Birds of a Feather

[Oracle]

The Clocktower - Roof

Ashley was telling one of her war stories. Zizi was trying to listen, she really was. But her mind kept going back to that thing. That thing that had said it was Gabe.

Zizi shivered. It wasn't Gabe. But she had wanted it to be. She had wanted it so much. She had wanted to leave everything behind, forget everything, just be with Gabe. It had felt like nothing else mattered.

Ashley had stopped talking to her. Zizi hoped she hadn't asked her a question. Then she heard Ashley speaking again, but it wasn't to her - and it wasn't to anyone friendly.

"Ashley? You okay?"

"So much violence....wouldn't it be nice if you could just relax....?"

That wasn't a voice she recognized. Zizi looked around but didn't see anything.

Relax. Yes, that sounds nice.

She hadn't realized how tired she was. It felt like she'd been awake for days.

Her eyes blinked and in front of her was a creature. It looked like it had turned itself inside out. Zizi immediately sat up in her chair.

"What do you want?"

Sloth Demon: "A nap would do you so well....Elizabeth. Give you time to process the horrors you've just encountered....I can watch over you..."

"No, I have to keep watch..."

A nap sounded perfect just now. Just a few minutes, close her eyes. They were so heavy.

Sloth Demon: "I can even provide you a bed....."

And then she was in bed. It wasn't hers though, but she wished it was. It was the most comfortable bed - plush quilts and pillows, and the softest mattress she'd ever felt. It was like laying on a cloud. Nothing bad could happen in a bed like this. A bed like this surely gave you perfect sleep - perfect dreams.

She yawned the biggest yawn she ever had in her life. It seemed to go on forever.

"Maybe I could just close my eyes for a minute..."

 

[Jezebel]

The Further

"The two of you assholes have been waging a war across the Astral Plane for MONTHS. You think there are no casualties? You think that all that power you two have been throwing around came from just you? No, it didn't. You've both been pulling and draining psionics and sensitives across the globe to fight in this pissing contest. Hundreds are dead or without power at all thanks to you."

She figured she'd given him enough of the good ole' fashioned Rae Reynolds razzle/dazzle and it was time to get down to business. Cameron's aura was cloudy as all hell in this place, despite how bright his energy was. Rae was worried about this. Nobody could get this deep into The Further, or manipulate it like this without an inherent darkness, and you didn't get out of a place like this without one hell of a sacrifice. Rae needed to see where Cameron was at.

Cameron: "This isn't a pissiing contest, Rae. This is war. I don't expect you to agree or understand. This is our life as The Six. We try to do good and somebody can't help but remind us of all the bad we are doing in the process. We've never been able to win without consequence. When I get back, I'll do my best to make up for what I've done, but until that moment, I have no choice but to focus on the task at hand, which is to wipe Diana from existence. Because if I can't, the world ends. Her existence threatens more than just a few hundred telepaths. It threatens ALL of us..."

She felt a swell in his power as the images around her of his childhood home almost flickered into a crystal clear view for a moment. None of this was comforting. The longer that Cameron King was here, the more he would lose of himself, and neither of them really had the luxury of time on their side. In her mind, she could see the amount of abuse he had gone through, she could sense his pain in images - one of a cradle, one of a demon, and one of a woman of the cloth. It seemed as if the world had constantly attacked him, tried to kill, tried to make him like them, but it was clear that he had always fought so hard against the darkness they wanted to unleash. In her mind now, she could see a dog chained in a yard, desperate to attack, but yanked back by it's chain, the post that held it's chain so close to breaking.

"That's a hell of a lot of compartmentalizing, Cameron. Look, you can see my spirit here. You know I'm no angel. But I'm also not a SLOUCH or oa FOOL. I can't have this kind of battle happening on The Other Side OR The Astral Plane for much longer. I won't let this war hemorrhage into the mortal world any more than it has."

Cameron: "Then help me. Help me end it. I cut my teeth on The Further, but I can't navigate it like you. You have power here that I don't. If anybody can help me find Set and deliver the killing blow to Diana, it's you. It's why I called you here."

His eyes were so full of intensity and brooding. She had never experienced energy like his. It was brutal and strong, and yet somehow soft and vulnerable, and it was that softness and vulnerabiility that kept him safe. She wondered what he would be like without it.

"I know why you called me here, Cameron. I just haven't figured out if you realize what it's going to take from you to accomplish your goal."

Cameron: "Stop playing coy. What do you mean, Jezebel?"

[flatly]

"I mean the old addage is true - you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. So what do you want Cameron? Do you truly want to rid the world of Malice? Or do you want the CREDIT for doing so? Because I don't need to be a psychic to see the consequences ahead of you, and the fact that you don't? Really has me fuckin' WORRIED."

Cameron: "I want her DEAD. She deserves to die. And I will accept whatever consequences come to me because of it. I will WELCOME them."

He hissed with contempt, as she stood up, she matched his pace.

"You absorb her power? You obliterate her as wholly as you desire? That kind of power? Over here? The demon horde that will RUSH to eat at your soul on the way out? You'll exit The Further FAR more like her than her you did when you ENTERED. And that's IF you get out. I can summon the hand of GOD here if I wanted to Cameron, it's not gonna matter. That kind of energy channeled here and the rush to consume it will be INSTANT - the second she dies will be a fight for your LIFE. That's not something I have the power to stop."

 

[Prophet]

The Further

Jezebel: "I mean the old addage is true - you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. So what do you want Cameron? Do you truly want to rid the world of Malice? Or do you want the CREDIT for doing so? Because I don't need to be a psychic to see the consequences ahead of you, and the fact that you don't? Really has me fuckin' WORRIED."

Cameron rolled his eyes. He had spent a good portion of his life with women who thought they knew better, thought they saw something he didn't, and were "worried" for his souls. Most of those women turned out to be monsters. And the rest of them were wrong. Prophet had learned to drown out the noise over the years. But he wasn't a fool. Rae knew more about this place than he did. Still, he would not let her distract him from his goal with her cryptic moral threats. He rose to his feet strong. She followed suit.

"I want her DEAD. She deserves to die. And I will accept whatever consequences come to me because of it. I will WELCOME them."

Rae: "You absorb her power? You obliterate her as wholly as you desire? That kind of power? Over here? The demon horde that will RUSH to eat of your soul on the way out? You'll exit The Further FAR more like her than you did when you ENTERED. And that's IF you get out. I can summon the hand of GOD here if I wanted to Cameron, it's not gonna matter. That kind of energy channeled here and the rush to consume it will be INSTANT - the second she dies will be a fight for your LIFE. That's not something I have the power to stop."

Prophet cocked an amused eyebrow.

"I'm not asking you to stop it. You think I haven't thought this THROUGH? You think I don't know the consequences of what I am about to do? This isn't some grudge match, or haven't you been paying attention? Of course you haven't. You're not a MUTANT."

Prophet wanted to kill her outright, but he composed himself. His hatred of Malice and the damage she had done wasn't just personal. It was a far reaching pain that extended to the world at large, and that world was something Cameron had been thinking of for quite some time. For years, he had endured her torture, but he realized that it was not something he had a monopoly of. She was a woman who had experienced trauma like they all had, Diana just found a niche and manipulated it, and that manipulation had put a rock in between them and mutant kind. His life became consumed by Hellfire and The Sisterhood and personal vendetta. Though the words of The Birds of Prey hurt him, their very existence proved to him that The Six hadn't done everything right. And maybe his definition of right was a little more "perverse" than others, he was ready for the next chapter.

"This woman has NEUTERED us. She's pit us against each other for DECADES. Thirty years after her ascension to Hellfire and we are STILL in the same place. Groups like The Purifiers torture us, at HER command, at my MOTHER'S command. We let them make laws that KILL US... And we sit in the fucking shadows, like we don't DESERVE the kingdom. They wanted power without consequence...that doesn't EXIST. EVERY fucking decision you make has fallout, she just convinced us all that it didn't matter, but it did. It DOES."

He was so angry.

"Mutants don't deserve this, Rae. They don't deserve this GAME she created because she was a two bit PSI HOUND who found her voice. She RUINED us. And I would sooner DIE than let her get at the people on Earth that I still love, or even the ones I don't. I WILL die for it, if it's required."

Cameron meant it. His desire to kill Diana was tenfold. Yes, she had been a pox on his life, but she was the most dangerous thing in the world to him. His mind went to his goddaughter Alexia. What would happen to her? What they would just kill Diana and hope that nobody else ever wanted to claim her as their own? He couldn't accept that. He wouldn't. She would grow up in a world where her genetic heritage was celebrated and revered, and he was willing to die to ensure that.

"The thing none of you will ever understand is that there are no sides. There are no heroes or villains. There's just what *I* want and how I'll GET it. "

He flex his power as lightning and thunder could he heard in the distance. Cameron had asked for her help, but he would not take it on contingency. He no longer required approval from those around him. He knew what he was doing.

"We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost...MUST be attained. You can either willingly be a part of this, Rae. Or I can force you to. The decision is yours. But I don't have much time, and I ran out patience when you sat here trying to call my bluff. So go back to your little Birds of Prey and tell them what a monster I've become, but know this - if and when I should require you and your power....I will take it..."

[leaning in]

"Right now, the world doesn't need heroes. It needs villains."

Again, he flexed his power, catapulting her back towards her origin with Ashley and Oracle as she smacked back onto the ground several yards away from Valkyrie's fire fight.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Further

It had taken a few minutes for Ashley to get the demon's measure, but now she was confident she would be able to dispatch it in no time.

"You don't know who you're messing with, frog-face."

Ashley twirled her sword in a moulinet, then leapt at the creature, but it caught her as she came down, grabbing her leg and throwing her forcefully across the Further. Ashley landed on her back, knocking the wind out of her, and slid across the ground.

"Okay, you may be fast, but speed can only do so much."

Now she was getting pissed off. This thing should be dead already.

She got to her feet as the demon was charging her again. She brought her shield in close to her body and extended her sword arm, turning towards the creature until making contact, feeling the impact in her bones. She then spiraled back the opposite way, out of its reach.

The demon snarled at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Just give up already."

Again she came at it, slashing downward from overhead, but it was able to block her blow with it's forearm. She followed up with a right to left slash with the blade parallel to the ground, then the same left to right, but the demon dodged both. Ashley brought her blade from behind her right should in a wide arc, but the blade glanced off its shoulder. She brought her right hand back across and made contact against the creature's face with the pommel of her sword.

It reached for her, but she leaned backwards to avoid its swipe at her, then bent at the waist and moved around the creature. Standing again, she hit the demon hard on the side of the head with her shield. There was no way this thing was going to beat her.

Two more attacks with her sword that were blocked by the demon's spiked body armor. It was close to her now, roaring in her face. She felt the claws in her already injured side rather than saw the attack's movement. She let the shield fall from her hand, which automatically returned to her back, and stabbed upwards with her sword, embedding the blade in its stomach. Holding on to the sword's hilt with both hands, she brought her legs up, the soles of her boots against the creatures belly, and pushed off, freeing her blade and pushing the demon onto its back.

Ashley landed on her feet but then stumbled backwards, the wound in her side bleeding steadily. The creature looked at her from its position on the ground, and laughed. It rose to its feet, seemingly not feeling its belly wound at all. Ashley looked the thing dead in the eye coldly.

"You're no match for a Valkyrie."

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower - Roof

Zizi wanted to go to sleep so badly. Surely it couldn't hurt. She needed the rest - she hadn't been sleeping well. Her eyelids felt so heavy, like she couldn't keep them open. Ashley and Rae could handle things just fine without her. Just fine.

They didn't need her to watch over them. Both were strong and powerful women. She was just a human. And hadn't she earned some R&R time? Ashley and Rae, who got to go into the Further...they would be okay...they didn't need her to pull them out. Any creepy creatures they'd be able to take care of them themselves. She could stand down on this one, let them do it all.

And this bed...it was soooooooooo comfortable. She wanted to lie in it forever. She wanted to eat all her meals here, and bring the laptop in here, and never get out of bed again. And maybe she didn't even need to eat or even go on a computer again, if it meant getting out of the bed.

Elizabeth York, that is not you talking.

Zizi forced her eyes open wide.

Lying in bed? Leaving Ashley and Rae by themselves with no backup? Never using a computer again? These were things she would never do. Why on earth was she having these feelings? Maybe she'd been drugged. The thing before had drugged her. That had to be it.

She slapped her right cheek with her hand. Then the left one.

"Wake up, Zizi."

But the bed was so comfortable...

Sloth Demon: "But don't you want to just take a break? Your friends would want you to. They see how hard you work. You deserve it."

Zizi felt confused.

"Yes...I...they would want me to rest. Always telling me I should...they would understand if I just...slept...No!"

Zizi abruptly sat up in the bed. She could see the Sloth demon now, standing next to the bed.

"I can rest when my friends are safe."

Sloth Demon: "But they're never safe, are they? Even know, another apocalypse comes. And you want to be well-rested, don't you, if you're going to save the world?"

Zizi considered that.

"Well, yes, of course, being well rested is very important..20 minute cat nap...so very good for your heart. Stress levels too..."

Her eyes started to close again.

But then she saw in her mind's eye, Rae comforting Rose after the Unloved had finally been defeated. And Ashley, after Gabe died, not knowing what to do or say but still being there, trying to make her feel better. And they were both in danger right now.

Zizi shook her head forcefully.

"NO. I'm not going to sleep. This isn't my bed. I don't belong here. I belong helping my team."

The bed disappeared and Zizi was once again in her chair. But the demon wasn't gone. And now it was looking increasingly angry.

Sloth Demon: "You can't help them, you cripple. What would you do? How could you possible be of any use. The just want you to stay out of their way. Lie down in a corner, curl up in a ball, and wait for them to save you. Like they always do."

Involuntarily, Zizi started to nod along with the Sloth demon.

"He's right...just a human...can't help the super heroes...no powers..."

Her hands slipped limply off the arms of her wheelchair, her body feeling heavy once more, eyelids drooping. But the fingers of her right hand brushed something cold as they'd fallen to her side. Her staff.

She could barely move now. It took so much effort. A millimeter at a time, her hand moved down the collapsed staff, while it felt like all her energy was leaving her body. She found the button on her staff, but it was too hard to press it. She had no strength left.

Sloth Demon: "Invalid. Disabled. Handicapped. Defective. Abnormal. Cripple."

Zizi sat up straighter in her chair.

"The correct term is 'wheelchair user' or 'disabled person'."

ZIzi pressed the button on her staff, sending a stun bolt flying directly into the demon's chest.

 

[Jezebel]

The Further

He was a man filled with rage, which made her realized why she was so attracted to him. Rage filled men were kind of her thing. His anger didn't scare her or throttle her in the slightest, in fact she was uniquely qualified to deal with this kind of situation. She had survived abuse at the hands of her father and a couple of her past lovers, and somewhere along the way, Rae decided she would never show another man fear for as long as she would live. And while she listened to Cameron, speak, she couldn't necessarily disagree with him.

Prophet: "This woman has NEUTERED us. She's pit us against each other for DECADES. Thirty years after her ascension to Hellfire and we are STILL in the same place. Groups like The Purifiers torture us, at HER command, at my MOTHER'S command. We let them make laws that KILL US... And we sit in the fucking shadows, like we don't DESERVE the kingdom. They wanted power without consequence...that doesn't EXIST. EVERY fucking decision you make has fallout, she just convinced us all that it didn't matter, but it did. It DOES."

Rae walked slowly towards them, her tone and facial expression far colder than when she had first arrived.


"You gotta be high outta your mind to not hear how problematic that sentence is. You aren't the fucking protector of the goddamn universe. If you kill her? The world is still gonna be what it is. If you die? The world? It's gonna keep on moving. That's fucking LIFE, man. Powerful as you ARE, important as your species may BE, you're a goddamn ANT in the grand scheme of things. Let it go, dude."

He refused to listen and pressed forward.

Prophet: "Mutants don't deserve this, Rae. They don't deserve this GAME she created because she was a two bit PSI HOUND who found her voice. She RUINED us. And I would sooner DIE than let her get at the people on Earth that I still love, or even the ones I don't. I WILL die for it, if it's required."

In her mind, she was flooded with images - a crown covered in spiders. A clash of red and white energies, a dark hair little girl in a world that she didn't belong in. The Goddess Persephone holding a man in her arms, sobbing. His feelings were so strong. Despite how problematic and...a bit terrifying his words, he was acting out of compassion and love for the people he cared about. Haleigh, the spider on his crown. Delilah, the matchstick to his dark. Alexia, a goddaughter he missed. Ava, a woman he cared about as deeply as his sisters. And his belief was true to him - he truly felt Diana was this big of a threat, and he was truly willing to do whatever it took to see that come about. She had known him for moments and yet understood a lot about him. Cameron had an emotional vulnerability that was hard to deny - either that or he was a better empath than anyone gave him credit for.

Prophet: "We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost...MUST be attained. You can either willingly be a part of this, Rae. Or I can force you to. The decision is yours. But I don't have much time, and I ran out patience when you sat here trying to call my bluff. So go back to your little Birds of Prey and tell them what a monster I've become, but know this - if and when I should require you and your power....I will take it..."

Rae rolled her eyes and actually audibly laughed.

"Nobody fucking commands me, King. All this psychic energy swirling around here has left you a little power drunk. Unlucky for you, but I've been drinking for twenty years before you were born. You lay a hand on my psyche and I'll have archangels dragging you to Hell faster than you can say "OOPS!"....."

Prophet: "Right now, the world doesn't need heroes. It needs villains."

"And here I thought it just needed a special taskforce dedicated to climate control..."

He THRUSTED his power out in front of him, knocking Rae back into a freefall. She flexed with her own power, honing in on Valkyrie, her anchor in this trip. Closing her eyes she allowed herself to fall knowing she would end up in the right place. She felt a flurry of emotion. To simplify it, she felt that Cameron was both crazy and right, and he was willing to die to see the immediate future thwarted. Rae could get on board with that. Cameron King was going to lose large chunk of his soul coming back to Earth, but Rae had decided that he survive, thanks to the people around him. If he would be better for it, was not her problem. She was trying to stop the end of the world, and it if meant working with Cameron, she would willingly. Though she still wanted to show him just how hard it would be for him to take power like hers.

Ashley: "You're no match for a Valkyrie."

Rae landed with a thud as her eyes hone back into focus. Valkyrie was facing a Pride Demon. Rae wasted no time.

"Let me guess, you keep giving it your best and you aren't accomplishing shit. It's a pride demon, dumbass. The better than it you think you are, the harder time you're gonna have. Now admit that you need help, and I'll sink the bastard."

[smirking]

"By the way, Cameron King has gone mad. Thankfully, I think it will work in our favor. But we gotta get Dominique a HELL of a lot more worried than she currently is."

 

[Black Widow]

The Parthenon — Morgan’s penthouse

Her mother was chewing through her thoughts, but Haleigh was well practiced at ignoring the distraction by now. She asked Morgan about the Soul Sword, which in her estimation would have the best chance at a quick, clean kill when it came to Nic. But would it also eliminate the threat of Set?

Her mother was correct, in that Haleigh would accept the release of Set as a natural consequence, as long as it meant stopping her mother from taking over Nic. However, if eliminating Set was possible, that would be better. Morgan explained that in addition to being a physical weapon, the Soul Sword also disrupted magical spells and beings. Next, Haleigh asked where it was. Given that it was essentially a metal weapon, she suspected she could control it to some degree.

Morgan was the only known person to be able to wield it up to this point, but that was not definitive in Haleigh’s mind. At the very least, it was worth a try. While Haleigh had confidence she could kill Nic without it, that would be a hell of a challenge, and there was no guarantee Malice and/or Set would be contained. Based on what she knew of the artifact, the Soul Sword would substantially reduce the amount of effort needed, and potentially kill three birds with one stone.

Morgan manifested the weapon, as if it were an extension of her arm. Diana was inspecting her own fingernails, disdainfully ignoring Haleigh and Morgan’s conversation for the moment. Bathed in a glow cast by the mystic flames dancing along the blade, Haleigh was a bit in awe of it. Morgan mentioned that despite losing her magick, the sword still seemed to belong to her.

“Are you sure it’s magick? It seems to me to have an energy signature… that eldritch energy… I’ve felt it before.”

It had been seared onto her soul the first time she’d died. Morgan had once obliterated her with it, and the sudden proximity of the energy signature again warmed Haleigh’s blood.

“Morgan, Kelly’s cheap shot may have hindered your ability to cast spells with the same skill and finesse, but I don’t think she actually diminished your true power in any significant way.”

She observed, and then she scoffed, because Morgan had cautioned her not to break the sword.

“Don’t confuse me with Alycia. SHE’S the one always breaking other people’s shit.”

She quipped, before turning her focus back to the backup plan. She asked Morgan if she could take care of Mike and Karen. Haleigh didn’t want to fight with them as well. Isis would be her primary concern, and Morgan seemed to acutely understand that, mentioning the fallout due to Isis being unable to heal damage done by the Soul Sword.

“Well, if there’s any violence, let me handle it. I don’t want anyone getting hurt unnecessarily. I’ll be fine. What’s the worst she can do, kill me?”

She said, with a shrug at the end before she took a gulp of bourbon. Dying was unpleasant, but more an inconvenience than anything for her at this point. Morgan offered to go wherever she was needed, and asked where everyone was and what the consensus was.

“Ava’s covering Hellfire right now so I can handle this situation, and Delilah’s meeting with Zach and Viv because I guess their little clan feels like they need to be involved. The consensus is to circle the wagons, there’s not much more that CAN be done, until we know the final outcome with Cameron.”

Haleigh replied, and then she drained her glass. When she was done she set it down and rose to her feet, smoothing her braid with one hand.

“I’m headed to see Nic, I’d appreciate you backing me up in case it gets crazy in a hurry.”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Further

Ashley was really starting to get pissed off. Her attacks were golden, the stuff of legend, and this thing was acting like it'd hardly broken a nail. Didn't it know who she was? For fuck's sake, it should run away screaming and not make her waste her time.

Motion near her caught her eye and she glanced to her side to see Rae suddenly back with her.


Rae: "Let me guess, you keep giving it your best and you aren't accomplishing shit."

Ashley gestured impatiently with her sword.

"And?"

Rae: "It's a pride demon, dumbass. The better than it you think you are, the harder time you're gonna have. Now admit that you need help, and I'll sink the bastard."

"But I am better than it."

After a pause she rolled her eyes hard.

"Okay, okay, will you help me kill this fucker?"

She drew the line at saying please.

Rae: "By the way, Cameron King has gone mad. Thankfully, I think it will work in our favor. But we gotta get Dominique a HELL of a lot more worried than she currently is."

Ashley smirked.

"Way I hear it, he was always crazy."

She turned her attention back to the demon, pushing out with her intimidation power as her face morphed into something skull-like with large black eye sockets.

"After you, Jezebel."

 

[Spellbinder]

The Parthenon - Morgan's Penthouse

Haleigh: "Are you sure it's magick? It seems to me to have an energy signature...that eldritch energy...I've felt it before."

Morgan smirked, her icy violet eyes narrowing mischeviously. >>

"Oh that's right. I've KILLED you with this before. I had all but FORGOTTEN. Ahh the good old days..."

Haleigh: "Kelly's cheap shot may have hindered your ability to cast spells with the same skill and finesse, but I don't think she actually diminished your true power in any significant way."

<< Black Widow didn't understand. Magick had become as second nature to her as breathing. It was so much a part of her daily life and practice and legacy. She used it without thinking, had synched so deeply into her power that she was able to enact it and engage with it by simple thought. It was like waking up without a limb, or suddenly going blind. The rest of her body was trying to make up for what she had lost, and she felt waves of phantom energy hit her every now again, a cruel taunting of what she used to be. Magick was how she communicated with the world, and how she created the thick layer of protection around her that she had. Kelly hadn't just hindered her - she had delivered a crippling shot, one that was causing her to unwravel, causing her to face all these parts about herself she didn't like and had forgotten about. >>

"We both know I'm too SHALLOW to believe that, but thank you."

Haleigh: "Well, if there's any violence, let me handle it. I don't want anyone getting hurt unnecessarily. I'll be fine. What's the worst she can do, kill me?"

<< Spellbinder shook her head. >>

"I know you have a farm of shells to slink into, but we can't underestimate her - she's the avatar of Isis. She can do to you what Cameron is trying to do to Diana."

Morgan: "Ava's covering Hellfire right now so I can handle this situation, and Delilah's meeting with Zach and Viv because I guess their little clan feels like they need to be involved. The consensus is to circle the wagons, there's not much more that CAN be done, until we know the final outcome with Cameron."

<< It gave Morgan pause, thinking about Haleigh and Ava's recent seizing control of Hellfire. It made sense to her from a tactical standpoint, but something about it still felt...BAD. The Six had been BORN from it's flames, so maybe they were the ones destined to rule it, but Morgan knew intimately the cost of truly letting go and giving into darkness. She hoped they truly were able to handle the cost of it. >>

Haleigh: "I'm headed to see Nic, I'd apprecaite you backing me up in case it gets crazy in a hurry."

<< Morgan sighed heavily. >>

"Which it will. I haven't been back to Aerie since my TEMPER tantrum. And once they get a whiff of what's going on, if Alison hasn't already filled them in, they'll all be dying to insert themselves and their opinions. We need to draw a hard line. This is a matter for The Six. Anybody who chose to go live on Fantasy Island doesn't have a say anymore in what we do."

[flatly]

"I have a stepping disc ready when you are."

<< She flexed her hand as a sparkling white stepping disc opened in front of them, hovering between the two women. She was about come into contact with her mother, Alison and Nicholas, and she really, really didn't want to. But she decided the stakes were too high for her to continue to sit in her penthouse and get drunk with her tail between her legs. This was more purpose than she'd felt in ages, and the most positive interaction she'd had with Haleigh in recent memory, so she was going with it. But she wasn't about to apologize or cower to ANYONE. They had a job to do, and goddess HELP anyone who wished to GET IN THEIR WAY?! >>

 

[Jezebel]

The Further

Seeing Valyrie in her true form was truly stunning. Rae had worked with a number of pantheons in her work, but admittedly there hadn't been a lot of Norse crossover. In fact, the closest she had come was battling a Fenris Wolf who had become attached to one of her child client years ago. A boy who apparently had Asgardian genetic ties. In that time she had learned something she never forgot - The norse were not easily separated from their toys or the people that they loved. She felt yet another tinge of regret for putting Ashley and Zach's business in the streets in an effort to help them earlier. It was foolish, but sometimes Rae let her visions guide her without caring about the consequences. She....liked Valkyrie. In fact, out of all the people she had met in her time in NYC, Ashley was one of the few she could actually see herself being friends with. Her and that hot ass Ramsey she had bagged a few month back. Still, she couldn't help but take a little joy in watching the hard headed woman stumble, refusing to see the irony of her situation.

"It's a pride demon, dumbass. The better than it you think you are, the harder time you're gonna have. Now admit that you need help, and I'll sink the bastard."

Ashley: "But I am better than it."

Rae laughed as she watched Ashley figure out the problem in real time in her face. Ashley reminded her so much of herself when she was younger, which was ironic considering how old Ashley was. But it actually gave her hope. Rae could only hope that she reached Ashley's age still with the same fervent belief that she could destroy anything in her path.

Ashley: "Okay, okay, will you help me kill this fucker?"

Rae smirked.

"With pleasure, Valkyrie."

Jezebel was a woman with many adjectives. A conduit, a mystic, a faith healer. So many words to describe essentially the same thing - faith. She had lived many lives, but faith was her overriding characteristic. Whether she was priestess, templar, cleric or rogue - she was guided by her faith. Rae always bathed herself in whatever light was popular at the time, and in The Further? She had access to all of it.

"SEE me, demons!"

She perceived Oracle's blast to the sloth demon at her side and smiled. Elizabeth had incredible power that was untapped. She assumed her intellect and her memory were merely the lottery of birth, but that wasn't the case. Rae knew that at some point in the future, she might explain to Oracle just exactly what it was that guided her, but for now, she helped the woman. She cast out her hands, encasing the sloth demon in a torrent of mystic flame, incinerating it outright and in seconds. The Pride Demon would not be so easy. She told Ashley about her thoughts of Cameron and the situation at hand.

Valkyrie: "Way I hear it, he was always crazy."

Ashley was a woman on a mission as she faced the pride demon, her face contorting into something abjectly horrifying and terrible. It only endeared Rae to Ashley.

Ashley: "After you, Jezebel."

"Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the lord."

Luke 1:45. Rae clasped her hands as the Pride Demon was trapped in a pillar of blinding white light. He could not breathe. He could not see and as Rae tightened her grasp, she watched as he dissipated into nothingness. They had been in The Further for too long, and it had been because of her. Rae crinkled her nose as the three of them were transported from The Further to the roof of the clocktower. As if they had not just done what they had done. Rae rose from her chair.

"Alright....sorry for failing you, Elizabeth. And sorry for not reaching you sooner, Valkyrie. But our mission was worth it. Basically Cameron is willing to kill us all to destroy Diana. He threatened me about it as much. So where do we go from here?"

 

[Valkyrie]

The Further

Ashley finally assented, and asked Rae to help her with the Pride Demon.

Rae: "With pleasure, Valkyrie."

Jezebel got her mojo together and started to pray.

Rae: "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the lord."

“Thanks but I don’t think this guy came here for a church service.”

But then there was a blast of blinding white light that surrounded the demon like it was about to be sucked up into the heavens. And then, the demon was gone. Or rather, disintegrated.

Ashley shrugged.

“Cool.”

And then suddenly, it felt like she woke up from a deep sleep, and found herself on the roof of the Clocktower, sitting in that heavy ass chair Rae had made her carry up to the roof.

Rae: "Alright....sorry for failing you, Elizabeth. And sorry for not reaching you sooner, Valkyrie. But our mission was worth it. Basically Cameron is willing to kill us all to destroy Diana. He threatened me about it as much. So where do we go from here?"

Ashley got up from her chair and rushed to Zizi’s side, kneeling next to the chair and looking her over worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

Satisfied Zizi wasn’t in imminent danger of dying on her, she turned her head to look at Rae.

“Well, according to Zach, Cameron is the most selfish man on the planet. And, er, not currently on the planet.”

She shook her head.

“Do we kill Cameron and take our chances with Diana, or help him win and then deal with him?”

Ashley stood up to her full height.

“We know Diana is the bigger threat in the long run, but how much more damage will their battle do in the meantime?”

She crossed her arms over her chest.

“This sucks.”

 

[Oracle]

The Clocktower - Roof

Pressing the button on her folded up staff took the last of her remaining energy, and she felt her eyes closing. But then there was such a brightness and she was able to open them again, in time to see the demon in front of her burning. It was a horrible sight, but Zizi was afraid to close her eyes again. Her brow crinkled as she looked at the spot where the demon had once been.

I…I don’t think my stun bolt is supposed to do that.

She could once again hear what Rae and Ashley were saying.

Rae intoned a lovely bit of scripture, and then what seemed like a few seconds later, she and Ashley were waking up in front of her, still inside the circle Rae had drawn.

Ashley came quickly over to her, looking more worried than Zizi really remembered her looking, asking if Zizi was okay.

“I’m fine. Just- just a little bit frazzled.”

Ashley put a comforting hand on her forearm before she turned her attention back to Rae.

Rae: "Alright....sorry for failing you, Elizabeth.”

Zizi straightened her dress.

“Oh my goodNESS you did NOT fail me. You did wonderful!”

It dawned on her that the strange end for the Sloth Demon had been Rae’s doing.

Rae: “And sorry for not reaching you sooner, Valkyrie. But our mission was worth it. Basically Cameron is willing to kill us all to destroy Diana. He threatened me about it as much. So where do we go from here?"

Ashley: “Well, according to Zach, Cameron is the most selfish man on the planet. And, er, not currently on the planet.”

Zizi raised her pointer finger in the air.

“Surely that’s not an unbiased assessment…”

Cameron could not be all bad. Alycia had dated him, hadn’t she?

Ashley: “Do we kill Cameron and take our chances with Diana, or help him win and then deal with him? We know Diana is the bigger threat in the long run, but how much more damage will their battle do in the meantime?”

Zizi pursed her lips, thinking.

“Our immediate priority has to be to protect remaining telepaths. We cannot allow this battle of Cameron’s to hurt any more of them. We also need to hear what Zach and Vivica found out from the Six.”

Ashley scoffed at that, clearly not expecting much from the Six. Zizi turned her eyes to Ashley.

“But I can’t imagine that killing Cameron King is the answer.”

She shook her head.

“No – defense until we can figure out how to go on offense.”

Her attention moved to Rae.

“Is there anything we can do to minimize the effect of what Cameron is doing? Lessen the fallout?”

 

[Orion]

The Parthenon — Executive Conference Room

Delilah was doggedly trying to insist that the Six had it handled, which was to be expected. It was becoming clear just how close she had grown to Cameron over time. Not only had some of his condescending attitude infected her, but she was arguing that he wasn’t a total fuckup. Zach listened patiently, but he made no attempt to hide the utter disbelief that took over his expression. He let Viv make her own case, and was impressed that she had the fortitude to avoid falling for the old trap.

It seemed all too easy for women to give Cameron another chance to hurt and disappoint them. Viv had learned that lesson, and she even tried to warn Delilah about it. Zach wondered if Delilah would ever learn as Viv had. He already knew Haleigh was a lost cause, but he wondered if Delilah was just as bad. Certainly the woman loved Cameron deeply, and trusted him so much that she’d invested the whole world into her belief that he could win against Malice. Malice, who’d even brought Haleigh to heel for a while.

Delilah: "How many queens did you send to the next life? Cameron's plan worked. Like clockwork. Malice was the only objective."

“Yet I seem to remember a discussion on kill teams, so at least some of your teammates had other objectives.”

He interjected, still a little bothered by people’s willingness to make enemies of friends, and also put off by the suggestion that the “plan” had gone off like clockwork.

“No offense Delilah, but often from an outside perspective, the Six’s chosen objectives, and the plans that are devised and carried out, the careless disregard for the fallout of said actions, are kind of horrifying to the rest of us. I wonder what you’ve learned from recovering Alexis after all these years, if anything, but that’s a discussion for another time, I guess.”

Viv reminded Delilah of all the assistance the Birds had provided during the Battle of Hellfire. She also mentioned that they couldn’t afford to focus like a laser on just one thing. They needed to attack the problem from different angles, and inflict as much damage on Hellfire as a whole that they could. Zach lent a little effort to calming Viv, who was growing very frustrated with Delilah. He couldn’t blame her, when Delilah was being so dismissive and almost disparaging, asking what would stop Malice from possessing Rae. Zach admitted that there was probably nothing, but compared to Malice getting Nic, it was preferable. Delilah said that strength was overrated. Zach begged to disagree. He would have deeply appreciated having half the strength of Nic. Delilah seemed to think there wasn’t much of an issue because Nic wasn’t a telepath anymore, but Viv succinctly pointed out that he had the proven capacity for Malice to take advantage of.

Delilah: "I'm not going to make up busy work for your team. If we need you, we'll call you. I can't say it another way: right now, it's handled. Assuming your little psychic stunt hasn't ruined everything."

Zach pursed his lips. They were getting nowhere. Valiantly, Viv tried to persuade her, but it was becoming clear to Zach that Delilah was dug into her position. There was some back and forth between the two women, a souring of their chances to coordinate their efforts. Zach just kept the mood in the room from exploding in their faces and let them hash it out some before he broke in to tell Delilah that he respected her and understood she was trying to protect them.

Ultimately though, they weren’t going to sit the sidelines, not now and probably not ever again. They’d helped with Hellfire, and they’d do the same with Set. He suggested to Viv that it was time for them to move on, and insisted to Delilah that she had more friends than she seemed to realize. And luckily, Delilah seemed to reluctantly give a little as they got up to leave. Viv was instantly relieved, and Zach was grateful for the small measure of cooperation. He gave a gentle smile of gratitude as Viv smoothed over the tension a bit.

“Thank you for agreeing to keep us informed, Delilah. I really appreciate it, and will personally make sure to return the favor. We may be on different teams, but we’re all on the same side here.”

He said, and then it really was time to take their leave.

 

[Black Widow]

The Parthenon — Morgan’s penthouse

Morgan: "Oh that's right. I've KILLED you with this before. I had all but FORGOTTEN. Ahh the good old days..."

Haleigh gave a grunt of amusement at that. Yes, Morgan had given Haleigh her first death, but that was ancient history, and not something Haleigh was upset about any more. She instead made an observation that while Kelly’s cheap shot might’ve hindered Morgan’s finesse with Magick, Haleigh didn’t think Morgan’s true power had been diminished significantly. The eldritch energy felt familiar to her, and stronger than she recalled, even.

Morgan: "We both know I'm too SHALLOW to believe that, but thank you."

Haleigh gave a nod and moved on to discuss the potential ramifications of striking Nic down. There was Mike and Karen to consider, but the real concern would be Isis. Haleigh wanted Morgan to keep the others out of the way, and she wanted to handle Isis on her own. What was the worst Isis could do, kill her? Morgan seemed to think Isis could do to Haleigh what Cameron was trying to do to Malice. Haleigh considered that for a split second. After entirely losing Delilah, and to a large degree Ava as well, Haleigh was staring down the barrel of knowing Cameron died attempting free her from her mother, and after his failure she would have to murder Nic too. Would Isis be the one to finally give her the true death, and liberate her from this hell she’d created?

“Hmph, doubt it.”

Haleigh replied, determining such an end would be too easy, and if she had any luck at all, it was bad. Beyond that, she had a working theory on how she was defying death, and downloading into these new bodies every time. She believed the destruction of her physical form was merely a severing of connection. Her consciousness was in the Cloud now. Maybe it had been for a very long time, since her first transformation at the hands of Imagiomg. She felt increasingly more sure of it with every ‘death.’

Just as Morgan had Limbo as her private realm, Haleigh’s domain was the internet and everything in it. Fittingly, Black Widow had the Web. Isis, for all her runic sorcery and her ‘goddess’ status, could not reach Haleigh’s realm. If she had to be concerned with anybody, it might be Elizabeth York, but in Haleigh’s determination, York didn’t have it in her to be an actual threat to Haleigh’s existence. The girl had too much morality to present a problem to Haleigh. But, These kinds of considerations reminded her that it was time to start taking a more macro approach to people.

How much time had she wasted saving the fragile flatscans from some threat or another? Heidi had delivered a salient point on the beach the night Ahadi fell. At best she should not concern herself so much with mortals. Prioritizing the ones who might actually survive more than a single lifetime would save her a lot of grief in the long run. Even then, immortals COULD be eliminated, and Haleigh would do well not to allow herself to get so attached. The only thing that seemed certain to her was that she would survive. It was time to start minimizing her own suffering, she could not stand the thought of feeling this way forever.

She told Morgan the broad strokes of teammate whereabouts, and what the basic consensus was. Then she s admitted she’d appreciate if Morgan accompanied her to see Nic, in case things got out of hand quickly. Morgan seemed to expect they would. Haleigh nodded in agreement as she considered what Alison might be telling the others. Alison was always the wildcard. She saw it all coming, but she didn’t always attempt to stop everything she foresaw. Sometimes she only shared what was necessary to prepare for a difficult ordeal.

A prime example was Haleigh going to Hellfire. Alison had discussed it with her, she’d supported the move, which told Haleigh that all the other outcomes were worse. Just as easily, Alison could neglect to mention Haleigh and Morgan’s contingency plan, either because it wasn’t going to happen, or because it WAS going to happen, and it was entirely necessary. Or she could choose to blow their discretion wide open, in order to motivate others to make drastic decisions of their own. It all depended on Alison’s assessment of things. Morgan suggested that anyone who ran away from reality didn’t get a say in what the Six was going to do about the problem.

“Agreed, but as usual, prepare to have to justify everything to everyone. They always seem to assume the worst. I’m just glad you and I have reached an understanding at last. It’s nice to not have to argue with your stubborn ass for once.”

She replied with a smirk, before walking into the stepping disc Morgan had presented her.

 

[MorningStar]

The Parthenon - Conference Room

Delilah hated this. Hated this. She just wanted it to be over. She wanted Zach and his friends to be safe. She wanted Cameron back. She wanted Malice gone for good. She wanted the world to finally stop trying to end. And she didn’t want anyone else to die, especially not trying to be the Six. And not in the way that Zach and Vivica would assume. From the start, the Six had espoused “power without consequence” just as much as the Hellfire Club had. They did what they thought was best - and sometimes not even that, just what they wanted – without thinking of who could be hurt. So as Zach threw kill teams in her face as if that’d been something she’d agreed to, as if she hadn’t spent her entire tenure on the team trying to get the others to see what their actions were doing, what their mistakes cost – the Six hadn’t been a real team in a long time, and she didn’t want to see anyone else go down a road that ended at being okay murdering their own teammates. Not to mention how many of them had died along the way. It was the burden of the Six – it shouldn’t have to be anyone else’s.

Zach and Vivica left the room, and Delilah sat back down in one of the conference chairs, her head falling into her hands. She knew this wasn’t her, the way she had treated the two of them. But they didn’t understand. This had to work. Everything had to be okay. It was the only way Alexia could ever come home, that they could ever be a real family. It was the only thing Delilah wanted – she would let the Six and all the apocalypses to come be someone else’s problem if only she could have her daughter with her, and safe.

And everything was falling apart.

Delilah began to sob, the ache in her chest becoming overpowering. Deep down, she knew it would never be enough. There would always be someone else, some new danger. It would never end. It would never be safe. She could never get out. She could never live a normal life. Neither could her daughter.

And she had no one else. The Six had died its final death alongside Cameron’s. There was no one left to lean on. No friendships to fall back on. How could they defeat Set if they couldn’t even speak to each other?

There would be no pulling together for the greater good this time, and Delilah knew it. So she just sat there, and wept.

 

[Jezebel]

Back At The Clocktower

When she was in her twenties she could travel to all four corners of the multiverse for hours at a time and come back to her body ready to run a marathon. In her sixties....she needed a minute or two. Rae's head throbbed with a dull pain as rubbed her temples and let out a stifled cough, prompty pulling out a Virginia Slim and lighting it, taking in the smoke and exhaling it with all of her might. It was an old psychic trick that didn't really serve her physical health, but it helped ground her and to force her to be present. She watched as Ashley tended to Oracle, and Rae apologized for dragging her into this mess.

Oracle: Oh my goodNESS you did NOT fail me. You did wonderful!"

Rae did not like how much Elizabeth's approval sent a wave of joy through her aching bones. She normally got off on giving a middle finger to the man, but Elizabeth gave off the energy of a kindergarten teacher who was the only adult giving you any sort of positive reinforcement. It was freaky, but she liked it. She filled them in briefly on her experience with Cameron.

Ashley: "Well, according to Zach, Cameron is the most selfish man on the planet. And, er, not currently on the planet."

"Clearly he's never met any of my ex husbands."

Oracle: "Surely that's nut an unbiased assessment..."

Rae cocked an amused eyebrow, as a few images flooded her mind, somewhat filling in the cracks between whatever relationship Zach had with Cameron and chuckled to herself.

"Damn, that's some fucked up SHIT."

Ashley: "Do we kill Cameron and take our chances with Diana, or help him win and then deal with him? We know Diana is the bigger threat in the long run, but how much more damage will their battle do in the meantime?"

She became absorbed in her own thoughts for a moment, because Rae honestly wasn't sure if Diana was the bigger threat in the long run. Sure, immediately she could bring about the destruction of the universe, but the feeling she had when she met with Cameron still lingered. If he succeeded, he would not return to them as he was. To asborb an entity like The White Queen would give him immense power, but it would cost him a good chunk of his humanity. Rae was worried that given enough time, the threat of Diana would be replaced by the threat of him. She shook the thoughts from her head. The objective was to stop the end of the world, and that meant Diana had to die. If and when Cameron became a problem, she hoped to be retired and living in sin on Belize. Rae snapped back into attention.

"Diana has to die. That much I know...in fact, it feels like the ONLY thing I know."

Oracle: "Our immediate priority has to be to protect remaining telepaths. We cannot allow this battle of Cameron's to hurt any more of them. We also need to hear what Zach and Vivica found out from the Six."

She sighed.

"I'm not sure there is much we can do. We could seek out another high level telepath, but it just puts them in danger of being drained by Diana..."

Oracle: "But I can't imagine that killing Cameron King is the answer."

"At least not for another few years...."

Oracle: "No - defense until we can figure out how to go on the offense."

Rae smirked. Elizabeth truly was a delight. She would have tortured someone like Elizabeth in her youth, but the older she got, the more she appreciated the people who didn't give up their good parts, despite how much fun and easier it was to be bad.

Oracle: "Is there anything we can do to minimize the effect of what Cameron is doing? Lessen the fallout?"

She paused for a moment, grumbling at how much above this was of her pay grade.

"Cameron and Diana's energies are co-mingled right now. I got enough of a whiff to be able to sense her. I can't stop any fallout she brings on The Astral Plane, but the second she crosses the border to The Further I can use my power to bless the border. Create a little mystical barrier that should keep any damage contained there...unfortunately, if there are children....travellers who don't know what they're doing...I might not be able to protect. All I can really do is operate under the assumption that Diana's beef is with Cameron and Set, not the further or the astral plane at large...."

[letting out a long sigh]

"Unfortunately, girls...all we can do at this point is to circle back with Zach and Vivica...and wait."