Rose of destruction

[Tachyon]

Finally back at the Clocktower. Xavier would have preferred to check on Alycia but that was handled already and she needed her rest. He sat along with Andrew in the Conference Room as the others filtered in. He finally realized that he was a bit hungry AND thirsty. He looked over as Zizi was addressing them all.

“That’s good to hear. I was concerned that she was trying to deal with everything alone, but it seems like she does have some support. We should keep a close eye on her and the children, and be ready to extend our help if she needs it.”

She looked at the three who had been at the Sanctuary.

“How is little Jake? And the other children? How are they holding up?”

They seem fine. A bit scared but Isis put the babies to rest and the others were cheered up by play. I think they will be OK.

He sat at one end of the conference table from Vivica and Zizi. After playing with the kids all day, he was beat. Ashley crossed the room and went to a mini fridge and took out some beers, throwing him one. He caught it and kissed the side of the bottle.

“God bless you, my child.”

He opened it on the table, and took a drink. He looked over at Xavier and held out the bottle.

“Looks like we’re getting to have that beer after all. Sláinte.”

Xavier caught his bottle and thumped the top off.

Now this. This is a real woman. saol fada.

Long life to us all.

Xavier took a long drink from the bottle, killing about half of it right away. He stood up.

Say...anyone up for dinner? I can whip up a Shepherd's Pie in record time. Or we can order pizza and I can get it and bring it back still piping hot. Any takers?

 

[Berserker]

The Hellfire Mansion – Red Knight’s Quarters

She shook her head no. It showed on her face, that it was a painful memory for her. But she didn’t leave, moving instead to sit down on his couch.

“Would you care for some wine? I have a bottle of Chateau Margaux 2009 Balthazar?”

Retrieving it, he opened it expertly and poured. Sitting down next to her on the couch, he swiveled his body so that he could face her.

"You said you never cared about anyone but Helena...."

He nodded, breathing in the bouquet from the glass and taking a sip.

"What about the last Red Rook? Ashley?"

He froze, his eyes looking dead into hers. He set his glass down on the coffee table.

"How do I know this isn't a pattern with you? How do I know this isn't Helena's work?

He looked away at first.

“I guess you don’t.”

And then his eyes met hers again.

I won't be made a fool, Alek. Not now, not EVER."

He smiled, a little sadly, as he paused before answering.

“Can you honestly tell me, that in over three thousand years on this earth, you haven’t learned to read people? That you don’t know whether I’m telling you the truth or not?”

He looked away again.

“Ashley…we were a team. A great team. Partners. And I did care for her…she was the first woman in a long time that was more than a one night stand for me. I thought I loved her but…it was always clear that she loved me more than I did her. I looked like some long lost love of hers, you see. That’s the only reason she wanted me in the first place.”

He reached for his glass and took a large drink, visibly steeling himself.

“She failed on a mission. And Helena threw her out. And Helena watched me to see what I would do. But what I felt for Ashley was nothing compared to what I owed Helena. So she went, and I stayed, and I did my duty which was to shun her.”

He looked back into her eyes.

“And that’s why I don’t want that to happen to you, too. Because I’m not sure I could let you go.”

 

[Silver Swan]

Charope, LLC- Infirmary- Alycia's suite

[ She was truly tired, and Zizi was right, she needed to rest. After watching over Alycia, and certain that things were safe, the mutate eventually settled, and soon...a considerable amount of time had passed. ]

[ She didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep!]

[ Her dreams were anything and everything at first. But soon, she began to experience an almost hypnotic vision. In the dreamtime, she was laying on a CLOUD that drifted a long in a mist filled dream scape. She was so relaxed, so SERENE. She didn't know where she was going, nor did she CARE. the dream like environment was illuminated at regular intervals, by a soft purple glowing light that was emminating from a large, glowing orb/SATELLITE. A SOUL Satellite!]

[ Sharon's awareness seemed to sync to the flashes of the soul satellite, which cast it's light across the dream scape the way a light in a tall light house does. It was curious, yet FITTING, considering Sharon's own day dreams of visiting or playing in a light house when she was a little girl.]

[ As she journeyed on the cloud, she soon saw the source of the mysterious soul satellite light, ROSE!]

Rose....


Rose: Sharon, my friend...don't be afraid...your heart is as true and courageous as it always was.

[ Sharon looked at her, a bit puzzled. But that was the nature of dreams, they were not always straight forward in their manifestation, yet, she felt that this was more than a dream. She FELT Rose calling to her SOUL]

Sharon: Rose! Where am I? Are you in trouble?? what can I do?

Rose: Come to the sanctuary. I need to see you. KATIE needs you.

Sharon: But Alycia! I can't....

Rose: You must not blame yourself for the actions of that renegade goddess, Persephone. You saved Alycia's life, you and Isis. I wouldn't call you away from her, if I hadn't already divined her soul's bright light, her will to LIVE. Because of Isis, she will not only live, she will THRIVE. MorningStar, and SPELLBINDER are there now. In the dark of night, I want to talk to you about justice...VENGEANCE.

[ Spellbinder! MORGAN, another dear friend! She'd come to see about them.]

Sharon: Oh Rose....

[ Katie needed to see Rose, and Somehow Sharon FELT what Rose was feeling just now. It wasn't JUST about them, Rose's children...the friends and allies of the Six and Birds of Prey, the two teams themselves! If ROSE was calling out to Sharon about VENGEANCE...how could she NOT answer?]

Sharon: I will be there! But...where am I NOW!?

[ Sharon was uncertain. She had been so exhausted, that she was not entirely lucid, even in the dream time...but that was what made this moment ideal for Rose to reach her, given Sharon's exceptional resistance to mental/telepathic contact under normal circumstances.]

[ Rose did not reply. In a scene that mirrored Zach's first meeting of Rose, the astral energy manipulator simply smiled...and then disappeared.]

Sharon: Rose???

[ Sharon looked around in the mist enshrouded dream scape, the soul satellite began to grow faint as the traveled away from her]

He found Alycia's room without much trouble, and poked his head in through the door. Sharon had fallen asleep holding Alycia's hand. Their dreams must have been much more peaceful than his. He slipped into the room, bare feet making no noise on the tile. He tried to patiently consider their point of view. He just couldn't understand how these two, of all the Birds of Prey, could so strongly want to destroy their former friends. Certainly what Haleigh and Ava had done, to ALL of them in turns, was tragic and terrible. There was no denying that. He wasn't in any way trying to gloss over that. But why were they refusing to even consider anything less than a death sentence?

He sank into a chair next to Alycia, on the other side of the bed from Sharon. Should he wake her, or just let her sleep? There was so much he needed to say to her. The realization that he'd almost died gave him a sense of urgency, and put him a mood that leaned towards reconciliation, but at the same time, there were going to be issues that he stood his ground on. He hoped that they could find their way back to friendship.

[ Zach had entered the room. Any other time, Sharon would have heard his approach before he'd gotten to the door, but this was another moment that revealed how tired she was...and how she needed to just...rest. ]

Rose?

[ But soon, Sharon began to stir. Her silver eyes slowly opened]

hmmm....

[ She began to stretch, but soon, she sat up with a START when she finally realized that she'd been asleep, for a WHILE.]

[ She immediately looked around, but everything was fine. Alycia was sleeping, and looked far more like herself now. Isis' restoration was bringing her back to full vitality.]

[ And then she saw Zach. He'd come in, while Sharon was asleep, and sat on the other side of Alycia's bed. He kept vigil by Alycia for a while it seemed. ]

[ She continued look at Zach.]

[ She vowed to close her heart toward him. She could no longer care about a man who refused to listen to her. She lost her husband and her son because Robert wouldn't listen. ZACH nearly died because he wouldn't listen.]

[ But She couldn't close out the memories, and history she had with him. Feelings associated with...comfort...encouragement...emotional support...even attraction for a time. ]

[ He wasn't her enemy. But she couldn't understand, and that was driving her to distraction! Now, in this moment, seeing him on the other side of Alycia's bed, Sharon found it harder than she thought it would be to grow completely cold on him.]

Zachary....how long have you been in this room?

[ That he got in here without her detecting him was a sign of how tired, how deeply asleep she had been]

It's just as well...I shouldn't have tried to keep you away from Alycia. She would want you to be here. She would want to know you survived.

I don't want to hurt you.

I just...don't understand why you're doing what you're doing when it comes to Haleigh and Persephone.

[ She said this with sadness]

I don't understand why you won't listen.

[ She slowly stands up]

I have to leave, right now. Rose needs me. She called to me in my dreams.

Delilah is here, and so is Morgan.

Alycia's vitals were already improving when I first brought Zizi here to see her, and I can hear her internal rhythms now, she's not in a coma, she's meerly sleeping. That's the ONLY reason I can allow myself to leave her now.

She deserves this time to rest But I know she'll be happy to wake up and see you here beside her too.

You stay here, where it's safe.

Don't squander the gift that Isis bestowed upon you, Zachary.

[ She looks upon him for a moment longer, before she departs.]

[ Out in the hall, she presses a button on the wall intercom. A tone sounds off in Alycia's office, as Delilah and Morgan are conversing]

Delilah, Morgan...I'm leaving to go see Rose. She called to me and needs to speak with me. Alycia is sleeping comfortably, and Zach is her room with her. If you need me....call me immediately. I will return soon.

[ A short time later, the Silver Swan is rapidly closing in on the city block that houses "The Sanctuary"]

:: For now, Rose was awaiting the arrival of The Silver Swan. The night was calm, but the air was thick with tension. Slumping down, she leaned against the light post as she sat on the concrete, one knee extended over the other leg, strumming her guitar, taking a moment for herself and taking in the energy of the area she was in. It was a place of GREAT hope and tragedy, and while the young kids that survived were now sleeping easily, the ones who had lost their lives were a different story. They needed a bit of piece. ::

:: Exhaling her cigarette, she threw it on the ground around her as she strummed and began to sing. ::

"I heard there was a secret chord...that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music do you?"

:: It was a cliche song for sure, but it was one that had always given Rae peace in her life. Beautiful, simple and easy. It was the first song she had ever learned on guitar. It was how she got an independent record label interested in her. It had made her who she was. As she strummed the instrumental on her guitar, in front of her, she saw the bus..not destroted, but as it was before, in a spectral image in front of her. She continued to sing...as one by one, the children who had been lost in the massacre, got off that bus, and began to make their way over to her. ::

"It goes like this...the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift...the baffled king composing hallelujah.."

"Hallelujah...."

:: Her deep and sultry voice acted like a beacon for the fallen children of the massacre. She wanted to cry as she sat there, witness to the deep and horrible trauma they had experienced. But Rae Reynolds was a strong woman. She was a woman that endured...that survived everything that was thrown at her. One by one, these "spirit" children, came over to her and sat down, their legs crossed indian style, holding each other's hands, leaning on each other, grasping her own thigh as she continued. ::

:: From a young age...she knew the power of a person's testimony. At first she thought this needed to be presented a certain way. But along the way, she learned that the way she communicated her testimony, her journey towards a higher faith, and a higher purpose...was through song. While preachers enthralled congregates by their words, Rae was able to bring people together by her very specific and deep alto voice. Her "testimony" was one of her greatest powers, and she NEVER used it unless she KNEW that the person she was faced with truly, in the deepest part of their soul...needed it. She didn't want to create followers...she wanted to know people were devoted. Soon, it was almost like a spectral campfire, with the fallen children, listening in different states of slumber around her. She could feel them all around her, see them. Though the children that were alive were asleep and well protected, Rae wanted to extend the courtesy to those who had lost her lives, to the energy that had been created in the wake of tragedy. ::

"And I've seen your flag on the marble arch...and love is not a victory march...it's a cold and it is a BROKEN hallelujah...."

:: Rae sang, connected with the pain and determined to bring some light and healing to the experience. Almost nobody could see it, but for those who could, they would see Rae Ann, singing with a circle of children around her, hanging on her every word, listening to the pain in her voice, the beauty in her art, and being comforted by her testimony, being comforted by her POWER. In times like this, you had to do what you were able to do, and while Rae may not have been able to fix ALL of this..she could most certainly bring comfort to the ones who had passed on. The buildings would be fixed, Danny would correct the mistakes, but Rae would ensure the spiritual stability of this block, and she would do so with song. ::

[ Sharon heard Rae's soulful, and thoughtful singing, as she looped wide, and finally descended with perfect form, landing just before Rae. ]

[ The Silver Swan looked a lot less combative than the first time, Rae encountered her. Sharon wasn't looking for a fight, not anymore. Rae's words had stayed with her, and with all that had happened AFTER their encounter earlier? ]

Zach was attacked and nearly murdered by the renegade goddess, Persephone, the one who pretends to be the sister of Black Widow. Alycia and I went to his aid, and Alycia was mortally wounded.

But they both survive.

I'm here now because Rose came to me in my dream. She asked me to come here to talk to her, and to see Katie.

How is she? How is JAKE?

[ She looked at Rae for a moment]

You were right. I'm not the woman I was when Rose first met me, but that doesn't change how I feel about her. I DO care about her, and I want to help. I admit that I didn't understand...but thanks to you, Alycia and I are BOTH well on that path now.

 

[Recall]

The Clocktower

Oracle: "I need this whole mess to be over and for everyone to be safe. I'M fine - but I'm worried. We're no closer to fixing this than we were yesterday."

Ashley: "We are way closer. We just need to get some sleep, rally the troops in the morning, then find those bitches and barbecue them."

:: Vivica's eyes lit up as she looked of into the distance, reflectively. ::

"Ahh...SLEEP..."

:: Looking back at the group. ::

"Remember SLEEP?!"

:: Vivica received a message in her com link as the message scrawled across her contact lens. ::

>> I am sorry, BELIEVE me. Love you to Viv. Be advised, I plan to breath continuously for awhile, and I probably won't make it out to the Clocktower until tomorrow, IF they let me leave the infirmary in the morning.

:: She smiled, relieved. It may have not been his voice, but it meant that was he up and about or at least in stable condition and that gave her a great deal of comfort. ::

To Zach >> Then rest up..I'll have some refreshments couriered to you within the hour. Both of you could use a good meal. Keep in touch.

:: Vivica turned back to the group as Tachyon upated Oracle about the kids and The Sanctuary. ::

"Zach just made contact via com link. He's good."

:: She saw the others drinking beer and it made her furiously jealous. ::

Steel: “Maybe that’s not too bad an idea. I’ll gladly take this fight to them, and I know Sharon and Isis are up for dealing out payback. Depending on how Sharon’s meeting with Rose goes…if the both of them would join us, we’d have a pretty strong chance in that fight…”

:: As the team began to discuss things, Vivica hopped up on the counter quickly and pulled a half empty bottle of blush colored wine and popped the cork. ::

"Bingo!"

:: Quickly she poured a glass. ::

Titan: "I disagree. We need to focus on protecting our people and making sure no one else gets caught out alone."

Tachyon: "Say...anyone up for dinner? I can whip up a Shepherd's Pie in record time. or we can order pizza and I can get it and bring it back still piping hot. Any takers."

"That sounds better than sex right now. I say pizza. I was wanting to get something taken over to Charope for Zach and Alycia. Everybody could use the healing powers of delicious pizza."

:: sipping her wine she exhaled deeply and shook her shoulders for a moment. She needed this. ::

"I gotta side with Andrew on this one. We keep getting blindsided. Rose is on a path of vengeance right now. She's relaxed, but there is no way in Hell that she isn't going after Scion with everything she's got. She's made contact with us and we have eyes on the place...we just have to keep them on the place until she makes a move. She almost destroyed Haleigh before...I think she deserves a second chance at it. And if she could..."

:: smirking towards Oracle. ::

"Language alert, Ziz."

:: turning back to the group. ::

"If she could make one more stop to zap that stupid, miserable...fucking *biting* BITCH of a woman, Ava Cassadine into oblivion all the BETTER..I swear if that bitch lays another hand on anybody I care about..All I need is about two hours to research and I can come up with about 46,000 ways to destroy a goddess. Even if it means pricking my finger, slaughtering a chicken and praying to Satan, I'll FIGURE IT OUT."

:: she gained her composure, and then cracked a cheesy smile. ::

"Sorry!"

:: furrowing her brow. ::

"And at SOME point The Six is going to have to do some lifting of their OWN. We can't keep shouldering the burden of this stupid war they've started. When I left Blaze it seemed as if she was going to rally the troops. I can make contact and see if anything has come from that..."

 

[Persephone]

Alek: “Would you care for some wine? I have a bottle of Chateau Margaux 2009 Balthazar?”

"Thank you."

She accepted his offer as he began to open the bottle, pouring two glasses. He handed her one before sitting, positioning himself to face her. Swirling the glass so the wine could breathe, she took a slow sip allowing the notes to satisfy her tongue. Persephone then watched Alek turn his head away at her question about Ashley; she in turn gently shook her head. Got you there. He didn't immediately answer why Persephone should trust that SHE wouldn't end up the same way Ashley did--cast out and banished. Or worse, KILLED if Helena saw fit.

Alek: “I guess you don’t.”


She didn't feel the need to respond, instead she took a longer taste of the wine. It was then she noticed a small smile appear on this lips causing her eyebrows to raise just a bit.

Alek: “Can you honestly tell me, that in over three thousand years on this earth, you haven’t learned to read people? That you don’t know whether I’m telling you the truth or not?”

It was Persephone's turn to smile.

"I have."

She simply stated before her face became more serious.

"But I also know people wear many masks. They let you see what you want to see."

That caused Alek to pause, turning away once again. Persephone kept her eyes on him, watching him as he began to speak about Ashley and their relationship within the Hellfire Club. Apparently he resembled a love she once had and somehow believed she could find that same love with him. Obviously he felt something for Ashley, but it didn't match what she felt for him. Their relationship seemed to be very one sided...very much built up in Ashley's mind. Persephone placed her wine glass down on the coffee table before adjusting herself so she was facing him more. It was obvious that Alek had cared for Ashley, but not enough to leave with her when Helena cast her out of the Hellfire Club.

Alek: “She failed on a mission. And Helena threw her out. And Helena watched me to see what I would do. But what I felt for Ashley was nothing compared to what I owed Helena. So she went, and I stayed, and I did my duty which was to shun her. And that’s why I don’t want that to happen to you, too. Because I’m not sure I could let you go.”

Persephone's lips parted slightly, taken aback by his admission. But then the sudden realization of what he admitted hit her causing her to immediately move up to his face, her finger gently pressing against his lips.

"Shhh..."

She searched his eyes for any indication of him understanding.

"They're watching."

She mouthed between them, knowing that at any given time Mystique could be around....or any other form of hidden equipment or scrying pool. Her dark eyes remained locked on his, softer than usual as she ran her hand along his jaw line. There was no urgency to fuck--to slam him down and roughly ravage his lips like she normally would have. Instead she allowed herself to savor the moment....the closeness...the anticipation. But she also knew they WERE watching, and even a moment like this would be used as a weapon. Alek seemed to be on the same page as he slipped his hand under her backside lifting her, Persephone moving with him until she was straddling him--now looking down at him. Their lips still hadn't touched, their stare still unbroken. Slowly settling down onto his lap, they were now in perfect level with each other, her hands on either side of his face. The intensity of the moment was overwhelming....Finally, Persephone's lip pressed against his, parting into a passionate kiss.

 

[Artemis]

Charope, LLC.

::FLASH!::

:: The Amazon BACK FLIPS off of Persephone and the car roof, landing with the grace of a cat onto the ground in a 3 point position, before turning and sprining toward Zach, as he lay on the safety pad created by Dome.

AIRCRAFT.

:: She commands, as Dome shimmers and SHIFTS back into aircraft form and is ready for her to load Zach inside so that she can get him out of here.::

:: She closes in on Zach with AMAZING speed, as an amazon is capable of outrunning a cheetah. She's CONFIDENT that she'll move faster than Persephone's recovery time, and be airborn in dome, before the goddess is on her feet::

Hang on, Zach...I'm coming!

Rolling off the car and hitting the glassy concrete below, she saw Alycia start running to Zach's aid with incredible speeds. Speeds that Persephone wouldn't be able to match even if she hadn't just fallen from a 12 story building. Crawling to her knees, Persephone unholstered her Mystic Dagger, her breathing labored in fury.

Charope! WATCH OUT!

Cocking her arm back, she sent the dagger FLYING with perfect aim and direction, SLAMMING into Alycia's back. Upon impact, a concussive mystic green energy PULSED out like a shockwave, KNOCKING Alycia to the ground and sending her sliding feet from Zach.

"I'm going to send you back to Themyscira in PIECES!!"

Holding her hand out, like magnets her mystic daggers would ALWAYS return to her when called. The dagger anchored to Alycia's body with it's mystic energy, DRAGGING her body back toward Persephone, the goddess eyes BLACK with fury and bloodlust.

PAIN...GODDESS...THE PAIN!!!

:: But even as Charope SCREAMED and fell, half dead from Persephone's vicious attack, her amazonian constitution, a state of being made possible by the goddesses, SAVED her from instant death. She was UNAWARE of what happened after Persephone struck her down, but her own strength of will somehow carrying her over until...::

Let the winds sweep relief over her,
let the light of the goddess shine and kiss her,
Oh Charope....Brilliant Confrontation...Daughter of Athena
Let your wounds, be HEALED

:: the spinning circle of protection spins faster, as rays of light beam up around it, and a golden column of light shines down upon Alycia while winds howl. Another loud chime, and a brilliant flash of light, and soon::

Alycia...is restored...

:: Alycia was everywhere, and no where. But the pain was gone, and somehow, she felt WHOLE again. But she wasn't quite ready to wake up just then. She needed time, and the Silver Swan watched over her to make sure she had that time to rest, to recover.::

:: Unlike Sharon, Alycia's dream scape changed, and as she came closer and close to consciousness, the dreams...or "MEMORY replays" became more intense.::

:: She dreamed....her dream was more like reliving a memory...how interesting...that it was tied to Persephone, or rather AVA. ::

:: And after that? Alycia's hazel eyes began to flutter, as they finally OPENED::

Ohhhhh....

:: She heard the chiming of a monitor on the wall, and her eyes were drawn to it. There was a MESSAGE on it!::

:: She looked at Andrew for a moment. Vivica knew there were things to do at The Clocktower. She knew couldn't leave just yet, so she mentally clicked into her com link, sending a message to Alycia and Zach separately. ::

>> To Alycia: "Thank you...I mean it, Alycia. Thank you. I love you. I'm here if you need me. I mean it."

Vivica....

:: She sensed the sincerity behind that message, and knowing that Vivica thought...CARED enough to send it, it signified how far those two had come in their personal relationship.::

:: She then noticed the mystic flower on her bedside. the colors in it...particularly the hint of violet, along with the cool, "ICY" (yet soothing ) aura it gave off suggested that....::

Spellbinder was here?

:: She held the flower close, and took in it's beautiful, bewitching scent. It felt SO good to breathe in deeply, to be breathing at all, to FEEL, to know that she was ALIVE.::

:: As she exhaled and stretched, she was slightly startled to find...::

Oh my god! ZACH!

:: Sitting beside her.::

You're OKAY!

:: She reached right over and wrapped her arms around him as her feminum bracelets shimmered. She hugged him tightly:

The healing plant worked! It helped you to hang on until ISIS could save you!

Oh thank the goddess you're alive!

:: After she releases him, she holds the mysterious magick flower, one that couldnt have possibly been GROWN by any mortal on earth, in her hand::

I've had a visitor while I was ....out.

:: She appreciated knowing that Morgan had come.::

And on the monitor....

:: The message from Vivica....::

I never thought I'd EVER be glad to see communication from Vivica. But I am.

:: Things had changed. THEY had changed.::

I'm very glad to see you, Zach.

 

[Tachyon]

Better than SEX? Pizza it is! I am a visitor here, mostly. Someone who knows the city get us maybe.......Rich is at Charope.....20 tasty large pies and I will take them 15 and bring us 5 perhaps? Once they get ready it won't take long. And we can eat and then perhaps rest and get to the asskicking in the morn?

Xavier finished his beer and got another one from the fridge, tossing one to Andrew and Vivica and Ashley each.

Though I am inclined to say that we need to draw them out and then get to the killing. Never stir a spider in her web, hitting the HC directly seems unwise overall. Unless you have a damned good plan to hit at them there, do the job and get out clean I think we should cover our people, stick close and monitor for when we can hit at them out and about.

And another swig of beer.

Do we have a tactical contact with them? Vivica, you are closer to them than anyone. Is there someone there you could talk business with? Someone who could plan something with us or find a way for us to share at least information if not plans?

 

[Jezebel]

Outside The Sanctuary - Taking A Moment

:: The children were at peace as she finished the last bit of her song. As they faded into the obscurity that was the other side, Rae continued to strum and sing, leaning against the light post. It was an almost peaceful moment, singing under the cover of night to nobody but herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she began to make out a form coming to her. She continued to play as the form came even closer to her. ::

[ Sharon heard Rae's soulful, and thoughtful singing, as she looped wide, and finally descended with perfect form, landing just before Rae. ]

[ The Silver Swan looked a lot less combative than the first time, Rae encountered her. Sharon wasn't looking for a fight, not anymore. Rae's words had stayed with her, and with all that had happened AFTER their encounter earlier? ]

Zach was attacked and nearly murdered by the renegade goddess, Persephone, the one who pretends to be the sister of Black Widow. Alycia and I went to his aid, and Alycia was mortally wounded.

But they both survive.

I'm here now because Rose came to me in my dream. She asked me to come here to talk to her, and to see Katie.

How is she? How is JAKE?

[ She looked at Rae for a moment]

You were right. I'm not the woman I was when Rose first met me, but that doesn't change how I feel about her. I DO care about her, and I want to help. I admit that I didn't understand...but thanks to you, Alycia and I are BOTH well on that path now.

:: Rae pulled the guitar from over her shoulder and sat it down next to her, eyeing the woman up and down, impressed with what she had just seen. ::

"Okay? That whole flyin' bit? Fuckin' impressive, darlin. You'll have to teach me sometime."

"Persephone."

:: And that's where the pomegranate seeds were coming from earlier. Rae had never met Persephone, and when she saw the strain in Zach's aura, she knew he would be in mortal danger, but even somebody as well travelled and battle worn as Rae was, she certainly didn't expect that he would be attacked by a GODDESS. She wasn't even aware that the old gods still played with the humans in this way any more. Most of them seemed to have forgotten Earth altogether. For a moment she felt bad that she hadn't said anything to warn the man, but it wasn't her job to prevent fate from happening. If she had prevented that by letting them know, perhaps Sharon would not be speaking with the awareness she was speaking with now. It may have come from tragedy, but often times, that is where growth and knowledge came from. ::

"I'm glad your friends are okay, Sharon."

:: Sharon was an impressive woman in every sense of the word. As Rae stood before her, she felt a rush of psychic energy, so many different impressions of all of the things this woman had been through to be where she was right now. She had suffered so much loss. She was what the psychic world considered as "two souled". Those who had somehow survived deaths, and returned to their bodies. Their soul was the same, but there was a body mind disconnect that they often struggled with. Rae could see this in Sharon, and though she didn't feel it OFTEN with strangers, Rae felt a bit of compassion for her. Rae herself had lived life at the very edge, making so many mistakes, going through so much loneliness, depression, regression, maladaptive behavior, salvation, sin - the whole gambit. She saw somewhat of a kindred spirit in the woman, though what she had endured and survived was far greater than anything Rae had gone through in her life, at least from the outside looking in. ::

"Rose let me know she was planning on callin' ya. I've been out here keeping the "kids" company.."

:: Pulling her jacket close to her, she pulled out her pack of American Spirit cigarettes, lit one and took a drag, blowing smoke from the side of her mouth away from Sharon. ::

"Jake is fine. Rose put him back together, and I glued him shut, so to speak. He's gonna make it. We're all survivors here."

Sharon: "You were right. I'm not the woman I was when Rose first met me, but that doesn't change how I feel about her. I DO care about her, and I want to help. I admit that I didn't understand...but thanks to you, Alycia and I are BOTH well on that path now."

:: taking a drag and exhaling. ::

"You wanna help Rose...then you gotta understand something about her. She wants revenge...but she won't survive gettin' it. Not in the way that she wants to now. That dark, tingly aspect of her power, there's a COST to channelin' it...just like everytime I open myself to the other side, there's a risk I won't come back. You know Rose. What her life's work is..In order to keep doin' that..to keep thriving the way she has been...is to keep that part of herself that makes her such a bright soul. I'm afraid if she succeeds in striking down this black widow, that all she has worked for will be lost. That she will blame herself until the end of time...that she will lose focus on these kids..and lose them, which will only send her further down the rabbit hole..."

:: Rae grabbed Sharon's shoulders on either side. ::

"But somethin' tells me YOU are strong enough to do this..and live with it. You are a WHIRLWIND of power..."

:: She looked down and to the side as if she were listening to somebody talk into her ear. ::

"Alleo."

:: Rae smiled. ::

"You need to look after her...and you need to make sure that whatever plan it is she comes up with, that you create an EXIT strategy for her. A way to separate her. I can't destroy a girl like ROSE, but I can BLOCK her for a few moments, hopefully long enough to bring her back from the brink. I think she DOES need to go through this..and I am not one to try and fuck with destiny, but I'm willin' to at least try when it comes to my Rosie Q. And that's saying something. So help her...but PROTECT her..and not just physically. Protect her heart. protect her soul...protect her petals."

:: Sharon nodded as she walked past the woman and towards the Sanctuary. ::

"Sharon."

:: The woman spun around on her heels as Rae walked over to her, not before flicking her cigarette on the ground. ::

"You know...there's nothing wrong with being different than you were. You gotta adapt to survive..I get it. But there's parts of you that will never change...that are ALWAYS there...sometimes those aspects of you gotta sink so the ones that keep you alive can swim..."

"There's something about you...I like. That I trust. You're a full bodied kind of woman..and there's not that many of us old bitches left like that in this world..."

:: She grabbed Rose's hands. ::

"Now...I don't normally do this...not my business to meddle unless it's asked for but...there's been somebody in my ear the moment I laid eyes on you that wants to say hello...and to be honest? I think he might be able to get some of those things that SANK in you back up to the surface...don't let go of my hands..."

:: Rae closed her eyes as she focused on the voice in her ear. A soft and chipper voice of a young boy. Sharon Kelly's son - Kyle. Though Sharon was looking at Rae, somehow she could see herself and Rae somewhere different altogether in her mind. It was a beautiful and lush garden that looked like it was almost a part of the garden of eden or somewhere just as beautiful. Standing next to Rae was Kyle. Her silver eyes rested on the visage of her son as Rae could feel a TUG from Sharon's hands. She clenched them tighter. ::

"Don't fight it, ladybird. You need this."

:: In their mind though standing in front of The Sanctuary, Rae was using her connection to the other side to bring Sharon to a place that was in between this world and the other side, a safe place. The boy ran forward and JUMPED into Sharon's arms. ::

Kyle: "MOM! Mommy! It's me! It's me! It's KYLE! You look so pretty!"

:: Rae smiled as she continued to be the conduit for this moment. She was an observant, not a participant and the interaction would unfold exactly as it needed to. Rae could tell that Sharon was desperate to connect to some part of herself that felt long lost and non existent. Sharon had reminded Rae in this moment that sometimes it was good to get involved in other people's business, especially when it looked like this. ::

 

[Spellbinder]

Charope- Alycia's office

You say Cameron didn't WANT to hurt Alycia? He probably should've worked on not DECIEVING her or wasting her time either.

<< it was jarring, to hear Morgan basically say the idea of Cameron and Alycia being together was a sham from the start, but that's JUST what she believed.>>

I've been watching Haleigh and Cameron since "day 1."

Neither one of them has ever known how to KEEP someone who's truly GOOD for them, because their hearts, their very SOULS have been set on each other ever since our very first caper.

Alison probably UNKNOWINGLY put them on the path that would LEAD them to what they did to Alycia when she used her precognition to set them up to either be killed by the ant lions in the citadle and then captured by Imagiomg. The seeds for their BAD ROMANCE were planted during that time. They've been growing ever since.

I was reminded of just how AWFUL Cameron can be shortly after I returned to earth recently, and I recall watching as Haleigh antagonized me following her psionic possession induced affair with Nicolas.

They bring out the WORST in each other, and they both LOVE the ugly, the intolerable in one another in a way no one else could.

Alycia...AND Zach have become collateral damage.

How AWFUL must Alycia feel now?! And what about Zach!?

We HAVE to help them pick up the pieces. They're our family! It doesn't matter if the two of them...OR Sharon are on the Birds of Prey...WE are their family.

<< Morgan did sound a bit territorial when it came to the topic of Zach, Alycia and Sharon being on the Birds of Prey. Delilah realized in that moment that Morgan hadn't actually MET Oracle or the team proper yet!>>

Delilah gave Morgan a tired but amused smile.

“Oh, yeah? And just how are you going to do that, pray tell?”

<< Morgan leaned back in her seat, and crossed her long, smooth, flawless legs at the knee.>>

I am Sorceress Supreme.

<< She smiled rather widely at Delilah, as her violet eyes began to glow and a flash of that "Darkchilde" visage appeared across her face, and her voice briefly changes, sounding like it did in the dream time event that they shared>>

I rule an eldritch dimension from which ALL times and places are possible.

Do you think MALICE is going to have the final word on what happens to MY family?

I could move that entire MANSION to Limbo if I wanted.

<< Delilah knew this was no idle boast on Morgan's part. But as quickly as she flashed that "darkchilde" aspect of herself, she returned to normal JUST as quickly>>

But there is more at stake that prevents me from just...dropping the HAMMER on Malice and the rest of the Inner Circle.

Delilah, we've been friends since childhood.

You remember my father. You know what he's done to me, my sisters, my mom.

Even NOW, he haunts me, my mother, and my sisters...and he's been DAMNED to Limbo for some time now!

And APPARENTLY, not even death, or ABSENCE can keep them safe from the machinations of individuals in the Hellfire Club.

<<FROST!>>

I know with certainty now that the time for me to return to the earth and TRULY assert my power as this world's Sorceress Supreme was NOW, and rest assured, I AM going to put a stop to this.

I've been in Limbo, doing some "RESEARCH."

Malice either FORGOT, or doesn't REALIZE that the Victory sisters have a special gift, one that goes BEYOND our individual powers, one that goes beyond the ELEMENTAL legacy left to us by our shared father (Spellbinder- Wind; Firebird- Fire; Frost- Ice/Water; Black Widow- Earth/Metal).

<< She looked at Delilah for a moment, giving her old friend a moment to realize just WHAT she was referring to. Someone like Cameron or Rampage would have thought about it sooner, were it not for the unimaginable stress levels they'd been facing since the truthbomb about Haleigh was dropped, but Delilah had been in Morgan's life since childhood, and whatever her feelings about Blaze, there was a special bond between the sisters, made possible by that telempathic rapport!>>

It's something that no one, not even MALICE can touch, and THAT is my way in.

I can't tell you any more about this just now, Delilah. This...exploration that I'm conducting, it has to be subtle, it has to be QUIET. Malice CAN'T read my mind, but yours, and even Haleigh's are visible to her. I could only confide in BLAZE a little of what I'm doing just now because of that very thing, but what I have told her, she's in full agreement with, and having her support in this is important.

<< She pauses for a moment>>

I...wish I had been here to HELP Frost. To SAVE her...and to PROTECT my mother from Talisman!

And that's the OTHER thing, Delilah! TALISMAN!

EVER the opportunist, she was only able to GET here because of the wild fluctuations during the BLUE MOON, and she HID on Sheena Island for sometime, until DIANA found her. She was able to convince Diana to give her a chance, and apparently her ATTACK on my mother was part of that "prove it" process.

Well...

<< Balling her hand into a fist as a halo of dark magick forms around it>>

You remember what i did to WITCHFIRE when Valiant battled the Axis of Evil?

<<FLASH!>>

<< Rapid montage images of Spellbinder, as she appeared on the London based team, Valiant, VIOLENTLY lashing out at Witchfire with her magickal powers. >>

I DRAGGED that ...cheap STAGE MAGICIAN across the battle field, and I'll do the SAME THING to Talisman for what she did to my mother and my sisters!

<< She said with force as she stood up and turned away. Her ANGER over that situation was quite apparent. After staring at the fire in the fireplace for a few moments...>>

Thank you for being there for...WITH my mother during all of that, Delilah.

Even though you hated me and Blaze...

<< Blaze. Delilah and She were still on the outs, and there was nothing Karen or Morgan could do at this point and neither one of them was happy about it. BUT Blaze had resolved to work around Delilah, and just shelve anything else regarding their former friendship. >>

<< sigh>>

I didn't want to resume a role of leadership in the Six. Ironically, it was in the dream time that I told HALEIGH that I had no intention of resuming my leadership role in the Six. But I AM, this situation requires me too. But I don't want to make the same mistakes I made when Alison and I were scrambling ahead of the Blue Moon.

Blaze gathered us all in the War Room earlier to tell us about Black Widow's attack on Rose's sanctuary. That's where we were when word about Persephone's attack on Zach and Alycia reached us.

We were discussing the situation...BEFORE that development...and a concensus was beginning to form.

KILL TEAMS, Delilah.

The tactical analysis by Arsenal regarding who would be best suited to take down either Black Widow or Persephone was SOUND, and I doubt anyone other than Harbinger HERSELF could have come up with a better plan than the one he submitted.

I'm generally in agreement with the groupings for each one of them, BUT I did not explicitly endorse a full "KILL ON SIGHT" approach.

As I told you earlier, I've been in Limbo.

<< Doing MORE than just "researching" but that was another topic all together.>>

And I ...i've been thinking about the legacy of my father. I've ALSO OBSERVED what Malice has been doing to Haleigh and Persephone within the Hellfire Mansion.

If Haleigh HAS to die?- and don't misunderstand me. I'm not going into this with rose colored glasses. She has pretty much FORFEITED her right to any consideration from us- but if THIS is how it has to be? It will be by the hand of her SISTERS, myself, and Blaze. No one else.

Cameron INSISTED that you be told, and involved in the discussion, but you weren't there...for obvious and UNDERSTANDABLE reasons. That's part of why I'm here now.

I know that he's...ALTERED himself in order to cope with this situation, not just Haleigh, but the fallout from Alycia, Sharon and Vivica too, and to be more...battle ready. It was a drastic measure for him to take.

<< But there Morgan sat, flashing and FLAUNTING her "dark soul" and dressing in a way Delilah hadn't seen since the days of Valiant...or the night before the INFERNO. yet just as she had appeared in the dream time during the battle against Badiane, she seemed MUCH more self assured, and in control.>>

But we're ALL adpating to this new world that they've lead us into, aren't we?

What they don't expect...is that SOME of us have the power to UPEND the world they've attempted to put us in. In an odd way, I believe Cameron has decided to take an approach similar to Alison, but I doubt ALISON wanted him to go this route. She is the way she is because that's her NATURE, not his.. Still, what's done is done...and Haleigh is NOT going to be expecting the Cameron she is confronted with. And whatever reservations he may have had about striking Haleigh OR Persephone down before, are no longer present in him.

<< She leaned forward toward Delilah>>

But he was adamant that you be made aware, be included in all of this, and there's no reason why you SHOULDN'T be. I HAVEN'T forgotten the mistake that I made before, Delilah, and while I'm avoiding a repeat of it this time...I CAN'T let ANYONE interfere with me doing what I MUST when that time comes.

CHRISTOPHER did this. He set this in motion long ago...and while my mom, myself, Firebird and even Frost continue to be haunted and vexed by him, now HALEIGH is encompassed by it.

I've been WATCHING her via my scrying glass, she IS suffering and I know what she wants...and how far she's willing to go to get it. I will SET HER FREE from this world before I let it get to that point, Delilah, and before I let her hurt ANYONE ELSE we care about.

She didn't ASK for her life, and if nothing else...I'll make it so that NO ONE ELSE can pervert it anymore than they already have. I OWE that to her as her sister.

<< She continued to pace slowly around the room.>>

Then there's Persephone. Again, a "KILL TEAM" has been proposed for her, and I agree with the roster. But I have....insight on HER as well, considering her relationship with my cross time alternate, the Darkchilde, as well as HECATE herself.

Which reminds me...when I looked in on Zach, I saw the scars he know bares from the attack by Persephone's mystic daggers. Those mystical burns came from Hecate's power within the daggers.

Isis chose not to assert more of HER power to wipe them away because it would have made the healing process more traumatic for Zach.

But as Hecate's daughter and avatar, I could sense their origns as soon as I laid eyes on him, and before I leave here, I'm going to ask him if he wants ME to remove them.

He was sleeping when I looked in on him earlier. They all were. I can't even RECALL the last time I saw SHARON do something like....SLEEP...

I'll stay here with you for as long as you like.

 

[Berserker]

The Hellfire Mansion - Red Knight's Quarters

Her finger touched his lips and it was like silk.

”Shhh...They're watching."

“They’re always watching…” he whispered.

He held her gaze as she touched his face. He wanted to reach out and take her, but he restrained himself. He realized then that he didn’t just desire her, like he had so many others, but he needed her. She was so close and not putting his hands on her was agony, but he also didn’t want this to end.

He slowly slid his hand under her ass, lifting her so that she was on top of him. Both of her hands were touching his face, and he never looked away from those eyes. She settled into him, and she could feel how much he wanted her. He moved his face forward several times, but their lips never touched.

Until Persephone’s mouth was finally on his. It was like he had been suffocating and kissing her was a deep breath of air. His arms wrapped around her. It felt so good, having her this close to him.

When they pulled apart he whispered her name and kissed her again, one of his hands sliding up into her hair. He touched his forehead to hers and whispered against her lips.

“Let me make love to you.”

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower

They seem fine. A bit scared but Isis put the babies to rest and the others were cheered up by play. I think they will be OK.

“Oh, thank heavens. Great job, you all.”

She and Vivica started discussing what was to be done, and the others chimed in. Ashley and John were all for going to get Black Widow and Persephone and breaking them each in two, while Andrew advocated caution, and Xavier a blending of the two.

"I gotta side with Andrew on this one. We keep getting blindsided. Rose is on a path of vengeance right now. She's relaxed, but there is no way in Hell that she isn't going after Scion with everything she's got. She's made contact with us and we have eyes on the place...we just have to keep them on the place until she makes a move. She almost destroyed Haleigh before... "

Zizi shook her head.

“We can’t just sit back and let Rose do this for us while we run and hide. We are ALL stronger together than separately.”

" I think she deserves a second chance at it. And if she could...If she could make one more stop to zap that stupid, miserable...fucking *biting* BITCH of a woman, Ava Cassadine into oblivion all the BETTER..I swear if that bitch lays another hand on anybody I care about…All I need is about two hours to research and I can come up with about 46,000 ways to destroy a goddess. Even if it means pricking my finger, slaughtering a chicken and praying to Satan, I'll FIGURE IT OUT."

Zizi smiled brightly at Viv, the cogs working.

“THAT is exactly what we need.”

[at the others’ looks]

“Not the chicken and Satan part…but we need to level the playing field. Xavier is right, we’re not going to march down to the Hellfire Mansion – that would be suicide, no matter HOW strong our allies are. But we can bide our time while we protect ourselves. I need a day or two to come up with something to neutralize Black Widow’s abilities. Viv, you work on how we stop a goddess.”

"And at SOME point The Six is going to have to do some lifting of their OWN. We can't keep shouldering the burden of this stupid war they've started. When I left Blaze it seemed as if she was going to rally the troops. I can make contact and see if anything has come from that..."

“Good, do that. I’m all for putting as many from both our teams on this as we can. BUT”

She addressed the group now.

“I won’t let them drag us down with them. If they are set on imploding… We can’t get caught up in their petty squabbles. This threat affects us all, and we need to take care of it – but if we have to do it alone, we will. We are just as good, if not better, than the Six. I don’t want any of you thinking otherwise.”

She looked back at Vivica.

"I spoke with Sharon for a bit at Charope. If she was meeting with Rose...we need to know what they've decided to do. I'm very afraid that Sharon will try to do something on her own and get herself killed."

 

[Orion]

Charope, LLC -- The Infirmary

Sharon: Zachary....how long have you been in this room?

"I don't know... a little while."

He replied cautiously, sitting up and looking for her anger. It wasn't as bad as before, but he fully expected it to ramp up as quickly as it always did with her.

Sharon: It's just as well...I shouldn't have tried to keep you away from Alycia. She would want you to be here. She would want to know you survived. I don't want to hurt you. I just...don't understand why you're doing what you're doing when it comes to Haleigh and Persephone. I don't understand why you won't listen.

"Haleigh and AVA need help, Sharon. I can't turn my back on them. If it were you instead of them? I'd do the same for you."

Sharon: I have to leave, right now. Rose needs me. She called to me in my dreams. Delilah is here, and so is Morgan.

He nodded, standing from his chair as she rose from hers.

"Good, I need to talk to them."

Sharon spoke on Alycia, and how she was doing, and that she'd be happy to see him when she woke up. He looked down at Alycia kindly.

"It's a good thing Isis was here this time."

Sharon: Don't squander the gift that Isis bestowed upon you, Zachary.

"I don't intend to, Sharon. Take care out there."

He said as she left the room. He walked over to the window, looked outside for a while, then returned to the bedside, when he noticed Alycia was looking around. She stretched and discovered him suddenly.

Alycia: Oh my god! ZACH! You're OKAY!

He smiled, and sat on the edge of the bed next to her, taking her into a hug gratefully.

"Yes, thanks to YOU. Persephone surely would have killed me if you hadn't been there."

Alycia: The healing plant worked! It helped you to hang on until ISIS could save you! Oh thank the goddess you're alive! I've had a visitor while I was ....out. And on the monitor.... I never thought I'd EVER be glad to see communication from Vivica. But I am. I'm very glad to see you, Zach.

"It's good you finally came around to Vivica, she's a good person, you know. And I'm glad to see you too. They told me you were hurt, I was afraid we'd lose you, because of me. I'm sorry, Alycia. I'm sorry Persephone attacked you. I feel like an idiot for running right into her trap alone, but I.... I went for Ava, I thought.... I thought she was going to take her own life, like my mother did. I stopped thinking about my own safety after that."

He slid off the edge of the bed, and back into the arm chair beside it.

"Alright, listen. My near death experience has motivated me to make amends, so I've got some things I need to say, and maybe we can come back to understanding each other, Alycia. I think you're operating under some incorrect assumptions about the dynamic between Haleigh and myself. Recently, I realized neither of us were happy, and we'd grown apart, and that she was stringing me along because she didn't want to hurt me, and I was letting her do it because I didn't want to let her go. So I ended it last week, and that was fucking HARD, because I had to accept that even though I loved her with all my heart, she'd given HER heart to HIM [Cameron], long before she gave him her body, and to me, that's worse than them just sleeping together."

Talking about it was becoming more difficult, and he had to stop to clear his throat.

"So please, believe me when I say that I understand why you feel betrayed by them, because I've had to feel HER emotions about it for a long time, and I'm just now coming to terms with it. So for the record, this isn't about sex for me, not when it comes to her, okay? I don't want to be her lover anymore, I can't subject myself to that torment, but that doesn't change the way I feel about her as an actual PERSON. How could I NOT love her, still? Despite her defection, despite my HORROR with regards to what she's OBVIOUSLY being coerced to do, I have FAITH in her, because I KNOW that deep down, pinned beneath the MONSTER she's becoming to power her way through this, she LOVES us all enough to do whatever she thinks it takes, and she will go to the ends of the UNIVERSE for the people she cares about. I mean come on, we're talking about a woman who has laid down her life for one of ours several times before-- and she will probably do it several times more, after we RESCUE HER from the hell she's in."

He searched her eyes for a moment, and reached to take her hand.

"I KNOW that you can understand the way I feel, Alycia..... because I know it's the same way YOU FEEL..... about Sharon. You'd NEVER give up on Sharon, not while there was a breath left in your lungs, not even if it seemed like she went completely insane and rampaged through the city again. And I would never ask you to forsake her, because I know what it means to love someone THAT MUCH. So even if you are upset with Haleigh for what she's done --that's fine, you have every right-- but I need you to cut ME some slack here, because I can't hate her, OR Ava..... when I know they are suffering."

Was she even listening? He only had one thing left to try. Would it wreck Haleigh's plan? Probably. But deep down he knew he didn't want her to succeed, not like this, not if it meant they would all lose her forever.

"I know that you think Haleigh's evil, end of story.... but you only see what she's SHOWN YOU. You're reacting exactly the way she WANTS YOU TO, you haven't even tried to look deeper. Malice is CLEARLY forcing her to attack us -- but CAN'T you see what she's doing? She's not just blindly attacking WHOEVER. Her moves thus far have been strategic. She's on a SUICIDE MISSION, Alycia. She's making sure you ALL have a reason to fight her! She needs you all to hate her, she wants you all to kill her. And I can prove it to you. That sex tape she sent me had a MESSAGE. I wouldn't be surprised if she gave Bishop a message too, one way or another. We need a proper debriefing from him on exactly what was said and how the confrontation happened, start to finish."

 

[MorningStar]

Charope – Alycia’s Office

”You say Cameron didn't WANT to hurt Alycia? He probably should've worked on not DECIEVING her or wasting her time either.”

“You’re right. But we don’t always make the right choices, Morgan. You of all people should know that doesn’t make us terrible people.”

I've been watching Haleigh and Cameron since "day 1." Neither one of them has ever known how to KEEP someone who's truly GOOD for them, because their hearts, their very SOULS have been set on each other ever since our very first caper.

Delilah looked off into the distance.

“Maybe if they had allowed themselves to be together long ago…maybe none of this would have happened.”

I was reminded of just how AWFUL Cameron can be shortly after I returned to earth recently, and I recall watching as Haleigh antagonized me following her psionic possession induced affair with Nicolas.

“But Cameron can also be WONDERFUL. And you forgave Haleigh for that – and Nicolas, I might add.”

Funny how she always blamed Haleigh for her affair with Nicolas, but HE got a pass. HE was the one supposedly in a relationship…

They bring out the WORST in each other, and they both LOVE the ugly, the intolerable in one another in a way no one else could.

“Only more reason they should have been with each other.”

Alycia...AND Zach have become collateral damage. How AWFUL must Alycia feel now?! And what about Zach!?

“My heart goes out to both of them. It’s not an easy situation, by any means. But Alycia has US to get her through this. And we will.”

We HAVE to help them pick up the pieces. They're our family! It doesn't matter if the two of them...OR Sharon are on the Birds of Prey...WE are their family.

Delilah smiled.

“Of course we are.”

The mention of the Birds of Prey reminded Delilah of something.

“You’ll like them Morgan – the new team. Well, most of them anyway.”

Thinking of Valkyrie – she was a good fighter, but a total skank bitch.

“They fought valiantly to help Karen at the Citadel.”

Moving on to the subject of Morgan’s plan.

Do you think MALICE is going to have the final word on what happens to MY family? I could move that entire MANSION to Limbo if I wanted.

She took on the visage of Darkchilde, something Delilah had seen before. It worried her. Was Morgan too losing her grip? Too many others seemed to be…

“So do it.”

But no, the expression of Darkchilde ceased then. Perhaps Morgan had gotten greater control of it during her time away?

But there is more at stake that prevents me from just...dropping the HAMMER on Malice and the rest of the Inner Circle.

So Morgan wasn’t as quick as some to sentence Haleigh and Ava to death. That was interesting. And surprising in some ways.

I know with certainty now that the time for me to return to the earth and TRULY assert my power as this world's Sorceress Supreme was NOW, and rest assured, I AM going to put a stop to this.

“Just know that you don’t have to do it alone.”

Morgan doing as she saw fit…without the others’ input…it sounded familiar.

I've been in Limbo, doing some "RESEARCH." Malice either FORGOT, or doesn't REALIZE that the Victory sisters have a special gift, one that goes BEYOND our individual powers, one that goes beyond the ELEMENTAL legacy left to us by our shared father (Spellbinder- Wind; Firebird- Fire; Frost- Ice/Water; Black Widow- Earth/Metal).

Delilah looked up at her in realization.

“Your bond as sisters.”

It's something that no one, not even MALICE can touch, and THAT is my way in. I can't tell you any more about this just now, Delilah. This...exploration that I'm conducting, it has to be subtle, it has to be QUIET. Malice CAN'T read my mind, but yours, and even Haleigh's are visible to her. I could only confide in BLAZE a little of what I'm doing just now because of that very thing, but what I have told her, she's in full agreement with, and having her support in this is important.

“Say no more.”

Delilah knew Malice, knew what she was capable of.

“But when the time comes, let us work as a team.”

She looked into Morgan’s face with urgency.

“Save her, if you can. Save them both. But that may not be possible, Morgan. They’ve tried to kill the people we love. I don’t…I can’t…”

She wiped a tear from her eye.

“I would never have hurt her like this, not for anything, no matter what I was threatened with.”

And that's the OTHER thing, Delilah! TALISMAN! You remember what I did to WITCHFIRE when Valiant battled the Axis of Evil?

She did. Morgan clenched her fist, and dark magick circled it. Another sign that Morgan was embracing her dark side. She looked at Morgan quiziically. What the hell was going on with her?

Thank you for being there for...WITH my mother during all of that, Delilah. Even though you hated me and Blaze...

“You know I would do anything for Karen, Morgan. No matter what.”

I didn't want to resume a role of leadership in the Six. Ironically, it was in the dream time that I told HALEIGH that I had no intention of resuming my leadership role in the Six. But I AM, this situation requires me too. But I don't want to make the same mistakes I made when Alison and I were scrambling ahead of the Blue Moon.

“Maybe we don’t need leaders as much as we need to all work together…”

She said it absentmindedly. Morgan and Alison being “the leaders” is what allowed them to feel like they could make decisions without consulting anyone else. Sometimes bad decisions…

Blaze gathered us all in the War Room earlier to tell us about Black Widow's attack on Rose's sanctuary. That's where we were when word about Persephone's attack on Zach and Alycia reached us.

Delilah’s eyes flashed with anger.

That bitch.

“Oh, and you didn’t think *I* should be invited to that meeting? Does the Six have an “inner circle” itself now?”

We were discussing the situation...BEFORE that development...and a consensus was beginning to form. KILL TEAMS, Delilah. The tactical analysis by Arsenal regarding who would be best suited to take down either Black Widow or Persephone was SOUND, and I doubt anyone other than Harbinger HERSELF could have come up with a better plan than the one he submitted.

“Oh, so MIKE is making our plans now? *I* wasn’t included, but your mother’s boyfriend was?!”

Haleigh had defected…Cameron’s emotions were gone…and now the team was meeting without her. She really had no one.

I'm generally in agreement with the groupings for each one of them, BUT I did not explicitly endorse a full "KILL ON SIGHT" approach.

“Oh, well, I guess I’m lucky they aren’t dead already.”

She said sarcastically.

And I ...i've been thinking about the legacy of my father. I've ALSO OBSERVED what Malice has been doing to Haleigh and Persephone within the Hellfire Mansion. If Haleigh HAS to die?- and don't misunderstand me. I'm not going into this with rose colored glasses. She has pretty much FORFEITED her right to any consideration from us- but if THIS is how it has to be? It will be by the hand of her SISTERS, myself, and Blaze. No one else.”

“I can’t make you that promise, Morgan. I don’t WANT Haleigh and Ava dead. As much as I WANT to want it. But if she attacks someone else I love and I can stop it…I won’t hesitate. I almost lost Maxim and I won’t lose him or anyone else.”

But Morgan’s words haunted her: what Malice has been doing to Haleigh and Persephone within the Hellfire Mansion.

What were they doing to them? Delilah felt that conflict bubbling up inside her again, between what she knew to be true and what she felt in her heart.

Cameron INSISTED that you be told, and involved in the discussion, but you weren't there...for obvious and UNDERSTANDABLE reasons. That's part of why I'm here now.

“No, I wasn’t there, because I wasn’t TOLD you were meeting.”

Delilah said it matter of fact, but she nodded in acknowledgement that Morgan WAS there now. But in light of past events she couldn’t help wondering: if Cameron hadn’t been there would they even be having this conversation at all?

I know that he's...ALTERED himself in order to cope with this situation, not just Haleigh, but the fallout from Alycia, Sharon and Vivica too, and to be more...battle ready. It was a drastic measure for him to take.

She sighed.

“I don’t like it. He can’t keep it up forever. Eventually we’ll be picking up the pieces that were once him.”

She paused, thoughtful.

“I almost feel like he’s a different person.”

Still, what's done is done...and Haleigh is NOT going to be expecting the Cameron she is confronted with.

“Don’t be so sure. She WANTS us to hate her. Her attack on Maxim shows that. As does the fact that he’s still alive… She could have made sure he died, Morgan, and she didn’t. What does that say to you?”

And whatever reservations he may have had about striking Haleigh OR Persephone down before, are no longer present in him.

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

But he was adamant that you be made aware, be included in all of this, and there's no reason why you SHOULDN'T be. I HAVEN'T forgotten the mistake that I made before, Delilah, and while I'm avoiding a repeat of it this time...I CAN'T let ANYONE interfere with me doing what I MUST when that time comes.

She wasn’t angry then, and her voice wasn’t accusing – but she had to be realistic.

“Then you didn’t learn anything from the Blue Moon, Morgan.”

She didn't ASK for her life, and if nothing else...I'll make it so that NO ONE ELSE can pervert it anymore than they already have. I OWE that to her as her sister.

Delilah nodded, sadly. Morgan was pacing.

Then there's Persephone. Again, a "KILL TEAM" has been proposed for her, and I agree with the roster. But I have...insight on HER as well, considering her relationship with my cross time alternate, the Darkchilde, as well as HECATE herself.

“If you have to hide things from us because of Malice, Morgan, do it. But please…unilateral decisions that affect all of us…that’s what got us in trouble the last time.”

I'll stay here with you for as long as you like.

“I can handle things here. I’d feel better if you were out working on solving our problem.”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower

Ashley sat down at the middle of the table, drinking her beer. She definitely wanted to kill these bitches, especially that Ava. But as the others talked about getting food, her mind wandered. There was something else she was hungry for.

It was good that Bishop was okay and he was looking good, as always. She couldn’t believe that he was with someone like that Delilah. She looked like a skeleton, for one, and there was no way she could keep up with a man like Bishop. But men were stupid most of the time, especially when it came to women, so she didn’t know why it should surprise her. She wondered if she could get Zach to agree to a threesome with Bishop...

Mmmmmm

Her mind got lost in THAT imagery.

"Zach just made contact via com link. He's good."

“Trust me, he’s more than good.”

A small smile came to her lips, and the memories started coming back, making her very sorry she had left the Infirmary…

She pulled out her phone and rattled off a text.

>>> Zach: I’m thinking about how good my bed would look with you in it.

"I disagree. We need to focus on protecting our people and making sure no one else gets caught out alone.”

She caught that snippet of wisdom and rolled her eyes.

“Yeah cause THAT’s been working for us so well so far.”

”I gotta side with Andrew on this one. We keep getting blindsided. Rose is on a path of vengeance right now. She's relaxed, but there is no way in Hell that she isn't going after Scion with everything she's got. She's made contact with us and we have eyes on the place...we just have to keep them on the place until she makes a move. She almost destroyed Haleigh before...I think she deserves a second chance at it. And if she could..."

“If she COULD HAVE killed Black Widow, why DIDN’T she? Putting all your hopes and dreams into this one bitch…that’s amateur hour, Viv, I’m sorry. We need to bring the pain to Persephone. And Black Widow.”

“We can’t just sit back and let Rose do this for us while we run and hide. We are ALL stronger together than separately.”

“AND we can’t rely on her. We don’t even KNOW her. She’s not indestructible any more than we are.”

"If she could make one more stop to zap that stupid, miserable...fucking *biting* BITCH of a woman, Ava Cassadine into oblivion all the BETTER..I swear if that bitch lays another hand on anybody I care about…All I need is about two hours to research and I can come up with about 46,000 ways to destroy a goddess. Even if it means pricking my finger, slaughtering a chicken and praying to Satan, I'll FIGURE IT OUT."

“That’s the spirit, Viv – now let’s take that anger times two and beat these bitches down.”

“[W]e need to level the playing field. Xavier is right, we’re not going to march down to the Hellfire Mansion – that would be suicide, no matter HOW strong our allies are. But we can bide our time while we protect ourselves. I need a day or two to come up with something to neutralize Black Widow’s abilities. Viv, you work on how we stop a goddess.”

“A day or two, Zizi - and then I expect us to do something about this. I didn’t come back here to sit on my ass.”

"And at SOME point The Six is going to have to do some lifting of their OWN. We can't keep shouldering the burden of this stupid war they've started. When I left Blaze it seemed as if she was going to rally the troops. I can make contact and see if anything has come from that..."

“FUCK the Six. And their ‘groupies’. They’ve done shit so far and as far as I’m concerned we are better off without their bullshit.”

“I spoke with Sharon for a bit at Charope. If she was meeting with Rose...we need to know what they've decided to do. I'm very afraid that Sharon will try to do something on her own and get herself killed."

Ashley scoffed.

“We couldn’t get that lucky. If she wants to act like the psychotic bitch she is, let her. But let’s face it – we all saw the video – chances are she’s down at the Hellfire Mansion right now fucking tattoo girl. She’s proved she can’t be relied on.”

 

[Steel]

The Clocktower

"Zach just made contact via com link. He's good."

“Trust me, he’s more than good.”

Steel rolled his eyes. No more of that, please. He commented under his breath.

“What is this, an episode of Eastenders?”

If Ashley suddenly announced she was pregnant, he was out. He got up and took a seat at the table.

He suggested they take a more direct approach to their current problem, but Andrew spoke up quickly.

“I disagree. We need to focus on protecting our people and making sure no one else gets caught out alone.”

“Yeah cause THAT’s been working for us so well so far.”

“Exactly. We CAN’T protect everyone. Today has proved that. This needs to END.”

His fist came down hard on the table, rattling it.

”I gotta side with Andrew on this one. We keep getting blindsided. Rose is on a path of vengeance right now. She's relaxed, but there is no way in Hell that she isn't going after Scion with everything she's got."

“We keep getting blindsided because we sit back and wait for them to attack us. And yes, Rose IS going to go attack Black Widow, and I for one aim to be with her when she does it.”

“AND we can’t rely on her. We don’t even KNOW her. She’s not indestructible any more than we are.”

“But she’s got a hell of a lot of firepower.”

“[W]e need to level the playing field. Xavier is right, we’re not going to march down to the Hellfire Mansion – that would be suicide, no matter HOW strong our allies are. But we can bide our time while we protect ourselves. I need a day or two to come up with something to neutralize Black Widow’s abilities. Viv, you work on how we stop a goddess.”

“Okay, this is sound. We give ourselves as much advantage as possible. And like Xavier said, we wait for them to be away from the mansion. But we HAVE to do this. No half measures.”

“I spoke with Sharon for a bit at Charope. If she was meeting with Rose...we need to know what they've decided to do. I'm very afraid that Sharon will try to do something on her own and get herself killed."

"Agreed."

“We couldn’t get that lucky. If she wants to act like the psychotic bitch she is, let her. But let’s face it – we all saw the video – chances are she’s down at the Hellfire Mansion right now fucking tattoo girl. She’s proved she can’t be relied on.”

“Come on, Ash…I know you don’t get along with her, but she saved Zach tonight. She’s NOT in league with Hellfire for fuck’s sake. And she should be here, with us.”

 

[Persephone]

She could feel his need as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him as they kissed. They had sex before, multiple times in multiple places in multiple positions. Multiple was the key word. But it was always very rough and animalistic--she had the bruises as proof. But this time, as they continued kissing, she wanted a slow burn. She wanted passion. It was something she hadn't experienced it a very long time....and although every fiber of her being was telling her to RUN AWAY from this man, she couldn't.

She felt his hands move into her hair, pushing it away from her face as he broke their kiss. His forehead remained on hers, Persephone out of breath and quietly trying to catch it.

Alek: "Let me make love to you."

Her eyes shut as she inhaled a sharp intake of air hearing those words. Unconsciously her fingers clawed the nape of his neck gently, grasping onto some of his hair almost like she were anchoring herself to the moment. She didn't know how to respond, so she didn't for a few moments. Finally she pulled away from Alek, her midnight eyes finding his. Wordlessly she pulled her crimson shirt over her head revealing a black strapless bra.

She stared at him for a moment longer, her eyes soft seeing the need in his--the want and desire.

"If you hurt me...."

She whispered. Her words an open ended warning, and one not of a physical hurt. She moved back to him, her lips finding his once again. Her hand moving to his, fingers intertwining and gripping as the kiss intensified. This was surely going to be used against her later.

 

[Berserker]

The Hellfire Mansion – Red Knight’s Quarters

He wanted her so badly he couldn’t see straight. She didn’t answer him, and after a few moments – that felt excruciatingly long – she pulled away. It was like the sun had gone behind a cloud. But she wasn’t leaving…and he smiled, watching her, appreciating the curves of her body.

"If you hurt me...."

He could see she was hesitant to trust him, that what she had told him about the last people who had cared about her still weighed on her – those feelings hadn’t gone away. But while her mind might have been telling HER no…her body was silently crying out yes, yes, yes to his.

He stroked her cheek, studying every millimeter of her face as he did so.

“If I hurt you, I’ll stick one of your mystic daggers through my chest myself.”

She kissed him again, but he pulled back long enough to add.

“Can’t you see that I’d die before I let you be hurt…”

Her fingers intertwined with his as they kissed long, slow and deep. Finally, he stood up, lifting her in his arms taking her with him as he did so, helping her to lock her legs around his waist. But he never stopped kissing her, as he carried her to the bed.

He undid the clasp on her bra, tossing it away, then climbed into the bed still holding her. He finally set her down onto the freshly changed () crimson satin sheets. His hands gently stroked her skin, his fingers tracing lightly over the curve of her breasts. He finally pulled away from her lips, and sat kneeling there, looking down at her for a long moment, before slowly unzipping her skirt and peeling it off. Laying down next to her, he kissed her stomach, her breasts, her neck and finally her mouth once again.

 

[Persephone]

Alek: “If I hurt you, I’ll stick one of your mystic daggers through my chest myself.”

Why was she letting herself believe him? Maybe it was because it had been too long since she felt a shred of emotion outside of anger and hatred and vengeance. Maybe it was because the only time she ever felt something remotely close to what she was feeling now from him was when it was directly at Ava. Or maybe she was a fool and he was playing her like a finely tuned instrument....another form of allowing herself to self destruct.

He broke the kiss, looking into her eyes.

Alek: “Can’t you see that I’d die before I let you be hurt…”

Her hand ran along his face as she studied him for a moment before their mouths met again. He stood from the couch, holding her up as he did. She wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, never breaking the heated kiss once. He discarded her bra and climbed onto the bed, gently lowering her down. It was then he broke the kiss, his hands tracing down her skin causing her to tense in anticipation as she stared up at him. He eased her skirt off before kissing up her stomach causing Persephone to roll her eyes shut and skin to goosebump.

Finally, he laid next to her, his mouth finding hers once again. She placed her hand on the back of his head, using it as a method to deepen the kiss before she rolled on top of him. It was then she broke the kiss, looking down into his aqua eyes knowing that she was walking a tight rope at that moment. One that would likely snap. But she lived dangerously....always had. She let herself to became one with Alek, her body responding immediately as she allowed the slow burn to build.

 

[Berserker]

The Hellfire Mansion – Red Knight’s Quarters

He lay on his side, watching her as she slept. Their hands were still clasped, their legs still touching. He kissed her hand gently so as not to wake her.

She looked so peaceful, lying there. No hint of the stresses of this place, or of her past…she really looked as serene as a goddess.

What had he gotten himself into here? He knew better than to let emotions into it. Knew better than to cloud his mind with things outside of his duty. Sex was fine, and useful, and pleasurable, but it never went further than that. She had gotten under his skin, from that very first night, and no matter what he had done he couldn’t shake that feeling. Despite her protests, he DID want to protect her. He WAS afraid that she would be sent away – or more likely – killed.

Yes, from that first night there had been a connection between them. What he’d felt for her was different than what he’d felt with others. With them, it was just sex. Even when it was really great sex. But with her it was different. And here she was, asleep in his bed. He never wanted to stop touching her.

Together they could get through this. He would keep her safe. He would make sure Haleigh helped him. And there would be many more nights like this, there had to be.

Finally, he closed his eyes, giving in to sleep and dreams of her.

 

[Persephone]

Persephone's eyes slowly opened, awaking from the deep slumber she had been in for the last few hours. It was the first time since arriving in the Hellfire Club that she actually had slept well if at all. She could feel Alek's arm was behind her, holding her close to him even as he slept; her head resting on his chest. Persephone laid there quietly, staring at the Luca Signorelli's painting The Damned Cast to Hell that hung on the wall above the fireplace. It depicted those who were damned to Hell being savaged by demons; the irony wasn't lost to her.

Quietly sighing, her mind began to race about what had just happened--what she had ALLOWED to just happen. She didn't just let someone fuck her, she let someone make love to her. She let emotions that were long buried deep inside to surface; emotions that she couldn't quite tell were hers or Ava's. Perhaps both. Her eyes remained focused on a demon devouring a man, eating his soul before it would take his body to the Underworld. Persephone's midnight fell eyes, knowing she could of just damned herself and Alek just by letting herself feel something other than hatred. It was a dangerous game of chess, the Rook and the Knight on the verge of being captured.

Persephone felt him stir, causing her to move her hand across his chest following his scar. Gently she kissed his skin telling him that she was awake. But she didn't look up at him, she remained where she was, quietly lying on his chest still staring at the painting.

"That was painted in 1499."

She murmured.

"An Italian tradesman was in Sicily where he came upon a clef in the Earth during his travels--it lead to the Underworld. He saw men being stripped of their souls by demons with fangs."

Modern day vampires....a cold and bitter reminder of Ravena and WHY Persephone hated vampires.

"He fled back to Tuscany and told the stories of the demons in Hell. The artist heard his tales....and he created that painting."

Persephone ran her finger absentmindedly across Alek's scar, tracing it gently.

"People thought the man was insane. But they believed the work of the painter.....they saw a visual of what life could really be like when evil dominates over good. "

Persephone stopped tracing Alek's scar, the parallels of the situation making her think. She knew Hellfire Club would either be the demons that devour her, or a way for her to dominate over good. Whatever the scenario ended up being, she hadn't banked on Alek being there with her in this capacity. Nor Haleigh.

"You need to be careful."

She warned, knowing Helena will use what was happening as a weapon. He may have been Helena's favorite, but if Helena wasn't number one in his eyes, she wouldn't allow someone else to be.