The after shock

[Jill Monroe]

**Read the last page of "Enter: Master Mold" BEFORE you proceed to post in this thread!**

<< Master Mold SCREAMS as he is pulled into the vortex of the Siege Perilous. His head seems to be SUCKED away side ways. Morgan struggles to reach the unconscious Guardian, to pick her up and carry her back to the bus..... But at the last moment...a tentacle wraps around MORGAN'S ankle...another one around her waist.. Master Mold's face reappaers inside the vortex and then another tentacle around her NECK and all together they PULL HER IN AS WELL.....the image of Morgan screaming as she is sucked into the vortex, pulled deeper in until she fades out of site is one that will now haunt The Six as she is pulled into the cosmic gate. The Siege Perilous begins to deactivate its unforgiving vortex and shrinks down....a badly hurt and unconscious Guardian lays near by...and the rest of the Six and Alycia are left there...>>


<< the battle was over. the city at large had been spared catastrophic damage with most of it being confined to one area....and the casualties....limited to only TWO. Black Widow, Shockwave, MorningStar and new comer Frost were now left to grapple with the bitter victory over Master Mold...and the shocking loss of Sharon Kelly and Spellbinder.>>

<< the area all around was dark...small fires burned, power lines were exposed and there were deep smoldering craters all around the streets. Buildings had been crushed/demolished and cars destroyed. the melted remains of the limo that once carried Alycia and Sharon were now inside a massive crater....and outside of the battered bus that Alycia had hidden in for refuge...on a pile of rubble lay an unconscious Guardian whose vitals were dangerously low after having been electrocuted and slammed into the bus. the Siege Perilous lay near by. its smooth faced ruby gem which was supported by a flawless pure gold setting with ancient inscriptions around its perimeter sparkled as the last remnants of its latest activation died down. Among its victims: Black and Kelly King..its most recent victims: Master Mold and Spellbinder. >>

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: Alexis' body laid long the steps which entered the bus. Her hand still gripped around the pole, and her blonde hair shielding her face. Everything was silent; the winds had died down. Moving her head Alexis released her cramped hand from around the pole and slumped down onto one of the stairs. Lifting her head her blonde hair instantly moved from her face as she caught the first glimpse of what had happened. Master Mold had been destroyed....but the screams of Morgan echoed in the blondes mind. She had been taken with him. ::

:: Letting out a low cough, Alexis allowed her body to fall to the cement ground outside the bus where she saw Alison laying unconcious afar. Slowly pushing herself up off the debris covered concrete, she didn't realize how much energy she used to just hold onto the bus when the vortex was opened. Walking over to Alison, Alexis kneeled down to the woman and brushed her brunette locks away from her face. She could feel remains of the electrical current that was forced throughout Alison's body...enough to knock out the entire city of New York. It was a wonder Alison had even survived it at all. ::

"Alison...can you hear me?"

[Foxfire]

Gritting her teeth, Jasmine felt her strength dwindling due to the strong vortex just outside the bus. Her hands perspiring but her fingernails curved inward to claw viciously along the seat. Shielding her head down on an angle she was able to manage to hear Guardian's battle cries, despite the hurricane like winds. Her heart beat slamming against her chest, for a second Jasmine thought her body would implode from such force. A few audible grunts were heard but drowned out in the backlash.

Lifting her green eyes, she managed to be in view of the battle outside. Her eyes narrowed from her hair lashing across her face. Small strings of pain whipping across her face. Squinting her eyes she saw Guardian battling Master Mold bravely. Watching the bewitching Seer risk her life to save the team and the city was astonishing. Here, Jasmine though Alison was a self righteous bitch with a marble heart. But now she saw first hand her bravery and honor. She gasped in shock with Master Mold's assault on Guardian. Jasmine's eyes looked down to aide but she was helpless. Alison's agonizing screams felt chills down her back, for if the Seer screamed it meant she was nearly dead. The bus shook from Alison's body slamming into the side. Jasmine's stomach churned knowing who had been flung into the automobile. "Alison.." She whispered.

Almost spontaneously Spellbinder let go and was sucked close to the vortex. Her amazon like cry fierce and predatory. As she watched her sibling, Jasmine shook her head. "No." She called, disapproving of the act but she knew where Morgan's wintery heart lay - with her friends especially with Guardian. Wiping her hair around to see better, that cold onslaught of air attacking her pale skin.

An ear shattering scream bellowed out over the winds. That scream belonged to Morgan AND Jasmine. Her eyes wide with terror with various tentacles grabbing and pulling on Morgan. Jasmine bite roughly on her bottom lip, she felt guilt haunting her core. "MORGAN!!!" She yelled. It seemed as though the two did patch things up and both were more cordial with one another. Jasmine's eyes blurring over with her tears swelling up her eyes. "Morgan!" She yelled again only to see her sister sucked into the vortex, "SPELLBINDER!!" The vortex closed and the winds were calm.

Falling to the floor with a thud, the pain of Morgan's death overriding any physical pain she suffered with the vortex. She was numb and lost, she could only imagine what the OTHERS thought and felt. They would probably feel as though their hearts were ripped. Climbing to her feet, Jasmine's eyes were still blurry.

Running out of the bus, jumping off the stairs to land on the ground. Her eyes frantically searching the skies for her sister. "Come on Morgan!!" But nothing happened, Morgan did not drop from a stepping disk or did she appear. Shutting her eyes tightly, Jasmine bowed her head in grief. "That's two sisters I've lost." She covered her mouth in shock as the tears leaked down her dirt worn face. Her small body shook with her sobs. "Come back....come back.." Her voice like that of a child, soft and innocent.

Jasmine could only imagine what BLAZE was going through with this awful news. She knew somewhere....someplace Blaze was in agonizing pain. Frost hadn't realized how much Morgan had grown on her until this very second.

Shockwave's voice brought her out of her misery for a second. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Guardian. Wiping her tears, Jasmine had to save at least one teammate. Her healing ability was capable of healing others. She would thoroughly morn for Morgan soon. Her stiletto boots stained with dirt as she walked over to Alexis and Alison. Sitting down on her knees she could barely see correctly. Sniffling quietly she placed both hands over Alison's battle worn body. Guardian looked horrible, and Jasmine could barely recognize her.

"Alexis...stand back...please."

It would be the first time Jasmine was polite to Shockwave was well. Her hands slowly began to glow as the heat radiating from her body passed to Guardian's. Shutting her eyes, a few tears slipping out again. Concentrating she focused her healing ability to restore Guardian's battered and nearly dead body.

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh was elated.... her eyes were bright and the corners of her mouth were fighting to turn up.

"We did it! Alison! We did it!"

Haleigh gave her a look, as if to say 'we saved her!', but she knew better than to say it out loud. Her heart was up in her throat, as she gave Spellbinder a smile too. They went back to the bus, to the grim sight of Sharon's dead body and Alycia's mournful face. Haleigh remained OUTSIDE the bus, at the door opening, ducking her head inside to get a ful view of everyone. Her smile left her face.... but she still felt... blessed. It was over, or so she thought. She was guilty only of not making sure it was gone.... she was so relieved, that even though she would have CHECKED on it, were she looking at this situation as an outsider, she dismissed it now. She assumed it was dead... the MOTHER of all mistakes. The others reassured Alycia. Guardian laid out a plan. Haleigh took it all in.... she even recognized that something mechanical was moving out there. At first she assumed it as the city, coming back to life... and then.... she identified it.

"It's MASTERMOLD!"

She warned, but not a second early enough, as it spoke and then began to retaliate. Alison pushes past and Haleigh knows better than to stop her, so she settles to grabbing hold of the bus door jamb as the vortex opens. Haleigh has an unblocked view of the events that follow... her eyes trail Alison as MM slams her back into the bus... and Haleigh dives for Alison without even thinking... there is so much eletricity in the air that Haleigh can FEEL it... and as she grabs Alison's bicep, she gets a pretty strong static shock... but it hardly registers, as Hlaeigh has to work at machine speed to be able to snatch Alison AND latch onto the underside of the bus, anchoring the both of them from the vortex... Haleigh hears Morgan charge for MM... and she can only watch in horror, her heart sinking, as she knows they did NOT manage to save Morgan.... and then things look up, and Morgan attacks MM and is able to fight toward them, against the wind.... Hales can tell it is a struggle, like swimming against a riptide. Morgan gets within reach, but Haleigh fears she wont make it all the way... a pair of handcuffs anchors one of Alison's wrists to a pipe on the underside of the bus, appearing out of thin air, and Haleigh lunges for Morgan's outstretched hand. They link hands as MM grabs Morgan by the ankle, and Haleigh can feel her arms being painfully pulled as she tries to hold onto the bus AND Spellbinder... the whole BUS actually begins to slide slowly toward the vortex, and MM wraps another tentacle around Morgan's waist. Haleigh's hands are slipping, both her grip on the bus AND on Morgan's hand, as they both fight her fate....

They both lock eyes and Haleigh knows that this is the last time she'll ever look at Morgan... but despite common sense, she cannot bring herself to let go.... Haleigh's loses her grip on the bus and begins a terrifying and painful slide on her knees across the pavement, towards the vortex.... she refuses, to let go, as she clamps on to a fire hydrant, making a last stand of her own....her body begins to tremble from the stress, but her grip on Spellbinder's fingers cannot be renewed... and Haleigh is holding on so tight she is afraid she might BREAK Morgan's fingers... another tentacle finds itself around Morgan's neck, and Morgan's hand slips from Haleigh's.

Wide-eyed, Haleigh is left there, watching Morgan slip through her fingrs like sand. The scream that follows as Morgan disappears is one that Haleigh will never escape... For a few moments, there is silence, except for the sound of fire and live power lines... then Alexis goes to Alison, followed by Jasmine. Frost begins to heal Ali. Haleigh is frozen, kneeling at the edge of the sidewalk, still hanging onto the fire hydrant, about twenty feet away. Her whole body is still trembling... the feeling that has settled on her soul is smothering. It is utter guilt.... WHY wasnt I paying attention?? WHY didnt i MAKE SURE he was dead?! WHY.... WHY didn't I fight BACK?! Oh Morgan.... I.... I failed you...

Haleigh covers her face in her hands... and for the first time since any of them had MET Haleigh, they can all hear her audibly sobbing, apologizing to Morgan and then to Blaze... it is a soul chilling and most heartbreaking sound... and it goes on for several seconds before dying off... Haleigh's bionic ears can hear the first wails of sirens, and its brings her back to situational awareness.... she wipes her tears and takes a deep breath... but at first, is unable to turn around and face her teammates... she feels thouroughly convicted that it was her fault... even thouhg her mind tells her that Alison had SAID there wasn't anything that could be done, her heart is still overwhelmed with guilt. The first coherent thought to enter her mind is to LEAVE... leave the group instantly... she doesnt know if she can deal with the pain of facing them.... she KNEW this was coming and yet... she still couldn't FATHOM it. She turns to look at Alison, who is lying, still unconscious, as Frost attempts to revive her.... and haleigh knows she can't leave.... she must guide them all to carry through with Alison's plans.... all those times she wished she could lead the group.... she never felt more regretful about ANYTHING than she did now, taking the position that Spellbinder USUALLY filled. Haleigh walks back over the group, refusing eye contact at first.... She scoops Alison up in her arms and lifts her from the ground as the handcufff falls off her wrist. Haleigh's voice is hoarse and quiet, but calm and commanding. She manages eye contact with Alycia first.

"Alycia.... you know what to do... the investigators will find a fixed 'tape' of the events leading up to Sharon's death... one that doesn't identify ANYONE but you and her as even being present.... We HAVE to get out of here.... the rescue teams are coming. We will go back to... Illustra... give me a call as soon as you are able. Alexis, Delilah, and Jasmine... come with me.... there is a car around the corner. We can continue to care for Alison once we get out of the risk of exposure...."

Haleigh is melancoly but methodical, as she bids a solemn farewell to Alycia and carries an unconscious Alison away from 'ground zero', leading what was left of the grief-stricken Six away from the scene. The large SUV is revved up and ready for them to file in, and promptly takes them back to illustra, driving itself through the back roads, avoiding both the areas of damage and the numerous police, EMS, and fire vehicles.

[Alycia Barnett]

::Alycia was on the floor of the bus. half way under a seat. Sharon lay next to her as she hid as best she could from the last final scare of Master Mold. she heard Alison being maimed and she heard Morgan SCREAM...for the last time before all went silent. She cautiously emerged...and upon seeing Alison in Haleigh's arms while Frost tried to revive her....and not seeing Morgan ANYWHERE around..given the distress that Haleigh was expressing..it could only mean one thing. Morgan had sacrificed herself to save them all from Master Mold::

:: She bowed her head as she covered her mouth...she was so weary...so heart broken already, NOW all she could feel was disbelief.::

:: sirens could be heard in the distance....and the surviving members of The Six had to escape while they could. She wanted to say SOMETHING...and usually she ALWAYS knew what to say..but she couldnt speak. As Haleigh gives her instructions on the tape to give to the authorities, Alycia nods solemnly ....looking Haleigh directly in the eyes trying her best to convey how she felt.::

:: she watched as the Six hurried into the darkness around a corner and turned back to the bus....she had to attend to Sharon's body. She feared for Alison and the rest of the Six...but she knew they would contact her as soon as it was safe. She had her own part of this caper to carry out and no matter how tired or heart broken she was.....she would do it.::

:: kneeling down next to Sharon....Alycia holds Sharon's now colder hand without any hesitation::

....don't worry Sharon. they wont get away with this. MysTech WILL pay. You'll see......You and Morgan....will be avenged...and MysTech will go DOWN for this!


:: she crumbled down..leaning her back against a seat as she waited for rescue crews, police, fire and news crews who were now converging on the scene....The surviving members of the Six AND the Siege Perilous were long gone.::

[Foxfire]

Elsewhere on another plan of existence, Blaze was busy speaking with the Elders. The skies here were a light lavender tint and the spirit forms could levitate and other forms of transportation. Thick cumulous clouds wandering by this strange universe.

"I see."

Her voice calm and collected, unaware of the battle taken place at Ground Zero. Or the tragic events that would plague her soul. Walking along a serene pond, her bare feet touching over the tranquil waters. Her emerald eyes bright and full of purpose. Walking away from them, Blaze began to feel that rapport with Morgan.

Her eyes narrowing at the panic she felt and the anger. Stopping in her tracks, Blaze frowned. She sensed something was off but what? Her mind racing with possible outcomes. Rushing off the pond, trickles of water splashing as she hurried her pace.

Waving her arm a small cloud vanished to reveal lavender skies, but it was like looking down from a plane. Except her sight had zoomed onto the battle ground. She had missed the majority of the battle only to see Morgan struggling with the restraints.

Blaze was about to teleport down to aide her sister when a forceful arm yanked her white robe. "You cannot interfere, Blaze." Blaze's eyes raging at his remark, "like HELL I can't! That's my sister!" She thrashed her arm away only for his arms to tightly envelop around Blaze, "I cannot allow you to leave." Blaze kept her eyes focused on the image of Spellbinder. "She NEEDS me! I have to help her!!" She screamed at him, her own sense of panic doubling. Several other beings began to surround Blaze in a circle. "Keep her from leaving!" He spoke fiercely.

The more Blaze watched the more she ached. "LET ME GO!!" She whipped her body around as various arms clung onto her tightly. Helpless at this second, Blaze adapted to channel her fire power. A muscular man yanked her up in mid air. "MORGAN!!" She yelled with another tentacle lashing onto Spellbinder.

"Please! Let me help her! You DON'T understand! She would DIE for me!" But all Blaze received was a pair of stern looks. A few on - lookers staring at Blaze whose eyes bugged out to see Morgan pulled into the vortex. "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Her hand reaching out to the cloud. Her heart crushed as she slowed her thrashing. "YOU BASTARDS!!" Her eyes morphing into a pitch - black.

Turning her eyes, Blaze shot a high - voltage fireblast at the man holding her captive. "You MURDERED my sister! You going to PAY!" She screamed in vengeance. More robbed men and women running over to contain Blaze. But she was in anguish and misery.

Closing - lining a few of elders she yanked the one who stopped her. "An eye for an EYE!" She placed her hand on his cheek bone as his screams echoed. His skin heating to uncanny levels before his body faded to ashes. Blaze looked around with her fists closed. "My sister's death is on your hands!!"

Teleporting to ground zero, Blaze's form dropped in a heap. As the dust cleared her cheeks stained with tears. "WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She yelled up to the sky. "I could have SAVED her! You bastards!" Blaze smashed her fist into the ground. "Please...PLEASE!" She cried, the pain cutting into her heart.

Her body trembling, now Blaze Fielding knew the agony Morgan felt at her death. Her rage boiling inside her. Her skin tore and ripped as a pair of black feathered wings elongated from within her back. Her pupils dilating with her face contorting to something unholy. Black fingernails growing on her slender hands. A snarl escaping from her as she punched the ground again. This time the ground trembled with an earthquake rocking NYC.

Blaze's own savage rage twisting and tormenting her angelic soul to something dark and brutal. Even her chocolate locks grew to the middle of her back. Her wings flapped a couple of seconds. Climbing to her feet, she felt Christopher's blood intertwining within her own. Finally the effects of the TO Virus installed into her body, specifically designed for this.

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: Standing as Haleigh scooped Alison into her arms, Alexis narrowed her eyes watching the blonde take charge of the situation. What the hell was this bullshit? Suddenly she assigned herself head of The Six now that Morgan was dead and Alison was incompastiated. Tensing her jaw, Alexis rolled her eyes away from Black Widow and looked to Alycia who looked utterly shaken to the core. Her face cold and unnerving, Alexis blinked her glance away from Alycia and turned her head toward the street Haleigh said the SUV would be parked at. ::

:: Stepping forward, Alexis began to walk fiercly away from ground zero; her long tassled blonde locks bouncing behind her. Alexis kept her eyes focused forward--almost like she was on a mission. But her mind was elsewhere. As she made her way down the alley way, broken wires instantly began to spark violently as she passed them and the alley itself seemed to grow darker. Seeing the vehical parked ahead, one of Haleigh's men climbed out of the SUV and opened the door respecfully for Alexis. ::

"Get out of my way."

:: Forcefully pushing the man, with ease, into the building wall aside of the car, he slumped to the ground as Alexis climbed within the SUV and slammed the door shut. Gripping her hands into fists, the meta human kept her dark sapphire eyes staring out of the tinted windows, quietly awaiting the others to arrive. ::

[Harbinger]

::she had to save them, she had to save the city and she had to destroy this symbold of Mystech's relentless might. what better way to do that than to unleash the power of the Siege Perilous?::

::Alison Marble, socialite, mysterious adventurer, powerfull witch, keeper of time.....many ways to described the brunette beauty....but none could be more appropriate now than BROKEN. The seer lay limp in Haleigh's arms. Her body had been battered and broken by powerfull jolts of electricity that would have KILLED anyone else but her own power to control time....to warp the temporal field of her body as well as molecular motion saved her from a painfull death. She did not see Morgan charge forward to PUSH Master Mold into the mouth of the Siege Perilous. She did not see Morgan try to reach Alison....or Haleigh reaching out for Morgan as Master Mold's tentacle wrapped around her ankle. She did not see the supreme struggle that Black Widow made to try to save Spellbinder from a terrifying fate. The "Seer" whose gifts had made her awed by some and hated by others in The Six did not SEE the last moments of her beloved friend's life.::

:: Her head lay to the side...her body remained still as she was carried away from ground zero. Alycia was left behind to carry out her part in the "damage control". the aftermath of Master Mold would hold a pain worse than any physically inflicted pain from the battle itself and even if Alison were revived, would she forever be broken in spirit? A "Guardian" who couldnt save Spellbinder or Sharon Kelly from the evil of Mystech.....who will watch the Seer in her darkest hour?::


:: even now as they quickly make themselves scarce from the scene, more changes loom on the horizon as Alexis' standoffish and increasingly hostile behavior will surely exacerbate an already dangerously delicate situation. Shockwave had been very proactive from the moment this nightmare began...but were her actions truly on behalf of the team? or was she merely serving her own new found impulse to violence? She'd shown little reaction to the death of Sharon Kelly or Spellbinder, BOTH of whom were colleagues and Morgan was even her business partner, not to mention a support system during the death of her brother and the revelation/murder of her true father.::

::at the moment though...the pain of loss and grief would over shadow Alexis' peculiar behavior...at least for the time being. The group quickly make their way back to Illustra. The building seems so DARK and still. With Morgan gone and Alison unable to function at this time the only other person able to gain the group private access is Haleigh. Once inside....the first steps toward dealing with the reality ...the PRICE of their hard fought victory over Master Mold will set in. ::

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh sat in numb reticence the ride back, and lead the group into Illustra in the same silence. She carried Alison to the elevator, holding her tight, afraid that Alison, too, would slip through her fingers. They rode to Haleigh's floor quickly, as she mentally passed the security clearances required. Haleigh was running on autopilot now... and though she catalogued Alexis' out of character coldness, she didn't immediately entertain it.... she was doing good just to be standing upright at the moment.... She stared with unfocused gaze as the numbers changed from floor to floor. She burst from the elevator as if it were a deathtrap, moving so quickly across the corridor that she was literally GLIDING... Zach threw open the double doors, a bewildered look on his face, his eyes red with sleep.

They all looked like hell... but Haleigh especially looked like death warmed over... she hadn't allowed Frost to heal her in the SUV, and it seemed every inch of skin was dotted with scrapes and cuts, dried blood and some still fresh... Her dress was torn, her hair in complete disarray... but it was the look on her face was what really told Zach that something terrible had happened. Haleigh laid Alison on the sofa gently.... the basketball game Zach had been sleeping through was now being cut into by breaking news stories, images of ground zero and Alycia and Sharon being discovered. Zach was incredulous, his eyes darting from the group to the TV.

Zach:"That's SHARON!"


"Yes... we lost her."

Zach:"But she WON the election!"

"And they had her killed.... Morgan... was taken from us too."

Zach:"Baby, you're bleeding... fuckin' every where, come here, lets get you cleaned up." Zach changed the subject, he could tell Haleigh was barely holdng it together. Haleigh brushed him off, now wanting to be pulled away. She now had Alison's hand in both of her own. "Alison? Stay with me... fight it.... I.... I don't think I can lose you too." Haleigh said softly, as she directed Frost to start trying to heal Alison again and asked Alexis to get some washclothes and water.

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: Climbing out of the SUV, Alexis watched as Haleigh carried Alison into Illustra; Jasmine following closely behind. Stepping forward, Alexis closed the car door behind her as she too began to walk into Illustra. Approaching the elevator, it immediately opened for the woman allowing all three to step within it. Everything was silent and very claustrophobic...or at least that's what Alexis could gather from Haleigh's stance. The woman was on egg shells--completely raw and exposed. Narrowing her eyes slightly as she studied Haleigh further, Alexis couldn't help but allow a small smirk to dance along her lips at the sight of the mutant clinging onto Alison's helpless body. How utterly ironic.... ::

:: Lifting her eyes to the highlighted number listed on the elevator wall, a soft dinging sound could be heard as the doors slowly began to open. Casting her eyes back down to Haleigh watching as the woman fled the compartment like a bat out of hell, Alexis simply stepped out and made her way down the hallway toward the blonde's apartment. Zach answered the door...damn he was cute. God knows why he was involved with Haleigh....but that personal debate would be saved for another day. Walking into Haleigh's penthouse, Alexis pulled her gloves off as she made her way over to the couch in which Haleigh draped Alison on. Moving her eyes from one person to another, Alexis tossed her gloves absentmindedly onto the table rested behind the sofa. Hearing Haleigh's request, the blonde sucked in a dry breath and pressed her lips together as she walked through the livingroom heading toward the hallway where Haleigh's bathroom was located. After a few minutes, Alexis returned with a small bowl full of water and a few washcloths. Placing them on the coffee table next to Haleigh, she took a few steps back and crossed her arms, allowing her weight to rest against the wall and her eyes to stay focused on the group. ::

[MorningStar]

[ From her rather awkward position on the floor of the bus, she could see very little. The gale force winds pulling at Delilah's body prevented her from moving much at all except to hold on. But despite the roar of the winds around her, she could still hear the cries of those around her. Alison...Morgan...and finally Jasmine. Jasmine calling out Morgan's name...

And then it was over. The air was calm. It was something more than quiet...more like an absence of sound. She lay stunned for a minute, then slowly picked herself up. She was the last inside the bus except for Alycia. Was it really over? Something was keeping her from going outside. For some reason, she didn't want to see.

Slowly she left the bus. She looked to Alison's broken body...Alexis solemnly nearby...Jasmine softly crying...and Haleigh, Haleigh sobbing. But no Morgan. The pieces fell together in her mind. She was gone...

Delilah silently fell to her knees, staring blankly into nowhere.

Zombielike, she followed the others to the SUV, and sat quietly, hands in her lap on the ride to Illustra. Saying nothing, as the others got off on Haleigh's floor, she continued on to her own...the one that used to be Blaze's. ]

[Harbinger]

:: Alison lay on the couch. Her breathing was shallow but steady. as Haleigh held her hand, the techno organic/mutant hybrid feared that Alison was slowly leaving them as well. that wasnt necessarily the case...DEEP within Alison's psi screen protected psyche there was a glimmer of activity. Her soul began to revive and cry out across the astral plane. Her mind was so weak...so beaten down by the trauma of tonight...the feeling of helplessness as the group lost two of their loved ones. It was the third time she had been unable to save a member of the six or an ally. and although SHE of all people knew that everything happened for a reason, it didnt take away the pain. It didnt take away the desire she had to sleep forever and never awaken to the numbing reality.::

:: Frost's own power manage to soothe and cool Alison's internal structure. Drawing out the stinging, blistering heat and reversing the damage to her skin that had already been slowed by her own temporal based powers. her own icy aura had an affinity for the cooling and helped to facilitate faster recovery.::

::Alison would be physically fine, but the trauma to her spirit and her mind...the second time she'd been unable to save those she cared for...it may have defeated her spirit and she could become forever a "shrinking violet".::

:: as Zach tried to attend to Haleigh, the rest of the group were also left to struggle with what had happened this evening. they'd destroyed Master Mold but lost Sharon Kelly and Morgan Victoria. The team was more vulnerable than ever now and with Prophet missing and no way to reach Bane....they were hurting for reserve members as well.::

::News reports were coming across every channel and police, fire and other rescue/law enforcement officials were out all over the city. helicopters in the air....the team was safely nestled inside Illustra but the very building itself seemed to reflect the loss of its mistress....with many floors completely darkened with only minimal lighting and hardly any sounds save for on the private residential floors. It was now becoming clear through the news reports that Sharon Kelly had been assassinated and Alycia Barnett had survived the attack....that it was determined by the remains that a large robot..a SENTINEL of MysTech design was responsible. The implications of what this meant were monstrous as emotions were coming through some of the reporters and other officials who were reacting to Sharon Kelly's death. Safely under the protection of police and FBI officials now, a badly shaken Alycia Barnett was set to give her FIRST eye witness account of the events on a special emergency broadcast on CNN. This would be the moment that Alison had foresaw....the turning of the tide with public opinion AGAINST MysTech and official federal scrutiny supported across the board.::

[Alycia Barnett]

::Reports coming in on every channel illustrated the shocking horror of the NEW "Ground Zero" . News anchors on the most respected news magazines and shows were visibly shaken by the destruction that was visited upon this section of the city and live views of the monstrous remains of Master Mold.::

::a picture of Sharon Kelly was present on almost every channel::

News cast: It has been reported and confirmed by federal, state and local officials that Senator Sharon Kelly, who had just won re election for the senate seat of New York has been assassinated. The exact identity of her assassin has not officially been confirmed....but sources as well as video footage retrieved from a security camera in the area reveal what appears to be a giant robot...known as a "sentinel" attacking the Senator.

::footage of the terrifying super sentinel blasting the limo as Sharon tried to escape is shown..thanks to Black widow adjusting one of the security cameras that MorningStar had scrambled with her light powers. For the members of the Six watching..they finally got to see just what had happened before they arrived at the scene as Master Mold was about to fire upon Spellbinder. Sharon running...a terrified look on her face as the sentinel unleashed a deadly repulsor blast. the violent ballistic explosion slams into Sharon and knocks her off her feet as she falls out of view of that camera.::

News cast: There was one survivor AND eye witness to what is being called by some, the most balatant act of domestic terrorisim. ADA Alycia Barnett, who was traveling with the Senator to what would have been the victory celebration at the Rainbow Room, survived the attack and while badly shaken, managed to avoid major injuries. She has been retrieved by rescue workers and is now under protection, her where abouts remaining undiscolsed at this time.

::on site interviews of police, fire fighters give further detail to the physical damage to ground zero as more footage of Master Mold rampaging is being shown from the tape. A few citizens who were on the street near by recount the sounds and their personal view of Master Mold and how terrified they were. While Sharon Kelly's closest friends and colleagues from state and federal government from NY all the way to capitol hill and even other senators from around the country began to react publicly to the news of her death. condenming MysTech's Sentinels and MysTech itself, calling for a thorough investigation and dismanteling of the international commercial entity and more.::

::the announcement that Alycia will give an interview live from an undisclosed location continues to scroll across the marquee of most news channels as a small picture of her appears on the lower portion of the screen::

[MorningStar]

[ As she walked mindlessly through the apartment towards the bedroom, Delilah peeled off the remnants of her dress, letting them fall to the floor in burned and tattered pieces. She entered the large marble bathroom, and turned the shower on full and as hot as she could stand. She let the water rush over her, rinseing the blood and dirt from her body, wincing as the water touched the still open cuts on her arms and legs.

Jasmine's last cry of "Spellbinder" echoed over and over in her mind. Her hands flew to either side of her head in an attempt to dispel the demons there. She sank to the floor of the shower, the water still pouring over her body. The last moments before the vortex closed replayed in her head. She, holding on to the bus for dear life, virtually motionless. Doing nothing. Leaving Morgan to die alone.

Pulling her knees up to her chest, Delilah slowly rocked back and forth, trying to drown out the echoes of the day's events. ]

[Foxfire]

Life...you only live it once. For some its possible to cheat death but for the less fortunate its an impossible task. You would think the members of the Six would be used to losing valuable and loved members. First Blaze back in the Inferno and now Spellbinder during the Master Mold caper. Both siblings and both dying for the "greater good." But to register death, fully register it well ask any psychologist and they'll tell you there's various steps. Usually the first is denial and that's exactly what the Six struggled with.

Morgan Victoria lived her life to the fullest. A beautiful blonde bombshell, powerful business woman, and a courage lady. Like anyone she had her dark sides, but who didn't? Her icy demeanor and brutal tactics did intimidate most. But the people closest to her heart were the Six and close acquaintances and friends. Her memory as super heroine will live on but her sacrifice will be known. Spellbinder....bitchy demon sorceress, elegant super model, loving friend and sister.

Jasmine glanced up to see Haleigh approach. Lightly sniffling she wiped away the fresh patch of hot tears. Taking a moment to gather and collect herself, she stood up. Her chest quivering with emotion. Biting down on her bottom lip, she folded her arms across her chest. A defense strategy to protect her heart, which was vulnerable. She hadn't gotten the time to fully know Morgan. She regretted not being more amicable to her. But as I said, you only live life once. A slow nod was given to Haleigh's commands. Jasmine didn't seem to nod, she was actually thankful for it. They needed as much support as they could get and Haleigh seemed like the woman perfect for the job.

Walking off with the others toward the black Suv that pulled up. She glanced over her right shoulder. Silently preying Morgan would return but that false sense of hope shining through. Dropping her head with a few strands of hair obscuring her face. Climbing into the back seat of the SUV. Pulling on the seat belt her hands moved to heal Alison but Haleigh's commanding voice broke through. "Its too risky to heal her, wait until we arrive back at Illustra." Jasmine removed her hands, folding them in her lap. She stared off outside the tinted windows. Noticing the debris and the damage the city had taken. This would take several months to repair if not years.

The ride was quiet with the driver communicating with the rest of Haleigh's men. Sinking down in her seat, she couldn't shake Morgan's icy violet eyes off her mind. The most powerful member of the Six afraid. It was almost like Morgan knew she was going to die and that was willing to risk herself to preserve the team.

They all arrived at Illustra and one by one they filed inside. Jasmine was the last one to follow. Her thoughts on Morgan and Sharon. Both so young to die and both incredibly brilliant minds. It was a shame, a terrible loss to man kind. Jasmine stepped inside the elevator leaning against the elevator. Walking inside to Haleigh's suite, they piled in.

Crouching down by Alison, she was now able to heal her. Her hands glowing faintly with her power accelerating. Her eyes staring blankly at Guardian. So many losses this day presented. First her daughter, Sharon Kelly, and now Morgan Victoria. Jasmine felt her lip quiver but she bit down hard. Now, was not the time to grieve she had to focus on Alison Marble. Her life depended on it especially with the severe injuries she suffered.

Overhearing the news conferences, Jasmine's eyes looked up. "Can we turn that off, please?" She asked. She didn't want to be reminded of the awful losses they suffered. Looking back down she brushed back Alison's dark locks.

"Come on Al."

She encouraged, Frost did not plan to leave this room until she at least saw Alison awaken. Her spirit hopeful though, luckily for her "half full" motto. She did all she could for Guardian, the rest was up to her. She felt an unnatural freeze in the room with Shockwave standing beside her. A frown creasing her features as she scanned down Alexis' body, looking for something abnormal. But that clever piece of jewelry easily able to fool the others. So, she thought perhaps this was how Alexis dealt.

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: Noting Jasmine scanning her, Alexis lifted a single brow and rolled her eyes away. Great, another version of Blaze...just what she needed. Shaking her head, Alexis pushed her weight off the wall and slowly made her way around the couch and toward Haleigh's penthouse door, not bothering to excuse herself. What did these people think? Morgan craved attention; loved the spot light. She always thrived at being a hero, and now she died a hero's death. Deal with it. It was bound to happen one of these days. ::

:: Slamming the penthouse door as she left, Alexis made her way down the hallway and bypassed the elevator immediately heading for the stairs. Pushing open the emergency doors, Alexis stepped down the stairs, descending to her own floor and away from it all. Pushing through to her floor, Alexis let out an exasperated breath as she slinked toward her penthouse. Entering her abode, Alexis headed straight for the shower to clean up. After about a half hour, she emerged from the bathroom fresh and clean and ready for a solid nights rest. She certainly deserved it. ::

:: Scruntching her damp locks in her fingers, Alexis climbed into her large king sized bed and tucked herself under her sheets. Laying her head on the plush pillow, she closed her sapphire eyes and slowly exhaled feeling the tension instantly leave her body. As the meta human drifted off to sleep, a devastating view of the damage from the battle could be seen perfectly from her floor to ceiling windows located afar...how utterly cinematic. ::

[Foxfire]

Having been around her fair share of villains and Mob bosses, Jasmine knew enough to register this was not Alexis dealing with the tragedy. In fact she seemed to lose her spark that she once possessed. Climbing to her feet, Jasmine noticed Delilah had not returned. She respected the cop, she knew she was privately grieving in her own way.

Turning to Haleigh, she stepped in front of her. "Let me see that and I won't take no for an answer. So sit your ass down!" She commanded, "cutie pie, I'll need some bandages, rubbing alcohol, and gauge." She ordered to Zack. Frost practically made Haleigh sit down on the arm chair next to the couch. She felt more comfortable being able to watch Alison.

As Zack returned with the bandages she crouched down in front of her. "That was some quick thinking back there." She complimented, trying to steal Haleigh's attention away from their loses. Her fingertips wrapping around the medical supplies. "Try and sit still for me soldier." She had a doctor's touch it seemed, gentle with a soothing voice. Very uncharacteristic of Frost.

Reaching for one of the warm washcloths she wiped away the traces of blood and dirt. Snatching up a cotton ball she douched it in alcohol, "this is gonna hurt." Applying the cotton ball to the small cuts on Haleigh's face. The wound sizzling with a white foam before a bandage was applied. Working her way down, she moved Haleigh's arm up to study the wound. "I'm sorry." She blurted out, "about what happened." She called.

She finished cleaning up Haleigh, handing the materials back to Zack, "thank you." Jasmine stood up only to prowl to the love seat. Her eyes fixated on Alison's lifeless corpse. She knew with such extensive damage, Alison would take a while to revive her bruised and broken body. Her thoughts wandering to Blaze again, how was she holding up?

Leaning against the back of the cushion, she thought about leaving Haleigh's penthouse. But that was somewhat rude and so she decided to stay. Once Alison woke up, she would excuse herself to another floor to grieve, most likely the conference room.

[Jessica Hamby]

Zach was about to turn the TV off when it was announced that Alycia would speak and Haleigh spoke up. "No... lets wait to see what Alycia says... then we will.

Haleigh too had noticed that Delilah hadn't joined them.... it was okay... she was here, where it was same, and she knew enough not to go off on her own at a time like this... Haleigh would call them all when Alison came back around. She began to clean the dirt and dried blood from Alison's face... she made no attempt to hide how worried she was... she'd spent a long time hiding emotions and it hadnt done her any good... in fact... Morgan had died not knowing... they'd JUST begun to actually socialize. Alexis left, slamming the door behind her... and it occured to Haleigh that she was acting oddly... but she remembered what Alison had said earlier... so instead of getting angry at the woman's calousness... she let it go. As Frost healed Alison's wounds, Haleigh relaxed a little, watching the improvement. She hesistantly obliged to being seen to herself, just so long as she sat right adajacent to the sofa. Haleigh looked at Jasmine as she helped to dress her wounds, pulling out pieces of glass that Haleigh'd missed and wrapping them in gauze wraps, then cleaning the cuts on her face and applying butterfly closure strips to the bigger gash. Haleigh never flinched, never blinked. She was too distracted to register pain, and she wouldn't have cared anyway. They locked eyes as Jasmine spoke, and Haleigh took a deep breath and sighed heavily, looking away to find solace in the new reports.

"Not quick enough..." She replied dejectedly. Frost caught her attention again with condolences... and Haleigh observed her mannerisms. "Me too." She replied softly, as she wondered just how hard today had been for Frost.... while Sharon and Morgan were not necessarily close friends for Jasmine, Morgan was STILL her sister.... and Jasmine had also lost her daughter. "I'm sorry about your daughter... its a terrible shame... only a true monster would go after someone's child."

Zach took the washclothes, water, and bandages away, tell her she was very welcome. Haleigh smiled at him as he left... a broken and pitiful smile, but the first she had managed since they had returned. Haleigh looked at Jasmine and seemed to read her mind. "I'm going to stay with Alison until she wakes up... she's healed... the wounds now are emotional and psychological... and only she can heal those, unfortunately. If you'd like, there's a guest suite right down that hall... a bed and bath... you can stay here tonight.... I don't want any of us leaving Illustra... not for the night at least..."

[Alycia Barnett]

::Alycia Barnett was now on the screen..broadcast live from an undiscolsed location. She looked so tired, so worn..her eyes conveyed pain and loss as flash bullbs went off around her.::

::she appeared on all the major news channels::

Alycia: My name is Alycia Barnett. I am the Assistant District Attourney for New York City and I was a personal friend of the late Senator Sharon Kelly.

::she paused for a moment as images behind her of the terrifying attack by master mold began to replay::


This evening, Senator Kelly and I.....were proceeding to the Rainbow Roomto what would have turned out to be her victory party. As many of you had found out, she won her bid for re-election. However, en route we were ...attacked. Attacked by what can only be described as a monstrous sentinel , larger than any building for miles. This machine, a construct of MYSTECH INC, attacked Sharon and myself......and while I was able to survive....Senator Kelly...... Sharon....

::Alycia bows her head as she begins to crack with grief. the cameras continue to roll and all is silent. She regains herself::

Sharon bravely pulled me from the wreckage...but before she could escape herself, the sentinel MURDERED HER! If ..if it hadnt been for a band of super powered beings...that came to my aid...I may have perished myself.

:: Alycia straightens her back...as the pain seems to turn to anger::

This sentinel was identified as a design from MysTech, a global commercial entity that has had questionable dealings, policies and practicies for nearly two decades. They have gotten away with many unlawfull acts...including THIS ...DOMESTIC TERRORISM! Because of tonights events, one of the most honorable, decent women ever to have served on the United States senate..has been killed. I ask ALL of our law makers, state and federal officials with the powers needed to do so...in the name of Sharon Kelly to PLEASE ensure that this horrible act of domestic terrorism does NOT go unpunished. As an officer of the court, i know PERSONALLY the efforts that have been made to CHECK MysTech's evil actions...NOW more than ever...it should be APPARENT that the government needs to rally together across party lines, across ALL LINES to STOP THEM IN THEIR TRACKS!

:: Alycia stops....and wipes away a tear.....::

Sharon Kelly was a Mutant Rights advocate...alot of people didnt like that, but I am here to tell you that MUTANTS are human beings too!
I am here tonight....because of the efforts of mutants and other super powered beings who risked their lives to save me and others who were directly in the path of Master Mold's rampage. Please remember...that Sharon's legacy was one of TOLERANCE and RESPECT for diversity...ALL PEOPLE!

:: As a picture of SHaron Kelly fades onto the screen. The cameras stop the live broad cast of Alycia..just as she begins to cry. She had done it..called out Mystech on global news and implored the united states government to take action against them. it was the moment Alison had foresaw weeks ago......Sharon's death...was the bitter sweet break that The Six and ALL of mankind needed in the fight to be free of MysTech's shadowy grip on the globe::

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: It didn't take long before Alexis' restlessness caught up with her. Rolling onto her back, she let out a grunt of frustration. You'd figure after a massive battle she'd be at least SOMEWHAT tired. Rolling her head to the side, Alexis' eyes settled on her clock that rested on her night stand; it read 12:15 am..only a half hour since she put herself to bed. Sighing as she propped herself against the headboard of her bed, Alexis reached over to the night stand and grabbed the remote control to her television. Pushing a small red button, a small section of her ceiling retracted back allowing a huge flat screen tv to lower afar. Pressing the on button, there she was....Alycia Barnett. ::

"Mmmm, this should be interesting."

:: Turning the volume up as Alycia composed herself before speaking, Alexis sat silently watching the broadcast. She spoke of MysTech; how they were responsible for the attacks. She described the events that unfolded; how mutants and non-mortals helped her escape with her life. She spoke of Sharon...her fallen friend. As Alycia's voice cracked the clicks of the photographer's camera’s's stopped. It was so devastating...it was so emotional.....it was so utterly nauseating. Rolling her eyes, Alexis shook her head and lowered her brows. This was a joke right? As Alycia continued, Alexis' eyes narrowed slightly into a bewildered stare until finally the broadcast was over. ::

"Jesus Christ."

:: Flipping the television off, Alexis dropped the remote control aside of her on the bed. ::

"It's like a fucking Pope died or something..."

:: Pressing her lips together, Alexis flipped the blankets off of her and slipped out of her bed. Walking toward the French doors that opened to the balcony (off her bedroom), she pushed them open feeling the cold breeze wash over her body. Her blonde locks blew behind her as Alexis stepped outside inhaling a long deep breath. Looking out along the New York skyline, the meta human sat in the rocking chair placed by the railing and closed her eyes. She wasn't about to let Alycia and her crocodile tears ruin the rest of her night... ::

[Harbinger]

:: darkness slowly gives way to light, sound , smells....Alison slowly and quietly opens her cobalt blue eyes...with Haleigh, Zach and Jasmine watching the broadcast...they arent immediately aware of her awakening.::

::she's dissapointed..she wishes she HAD died and that this was just some kind of dream..or her soul wandering the astral plane. but here she is..back to reality..back to consciousness. her body a little stiff but thanks to Frost's power, Alison's own temporal ability and some medical treatment from Haleigh...the Seer was far better off now than she was at the climax of the Master Mold caper.::

::she began to stir a bit on the couch...slowly turning her head as her vision focused on a tired and weary looking Alycia on the screen. Alycia Barnett was telling the world of what happened to Sharon Kelly and herself..and who was responsible for it. It was the moment of truth that Alison had foreseen...the reason why she couldnt stop Sharon's death. It was the terrible , tragic catalyst for the turning of the tide across the board AGAINST MysTech.::


:: still in her top of the leather designed body contouring corsetted cat suit with gloves and stilletto boots, Alison slowly raised her gloved hand to her forehead and groaned a bit at the stiff pain. she was always emotionally distant...but now she seemed ghostly. she knew Morgan was gone..she could feel the emptiness all around Illustra. Alexis was in her apartment, Delilah was in her's. The only thing that remained to ocurr was the departure of Frost...and the arrival of one other. But Alison didnt speak...she simply starred blankly at the screen at Alycia....as the images of Morgan and Sharon haunted her own mind. she blinked slowly as a tear formed in one of her eyes and gently fell down her cheek.::

............Haleigh, Jasmine.....

::her voice was cold but weak...soft. her face was rather pale. though her black/brunette hair was still in the trade mark bun she wore...strands of it had come loose and framed either side of her face::

[Oracle]

<< all through Illustra from the crystaline lobby all the way to the very top floor which was Morgan's luxury loft...there was a cold silence. the slightest sounds echoed softly throughout the many empty floors. Haleigh's security equipment was on full alert and now that they no longer had Morgan's magick to create the warding spell around the preimeter of the building...it was vital that Haleigh's equipment be on full operation. Eventually, Alison would assume control of the building's functions as Morgan had once had...with Haleigh being the second in command of Illustra's security equipment and staff...>>

<< floor after floor, the soft blue recessed lighting privided the minimal illumination. a soft hum of power could be heard around the building but over all there was a feeling of gloom and departure. the building itself seemed to reflect the loss of its mistress and the pain of the surviving members of the six. where were their missing team mates: Bane and Prophet? What about Ororo and Karen? how would they react? it was always the moments, the feelings, the issues AFTER the event that could be even worse than the event itself.>>

<< even as Haleigh, Jasmine, Zach and a recently Alison watched the eye opening broadcast of Alycia Barnett as she blew the lid off of MysTech and various members of the united states government began to publicly react to Sharon Kelly's death.....there were other winds of change blowing within Illustra. Alexis Quatermaine who had shown remarkable new found skill during the fight against Master Mold had also demonstrated a shocking, almost infuriating detachment from the tragic losses of Sharon and Morgan. She too watched the broadcast and her raction was one of stone cold callousness. What was happening to her would make itself known sooner than anyone might suspect. Delilah, a law enforcement official herself heard all sorts of incoming reports on her scanner in her apartment as she sat in her shower...Morgan was one of her dearest friends as was Sharon...the loss was hitting her hard and the pain would get worse before it got better. It was always Delilah's nature to FACE things....and at some point on this horrid evening...she would find herself in Morgan's loft....>>

[Foxfire]

Frost didn't know how to cope with these beloved casualties. It was beginning to tear a void in her heart. The need to grief overpowering and capturing her five senses. Clearing the large lump in her throat. Brushing a hand through her messy locks, she avoided looking at the television screen. But she couldn't exactly mute the sound either as Alycia's words rang through her mind. Sadness, anger, and shock could easily be identified in the lawyer's tone. Something each of the Six felt excluding Alexis who was effected by that choker she wore.

A soft and weak voice broke through the air and caught Jasmine's attention. Turning to monitor Alison, she saw how awful the Seer looked. And her eyes conveyed the emotions they all felt. Pulling off a thick blanket from the back of the couch to cover Alison's catsuit.

"We're here."

She reassured with her eyes peering up to Haleigh for a second. The clock was ticking for Jas, who desperately needed to depart. Looking elsewhere, Jasmine couldn't look at Alison's blood shot eyes. Seeing Alison this way was the last straw for her.

Getting to her feet she covered her mouth as the tears began to leak. "I'm sorry, I must go!" Her strides fast and wide as she moved. Her heals clicking on the hard floors or rather stomping on them, in attempt to flee. Opening the door, she walked out leaving the door just a jar rather than slamming it.

She began to sprint for the elevator the heavier her emotions felt. This was not what she signed up for, so much death! As calculating as she was, the Assassin in her was ripping to shreds. Her heart and soul gone, and both of her siblings dead. She felt as though her purpose here was gone.

The elevator opened for her automatically and she hit one of the buttons. Haleigh's warning to stay here flooded her mind. She would stay but she needed to grieve privately. The door opened to another level, where the conference rooms were held and some of the staff cubicles. Running through her hair whipping around wildly with her eyes puffy and red.

Locating a large - spacious conference room with dim lighting she was thankful. Closing the door she collapsed into a black swivel chair. Her body shook with her agony and the loss she felt. She cried loudly now with her arms wrapping themselves around her. A soft rain could be heard outside of Illustra adding to the mood.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you Elizabeth! I'm a horrible mother."

She whispered with her chest heaving. Gasping for air she knelt down with her elbows propped up on her knee caps. Her hands resting along her forehead. She had nothing left without her family. Anger swelling up for the loss of Morgan and Sharon.

"Why them?!" She asked out of thin air. A small shimmer of light illuminating through the vertical blinds.

The rain continued to pelt down the city, calling Jasmine's attention. Rising from the chair, she moved to the window. Brushing a few blinds away to see the chaos that had ensued with MM. She hardly saw much of it, but being in a building that was X stories tall she noticed much of the damage. The fires still burning, telephone poles cracked with electricity, bodies lined the ground.

It was like reliving 9/11 for her again. Her eyes wide - eyed at the loss of life and how quiet the city was. Many innocent lives ruined by MysTech in their sickening plot to destroy their enemies. It was like a full - on war.

Shaking her head, Jasmine yearned to see Elizabeth. To hold and snuggle her like a mother does. Yet, that luxury was gone...forever. Her hand rising up to touch the glass outside, noticing the beads of rain water soaking the glass. Why was it whenever someone perished, it rained?

Her hand imprinting on the glass, "Rest in peace...Elizabeth, Morgan, and Sharon."

[Oracle]

<< many floors below the private residential floors, Frost had made her way to a conference room off one of the office pools. this was only the second time she'd truly had a chance to enter Illustra and see its technological splendor without fear of being discovered by Morgan...only now that would NEVER be a problem again. Jasmine weeped ...the sounds of her crying were the only truly audible sounds for many floors above and below..as the rest of the building was so silent. She reflected on her daughter, Elisabeth, as well as Morgan, the sister she never truly knew and Sharon Kelly a woman she'd known primarily through reputation. At the end of the Master Mold caper, Morgan had shown Frost some concern and compassion as she restored the woman with her magicks...it was the last interaction they would have and Jasmine would forever remember the final moment of Master Mold rearing its evil head to pull Morgan into the terrifying vortex of the Siege Perilous along with him.>>

<< As Jasmine mourned and reflected, she soon found an odd sort of calm in the midst of her emotional anguish. She longed for her daughter...she couldnt justify Morgan and Sharon having to die tonight....but as her anger began to surface....there was a small chiming sound that played in the air around her...followed by a sparkling red swirl of light.>>

<< suddenly right in front of her, the Seige Perilous itself hovers in front of her....surrounded by a glowing halo of soft red energy...the glow slowly pulsates and the gem continues to hover in front of her....almost beckoning her to touch it>>

[Foxfire]

Her small 5'7 frame shook with grief but it was somewhat relieving for the mutant. Wiping away the tears that stained her cheeks. Her breathing more labored now the harder she cried. Everything had been bottled up for months was finally able to explode in her sadness. Her knees threatening to buckle underneath her. Grabbing onto the side of the wall to balance her unsteady body, a soft chime echoed in the room. Had she actually heard that?

At first she looked around hoping to find Morgan. Chimes usually sounded with the appearance of Morgan. Studying for any sign of movement, her heart sunk inside her chest. No, it was just an illusion to think Morgan would return okay. Shaking her head at her foolishness.

Shadows flickered off the walls alerting Jasmine to a presence. Drawing her eyes upward she caught site of the sparkling red glow of energy in the room. What was causing this, she wondered? Another wave of movement crept into view, the Seige Perilous. How was this even possible?

Her eyes wide in astonishment. How did this powerful weapon appear out of thin air? Maybe she could save Morgan? So many questions scrambled her brain but her eyes noticing the intense glow radiating from the weapon. Stepping closer, she reached a hand up to touch the Seige Perilous. Her overbearing emotions distracted by this gem that literally stole Morgan from her and the team.

Her breathing more stable now, her curiosity peaking. What was happening here?

[Oracle]

<< the gem repelled Jasmine's first touch. it seemed to give her a warning to stand back. the gem was NEVER commanded by anyone other than Alison. but there it stood...glaring at Jasmine. Jasmine was still alone, still able to freely express herself and feel anything in her heart. The more she thought about Morgan and Elizabeth, the more the gem glowed...there was a soft melodic hum in the air now too as the golden eye at the top of the perfect gold setting around the ruby of the gem OPENED.>>

<< a ghost like wind seem to whisper in Jasmine's ear and in her heart>>

so much pain...so much loss. not just to night...but ever since ive been a child. now my daughter is dead...my sisters are dead....the life i lead...ashes on the prye of my father's evil legacy. I never had the chance to know Blaze OR Morgan. What do i do know? Remain with the six? what life is there for me here?

<< the gem's light slowly enveloped Jasmine in a soft glow....she was bathed in a soft red light....and all around, she began to feel warmth and comfort...a sense of HOPE. she began to see possibilities....not in this reality but in times and spaces she never dreamed of. realities that existed on different planes. She saw herself in a new life with her daughter in her arms....with different versions of Morgan and Blaze....together as a family.>>


the siege perilous can open the door to a new life. this life....it was filled with pain. i was used, abused and pushed down a path i was not meant for. but i have the choice.....to be free. to leave this life behind and reemerge in a new time and place....with no memory of this life. I'll have my daughter, Ill have my sisters....this is my chance....


<< Jasmine realized that this wasnt a dream...this was real. she had the chance to get her family back. the chance to step out of this life and into another where she was free to love and be loved. all she had to do was wish for it.....and reach for the Gem as it hovered in front of her.>>

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh watches Alycia speak... and is strangely proud of the DA... she might not have been ONE of them, so to speak... but she was a strong women and regardless of their past together... Haleigh had a lot of respect for her. It was a very well spoken address to the public, one that Haleigh KNEW would be effective in turning the tides on Mystech. Haleigh turned off the TV as alycia finished. Alison spoke, and Haleigh looked over, her expression torn between being relieved and saddened. Frost made a hasty and abrupt departure, and Haleigh let her go without any stalling, as she locked eyes with Alison. Her voice was pained and very quiet, as if lacking the strength necessary to speak at a more audible volume.

"Alison... welcome back. You're safe.... in my apartment at Illustra. Alexis and Delilah have retired to their respective floors... theres still no sign of your brother... and... well, we both know where she's going..." said she, pointing after Frost. She didn't know how to continue... no doubt Alison knew Morgan was gone.... Haleigh covered her face with her hands... She couldn't bear to think of it again... but Morgan's face, and her parting scream were forcing their way back into Haleigh's mind. "Morgan... I couldn't save her."

[Harbinger]

:: Alison couldnt even begin to thank Frost for helping her before the young mutant made a hasty exit. Alison watched Alycia...she thanked the goddess that the woman had survived and was now safely hidden away from their enemies. This moment on television it was the turning point for The Six and MysTech. But at what price had it come?::

:: she looked wearily at Haleigh....as the mutant hybrid attempted to brief her on the current situation...but Alison already knew of the painfull reality. She sat up on the couch.....and as Haleigh covered her face with grief at reccounting Morgan's fate.... in totally ATYPICAL fashion for the witch, Alison reached out to Haleigh and took her in her arms.....tears streamed down her face as she held Haleigh::

She.....she tried to protect me....to save us ALL by pushing Master Mold through the Siege Perilous.....you did more than anyone else could have in that situation......while I lay there...unconscious.


:: Alison's own body quaked with grief as she tried to comfort Haleigh but she too was aching with grief::

[Foxfire]

Entranced by the gem, Jasmine's hands reached more closely. Her emerald eyes hopeful that she might possibly harness this gem. She pulled her hand away fiercely with small stings of pain shot through her hand. Looking down at her hand at the small red burn. It was already dissolving like it never happened. Almost like the gem was warning her, like it was forbidden to even physically touch such a beautiful piece of gem.

Blinking her eyes, she felt as though she were dreaming. Yes, like she was slumbering in a bed somewhere. Strange red tints bouncing off her pale skin and gleaming around the conference room. It was like a red light bulb was turned on. Tranquil and reserved, Frost sighed with relief. She held her distance from the gem, but she stared longingly. Like a child wanting a toy.

Nibbling on her bottom lip, she felt her emotions leaking through her pores. A variety of emotions for her family and friends. For months, she had avoided these emotions. Now, she was alone and equally able to express how she felt without fear of rejection.

Her lips falling a gap in awe seeing the gem's eye open slowly. Now, what was happening? Taking two steps backward she felt a bit timid. But at the same time she felt nurtured and protected under the safe security of Morgan's building. The gem seemed animated even though it was an inanimate object. Stranger things had happened though.

Her hair follicles moved an inch like a small wind occurred. No visible sign of a window opened or left open. She turned at the neck to overhear small traces of whispers. Kind of similar to the echoes in a forest. These whispers were coming from her own soul. Of course, her conscious she believed.

The more she thought about it, the more she yearned for a new life. The one she had was filled with blood shed, misery, and death. Jasmine knew she deserved more, and this gem gave her an inkling of the possible she could afford. This was real not some odd dream. An epiphany hitting her, what if this gem granted her any wish? Maybe she could reunite with her siblings and most of all her daughter? It couldn't hurt to try, right?

"I wish....to start over...to live another life with my family alive and my sisters."

Instinctively she reached up to the gem, hoping to find answers. Getting closer to the gem's eye where it had opened. Her foot walking forward into the red and golden lighting.

[MorningStar]

[ Delilah looked upwards at the water pouring down on her. Reaching up with one hand, she shut off the faucet. The water stopped, but Delilah didn't move at first. She just sat there for a minute as the steam swirled around her. She ran her hand through her wet hair, pushing it back out of her face, and wiped her nose. Finally, she stood and wrapped herself in a towel.

Walking back into the bedroom, she slowly dressed. She pulled on a grey tank top and black addidas cotton track pants. She felt completely numb, wiped. She wandered aimlessly through the dark apartment. The city lights cast patterns through the windows on the floor of her apartment. Blaze's apartment, she thought.

Barefoot, she walked out her door and into the elevator. Her fingers found the button for Morgan's penthouse, without thinking. It chimed softly as she arrived and the doors opened. Her feet made soft footfalls on the floor as she pushed open the double doors and entered Morgan's apartment.

She looked slowly around the apartment, taking in the place that so reflected the personality of her glamourous friend. She walked to the panoramic windows, looking out over the city, touching the glass with her hand. She stepped across the sunken living room, allowing her hand to gently brush Morgan's things. In a daze she crossed the massive space and moved into Morgan's bedroom.

Delilah noticed a cluster of framed photographs were arranged attractively on a table. She picked one up - a smiling Blaze and Morgan looked back at her. She touched the glass lovingly before carefully putting it back exactly as it has been. She ran her fingers over the coverlet of Morgan's large bed, a cashmere shawl sprawled haphazardly on it, left behind forgotten at some point. She couldn't remember when they had all last had a regular night sleep.

She picked up the wrap and wound it over her shoulders as moonlight poured through the windows. She hugged the shawl to her as a solitary tear ran down her cheek. She closed her eyes as memories came to her.

She heard the tiny tinkling of a bell behind her and turned to see Tinkerbell coming towards her, the kitten Haleigh had given Morgan dutifully in tow. Tink brushed up against Delilah's legs, purring a greeting and letting out a soft meow. She sniffed. ]

"Oh, Tinkerbell, it's you."

[ Delilah knelt to pick up the cat as the kitten jumped onto Morgan's bed and curled up in a ball. She cuddled Tinkerbell to her chest, the tears now freely flowing as she stroked the little cat's fur. ]

"I didn't get to say goodbye either..."

[Oracle]

<< Jasmine listened to her heart...for the first time she was following her own heart and not an outside force. For all the EVIL she had been made to do .....in this last tragic caper, she had shown a selflessness that earned her much redemption. she'd been there for the team and did her best to try to save sharon kelly. she deserved this chance at a new life...and the gem knew that. when she finally wished for a new life with her family and her sisters.....the gem flashed.....and a white portal opened.....the light was warm and welcoming and as she stepped forward...she was bathed in the spectral light......her life as she knew it now was over. she would awaken in a new time and place...with no memory of this life here with the Six. she would be reborn anew....able to be with her daughter and her sisters......a fitting reward for the icy mutant who had finally redeemed herself.>>

<< and with that....Jasmine was GONE from Illustra....gone from that time and space all together....and the gem itself disappeared...presumably returning to Alison.>>



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

<< outside Haleigh's appartment a sparkling swirl of golden light appears...as the stages of a human body reforming from the "ground up" can be seen. each stage of the body structuring itself as life beginning anew is heard....and finally in a FLASH.....Blaze Fielding is now standing there.....fully alive and apart of the life she once knew. She has been RETURNED to Illustra, to The SIX. She physically whole and INTACT...as the Seige Perilous had just caused a cosmic switch. Blaze would find herself a bit disoriented...as she was ALIVE again and back on earth...but soon she would settle and realize just what was going on>>

[Tinkerbell]

::tinkerbell sensed Delilah's sorrow. tinkerbell knew that her caring, Mistress, Morgan was gone...and she too was sorrowfull and so to be held by Delilah was comforting. Delilah's natural luminesence comforted the lonely familiar as she purred and muzzled Delilah trying her best to console the weeping mutant::


::the kitten given to Morgan by Haleigh was curled up right next to Delilah's thigh on the bed...she too was bewildered by the absence of Morgan....but familiars always were drawn to those with a truly good soul.::


:: as tinkerbell looked up at Delilah, her soft blue eyes began to glow..and an "image bubble" appeared....inside the bubble was an image of ORORO. It was tinkerbell's way of telling Delilah to call for Ororo in her time of pain. she gently reached her paw up...lightly touching Delilah's cheek as if to encourage her in her own way.::

[MorningStar]

[ Tinkerbell provided a calming influence on Delilah, but looking down at the little cat brought on a new wave of sorrow as she felt for the familiar's loss. One hand reached down and stroked the head of the kitten. Who would take care of them now?

As Tink's eyes began to glow and the image of Ororo appeared, Delilah was a bit startled. She had a sharp intake of breath, wondering what the familiar was up to. As the cat's paw brushed her cheek, she finally understood. ]

"Call for Ororo?"

[ She set Tinkerbell down on the bed next to the kitten.

She bowed her head slightly and closed her eyes, tears squeezing their way out as she did so. She saw in her mind's eye pictures of Morgan...and Sharon...and Blaze..., focusing her thoughts into one overriding call for help. ]

"Ororo, I need you..."

[Jessica Hamby]

As Alison comforted Haleigh, she finally allowed herself to let the pent up grief out... she knew that Alison's words were true... but that didnt take away the pain or sense of failure... Haleigh held everyone around her to such high standards, but none so high as those she held herself to... and no one could be harder on Haleigh than herself.... and in the wake of losing a true friend, these two women finally dropped their cold, indifferent fronts, and were united together through loss and grief. Haleigh began to weep again, hugging Alison tightly and sobbing apologetically.

"I... I tried so hard to save her... but my strength... my powers... failed me... and I failed her... and I know.... it was supposed to happen... and I knew... there was nothing I could do to change it... but I didnt want to let go... I couldn't let her go... I... feel... like such a FAILURE... what are we going to do?? How can I tell Karen that I let her ONLY daughter slip through my fingers??

Haleigh was, for once, at a loss for a game plan... she had tried to steel herself for the night.... but had sorely underestimated many things, including how painful it would REALLY be to lose another teammate...

[Harbinger]

Morgan came forth...she positioned herself between us and Master Mold...to save us..and the city from him. It was her own way of making up for what she felt she did during Inferno....she...

:: Alison couldnt rationalize it any further.::

::Haleigh and Alison were essentially the HEAD of the team now that Morgan was gone. so much had changed between the two women following Haleigh's return from the dead. It was a testimony to the power of the human spirit and their heeding Ororo's warning. In this, the Six's darkest hour to date...these women were now coming together when it mattered most.::

:: Alison , who was taller than Haleigh, continued to hold Haleigh...she shut her eyes as her own tears flowed freely now. She weeped for Morgan, for Sharon...and the feeling of not having DONE ENOUGH. She knew exactly what Haleigh was feeling. the PAIN...it was ...unbearable to go through alone...but together...they had a chance....to get themselves and the surviving team through this nightmare.::

:: as Haleigh expressed anguish on telling Karen the horrible news...Alison spoke softly....::

we'll do it together......

[Ororo]

::As Delilah called out for Ororo, she continued to weep for her fallen friend, Morgan. Clutching Tinkerbell in her arms as she cried...the night never seemed so dark....but soon a soft breeze could be heard..the wind picked up....as a columnar funnel flickered in view with dead leaves swirling in its malestrom....a soft rumble of thunder rolls in the air as Ororo appears before the distraught young mutant.::

::Ororo, guardian of the dark trinity and a goddess in more than one way appears...in her white goddess dress with elegant blue robe. her silver hair is parted down the middle and reaches down her back..flowing in the breeze as she comes into full view.::

Ororo: Delilah, you have called for me, and I am here.

:: her voice was maternal, elegant and clear spoken...it was like a beacon of hope in a truly PITCH BLACK night. she was now fully present in Morgan's chamber of dreams and was standing tall as her robe flowed slightly in the lingering breeze around her.::

[MorningStar]

[ Delilah felt the breeze on her face as Ororo appeared in front of her and a sense of calm washed over her. She wiped the tears from her eyes quickly before speaking. ]

"Ororo...I'm sorry for calling to you like this but I didn't know what else to do. How can this be? How can Spellbinder be lost to us like this?"

[ Her voice was pleading, disbelieving. She garned a small glimmer of hope that Ororo would say it was not over after all... ]

[Ororo]

::Ororo looked upon the young woman with sympathy. She herself had FELT the loss of Morgan when she sacrificed herself to save The Six and the city from the threat of Master Mold by ensuring he be forced through the siege perilous::

Ororo: Morgan bravely stepped forward to save her friends and the city from Master Mold....she pushed him through the seige perilous but in one last mad act...he returned...to drag HER into oblivion with him. For Morgan..this was HER chance to atone for the horror she herself had visited upon the city during the Inferno. An act of pure selflessness. That does NOT however make the pain of loss...any easier.

:: seeing the young mutant so drawn up in pain she held her hand out to Delilah...::

come, child. let me...help you.

::gently leading Delilah (and the two cats) from the bedroom through the penthouse to the large sunken in sitting room, Ororo directed Delilah to sit...and sit beside her. gently holding her hand as a mother would her daughter::

The Siege Perilous...it is a terrifying talisman..the doorway to a cosmic space gate leading to ultimate judgement. It is what caused Black to become Morgan's right hand demon in Limbo..the ultimate irony to his previous incarnation as the bane of her existence. It is the one thing that cannot be resisted..by ANYONE it is unleashed against. It was not MEANT for Morgan to be encompassed by the gem. In her act to save the city...she placed herself in harm's way...she knew the risk but in that act..she prooved that she had achieved the CONTROL she had fought so hard to regain following the Inferno. Of course i realize that this doesnt ease the pain....i feel it too, Delilah. But in my many years in Limbo if i have learned any ONE thing, is that time and space are NOT absolute. Morgan is one third of the dark trinity..her power is ROOTED in the ability to circumvent time and space.....

::Ororo paused..giving Delilah a moment to piece this together...if only to bring some solace to her mind and heart... she would continue on shortly::

[MorningStar]

[ Delilah allowed herself to be led from the bedroom. She knew that Ororo was right - Morgan's guilt surrounding the events of the Inferno had consumed her, and in her last act she had settled her debt. But she still couldn't believe that her friend was really gone.

Delilah sat next to her, allowing the goddess to help her, and listened to her try to explain the horror that had befell them both. ]

"But if she is redeemed, and her death was outside the natural order of things - then surely she will be sent back to us."

[ Ororo's words had a calming effect. Morgan, powerful sorceress that she was, could not be lost. She just couldn't be. ]

[Foxfire]

Outside of Illustra down in the memorable grounds of 'Ground Zero,' Blaze's unholy form stood from the side lines still registering Morgan's death. She was able to notice the Six leaving in haste and the mournful looks on their faces. She snarled with her pearly white teeth gleaming in the sliver of the crescent moonlight. Her beautiful - angelic face grimacing into a wrinkle of demonic features and her eyes....of a midnight tint compared to the sage green. It finally amounted to this, Blaze's demonic side. Just like Morgan, she too shared one but this was more so from the TO Virus. Designed to activate when something traumatic like this toppled off the edge. That loss of Morgan provoked it and now she would permanently suffer this curse in times of tragedy and extreme stress.

Hidden by a few large Oak trees, she slammed her fist into the trunk of the tree. Her fist denting the tree with the rage she felt. Those ungrateful bastards riding up on their high horses. Who did they think they were? They killed her sister and Blaze would forever blame them. They just allowed this to happen, like it was fate. How dare they! Narrowing her eyes, she felt a new source of energy seizing her soul.

At first Blaze pondered it was just her rage and her heart aching for Morgan. But now, she felt a whirl of wind encompassing her body. Her long chocolate locks blowing around in the wind with her petite body disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Appearing just outside of Haleigh's suite, the golden light illuminating around where the silhouette of her shadow would be building up. Inch by inch, her body was finally revealed in a brilliant flash of light. Standing their dazed and confused, her soul still tainted.

Stumbling back, she shook her head. Her pitch black eyes fading to their emerald shade. Her unholy face morphing back to her human form. Those black feathered wings falling back under the tear of flesh in her shoulder blades. She looked normal again. Looking around with a well written frown.

Her keen sense of smell notifying Haleigh, Zack, and Alison on this floor. Her observant eyes aware of this floor and whose suite this belonged to. Haleigh, she thought the name quietly. Why was she transported here?

A faint heartbeat pounded inside her chest and oxygen radiating from her lungs. It dawned on her, Blaze was alive! She was in utter disbelief but just as grateful. Staring down at her tanned hands, they sparkled with magick.

Stretching her muscles, she felt wonderfully energized. Echoes of faint sobs silenced her good mood. She sighed, realizing Morgan was gone. Clenching her jaw, she made a fist. Her vengeance would wait, her friends needed her, or should I say her teammates?

Stepping closer to Haleigh's door, which was on a jar, she knocked quietly. Zack opening the door for her, "Come in." She nodded, "thank you." Her tone filled with sadness and laced with rage. She wore the same gear as she died in back in Inferno, her uniform.

The more she thought about it, the more irritated she came. Walking quietly on the hard wood floor. Her 5'7 form fully visible the more she traveled to Haleigh and Alison. Closer to them, she probed each facial expression. When she didn't spot shock, they knew she was coming.

"I take it you knew of my return...don't answer that." She waved into the thin air. Moving to sit down in the armchair. Her heart sunk inside her newly revived body.

"Why have they taken her from us, Alison?"

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: Wincing slightly feeling a slight pinching of her skin, Alexis lifted her head from it's previous resting position and opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep out on the balcony; the sirens and smoke filled air seemed to sooth her to sleep. Lifting her hand to where she felt the pinching, Alexis' fingers ran along her silver choker that she completely forgot having on. Lowering her brows, she ran her finger along the length of the choker until she found it's clasp located by the base of her neck. Unbuckling the clasp, the choker opened effortlessly and collapsed into her hand. ::

:: As the choker left her neck, Alexis suddenly had an overwhelming feeling of nausea. Her stomach was in knots and her head dizzy with uncertainty. Closing her eyes, a fire truck's siren afar brought back memories of the tragic evening. Sharon and Morgan's death...Alycia sobbing on national television...a completely feeling of emptiness; then a terrifying feeling of strength. Panting in shallow breaths, Alexis' eyes opened and immediately fell upon the choker in her hand; her pain was being masked by this piece of jewelry and replaced by the feeling of utter power and strength. A feel she hadn't felt since before Blaze's death. A feeling she dearly missed. Shaking her head, the meta human stood from her rocking chair to only collapse forward onto the railing lining her balcony. Holding herself up weakly, a soft breeze swept along her body; her blonde locks brushing behind her shoulders and settling down her back. But with the wind came a voice...::

Alexis...

:: Gasping in, Alexis' eyes immediately opened from their closed state as she turned toward the French doors assuming someone was in her home. Seeing it was as dark and lifeless as moments before, the blonde gripped the railing with her hand tightly and stood motionless trying to calm herself. ::

Alexis...

:: Jumping, a soft shriek escaped her lips as she pressed her body against the railing. She wasn't startled that she was hearing voices, or WHY she was hearing them. She was startled at the fact she knew the voice all too well. The voice of evil...the voice of her Aunt Helena. Gripping the choker in her hand subconsciously, Alexis fluttered her long lashes as her eyes shifted around the small balcony. ::

"You're dead..."

:: Whispering softly. ::

"I killed you myself..."

:: Parting her mouth in shock as a soft laughter echoed in the wind, even in death Helena knew exactly how to pull Alexis' strings and play with her like a puppet. ::

Oh, Alexis. It never ceases to amaze me how truly stupid you are. I live within you--I’m apart of you whether you like it or not. I'm in your blood, your mind, you soul. I'm everything within you that you try so desperately to change. You're a Quartermaine, Alexis. So unless you want to end up like your father and your brother......you'd be wise not to fight this.

:: The sapphire gem placed in the center of the cuffed choker began to glow brilliantly. The choker itself began to pull slightly forcing Alexis to grip it tighter. Looking down at the jewelry within her closed fist, within milliseconds, it ripped out of her hand with ample force and clasped around her neck making the blonde gasp in and fall to her knees. As the gem's glow died down, Alexis kept her body slumped over; her blonde hair shielding her face. A soft gust of wind tasseled her hair back giving the world a glimpse of the meta human once again. The wind danced around Alexis in figure-eights until she heard her aunts voice...and what felt like her warm breath, along her exposed ear. ::

Embrace your new destiny...

:: Opening her sapphire eyes, all the lights within Illustra began to flicker violently as the slightest smirk could be seen coating Alexis' lips. ::

[MorningStar]

[ As Delilah took in the surreal experience that was Ororo, her true feelings were brought out of her. What was really bothering her, what she hadn't been able to say before. She had let Morgan die...

Her next question came out a hoarse whisper, as tears came once again. She looked up at Ororo. ]

"But would she forgive me?"

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh pulled out of the hug, taking Alison's hands in her own, managing a weak smile.

"Yes.... we'll do it together.... I think I can handle that." She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, letting go of Alison's hands and wiping her eyes, giving out a short, relieved laugh. "I think... I feel a little better now. You should try falling apart, it does wonders for stress managment."

The flatpanel turned back on, as it notified Haleigh and her guests that someone had come to her door.... Haleigh turned to look... Blaze was back, and Haleigh's mood lightened, but only slightly. Zach offered to get the door, and haleigh turned back to Alison, her voice still somber and her expression melancholy.

"Well...ONE wrongful death has been righted... we saved countless lives... and Mystech is about to find itself in some very hot water.... and yet.... I still feel as if the pros are overshadowed by our losses.... Sharon, and Morgan... I wish there was a way we could have saved them too... I know... things are as they are supposed to be. I wish being able to logically accept it, as I have, would make it easier."

She turned to receive Blaze, nodding at her question, but not speaking, as blaze asked them not to explain. As Blaze asked why, Haleigh subdued the empty feeling she had, and tried to offer a helpful response.

"THEY.... didnt do it to spite us.... It was.... Morgan's destiny... and Sharon's... their deaths will do an incredible feat for the greater good.... they made the ultimate sacrifice.... and it doesnt make it any easier to swallow.... but neither of them died for nothing."

[Foxfire]

Haleigh's reply unsettled Blaze who bolted from the arm chair, "HER destiny? It was never Morgan's destiny! Okay...THEY took her away from us! It was THEM!" She pointed to the ceiling with her index finger raised. Her eyes morphing into a midnight tint and her facial expression grimacing into that unholy feature again.

"The Elders stopped me from saving Morgan....all of them...I tried! But I did manage to kill the one who stopped me." Her eyes zooming in on Haleigh, "I have every reason to HATE them, Haleigh. I understand they saved you and you repented for your old ways but don't you DARE tell me it was time for Morgan. I come back to find my sister gone because those selfish bastards decide its her destiny. Its bullshit and I don't buy it! If you wanna sit there and swallow that then fine, but I refuse! And I apologize if I seem belligerent to you...I'm just royally enraged with them."

Her eyes flickering back to that Sage green tint again. She folded her arms across her chest. "I cannot forgive them....ever!" She clenched her fists tightly. "Morgan and Sharon's courage will not go unnoticed but the way they died will not either. Morgan had a lifetime....she didn't deserve that..."

"She didn't deserve that!" She repeated with more emphasize on the wording. Inhaling a deep breath she looked down, "I'm sorry...I don't mean to be hostile with you both....I'm just....well..lost without her."

[Ororo]

:: Ororo looked upon the young Delilah with a compassion of a mother. She remembered her own youth...BEFORE arriving in Limbo and forever changing her life..and all the moments of uncertainty there were for her. The moon was full and bright as it shown through the panoramic window wall...it was the only light in the large sunken in sitting room as Delilah hadnt turned on any lights in Morgan's penthouse...she had her own natural luminescence.::

Morgan is one of the dark trinity, connected to Limbo which exists outside of time and space. At this moment, I cannot say for certain when or IF she will return to us in our timeline but the Siege Perilous....it judges a person on the totality of their deeds once they have been pulled in and the cosmic forces therein will rearrange the person to reflect another aspect of their being...and they begin life anew in a new time and space...with no memory of the life before.

Everything has happened so...suddenly...and yet, it was what was supposed to happen. Your ongoing fight with MysTech has taken a turn...through this terrible loss and you will see yourselves afforded a new advantage in your efforts to dismantle that vast and terrible power.

::she listened as Delilah asked her last question::

You are a brave woman Delilah, you have always operated with selflessness and provided an example for others through your actions. If there was ever anyone that Morgan truly trusted on this earth outside of Alison and her mother, it was you, her best friend. Do not look down on yourself for not being able to save Morgan. She did what she felt was necessary to save all of YOU...again, it was her way of balancing the scales for what she had done during Inferno.

::Ororo's voice was clear and soothing...she didnt want Delilah to blame herself. This was no one's fault..but at the same time, Ororo herself felt a quiet, nagging sense of guilt and regret...she had lost her X-men in Limbo years ago and was unable to save them. To avenge them, she learned the ways of dark magick and destroyed Belasco..but in the process...she lost her soul. Though she won it back, the deaths of her X-men haunted her for then on. She can sympathize with Delilah's pain...but she can also see the bigger picture::

Take time to reflect, allow yourself to grieve. It is only natural. Stay here in the safety of Illustra with your team mates...you ARE part of this team...and its what Morgan would have wanted.

::Ororo gently brushed away some of Delilah's blonde locks that hung in front of her face, as the young woman looked down and seemed to be full of uncertainty. Soon, a soft mew from Tinkerbell was heard as she jumped up on another portion of the leather sectional...she looked across the way over at Ororo and Delilah. Ororo looked over at the siamese cat and smiled::

Delilah, will you be caring for Morgan's familiars in her absence?

::Ororo made it sound that the possibility of Morgan being able to somehow return was very real...a reassuring tone::

[Harbinger]

::Back on Haleigh's floor, Alison, who had let her hair down out of her trademark bun, looked less servere....her face looked weary. As She and Haleigh disembraced, Alison held her hand...::

::she looked up...shutting her eyes tightly::

i've spent years become hard as Marble...i think....that this evening has been the closest I've felt my own heart ache for a long time. Knowing what is going to happen....is nothing compared to GOING THROUGH IT. I didnt think I would hurt so much....feel so powerless.

::as Haleigh and Alison looked toward the door and the person entering..it was Blaze. ALIVE and whole as she was before Inferno. True enough Alison and Haleigh had known she would return and they knew Jasmine was now in a time and space, living a new life with no memory of this one. A small step in balancing out an evening of tremendous loss::

::Alison shifting where she was sitting as Blaze spoke::

Knowing what is coming is one thing....looking ahead in all probably time threads to see all possible outcomes is easy enough. Knowing when and when NOT to interfere is one of the greatest burdens of being a precog. OBVIOUSLY if i could have had my way....we would have done everything we could to save Morgan and Sharon. Both women ....went to their deaths with bravery and honor. Their sacrifice has set in motion a chain of events that will lead to MysTech being brought down sooner than ANYONE would have suspected.

::she paused as she looked at Blaze...Morgan's half sister. So different were they...and yet, somehow Blaze reminded Alison of Morgan.::

Morgan...felt that she had to balance the scales...make up for what she had done during Inferno. She sacrificed herself to push Master Mold through the Seige Perilous ...not only to save US but to save the city...the same city she nearly destroyed months ago. She promised Ororo she would learn control......and in that moment...she.....

:: Alison put her hand over her face as she bowed her head....::

Master Mold had electrocuted me, knocked me unconscious....I just wish i had been AWAKE!! I could have...TELEBLINKED her out of his grasp....

::it was clear that Alison was haunted by this...she LOATHED the idea that she might have been too weak to at least ATTEMPT to circumvent the events she knew had to come to past. it was the ultimate burden. Knowing that even though you see what is to come, you cannot always intervene.::

::shaking her head as she attempted to abandon a wave of emotion, she sat up straight again::

Tomorrow Haleigh and I will visit Karen. We will inform her about Morgan and be there for her. We also need to prepare for Sharon's funeral coming in a few days. Alycia will be informing us of her descision to leave the office of the district attourney for the state of new york. She is going to become a private citizen....Then there's the matter of Alexis, who still doesnt register clearly in my sight anymore. something has happened to her, changed her...and that would explain her fierce behavior during the battle with Master Mold and her cold detachment from the events of this evening. We will have to look into that.

But for now....let us all try to....get some rest. Our task tomorrow will be most difficult. Blaze, you will stay here in Illustra with MorningStar while we're gone. With Prophet missing in action and Alexis obscured by some kind of spectral anamoly...that leaves a core team of 4. We can ill afford to be seen in public right now.

[Foxfire]

Even as emotional as she was, Blaze felt comforted by Alison's commanding voice. Her nerves tingled from the magick that transported her here. She hardly had much time to register it but now was not the time. Everytime she thought of Morgan, her heart sunk inside her chest.

So full of rage and heat, Blaze almost felt chilly and cold. Her sibling added to her warmth but she was gone, forever. Standing up from the arm chair, Blaze walked to the window overlooking the city. She saw the same chaos Jasmine did earlier that day.

"You want me to stay here? I believe I should go, Karen knows me and if anything she and I could comfort the other." She paused, Doctor Victoria's grieve would be far worse than any of the team and she knew that. "If you think I should stay here...I will...maybe I'll go up to Morgan's penthouse and reflect some things."

Her hunter eyes sparkling with the threat of a new batch of tears. Blinking them back, she breathed deeply. "Alexis seemed odd back on the yacht, are you sure she's purified of any chemical warfare?" She turned at the waist, directing her question to Haleigh.

"I'm sure Prophet is safe, he always was street savvy, he'll find his way back to us, I'm sure of it. How is Delilah holding up?" She turned her back to the window, leaning up on an angle. "I'm sorry...so many questions.." She apologized.

Walking over to Alison, Blaze crouched down in front of her. Lightly caressing her cheek, "Alison Marble, you did the best you could....do not blame yourself for their loss. I know you...and what's behind that Marble heart. I saw it on another plane of existence - you fought bravely and Haleigh...your actions were dangerous for your own life but your quick thinking helped Morgan to live a bit longer. Thank you both....I know you two blame yourselves and I would probably too." Her eyes sliding onto Haleigh this time, "but Morgan wouldn't want that...she'd want you to kick some ass and ask questions later! The two of you are the team leaders of this team, which means the team will rely on you for guidance, support, and strength. Its a whole different career of its own."

She turned to study Alison's cobalt eyes, "you saw this coming....its your destiny. And I'm sure at times its an awful curse. At least the two of you tried, I wasn't even allowed to do anything." Her voice dropping a level or two. "This month will be brutal on us all....we have to pull through. I'll see what's up with Alexis....while you two inform Karen."

Pulling her hand from Alison's cheek, Blaze stood up. "Besides, I need to have a word with dear Alexis." Her eyes morphing into that oily black tint. Blaze hadn't forgotten Alexis' provocative behavior with the mutant. She had her own personal vendetta for Alexis, but most likely Blaze would be the one to sense this new change in Shockwave. Not because of her senses but because Blaze too had turned more toward the darkside.

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh nodded, her eyes distant, as alison spoke of feeling powerless, and at the realization that the loss of Morgan hurt way more than either of them had originally thought. "Nor did i..." Haleigh could only agree, and listen, as Blaze talked. 'Prophet has street smarts,' Blaze said. 'He's safe.' Haleigh heard.... she desperately hoped so... after the way she and Cameron had left things between them... Haleigh had the sinking feeling that she might never get the chance to repair their close friendship.

Alison bowed her head, and wished she had been conscious.... Haleigh put her hand on Alison's back between her shoulder blades, offering whatever solace she could. She knew this pain all too well... "Alison... I know we ALL wish we could have done more.... and Blaze," haleigh continued, raising her eyes to meet her dear friend, "Trust me... you are lucky they stopped you... at least you have THEM to blame for your inability to help... the only ones WE have to fault.... are ourselves... at least you get to be angry.... all we have is our guilt.... and it is a feeling like acid in my veins." Haleigh greived, pulling herself to her feet, and then embracing Blaze in a hug.

"Welcome back... I wish it could be under better circumstances... but it seems today can only be filled with ambivalence... for every good thing... there has been tragedy to accompany it." Haleigh turns to Alison. "Yes... tomorrow... we will go to Karen.... Blaze... I'm not too sure if that is a sound idea... she knows you died... for you to be alive... and in the flesh... there, as we tell her that Morgan is lost to us forever.... it might aggravate and already delicate situation.... you know I would NEVER ostracize you intentionally... I'm just afraid to risk bringing you.... you never know HOW someone will react... and we don't want to lay it all on her at once... some things... are just better handled strategically, you know? Alison... feel free to stay here, if you like... both of you are welcome to anything in the flat... food... alcohol.... I'll be taking the Everclear... but there's quite a collection of strong liquers... HAVE some... itll help you escape... and SLEEP... something I wish i could do."

[Oracle]

<< and so...as one light of the Six has faded...another was re-lit. as as the painfull, numbing reality of Morgan's passing settled on the minds and hearts of the three women in Haleigh's appartment, up above several floors in Morgan's very loft, Delilah is comforted and given understanding by the powerfull sorceress Ororo. Her words bring understanding...a bit more clarity and even a ray of hope? that the mystery that is Limbo and the nature of the Siege Perilous...some how hold the key to what all of the team wishes for.>>

<<Jasmine , a woman who knew nothing but heartache and violence in this life...was rewarded for her acts of bravery this night by being reborn in a new life...with no memory of this former life. It is the ultimate gift of the Siege Perilous. While at the same time, Blaze is returned to THIS life...somehow granted a second chance and at a time most critical.>>

<< even as the city reels from the disaster and the world is shocked by the truth of MysTech...any solace that the Six might find in the turning tide will soon be all but lost as a new threat begins to head their way...both from within and without.>>

<<but for now...they mourn..and as the burden of leadership passes from Morgan to Alison AND Haleigh...the team will begin to forge ahead...one step at a time, starting with tomorrows meeting with Karen...and Sharon's funeral shortly thereafter>>