Alternate Universe: The Runaways

[Elizabeth Stone]

Effy rolled her eyes at Dominique’s “holier than thou” attitude. What a pretentious bitch.

"Very well. I don't suppose it would be FAIR to hold you and Brenda responsible for the lack of tact displayed by your circumstantial companions."

Effy decided against giving “Isis” (please) the finger right then and there. Instead, she returned Dominique’s glare with an icy stare of her own. “If you consider telling the truth, rudeness, then that’s your problem, not mine.”

For god’s sake, the woman was chewing every bite 35 times. She was PLAYING with them, obviously she needed SOMETHING to make her ancient self feel important again. And it was really pissing Effy off. And then, the universe imploded.

Because Livvie was saying exactly what Effy was thinking. Wow. Effy’s head slowly turned to gape at Livvie and she could have sworn her mouth dropped open in awe. Way to go, Miss Priss…

Then, Brenda tried to get on Dominique’s good side. Why, she had no idea.

And Dominique once again played the put-out martyr sacrificing so frickin’ much for them. For fuck’s sake. Effy stood up as Dominique dismissed them.

“You self-important know-it-all. If you all want to SIT here and talk nicey nice wasting all of our time, that’s fine. But someone’s out to KILL me, and I’m not going to sit here while this BITCH condescends to “tolerate” me. So I’ll save you the trouble, “Miss Devereaux” – I won’t be needing anything from you. I am not a dog to be kept with table scraps and talked about like I am trash.”

She turned to Brenda.

“SHE doesn’t WANT to help us. She might help YOU, and she might help RICH, but she’d just as soon kill the rest of us herself rather than look at us.”

Turning back to the group.

“It is clear to me that only one thing is important to this…harpie…and that is MONEY. She’s going to call her friends…great…will that include Shade? Cause whether it’s MysTech or this Hellfire Club we’re going to get used and screwed by somebody. If the rest of you think the things she just said about Olivia for speaking her mind are okay, by all means, stay and listen to her. But this woman is by her own admission, in league with this Shade person. We can’t trust her, and we can’t afford her help.”

Effy turned and walked out as Dominique herself exited. As a waiter passed, his tray of wine glasses suddenly flew out of his hands and to the floor, the contents spilling down Dominique’s dress.

The corner of Effy’s mouth turned up in a smile.

She pushed open the door to the street, feeling the cool night air hit her face.

“Oops.”

 

[Ana-Leigh Moreau]

Brenda: [calmly] "It's MORE than we knew BEFORE, Olivia."

"Not by much, Brenda."

Brenda tried to ease the situation, but Olivia could tell that there was tension in her voice. Obviously she believed thatr Dominique could help them. How? By staring coldly at Shade to death? Because as far as Olivia was concerned, Dominique was all TALK and no ACTION. Brenda tried to smooth things over, but Olivia was done with this woman. She was a condecending bitch.

Dominique: So do NOT allow yourself to be paranoid like that child over there...what else can you expect from a girl who is just a step ABOVE "street urchin"?

"Excuse me?!"

Olivia's eyes narrowed into a deathly glare. She pushed herself out of her seat, standing from the table.

"Screw you lady! Just because I didn't grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth doesn't mean you can treat me like i'm a piece of garbage. You, Ms. Devereuax, may be rich, successful, and powerful in your OWN MIND, but to everyone else you're an unfeeling bitch who doesn't deserve the respect you most OBVIOUSLY think you do."

Olivia grabbed her purse and was prepared to leave. She didn't care if Dominique was the only person left in the world that could save her from Shade, she'd rather take her chances alone than have to be around this woman one more second. Then to her surprise....Effy AGREED with her. And even DEFENDED her. Turning to look at Effy, who stood from the table as well, Olivia's mouth was almost a mirror image to Effy's moments earlier. Wow...who would of thought..

As Effy left the table, Olivia looked at the others for a moment and shook her head. She may have just signed her own death certificate by turning her back on Dominique, but she couldn't compromise her PRIDE. This woman flate out insulted her for not being born into high society. For speaking her mind about how serious this Shade situation was when Dominique was being about as vague as an person with amneisia. Walking away from the table, Olivia followed Effy out. And in true Effy form, she TKed a tray full of wine onto the floor, which splattered across Dominique's dress. Smirking, she was beginning to like Effy more and more. Exiting the hotel, Olivia began to pick up her pace to catch up with her.

"Effy, wait."

The cool fall air kissed Olivia's exposed skin as she jogged forward, finally catching up. She wasn't oblivious to the fact Effy probably didn't like her. Or that she wanted people to think she didn't like them to keep up her 'persona', but Olivia didn't care. She was the only person in that room that had her back, and she appreciated that.

"I just wanted to say thanks. You were the only person in there that had my back, even if you didn't intentionally mean to."

 

[Brenda Castle]

Dominique was about to cut her losses and wash her hands of them, that much was obvious. There wasn't much else Brenda could do at this point… she could extend herself no further trying to cover for her friends' slights. Jackson wasn't very confident in Dominique, but at least HE had the good sense to keep his thoughts to himself as Brenda and Rich made the inroads.

Dominique decided to help them after all, but she made it clear that her priorities were Rich and Brenda, a fact that did NOT go over well with the others. Dominique gave them several bits of advice, and Brenda nodded solemnly along. It would not be difficult to arrange staying here, nor would it be all that unusual. The Roosevelt was like her second home anyway.

Dominique was going to contact some colleagues of hers about the Shade situation and make arrangements for her to be handled by the proper people. Brenda felt a weight lift from her mind. Getting rid of Shade didn't solve ALL their problems, but it would be a SUPREME help. Dominique didn't have nice things to say about Effy and Olivia, but it was apparent that the feelings were mutual. Olivia stepped up to defend herself after basically being called a street urchin. It wasn't particularly a polite thing for Dominique to say out loud, but everyone was rubbing everyone else the wrong way right now. Brenda let it happen without a word. She sat back in her chair with a sigh, massaging her temples. She was too exhausted for this to be going down right now. Everyone's thoughts [except Dominique's] were roaring through Brenda's head and it was ALL she could do to keep up with the conversation AND where everyone's head was at. Things were happening on top of each other.

Effy entertained the idea of giving Dominique the one finger salute but thankfully, Brenda didn't have to intervene. Effy decided not to on her own. But that didn't necessarily mean that Effy wasn't reaching her boiling point. Brenda realized a little too late that she would have to step in and calm Effy down the telepathic way-- she was about to intervene mentally when Effy shot up out of her seat and mouthed off. Brenda was so horrified it was like all she could do was watch it happen, as if it were a TRAIN WRECK happening right in front of her eyes.

Effy: I am not a dog to be kept with table scraps and talked about like I am trash.

Effy, Olivia, Dominique and Richard were all standing. It was starting to look like a showdown. Brenda, trying to mediate still, grabbed Effy gently by the wrist.

"No one SAID that, Effy, just calm down for a second and let her HELP us--"

Effy: SHE doesn’t WANT to help us. She might help YOU, and she might help RICH, but she’d just as soon kill the rest of us herself rather than look at us.

[her composure slipping] "ALRIGHT, FINE, maybe that's true. But you know WHAT?? If you had kept your EGO out of the equation, YOU could've gotten a free ride out of this! Rich and I were WELL PREPARED to take care of this and we were WILLING to do ALL the groveling required, and 'talk nicey nice' -- AKA utilize some MODICUM of social etiquette and interpersonal relations skills -- to get us an actual ALLY and ALL you had to do was SIT there and LET IT HAPPEN."

Dominique, Olivia and Effy seemed to be racing to be the one to leave the table first. Brenda let Effy's wrist slip from her grasp without putting up a fight. She also allowed both Effy and Olivia's mental voice to leave her mind, moments BEFORE Effy decided to get a little revenge on Dominique. All their anger and indignation was stressing Brenda the hell out. She reached for her glass of Chardonnay and drank it down. At this rate she'd be an alcoholic by the time she was LEGALLY able to drink. IF SHE LIVED THAT LONG.

Jackson: Well... that was interesting. At least now we have a little bit of an idea on what's going on. But do we really think she can get rid of this Shade? I mean i'm all for giving her the option, but Shade was chosen for a reason, and I don't think it wasn't well thought out. I think she scares Dominique more than she let on…"

"I don't know…. Dominique SAID there was a problem with Shade, and that she was CAST OUT of the inner circle…. That ALONE tells me that if Dominique HERSELF doesn't have the power to trump Shade, then SOMEONE she's in with DOES."

 

[Elizabeth Stone]

Effy walked down the street with purpose. She was still angry. In some ways more at the fact that the others wanted help SO BADLY that they were blinded to what Dominique really was. Rich didn't want to be alone, and Brenda didn't want to disappoint her parents, but Dominique had given them absolutely no real help and showed no intention of doing anything of value for them. And very possibly could be selling them all out to Shade right this very minute.

She stopped to pull out a cigarette as she turned the corner onto Highland. She wished she had drank more of Brenda's free booze. Going home or to the Foundation WAS too obvious - that had been the one thing Dominique had said that was true, though Effy wasn't so sure it wasn't the Hellfire Club that would be targeting them there. But there were lots of opportunities for a girl like Effy in a world run by computers.

As she took a deep drag, she heard a voice behind her.

"Effy, wait."

She turned, exhaling the smoke and seeing Livvie standing before her.

"I just wanted to say thanks. You were the only person in there that had my back, even if you didn't intentionally mean to."

Effy looked her up and down. Livvie had held her own in there, and that meant something.

"What makes you think I didn't mean to?"

She took another drag, then threw the butt to the sidewalk, stamping it out with her foot.

"Just because I don't put up with bullshit, doesn't mean I don't defend people when they deserve it. And that woman didn't want to help us from the beginning - it had nothing to do with what I said or didn't say. I can't stand people who keep others down to make themselves seem important."

She shuffled her feet, unsure of what to say next.

"Your place is probably the safest out of all ours, but they still might know where you live. I'm not going back to that place to be lead to the slaughter, but I do have a place to stay that they can't trace. You can come along, if you want."

Effy shrugged and started to walk north on Highland.

 

[Ana-Leigh Moreau]

Effy: "What makes you think I didn't mean to?"

Shrugging, honestly she just assumed Effy didn't like her, therefore could care less if someone was rude to her.

Effy: "Just because I don't put up with bullshit, doesn't mean I don't defend people when they deserve it...I can't stand people who keep others down to make themselves seem important."

[scoffing] "That woman's made an artform out of it."

Rolling her eyes, just the thought of Dominique sitting there with her smug holiar than thou look on her face boiled Olivia's blood.

"Either way, I do appreciate it..."

So, there they were....standing there in silence. Effy began to shuffle her feet, probably feeling the same awkwardness Olivia felt. Olivia began to pick at her purse trying to figure out what to say next. Goodbye? Good luck? Wanna grab a burger since the food they served was shit? Olivia was about to say something when Effy finally broke the silence.

Effy: "Your place is probably the safest out of all ours, but they still might know where you live. I'm not going back to that place to be lead to the slaughter, but I do have a place to stay that they can't trace. You can come along, if you want."

"Yeah, okay."

Walking along next to Effy, they headed toward Highland.

"As long as we can grab some real food on the way."

With a smirk, they continued down the street until disappearing down Highland.

 

[Elizabeth Stone]

Livvie was following her, but with conditions: "As long as we can grab some real food on the way."

"I can do you one better."

The Renaissance Hotel Hollywood might not have the history of the Roosevelt, but it certainly had the financial backing to be one of the premier hotels in the Los Angeles area. Effy walked confidently inside past the lines of cabs and limousines to the front desk. Her crackberry was still tucked safely inside the pocket of her dress, which allowed her unlimited access to practically any computer system she chose. Including the Renaissance mainframe.

"Hello, reservation for Sheila Jones."

Effy produced a matching passport and presented it to the night manager at the front desk.

The Renaissance employee would see nothing out of the ordinary for one of their super-wealthy regulars to be staying as an unaccompanied minor in the hotel. A room service order was already in place for their penthouse suite arrival.

"And please, could you send someone from the hotel shop up with a selection of things? That dreadful airline lost our luggage again."

And the beauty of it was that everything would be charged to someone who didn't even exist.

A bellman took Effy's tiny purse as they got inside the elevator which would take them to the penthouse suite.