(OOC notes: this is basically the backstory to my heroes on infinity those in SIRadio's P:aragon Broadcasting Service may or may not have read this before but...)
The slow drip of a leaky faucet only serves to emphasize the thought as it passes through a Fae mind. *Why did things turn out this way?*
----
A familiar pink head followed by pink and baby blue wings swoops down tickle tackling a young male human with brown hair green eyes dancing.
"Come on mage can't you do better than that?" she taunts before darting away dress fluttering with the slight draft from her wings. Brown eyes meet green full of fatigue.
"I'm on vacation Princess. Can't you give a poor fella a break for a few minutes?"
"/Lady/ not Princess. Not like we've a court here..." she wandered off voice getting indistinct as it meets with three other feminine voices.
He flopped over on the grass watching the sunlight play upong the towering oaks' leaves dozing to the sound of Faen laughter. He was there as a special guest of the Fae lady's father. His past a war of strife against injustice in paragon his future... well didn't do to think about the future now did it?
Just three short weeks and another round of chemo and other invasive techniques to try and rid his body of it rebelling against itself. Achielles' choice once again. A short glorious life or a long full one of turning away. Since Pandora's Box was opened once again many chose the former including him.
He inched open one eye as female shrieking laughter rose to full pitch to watch the lady with her sisters and half sisters. Some claimed the lord had been cursed to have only daughters. Personally he should have been blessed and known it to have these artworks of nature gracing his hall.
That and the fondness of close friends was all he could feel for them to a degree such a pity to another a blessing of its own. Each one unique in her own right: Fainche who practiced with her father's swords master but her balance was different so kept seeking ways of compensating. Rose: child of the healing gardens and touch but considering to a degree this was his body's method of telling him to slow down and back off that the blazing comet was burning itself out she could do nothing. Then came the twins of Daylight and Darkness each prefering the time of day the opposite shade of their skin and hairtone Nimue and Arlene. The enchantress and the promise made by their father to their mother aas he spirited them away half human as they actually were.
He closes his eyes laughing slightly to himself at the whimsical direction of his thoughts. For now let tomorrow take care of itself.
____
A tanned arm sneaks around the dusky rose skinned fae's waist pulling her royal blue and darker pink wings back against a firm chest.
"Missed you today, love. I see you finally shook off your sisters for a while." a soft nuzzling nose caresses her ear making her smile.
"I told Fainche and the others I was going to weed the garden. If you're coming you're getting put to work." She turns and smiles at the flame haired male before flying off to the garden.
----
Silent footsteps across the hall though no tech or doctor or nurse heard her or even saw her as she walked down the hall though some looked right at the spot she passed.
It began in blood, child. As it always does.
_____
Laying on the grass the young Fae couple looked at the stars past the rose bower. Work was once again done and time to rest. The male softly stroked Rose's hair.
"Do you think he'll ever consider me worthy of you little one?"
"Little? Who you calling little?" She jabbed him in the ribsslightly though her eyes reflected a sorrow.
"Mercy I beg thee." he laughed.
"The stars sure are nice tonight..."
"What did he say now?" he flopped fully on the grass arm covering his eyes.
"Just... if I'm... oh Aiden he thinks you're low court."
"If only he knew..." he mutters flame skin and hair still unmoving. "There a reason he's throwing stones? Not like you'll probably snag a noble considering you're half human."
As she opened her mouth to comment an echoing call sounds causing Aiden to bolt upright. "UnSeelie... Rose go in the keep please."
"I'm not leaving you."
"Rose, please if you care for me at all go where you're safe and don't have to divide my attention making sure you're alright and the battle itself."
Worry filling her eyes the lady ran in her slippered feet with wings providing an extra push in speed as her beloved ran into battle.
-----
"To arms, sisters! To arms!" Fainche screamed at the top of her lungs dashing down to meet the For weaving and out to get to the fray. Slough and red caps in the forefront causing a snarl to rise in the bladeswoman's throat. She dove headlong giving her blades their first drought of blood trying to locate her elder sisters in the mess.
She wove out as an explosion rocked through the opponents followed by thrown lightning. She gave a brief salute to the mage mind barely registering the grey sheen on his face before heading back in fully.
-----
Gold and silver wings flash as Nimue leads her group into the series of traps set for just such an occurance. Branches, rockslides, mudspots, each buying her time to pick the enemy off with her bow before escaping to bait the next.
*No time to rest. Even if this speed is wearying I need to do my part to protect my family.* her upswept hair coming out of its tightly held bun.
Suddenly, the world went black with a crack.
"I'll pay you in gold for this one. Such an interesting specimen wonder how well this experiment will work out. Either way she will be no more bother to you." the deep voice sent her mind splintering in pain as she came to an enomorous knot on the back of her head.
"Yeah well she..."
"It will be no more your concern now begone." the footsteps scamper away before a sharp pain injects into her mind. "Now let's see if this will actually work. Such a strong mind this should actually be fun."
----
Arlene glances up and curses in old gaelic to herself realizing she had been seperated from everyone. She turns guarded as something slams into the ground near her followed by a groan turning towards the direction the slam had come from. Humans with strange glowing weaponry were beatten and preparing to fire on the unconcious body on the ground. Calling the storms to surround she snuck in grabbing the male to higher concealed ground.
A glow rose from the body and out of it beore the soft beat of the heart stopped. The glow pulsed growing fainter as it used precious energy to try convey something before she stuck her hand in it.
Images came to her with a soft narration. Troops dressed in the Council's garb trying to tap the power of the henge to send them to the time of Eire's gratest heroes Cuchlainn amongst the foremost and eliminating or assimlating them. She gasped before realizing the glow waited for something and was growing even more dull.
*What do you need from me.*
More images this time a scene of the glow making a pact with the male and joining with it to become someone else and a union. Silently she agreed and felt the glow entering her mind further and spreading through her body. {Thank you. I am called ShiftShimmer}
*Arlene... it means promise. Now do you want to avenge him and finishing what you set out to do?*
{Not for my sake but you and everyone living on this planet... yes.}
*Then I guess it's time to move out.*
Feeling a new strength pulsing through her hands she pointed it at the group and let loose with her anger at these trying to subvert her people's rights and everyone else's.
----
The beep and hum of the moniors and machines fill the hospital room
----
Crawling through the cell. Pacing in the small space barely sane. Her golden wings had been shredded to heighten the pain. They waited to see if weakening her would let them in. Green eyes hazed with pain reflected back at her from the mossy water that she eagerly scooped up and drank. An energy field sealing her and her unwelcome passenger within her skin. Each direction the hated cold iron held her body in the cell touching the bars alone enough to give her iron poisoning.
{You know they'll kill us if you give in right?} came the weak voice at the back of her mind.
*Shut up.*
{But then I will die anyways without your help... Wonder if this is my penance for considering leaving.}
*It was your competition that put you and me locked in my body like this.* Why did you decide to continue talking to her like that. It was like the rest here enemy. A slight welling of pity followed by regret that they were to die here bloomed in her heart ruthlessly crushed.
{You know there is one possibility though I hesitate to mention it as distasteful as it is...}
*And just what in the name of the burning hells would that be?*
{I could get us out of here...}
*No go as you said I let you win we're dead.*
{Hear me out. There's a group of... rebels we shall call them that have taken their hosts as (disgusted) partners. Since either wise we're both dead it would seem to be our only choice.}
She mulls that over. *Very well but if I think you're going to destroy me I will do everything in my power to shove you out.*
Her vision changed as the dark insidious prescene linked with hers a weird sense of disorientation coming over her as she doubled over becoming ill in the corner know the cameras were still on her keeping her eyes hidden.
{So strange... alright I'll give you my power and we'll blow ourselves out of here.}
She doubled over the being in her and her own concious reforming her form as she spit energy at the door and flew out the cell as fast as she could despite bullets and energy pulsing guns behind her weaving between the people in there and out into the night sky looking at a strange city before darting fast into the town hearing pursuit.
She landed beside a large building a group of people in strange clothes taking out her pursuit while others held guns to her throat.
"Asylum I beg you! Asylum I cry unless humans have forgotten that bit of honor." she cried out before her battered abused body collapsed.
---
*I can't go back can I? If I go back I'll lead those people to my people.*
{I'm sorry... you now have a new people and a new purpose in America.}
*The colonies?*
A soft chuckle from her companion. {Behind on your history aren't you?}
She softly shrugs *Tough to keep up on politics when in a few centuries the borders will change again.*
{Seems a man from a place called Paragon City unleashed a chain of events leading that place to be the nexus of the struggle between good and evil. While we fight the Nictus mainly, there is other oppression we battle at the side of the Earth born.}
*Interesting think you have a way of getting me through customs to join up?*
{I believe that can be arranged. Just need to make a few calls and bring the body of my former host home for burial.} A sad tone enters the Kheldian's mind.
-----
The bladeswoman cleans her blades looking over the horizon. *My sisters, where are you?* She keeps staring out at the horizon until a heavily robed Fae male stops beside her making her look up warily.
"Rise, daughter. Your family's honor demands you fulfill a duty."
Swallowing hard, she rises to her feet. "What is the task my father?" She barely keeps a quiver out of her voice.
"You know the mage was a guest of ours and instead of remaining just a guest he instead defended our family and as such has been wounded. Our healers have stabilized his condition but he needs to see human medics and will probably be off his feet for a time. As such until he's fully recovered, he will need someone to take over his duties and what he can't do while bedridden."
She hesitated the tip of her tongue a refusal until a spell catches her by the throat her voice making a promise she hadn't intended to make and binding her to it. She turns and watches as Aiden scowls at her father and storms off before hanging her head and moving to pack her things tears streaming down her face.
"You know I won't hold you to..." the mage started behind her.
"Marcus, don't please. I can't take hope that will be false. He laid a geas on me so I'm bound. I hope you don't mind me borrowing some space in your apartment back in your United States."
"I don't mind but..."
"Listen just call your people, please. Bad enough I know out in the human world I have to hide who and what I am." she closes her eyes tears still streaming down.
He looks ready to pull her in a sympathy hug but then thinks the better of it flopping back on his sick bed. She attaches the viel and swathes her head hiding her pink hair, leaving just her green eyes visible.
"Very well I'll get you there then let you loose to become a hero. Fainche, I'm not going to get better for a while if ever I have a very malignent cancer that was what I trying to tell you lately and I know for you all our lives seem short enough but.. the more I use my magic the less my life expectancy is. I'm sorry" he closed his eyes as the fae left the room.
-----
Soft shallow breathing. The prescence stopped at the room door and slipped into the room
-----
Fainche frowned unwrapping the bandages from her hands before the nurse in the room smacked her hands.
"Those burns aren't going to heal with you worrying at them like that."
The scrapper looked up sheepishly. "I just wanted to make extra sure there was no more metal in the cuts. Iron's bad news can't figure out how the red caps were able to bare taking it away."
The nurse grumbles and glares. "You know we patch you lot back up time and again we don't like watching our work undone before our eyes. Now behave."
"Yes ma'am" the Fae waited until the nurse had left before removing her cloak and letting her wings stretch. "Wonder what she woulda thought if I'd had more direct skin contact from the iron that was confiscated. Idiot Midnighter assuming every hero's human that no other race could possibly want to protect humans. she seethed as she paced the small room waiting for the doctor to release her. *Damnit I don't belong here. I'll get to Pocket D when I can if I wasn't shut in this room I probably would be bringing Marcus yet another plant to improve the ambience of his room although considering he keeps giving those to the other patients maybe it's a losing battle. Danu, I'm so tired of being alone...* she looked at the clock and scowled. Four hours and she had to be in Pocket D to check on another fool human. Allergies indeed. The young vadaun needed to take better care of himself if his power went wild when he sneezed. *Doesn't he realize that wild power is dangerous? He could hurt someone he doesn't mean to if he's ill with wild magic.
She started as the doctor walked in flipping through some charts. "Well, we don't know enough of your people's physiology but appears all is well. I'll give you something for the pain but aside from that I'm turning you loose with the condition you behave, young lady."
She looked bemused at being called young lady to someone who had a fraction of her years. "Sure thing, doc."
"Maybe I should give you a backpack and help you wear it though might be awkward with those umm..."
"Their wings doctor not like you haven't seen them on other heroes that have come through. So I can go?"
"Yes, erm, quite yes you can go." he looked shocked at her cavilier attitude to being in pain and injured as she swung the proferred pack onto one shoulder.
"Hopefully, I'll only be back in soon enough to check on Marcus and latest round of chemo. I hope it's going well." She skips out the doors after giving her contact information to the front desk shoving the door open with her shoulder. *next step getting those identifying marks somehow sent to home because some reason these tuatha the name... couldn't be could it? She walks as a car weaving clips the sidewalk making her jump further up before striking at it from above but too late. She hears a yelp second she punctures the tires and reaches in to grab the driver recoiling at the reek of alcohol on his breath.
She tosses him on the curb as he sits looking dazed and she picks the thin stray who almost bites her before sniffing her and whimpering her head looking over into the alley. She rested the dog on her elbows as the cops took the driver in for drunk driving though she heard no mention of reckless endangerment. She heard a faint whimpering and found a litter of five just as the wounds made the mutt lose her life leaving the scrapper grieving. "Guess I'm all you little guys got. I guess best find where the formula for foundling puppies is." she murmurs as one nips her thumb trying to suckle scooping the litter in her pack and walking off to get things prepared.
----
The warshade looked over her shoulder frowning and getting a bit higher in the air as a blue energy bolt barely darted past one tentacle.
*You know we gotta figure a way of purifying your energy a bit this is getting old.* the side that was Nimue told the Kheldian half.
{This one I doubt is my fault... the rebels stirring up the Peacebringers again possibly?}
*If that's so we best get outta here as fast as possible and find better defensive ground. Any of the normal ones hesitate seeing my eyes are at least half my own once back in my natural form.* she darted through the streets looking for a safe spot unaware of another trap closing in around her.
&Whoever this nictus is they're obviously used to that body...&
*Personally, something about this still seems off... I hope... well we'll figure out soon enough.* She shifted back to Fae using her wings to aid in her movement phasing in and out of quantum. Pink jumpsuit against the dark skin identifying who she was to the populace as she darted in the alley behind the dark one who shifted in the alley to its two legged form. Gold and silver wings gently touches the female form's shoulders before standing. Identical pairs of green eyes meeting in shock and recognition as each Kheldian tried processing the new information through the shock.
A net descended over the pair from above before they noticed the glint of quantum guns.
"Oh blast... sis, you've got the worst sense of timing it appears." the more sardonic of the pair mutters pushing her dusky rose hair from her eyes and tenses as if seeking weaknesses to pounce.
"I could say the same of you... darnit if I had followed what I thought were my orders I wouldn't have fired that warning shot." the frustration came clear through before realizing her twin had made a weak spot in the net. She turned and the dark power in the other pair of eyes pulses as she nods as they flip the net over on their captors.
The hum of the quantums guns powering up echoes from around them before one twitchy finger fires at the pink suited one. A split second decision and her yellow suited twin tackles her taking the pulls shot and the consequential blasts full in the back and chest.
"Brava, miss Astara. I couldn't have planned that better myself." The smug Peacebringer her before her gave a conspiratorial wink. "Unfortunatly I can't leave you alive any more than this trash. Depositing her on the warshades' doorstep with energy burns from a pure kheldian. When the warshades retaliate well... it will of course be hard to keep this from not destroying them all so tragic."
He was so busy gloating he couldn't tell that he had raised the newer peacebringer's rage beyond anything remotely human. The kheldian half sharing in the fury and forcing the body into dwarf form and as the foot came down to knock them all down cracking the very payment. Most of the gunmen she wounded but left concious for police transport but that one who made her betray her own... him there would be no mercy for.
The white dwarf ran for the tram vision blurred by the pain in the dual natured heart. The warshade gently held in the clawed hands though unresponsive just laying there twitching as if the quantum energy was still eating both sides of her alive. Tied behind her, the traitorous peacebringer that force sisters to fight was drug skin getting flayed by every broken beer bottle and rock ontop of the injuries that one had already sustained directly at her hands.
&You need to calm down. It'll do no good if you're incoherent to Sunstorm when we get back to Atlas&
*I don't care!* the shrill shriek of hysteria tinged the thoughts. *She's my twin and I caused this. I wish it was me not moving instead of her. I blasted at her and she saved us.*
&Right and if you want to save her you need to calm down or the wrong impression will be given&
She shifted back to Fae panting trying to calm herself down from the madwoman everyone on the tram saw and went clear to the other side of the tram. *I can't bare it if she dies. Just imagining her pain right now's sending me into a panic. She's my twin how could I have not known? We've always know when each other was near or in pain before. I can't feel her!* She doesn't see the startled looks from all the heroes uncluding a couple pairs of eyes that wind shaking their heads before running behind her as she kneels at Sunstorm's feet tears streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry sir. I followed what I had been warned was a threat to your life and nearly brought war back to your doorstep with the warshades. I beg you give me leave to have some time to try making amends or at least attempting to let her live before meteing out my punishment. I just ask you keep the other peacebringer I brought in under guard because get the feeling he has more blood than mine and hers on his hands." She makes to rise and feels a strong solid hand holding her down.
"Sir, I hope you don't mind my wife and I borrowing this one and the injured one for a bit." the resonant voice rolls out before Sunstorm narrows his eyes. "Don't worry we'll get them to a hospital for the injuries soon my wife just wants to do a bit of field diagnosis and doesn't want this one running off. You have my word we mean neither harm."
She tries shrugging off the hand and Sunstorm seems to open his mouth before it snaps shut seeing the resemblance to the woman that came up behind the hulking biker appearing man and the women on the ground before nodding.
"Thank you. If you'd like to notify anyone of where we will be we'll stay in sight until we get to the hospital. I offer my word." the hands grabbed the struggling kheldian Fae hybrid and threw her over his shoulder before she winced seeing who was behind him.
"Didn't Mother teach you it was unladylike to hit a male, little sister?" Rose said softly watching her half sister beat on her husband's back. She spread her skirts and frowned as she repairs most of the physical damage before looking up worried to her mate. "She's going to need a transfusion after that... it's in Danu's hands there's something that's hungry and destructive and I heard two screams as I tried grabbing for her spirit which slipped away from me."
Arlene's skin paled before going limp and weeping into the burly male's shoulder.
"Come on then, sweetheart. Hand her up here since now think Arlene's fight has gone outta her." Aiden's voice was still and calm as he accepted even more burden on his shoulders. "See you at the hospital, dear one."
Arlene watched as her husband took her sisters from sight before running in full of questions for Azuria and the rest of MAGI. Those two had been missing so long it'd been presumed they were dead but now...
(OOC notes: this is basically the backstory to my heroes on infinity those in SIRadio's P:aragon Broadcasting Service may or may not have read this before but...)
The slow drip of a leaky faucet only serves to emphasize the thought as it passes through a Fae mind. *Why did things turn out this way?*
----
A familiar pink head followed by pink and baby blue wings swoops down tickle tackling a young male human with brown hair green eyes dancing.
"Come on mage can't you do better than that?" she taunts before darting away dress fluttering with the slight draft from her wings. Brown eyes meet green full of fatigue.
"I'm on vacation Princess. Can't you give a poor fella a break for a few minutes?"
"/Lady/ not Princess. Not like we've a court here..." she wandered off voice getting indistinct as it meets with three other feminine voices.
He flopped over on the grass watching the sunlight play upong the towering oaks' leaves dozing to the sound of Faen laughter. He was there as a special guest of the Fae lady's father. His past a war of strife against injustice in paragon his future... well didn't do to think about the future now did it?
Just three short weeks and another round of chemo and other invasive techniques to try and rid his body of it rebelling against itself. Achielles' choice once again. A short glorious life or a long full one of turning away. Since Pandora's Box was opened once again many chose the former including him.
He inched open one eye as female shrieking laughter rose to full pitch to watch the lady with her sisters and half sisters. Some claimed the lord had been cursed to have only daughters. Personally he should have been blessed and known it to have these artworks of nature gracing his hall.
That and the fondness of close friends was all he could feel for them to a degree such a pity to another a blessing of its own. Each one unique in her own right: Fainche who practiced with her father's swords master but her balance was different so kept seeking ways of compensating. Rose: child of the healing gardens and touch but considering to a degree this was his body's method of telling him to slow down and back off that the blazing comet was burning itself out she could do nothing. Then came the twins of Daylight and Darkness each prefering the time of day the opposite shade of their skin and hairtone Nimue and Arlene. The enchantress and the promise made by their father to their mother aas he spirited them away half human as they actually were.
He closes his eyes laughing slightly to himself at the whimsical direction of his thoughts. For now let tomorrow take care of itself.
____
A tanned arm sneaks around the dusky rose skinned fae's waist pulling her royal blue and darker pink wings back against a firm chest.
"Missed you today, love. I see you finally shook off your sisters for a while." a soft nuzzling nose caresses her ear making her smile.
"I told Fainche and the others I was going to weed the garden. If you're coming you're getting put to work." She turns and smiles at the flame haired male before flying off to the garden.
----
Silent footsteps across the hall though no tech or doctor or nurse heard her or even saw her as she walked down the hall though some looked right at the spot she passed.
It began in blood, child. As it always does.
_____
Laying on the grass the young Fae couple looked at the stars past the rose bower. Work was once again done and time to rest. The male softly stroked Rose's hair.
"Do you think he'll ever consider me worthy of you little one?"
"Little? Who you calling little?" She jabbed him in the ribsslightly though her eyes reflected a sorrow.
"Mercy I beg thee." he laughed.
"The stars sure are nice tonight..."
"What did he say now?" he flopped fully on the grass arm covering his eyes.
"Just... if I'm... oh Aiden he thinks you're low court."
"If only he knew..." he mutters flame skin and hair still unmoving. "There a reason he's throwing stones? Not like you'll probably snag a noble considering you're half human."
As she opened her mouth to comment an echoing call sounds causing Aiden to bolt upright. "UnSeelie... Rose go in the keep please."
"I'm not leaving you."
"Rose, please if you care for me at all go where you're safe and don't have to divide my attention making sure you're alright and the battle itself."
Worry filling her eyes the lady ran in her slippered feet with wings providing an extra push in speed as her beloved ran into battle.
-----
"To arms, sisters! To arms!" Fainche screamed at the top of her lungs dashing down to meet the For weaving and out to get to the fray. Slough and red caps in the forefront causing a snarl to rise in the bladeswoman's throat. She dove headlong giving her blades their first drought of blood trying to locate her elder sisters in the mess.
She wove out as an explosion rocked through the opponents followed by thrown lightning. She gave a brief salute to the mage mind barely registering the grey sheen on his face before heading back in fully.
-----
Gold and silver wings flash as Nimue leads her group into the series of traps set for just such an occurance. Branches, rockslides, mudspots, each buying her time to pick the enemy off with her bow before escaping to bait the next.
*No time to rest. Even if this speed is wearying I need to do my part to protect my family.* her upswept hair coming out of its tightly held bun.
Suddenly, the world went black with a crack.
"I'll pay you in gold for this one. Such an interesting specimen wonder how well this experiment will work out. Either way she will be no more bother to you." the deep voice sent her mind splintering in pain as she came to an enomorous knot on the back of her head.
"Yeah well she..."
"It will be no more your concern now begone." the footsteps scamper away before a sharp pain injects into her mind. "Now let's see if this will actually work. Such a strong mind this should actually be fun."
----
Arlene glances up and curses in old gaelic to herself realizing she had been seperated from everyone. She turns guarded as something slams into the ground near her followed by a groan turning towards the direction the slam had come from. Humans with strange glowing weaponry were beatten and preparing to fire on the unconcious body on the ground. Calling the storms to surround she snuck in grabbing the male to higher concealed ground.
A glow rose from the body and out of it beore the soft beat of the heart stopped. The glow pulsed growing fainter as it used precious energy to try convey something before she stuck her hand in it.
Images came to her with a soft narration. Troops dressed in the Council's garb trying to tap the power of the henge to send them to the time of Eire's gratest heroes Cuchlainn amongst the foremost and eliminating or assimlating them. She gasped before realizing the glow waited for something and was growing even more dull.
*What do you need from me.*
More images this time a scene of the glow making a pact with the male and joining with it to become someone else and a union. Silently she agreed and felt the glow entering her mind further and spreading through her body. {Thank you. I am called ShiftShimmer}
*Arlene... it means promise. Now do you want to avenge him and finishing what you set out to do?*
{Not for my sake but you and everyone living on this planet... yes.}
*Then I guess it's time to move out.*
Feeling a new strength pulsing through her hands she pointed it at the group and let loose with her anger at these trying to subvert her people's rights and everyone else's.
----
The beep and hum of the moniors and machines fill the hospital room
----
Crawling through the cell. Pacing in the small space barely sane. Her golden wings had been shredded to heighten the pain. They waited to see if weakening her would let them in. Green eyes hazed with pain reflected back at her from the mossy water that she eagerly scooped up and drank. An energy field sealing her and her unwelcome passenger within her skin. Each direction the hated cold iron held her body in the cell touching the bars alone enough to give her iron poisoning.
{You know they'll kill us if you give in right?} came the weak voice at the back of her mind.
*Shut up.*
{But then I will die anyways without your help... Wonder if this is my penance for considering leaving.}
*It was your competition that put you and me locked in my body like this.* Why did you decide to continue talking to her like that. It was like the rest here enemy. A slight welling of pity followed by regret that they were to die here bloomed in her heart ruthlessly crushed.
{You know there is one possibility though I hesitate to mention it as distasteful as it is...}
*And just what in the name of the burning hells would that be?*
{I could get us out of here...}
*No go as you said I let you win we're dead.*
{Hear me out. There's a group of... rebels we shall call them that have taken their hosts as (disgusted) partners. Since either wise we're both dead it would seem to be our only choice.}
She mulls that over. *Very well but if I think you're going to destroy me I will do everything in my power to shove you out.*
Her vision changed as the dark insidious prescene linked with hers a weird sense of disorientation coming over her as she doubled over becoming ill in the corner know the cameras were still on her keeping her eyes hidden.
{So strange... alright I'll give you my power and we'll blow ourselves out of here.}
She doubled over the being in her and her own concious reforming her form as she spit energy at the door and flew out the cell as fast as she could despite bullets and energy pulsing guns behind her weaving between the people in there and out into the night sky looking at a strange city before darting fast into the town hearing pursuit.
She landed beside a large building a group of people in strange clothes taking out her pursuit while others held guns to her throat.
"Asylum I beg you! Asylum I cry unless humans have forgotten that bit of honor." she cried out before her battered abused body collapsed.
---
*I can't go back can I? If I go back I'll lead those people to my people.*
{I'm sorry... you now have a new people and a new purpose in America.}
*The colonies?*
A soft chuckle from her companion. {Behind on your history aren't you?}
She softly shrugs *Tough to keep up on politics when in a few centuries the borders will change again.*
{Seems a man from a place called Paragon City unleashed a chain of events leading that place to be the nexus of the struggle between good and evil. While we fight the Nictus mainly, there is other oppression we battle at the side of the Earth born.}
*Interesting think you have a way of getting me through customs to join up?*
{I believe that can be arranged. Just need to make a few calls and bring the body of my former host home for burial.} A sad tone enters the Kheldian's mind.
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The bladeswoman cleans her blades looking over the horizon. *My sisters, where are you?* She keeps staring out at the horizon until a heavily robed Fae male stops beside her making her look up warily.
"Rise, daughter. Your family's honor demands you fulfill a duty."
Swallowing hard, she rises to her feet. "What is the task my father?" She barely keeps a quiver out of her voice.
"You know the mage was a guest of ours and instead of remaining just a guest he instead defended our family and as such has been wounded. Our healers have stabilized his condition but he needs to see human medics and will probably be off his feet for a time. As such until he's fully recovered, he will need someone to take over his duties and what he can't do while bedridden."
She hesitated the tip of her tongue a refusal until a spell catches her by the throat her voice making a promise she hadn't intended to make and binding her to it. She turns and watches as Aiden scowls at her father and storms off before hanging her head and moving to pack her things tears streaming down her face.
"You know I won't hold you to..." the mage started behind her.
"Marcus, don't please. I can't take hope that will be false. He laid a geas on me so I'm bound. I hope you don't mind me borrowing some space in your apartment back in your United States."
"I don't mind but..."
"Listen just call your people, please. Bad enough I know out in the human world I have to hide who and what I am." she closes her eyes tears still streaming down.
He looks ready to pull her in a sympathy hug but then thinks the better of it flopping back on his sick bed. She attaches the viel and swathes her head hiding her pink hair, leaving just her green eyes visible.
"Very well I'll get you there then let you loose to become a hero. Fainche, I'm not going to get better for a while if ever I have a very malignent cancer that was what I trying to tell you lately and I know for you all our lives seem short enough but.. the more I use my magic the less my life expectancy is. I'm sorry" he closed his eyes as the fae left the room.
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Soft shallow breathing. The prescence stopped at the room door and slipped into the room
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Fainche frowned unwrapping the bandages from her hands before the nurse in the room smacked her hands.
"Those burns aren't going to heal with you worrying at them like that."
The scrapper looked up sheepishly. "I just wanted to make extra sure there was no more metal in the cuts. Iron's bad news can't figure out how the red caps were able to bare taking it away."
The nurse grumbles and glares. "You know we patch you lot back up time and again we don't like watching our work undone before our eyes. Now behave."
"Yes ma'am" the Fae waited until the nurse had left before removing her cloak and letting her wings stretch. "Wonder what she woulda thought if I'd had more direct skin contact from the iron that was confiscated. Idiot Midnighter assuming every hero's human that no other race could possibly want to protect humans. she seethed as she paced the small room waiting for the doctor to release her. *Damnit I don't belong here. I'll get to Pocket D when I can if I wasn't shut in this room I probably would be bringing Marcus yet another plant to improve the ambience of his room although considering he keeps giving those to the other patients maybe it's a losing battle. Danu, I'm so tired of being alone...* she looked at the clock and scowled. Four hours and she had to be in Pocket D to check on another fool human. Allergies indeed. The young vadaun needed to take better care of himself if his power went wild when he sneezed. *Doesn't he realize that wild power is dangerous? He could hurt someone he doesn't mean to if he's ill with wild magic.
She started as the doctor walked in flipping through some charts. "Well, we don't know enough of your people's physiology but appears all is well. I'll give you something for the pain but aside from that I'm turning you loose with the condition you behave, young lady."
She looked bemused at being called young lady to someone who had a fraction of her years. "Sure thing, doc."
"Maybe I should give you a backpack and help you wear it though might be awkward with those umm..."
"Their wings doctor not like you haven't seen them on other heroes that have come through. So I can go?"
"Yes, erm, quite yes you can go." he looked shocked at her cavilier attitude to being in pain and injured as she swung the proferred pack onto one shoulder.
"Hopefully, I'll only be back in soon enough to check on Marcus and latest round of chemo. I hope it's going well." She skips out the doors after giving her contact information to the front desk shoving the door open with her shoulder. *next step getting those identifying marks somehow sent to home because some reason these tuatha the name... couldn't be could it? She walks as a car weaving clips the sidewalk making her jump further up before striking at it from above but too late. She hears a yelp second she punctures the tires and reaches in to grab the driver recoiling at the reek of alcohol on his breath.
She tosses him on the curb as he sits looking dazed and she picks the thin stray who almost bites her before sniffing her and whimpering her head looking over into the alley. She rested the dog on her elbows as the cops took the driver in for drunk driving though she heard no mention of reckless endangerment. She heard a faint whimpering and found a litter of five just as the wounds made the mutt lose her life leaving the scrapper grieving. "Guess I'm all you little guys got. I guess best find where the formula for foundling puppies is." she murmurs as one nips her thumb trying to suckle scooping the litter in her pack and walking off to get things prepared.
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The warshade looked over her shoulder frowning and getting a bit higher in the air as a blue energy bolt barely darted past one tentacle.
*You know we gotta figure a way of purifying your energy a bit this is getting old.* the side that was Nimue told the Kheldian half.
{This one I doubt is my fault... the rebels stirring up the Peacebringers again possibly?}
*If that's so we best get outta here as fast as possible and find better defensive ground. Any of the normal ones hesitate seeing my eyes are at least half my own once back in my natural form.* she darted through the streets looking for a safe spot unaware of another trap closing in around her.
&Whoever this nictus is they're obviously used to that body...&
*Personally, something about this still seems off... I hope... well we'll figure out soon enough.* She shifted back to Fae using her wings to aid in her movement phasing in and out of quantum. Pink jumpsuit against the dark skin identifying who she was to the populace as she darted in the alley behind the dark one who shifted in the alley to its two legged form. Gold and silver wings gently touches the female form's shoulders before standing. Identical pairs of green eyes meeting in shock and recognition as each Kheldian tried processing the new information through the shock.
A net descended over the pair from above before they noticed the glint of quantum guns.
"Oh blast... sis, you've got the worst sense of timing it appears." the more sardonic of the pair mutters pushing her dusky rose hair from her eyes and tenses as if seeking weaknesses to pounce.
"I could say the same of you... darnit if I had followed what I thought were my orders I wouldn't have fired that warning shot." the frustration came clear through before realizing her twin had made a weak spot in the net. She turned and the dark power in the other pair of eyes pulses as she nods as they flip the net over on their captors.
The hum of the quantums guns powering up echoes from around them before one twitchy finger fires at the pink suited one. A split second decision and her yellow suited twin tackles her taking the pulls shot and the consequential blasts full in the back and chest.
"Brava, miss Astara. I couldn't have planned that better myself." The smug Peacebringer her before her gave a conspiratorial wink. "Unfortunatly I can't leave you alive any more than this trash. Depositing her on the warshades' doorstep with energy burns from a pure kheldian. When the warshades retaliate well... it will of course be hard to keep this from not destroying them all so tragic."
He was so busy gloating he couldn't tell that he had raised the newer peacebringer's rage beyond anything remotely human. The kheldian half sharing in the fury and forcing the body into dwarf form and as the foot came down to knock them all down cracking the very payment. Most of the gunmen she wounded but left concious for police transport but that one who made her betray her own... him there would be no mercy for.
The white dwarf ran for the tram vision blurred by the pain in the dual natured heart. The warshade gently held in the clawed hands though unresponsive just laying there twitching as if the quantum energy was still eating both sides of her alive. Tied behind her, the traitorous peacebringer that force sisters to fight was drug skin getting flayed by every broken beer bottle and rock ontop of the injuries that one had already sustained directly at her hands.
&You need to calm down. It'll do no good if you're incoherent to Sunstorm when we get back to Atlas&
*I don't care!* the shrill shriek of hysteria tinged the thoughts. *She's my twin and I caused this. I wish it was me not moving instead of her. I blasted at her and she saved us.*
&Right and if you want to save her you need to calm down or the wrong impression will be given&
She shifted back to Fae panting trying to calm herself down from the madwoman everyone on the tram saw and went clear to the other side of the tram. *I can't bare it if she dies. Just imagining her pain right now's sending me into a panic. She's my twin how could I have not known? We've always know when each other was near or in pain before. I can't feel her!* She doesn't see the startled looks from all the heroes uncluding a couple pairs of eyes that wind shaking their heads before running behind her as she kneels at Sunstorm's feet tears streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry sir. I followed what I had been warned was a threat to your life and nearly brought war back to your doorstep with the warshades. I beg you give me leave to have some time to try making amends or at least attempting to let her live before meteing out my punishment. I just ask you keep the other peacebringer I brought in under guard because get the feeling he has more blood than mine and hers on his hands." She makes to rise and feels a strong solid hand holding her down.
"Sir, I hope you don't mind my wife and I borrowing this one and the injured one for a bit." the resonant voice rolls out before Sunstorm narrows his eyes. "Don't worry we'll get them to a hospital for the injuries soon my wife just wants to do a bit of field diagnosis and doesn't want this one running off. You have my word we mean neither harm."
She tries shrugging off the hand and Sunstorm seems to open his mouth before it snaps shut seeing the resemblance to the woman that came up behind the hulking biker appearing man and the women on the ground before nodding.
"Thank you. If you'd like to notify anyone of where we will be we'll stay in sight until we get to the hospital. I offer my word." the hands grabbed the struggling kheldian Fae hybrid and threw her over his shoulder before she winced seeing who was behind him.
"Didn't Mother teach you it was unladylike to hit a male, little sister?" Rose said softly watching her half sister beat on her husband's back. She spread her skirts and frowned as she repairs most of the physical damage before looking up worried to her mate. "She's going to need a transfusion after that... it's in Danu's hands there's something that's hungry and destructive and I heard two screams as I tried grabbing for her spirit which slipped away from me."
Arlene's skin paled before going limp and weeping into the burly male's shoulder.
"Come on then, sweetheart. Hand her up here since now think Arlene's fight has gone outta her." Aiden's voice was still and calm as he accepted even more burden on his shoulders. "See you at the hospital, dear one."
Arlene watched as her husband took her sisters from sight before running in full of questions for Azuria and the rest of MAGI. Those two had been missing so long it'd been presumed they were dead but now...