzzed, causing him to dig it out of his pocket. Looking down at it his brows furrowed.

"Shit, I gotta go. The security system at my place has been acting up. I've been testing out a new model and it gets a little testy sometimes."

Gabe grabbed his keys from the desk.

"Plus...I should probably take a shower and change my clothes.[grinning] No offense Liz...I'm trying to avoid smelling like Sweet Sugar Rose today."

He joked, leaning down and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be back around lunch to help you go over that footage more."

Giving Vivica a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Vivica. Thanks for the coffee."

Gabe exited The Clocktower and made his way back to his penthouse. A security panel was located above his door handle; he punched in his code unlocking the door. The curtains were still drawn and the entire space was dark. That's when he saw her.

"Ava...?"

It wasn't a security glitch.

 

[Berserker]

The Morning Room

She wouldn't let him touch her. Everything had changed in minutes, and he didn't know how to make her understand. He would never hurt her. He had done it all for her.

He pleaded with her to let him explain, taking her arm, knowing if he could just tell her everything, she would understand and everything would be alright. But she pulled back and SLAPPED him hard, splitting his lip. He felt the cut with his hand, it coming back bloody.

"I swear to the Gods, Alek....if you touch me again...i'll make what you did to Angelo look like CHILDS PLAY."

He wasn't afraid of her, but being on the receiving end of her hatred was like having a thousand daggers plunged into his body. She stepped up to him, those dark eyes glaring pure hatred at him. He grabbed her hand, more forcefully this time, making her hand touch his chest where his heart would be. He looked unflinchingly at her.

"Then do it. Kill me. It isn't worth living without you."

"I'm done."

"This isn't over. I love you-"

But she was gone, in a torrent of winds. He had his phone out instantly, calling security.

>> "Is the Red Rook in the mansion?"

When they confirmed what he already knew, that she wasn't, he pointed at that fucktard waiter.

"You. Bring me a bottle of whiskey. Now."

He sank down into his chair. His eyes slid to Haleigh.

"You got what you wanted. Now let me drink in peace."

 

[Persephone]

By the time she heard buttons from the security panel outside the front door, Persephone had already stopped crying. At this point she was just quietly staring at nothing, going over in her head what had happened and how she allowed it to go as far as it did. She just wanted space to think, away from prying eyes and judgements. Away from the suffocating walks of Hellfire. She knew Gabe resided in New York from Ava's time of dating him, and she knew he was security tech genius with mutant abilities. No one would look for her there. No one would find her.

He entered his penthouse, stopping once he spotted her. Persephone lifted her eyes to meet with his as he looked confused at the sight of her.

Gabe: "Ava...?"

Persephone blinked her line of sight away.

Gabe: "How did you get in here..."

He slowly approached her, Persephone shutting her eyes for moment before giving a half smile.

"Your code is still the same."

She guessed, knowing Gabe was a creature of habit. When he didn't deny it, she figured she was right. And even if she wasn't, she could kill him within seconds and continue to stay in his penthouse for as long as she wanted. Win, win.

Gabe: "Yeah well...guess I should probably change that huh?"

His voice was cautious, Persephone shifting her eyes over to him.

"Probably."

She responded robotically as Gabe finally reached the couch. His eyes immediately changed to that of concern as he took a seat next to her. She saw him go to grab her hand but stop himself.

Gabe: "Jesus...Ava, what happened? Are you okay? You look like..."

Persephone scoffed.

"Shit?"

Gabe: "I was gonna say terrible, but yeah...shit's pretty accurate too."

Persephone gave a weak smile at his joke. For once, it felt nice that someone didn't know her as Persephone....that Gabe still believed her to be Ava. He wasn't afraid of her. He wasn't aware of anything beyond them being old lovers. Or so she thought.

"I just needed a place to lay low for a little."

Gabe: "From who...?"

Everyone.

"It's not important."

There was no where for her to go that Haleigh couldn't find her. And she learned last night if she went anywhere outside of Hellfire Club she was a target to The Six and Birds of Prey. Aerie was out because of Alison. The only person she could think of was Gabe.

Gabe: "Do you....need anything? A drink? Two drinks?"

Persephone shook her head.

Gabe: "Just quiet?"

She gently nodded, her eyes shutting.

Gabe: "Okay...just quiet."

And he remained quietly sitting next to her, allowing Persephone to just process everything that had happened without the knowledge to judge her for her horrible mistakes she allowed to happen with Alek.

 

[Cypher]

The problem with the new model security system he was trying out was it had so many bugs in it he thought the 'security glitch' was just that, a glitch. He didn't bother checking the cameras because it had happened quite frequently. And because he had been so busy with Zizi, The Sanctuary, and now all the research involving Birds of Prey, The Six, and Hellfire, he hadn't had a chance to actually FIX the bugs yet. So when he arrived at his penthouse, he assumed he would just turn the system off, take a shower, grab some lunch, and head back to The Clocktower. What he saw next made his blood run cold.

"Ava....?"

She was sitting on his couch like a statue, devoid of emotion and staring blankly at nothing. She was there, in his penthouse....and he didn't know if she had come there to try and kill him like she had Zach.

"How did you get in here?"

She answered back that he hadn't changed his code since being with her. Embarrassingly enough, he hadn't.

"Yeah well...guess I should probably change that huh?"

Persephone: "Probably."

She didn't look good. Not like the person he saw in that video feed the night before. Not the killer everyone was saying she was. He cautiously approached the couch, finally getting a good look at her. She looked like she had been crying and his brows furrowed, immediately concerned. He knew this could of been a ruse, but in his heart he couldn't help but feel like it wasn't.

"Jesus...Ava, what happened? Are you okay? You look like..."

Persephone: "Shit?"

"I was gonna say terrible, but yeah...shit's pretty accurate too."

He joked, trying to get her to smile. She did, but it wasn't very convincing. Something had happened....maybe the Queen's punished her for failing against The Six the night before....but this seemed unusually familiar to him--the ache in her eyes. She said she needed to lay low, so obviously it was from someone within Hellfire, but she wouldn't say who. He tried to play it cool, nodding understandingly while trying to figure out what the fuck he was supposed to do. Call Zizi? Shit... the blonde chick? Zach? God damn, he knew if he did that Persephone was dead, which meant Ava was dead. But if he didn't....how could he face Zizi? How could he look her in the eye and pretend like he didn't just have his murderous ex in his livingroom?

"Do you....need anything? A drink? Two drinks?"

He decided to offer her something....buy him some time to think. But she shook her head no. Gabe studied her face....her expression....

"Just quiet?"

Persephone gently nodded, her eyes shutting. Gabe inhaled a long, slow breath. He would text Zizi. But he would do it in a few minutes....

"Okay...just quiet."

He softly confirmed, watching Persephone's stoic face as she quietly sat with her eyes closed. Maybe he was a fool, but in that moment he saw the other side of this deadly Goddess....one so incredibly similar to Ava. The minutes passed on, and neither of them said a word. Gabe finally slid his phone out from his pocket, looking over at Persephone as he did so. She didn't move. Using his one hand, he texted Zizi.

>> "We have a problem...."

 

[Black Widow]

The Hellfire Club -- Red Morning Room

Alek: Good, because the person making this into a clusterfuck, is you.

"Oh YEAH, I'm the ONE that went BERSERK on a dude that turned out to be the assistant district attorney's SON, just because it seemed like Persephone wasn't wrapped around my dick anymore. YEAH, this is ALL my fault."

Alek: What, think she won't have a reason to care about you if she doesn't think you're saving her?

"Go fuck yourself, you hateful prick."

She said, and then she finally came clean. She told Seph about Alek's deal with Helena, and then her own deal. When she'd gotten that weight off her chest, she told them to figure it out for themselves, because she was done trying to make plans work when nobody was working with her.

Alek tried to say she'd changed the plan on him, but she hadn't, not really. HE was the one that wasn't sticking to it. He was the one who went back to Seph and fucked her into a sex coma, and then here they were the next morning, looking, for all the world to see, as if they were going to have each other right there at the breakfast table. That was about as far from the 'pull away from her' plan as a person could get.

Persephone: I'm sorry for everything you were willing [whore herself out] to do for me.

"Fucking hell Seph, I don't want you to be SORRY. I want you to be SAFE. I want you to understand the lengths I've gone to-- not to treat you as a child-- but to protect you because I'm on YOUR SIDE here."

Persphone: But none of that will be necessary.

"Seph, please don't do me like this."

Haleigh said, but her sister turned her fury on Alek. Haleigh took absolutely no pleasure in this. She wanted to leave, but if Alek lost his temper again, there was no way she would sit idly by THIS TIME. But he didn't get angry. He tried everything he could to explain, to try to salvage Seph's opinion of him, to convince her that he loved her. Persephone was stone cold amazing, angry and unforgiving.

Persephone: I'll inform Helena myself that your deal is null and void. She can have her Prince.

"When you're ready to talk again, you know where to find me."

Seph was gone, just like that. Alek made a call to determine if she was still in the Mansion, but Haleigh already knew the answer to that. She hoped her sister would never come back here. She hoped the Queens wouldn't make her go get Seph, but that was probably what she could expect her next assignment to be. The waiter brought the food out timidly, knowing something was wrong. Alek demanded whiskey.

Alek: You got what you wanted. Now let me drink in peace.

Haleigh sighed as she stood from the table.

"Alek, I haven't gotten what I'VE wanted since the moment I walked into this place."

She said, her tone resigned. She wasn't angry anymore, she just didn't understand why he'd made it so very difficult. Did he truly believe he could save Seph WITHOUT Haleigh's help? Even if he did, why would he willfully spite her when he KNEW that she was still at least TRYING to protect Seph too? Did he hate her that much? What had she done to deserve his contempt?

"When you came to me last night, talking like you wanted to fuck me behind her back, I went with it, not because I actually wanted to fuck you. I actually wanted to FIGHT you, but I was willing to meet you halfway, because I thought there was a chance that you were still on her side."

She shook her head in disappointment. She was ready to leave him be, as requested, but she needed to clear the air first.

"ALL you had to do this morning was give me the same benefit of the doubt. I mean FUCK. I wouldn't have made you fuck me if you didn't WANT to, but we could have AT LEAST talked about it. But NO, you tried to outsmart me, you tried to fight me, you tried to BEAT me -- and that's why you LOST. I TRIED to be your ally until you made it impossible for me. Now, if you want to call me a bitch, and pass the buck my way, and drink yourself stupid, and sulk around, then that's ON YOU. Just know that we don't have to be enemies, but we DAMN SURE CAN BE..... if that's what you MAKE US."

She finished, as the waiter returned with a bottle of whiskey.

 

[Seraph]

Bell, Book & Candle

Alix took a hard look at his face, searching for evidence that he had lost control.

"Need to? Probably. Want to? Definitely not."

"That's less than encouraging."

She led him into the back room, where they sat down with a drink. She asked him why he'd come.

"Courtney. She wanted me to come see you."

"And you took her advice? Well that's something."

She took a small sip of her drink.

"I had a slip up..a few weeks back. I went to Los Angeles on business..and then I hunted. I knew it was coming, but I'd been able to stop myself for awhile now. I might have tracked them [angels], watched them go about their duties...but something took hold. I couldn't..just watch them anymore..I needed..To kill them. To drink their blood."

She shifted in her seat, eyes locked on him now.

"And, did you?"

"If that would have just been it..I could have managed. Three days shivering in a hotel under blankets and a pitch black atmosphere and I was fine..But I met somebody when I was in LA. Somebody I actually have met before..but it was different this time."

Alix leaned back into her chair. Her blade could stay where it was, for now.

"I met somebody. Somebody VERY powerful. The Sorceress Supreme. Morgan Victoria."

She nodded.

"I had heard rumblings that the Sorceress Supreme had returned to this plane. Good. I spoke to her mother a few weeks ago. It seems she took our chat to heart. That's very good indeed. How did you meet her? She doesn't usually run with demons...here."

"I worked with her..back in the nineties. We were both models..And bite your tongue, I was and still am HOT."

Her mouth had turned up into an amused smile. The comment about low standards died on her lips, however.

"She was different. POWERFUL. I sensed her arrival in Los Angeles like a beacon of light. I felt..COMPELLED to find her..and when I did? Well..it shifted things a bit. I needed to have her. And so I did."

"Have her? Or have her?"

"Or rather..she CONSUMED me in Limbo...I thought...it was just a conquest thing, Alix. But it's more than that. I've never...met anybody who..knew what I go through everyday like she does. That darkness..mixed with that aching white light that tells me I need to do better...to do good. To fullfill the end of my bargain...become an Archangel. She gets that. Her darkness..it's so GREAT and VAST and ENDLESS and I want to consume every part of it. I want to get lost in it..and she does too. She has a boyfriend..not that it's ever mattered to ME..but it would appear to matter to her. And she still gave into me..I can...still feel her on me...IN me.."

"So, did you come here just to talk about your sex life, or is it something more?"

She led him to where he needed to go.

"That's why I am here, Alix. Because..I'm equal parts worried and ready to give into the dark. And I'm fully prepared to take her down with me."

Alix leaned forward, her hands on the arms of her chair.

"Do you believe that Morgan is losing control of her demonic side? Or do you simply wish to corrupt her? Is it her demon that calls to you, or the woman?"

"So please..give a guy some clarity. Craft me a potion, make me a rune to help the parts of me that you like. Because the parts of me you don't like...they're getting ready to come out to play...in a big way."

She looked at him a long time, studying him. And then she reached into her boot for her stele.

"Give me your arm. Roll up your sleeve."

She took his hand, turning his arm so that the underside of his forearm was exposed. Carefully, and with precision, she drew a rune there. It glowed faintly white.

"This will help to give you balance, equilibrium. It should take the edge off for you, but you will still need to be vigilant. And eventually it will fade."

She gave him back his arm.

"You need to figure out why here, why now. If you let it take you over, all the runes in the world won't be able to help you."

 

[Enchantrah]

Helena watched the feed to the Morning Room, listening as Scion attempted to sway Berserker over with her charming come ons. He wasn't taking the bait, and he was turning her down flat. It was actually hilarious watching Scion flounder and try to figure out how to salvage her plan. Finally, she sat down and came clean. Helena wasn't expecting the route that she took to get the job done, but it worked. Helena grinned watching Persephone's heart literally break on the live feed.

"Shit, how do I record this."

She asked Coco who was laying next to her sleeping.

"This would be great to play at the Christmas Party."

Helena shrugged. She'd figure it out later. Watching Persephone pull away and lay into Berserker was better than her morning coffee in the morning....it just made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Scion may have deviated from the plan, but the result was just as sweet. HOWEVER, she wasn't counting on Berserker and HIS reaction. Helena shut the feed off once Persephone left.

"My, my Aleksander....and here I thought I would only be breaking Persephone's heart..."

Helena stood.

"Stupid boy."

Pressing the com-link button, Haleigh would be able to hear Helena's voice in her ear, as if she were wearing an earpiece.

> "Bravo indeed, Scion. Not the path I was expecting you to take, but the results were satisfying."

Helena examined her cherry red stained manicure.

> "One more task before our little alliance is complete. If Persephone is not back in twenty minutes, FIND HER. I need her sulking in the safety of her home."

So I can watch.

Helena grinned, cutting the com-link. NOW, onto her Knight.

>> What did mama say, darling. Love makes you messy and weak....You will thank me when you reside over the Red Court as Prince.

Helena texted.

>> I am the only one who truly loves you, Aleksander. Remember that. Now GET IT TOGETHER. I expect to see you later every bit the man AND KNIGHT I know you to be.

Sending him one last message, Helena wasn't about to let her court completely crumble before her eyes. Berserker needed to toughen the FUCK UP before she turned her claws onto HIM.

 

[Berserker]

The Morning Room

Haleigh stood up, so maybe she was finally going to get the hell out of here.

"Alek, I haven't gotten what I'VE wanted since the moment I walked into this place."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't have come here. Forgive me if I'm all out of tears for you today."

He stared blankly at her half drunk coffee in my front of him. How could Seph not see? He had been trying to tell her, half a hundred times. Didn't she remember? How could she honestly think it had all been a lie? And the most important question: how did he fix it?

This was a time for whiskey and hard calculations. Helena didn't even come into it, as far as himself was concerned. He didn't care if she killed him. And now, at least, she had no reason to kill Seph. Haleigh had made good on her bargain. In the worst way possible.

"When you came to me last night, talking like you wanted to fuck me behind her back, I went with it, not because I actually wanted to fuck you. I actually wanted to FIGHT you, but I was willing to meet you halfway, because I thought there was a chance that you were still on her side."

His eyes slid to her. His voice was level, resigned.

"You came in here, talking like that. And what was Seph supposed to think? I couldn't let her believe I would do that to her."

"ALL you had to do this morning was give me the same benefit of the doubt. I mean FUCK. I wouldn't have made you fuck me if you didn't WANT to, but we could have AT LEAST talked about it. But NO, you tried to outsmart me, you tried to fight me, you tried to BEAT me -- and that's why you LOST. I TRIED to be your ally until you made it impossible for me. Now, if you want to call me a bitch, and pass the buck my way, and drink yourself stupid, and sulk around, then that's ON YOU. Just know that we don't have to be enemies, but we DAMN SURE CAN BE..... if that's what you MAKE US."

He turned his whole head towards her now.

"I just didn't want to hurt her. I thought, we have time now. Maybe I can make her tire of me instead, and then I wouldn't have to..."

He trailed off, as the waiter set his bottle in front of him. He reached out to break the seal on the cap.

"I just hope it was worth it."

His phone pinged at him, and for the briefest of seconds he thought it might be her, this whole thing an elaborate ruse. But no, he knew that wasn't it. He glanced at the new texts.

>> What did mama say, darling. Love makes your messy and weak....You will thank me when you reside over the Red Court as Prince.

>> I am the only one who truly loves you, Aleksander. Remember that. Now GET IT TOGETHER. I expect to see you later every bit the man AND KNIGHT I know you to be.

He paused, then responded.

>> Yes, my Queen.

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

Gabe took Vivica's comment about killing Ava in stride, at least outwardly. She wasn't about to bring the subject up in front of Viv, but resolved to see if he was alright later when they were alone.

"Yeah, I hacked in and got a few more angles from different security camera's around the area giving us a better look at that red head's barrier thing--"

Zizi smiled at him.

"He really did wonders. Viv, I want you to look through all the feeds we have and see if you can put anything together we're missing."

Gabe was digging his phone out of his pocket.

"Shit, I gotta go. The security system at my place has been acting up. I've been testing out a new model and it gets a little testy sometimes."

"Uh, that's not the new model you just installed at the Sanctuary, is it?"

She stuck out her tongue at him, knowing it wasn't.

"Plus...I should probably take a shower and change my clothes.[grinning] No offense Liz...I'm trying to avoid smelling like Sweet Sugar Rose today."

She raised her hand, about to tell him he could shower here, when he beat her to the punch. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, causing both cheeks to go a shade of sweet sugar rose themselves.

"I'll be back around lunch to help you go over that footage more."

"Okay...and be careful."

She watched him leave, only thinking 90% about him in the shower.

She and Viv were left alone to work on the Ava situation, but it easn't too long before her phone let out the "Gabe" text alert: the sound of Han's blaster when he shot Greedo. Because Han shot first.

>> Gabe: We have a problem...

Her brow furrowed and she shot back:

>> What's wrong? Did someone steal your framed George Lucas signed Millennium Falcon blueprints?!

 

[Persephone]

The minutes passed on like hours as Persephone sat silently in the dark room gathering her thoughts. She knew she needed to return to Hellfire, but she just needed a few more minutes of peace before going back. Gabe sat quietly next to her, but Persephone wasn't an idiot. She kept her eyes trained on a picture of Gabe and Zizi sitting on a table across the room.

"How long."

She didn't avert her eyes from the picture.

Gabe: "How long?"

Finally she slowly shifted them to meet with Gabe's.

"Until your girlfriend shows up with the Birds of Prey."

Persephone responded evenly--the fact that Gabe had been texting not lost to her. It didn't surprise her that he had been informed of the situation considering Zizi York was the leader of the Birds of Prey. Zizi had always hated Ava, and was jealous of her. This was her way in to get the man she always wanted.

Gabe: "Ava...I..."

"Blood has always made me feel better."

Gabe: "What?"

Persephone stood, her eyes black and her expression unreadable. Dark. COLD.

"She's human....nothing fancy. A nice deep cut to her throat and she'd bleed out in minutes."

Gabe: "Don't you FUCKING TOUCH HER."

Gabe stood immediately and Persephone grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air, and SLAMMING his body down into the glass coffee table, shattering it. Persephone held him there, crushing his throat as she stared mercilessly into his eyes.

"Love is a wasted emotion, Gabe. It makes you do stupid things....make mistakes.....get HURT."

She continued to squeeze his throat shut, his struggles to breathe giving her renewed life. He was on the verge of unconsciousness by the time Persephone finally released her grip from his throat. He began to gasp and cough for air as she stood, walking over to his vibrating phone buzzing against the shards of broken glass. Picking it up, she read Zizi's text about a signed blue print of some Star Wars memorabillia and lifted an eyebrow.

"Maybe she's too pathetic to kill."

Persephone deadpanned, tossing his phone at his heaving body.

"Maybe not."

Finally Persephone smirked, the first signs of outwardly emotion. Gabe's eyes were wide and blood shot as he looked up horrified. Her threats weren't idle, and he knew it. Persephone stared down at him for a few moments longer before disappearing in a tornado of winds.

 

[Cypher]

They sat in silence, Gabe unsure of what to do at this point. He knew Ava was still in there...he could see a hurt in her eyes that looked so different than the cold emotionless darkness he had seen before in the battle feeds. But he also knew that Persephone was dangerous. How was he able to help someone he cared about when she was trapped within someone he did not?

Persephone: "How long?"

Her voice cut the silence and pulled Gabe away from his thoughts. His brows furrowed inquisitively.

"How long?"

Persephone finally looked at him. It was fucking creepy....like watching a scene from a scary movie.

Persephone: "Until your girlfriend shows up with the Birds of Prey."

It WAS a scene from a scary movie. Gabe's eyes widened as he shook his head, trying to figure out how the fuck he was going to get himself out of this situation alive.

"Ava...I..."

Persephone: "Blood has always made me feel better."

Oh Jesus Christ, she was talking about blood. Gabe watched as she stood, wholeheartedly believing that she was going to kill him. That dark, cold, soulless look returned to her eyes...she looked straight fucking EVIL.

"What?"

Persephone: "She's human....nothing fancy. A nice deep cut to her throat and she'd bleed out in minutes."

Liz.

THAT snapped him out of his fear, not giving a DAMN what happened to him as he reacted to Persephone's threat.

"Don't you FUCKING TOUCH HER."

He yelled, his eyes filled with rage as he shot up to meet eye to eye with Persephone. But she grabbed his throat before he had a chance to react, picking him up, and slamming him into the glass coffee table until his body hit the wood floors below. He didn't have any time to react, her hand closing around his throat like a bear trap, cutting off his air and causing him to gasp and struggle against her. He could feel himself starting to slip into unconsciousness, everything around him dulling. But finally, she released his throat causing him to take in a long gasp of air before coughing.

Persephone picked up his phone, and he feared that she was about to text Zizi and lure her there to kill her. He tried to say something, but he could only cough and gasp.

Persephone: "Maybe she's too pathetic to kill. Maybe not."

Gabe looked up at her with a horrified look as his hands gripped around his phone that she had tossed back to him. Then she was gone. Fumbling he quickly dialed Zizi's number, pushing himself onto his forearm while still coughing. She picked up.

"She was here! [cough] Ava was here!"

His voice horse and weak.

"She threatened to kill you Liz....get your security systems up NOW. I'll be there in ten."

He could hear her questioning if he was okay and the fear in her voice, but he wasn't worried about himself. If Ava wanted to kill him, she would have done it. All Gabe cared about was getting back to The Clocktower and making sure the security systems were air lock TIGHT so that psycho bitch couldn't get in to hurt Zizi.

Struggling to get to his feet, some shards of glass cut up his forearms and palms as he pushed his way and stumbled to the door, grabbing his car keys before exiting.

 

[Black Widow]

The Hellfire Club -- Red Morning Room

Alek: Well then maybe you shouldn't have come here.

"Ain't that the fucking truth."

She agreed. But what choice had she really had? She still believed this was better than watching her friends sacrifice themselves to keep her away from her mother. What good did it do to let them fight for her, to put their lives on the line to secure her momentary freedom? The second she died, she'd wake up in the lab again, returned to captivity, and it would've all been for nothing.

Alek: Forgive me if I'm all out of tears for you today.

Haleigh looked down at him. He was so obviously crushed by this turn of events that she felt a trace of pity for him.

"I do forgive you."

She replied, and then she tried to talk to him, telling him that she'd given him the benefit of the doubt last night, even when his behavior had implied that he was betraying her sister, be she'd recognized his ruse, and gone with it.

Alek: You came in here, talking like that. And what was Seph supposed to think?

"Exactly what I made it SEEM like: that there was something going on."

Alek: I couldn't let her believe I would do that to her.

Haleigh sighed, and then tried to explain that all he would've needed to do was plant the seed, and that Haleigh wouldn't have forced him to do anything he didn't want to, that she needed to get him alone to talk. But he'd fought her on it, and tried to spin it his way, and she called it just like she saw it.

Alek: I just didn't want to hurt her. I thought, we have time now. Maybe I can make her tire of me instead, and then I wouldn't have to...

"But we DIDN'T have time, Bearclaw. Helena wanted it done immediately. I was lucky to buy you one more night, but I NEEDED your help this morning. You SAW how jealous Seph got, that strategy would've WORKED, it would've got the ball rolling, and whetted Helena's appetite. When you turned on me.... you left me no choice. The truth was the only ammunition I had left."

Alek: I just hope it was worth it.

She looked solemnly at him for a moment. She was about to respond when she picked up Helena's voice on the com-link system, and listened.

Helena> Bravo indeed, Scion. Not the path I was expecting you to take, but the results were satisfying.

Haleigh pressed her lips together in a hard line. She wanted to tell the Red Queen about herself, to verbalize her opinion that Helena was being a colossal cunt, and that if Helena could go choke on a dick, Haleigh would find those results satisfying. It wouldn't be the smartest stance to take, but it would feel amazing.

On the other hand, she'd already invested so much in securing an alliance with the Red Queen. It DID serve Haleigh immensely to be in Helena's good graces. In the long run, it was much wiser to maintain a positive relationship. So she kept her opinion to herself, for now.

Helena> One more task before our little alliance is complete. If Persephone is not back in twenty minutes, FIND HER. I need her sulking in the safety of her home.

Haleigh looked directly into the camera which had been transmitting the feed to the Red Queen's tablet.

"As you wish, Helena."

She replied evenly, and started a timer. Alek's phone received some texts, and it wasn't exactly that Haleigh was TRYING to snoop, but more that she just knew the content of digital transmissions in her near vicinity.

Even Helena's textual communications sounded like gloating. Alek responded tersely. Haleigh had to pass Alek to leave, and she stopped on the way by him to place her hand on his shoulder again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want it to end this way."

She said in an honest tone, and gave his shoulder a squeeze. Then she began to tap out a message with her forefinger, just as he had done the night before, in morse code.

But now you have options again. I can still be an option if our interests match up again.

She'd made sure the camera view of her hand was blocked by the way she was standing, and it simply looked like a long, heartfelt pause. She didn't expect him to thank her, or even respond. She just wanted to let him know she had no interest in burning their bridge. When she was done with the message, her hand left his shoulder, and she made her way out of the Morning Room.

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

She waited, but he didn't text her back right away. She got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"That's odd. I wonder if someone really did break in."

Surely not. Gabe's place was like a fortress.

She was about to dial his number when he called her.

"Gabe?"

"She was here! [cough] Ava was here!"

Zizi leaned forward in her chair, pressing the phone tighter to her ear.

"Is she still there? Get the hell out of there Gabe!"

She looked at Vivica with panicked eyes.

"Gabe? Talk to me. Are you okay?"

"She threatened to kill you Liz....get your security systems up NOW. I'll be there in ten."

He sounded terrible. What had she done to him? Tears welled in her eyes and fell.

"No...don't come here...it's too dangerous..."

But he was gone. She hit the sensor on her chair that locked down the Clocktower. The camera feeds from every entrance automatically came up on the central screen.

She turned to Vivica.

"Ava showed up at Gabe's. She threatened me, he said, though I don't know why. He's coming here."

Her hand went to her mouth. He could be injured.

She tossed her phone to Viv.

"Please call Dominique. I know she can take care of herself, but she deserves to know the danger. Though if Ava was coming she would probably be here by now."

"It's not as if she takes taxis."

Zizi got on the coms then.

[via com] "Oracle here. There's been another Ava sighting. Be on guard and stick together.

[to Tachyon] "Tachyon, I don't want you to let Alycia out of your sight. I'm counting on you."

[to Steel & Andrew] "Stay together, and stay where you are."

The last thing she wanted was them rushing back into danger.

[to Ashley] "She attacked Gabe. I think he's okay. Keep Orion close, V, and be careful. She could come for him next."

Valkyrie: "I'm on my way."

Zizi didn't want that - she knew their time together was precious, even outside of all the other factors.

"No, don't...just keep our boy safe."

The team suitably warned, she took her phone back from Viv.

"You should leave too. Go to Andrew's. Steel can protect you. If she shows up here, she'll have no qualms about attacking you again."

She wheeled back in forth across the floor in an approximation of pacing. Where was Gabe?

"I should have sent John to pick him up. Or Xavier. Both."

 

[Orion]

EOS Nomad -- Zach's Apartment

Ashley: Hot damn Zach...

She stopped to say. He smiled against her as he continued ardently, one of his hands traveling up the back of her thigh, the other grabbing her hip. She remembered her own objective and went back to it.

They competed with each other enthusiastically. Her passion grew steadily until Zach was quite certain he could taste it. When she stopped again, her body shuddered and her overwhelming surge of satisfaction washed over him.

He smirked and let his head drop back onto his pillow again. Her zeal returned to her, and he writhed under her attention.

"Oh, Ash.... You're so... Good at this..."

He told her, and it wasn't much longer before his body tensed and he warned her he was close. There was pause afterwards, in which they both managed to recover their critical thinking skills. She rolled off him and turned herself right side up, then mounted him again, provoking a smile from him. They began kissing with fervent intensity, and his arms went around her instinctively.

Ashley: I have to say...I really love having sex with you babe.

His smile twisted into a smug smirk as he looked up at her.

"And to think, you tried to discourage me that first night, saying I wasn't enough man for you.... it's a damn good thing I kept trying, huh?"

She smiled and kissed him again, a light one before she climbed out of bed, telling him not to move. She brought back in the bags she'd had delivered here, saying the light was perfect, marveling at the modern conveniences of the art of painting in this century. He laughed joyously at that, as he propped himself up on his elbow with his head resting in his palm. He truly enjoyed the stretch of time that followed, as he just watched her, having actual fun.

His coffee maker kicked on at his preprogrammed time, and filled the apart with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. His stomach grumbled, but he wasn't about to stop her. It wasn't long before they were interrupted by their BoP com-link.

Zizi: Oracle here. There's been another Ava sighting. Be on guard and stick together.

Zach reached over to an electronic device on the bedside table and upgraded the security system to the highest threat level. Clandestine would automatically receive notification and send a squad of personnel to his location, and the systems installed here at Haleigh's insistence would certainly offer him and Ashley a great deal of protection in addition to the security team. Ashley mentioned something about being on her way. Zach got out of bed quickly.

"They need us there? I'll get dressed."

 

[Valkyrie]

EOS Nomad

Ashley had Zach pinned to the bed, and was telling him how much she enjoyed spending time with him.

"And to think, you tried to discourage me that first night, saying I wasn't enough man for you.... it's a damn good thing I kept trying, huh?"

A smile played over her lips as she leaned down and kissed him again, her tongue taking the opportunity to explore him.

"If you hadn't, then I'd have known you weren't worthy."

She looked down at him, still breathing hard.

"Lucky for YOU, I gave up on the idea of having both you AND Andrew in my bed that night."

She gave him another quick kiss, then climbed off of him.

"And I get what I want."

She told him not to move, and proceeded to set up the paints she had bought, putting his well sculpted naked form to canvas.

She was just about finished when Zizi's voice came into her ear, telling them that Ava had struck again. And then Zees was talking just to her, telling her that Gabe had been attacked. She could hear how upset Zizi was about it. Standing, she replied that she was heading to the Clocktower, but Zizi stopped her. Because Zach could be next.

Zach was out of bed and looking at her with urgency. The one she gave him back was a mix of fear and apprehension.

"They need us there? I'll get dressed."

She shook her head, and slid her arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug. She rested her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes, breathing him in.

"She says it's safer for us to stay away. Viv is there."

She opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look at him.

"Ava attacked Gabe, but Zizi thinks he's okay. She worried that...that Ava might target you again. She was crying, Zach."

She put her cheek on his chest again, holding him close.

"If she comes for you, I'll kill her, Zach. I swear I will."

 

[Berserker]

The Morning Room

He threw some sarcasm her way, hoping that would be the end of it and he could get to drinking.

"I do forgive you."

He raised his eyes to her, curiously. She sounded like it was more than a curt reply to his barb at her. That wasn't the response he was expecting.

And then he was possibly as honest with her as he had ever been, telling her how he had just been unable to let Seph be hurt. That he thought they had time to figure something else out.

"But we DIDN'T have time, Bearclaw. Helena wanted it done immediately. I was lucky to buy you one more night, but I NEEDED your help this morning. You SAW how jealous Seph got, that strategy would've WORKED, it would've got the ball rolling, and whetted Helena's appetite. When you turned on me.... you left me no choice. The truth was the only ammunition I had left."

He sighed, still playing with the bottle in front of him.

"You used it perfectly."

She was silent for a time, and then she spoke.

"As you wish, Helena."

Wasn't that a pretty picture? Shit. If only he had gotten Seph out last night.

Haleigh stopped on her way out to put a hand on his shoulder. Cold comfort.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want it to end this way."

"No, you didn't want it to begin."

And then he felt her message on his shoulder:

But now you have options again. I can still be an option if our interests match up again.

Options? He had no options. Go back to the way things were before she had come here? Pretend it was enough?

He nodded slowly at Haleigh, then watched her leave. He knew he was being too hard on her, that it was just circumstances that had led Seph to refuse to leave Haleigh there, rather than something she could actively control. He still felt she panicked, gave up too easily. But in truth, he would have done the same in her place. She owed him no loyalty.

He stood and picked up the bottle, leaving the room his breakfast untouched. He stopped off at his room only long enough to pick up his knives, and then he was down in the garage, sliding into his truck. The Yeti was already in the back. He needed to clear his head, so he started to drive north, the bottle of whiskey next to him on the seat.

 

[Tachyon]

A brilliant breakfast. Great conversation. It was winding down and Xavier was honestly wondering what would be next. He had planned to play cricket with the kids that day but it was not yet time and he knew that soon enough they all needed to go face the day.

Evil works overtime, and so his day was now planned.

[via com] "Oracle here. There's been another Ava sighting. Be on guard and stick together.

A look passed between himself and Alycia, and they both rose to leave.

[to Tachyon] "Tachyon, I don't want you to let Alycia out of your sight. I'm counting on you."

Unconsciously nodding, Xavier hugged Rae and shook everyone else's hand as he held the door for Alycia.

Buddy system. Oracle's orders. I am your manservant, I will take you wherever you need to go and stay out of your way while you work. I can participate as much or as little as you like, but I do not want to risk you being hurt again.

He was no lovesick puppy, or clingy, but he actually CARED. And she could see that, that he simply wanted to be there for her.

Besides, learning anything from you in terms of the legal system is one of my goals. What better way than by observation? Shall we be off?

Xavier offered her his arm...