Sooner Nation - FICTION

I have 3 passions, reading, making stuff on photoshop and obviously CoX. If i can combine those 3 i'm a very happy person so reading stuff about ppls toons is a good thing for me. Semi wish i'd started CoX on the US servers but until they merge the 2 sides i'll just have to be content with all these stories

lol when i said its prolly not all your work hon i meant the links id already found and it possibly not being all of it i realise the links got a massive amount of peoples work Sorry for the ye olde english confusion there but as i stated before....not much sleep for this Dragon recently Now i will stop derailing this thread and go back to waiting for the next instalment

Part XIII

Crowne Memorial Hospital
Most Heroes of Paragon City take their responsibilities very seriously, and few take advantage of their status without good reason. But when good reason existed, and not one, not two, but three Heroes of the City really needed something to happen, there was a significant amount of influence that could be brought to bear. Add in the weight of a large, well-respected supergroup - the entire membership of which was appalled by the tragedy that had fallen upon a trio of its members - and remarkable things could be made to happen.

The first of those remarkable things was when a man named Michael Campbell, better known as Vir to his friends, finally picked up his phone and punched in a number. After a wait that seemed endless, the strong back of the Ghosts Reborn flinched. Then he spoke. “Hi Dad.”

Less than an hour after the attack on Colleen Nation, her daughters were making things happen, her daughters’ friends were rousing people all over the eastern half of the continent, and the Campbell Family Trust was bringing its considerable power to bear. The best trauma team in the state raced to Colleen Nation and began work stabilizing her. Within minutes of her being declared stable for travel, she was in an ambulance and headed to the Tulsa International Airport. Within an hour, she was aloft on a private jet and flying fast on a direct flight to Rhode Island. She was met by a team consisting of Campbell family security and a team of very angry Ghosts including her two youngest daughters and several of their closest friends. Her escorts were extra vigilant as the pale, gravely wounded woman was loaded into an ambulance and escorted by a pair of private cars bearing the Campbell Family crest. She was driven straight to Crowne Memorial hospital in Kings Row. Once there, she was met by her eldest daughter and installed in a private room in the Campbell Family Wing, next door to a gravely ill Seamus Campbell, who had been moved there that night from ICU. A dedicated staff which had no patients outside of those two rooms stood ready. Monitors beeped quietly and equipment whirred as the three Nation girls kept vigil over their mother, who drifted in and out of consciousness and in and out of coherency when she was awake.

Conall Cian’s message would not be delivered for over 24 hours.

Perez Park
Six-Four, along with Pipe Hitter and Rosemarie, had spent a long night engaging in vigorous conversation with a lot of Hellions. In that one night of intense investigation they confirmed every suspicion Six-Four had held. Conall Cian had his own cult within the Hellions. Time was ticking away.... and with every glance at his watch, Six's mind supplied terrifying images of what could be happening to Moon Dancer... Conall had had too much time with her already. Six glanced at Pipe Hitter and worried that his young friend might not recognize the girl they got back, if they were successful in getting her back at all. Surprisingly, Rosemarie seemed to be holding up better than Pipe Hitter under the stress. She was worried and desperately wanted to get her sister back, but Pipe Hitter was driven and focused to the point of obsession.

Their investigation led them to a location deep inside the tree cover in Perez Park where they were told they could find the cult's high priest. If anyone knew where to find Conall's lair, it would be him. They rushed to Perez Park and followed the subtle signs to a door hidden deep in the woods. And there was the symbol of the black hand painted boldly on the stone by a heavy wooden door.

With a few quick hand gestures, Six indicated that he wanted Pipe Hitter to go left, Rosemarie to go right, and that he would take the door and the center. The two younger heroes nodded their understanding, and Six broke cover and sprinted. With Rosemarie and Pipe Hitter plastered to the walls on either side of the opening, Six bashed the door open with one heavy boot and the three charged in.

The group inside reacted fast. A cluster of girls in short skirts and tight shirts darted into the corners and behind furnishings, screaming shrilly while the Hellions fought back. The battle raged for no more than a few moments, but the fire and the flashing blades seemed to go on forever. Then the last of the Hellions was down and the heroes stood.

Six strode to the wall where a larger banner was displayed, and if there was any question whether this cult actually followed Conall Cian, this larger than life sized full color banner of the demon looming over the room answered it. He ripped the banner off the wall and waved it at the assembled hellions. One of them displayed his black hand brand proudly on his bare chest and wore a crown with horns in a rough approximation of Conall's.

“Where is he?” Six growled.

The high priest sat up, but after Rosemarie brandished her blade at him, he abandoned his attempt to stand. “Our master? He’s waiting for you in Hell.”

“Where is he!?!” Pipe Hitter yelled.

“We know you idiots know how to find him. You leave him offerings." Six pointed with one of his blades at the brand on the Hellions chest, "You've been there. Where is he?"

“We’re not going to betray our master to you,” the Hellion sneered.

“Are you sure about that?” Pipe Hitter broke in.

That was when things went bad. Six tossed a warning glance at Pipe Hitter, but it was too late for warnings. One of the girls started crying, and the leader of the group cast a glance her way that made it clear she was special to him - girlfriend or a sister maybe. Six-Four noticed it, and Pipe Hitter noticed it too. In three long steps the young hero crossed the room, grabbed the slender brunette up by her hair, and placed his katana at her throat. The hellion leader jumped to his feet, but Rosemarie and Six both leveled their blades at him.

“Leave her out of this,” the hellion hissed.

“You’re going to tell us what we want to know,” Pipe Hitter demanded.

“You’ll pay for putting your hands on her, hero.”

One fast movement, and Pipe Hitter sliced a thin cut in the girl's face. It was superficial, but it bled dramatically, and the girl screamed as if she’d actually been gutted. The hellion took a step forward, and Six could tell that not only was he not going to be stopped by threats of violence for much longer, but any chance of getting their questions answered had just been ruined.

“Let her go, Hitter.” Six said. “This isn’t the way.”

The girl screamed and cried as if she were mortally wounded, but Pipe Hitter managed to speak over her, “They know where Moon Dancer is! Nothing else matters!”

The irony of the situation was not lost on Six-Four as he tried to reason with the young hero. “Your actions matter. They matter to who you are. Do you think-”

Pipe Hitter's face twisted with anger and he yanked hard on the girl's hair, provoking another scream. "Dont you DARE tell me that Dancer wouldn't like what I'm doing! She's not going to give a **** about what I did or didn't do if she's DEAD!"

The Hellion's high priest was moving closer, and he ignored both Six and Rosemarie when they waved their blades at him. The situation was getting out of hand fast, and Six was standing there arguing the morality of being a hero. Instead of threatening the priest again, he held up a palm in a "wait just a sec" gesture, and, for a wonder, he stopped. "Pipe Hitter, at some point, you've got to do the right thing for no better reason than it IS the right thing. That girl doesn't deserve what you're going to do to her. Just... stop before you do something that will change you..."

Pipe Hitter’s face fell, and Six could see the raw pain and fear inside for just a moment. “We have to get her back!”

“We're doin everything we can, brother, but don’t cross this line,” Six said. “Believe me when I tell you, there are some lines, when you cross them... it’s really hard to find your way back.”

The younger man stood there, clutching the terrified girl, with his face a study in anger and frustration. Finally he cursed and tossed the girl away. She ran to the hellion and hid behind him.

“Get out of here, heroes,” the hellion demanded.

“C’mon,” Six said to his young friends. “Come on, we’ve still got to find her, and we’re not getting anything here.”

They backed out cautiously, Six taking the rear and watching for trouble as they made their way through the door back out into Perez Park.

Six turned to speak to Pipe Hitter, but the younger man spoke first. “You’re right. I wouldn’t be who I am if I.. If I had hurt her... anymore.”

“We’re going to do everything we can to find Moon Dancer,” Six promised, “But we...” He whirled, swords at the ready, when he heard the door behind them open and shut.

A slender dark haired girl darted out and ran to them. She came straight to Six-Four with no fear at all. “I really wish I’d fallen for a guy like you,” she said quietly. “Instead of...” she shook her head and held out her hand. “Here. Sometimes I take the offerings. This is the address.” She held onto Six-Four’s hand. “Be careful.”

Rosemarie stepped up then, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

The slender girl gave Rosemarie a sad smile then darted back inside.

Six-Four glanced at his watch again, though about Moon Dancer, and hoped it wasn't already too late for her.

Conall's Lair
Conall lounged back and watched his imp work. Excruciatrix was an artist. She had an innate talent and took such joy in what she did. She liked blood. She liked painting designs with it, and the child-like joy she took in her work seemed to bother her victims nearly as much as what she did to acquire their blood. Yes, she was an amazing talent, but she wasn’t fast about it. Like many artists she worried more about the journey than the destination. And Conall wanted to reach that destination.

He was surprised by the hero. He would have said she was long since broken by Trix’s attention. She’d held out longer than he’d expected, but eventually she’d screamed, begged, and cried. She trembled and struggled uselessly. She screamed out answers to his questions before he’d even finished asking them. He knew the names of the trio that Six-Four had recruited. He knew the origins of their powers. He knew everything there was to know about them before they came to Paragon City. She was willing to tell him anything and everything, except the important answers. She continued to insist that she had no idea what Six-Four was planning. She refused to tell him why Six-Four had chosen that trio of heroes. She denied that he gained anything from his association with them. And she steadfastly insisted that she was not involved with the Ghosts and she had no idea what they were planning. Her insistence that she didn’t know the answers to these questions was convincing. But Conall knew Six-Four and he knew the Ghosts Reborn. For Six-Four to be devoting so much of his time to this trio meant something. They were of value to Six-Four or to the Ghosts. They had some power, some ability, or just some plan that would be used against Conall himself or the Shades of Vengeance. Either way, he would learn what he wanted to know from this would be hero, and he would learn it if he had to scoop the knowledge from her lifeless withered corpse.

Read my stories!

Ironic that Six-Four was the voice of reason for Hitter.... but, he should know.

And how gruesome (Conall's Lair). *shivers*

Damnit Six.

It's really nice to see Six-Four "rounding out" Excellent as always

Part XIV

Crowne Memorial Hospital
Michael Campbell rather reluctantly and nervously waited in an empty patient’s room. The man who could stand firm against the fiercest villains to be found in all of Paragon City or the Rogue Isles paced and kept casting longing glances at the door. He wanted to run away. He felt like he was 8 years old again and waiting to find out how much trouble he’d gotten himself into.

The fit older man who strode through the door was dressed in a finely tailored custom suit with shiny shoes with a luxurious striped shirt and silk tie and accented with an aura of power, confidence, and ego. His hair was the same rich brown as Micheal's but prominently silvered at the temples. A trio of assistants scurried in his wake, a harried middle aged woman, a young man, and a big, harsh, tough man who, Michael knew, served as his security chief.

“Michael,” the man in the suit said. His face seemed impassive, but even though Micheal hadn't seen it for 15 years or so, he could recognize the signs of strain and worry in his eyes and the determined set of his jaw.

Micheal squared his shoulders, "Hello, father," he responded, staring eye to eye.

"You should have called me before Seamus was nearly dead."

"Seamus didn't want-"

Michael Campbell, Sr, founder and CEO of Campbell Enterprises, raised a commanding hand. "Lauren told about Seamus's request. I understand. I also understand that he was hardly in a position to stop you if you picked up the phone anyway."

Micheal stood silent for a long moment. "I chose to respect his wishes. It's what I would have expected from him had our positions been reversed."

The head of Campbell Enterprises pursed his lips thoughtfully. "It must have been a very close friend to induce you to ask for my help," he said, taking a different tactic.

“Three very close friends,” he said.

The father turned to his assistants. “Find me some coffee. And a sandwich. And something for Micheal as well. And someone find my son's doctor.” The woman and the young man hurried out. “You too, Paul. We’ll be fine.”

“Sir…” the security man protested. Micheal eyed him. His father preferred to hire super-powered security, but his appearance gave no clue what sort of powers Paul might possess.

“Go, Paul. I hardly expect I'll be in any danger with a Hero of Paragon City in the room.”

The security man sniffed once and announced, “I’ll be right outside.”

“Of course you will.”

A silence fell, a silence that Michael awkwardly breached. “Thank you, Father. This has been a difficult few days.”

“So I gathered. And while I deeply regret the circumstances, I am glad that something finally brought you to get in touch with me.”

“It was overdue.” Michael agreed.

“But you couldn’t make the call until something forced your hand?” Michael nodded and his father continued. “That fight was a long, long time ago, Michael. A lot of water has passed under the bridge.” The older man sighed. "You've made something of yourself, though. Not what I would wanted for you, but you've done well."

Micheal was surprisingly touched. "Thank you, dad. I-"

Before Micheal could continue his thought, his father's assistants were back in the room, the younger man with a tray loaded with sandwiches, chips, coffee, soda, and cookies, the woman escorting a tall man in scrubs and a white coat. In Micheal's estimation, the doctor was doing an admirable job of hiding how impressed he was to be in the same room with Micheal Campbell, Sr.

"So, doctor," the elder Campbell said, reaching for a sandwich and casually pouring a cup of coffee. "My son is dying."

The doctor took a moment to regroup. Most likely he'd had a planned statement and was now knocked off his stride. It was a strategy Micheal had seen his father use many times before. "I.... ah..." the doctor blinked, took a breath, and started over. "I'm Doctor Gerhart," he said, finally. "And, yes. Seamus is dying. We can support him a little while longer. Extraordinary measures, such as a ventilator, will keep him alive even longer, but his infection is multi-drug resistant, and his organ systems are shutting down. We were forced to amputate what remained of his arms, but there's no more tissue for us to safely remove if the infection continues. I'm sorry, Mr. Campbell, but your son is going to die."

Micheal hung his head. He'd known, but it was still harsh to hear it so plainly stated. There was no possibility of recovery even considered. Seamus... I wish I'd found more time for you, Micheal thought. But then his father spoke again, and Micheal looked up with a frown.

"You've done everything you can for him, then?"

"We have," Dr. Gerhart nodded.

"There's nothing more that can be done for him here?"

"I'm sorry, no. I suggest you say your good-byes and-"

"Use the ventilator then," Mr. Campbell said. "If you need to use any other techniques - like a heart bypass I believe it's called - use them. I authorize whatever procedures will keep even a spark of life in him for as long as possible.

"Dad!" Micheal protested. "Seamus wouldn't want this. Don't prolong it!"

"I know what I'm doing, Micheal, and it's my decision to make. I'm not giving up on my son while there's still a chance."

"The doctor said there was nothing else to do!"

"That's not exactly true," the older man said. "We'll talk later, Micheal. I want to visit my son right now."

Pipe Hitters Apartment
“Kings Row?!?!” Six-Four yelled furiously. “All this time, he's been hiding his lair in Kings Row!” The big man paced furiously around Pipe Hitters apartment.

“Why does it matter?” Pipe Hitter demanded. “Who gives a **** where it is? We have to get her out of there!”

Six-Four set his face in an expressionless mask. Conall Cian had nearly killed Six each time they’d met. Luck, friends, determination, and a potent mutant healing ability were all that had kept Six alive so far. It would be next to murder to take these two young heroes in after that monster in his own lair. He glanced at Rosemarie who sat quietly, watching Six. He recognized that expression on her face. Trust. She trusted him. She believed that he would be able to rescue her sister. A knot in his belly told Six that he was going to disappoint her.

“If we just charge in there, we’re just giving him more lives to….” He glanced at Pipe Hitters face. “We won’t be doing Dancer any good.

“He can’t have her!” Pipe Hitter yelled. “You better do SOMETHING, or I’m going in there myself.”

“Pipe Hitter…” Rosemarie spoke at last. “Look at his face. Look.” She stood and walked to Pipe Hitter, taking his shoulder in her hand. “He’s scared for us. He’s afraid we’ll get killed going in there. I know you're willing to die for her, hell.. so am I... but I'd like it to count! It's not going to help Dancer at all if we get killed walking in the front door! Now quit yelling at Six and let him come up with a plan.”

Six tried to get past the image of his two young friends throwing their lives away trying to fight the demon. They were young, strong, full of potential, and even the battle hardened Pipe Hitter had an innocence about him that Six was reluctant to see extinguished. They had so much to offer paragon city. But they still had so much to learn. And going up against not just Conall Cian but whatever minions the monster might have in his lair…. Six might as well kill them himself. He shook his head slowly, sadly, reluctantly.

“We need help.”

Crowne Memorial Hospital
It was nearly 3 am. Cydney Nation sprawled in chair, dozing, while Caryn curled up in another nearby. Cerise had snagged some blankets and pillows and stretched out on the floor. Ahren leaned back against the wall by the door, much more aware of his surroundings than he appeared. While he was standing guard, no one was going to disrupt the peace of this room. He was bothered deeply to see his friends, these three women he’d worked with closely for years now, devastated by the attack on their mother, He might know them better than anyone, and he’d never seen any of them this distraught. Whoever had hurt Colleen had found a frightfully effective way to impact her daughters. No one doubted she’d been attacked because of her relationship to the three heroes. No one doubted it. Including her daughters.

Colleen stirred, and her green eyes opened. Careful application of both medicine and healing powers had reduced the swelling, but her eyes were still ringed darkly with bruising. Her gaze flicked to Ahren with no recognition whatsoever, then she struggled to sit up. “What…” she started. “Where am I?”

“You’re in Paragon City, Ms. Nation,” Ahren answered her quietly. He called out to her daughters with more volume than she could manage. “Cyd! Caryn! Cerise!”

They popped awake quickly, and rushed to her side. Cyd and Caryn each gently took a bruised and broken hand and reached out their hands to Cerise.

“I was supposed to tell you something,” Colleen murmured, “But… I don’t remember.”

Conall's Lair
The lush beauty wasn’t so lovely now. Trix crouched over her body, her wings flared high, her tail flicking about with excitement. With needle-sharp claws, the imp scratched an intricate design into the delicate skin of the blonde’s belly, pausing occasionally to lap the blood from her claws. The blonde’s voice was ruined, but she continued to try to scream with harsh exhalations. But she still didn’t answer Conall’s questions.

“Enough,” he called out finally. Trix hunched over and pretended she didn’t hear, continuing her artwork on the blonde’s pale skin. “Excruciatrix. Stop.” The imp turned to look at him with her lip stuck out like a pouty child. “Fix her. It’s time to let Spinedancer have a try.”

“But I-” Trix started, and then dropped her head. Her wings and tail drooped, but she placed her hands on the hero’s chest and red energy flowed out of Trix’s body into the torn and bloodied body of the hero. Hours of damage were undone in a moment, and the blonde found her voice again as her raw throat was healed.

“Please.. Please let me go,” she begged. “I just want to go home. I don’t know anything...”

Conall ignored her. “Spinedancer. You have your chance. Show me what you can do.”

The human woman sitting in the shadows rose slowly. She moved forward reluctantly, as if she didn’t want to be noticed. Her dark hair hung forward, hiding her face, but the eyes that peeked out through that hair were utterly insane. Her dark, form-fitting costume was decorated with bits of bone, and her face was marked with dark swirling designs. Excruciatrix moved to keep Conall between them, never taking her fiery eyes from the human.

“Moon Dancer,” Conall said as he moved toward the helpless hero. Her terrified blue eyes swivelled towards him. “This is Spinedancer. For years she was bullied and mocked by people like yourself, people who thought they were better than she, prettier than she. Mocked for trying to better herself through intellectual competition and mocked more when that effort failed. Now, she excels in avenging herself-”

Behind Conall, a low, muttered voice began ticking off letters, “a-v-e-n-g-i-n-g”

“Through the anguish-”

“A-n-g-u-i-s-h”

“And torment-”

“T-o-r-m-e-n-t”

“Of others.” he held out a commanding hand to stop Spinedancer before she spoke again. “I think you will find her attentions rather different than my imp’s. And, hopefully, more effective.”

“Please...” the hero begged again, “please let me go.”

“Answer my questions, and there will be no need to continue this.”

She just shook her head and started crying again.

“Why is Six-Four working with you?” Conall asked, again.

“I don’t know! I don’t know! He’s just helping us!”

Spinedancer advanced forward and extended her hands.

“Why is Six-Four gathering troops?”

“Please, let me go home... I don’t know!”

Dark tendrils of evil black magic oozed from Spinedancer’s palms. They slithered forward through the air like sluggish snakes, seeking the warmth of the hero’s body.

“What are the Ghosts planning?”

“I don’t know who the Ghosts are!!!"

Conall stepped back, shaking his head in angry frustration and gestured to Spinedancer. The snaking tendrils of oily black magic found the hero’s body. They trailed over her skin and she wailed as if her very essence were being drained away. Then the tendrils sank into her. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened, but no sound escaped. Excruciatrix let out a whimper and plastered herself to the back of Conall’s legs.

“S-o-u-l s-u-c-k-i-n-g m-i-s-e-r-y” Spinedancer said.

Read my stories!

...I have not abandoned you....

......the timing is getting very tricky and I'm taking a little extra care to make sure I get it all right...

The sisters, Conall and Trix, Ciara, Ben, Micheal and Seamus, Six-Four and his trio of friends... they'll all be back very very soon.

Read my stories!

It's like watching an accident in slow motion, you want to look away, but can't.

Part XV

Ghosts Reborn Base
Vir slept soundly in his warm bed, in his quiet room. His apartment in the Ghosts base had been just a convenience, just a place to stay if it was late or there was an operation underway. But his sudden upsurge in visibility now that it was out who he really was meant that he was probably going to have to make it his permanent home, just to keep the social reporters at bay.

He hadn't wanted to leave the hospital, but his father had encouraged it. "You look exhausted, Mike. Get some rest. I'll sit with Seamus. He won't be alone."

He was exhausted. So tired it was becoming physically uncomfortable. And maybe that was why something felt so wrong to him. Maybe it was just the fatigue, but something had his guts in a knot at the thought of leaving. Still, he would be no good to his brother if he collapsed in a corner, so he took the opportunity his father gave him to get some rest. Vir laid a hand on Seamus head, "I'll be back, brother," he promised. "Don't go without saying goodbye, now."

"I'll stay with him," Micheal Campbell, Sr. said. "I'll take care of him."

Vir nodded and made his way back to the base, more than a little wobbly by the time he plopped down into his bed. He really was in dire need of sleep.

It felt like it had just been moments when his cell phone's shrill ring pulled him out of sleep. He blinked it at it, confused as he shook off the clinging fingers of deep sleep. Then he remembered that it could be the hospital, or dad, and grabbed the phone.

"Vir! It's Sooner Red!"

"Red? Ah... How's your mother?" he asked, still trying to figure out why the youngest Nation sister had woke him.

"She's resting, thanks, but... Something's going on.."

"What do you mean?"

"They're taking Seamus out of here. It's all very hush hush, but.... I figured you'd be here if you knew."

"Who's taking Seamus?" Vir asked, fully awake and rising to his feet.

"Your father! He says they're taking Seamus somewhere where they can fix him."

Vir didn't hear any more, he was already running.

Crowne Memorial Hospital
It couldn't have been more than a few minutes after Red's call, but Seamus's room was as empty and clean as if he'd never been there.

Sooner Red peeked around the door frame when she saw him there. "They were so fast. I called as soon as I realized, but... they moved like they'd practiced it."

Vir looked up at her, and something in his eyes made her flinch. If even half the emotions roiling around inside him showed, it was no wonder. "Thank you for calling me. Tell me everything you saw and heard."

"I was with Mom, and so I knew I heard something, but I wasn't really paying attention, you know. At first they were really quiet, but they began talking more and I finally heard someone say something like 'The patient is on his way. Five minutes.' They were talking on the phone to someone named Elle."

Vir shook his head. "Not 'Elle," 'L' for Lauren."

She shrugged. "And your dad was going on, talking to Seamus, about how 'they' would be able to save him, and 'she' would make him as good as new. When I looked around the corner, they all -everyone of them - glanced at me, and then one of them came right over to me. He wasn't unfriendly, in fact, he was all about asking about Mom and how she was doing, but.... he was trying to stop me watching. He kept trying to turn me away from Seamus's room. It was obvious he was trying to distract me, and that's when I realized you didn't know. So I just came back into Mom's room, and he stood there watching for a minute. Cyd got up and shut the door, and that's when I called you."

He couldn't make sense of it. Where could they be taking Seamus? "Thanks, Red. I appreciate it."

"I'm sorry I didn't call earlier..."

"You had other things on your mind. Take care of your mom. I'm going to go take care of my brother," He had no information at all. Time to get some.

----
Cydney Nation rested at her mother's bedside. It was the darkest part of the night, when the moon has set but dawn hasn't yet started coloring the sky. Her mother was sleeping quietly. Back at the base, Ghosts were going over and over the recorded voice that reported the attack... reported from Colleen's own home. It was a frightening mystery, but Cyd was very grateful that her mom was safe now.

Colleen began to mutter in her sleep. Cyd sat up and watched her mother's face, her concern growing by the moment. Colleen began to make small frightened noises and tried to raise her arms as if fending off a blow. The pain of that attempted movement woke her. Her green eyes popped wide open. She gasped turned to Cyd. "Oh... oh! I remember. Cyd! I remember. I have to tell you something!"

"Take it easy, mom. Please."

“It’s important, Cyd,” Colleen insisted.

“Mom!” Cydney protested. She didn’t like the way the color had leeched out of her mother’s face.

“I remember, though. I remember what happened. I'm supposed to give you a message.”

Caryn bolted out of her chair at the sound of her mother's voice, shaking Cerise awake with a nudge from her foot. Cerise had fallen asleep just a few minutes earlier with her head on Jagged Fortune's shoulder. Jagged helped Cerise stand and then stood back.

Caryn looked up at her older sister. “You know she’s not going to rest until she gets this out. Just let her tell it.”

Cydney glanced at Cerise, who nodded, then back at her mother. “Go ahead, Mom.” The sisters took their habitual positions, Cyd and Caryn each holding one of Colleens hands, and then closing the circle by taking Cerise's hands.

“He… he wanted me to tell you something.”

“Who was it?”

“He wasn’t human. He said he name was…. Conall. Conall Cian.” Cydney’s eyes snapped to Ahren, who had jerked upright, his green eyes locked onto Colleen. Ahren face went hard as as the sister's faces all went pale and shocked. Cydney‘s heart broke at the idea of the giant demon in the same room as her mother. “He was a monster…”

Collen told the story well, given that she was obviously still profoundly shaken. Her audience listened raptly, their expressions hiding the horror at close they had come to losing her.

“Your life is a sign of good faith??” Caryn exclaimed. “What does that MEAN?”

“He could have killed her,” Ahren murmured. “But he didn’t. Her life is a gift. He wants something. What does he want?”

The story had obviously drained Colleen, but she wasn’t done. She raised her bandaged right hand, still clutched in Cydney’s left and ran her thumb over the base of her middle finger. “Where is my ring?” she asked, suddenly alarmed. “Where is it?”

“Hold on, Mom,” Cerise said, “all your stuff is in a bag…”

“I’ll get it,” Ahren announced, and opened the closet door. Inside was a plastic draw-string bag with the belongings that had been on Colleen when she’d arrived at the hospital. Ahren pawed aside the bloodstained clothes, careful to keep them out of sight of all the Nation women, then carried a smaller bag over to the bed. “Is it in here?”

Colleen gently withdrew her hand from Cydney’s and stiffly opened the bag. She withdrew the chain on which she still wore her wedding rings, tossed a trio of pretty bangle bracelets onto the covers, and then finally found the ring she was seeking. She held it up. It had that air of a family heirloom, as if it’s very age gave it extra weight. In the dim light of the hospital room, it seemed to give off its own faint light. Three tiny red orbs were held tightly in an intricately carved gold metal. “He said it was the key. That with this, you could defeat her.”

She started to hand it to Cydney, but her eldest daughter didn’t reach out for it. “How can we possibly trust Conall Cian?” Cydney asked, seeking and finding Ahren’s eyes.

“Her life is a sign of good faith.” Ahren said. “Good faith from a demon.” He barked a bitter laugh.

Cerise cleared her throat, and spoke, “C’mon, Cyd! Gran gave her this ring, not Conall Cian. The ring isn’t going to hurt you or anyone else" With reluctance clear in every fiber of her body, Cydney slowly reached out for the ring. She still held Cerise’s hand, and she clutched it even more tightly. She looked away from Ahren to meet Caryn’s gaze. Caryn nodded once, and Cydney wrapped her fingers around the ring.

As soon as it contacted her palm, power flared through her. She felt it impact Cerise, and a heartbeat later, she saw red light flare around Caryn. Cydney gasped, energized, powerful, and full of confidence. Both her sister’s glowed with power, and it flowed back and forth between the three of them.

Startled, Cyd dropped the ring onto the blankets. The power stopped flowing between them, but all three women were still glowing with that red light.

Ciara's Prison
Ciara was resting when she felt it. She felt something magical skate along the barriers of her prison, like fingers tapping over a taut surface searching for a weakness. Her eyes opened wide and she watched each of the cabochon spheres flare and subside one by one. She growled, a low, furious rumble that started deep in her gut then roiled out of her like an angry lioness's war cry. "They HAVE it!" she roared,. The ******* had the artifact. How had they gotten their hands on it?

Ciara bolted to her feet and placed her hands on her crystal ball. It fought against her instructions to find the daughters ó Floinn. Something was blocking her, something was shielding them. She poured more power into the sphere then it suddenly snapped into focus. They were in a small room. The three of them stood around a narrow bed and held hands in a four-person circle, but Ciara could not see the fourth. She could, however, see the shiny gold ring lying on the blankets. She tossed her head back and roared with pure fury. HOW!?! How had this happened?

Ciara pushed more power into the sphere, and more, but she still couldn't see the person in the bed. She glanced up to see a trio of imps cowering in a corner. "YOU!" she bellowed, pointing at the nearest. "Come to me!"

The imp whimpered and tried to run away, but she yanked hard on the compulsions ruling it. It came to her, slowly, battling ineffectively every step. She grabbed it up and glanced at it's companions. "If this one will not give me enough power, I will use the human. Be ready to bring him."

She began stripping the skin from the imp's flesh, gathering in the power she released by tormenting it slowly to death. She tasted her accumulated power. If it wasn't enough, a human tortured slowly and thoroughly could release immense power. She wanted the human to agree to serve her, but if need be, she would use him to break through that shield.

With her hands back on the sphere, she poured her stolen power into the spell hiding someone from her sight. She pushed harder and harder, her store of power running out of her too fast. "Bring me the hum-" she started, then the shield tore open.

"Conall....." she growled. "Oh, my pet... what have you done?" she murmured as she finally saw the woman she'd sent Conall Cian to kill, sitting in a bed, holding hands with her daughters, while the ring she'd sent Conall to steal lay on the bed between then.

She threw back her head. "CONALL!!!" she bellowed. "You come to me, NOW!"

Conall's Lair
Conall was beginning to doubt that the human actually did know anything. The strength of will to resist his questioning under Excruciatrix's attentions was impressive, but he didn't believe that any amount of strength, courage, or willpower was holding her tongue now. She'd welcome death if it were offered her, and still she didn't answer him.

He brooded while he watched Spinedancer work. She was determined not to fail him and was definitely giving her best effort. She needn't worry. He was quite thoroughly impressed.

He felt it first as a mildly unpleasant tingled, like accidentally brushing against a low powered electrified fence. At first he wasn't sure what it was, then he realized that he was feeling just a hint of the reaction to the Nation girls getting their hands on their mother's ring.

"Arano...." he warned. "be ready." Even with the protections and wards Arano had been layering upon him, Ciara's call hit him like a freight train. He tumbled from his chair and grit his teeth. She was so much more powerful than he'd anticipated. He glanced up to see Arano was surprised as well. "How long?" he asked.

Arano shook his head. "A few hours at most, my old friend. Then you'll have to answer her."

Conall stood, forcing himself to straighten even under the furious onslaught of Ciara's compulsions on him. "Spinedancer. You've done well. Continue until she answers you or dies."

Read my stories!

Uh oh...

Oh my...

This. $%&#. Is. Outstanding.

What an interesting triangle... the Sooner Sisters, Ciara and Conall.

This is going to be a very interesting... fight.