Epilogue: Cabals and confrontations

[Seer]

Hellfire Mansion- Catacombs

<< Sometime had passed since Talisman and Fathom had escaped the bio systems lab at the Citadle. >>

<< Talisman stands in the center of a room inside the catacombs underground the Hellfire Mansion.>>

<< She faces a seated Malice , and a seated Helena as well. Fathom stands beside Malice, and Domino is off to the side, at Talisman's 9 o'clock. >>

<< Lord Ravena was not yet present, as he was not officially on any court, but after this business was discussed, he would join them, and announce which court he had decided to be apart of.>>

<< After that, Malice would announce the upcoming BLACKOUT PARTY, the lavish, decadant event and celebration in the Hellfire Mansion that would follow the coronation of Lord Ravena to whatever court he decided .>>

<< First though...the matter at hand.>>

<< Malice was NOT pleased with what she'd learned from Domino and Fathom regarding the events in the Citadle. Talisman hadn't FAILED in anyway, nor had Fathom. BUT the risks that Talisman had taken, and exposd not only Fathom, but the whole of the Inner Circle to due to her targeting Karen Victoria while the truce was still in effect? Well that was another matter all together, and Talisman had been checked not once...but three different times this evening by as many adversaries.>>

<< The time had come to explain herself and while she could use her cold, steely resolve to either impress or intimidate OTHERS, DIANA was an audience all together different.>>

 

[Malice]

Hellfire Catacombs

When I said to get combat data on Fathom, that didn't include risking exposure OR retaliation from the SIX.

:: Diana began::

Shadow Weaver? REALLY?

:: A servant quickly and quietly brings over a flute of champagne to Diana, and the white queen take it and has a drink before continuing::

I thought I made it CLEAR, Talisman, that NO ONE is to make a move on the Six, until I said so.

You also caused a significant, and UNECESSARY amount of structural damage to a large area within the bio systems lab.

I realize you think an anti-empathy spell makes you the Linda Hamilton of witches, but don't think that I won't hesitate to send your dear TIME DISPLACED ASS BACK to where you came from...in a BODY BAG...if prove you CAN'T follow directions.

You nearly got your alchemic ass handed to you by Shadow Weaver and that little motley crew that Dominique has joined, and WE are NOT interested in any ADDITIONAL distractions at this time!

:: Pausing for a moment::

Curiously though, I'm told Isis herself was not present for the little fracas you caused.

:: Indeed she wasn't in fact, at one point, Isis had been rather CLOSE by, it's just that none of the women in this room in the catacombs realized that!::

Of COURSE Shadow Weaver was going to involve herself, once it appeared that her ex-husband...or anything to do with him was apparent, but it appears that you're not gaining the attention YOU desire, and that the OTHER witches in this timeline don't deem you worth the time? Is that what's bugging you NOW, Kelly? Still not QUITE distinct enough from your predecessor?

Either way, you're in a bind at the moment, and if you keep OVERREACHING...I'm going to have to cut your hands off.

 

[Talisman]

Hellfire Club - Catacombs

< Upon returning to The Hellfire Club with Fathom, the two ventured into the medical labs of the catacombs as Fathom received medical treatment for any and all injuries she had experienced in her battle with Frost. Satisfied with the results, she retired to her office for quite some time, writing copious notes in her scientific journals. She had learned a lot this evening but perhaps the biggest conclusion she had come away with tonight was that she still had a lot to learn. Talisman was fascinated with this world and the alternate version of people she had been experiencing. Every single person here seemed to be stronger, more aggressive and refined. Finding a perverse interest now in the laws behind the multiverse, Talisman was now working on a passion project, one that was all about the exploration of this timeline, that she was now noting as the "Alpha Timeline". So lost in her work she was that she almost ignored The White Queen's summons to the catacomb, but she decided to face the jury, so to speak in an effort to appease the beast that was Diana. >

< Appearing in the catacombs completely refreshed, in a vintage black jumpsuit paired with a large chunky gold bracelet that looked almost like a vambrace, and her black stilleto, red bottom shoes. Her hair was pulled into a high and sleek ponytail and her makeup was dark, smokey and sultry. It was clear that she was presenting herself as The Black Queen this evening. Her Omni Pistol resting comfortable on the garter underneath her clothes, she approached the others. >

When I said to get combat data on Fathom, that didn't include risking exposure OR retaliation from the SIX.

:: Diana began::

Shadow Weaver? REALLY?

:: A servant quickly and quietly brings over a flute of champagne to Diana, and the white queen take it and has a drink before continuing::

I thought I made it CLEAR, Talisman, that NO ONE is to make a move on the Six, until I said so.

You also caused a significant, and UNECESSARY amount of structural damage to a large area within the bio systems lab.

I realize you think an anti-empathy spell makes you the Linda Hamilton of witches, but don't think that I won't hesitate to send your dear TIME DISPLACED ASS BACK to where you came from...in a BODY BAG...if prove you CAN'T follow directions.

You nearly got your alchemic ass handed to you by Shadow Weaver and that little motley crew that Dominique has joined, and WE are NOT interested in any ADDITIONAL distractions at this time!

:: Pausing for a moment::

Curiously though, I'm told Isis herself was not present for the little fracas you caused.

:: Indeed she wasn't in fact, at one point, Isis had been rather CLOSE by, it's just that none of the women in this room in the catacombs realized that!::

Of COURSE Shadow Weaver was going to involve herself, once it appeared that her ex-husband...or anything to do with him was apparent, but it appears that you're not gaining the attention YOU desire, and that the OTHER witches in this timeline don't deem you worth the time? Is that what's bugging you NOW, Kelly? Still not QUITE distinct enough from your predecessor?

Either way, you're in a bind at the moment, and if you keep OVERREACHING...I'm going to have to cut your hands off.

< She watched Malice with no expression but with wild eyes. >

"Fathom is a weapon that will be used against The Six. To test her against anything less would have been a waste of time. My investigation of Dr. Victoria was a personal one. I was not involved in any kind of truce...and since you continue to dangle my position here over my head, I assumed that I was able to operate as a free agent."

< Checking her manicured nails for a moment before returning her glance towards Malice. >

"The damage to the Citadle has been minimal, and besides..it's technology is as outdated as your Linda Hamilton reference. A simple restoration spell will fix anything down there worth saving. I have more than proved my worth and value to you, Diana. But you are not my keeper...or my mother..."

[smirking]

"Though finding out that you ARE somebody's mother has been a rather intriguing development."

"You need me. We need each other, despite any amount of snark that you might carelessly toss out of your mouth. I trust you...it's time for you to trust me."

< She addressed the entire group. >

"I understand your reservations. However, I am no neophyte. Every angle needs to be investigated from here on out. You have not had a magick user either interested or equipped to do this work in quite some time. From what I was able to gather in my interactions with Shadow Weaver, I can conclude that hers...and likely the others files to be criminally out of date. I needed to see where her strengths lie and the boundaries of her weaknesses in order to create safe guards, in order to make our assets stronger. In my timeline...she destroyed the world. I agree that perhaps I might have been a bit over zealous and reckless, but I have this entire ordeal to be a success. Experiencing Shadow Weaver's energy signature, her physiology and mental state under extreme stress has allowed me to find new avenues of keeping her at bay if and when it is deemed necessary."

< Flatly. >

"I apologize for not being able to wait before the big party to make myself known. I could only remain in the shadows for so long before I found myself clawing at the walls. Let's be clear..there may have been obstacles, and I may have some things to learn about this... [gesturing around her] place, but rewatch the footage; I was NOT bested by Shadow Weaver. Not by a long shot. I took a risk, it was a mixed bag of results..and I am smarter from it. I have nothing else to offer you in regards to this."

< thinking >

"As for Dominique Devereaux...I have something special in mind for her."

 

[Fathom]

Hellfire Club -- Catacombs

Heidi stood by Diana, a cool confidence radiating from her. Her debut had gone as well as could be expected, well the part that SHE was responsible for, anyhow. She'd been sent to prove she could put down an advanced foe, and cement her place as Malice's assassin. It started out as a chore but once she'd been told she'd face an ice elemental, she'd been quite enthusiastic. She needed to psychologically rectify the loss to Avalanche as much as THEY needed to see that Ice Elementals weren't her weakness.

Heidi absentmindedly ran her fingers through the soft polar bear fur that lined the lapels of her jacket. The White Queen wasn't happy with the Black, but that wasn't her problem. What WAS her problem now, however, was how many of those Supers had seen her assassinate Frost, and how many of them were going to hold a grudge. Not that she was WORRIED, of course, but it was just the inconvenience of it all. Then again, it was kind of nice to cast a shadow again, and she enjoyed the infamy. It was a glory she'd not felt for a very long time.

She waved away a mousy little servant girl who offered her champagne. She never really took a liking to liquids that dried her out. Diana continued to dress Kelly down, and Heidi stood by patiently, here ensure nothing treacherous happened. Kelly defended her position, explaining the advantages they'd gained. Her argument might be stronger if they'd run up against the Six proper, and not the stunt doubles they'd encountered instead. Heidi's gaze fell on Domino, and she wondered what her fellow test subject thought about this whole American Installment of Hellfire. Would this branch be more stable, or were they just as prone to in-fighting and self-sabotage as the Europeans had been?

 

[Domino]

The Hellfire Club - Catacombs

:: Domino's night had been eventful. She had finally sunk her teeth into something after spending the last few months minding the store and familiarizing herself with the way things worked here. The night had been surprising in a number of ways, but there was nothing more exciting than her encounter with Silver Swan. ::

<< FLASH! >>

:: As Silver Swan was BLASTED back, Domino charged GRABBING the woman by the air, spinning her around and SLAMMING her into a wall with strength that paralleled her OWN. Each of their unique and beautiful eyes met for a moment amidst the chaos. ::

"You and I...we'll tangle again..and next time, I hope you let me take the lead!"

:: Leaning in, she KISSED Sharon with a GREAT passion for several seconds, her ruby red lip stick against Sharon's alabaster skin. Silver Swan was THOROUGHLY shocked (and maybe even a little excited) and in that moment, she KNEED Sharon in the stomach before disappearing in the flying debris as the Tyrant began to RAMPAGE through the halls. The strong hulking creature was much like the one she had faced in London, which meant he would NOT be easy to dispatch. ::

:: The loud SLAMMING of the doors to the citadel can be heard as Domino vanishes from sight and the group prepares for the next round of attacks! ::

:: She was a woman who had been hard pressed to find somebody who could deliver the amount of physical damage to her that she could to others, and it didn't help that Maxine often had a penchant for attempting to romance girls that she couldn't have. Sharon was just another addition to the list. Domino wasn't stupid - she wasn't going to fall in love with Silver Swan or attempt some misguided friendship, she just maybe wanted the chance to sneak a peak under her bloomers and say hello. Feeling charged by the light battle she had engaged in, Domino spent the rest of her evening knocking back whiskey and screwing the brains out a nice asian woman in finance named Lynn, whom she had met on her way back from the liquor store. ::

Lynn: "I've never done this before..."

"That's what they all say."

:: Several hours later, she had kicked Lynn out of her quarters, ordered a pizza and settled into her computer, monitoring different strongholds The Hellfire Club had procured quite some time ago as well as new holdings while Billy Idol played in the background. She was just about to grab another slice when Diana had requested her presence. Licking her fingers, she went to the bathroom, slicked her hair back, donned her leather jacket and headed down to the catacombs. ::

:: She filled Malice in with her own observations about what had transpired tonight. To Maxine, Talisman had wielded an incredible amount of power for very stupid reasons. Part of the mystique and intrigue that she had was that nobody knew who she was or what she was capable of and now she had given a dozen people one hell of a preview. She DID note to Malice that Talisman seemed to be in control of the situation and that while she may have gotten overwhelmed by sheer volume, she seemed to effectively be able to manage the situation, even with the variables and wildcards that were presented to her. That should count for something. ::

:: As Dr. Shaw arrived to explain herself, Domino stood there, poised and listening. This would be a telling interaction. One of the things that stopped forward movement in the European branch was that they spent too much of their time stroking their own egos and attempting to assert dominance over each other instead of working together and understanding the value and unique qualities that were of mutual benefit. So far the Americans seemed to have their house in order, but this was the first time that Talisman had somewhat defied The White Queen's wishes. ::

"Sounds to me like you are pissing all over our legs and trying to convince us that it's raining."

:: She stepped forward. ::

"You performed well...but this wasn't an experiment. This was personal to you."

[she cocked an unamused eyebrow at Talisman before looking at Malice]

"Earlier..I saw her steady herself when she was walking the halls. Something is wrong with her and not just the obvious."

 

[Malice]

Hellfire Catacombs

< She watched Malice with no expression but with wild eyes. >

"Fathom is a weapon that will be used against The Six. To test her against anything less would have been a waste of time. My investigation of Dr. Victoria was a personal one. I was not involved in any kind of truce...and since you continue to dangle my position here over my head, I assumed that I was able to operate as a free agent."

< Checking her manicured nails for a moment before returning her glance towards Malice. >

"The damage to the Citadle has been minimal, and besides..it's technology is as outdated as your Linda Hamilton reference. A simple restoration spell will fix anything down there worth saving. I have more than proved my worth and value to you, Diana. But you are not my keeper...or my mother..."

I have told you before, and will not do so again, Fathom is MY white knight. She is NOT your pet project OR an invention for you to "TINKER" with. This test was intended for two things: Combat data, & for her to EXORCISE any lingering psychological trauma associated with her death at the hands of that jack frost reject Avalanche! Magick and science may be your province, but the MIND, THE HEART, THE EMOTIONS, THE SOUL are MINE.

I wanted to be sure, I wanted HEIDI to be sure that SHE was free of any psychosomatic dysfunction relating to her previous trauma. DESPITE your grand standing, and exposing her AND YOURSELF to MORE than I ordered - INCLUDING the eyes and mind of that fembot RECALL, who can record, categorize and RECALL ANYTHING or ANYONE she sees- the combat data, and my own psi scans indicate that Heidi will have no problems fullfilling her role and duty as my white knight. Henceforth, you will NOT USE her for ANYMORE of your obsessive compulsive science endeavors.

:: Talisman attempts a snide remark about Diana's lineage. The predatory smile on Diana's face FADED.::

:: A beat...::

Speaking of Recall...how long do you think it will be before she and/or Shadow Weaver ALERT Prophet and Harbinger to your presence here? You've opened us ALL to unecessary RISK...all over this VERY personal "investigation" of yours, and it was a DUMB thing to do!

:: And speaking of that "personal investigation....::

Your investigation of Dr. Victoria is a personal OBSESSION. You're not as mysterious OR as "closed off" from me as you THINK you are, woman.

:: Malice said in a voice dripping with predatory overtone::

You know what's dated? Arrogant, aggressive magick users from ANY timeline named KELLY, who want to TRY ME.

:: simultaneously, Malice communicates with Enchantrah telepathically:: On my mark. 3....2...1...NOW!

:: As Malice transforms into her diamond form, she THROWS a golf ball sized and shaped vial with a fraction of the force of her strength, as well as precise aim. the vial shatters on the floor right between Kelly's high heels and releases a concentrated mist extracted from the BLACK LOTUS BLOSSOM.::

:: No magick user, not even Talisman, was immune to it's effects, and she found herself coughing horribly, feeling dizzy, and losing her connection to her power. Different amounts and different levels of exposure would have different negative effects up to and including total paralysis, and unconsciousness, as well as long term POISONING. ::

::But this was a SMALL dose of the paralyzing, toxic vapor, and it was not intended to do any longterm, permanent or even SERIOUS harm to Kelly. Rather, it was part of a multi-pronged object lesson to get the woman's attention and bring her back down to EARTH.::

:: As the witch was thrown off course by this vapor, Enchantrah WARPS reality around her personal space, and plays HAVOC with her senses. Due to the nature and scope of her power, and she herself being the far more powerful cross time alternate of the ORIGINAL Helena Quartermaine- Enchantrah's illusions and reality warps are completely IMMERSIVE. As is the case with Harbinger, Kelly's omni-sight does not help her, and she is temporarily incapcitated by the vapors of the black lotus blossom. She soon finds herself confronted with a "REAL AS LIFE" image of the apoplectic Shadow Weaver from her native timeline::

Some thoughts, even from a person with a psi screen, stand out like a BEACON to me, Kelly. They are as PRIMAL as a person's DNA and genome. YOU should know that much. And in your case, I KNOW what you felt when you FLED your world just as that Shadow Weaver was about to destroy it, and why you are obsessed with her NOW.

But you know what ELSE?

:: Reality bends and shifts around her AGAIN, as she is now confronted with a REAL AS LIFE image/being of KELLY KING, standing right before her, and the BOTH of them are in the old Camerno King estate, the villa on the pacific pallisades in California.::

You're so BENT on showing us all that you are NOT THIS WOMAN, that you're going to end up representing the polar OPPOSITE. SHE was incompetent, YOU are running the risk of being perceived as a ROGUE who can't be trusted.

:: Shaw sees, Cameron, Alison, and Erika VANQUISHING Kelly King, just as it originally happened. Kelly can HEAR King's screams, FEEL the heat and force from the EXPLOSION of her body, and see the various looks of anger, disgust/contempt, and revulsion on the faces of the three siblings after she is destroyed::

NOBODY in this room cares about the distinction, as much as YOU do, and while on the surfacce you may dismiss any of your FOE'S attempts to compare you to her...on a very deep, VERY personal level...it DOES bother you, but you can't reconcile it...because of something you did to yourself!

:: At Malice's mental command, Enchantrah ceases her attack and Kelly is returned to the normal original space she was in. Malice is now sitting sideways, with her legs hanging over one of the arms of her throne::

You know what the draw back is to being void of emotion? You become this stiff thing...like a tree. But even the strongest tree will bend, and BREAK under just the right circumstance....and the strength and steadfastness of said tree, is USELESS if it is surrounded, FLOODED, DROWNED by the such forces like PASSION and ZEST. A lack of emotion represents stagnation, and the trouble with stagnation? IS that it causes a person to be LEFT BEHIND, and ultimately DISCARDED.

:: Glaring at Talisman::

What "I NEED..." Talisman, is a black queen who COMPREHENDS, who can promote and PRESERVE COHESION, and who will FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. Even Dominique, for all her lofty ways, understood the value, and the strategic BENEFIT of such things. And I'LL decide when you've met the burden of PROOF, Shaw.

Remember...You came into MY yard. If you hadn't been as logical and persuasive with your tongue as you were, you'd be DEAD now. Don't think that your psi screen, or your anti-empathy spell protects you from ME and the ART of destruction that I have crafted.

What you have "PROVEN" to me, is that you are not the massively incompetent woman that your counterpart was- even though your anti-empathy spell has left a stick so far up your frigid ass that you can't even accept a COMPLIMENT on your technical expertise.

:: chuckling as she took a satisfying drink of her champagne.::

Proving your competence is a FAR different thing than PROVING that you are ONE OF US.

:: Namely Helena and herself::

There's a REASON why Helena and myself have OUTLASTED EVERY one who has claimed to be OUR peer. They either grew "faint of heart" like our dearly departed Dominique, or their greedy eyes and avaricious hearts lead them to OVERREACH and DO TOO MUCH. TONIGHT, you have come dangerously close to being the latter of the two, and in case this didn't happen in YOUR timeline, let me inform you that in EACH case of it here? The person was ELIMINATED.


:: On to Kelly's attempt to be dismissive of the truce::


Whether or not you were present when the truce was established is IRRELEVANT. It is a strategic advantage to US to at least APPEAR to abide by it now, and you WILL follow suit.

The only person in this room who underestimated her, was YOU. Helena and myself have BOTH fought the woman, we have KNOWN her since BEFORE she was pregnant with Spellbinder, and we KNOW what she is capable of.

Contrary to what you have convinced yourself, what you do IS my business. If you are supposedly acting in the interests of the Inner Circle, then you damn well better have a handle on what it is your doing and it better NOT be in CONFLICT with what I have decreed as policy and procedure.

You've HAD your fun...CARELESS AS IT WAS, with Shadow Weaver, and now you're FINISHED with HER.

:: she leans forward::

By all means, update the files on Shadow Weaver and whoever else, But There will be NO MORE provocation or attacks on the Six OR their allies, UNTIL I SAY SO.

:: She pauses for a moment, looking at Enchantrah, Fathom, and Domino, before back at Talisman::

Now, I TRUST I've made myself clear?

:: The vapors of the black lotus blossom have begun to dissipate from around Talisman.::

Or...if you're feeling FLUSHED with your narrow measure of "success" we can put YOU to the test for combat data?

"Sounds to me like you are pissing all over our legs and trying to convince us that it's raining."

:: She stepped forward. ::

"You performed well...but this wasn't an experiment. This was personal to you."

[she cocked an unamused eyebrow at Talisman before looking at Malice]

"Earlier..I saw her steady herself when she was walking the halls. Something is wrong with her and not just the obvious."

:: Malice, Enchantrah and Fathom all looked at Talisman. Even Domino turned her head toward the woman to see if she was really going to push this with Diana.::

 

[Talisman]

"She is YOUR White Knight but she is MY creation, Diana. Don't think for one second that just as you've placed "fail safes" for my own existence that I haven't TIRELESSLY crafted my own. I wouldn't have sent Fathom into an environment that she would fail. She sent a message tonight, and that was to YOUR benefit. You wanted to see that she was free of any trauma, that she could rise above her former identity and be effective...that was PROVEN tonight by her murder of Frost. A pathos has now been created for her. A leg to stand on, so to speak. You are WELCOME for that."

"Recall will do exactly what I expect her to do. And if not her, it will be Delilah. There are things at work that you can't understand, Diana. Not unless you walk in the circles of power afforded to the magick users. This moment, my forced arrival, and the confusion that lingers around it...was well PLANNED..and flawlessly executed. How can you not see that?"

:: As Malice transforms into her diamond form, she THROWS a golf ball sized and shaped vial with a fraction of the force of her strength, as well as precise aim. the vial shatters on the floor right between Kelly's high heels and releases a concentrated mist extracted from the BLACK LOTUS BLOSSOM.::

:: No magick user, not even Talisman, was immune to it's effects, and she found herself coughing horribly, feeling dizzy, and losing her connection to her power. Different amounts and different levels of exposure would have different negative effects up to and including total paralysis, and unconsciousness, as well as long term POISONING. ::

::But this was a SMALL dose of the paralyzing, toxic vapor, and it was not intended to do any longterm, permanent or even SERIOUS harm to Kelly. Rather, it was part of a multi-pronged object lesson to get the woman's attention and bring her back down to EARTH.::

:: As the witch was thrown off course by this vapor, Enchantrah WARPS reality around her personal space, and plays HAVOC with her senses. Due to the nature and scope of her power, and she herself being the far more powerful cross time alternate of the ORIGINAL Helena Quartermaine- Enchantrah's illusions and reality warps are completely IMMERSIVE. As is the case with Harbinger, Kelly's omni-sight does not help her, and she is temporarily incapcitated by the vapors of the black lotus blossom. She soon finds herself confronted with a "REAL AS LIFE" image of the apoplectic Shadow Weaver from her native timeline::

Some thoughts, even from a person with a psi screen, stand out like a BEACON to me, Kelly. They are as PRIMAL as a person's DNA and genome. YOU should know that much. And in your case, I KNOW what you felt when you FLED your world just as that Shadow Weaver was about to destroy it, and why you are obsessed with her NOW.

But you know what ELSE?

:: Reality bends and shifts around her AGAIN, as she is now confronted with a REAL AS LIFE image/being of KELLY KING, standing right before her, and the BOTH of them are in the old Camerno King estate, the villa on the pacific pallisades in California.::

You're so BENT on showing us all that you are NOT THIS WOMAN, that you're going to end up representing the polar OPPOSITE. SHE was incompetent, YOU are running the risk of being perceived as a ROGUE who can't be trusted.

:: Shaw sees, Cameron, Alison, and Erika VANQUISHING Kelly King, just as it originally happened. Kelly can HEAR King's screams, FEEL the heat and force from the EXPLOSION of her body, and see the various looks of anger, disgust/contempt, and revulsion on the faces of the three siblings after she is destroyed::

NOBODY in this room cares about the distinction, as much as YOU do, and while on the surfacce you may dismiss any of your FOE'S attempts to compare you to her...on a very deep, VERY personal level...it DOES bother you, but you can't reconcile it...because of something you did to yourself!

:: At Malice's mental command, Enchantrah ceases her attack and Kelly is returned to the normal original space she was in. Malice is now sitting sideways, with her legs hanging over one of the arms of her throne::

< Talisman gave somewhat of a mixed reaction of approval and disdain as Malice unleashed her passive attack against Kelly. For a moment, she was thrown completely off course, the effects of The Black Lotus hitting her. She was definitely thrown off course, and coupled with Enchantrah's powers, for a moment, she felt incredibly off balance. But this was a pivotal moment. Helena and Diana for so long has relied on each other. Their relationship was a large mystery, and the reasons for their loyalty to each other was deeper than anybody in this timeline would ever know. What they hadn't planned on, was a ghost from the past who was well suited to understand their dynamic. It had been the two of them for so long, that they couldn't comprehend a third in their world. Talisman was going to have prove what she knew simply because of her knowledge of magick as well as science, that success happened in threes. They wanted to flex their muscles..she would flex hers. As she steadied herself in the air, she grabbed the omni pistol from her black lace garter and FIRED a bullet into the air, releasing a POTENT negation element into the air. Kelly was not a novice in the field of magick, or the field of her life's work. She had studied the extent of magick, the chemical compounds that magick created, the pollutants in the air surrounding magick, and she knew how to counter it. This was why she was never impressed when witches who practiced the OLD WAYS tried to get her to feel bad for incorporating her love of science into her work. The bullet created a NULL FIELD around her body as well as an explosive impact. While Helena and Diana went in on her, they were blasted back and the effects of the Black Lotus Blossom were negated. It was temporary, but it would give her a small advantage that she needed. >

"Nobody cares about the distinction, but they should. By all means, continue to deal with me as if I were Kelly King. You...as well as The Six will suffer for it."

< She is about to take aim right for Diana's face as the attack against her is halted. >

You know what the draw back is to being void of emotion? You become this stiff thing...like a tree. But even the strongest tree will bend, and BREAK under just the right circumstance....and the strength and steadfastness of said tree, is USELESS if it is surrounded, FLOODED, DROWNED by the such forces like PASSION and ZEST. A lack of emotion represents stagnation, and the trouble with stagnation? IS that it causes a person to be LEFT BEHIND, and ultimately DISCARDED.

:: Glaring at Talisman::

What "I NEED..." Talisman, is a black queen who COMPREHENDS, who can promote and PRESERVE COHESION, and who will FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. Even Dominique, for all her lofty ways, understood the value, and the strategic BENEFIT of such things. And I'LL decide when you've met the burden of PROOF, Shaw.

Remember...You came into MY yard. If you hadn't been as logical and persuasive with your tongue as you were, you'd be DEAD now. Don't think that your psi screen, or your anti-empathy spell protects you from ME and the ART of destruction that I have crafted.

What you have "PROVEN" to me, is that you are not the massively incompetent woman that your counterpart was- even though your anti-empathy spell has left a stick so far up your frigid ass that you can't even accept a COMPLIMENT on your technical expertise.

"How much do I have to do for you to prove that I am not above my level, Malice? You say it...but you do not treat me as such. I am creating an insurance policy for myself. I know that at this very moment Shadow Weaver will go to Harbinger. She will convince her that I need to die. That it is better for me to be destroyed rather than to expose myself to Prophet. He will be how I am able to walk through this world...because he won't allow me to die."

< Smirking >

"I can take your compliments, Diana...but I do not forget who you are or where you came from. You have built an empire on your mystique and I can tell you now, that the similarities between MY Diana and yours? Well they are almost word for word. Unfortunately for you, this allows me to know a GREAT deal about you and how you operate. Moreso than you would like, more so than I would EVER admit to these... [rolling her eyes] these ALLIES."

"I am The Black Queen that you could only HOPE for. I understand this game. I HAD to make a splash in order to gain the upper hand. Again, I apologize for not waiting for your ultiimate vision of my arrival, but I had to do things a little dirty. I've made Shadow Weaver angry...she will make Harbinger angry...after what Alison and Cameron have just endured after their little dream..."

[an indication that Talisman knew MUCH of what had transpired in The Six as of late]

"Harbinger will be hard pressed to attempt to end me. Prophet will ensure my survival and I will use his ridiculous emotional ties and his desperate need for a mother to further our purpose."

:: chuckling as she took a satisfying drink of her champagne.::

Proving your competence is a FAR different thing than PROVING that you are ONE OF US.

:: Namely Helena and herself::

There's a REASON why Helena and myself have OUTLASTED EVERY one who has claimed to be OUR peer. They either grew "faint of heart" like our dearly departed Dominique, or their greedy eyes and avaricious hearts lead them to OVERREACH and DO TOO MUCH. TONIGHT, you have come dangerously close to being the latter of the two, and in case this didn't happen in YOUR timeline, let me inform you that in EACH case of it here? The person was ELIMINATED.


:: On to Kelly's attempt to be dismissive of the truce::


Whether or not you were present when the truce was established is IRRELEVANT. It is a strategic advantage to US to at least APPEAR to abide by it now, and you WILL follow suit.

The only person in this room who underestimated her, was YOU. Helena and myself have BOTH fought the woman, we have KNOWN her since BEFORE she was pregnant with Spellbinder, and we KNOW what she is capable of.

Contrary to what you have convinced yourself, what you do IS my business. If you are supposedly acting in the interests of the Inner Circle, then you damn well better have a handle on what it is your doing and it better NOT be in CONFLICT with what I have decreed as policy and procedure.

You've HAD your fun...CARELESS AS IT WAS, with Shadow Weaver, and now you're FINISHED with HER.

"White Queen? I've more than proved that I am one of you. I single handedly enacted The Purifiers attack on New York City. I single handledly ensured that Dominique would blame William Stryker for WilPharma..I have hand crafted every single interaction one might have of me since returning and I have turned it back onto the world. And I'm not finished with Shadow Weaver, not by a long shot. Am I the only one who is tired of her consistent beration and tom foolery at the hands of The Inner Circle? Helena may enjoy their back and forth, but I do not. She is the little engine that could, she is the only one of us, across time and space that has REFUSED to accept the burden of responsibility for this work..and I am never...EVER going to let her forget it. It's as simple as that."

:: she leans forward::

By all means, update the files on Shadow Weaver and whoever else, But There will be NO MORE provocation or attacks on the Six OR their allies, UNTIL I SAY SO.

:: She pauses for a moment, looking at Enchantrah, Fathom, and Domino, before back at Talisman::

Now, I TRUST I've made myself clear?

:: The vapors of the black lotus blossom have begun to dissipate from around Talisman.::

Or...if you're feeling FLUSHED with your narrow measure of "success" we can put YOU to the test for combat data?

"You are right on that account. I do need a bit of time until I can craft something that will make Karen Victoria quiver in her oversized vintage panties, but that day WILL come."

[upon hearing Diana's last bit about combat training]

"Get ALL the combat data you need me on, Malice. I'm not going anywhhere, and I will only say this once. The ONLY two people I want to do this with...are THIS specific Helena Quartermaine...and THIS specific Diana...I'll withhold your last name for brevity."

"I won't be a slave to you. And I won't allow you to tarnish what I've done."

 

[Fathom]

Hellfire Club -- Catacombs

The servant girl came around again, this time on the tray she had a bottle of San Pellegrino which Heidi found acceptable. She cracked the seal and took a long draw as the Queens batted her name back and forth like a tennis ball.

"Please, DO continue to discuss me as if I am not present."

Heidi intoned, with mild amusement. There was some more posturing, and it became very clear that Kelly was relatively new here, and still trying to convince everyone she deserved to be here.

Well, not everyone can have as impressive a start as I have.

Interestingly, Kelly dropped a word about Diana being someone's mother, and Diana went dour immediately. Shortly thereafter the White and Red Queens proved they had a deeper connection, and worked in unison to put Kelly in check. If there was going to be treachery or retribution, it would happen now, and Heidi raised her free hand, ready to defend her position and her Queen. Kelly may have brought her back to life, but it was clear Diana ran the show here and more importantly to Heidi, Diana was the one who drew the line and freed Heidi from Kelly's mad scientist tendencies.

However, Kelly didn't strike back. She stood her ground well enough. Heidi shrugged and dropped her hand, then took another long drink. Slowly screwing the cap back on, she looked to Diana now that the matter seemed settled.

"If I may, Diana..... when WILL we address the matter of these "six" people? They'll be in our way until we do. Nothing's worse than a bunch of obnoxious PRIGS meddling in our affairs and foiling our carefully laid plans."

 

[Malice]

Hellfire Club Catacombs

:: Malice heard Kelly reference her native timeline's Diana, and she DISMISSED any mention or comparsion of herself to ANY of her alternates. Mainstream Diana was MORE than her looks, her powers, or even her conquests. ::

:: After all, the CONSCIOUSNESS of mainstream Diana remained in tact and lived on even after Spellbinder destroyed her original body, moving across the astral plane. Eventually, she forcibly DISPLACED the mind of ANOTHER alternate oher's and took total posession of the body. THAT kind of force of will, and POWER on the astral plane was simply "one in a million". Did Talisman think SHE could somehow accomplish what SPELLBIDNER could not?::

:: Malice eyed Talisman the way a shark eyes it's prey. It may fight, but the end result is always the same::

<< a horizontal split view of Malice's opal blue eyes, and Talisman's colbalt blue eyes. The eyes of a super predator, versus the eyes of a souless analyst.>>

:: there was this uncertainty that hung in the air at this very moment.::

If there was going to be treachery or retribution, it would happen now, and Heidi raised her free hand, ready to defend her position and her Queen. Kelly may have brought her back to life, but it was clear Diana ran the show here and more importantly to Heidi, Diana was the one who drew the line and freed Heidi from Kelly's mad scientist tendencies.

:: Did Kelly think that Diana had gotten this far without researching and LEARNING along the way? Kelly was fast on her feet, that much couldn't be denied. But there WERE ways to trip up a precog or even a witch with omni-sight, and THAT was the object lesson that Malice and Enchantra delivered to the woman.::

:: Kelly wanted to be recognized, but she acted as though no one in the Inner Circle had any depth of perception, awareness or INTELLIGENCE to be able to do so UNLESS she FORCED them to, and THAT was something Malice wouldn't tolerate.::

:: Diana didn't run an amateur hour. EVERYONE who had EVER been a member of HER Inner Circle, INCLUDING Dominique, was TOP TIER. If Kelly thought she was UNIQUE in that...well...she was fooling only HERSELF.::

:iana used her telepathy and empathy to accent and enhance natural skills that she had, much like Kelly used science to bolster her magick. ::

:: The moment that Diana found the interloper HIDING on Sheena Island, in the Arklay mansion replica....EVERYTHING changed. While there had been many "would be" successors vying for the mantle of "the next Mystech", most notably WilPharma and TriCell, it was Diana's discovery and subsequent confrontation of Kelly Shaw in mainstream reality that opened the White Queen's eyes! Shaw herself REMINDED Diana that the remnants of mystech were pieces of HER, and they had already begun slowly MOVING, trying to find their way back together. Would DIANA allow someone ELSE to tap into the legacy and POWER of an entity that SHE had raised to to the global force that it had once been? ::

:: Shaw's carefully chosen words, and gift of sight- allowing her to show Malice some IMPORTANT events that could likely occurr- not only spared Shaw her life, but they also RESONATED with Malice.::

:: The era of relative peace resulting from the truce had been long AND for a time, beneficial. But It was KELLY'S urging, backed with REAL "data" and visions, that lead Diana to ALLOW Isis to depart the Hellfire Club without incident. One door was closing, but ANOTHER was about to open!::

:: The TRUCE was outliving its usefulness, and Kelly CHALLENGED Diana to rethink her current course of action- of simply reigning over the Hellfire Club, while letting others...mainly FLATSCANS try to get their hands on the remnants of Mystech, the global entity she was once the QUEEN of!?::

:: Diana simply could NOT let a bunch of greedy, fame seeking, arrogant FLAT SCANS seize hold of the power and legacy of mystech! Ultimately, if that happened...they would target ALL mutants, INCLUDING HER, and she simply would NOT have THAT! SHE was the predator, NOT the prey!::

:: And so, she struck a NEW partnership...with this interloper. One that has been rather CONTENTIOUS thus far. But here they were, along with Enchantrah, and an Inner Circle that Diana was now actively swelling the ranks with NEW BLOOD...positioning themselves. to bring down the HAMMER on the Six, and the WORLD as never before!

:: Still, Talisman was pushing TOO hard. She was MISSING her own small, but important steps of progress, and instead of building on THOSE, she was trying to BURN PATHS in directions she did not need to go, especially where Diana was concerned. She was NOT earning herself any respect or good will among the growing Inner Circle, and if anyone knew what would happen to a Queen that was not up to par...it was DOMINO!::

:: Shaw didn't like it, but Malice would CONTINUE to test her UNTIL the woman showed that she was IN LINE with THIS Inner Circle. She had a dedication to the work of mystech and how far it could have gone, and a long range vision that even inspired Diana, but her aloof behavior, her reliance on certain aspects of her powers, INCLUDING that anti-empathy spell, and her tendancy to over reach, were a PROBLEM that needed to be corrected. She'd either recognize that and do it herself, OR she'd be brought to heel by Diana. The choice was her's!::

:: After several LONG moments....::

For a woman who is "without emotion" and who sees no VALUE in emotions, You're banking an AWFUL LOT on the emotion of two children who aren't even yours.

You've stood your ground this round, and I TRUST that you will not defy me regarding Heidi Scarborough.

:: another satisfying drink of champagne::

But while you're trying to tell ME what I need...and what I should do....perhaps you should be devoting that obsessive effort to YOURSELF because while "our files" on Shadow Weaver and certain others MIGHT be out of date? YOUR files on "The Six?" ::feining contemplation:: oh that's right...you don't HAVE any because they didn't EXIST in your timeline.

:: Malice stands up and moves to the center of the room::

THE SIX. They are perhaps the greatest UNINTENDED consequence of the ambitions of Mystech and...the...OVERREACH of several of it's....key players.
:: A slight reference to Kelly's own jab at Diana regarding her lineage::

They managed to survive more than entire armies or nations could, from individual assaults, group attacks, anti-mutant hysteria, and even a giant sentinel named Master Mold.

I was the last woman standing when Mystech fell. That wasn't by chance or conicidence.

I was NOT going to be dragged down with it, and I made SURE to ADD to the Six's casualty list as Mystech fell. I've lost battles before, I LOST MY HEAD once...but here i stand, because I've LEARNED from that defeat. I didn't HIDE behind an "anti-empathy" spell.

You had to FLEE your timeline. I came BACK to mine, and laid utter WASTE to the Six with a renewed strategy, energized by TEAMWORK, and the SUCCESS was evident, UNTIL SET crashed the party. Then we ALL decided to take a little....hiatus.

Only a FOOL goes to war with the kind of arrogance and overreach you have displayed tonight, thinking that your "investigations" or your techno magick tricks will be enough.

The Six are BEYOND anything you dealt with in your native timeline, but if you REALLY think YOU could defeat and crush The Six ALL on your own? By all means, walk out the doors upstaris and take your BEST SHOT.

:: she gestured, knowing the Black Queen wouldn't be going anywhere. One thing that DIANA herself had to learn, in the worst way...after quite literally LOSING HER HEAD, was that ONLY a UNITED FRONT and TEAM WORK would prevail against the Six. When she and Enchantrah returned to mainstream, and they recruited Dominique, the THREE of them took down a FULL rostered Six.::

This isn't YOUR world, YOUR rules don't apply here.

So if you want to continue to push, go ahead, because you WILL join the ranks of your NOT so dearly departed analogue QUITE QUICKLY if you cross words with The Six before the time is right. You'll be just as DEAD as the doctors you look down upon, and NO ONE HERE will miss you.

And if you continue to DEFY me, and cause US strategic and tactical liabilities like what you exposed Fathom and the REST of us to with your "investigation" of Shadow Weaver? I won't even have to waste the effort of killing you. I'll simply CAST YOU OUT and leave you in the cross hairs of the Six. You can THINK that Prophet will be enough to guarntee your safety...

::Her face FINALLY shifts from the predatory "shark" look, as she is seen snickering::

...you obviously dont know how FRACTIOUS that little family can be. But whatever you do, You'll be on YOUR OWN and NO ONE in the Hellfire's Inner Circle will come to your aid, and there IS no middle ground. You are either WITH US, or you are our ENEMY, and you will then be treated as such.

:iana looked up at the ceiling for a moment before laughing softly, Kelly mentioned Cameron King, and she recalled GLEEFULLY torturing and deconstructing him. His was a mind...a psyche...and a soul so RICH and FULL BODIED. It HAD to be played like an instrument in an orchestra of violence being conducted as ONLY Malice could!::

:: But one thing about the boy that Shaw didn't seem to be aware of, was that he not only had a GREAT capacity for suffering and enduring PAIN, he ALSO had an EQUALLY great capacity to INFLICT pain- both mental AND physical! Harbinger was cold, hard, forcused, she fought and killed with brutal, unrelenting, SURGICAL preceision. Malice respected that because the precog was similar to herself! But Cameron? He was full of passion and emotion, and those FLAMES, when unleashed just right? In his own way, if he was to become truly unhinged by trauma or BETRAYAL? He would be every bit as deadly as Spellbinder's Inferno or all consuming as Firebird's power! There was more malice in his twisted soul than he would DARE admit, and if Shaw thought she could manipulate him free range and there NOT be consequences to herself?::

:: But why bother telling her? The woman thought she knew everything, and that would make her fall even MORE satisfying to watch, if she didn't get her act together::

:: And that's where she would leave this.::

However, Kelly didn't strike back. She stood her ground well enough. Heidi shrugged and dropped her hand, then took another long drink. Slowly screwing the cap back on, she looked to Diana now that the matter seemed settled.

"If I may, Diana..... when WILL we address the matter of these "six" people? They'll be in our way until we do. Nothing's worse than a bunch of obnoxious PRIGS meddling in our affairs and foiling our carefully laid plans."

:: Diana cast her gaze on Heidi::

We CAN thank our quite contrary black queen for...enlightening me on the need to wrest control of the remanents of mystech out of the hands of these sloppy flatscans. But in doing so, it will put us in direct conflict with the Six.

I realized that the WAR didn't END. ALL sides simply took a hiatus in the aftermath of SET. That time has PASSED, and things have changed. Despite Talisman's assertions of outdated files...*I* did not walk away from the battle of SET without a few takeaways, neither did the other queens.

And speaking of other changes, We now have this little motley crew, the BIRDS OF PREY, to consider, they even count ISIS among their group. But We have resources....TALENT in our midst that were not present before.

As I told our prowling Domino the night that Isis left, vexing the Six is like enjoying a fine wine. It must be savored and revisited more than once in order to get the full effect.

And rest assured, LONG BEFORE Talisman crashed on to my doorstep, that is EXACTLY what I was doing. FLIRTING with breaking the truce, but never crossing the line, ALWAYS leaving THEM in an emotional wreck and then watching with delight as they turned on each other time and again. Even now... the various rifts among the team have left them WEAK and fragile!

Well, the time has come to shift from vexing and taunting.

The Six are the would-be protectors of these weak and foolish FLATSCANS that are trying to reclaim and "REIMAGINE" the entity that I propelled to its height and glory, and after they gorged themselves on the petty trappings of their "successes", merely copying the ground breaking work and ideas that were created before some of them were even BORN, they would THEN dare to try to SUBJUGATE their GENETIC SUPERIORS....US.

THAT won't be allowed to happen.

:: Malice says as she looks at Fathom, then Enchantrah, then Domino, and finally Talisman.::

The CROWN of mystech and ANY version of it is HERE and the POWER that drove it is HERE. Mystech is MINE...and it's only fitting that as the Inner Circle evolves, that WE should possess whatever the remnants of mystech may produce!

We will show the flatscans and anyone in league with them what POWER WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE MEANS.

The TRUCE between the Six and the Sisterhood, which is now evolving into a full fledged Inner Circle, will be ended, but NOT by my hand.::

It will happen at the hands of one of THEIR OWN.

The only thing greater than the Six's POWER to oppose mystech in the past, was their ability to TEAR THEMSELVES APART nearly to the point of NO RETURN.

We will push them to that edge, and they will throw themselves over it, and then when they are at their weakest moment? We will CRUSH them.

When does that plan get set in motion?

Just as soon as we attend to one last, but perhaps the most PLEASURABLE piece of business at hand tonight.

My guest, Lord Ravena, has finally decided which of the Courts he will join. Once he shares his decision with me, in the presence of you, the witnesses....the hellfire club will engage in a time honored tradition, the BLACK OUT party, which will be held the night of his coronation.

First we revel in the power and privilege that is ours. THEN? After I've FURTHER weakened the cohesion of the Six, We go to WAR.

 

[Lord Ravena]

My guest, Lord Ravena, has finally decided which of the Courts he will join. Once he shares his decision with me, in the presence of you, the witnesses....the hellfire club will engage in a time honored tradition, the BLACK OUT party, which will be held the night of his coronation.

First we revel in the power and privilege that is ours. THEN? After I've FURTHER weakened the cohesion of the Six, We go to WAR.

I take that as my cue, yes?

The doors to the chamber open and Lord Ravena steps in, his clothing of the most brilliant white. He walks to the center of the room and clears his throat to speak.

I suppose I am more than a bit anticlimactic. But there should have been no controversy. The Black Queen is new to this reality, finding her way, and does not need a King nor, given her choice of magic spells, does she desire one.

Lord Ravena looks at Talisman and chuckles once. It is impossible to see or detect what the laugh means.

The Red Queen is enchanting and beautiful and full of life. But our appetites cross only in certain.....areas that do not require my participation as King of her court.

Lord Raven looks to the Red Queen and simply stares for a moment, and everyone can see Enchantrah squirm as a wave of pleasure runs through her.

But the WHITE QUEEN. Ah, yes! Diana...you have shown an ambition and strength that is rarely duplicated across the centuries. Your desired path is one that I have traveled in times past and it pleases me to see someone else move in that path, to assist them as they mold a power in their image, and so I have decided that my destiny lies, for now, at your side as your White King of the Hellfire Club. I am interested to see where this all leads. And so here I am. Let us rule....TOGETHER.

Ravena had walked up to Malice as he spoke, glided really, taking a moment to touch Fathom as he walked past as one might caress a beautiful trinket. As he ended, he stood face to face with her, then bowed to his newly chosen queen. This was going to be quite....stimulating.

 

[Malice]

Hellfire Mansion Catacombs

:: Ravena entered on cue, and made his way across the room they were all standing in, passing each queen and offering his reason for not joining the black and red courts.::

:: He then passed Fathom, gently caressing her, and finally reaching Diana herself.::

But the WHITE QUEEN. Ah, yes! Diana...you have shown an ambition and strength that is rarely duplicated across the centuries. Your desired path is one that I have traveled in times past and it pleases me to see someone else move in that path, to assist them as they mold a power in their image, and so I have decided that my destiny lies, for now, at your side as your White King of the Hellfire Club. I am interested to see where this all leads. And so here I am. Let us rule....TOGETHER.

Ravena had walked up to Malice as he spoke, glided really, taking a moment to touch Fathom as he walked past as one might caress a beautiful trinket. As he ended, he stood face to face with her, then bowed to his newly chosen queen. This was going to be quite....stimulating.

:: Malice smiles with satisfaction, and APPROVAL , as she extends her hand to him. The tone of a chime sounds off as Ravena kisses her soft, well manicured hand. She lifts her hand, urging him to stand along and face her ::

:: She then takes that same hand, and caresses his face gently down the side. She reaches out and Ravena is surrounded by her cold aura. It's an immersive experience that has been felt the likes of Black Widow and most recently, Fathom. As she does this, she activates one of the finer aspects of her empathy power- Empathic Echoing. In the case of a psi screened individual, it allows her to receive a glimpse of memories or mental imagery associated with emotional states from a sequence of events, past or present!::

<< We hear these words from Ravena, ECHOING>>

Ravena: your desired path is one that I have traveled in times past and it pleases me to see someone else move in that path, to assist them as they mold a power in their image,

:: FLASH!::

:: Malice BATHES Ravena in the pleasing echoes of PREVIOUS moments of expectation and TRIUMPH through his most recent life. For a moment, he is "immersed" in this liquid dream-like event, before being "lifted up," "called," "guided" by Diana's sultry voice, as he sees the astral projection of her eyes flickering in the horizon behind the "echoes"::

What you had once before, you will have again. You will know it in a whole new way, as only I could show you.

Now is the eve of our triumph. We are stronger TOGETHER!

WELCOME, my White King!

:: Malice "leads him" right up to the MOST recent echoes those SENSATIONS of PHYSICAL pleasure that ONLY she could provide. The first woman in these MODERN TIMES that he now lived in that could not only KEEP UP, but LEAD, and TURN THINGS UPSIDE DOWN using her psi powers in tandem with her physical prowess. ::

:: He'd often bemoaned that nearly all women he slept with were drained and exhausted while he could never be. But DIANA had unlocked the "floodgates" in a way even HE couldn't have imagined. This Empathic Echo touch was akin to his "tickling" of Helena moments ago.::

:: And with that, Malice pulls back, and ALL who are in attendance now have a drink in hand, raising their glasses.


Power without consequence. Pleasure without limits. Together, we shall have this, and MORE.

Our way will be framed by the flowing blood of these arrogant, useless flatscans, our success will be marked by the BROKEN BODIES AND SPIRITS of the Six.

The shadow that Mystech once cast, will be nothing compared to the TOTAL ECLIPSE that the Inner Circle will bring about.

:: A toast is shared by the Inner Circle::

 

[Lord Ravena]

The White Queen would have made an incredible witch. He allows her to please him, using her empathic power to heighten his sense of pleasure. This was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that this was done. Her dedication to pleasure was inspiring, and he had acted in kind, their combined powers and physical gifts combining to make their encounters legendary. So much so, in fact, that Helena had been climaxing from just a taste of the experience.

:: And with that, Malice pulls back, and ALL who are in attendance now have a drink in hand, raising their glasses.


Power without consequence. Pleasure without limits. Together, we shall have this, and MORE.

Our way will be framed by the flowing blood of these arrogant, useless flatscans, our success will be marked by the BROKEN BODIES AND SPIRITS of the Six.

The shadow that Mystech once cast, will be nothing compared to the TOTAL ECLIPSE that the Inner Circle will bring about.

:: A toast is shared by the Inner Circle::

AND NOW! A gift for my triumphant White Knight. Come forward, child.

Fathom comes to face him, her beauty very close as he regards her, then smiles in approval.

Any Knight should have a weapon. As you have proven yourself this night, so shall you. BEHOLD!

Lord Raven gestures to the center of the room where a deep blue cube is swirling with a shape in it...a serpentine shape. FATHOM will immediately recognize the composition of the cube, but for the moment it is CUT OFF from her call!!

This water resided in the deepest coldest depths of the sea, but not just any cold water. This water was imbued with precious metal - you call it palladium now - and is ready to be particularly useful.

Lord Ravena speaks in a language that Talisman would not be able to make heads or tails of, and the cube begins to spin and glow until a bright light bathes the room and Lord Ravena reaches out his hand. The cube is no more; there is a crystal-clear bracelet with that same serpentine symbol embedded in it, it is brilliantly and perfectly clear with the symbol now clearly that of the mythical(?) KRAKEN in the purest silvery white! He places the bracelet on the left arm of the water elemental.

My Knight, this bracelet symbolizes the mark of the White King. You are mine, and under my protection. All TESTING of you will cease. Your TESTS now are endeavors, LABORS, for the White Court. I am certain I do not need to resort to threats concerning the tampering with that which is mine, so we will continue.

Lord Ravena smoothly turns the water elemental so that her back is to him and holds her fast with his right hand around her waist as he guides her newly bejeweled left hand.

Connect with your weapon and REVEAL IT!

He extends her hand and urges her to unleash it, teaching her how to reveal her new CRYSTAL TRIDENT with the Palladium KRAKEN now in the shaft.

This is a perfectly balanced weapon, hardened enough to pierce steel and tame concrete. As a mystical form of crystal water, it is an extension of your own powers, capable of being moved by your will just as water is. THIS is a weapon fit for my knight, and with the able tutelage of Maxine, I expect you to MASTER it!

Lord Ravena turns the girl to face him, his own face grim with the charge he just gave her.

You will NAME your weapon. You will LEARN your weapon. And as the terrible arm of the White Court, you will USE YOUR WEAPON. Now take your place, my KNIGHT!

Fathom resumes her position as Lord Ravena takes his place alongside Malice.

Now...I echo my Queen. We are STRONGER...TOGETHER!

 

[Fathom]

Hellfire Club -- Catacombs

Diana answers her question, and provides a good deal of insight into their opponents. Heidi found herself looking forward to the day she would meet these 'heroes', these Six. She'd seen one of them in the Citadel, but only for a brief moment. She hadn't had time to properly 'meet' the little sparkler they all called 'Morningstar', but she knew the woman had memorized Heidi's face after Frost fell, and she knew that Morningstar would be spreading word of Fathom's triumph to the other members of this Six group. Heidi smirked with glee, thinking of the notoriety she now had.

Malice revealed that they would go to war soon enough, but first, Lord Ravena. He was joining the American branch, but had yet to reveal his chosen court or position. It was no mystery he was fit to be King, but who did he wish to call his Queen? That really wasn't much of a surprise either, the way he and Diana carried on. After turning down the Black and Red courts, he moved towards the White Queen. As he passed Heidi, he just couldn't help himself.... he had to touch. There was only the slightest increase in her smirk, as one eye brow raised in affect.

My, my, you're a bold chap, aren't you?

She thought, as he spoke to Diana. The White Queen accepted him to her court, and for a couple of seconds, the two seemed to be sharing some kind of deeply connected trance. Then Diana re-acknowledged them all, and raised her glass.

Malice: Power without consequence. Pleasure without limits. Together, we shall have this, and MORE. Our way will be framed by the flowing blood of these arrogant, useless flatscans, our success will be marked by the BROKEN BODIES AND SPIRITS of the Six. The shadow that Mystech once cast, will be nothing compared to the TOTAL ECLIPSE that the Inner Circle will bring about.

"So say we all."

Lord Ravena: AND NOW! A gift for my triumphant White Knight. Come forward, child. Any Knight should have a weapon. As you have proven yourself this night, so shall you. BEHOLD!

She glided towards him, curious, as he directed their attention to a dark cube in the center of the room. Fathom immediately felt a connection to this cube, but it did not respond to her the way it should, it was being kept from her.

Lord Ravena: This water resided in the deepest coldest depths of the sea, but not just any cold water. This water was imbued with precious metal - you call it palladium now - and is ready to be particularly useful.

He speaks in a language that no one else seems to understand, and from the cube a bracelet is distilled. Lord Ravena bestows this bracelet on Heidi, who casts a brief glance at Malice as the White King takes the liberty of turning her, his hand on her waist. Since Diana doesn't seem at all disturbed by how handsy Lord Rav is getting, Heidi lets it slide. Perhaps it is American culture to be so physically intimate. As long as no boundaries were being crossed, there was no harm in it.

Lord Ravena: My Knight, this bracelet symbolizes the mark of the White King. You are mine, and under my protection. All TESTING of you will cease. Your TESTS now are endeavors, LABORS, for the White Court. I am certain I do not need to resort to threats concerning the tampering with that which is mine, so we will continue.

"I am honored to be held in your high esteem, and look forward to satisfying every request."

She replies, her eyes on the crystal bracelet that ornamented her slender wrist. Rav is speaking in her ear now, encouraging her to reveal the weapon, guiding her hand, and instinctively she knows how to command it. The room was filled with the ringing tone of a struck tuning fork, and in her grip, a crystal trident appears.

Lord Ravena: This is a perfectly balanced weapon, hardened enough to pierce steel and tame concrete. As a mystical form of crystal water, it is an extension of your own powers, capable of being moved by your will just as water is. THIS is a weapon fit for my knight, and with the able tutelage of Maxine, I expect you to MASTER it!

"It will be a pleasure to wield, I can assure you, I'll be an eager student."

Lord Ravena: You will NAME your weapon. You will LEARN your weapon. And as the terrible arm of the White Court, you will USE YOUR WEAPON. Now take your place, my KNIGHT!

She smiled, as he spun her back around to face him.

"Very well. It shall henceforth be known as Hydra's Kiss, and it will claim many lovers."

She replied with a wink, then a kiss on his cheek, leaving a tingling sensation where contact was made. The venom, more fatal than any known sea creature's poison, could kill any mere flatscan in seconds, and would likely doom many Supers as well. For Lord Ravena, though, it didn't even sting. Heidi went back to her starting position, marveling at her new weapon, familiarizing herself with its thrum, which had faded only slightly since it had appeared.

 

[Domino]

Hellfire Mansion - Catacombs

:: If Maxine had her way, she would have beheaded Talisman and moved on. That was harsh, and while Domino and the others in the court could not ignore all the work that Talisman had accomplished in such a short time, Malice was highlighting something that Kelly Shaw was incapable of understanding due to the effects of her anti-empathy spell. There was no purpose without passion. If Talisman continued on this path, she would simply be cracking things open and studying them simply for the act itself. She wouldn't learn. It was also clear that the effects of such a powerful spell were manifesting themselves in ways that Talisman hadn't accounted for. She WAS experiencing emotion, but without the actual emotional ties required to process those feelings, she was overreaching, attempting to prove that her own desires were in fact in the pursuit of "the work". Something had to change, and like it or not, Diana knew far more about this timeline and how to survive it than anybody else in the room. The White Queen had proven that much. To try and counter that after being extended an olive branch was an act of disrespect, and if Malice ordered a hit on The Black Queen after they left this meeting, Domino would carry it out with no questions asked. The terms of that deal and her true status at The Hellfire Club remained a mystery to most, and that was how Maxine liked to keep it. She had served on courts before and she wouldn't do it again. She had her own agenda now, and the less that people knew about it, the better. ::

Malice: ...you obviously dont know how FRACTIOUS that little family can be. But whatever you do, You'll be on YOUR OWN and NO ONE in the Hellfire's Inner Circle will come to your aid, and there IS no middle ground. You are either WITH US, or you are our ENEMY, and you will then be treated as such.

[Domino smirked]

"Treated is a very light word for what I will do to you if you press this any further, Talisman."

:: She shot a signature predatory look, her sapphire blue eyes sparkling at The Black Queen ::

"You are still a STUDENT of this timeline. Stand up straight and listen when the PROFESSOR (Diana) gives a lesson. LEARN from it."

:: The White Queen gave a rowsing speech of the days to come and it made Domino tingle with a perverse level of pleasure. This is what she had been looking for. When they had met on Sheena Island, there was an immediate connection and understanding of each other. The next several months the two had maintained a silent peace. Both knew what the other was capable of, and that was a deep, endless ocean of depravity. They had seen the true nature of humanity in ways that few people had, and they both had learned the same things. It was this that made them well suited to work together, though both knew that at some point, most likely when it came to Viper, they would find themselves at odds..but neither was particularly worried. ::

Just as soon as we attend to one last, but perhaps the most PLEASURABLE piece of business at hand tonight.

My guest, Lord Ravena, has finally decided which of the Courts he will join. Once he shares his decision with me, in the presence of you, the witnesses....the hellfire club will engage in a time honored tradition, the BLACK OUT party, which will be held the night of his coronation.

First we revel in the power and privilege that is ours. THEN? After I've FURTHER weakened the cohesion of the Six, We go to WAR.

:: Her words were amusing, but Domino was a tad bit sick of the paump and circumstance. She had pizza to get back to. ::

:: crinkling her nose ::

"Veni vidi vici and all that...let's get on with it, shall we?"

:: Ravena appeared before the group as Domino's eyes watched his every step. They had fought and won a gauntlet in Europe together and he had been instrumental in getting her to where she wanted to go. He had been a lover and companion to Evelyn Pierce, the now deceased Black Queen of the European Branch, and though Maxine never really knew his true origins, she knew that he was powerful. She also knew that him seeing her in action and garnering favor from him had meant something good for her. She was no fool. Though she had a considerable amount of her own power, there was always something bigger and badder preparing to come along and STOMP all over you. Everybody met the long end of a short blade at some point, so Maxine liked to stack the deck in her favor. ::

Lord Ravena: "But the WHITE QUEEN. Ah, yes! Diana...you have shown an ambition and strength that is rarely duplicated across the centuries. Your desired path is one that I have traveled in times past and it pleases me to see someone else move in that path, to assist them as they mold a power in their image, and so I have decided that my destiny lies, for now, at your side as your White King of the Hellfire Club. I am interested to see where this all leads. And so here I am. Let us rule....TOGETHER."

:: Maxine laughed perversely for a moment, before the others stopped to look at her. She covered her mouth. She feigned surprised. ::

"Should I be the first to die of shock from the good Lord's decision, or did anybody else want to have a go? You're right Ravena, after seeing those two cats go at it, this IS a little anticlimactic!"

:: Shaking her head. She wanted to be a part of this, she needed to go with the flow. ::

"But seriously...congratulations to the White Court."

:: He'd often bemoaned that nearly all women he slept with were drained and exhausted while he could never be. But DIANA had unlocked the "floodgates" in a way even HE couldn't have imagined. This Empathic Echo touch was akin to his "tickling" of Helena moments ago.::

:: And with that, Malice pulls back, and ALL who are in attendance now have a drink in hand, raising their glasses.


Power without consequence. Pleasure without limits. Together, we shall have this, and MORE.

Our way will be framed by the flowing blood of these arrogant, useless flatscans, our success will be marked by the BROKEN BODIES AND SPIRITS of the Six.

The shadow that Mystech once cast, will be nothing compared to the TOTAL ECLIPSE that the Inner Circle will bring about.

:: A toast is shared by the Inner Circle::

"To the revolution!"

:: She took a swig of the champagne, downing it all one in one long swig, before SMASHING the glass down in an act of celebration. ::

:: There was MORE to this ritual, but Domino attempted to remain patient. She had forgotten how almost "spritual" these Hellfire Club initiations attempted to be. He called forth Fathom and presented her with a mysterious and beautiful weapon. ::

Lord Ravena: "This is a perfectly balanced weapon, hardened enough to pierce steel and tame concrete. As a mystical form of crystal water, it is an extension of your own powers, capable of being moved by your will just as water is. THIS is a weapon fit for my knight, and with the able tutelage of Maxine, I expect you to MASTER it!"

:: She had gotten another glass of champagne at this point. ::

"Hmm..I supposed I would like to tan Fathom's hide a bit..in several ways. I'm in!"

"Very well. It shall henceforth be known as Hydra's Kiss, and it will claim many lovers."

She replied with a wink, then a kiss on his cheek, leaving a tingling sensation where contact was made. The venom, more fatal than any known sea creature's poison, could kill any mere flatscan in seconds, and would likely doom many Supers as well. For Lord Ravena, though, it didn't even sting. Heidi went back to her starting position, marveling at her new weapon, familiarizing herself with its thrum, which had faded only slightly since it had appeared.

"Oh don't make me make jealous, mon petit."

[looking around]

"Now, who has the athame for the blood ritual?"

:: Everyone looked at her again curiously. ::

"What? London had a blood ritual. Standard operating procedure..."

[shrugging]

"Oh well.. while this has been an entertaining evening to say the least, we've ALL been left with much to think about. I can't wait to see how that little creature of yours downstairs fits in as well, Talisman..but for now, we should ALL take our leave. I'm sure The White King & Queen are looking forward to consummating their partnership, and...well I'm sure there is some kind of perverse non-sexual, sterile thing you'd like to be doing, Black Queen. Come Fathom..."

:: She linked arms with The White Knight as the two began to fade into the distance. ::

"I want to show you the Aqua Ring...which in France is a euphemism for..."

:: The two dissappeared. ::

 

[Seer]

MUCH LATER, ON SHEENA ISLAND

<< Sheena Island, the mysterious, last KNOWN stronghold of Mystech. Even after Mystech's thunderous fall, this mysterious island, which was reserved for the ultra elete and essential upper level staff members & their families, remained in tact. In the dark blue waters that churn and flow around this mist enshrounded island, several FULLY GROWN neptunes reside. >>

<< In the sprawling lush ecosystems and the forest around the island, other mutated creatures, mainly the insects that Viper once experimented upon and infected with various viruses, along with mutated flowers and plants, and the occassional ZOMBIE can be found.>>

<< Those few zombies that lumber about are all that remain of the people that once lived here or who came here to vacation on Mystech's dime.>>

<< Following the Six's confrontation with Viper, Malice leveraged another agreement from that group in exchange for her saving Haleigh Davidoff's life. The White Queen took posession of this entire island, and all therein, and no one...not even the Six were to reveal it's existence to the general populace.>>

<< In the time that has passed since that explosive caper involving Viper, Malice has spent time on this mysterious island. In the center of the island is a large, strong mountain formation, and on the top of that mountain, sits an exact REPLICA of the ARKLAY MANSION.>>

<< The original Mansion, which had remained intact in the arklay forest for decades, was destroyed by the Six during the Kyle Kelly caper, but its place in the history of the global terror entity is forever cemented. It was the BIRTHPLACE of what would become Mystech.>>

<< It ALSO served as the home of a YOUNG Diana, along with Jessica Marcus, later, it was the scene of the destruction of the Kelly family, and then...it was the "birthplace" of SCION, also known as Haleigh Davidoff, the BLACK WIDOW.>>

<< This replica is an EXACT copy from top to bottom, it is the mansion at it's glory, BEFORE Diana enacted her violent, deadly retribution against Lord Spencer, James Marcus and Christopher Victory, BEFORE the Six, and the Silver Swan discovered Sharon's G-virus mutated son, and ultimately DESTROYED the mansion. >>

<< It is a house of secrets, it is a house of horror, it is a house of the dead.>>

<< And yet...this unusually dark and spectral evening ...the mansion has a guest. The crown of mystech herself, the White Queen.>>

<< She is here, alone, as she has been several times in the months that have passed. The frequencey of her visits here coincided with her discovery of the dimensionally displaced "interloper", Kelly Shaw. But there was another reason too. A VERY personal one.>>

<< BEFORE the unexpected interruption of Kelly Shaw, Diana had begun a personal...exploration, tapping into ALL remaining data bases belonging to Mystech...on HERSELF. These included files that had been compiled by Lord Spencer and James Marcus, the men who changed her life...FOREVER.>>

<< She'd begun reviewing those files, reading a story....HER'S...and...in the utter solitude and privacy of this infamous structure, the White Queen engages in a most private...VULNERABLE activity, as she allows herself to journey BACK into her mind, until she reaches her psychic "black box"...the inner most realm of her psyche...her very being. The place that NO ONE on this earth has the power to breach her psychic defense...even she herself has to CONSCIOUSLY "activate" this aspect of herself. She NEVER did this in the presence of anyone else and she made SURE that her privacy was guaranteed.>>

<< And so...we see Diana, sitting in the control room in the underground Arklay reserach facility.>>

<< She's in the center of the dark, dimly lit control room, and around her are floating monitors, each one a different size and at a different location, broadcasting images of HER at various stages of her life from the present...going BACK....BACK to the time that she was..."DISCOVERED" by Lord Spencer and James Marcus.>>

<< Her eyes are closed...and in her hands, she holds a PICTURE, a very OLD picture, one of a little girl, and her kitten. >>

<< A closer look at her hands, reviews she is gripping the picture rather TIGHTLY.>>

<< It is the most private posession of Diana's...the ONLY personal posession of her's that represents physical link to her past, BEFORE Mystech. A past that changed when SHE was first identified as a mutant with omega level potential, a mutant who could be "used to detect and track other mutants"...a psychic HOUND. >>

<< as MEMORIES and IMAGES from her psychic black box flow around her in this control room, and she holds this picture of her self and her beloved kitten...the white queen's face CONTORTS with PAIN...as a...TEAR forms in one of her now tightly closed eyes. >>

<< At THAT moment, she SHIFTS into her DIAMOND FORM, and IMMEDIATELY DEACTIVATES her own psychic broadcast, sealing her psychic black box once more. She immediately places her picture away in safe keeping. No one will EVER see it...OR HER in a moment like this.>>

<< Around the eerie waters of Sheena Island, the light of a small ship can soon be seen. The ship reaches the rocky coast of the island and anchors.>>

<< BLACK WIDOW has made the long journey to this island, choosing to take a far less easy approach that gave HER more time to gather her thoughts, and herself. Somehow...she KNEW Diana was here now, and she was GOING to confront her, and how fitting, that it happen in the replica of her TRUE birthplace!>>

<< Whatever creatures are active around the island this night, Haleigh pays them no mind. They are nothing but "amoeba" compared to her, while SHE is at the TOP of the T-Virus food chain.>>

<< The hybrid stalks through the forest...remembering her journey with Alycia through Arklay Forest.>>

<< She reaches and ENTERS the mansion, also remembering her visit to the original with Alycia, recalling Alycia's trepidation, while she HERSELF felt..."AT HOME", even wondering if she could PURCHASE the place. NOW she knows WHY she had that thought.>>

<< The mansion is FREE of any zombies or creatures inside. It is in it's glory. She now MOVES through the mansion, as eerie music plays over the sound system and thunder rumbles outside in the eerie, billowing night clouds.>>

<< Haleigh moves along...further and DEEPER into the mansion. There's many places here she's never seen before, but somehow she still knows it all. Diana is below ground, in the sprawling technological wonderland that is the Arklay Research Facility>>

<< Haleigh eventually makes her way down to that area, passing the the aqua ring, and several other places of infamy.>>


<< She eventually reaches the control center, and the CENTER MOST area within it, the control room.>>

<< Diana is now standing, and noticeably is wearing BLACK this evening, and now, having shifted from her diamond form back into her human form, she faces several large floating monitors, looking rather GRIM.

White Queen: Welcome home....Scion.

<< Diana speaks in that cold, sultry voice that she is known for, without even turning around. She knew Haleigh was here even before the woman made anchor.>>

<< Haleigh sees what Diana is vievwing. On three seperate screens: images of Christopher Victory, Haleigh, and Diana.>>

White Queen: Your father would be so proud.

<< The White queen says with utter CONTEMPT in her voice.>>

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh walked slowly down the hallway, the sound of her boots intentionally light on the thick carpet. She had her left hand on her sidearm as a precaution. This wasn't an assault, but she was kind of walking into the lion's den, here. The truce was tenuous at best right now.

Her adrenaline was pumping, she could FEEL the blood rushing through her veins like pressurized ice water. Her skin glistened with a sheen of sweat. Locks of red hair stuck to her temples. Her legs felt like they were made of jello. She felt like her body was betraying her, but she knew this night could very well be her last.

It was an extreme effort to keep it all together. Her head was throbbing, the imposing threat of a flash like a cold, pulsing brain freeze. She was pushing herself again, but she couldn't afford to pass out while she was stalking the halls of the Arklay Mansion replica.

She knew the layout, having been here before. It would be a complete maze to anyone else, but Haleigh knew this place as if she'd spent years in it. She did not get lost, despite the fact that she didn't attempt to tap into the surveillance system here. She pushed deep into the mansion, passing up a noise she assumed was screaming. Whatever it was, she couldn't stop for it. She knew where Diana would be, instinctively, and she couldn't stop until she got there.

White Queen: Welcome home....Scion. Your father would be so proud.

The woman was standing there, with her back to Haleigh, looking at headshots, of the fucking 'family'. Haleigh glanced gravely at each of the pictures, then lowered herself into an office chair. She was trying to formulate a response to a surreal experience, but she felt a little light-headed now.

....................

"Your daughter is coming to destroy the Citadel."

Chris: Ha! Which one? Blaze has been captured. She's sedated and won't be giving us any more trouble. Jasmine's under Victor's control. And Morgan and her mother are both in hiding.... from ME. They don't even know where the Citadel IS. Let alone have the means to destroy it.

"I'm referring to your OTHER daughter, you FOOL. Our daughter. Our.... 'Scion.' She has information on the Citadel AND your research and she's recruited Spellbinder to help her retrieve Foxfire. They've gotten a bunch of little friends together."

Chris: So what, are they coming NOW??

"Yes. Adam has failed to recapture Eva and HIS own daughter is part of the group that is responding. So are two of Kelly's offspring."

She smiled coldly to see his alarm. If Scion was coming, there was reason for his fear. The same could be said of the witch, Morgan, And the same concern again with each of the King children, and even Adam's daughter. Any one of them posed a mild threat alone. All of them together would be a trial.

"You and Adam must deal with them once and for all. If they can't be taken into hand, they must be eliminated."

Chris: and Scion? I thought you wanted her left untouched......

"If she's not with us, she's against us. If she's against us, maybe she'll be the answer to your T.O. Virus problem."

Christopher left her alone. What he didn't know would kill him. She had orchestrated the whole thing, and she was going to let them fall. She would not go to their aid, nor would Helena or Kelly. It was time for the Queens to take over, and let their consorts meet their ends.

She had known there was a double agent in their midst and she had put him in a position close to Foxfire, knowing he would report back to his boss and that Black Widow, as she was called now, would get involved. She had not anticipated that so many of the offspring would connect, but that made it all that much more certain that the doctors would be eliminated. She could use her own daughter to kill off the only obstacle to her free reign. And after the wet work was done, she could turn the Chandler girl against the fledgling group, and it would destroy itself from within. It would take minimal effort on her part.

-------------

She snapped back, still sitting in the chair, her elbows on her knees.

"That's enough, Diana....... make the flashbacks STOP. I can't keep going into 'sleep mode' uncontrollably. It could get me killed, and let's face it, that's something you like to do with your own hands. It wouldn't do if I passed out in the middle of the street and got run over. That's not a death worthy of me."

She looked at this woman in front of her, the woman who was her biological mother. The woman responsible for keeping her alive more than once, the one most responsible for all the suffering she'd experienced.

"So, I know the truth now, obviously. It's really, truly fucked up, what they did to you."

 

[Malice]

Arklay Mansion Replica- Control Room

She snapped back, still sitting in the chair, her elbows on her knees.

"That's enough, Diana....... make the flashbacks STOP. I can't keep going into 'sleep mode' uncontrollably. It could get me killed, and let's face it, that's something you like to do with your own hands. "

:: Diana turns slowly to face her genetic daughter, and LOOKS at her in a way that only she could.::

And what makes you think I'm the cause of them? Your BODY may be different, but your CONSCIOUSNESS remains the same. Take it from an AUTHORITY on the subject.

:: A reminder that even the white queen herself was in a different body than HER original.::

It wouldn't do if I passed out in the middle of the street and got run over. That's not a death worthy of me.

You're right. You exist because a part of me was STOLEN and USED by that demented fool, Christopher Victory. You live NOW because of me.

:: She said very calmly but no less directly as she continued to stare at Haleigh with a mix of curiosity and contempt.::

Rest assured, little Scion, your end WILL be at my hands as well, at my time and choosing.

She looked at this woman in front of her, the woman who was her biological mother. The woman responsible for keeping her alive more than once, the one most responsible for all the suffering she'd experienced.

"So, I know the truth now, obviously. It's really, truly fucked up, what they did to you."

...

:: Yes she DID know, but only because Malice WANTED her to.::

Once I restored you, I felt the need to make sure a part of me was firmly entrenched in your hybrid mind.

I was ALWAYS disappointed that you didn't develop psi powers.

To think that I was somehow...genetically "RECESSIVE" to that weak willed pervert of a man?

:: Diana soffed and looked away from Haleigh for a moment as she picked up a glass of champagne near her and had a drink::

I wanted you to KNOW the secret of my POWER.

It is YOUR secret as well.

"Lord" Spencer, James Marcus...and Christopher Victory, they didn't realize that when a person's humanity is destroyed...it leaves a vacuum. The weak, and the genetically inferior fill that vacuum with...all sorts of sad, silly things....eating disorders, sex addictions ::that one really tickled Diana...how could anyone place a NEGATIVE connotation on pleasures of the flesh?:: and all these other little things that the flat scans have created to make themselves seem more complex and important than they truly are...

I filled mine with POWER.

POWER WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE!

:: THIS time, Malice DOES use her psi powers on Haleigh, BLOWING OPEN the psi screen SHE placed around Haleigh's mind and FORCING her to "view" all that she had seen from Malice and HER psychic black box that night they had that ultimate "meeting of the minds following the demise of Viper.::


:: FLASH!::

<< RAPID MONTAGE effect of images, full "stereo" sound and effect. DIANA...from that moment her life was violently blown apart in her family home, to the moment her precious kitten was RIPPED from her tiny hands and taken away into the arklay research lab, never to be seen again, to the moment she was first referred to as a psychic hound, the moment LORD SPENCER openly lusted after her and TOUCHED her...EVERY VILE and degrading moment she endured as an adolescent in the mansion, all the while secretly RESETING James Marcus' attempts to engineer/condition her, whle simultaneously using her psi powers to gather vast amounts of knowledge about the mansion and the company from Marcus' messy mind, as well as Spencer's and other workers>>

<< Images continue until we see Malice wearing one of her EARLIEST all white ensembles. She murders Jessica Marcus' sickly brother, she telepathically pushes Lord spencer over the edge by stimulating his pleasure center, causing him to have a heart attack. She presides over the destruction of the Kelly Family.>>

<< Haleigh's OWN flashbacks are now apart of this terrifying telepathic "movie" >>

<< EVERYTHING, every individual, every family she destroyed, every disaster she caused, and with each event, the DARKNESS grows around Haleigh, surrounding her like a pervasive fog, causing her to lose her sense of identity, her very sense of self as she is DROWNING in the BLACKNESS of Malice's soul>>

The moment they found me, and destroyed my life, they FREED me. I had no reason to observe the boring, petty tenants of ETHICS or MORALS.

They thought they had the power...they thought they knew what power was. They thought what they had would be theirs to enjoy forever.

:: Snickering::

So typical of men...especially flat scans.

But YOU know, don't you, Scion?

That's where you're here now, isn't it?

You've known ALL ALONG.

Alice. Myself. Morgan...and even Karen. Alison. Sharon.

You've SEEN what POWER looks like and you've SHOWN it.

I suppose I should be proud of you for THAT at least.

But you never could hold on for long. Like a little colt, eager to run when it can barely walk, you'd fall down...and let yourself get stuck in the MIRE of foolish human emotions.

Patrick Phillips? Zachary Armani?

And most recently....SHADOW WEAVER?

:: an indication that Diana was now AWARE of Haleigh's sessions with Karen, and the new found dynamic in their relationship.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. She WAS Christopher's wife...the mother of his oldest daughter. She's the closest thing you've had to a mother...outside of Alice, isn't she, Scion?

And I can see it now...in your trembling little heart.

You're here now, looking for something....SOMEONE (A mother) who ISN'T THERE, and when you LEAVE, you're hoping your NEW mommy will be there to hold you and make it all better!

::Snickering::

Tell me, little girl. What are you going to do when Karen DIES? When FIREBIRD flees this world? When Spellbinder decides she doesn't WANT to come back from Limbo because she doesn't want to be weighed down by the rest of you?

What will you do when they ALL learn the truth about you, and decide to CAST YOU OUT?

:: Walking slowly, she circles Haleigh, eventually stopping behind her and leaning down to her ear::

You know that's what's going to happen, right?

You'll be more disgusting to them than a gutted zombie on the floor in the dead factory!

:: Standing back upright and walking around her once more::

You'll wish you had STAYED dead in Viper's observatory. But I suppose I COULD be a bit maternal, and offer you a way out.

You'll NEVER be able to return to the life you thought was yours, and I did NOT perform such delicate and thorough work in restoring you just to have you go running off into obscurity somewhere.

GIVE IN to what has been in your BLACK HEART ever since that night in Viper's observatory, and come to the Hellfire Club, the INNER CIRCLE.

Take your place, in my White Court, as my WHITE PRINCESS, and THEN...perhaps you can start being more like your MOTHER instead of your chaotic, deranged FATHER.

 

[Black Widow]

Arklay Mansion Replica -- Control Room

Diana: And what makes you think I'm the cause of them?

"You're the cause of EVERYTHING."

Diana: You're right. You exist because a part of me was STOLEN and USED by that demented fool, Christopher Victory. You live NOW because of me. Rest assured, little Scion, your end WILL be at my hands as well, at my time and choosing.

"Don't call me that. That's not who I've become."

She replied bitterly, but without much conviction. Diana clearly wasn't buying it. Her mother continued on as if uninterrupted.

Diana: Once I restored you, I felt the need to make sure a part of me was firmly entrenched in your hybrid mind.

"Yeah, thanks for that. Except not, because it's been fucking awful. There's only been ONE telepath I ever really LIKED having in my head, and it ain't YOU."

Diana: I was ALWAYS disappointed that you didn't develop psi powers. To think that I was somehow...genetically "RECESSIVE" to that weak willed pervert of a man?

"Well don't take it to personally, I'm sure he manipulated your DNA so that his could dominate, since that wold be the ONLY WAY he could ever claim superiority, other than those few times he was on top of you."

She replied, then visibly shuddered at the mental image of Christopher and Diana in bed together. Diana must have been disgusted by the thought as well, because she drained a whole glass of champagne.

"And anyway there IS something I got from you other than your hair color, your winning personality. I hit the fucking jackpot of the gene pool, did I not?"

Haleigh asked with acrid sarcasm. She sat and stared back at her mother. If she had any fear at all it seemed to have evaporated, because she held steady eye contact and her demeanor was as cold and unyielding as steel. She listened to Diana telling her the secret to her power. She was forced to endure a matrix download of memories, Diana's past, and all the horrible things done to her. It was at least as bad as what Haleigh had been through over her lifetime.

Diana: The moment they found me, and destroyed my life, they FREED me. I had no reason to observe the boring, petty tenants of ETHICS or MORALS.

Haleigh offered no response to that, because deep down somewhere in a place she never talked about, she could at least be honest with herself. Sometimes she felt TRAPPED by those ethics and morals. Sometimes she felt bound by what she SHOULD do, and the expectation that she'd do the RIGHT thing. So when Diana spoke of being FREE of that, there was a dark part of Haleigh that was envious of the freedom. There was no possibility that Diana would not know it, or that she would ignore it now.

Diana: But YOU know, don't you, Scion? That's where you're here now, isn't it? You've known ALL ALONG. Alice. Myself. Morgan...and even Karen. Alison. Sharon. You've SEEN what POWER looks like and you've SHOWN it. I suppose I should be proud of you for THAT at least.

Haleigh scoffed, but Diana wasn't finished.

Diana: But you never could hold on for long. Like a little colt, eager to run when it can barely walk, you'd fall down...and let yourself get stuck in the MIRE of foolish human emotions.

"Can you really BLAME me? You stuck me with flatscans as a child. I was raised in the fucking heartland like a true blue American girl. I grew a fucking soul."

Diana: Patrick Phillips? Zachary Armani? And most recently....SHADOW WEAVER? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. She WAS Christopher's wife...the mother of his oldest daughter. She's the closest thing you've had to a mother...outside of Alice, isn't she, Scion? And I can see it now...in your trembling little heart. You're here now, looking for something....SOMEONE (A mother) who ISN'T THERE, and when you LEAVE, you're hoping your NEW mommy will be there to hold you and make it all better!

"Tread very carefully, Diana, I've inherited your TEMPER too."

But Diana paid the warning no mind, she just kept pressing on, poking and prodding Haleigh's buttons because up to this point, Diana had not really been able to provoke Haleigh the way she'd done to some of the other Six members.

Diana: Tell me, little girl. What are you going to do when Karen DIES? When FIREBIRD flees this world? When Spellbinder decides she doesn't WANT to come back from Limbo because she doesn't want to be weighed down by the rest of you? What will you do when they ALL learn the truth about you, and decide to CAST YOU OUT? :: Walking slowly, she circles Haleigh, eventually stopping behind her and leaning down to her ear:: You know that's what's going to happen, right?

A chill ran down her spine, and she stared off into the distance, unable to counter that with logic, unable to admit defeat. Diana was relentless, and didn't stop even though she should, because Haleigh was on the verge of snapping and Diana thought this would be a GOOD thing.

Diana: You'll be more disgusting to them than a gutted zombie on the floor in the dead factory! :: Standing back upright and walking around her once more:: You'll wish you had STAYED dead in Viper's observatory. But I suppose I COULD be a bit maternal, and offer you a way out. You'll NEVER be able to return to the life you thought was yours, and I did NOT perform such delicate and thorough work in restoring you just to have you go running off into obscurity somewhere. GIVE IN to what has been in your BLACK HEART ever since that night in Viper's observatory, and come to the Hellfire Club, the INNER CIRCLE. Take your place, in my White Court, as my WHITE PRINCESS, and THEN...perhaps you can start being more like your MOTHER instead of your chaotic, deranged FATHER.

She looked up at Diana, rage in her eyes. With the screeching sound like nails on a chalkboard, every metal object in the room crumpled like a coke can that had been run over by a steam roller. The screws in the light switches and power sockets, the metal parts of lamps, drawer handles and door hinges, and the internal components of the monitors, all crushed in a cacophony of harsh destruction.

Diana, realizing suddenly that the 'snapping' of Haleigh's grip on herself was producing a more violent response than she expected, called for Haleigh to get a hold of herself. As if that were possibly an option. As if Haleigh wasn't choking on the self-loathing she felt right now. She began to tear things apart, knocking them to the floor, ripping the warped plastic remains of the screens off the wall.

"You haven't SEEN chaotic and deranged."

Diana: Calm DOWN, Scion.

Haleigh disappeared, then came right back, now with her hands around Diana's throat.

"I told you NOT TO FUCKING CALL ME THAT! My name is Haleigh!"

Diana: You're being ridiculous right now.

She squeezed as hard as she could, but Diana went to diamond form beneath her grasp. All the broken, crushed, warped metal in the room began to fly around the room hazardously. Diana insisted that Haleigh release her.

"THIS WHAT I FUCKING GOT FROM YOU, MALICE!! ALL that I am, all I have ever BEEN! THIS is why I am so fucking good at violence and murder and manipulation. THIS is the part of you that dominated, the cold, hard, homicidal MANIAC!"

Diana: That's ENOUGH!

It wasn't enough, but the whole journey up to this point, the torturous route she'd traveled to get here, and the confrontation she was in had taken everything out of Haleigh. She almost fell forward, but caught a hold of Diana to steady herself. Everything dropped out of the air with the sound of a hundred pieces of silverware and glass hitting the floor. She released Malice with a hard shove, backing away absently and knocking an overturned side table even farther askew, staring at this woman, her mother. She leaned back against the wall, sinking down into a crouch, her head in her hands as if she was trying to hold it together. Haleigh looked up at Diana darkly, considering the offer once more, now that she'd gotten that rage out of her system. The Hellfire Club.... the inner circle.... With MALICE....

My mother..... whom I respect. Who would accept me as I am. Who would never try to change me or make me feel guilty for being..... what I am.

She was torn, heart, mind, and soul.

But...... what AM I, if not one of the Six?

"White Fucking Princess?"

She could barely spit the words out. She stood up quickly.

"I may have been.....CREATED..... in your image...... but I will NEVER be YOURS. And here's how I feel about joining the Inner Circle."

She growled, raising her left hand. Between the diamond form and deflection shields, there was no amount of brute force that would get the job done. The only way to get Malice was by attacking from within. Every time Malice was in danger, she went to diamond form. It was the woman's ACE, and it had saved her from death many times. But Diamond was, after all, an EARTHEN ELEMENT. And since learning the true root of her original powers, Haleigh had realized that she might not be restricted to just METAL. Haleigh glared at Diana, and began to DESTROY her diamond form, at the ATOMIC level. Haleigh could KILL her mother, and right now that's exactly what she was trying to do.

Time seemed to slow down, nothing else in the world existed except Malice and Black Widow, and their epic struggle for dominance. If Diana thought she could change Haleigh's mind, she had underestimated just how mentally STRONG Haleigh was. She couldn't BE subjugated, not like many others. It wasn't that psi screen Malice had 'installed' either, it was a purer resilience, something ELSE Haleigh had inherited from Diana's DNA. Haleigh knew she'd just crossed a very thin line. She'd surpassed what she could get away with because she was Diana's 'Scion'. The look on Diana's face was one Haleigh had never seen before. It was more than just the physical pain.... it was surprise, because Diana hadn't really believed Haleigh would commit to killing her. Diana would have to retaliate, or die. Haleigh knew what was coming..... and she didn't move..... didn't flinch...... didn't close her eyes. She expected to be struck down. She expected Karen would rally her family, and avenge her death, and she was okay with that.

 

[Malice]

Arklay mansion replica- control room

That's ENOUGH!

It wasn't enough, but the whole journey up to this point, the torturous route she'd traveled to get here, and the confrontation she was in had taken everything out of Haleigh. She almost fell forward, but caught a hold of Diana to steady herself. Everything dropped out of the air with the sound of a hundred pieces of silverware and glass hitting the floor. She released Malice with a hard shove, backing away absently and knocking an overturned side table even farther askew, staring at this woman, her mother. She leaned back against the wall, sinking down into a crouch, her head in her hands as if she was trying to hold it together. Haleigh looked up at Diana darkly

:: There were a several instances, during her time in the ORIGINAL Arklay Mansion, where ALICE had to PUNISH Scion for getting out of hand and destroying equipment, or cutting down hapless lab technicians. It was a RARE thing, but it was also an INSIGHTto the blood lust and INSTINCT for wanton DESTRUCTION that she had apparently inherited from her MOTHER. The hybrid acknowledged this much as she RAGED at Malice.::

:: Diana stares at her genetic daughter::

Are you finished?

:: She asks in a low, cold tone, wondering if this child would EVER realize the GIFT that she could recieve, if ONLY she stopped trying to be something she was clearly NOT meant to be. ::

:: The white queen remained in her diamond form. It wasn't JUST a powerful defense, it also gave her incredible PHYSICAL power and she was no novice when it came to hand to hand combat, as Blaze and even Nicolas had once found out. If Black Widow wanted to FIGHT? Diana would GLADLY engage her...but...::

"White Fucking Princess?"

She could barely spit the words out. She stood up quickly.

"I may have been.....CREATED..... in your image...... but I will NEVER be YOURS. And here's how I feel about joining the Inner Circle."

She growled, raising her left hand. Between the diamond form and deflection shields, there was no amount of brute force that would get the job done. The only way to get Malice was by attacking from within. Every time Malice was in danger, she went to diamond form. It was the woman's ACE, and it had saved her from death many times. But Diamond was, after all, an EARTHEN ELEMENT. And since learning the true root of her original powers, Haleigh had realized that she might not be restricted to just METAL. Haleigh glared at Diana, and began to DESTROY her diamond form, at the ATOMIC level. Haleigh could KILL her mother, and right now that's exactly what she was trying to do.

:iana had expected Haleigh to either melt down, or physically attack her again. She didn't bother to use her psi powers to anticipate Haleigh's plans as she formed them, she honestly didn't take this OUTBURST of Scion's seriously, instead looking upon the girl as if she were a brat in need of a time out! That was Malice's MISTAKE.::

:: Black Widow's passive attack IMMEDIATELY registered with Malice on a VERY urgent and personal level. Her deflection shields couldn't stop this, and it was targeting her very physical being, EVEN IN DIAMOND FORM!::

:: For the first time...in AGES...the look on Diana's face fades from mild annoyance...to genuine SHOCK, even in her diamond form, the emotion was betrayed in her facial expression::

::FLASH!::

Time seemed to slow down, nothing else in the world existed except Malice and Black Widow, and their epic struggle for dominance. If Diana thought she could change Haleigh's mind, she had underestimated just how mentally STRONG Haleigh was. She couldn't BE subjugated, not like many others. It wasn't that psi screen Malice had 'installed' either, it was a purer resilience, something ELSE Haleigh had inherited from Diana's DNA. Haleigh knew she'd just crossed a very thin line. She'd surpassed what she could get away with because she was Diana's 'Scion'. The look on Diana's face was one Haleigh had never seen before. It was more than just the physical pain.... it was surprise, because Diana hadn't really believed Haleigh would commit to killing her. Diana would have to retaliate, or die. Haleigh knew what was coming..... and she didn't move..... didn't flinch...... didn't close her eyes. She expected to be struck down. She expected Karen would rally her family, and avenge her death, and she was okay with that.

:: The white queen holds up her diamond hands and looks at them both. Glowing cracks form across her hands...and soon, her hands begin to lose their cohesion! Pieces of diamond begin to break away and flow up before her very eyes, sparkling and then disintegrating!::

::The two were locked in such a deadly struggle now, forcing them to commit all levels of their being.::

:: FLASH!::

<< The ORIGINAL Arklay Mansion. One of the MANY rooms in the dark, mysterious mansion.>>

<< A drunken Lord Spencer has cornered an adolescent Diana in that room, and leers at her, taking in her young form, looking at her as if she was something to be desired, something to be CONSUMED.>>

<< He slowly closes in on her, laughing softly. The tears streaming down her face and the look of fear in her opal blue eyes do not move him to any sense or compassion.>>

<< He is a disgusting man, and he is about to force himself on her. Her psi powers allow her to perceive the most vile, twisted, obscene thoughts and fantasies he has about what he would DO with....TO her, what he's done to OTHER women...some of whom are laying deep below the mansion...either in the morgue, or having been disposed of in the Aqua Ring!>>

<< The moment he takes hold of her? She SCREAMS "NO!" and unleashes a PSI SHOCK without any thought or careful application. Lord Spencer is IMMEDIATELY propelled across the room, and slams into the wall before falling to the floor. He was rendered unconscious, but AMAZINGLY he survived. But ONLY because on some primal level, Diana WANTED him to survive, so that she could do WORSE to him later, when she had more control of her deadly psi powers!>>

:: Even now, she analyzes the situation, what her daughter is doing to her::


She....she's destabilizing my diamond form....she won't stop...until I lose total cohesion...and become completely insubstantial! I can....use my EMPATHY to....tap into her emotion that drivesher POWER and FORCE her to reverse this...

:: She shuts her eyes tightly::

But...almost....NO TIME LEFT!

:: Malice was a psi of such magnitude, that she COULD exist as a post-human insubstantial psionic entity (more commonly referred to as an "astral ghost") but SHOULD she HAVE TO? Should she be FORCED to by THIS...the twisted genetic manipulation what was made possible by PIECE OF HER stolen by Christopher!? ::

:: As Black Widow continued her attack without wavering....the sudden RUSH of instinct, EMOTION, the NEED for SELF PRESERVATION came BLASTING OUT of Diana's psychic black box and FLOODED her conscious mind!::

:: Through the HAZE of such fine DIAMOND DUST that is being made from her OWN BODY, she see's this WRETCHED CREATURE SCION.::

:: Her eyes blink once and she then sees CHRISTOPHER VICTORY.::

::Blink- JAMES MARCUS::

::One last blink, shutting her eyes TIGHTLY before opening them again- LORD. SPENCER!::

NO...I will NOT ALLOW IT...must....STOP HER...

:: Just as she had stopped Christopher Victory, James Marcus, and ESPECIALLY when she stopped Lord Spencer ONCE AND FOR ALL!::

:: Before she was the MOTHER of Scion, she was the WHITE QUEEN, and nothing...NO ONE will take that, take the power, take her LIFE. She WRESTED her power from the men who sought to possess her, she GREW her power...and she's not about to let this little girl...this THING that should have NEVER BEEN...take it from her....much less END her!

NO! ENOUGH!!! RELEASE ME!!!

NOW!!!

::KRA-KOOM!!!!::

:: ALL view of Malice is LOST in WHITE LIGHT, and The sound of EXPLOSIVE THUNDER heralds the BALLISTIC, EXPLOSIVE DETONATION of a PSYCHO BLAST and PSI LIGHTNING.


:: The night she was "acquired" by Lord Spencer and James Macus, the TRAUMA she witnessed and experienced in moment catalyzed her mutant powers into active status far beyond the time the would have normally manifested. Her FIRST display of power was a psycho blast. She FLATTENED a team of 12 well armed men and blew out the wall of the room she had been found in before finally being subdued.::

:: The PSYCHO BLAST is one of Malice's deadliest attacks, a focused bolt of psionic power that can incapacitate or KILL a living target INSTANTLY. This manifestation of her power is so strong that it can even punch THROUGH inorganic substances such as a mountain or even armored trucks and battle tanks!::

:: Madly charging forward WITH the psycho blast is PSI LIGHTNING, this is raw energy generated by the power of the mind. EVERY human has an electrical impulse in their brain, that lasts long after they die even. But No baseline human and FEW metahumans, even PSYCHICS are able to tap into/generate/MANIPULATE large amounts of this mental "electricity." There have been several unique examples that we've seen, including SET, ROSE, and DIANA.

FOOLISH GIRL! DID YOU THINK THAT BEING MY DAUGHTER WOULD SAVE YOU?

I. AM. THE WHITE QUEEN!

:: The PSYCHO BLAST SLAMS into/THROUGH Black Widow. She feels her MIND, her very SOUL taking off like a baseball being KNOCKED OUT OF THE PARK by a bat, swung by NIMROD. Her MENTAL structure is BLOWN APART and the pieces of it, the ones that Malice had previously put back together with such skill and attention to detail, are now SCATTERED, flying in INFINITE directions across the astral plane like RUN AWAY ROCKETS.::

:: TYPICALLY, Diana would REFINE the manifestation of this raw mental "electricity" into a powerful PSI JAVELINE, that she would use in one of her most infamous, "traemarked" attacks. But NOW? There's no time for FINESSE. There is only ONE need: SLAP. HER. DOWN.::

:: The PSI LIGHTNING BLASTS Haleigh's physical body and sends her FLYING, SPIRALING through the air, and looking like a manequinn as she is buffetted by the force of the psi lightning, before finally falling to the ground. Her body lays in a heap, a literally STEAMING heap. Her eyes are STILL open, there is no expression in them::

:: Malice is half standing...half LEANING against a computer console, clutching her chest, and breathing heavily. Her head is bowed, and her blonde hair fallen forward.::

:: The roar of her VIOLENT retaliation fades off into echoes around the chambers in the control room, and Diana slowly looks over to Haleigh::

You STUPID little girl. I gave you a chance! You DARED to assume you had such favor with me that I would LET you trifle with my person? You thought that I would LET you kill me?

:: She slowly stands upright. the look of ANGER in her face flowly fades and she begins to look more like her "usual" self. ::

You were your father's greatest triumph...and the BANE of my existence.

:: She had used her psi powers to BLOCK out any PAIN associated with Haleigh's attack, and once she subdued the girl, the attack reversed itself, but Malice was SHAKEN by what Haleigh had done...what she WOULD have done against anyone else who lacked the power or the WILL to use it to STOP her.::

:: She takes a moment to gaze at her own reflection in a nearby mirror...even though it was visibly CRACKED by Black Widow's rage from earlier.::

:: A few moments pass. and Malice looks around the room. She finally centers, as her body is once more the way it should be::

:: She presses a button on the computer counsel::

Drone, come and remove this body. Take it out and throw it into the sea, to the neptunes.::

:: She says coldly, as she actually begins to PRIMP in that fractured mirror::

:: All is silent once more in the control room, and Malice seems to be completely unbothered by the smoking body laying on the floor a few feet behind her.::

 

[Black Widow]

She woke with a start, her vision blurred. She was submerged in some kind of neon green liquid, encased in a tube that was clear, thick glass. She could breathe, but it was incredibly uncomfortable because an air tube ran down her throat and into her lungs. She slammed the palm of her hand into the glass, cracking it the first time and then breaking it enough for the pressure inside the tube to do the rest.

The slimy, slightly congealed fluid flooded out into the floor, splashing everywhere before draining through the grate that served as the floor. There were hard plastic shackles around her wrists hooked up to wires and tubes. She ripped the wires, then carefully pulled the tubes out of her throat. Apparently something had been run to her stomach too. She fell forward onto her hands and knees, vomiting a red fluid that looked and tasted like transmission fluid.

"Nnnngggh..... ffff-fuck! Iiiii c-can't e-even d-die r-right!"

The green liquid she had been submerged in sluiced off her body, leaving her cold and naked and trembling. She groaned again, wiped her eyes, and ran her fingers through her short-shorn blonde hair, slicking it back as someone came over and knelt by her, putting their hands gently on her back.

Alice: Scion! You are..... CONSCIOUS?!?!

"Don't fucking TOUCH me!! Where the fuck am I??"

Alice: Sheena island, Arklay Mansion. Just calm down, try to control your emotions. Let your body adjust to its new surrounding. There will be time to answer all your questions. I'll call Diana.

They stared at each other for a beat, then Haleigh slowly shook her head.

"Take off your lab coat, give it to me."

Alice complied, and Haleigh pulled it on. She rose to her feet, shaky and unsteady, refusing Alice's offer for help. She looked around the lab.... there were many more tubes like the one she'd been in.... She looked into the nearest.... and saw herself! She looked in the next.....and the next...... and the next...... they were all the same..... identical copies. Malice had made copies.

Against Alice's protests, Haleigh stormed out of the lab, headed once more for the room she knew Malice had been in. She barged in, finding the room exactly as it had been just minutes ago. She was almost proud of the damage she had done, but that pride melted when she looked down at her feet. She was standing over her own smoking corpse. She looked back up at Diana, who was standing there calmly....

Checking her fucking makeup.

"You killed me. Let's be honest, I LET you do it. Too fucking bad it didn't stick. You made copies of me? You're a sick fuck, you know that?"

She started, as she reached down and pulled the Ruger SR45 from the drop holster on her own cadaver, and stepped over her dead body. From the other gun, she took only the magazine, which she dropped into the left pocket of the lab coat she was wearing. She calmly tucked the pistol into her right pocket, righted a chair she'd upended, and sat in it.

"My whole life..... is a fucking joke."

She sounded much calmer now, much more composed. She even laughed, and it didn't sound deranged.

"I have spent most of my adulthood judging myself based on the DELUSION that I was once a good person that bad shit happened to. I have been HATING myself for the choices I have made.... and the malice I have felt for as long as I could remember. I'm guessing since my father died. Oh but wait..... He wasn't even my fucking father. But he's not the only person who has suffered and died because of their connection to me. Patrick? I fucking loved him. I needed him..... because he saw the anger and he still thought I was a good person. But you.... (smiling sarcastically) you broke him..... for what? To know me better?"

She leaned forward, rubbing her eyes, resting her elbows on her knees.

"Well.... you know me NOW, don't you? You know WHY I am the way that I am. You know the bloodlust.... the malevolence....the contempt I feel."

She paused, looking at the undersides of her bare feet, realizing she had cut them on broken glass, or twisted metal, or some other debris when she walked into the room. She continued as if it were paint on her soles instead of blood.

"And you know the strength it's taken, and the self loathing I've endured, to be with the Six, to be a 'good person'. (Laughing) because I still fucking think that I could be a good person..... if could just learn to.... control.... the desire... to cause pain and destruction and death. If I could just (cough) silence..... the fucking part of me.... that wants to see someone else suffer.... as much as I have suffered."

She looked up at Malice, wearing a nauseous expression. Her throat felt raw, but then, she'd never used these vocal cords before.

"But that part of me..... is not something that can be silenced.... is it? I (cough) can't be a good person.... because I'm not a fucking person at all. I'm a SCIENCE EXPERIMENT. I wasn't born, I was created in a fucking Petri dish, and grown in a tube full of the same slime-soup that's in my fucking hair right now. I was..... engineered..... to be exactly what I am: a fucking sociopath! I was created..... to be YOU. Or rather, to be the perfect blend of you and Christopher fucking Victory."

There was a long pause. Haleigh and Diana just stared at each other. Haleigh smiled in the most disturbed, haunted way.

"Well.... I guess there's only one thing left to say, MOTHER....... and I KNOW it's what you REALLY want, but that's okay, because it's what I want now too. FUCK the truce. Prepare for war. I'll come BACK to get my bodies. And when I do? I'm bringing EVERYBODY. I'm going to make you suffer for everything you've done to me.... and everything you've done to the people that I love. I'm going to make you REGRET the way I am--the way you and Christopher made me. I'm going to make you SO FUCKING SORRY that you cry blood."