Critical Mass

[Arclight]

:: Growling as Guardian saved both Haleigh and Foxfire from her attack, Alexis' blackened eyes glared intensely at Alison. Malice was gone; retreated leaving Alexis to deal with the six. An act she knew would happen one of these days. Malice was as cold and unforgiving as Helena, if not more, so the meta human was not blind to the fact she would turn on her eventually. Regardless, it was now down to herself and Guardian. The ultimate battle....the ultimate demise of either herself, or the both of them. ::

:: Listening to Alison's cold words, Alexis gritted her teeth, now flexing her hands out to her side. ::

"May you roit in HELL!"

:: Thrusting her hands out, palms facing Guardian, a massive beam of black energy shot toward the precog. The beam was as black as the night's sky, filled with every ounce of energy she drained out of the city....enough energy destory the entire Eastern Coast of the United States. ::

 

[Harbinger]

outside on the street

:: Guardian squared off....and prepared for this final, DEADLY AWESOME attack from Blackout, as the metahuman unleashed ALL the power she had drained....the power of the city, the state and MORE...massive, glowing black hued beams projecting from her outstretched hands...and charging madly for Guardian.::


::she did not reply, she simply thrust her hands out and forward......as a haunting bell tolls followed by thunder and she releases her power. ALL of her mystical knowledge, her telekinetic power...ALL OF HER...she calls on it without hesitation or restraint as her eyes now begin to glow SOLID BLUE and her blue/black hair blows in the wind.::

:: her blast beams collide with Blackout's to create a POWERFULL collision, the shockwave from the blast desetroys nearby cars and store fronts..the sound of power, magick, lightning, energy feedback are heard in the air like a relentless tornado......as the two women stand LOCKED in a standoff.::

:: the power pours through Guardian as she stands fast....and posed. Alexis is the same, their energies TEARING AT EACH OTHER...each struggling to overcome the other.::

:: glass from buildings all around shatter, the ground shakes....and from within the force dome, Haleigh and Blaze can see this is the point of no return for Alison::

 

[Arclight]

:: The moment the massive beam of cobalt blue mystic magick slammed into Alexis' black beam of energy, a huge roar was heard, as well as a shockwave of mixed powers, blasting outward into the city. Alexis' hair blew violently behind her, as did Guardian's. Both woman stood strong, tall, and not willing to let down anytime soon. ::

:: The noise around them from the feed of magick and energy was blaring and barely tolerable, but Blackout did not falter. Lowering her chin very slightly, Alexis' blackened eyes stayed focus and determined...The once beautiful meta human looked like something out of a horror movie. Her paled skin was lined with blue/grey veins, courtesy of the TO virus that ran throughout her body. Her black locks whipped across her face and shoulders giving her a "demonic"-like look as the blaring white lightning that was crashing throughout the skys above further illuminated her eerie appearance. ::

:: What seemed to be like an even fight soon took an unexpected turn. Stepping forward, Blackout began to PUSH Guardian BACK, her black beam of energy seemingly starting to overtake Guardian's blue mystic beam.::

 

[Harbinger]

:: Guardian does not show any outward signs of physical strain. she channels ALL of her powers in unison. the will of her black heart propells her onward. the standoff begins to climax as Blackout begins to slowly, subtlely push Guardian BACK. Guardian can feel her stilletto heeled boots scraping on the cement...but her TELEKINESIS keeps her anchored as she grits her teeth...she reasserts herself..and thrusts her hands out FURTHER....a warping tolling bell sound is heard as she rienforces her attack...the cobalt blue mystic bolt fights back against Blackout's glowing black energy bolt....and the feedback between them is spectacular to behold::


:: The seer's blue black hair blew back in the violent winds as she grits her teeth in contempt and STEPS FORWARD, pushing Blackout BACK this time.::

:: Guardian is FLOODED with images of the "future"...an energy based holocaust, the remainder of The Six being obliterated, NYC being destroyed, WIPED OUT, the nation reeling in horror and a RENEWED wave of persecuation against mutants and meta humans...Blackout represents a path that Alison would DIE to prevent from happening and at this moment..she realizes that BOTH of them may lose their lives, but even if she stops Alexis...the destruction to the city WILL happen....people were already dead, MORE would die....the city was doomed either way. Alexis was RIGHT...Alison COULDNT save the city...or the east coast even...she couldnt stop the over all DAMAGE..even if she killed Alexis....she would fail again, just as she failed when Morgan died and before THAT when Inferno besieged NYC. she remembered her sister, her brother and how she failed THEM as well. The realization ofIt all began to overwhelm the Seer. WHO WOULD SAVE THEM? who would keep them from being overtaken by the grim future that was on the verge of happening!? ::

ORORO!!!!

:: Alison's voice cried out in a shrill town over the power struggle, the shattering FORCE between the women was climaxing....making the VERY AIR ripple and wave. Black Widow and Foxfire could FEEL the force...even through Guardian's force field...which ITSELF was beginning to fluxuate. underground pipelines were exploding upward, manhole covers were flying through the air, light poles were falling, buildings were now CRUMBLING. ALL HELL WAS BREAKING LOOSE and STILL, the two women blasted at each other.::

 

[Seer]

Destruction

<< after a year of standing by one another's side, it all came crashing down and now, on the complete opposite side, the most unimaginable scenario. The city is forced to its knees and being DESTROYED by the woman known as Alexis Quatermaine. As BLACKOUT she now stands, attempting to destroy her former allies with Alison Marble, aka Guardian standing in her way.>>

<< it is a scene out of hell and everything around them is paying the price for the escalating power they are using to try to destroy each other. BOTH women look surprisingly BEAUTIFULL, like two female titans looked in a never ending struggle>>


<< thunder crashes, energy pulsates and a bell tolls one last time before a radiating ballistic BACKLASH explodes from the point of collision between the two power signatures...the ballistic backlash is glowing, sparkling mixed with the blackness of Alexis and the ice cold blueness of Alison...and as its defeaning thunder errupts all around....the SCREAMS of Alexis and Alison can be heard as BOTH women are slammed by the backlash and hurled back and UP in the air almost in slow motion! both women's bodies are blasted upward in opposite direction and lost a wave of white light followed the black lash that incinerated anything not protected....including humans that were lurking about.>>

<< Guardian and Blackout are blown away....as the backlash consumes EVERYTHING in its path...and now charges for the force dome that was protecting Haleigh and Blaze. Everything and EVERYONE around them was DESTROYED >>

<< Haleigh saw Spellbinder fall, and now Alison as well.......and it appeared that she would be JOINING THEM.....this was...THE END>>

 

[Persephone]

HERSELF again

:: The backlash of both Guardian and Blackout's attack sent BOTH woman hurling backwards, feet away from their previous position. Only the echoing of their screams could be heard as everything fell silent...New York City was destroyed. The entire East Cost was in a blackout. Everything that the Six had fought against; MysTech, Helena, Kelly, The Shape, Black, Malice....everyone and anyone who ever wanted to destroy the six and the WORLD, came down to their ex team mate. Alexis Quartermaine did the outmost irreparable damage that they had ever come across thus far since becoming a team. It was ironic...it was cinematic. It was UNTHINKABLE. ::

:: Laying yards away in a heap, Alexis was covered completely in rubble; although she was different.....No one could see the meta human under the splintered planks, dirt, rocks, and metal, but Alexis was back to her true state....she was SHOCKWAVE. The choker imbedded with Helena's essence; the very choker that Malice used to control and manipulate the meta human, was laying next to her, broken in pieces. Only a circular scar remained where the beautiful choker once sat. ::

:: The battle was fierce....something that would go down in the history books. But whether Alexis had survived and would get to live another day as her TRUE self was yet to be determined....From the looks of it, neither Alexis OR Alison had survived. ::

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh eyed Guardian increduously as she was asked to stay back....

"AND DO NOTHING?! You CANT ask that of me.... I--"

But Alison's mind was made up... and Haleigh and Blaze were teleblinked into a protective dome... and could only watch as Alison squared off with the rogue Blackout... Haleigh watched, as their powers met in a shuddering fashion... creating unbearable thundering of growing power and both women were fighting with everything they had.... Haleigh started forward, as Blackout seemed to gain control, fearing the worst.... that she had inadvertantly made Blackout TOO powerful in an attempt to condemn her to death with the TO Virus... and that yet ANOTHER of her teammates would take the fall for HER mistake.... as it had been so far... Blaze had been killed already for Haleigh's provoking of Spellbinder... Morgan had died because Haleigh'd declared the Master Mold gone... and now it appeared... Alison was to share their fate as well.... Is no one safe from me???

"ALISON..... NO!!!!"

Haleigh cried, as Alison fought back, this time giving all she had left, making a last stand that proved to BREAK the struggle by creating an INTENSE explosion that blew both women away from each other.... Alexis and Alison both screamed... and for Haleigh.... things seemed to move unnaturally slow... as she watched yet another teammate felled by the cause which united them all. Haleigh herself was frozen at that moment, stunned to the core... as the backlash CHARGED for them both.... but she was so shocked that she could do nothing... luckily for both her AND Foxfire... the DOME Guardian had protected them with took the brunt of the backlash... and while it shattered and both survivors were knocked from their feet... but unscathed.

The muted blast is enough to shake Haleigh from her trance, and as she looks up.... she can see where Alison has fallen a good distance away. At the sight of her co-leader, laying lifeless among the debri, Haleigh cracks... she doesnt register the state of the city... the danger STILL around her.... the crushing reality of what is left for her and Foxfire to clean up... the only thing she can see... is Alison.

"No.... no...."

she mutters, as she scrambles to her feet and dashes to Alison's side, leaving a battered Alexis ignored somewhere among the rubble. She slows as she approaches Guardian.... she feels sick... and doubles over to throw up... but only coughs and sputters.... she finally reaches Alison....kneels.... and starts to reach for her.... before stopping and covering her mouth with the hands, stifling a sob.

"No.... no it cant be... not you... not you too...."

She stutters, as she gathers the precog in her arms, wiping the dirt from her face. She hugs a limp and lifeless Alison tightly, as she begins to tremor with grief. "Oh no.... God no.... what have I done..... WHAT HAVE I DONE??? Please... I didn't mean.... oh god... I would have done it... I would have died INSTEAD.... why.... WHY??"

She asks, as the tears begin to fall... and she greives not quietly, and in private, like before... but LOUDLY, and openly for someone she has grown to care so much for in the last year... someone she had FINALLY let IN.... and ultimately... yet another she had let DOWN...

"I'm so sorry.... I'm so sorry... It's all my fault.... it always has been..."

 

[Harbinger]

silence...oblivion

:: there was nothing. the din of chaos had finally and thankfully blasted itself away, with only the haunting memory and the sounds of sirens and car alarms in the distance along with small fires raging in the now blacked out city::

:: Alison Marble lay on the ground...face up and everything but her torso was covered under debris and rubble. her wintery face marred with dirt and dust. one arm and gloved hand could be seen the other was obscured by the rubble. she did not move. did not respond as Haleigh finally came to her side. She was not aware of anything at this moment for her life as she knew it had ended the moment the backlash slammed her and Blackout fullforce.::

::Who "watches" the Seer in the hour of her death?::


:: the city is destroyed, the reprocussions of this have yet to be fathomed, the Six are now down to TWO.::

 

[Foxfire]

the moment that i knew is now at hand. the both of you have done all you can. and now, I'm telling you BOTH to STAY BACK.

Blaze's green eyes going wide, she was able to protect but Haleigh had cleverly beat her to the chase. But, before either woman could object Alison transported them BACK inside the protective barrier where Morningstar lay. "DAMN IT ALISON!" She yelled with frustration, knowing the Seer was probably the most headstrong woman she ever met. Her fists tightening to attempt to smash through the barrier, but found it useless. "Alison, NO!" She yelled out in anger. The raw sight of skyscrapers, cars, traffic lights all being obliterated by the chaos of the battle.

Shutting her eyes tightly, Blaze was reminded of September 11, a tragedy that would haunt anyone especially New Yorkers. Shaking it off, she saw the brilliant displays of color and tenacity from both alignments battle. Her eyes following the trails of beams displayed by both women. Haleigh's horrid cries chill her to the core.

"ALISON..... NO!!!!"

Walking up to behind Black Widow, Foxfire immediately envelopes her in a hug. Her arms crossed over Haleigh's chest to protect her failing arms. "Haleigh. HALEIGH!!" Yelled Foxfire, trying to restrain the other woman. Blaze had to be strong now, her co - leaders were crumbling, leaving Blaze in a position to be the back bone. Her arms tightening around Black Widow. Blaze's chin rested on Haleigh's, realizing it was just the three of them inside the protective barrier. Fox choked back tears to helplessly WATCH civilians killed, how could they prevent such a tragedy.

Holding Haleigh close, Blaze quietly watched on through the safety of the barrier. Her eyes moving to and fro from Blackout to Guardian. Who would survive? Who would not? Blaze felt uneasy about this but....Guardian didn't actually inform her of anyone dying. She kept up hope as the battle climaxed. Both women giving it their all, and in a way Blaze admired the sheer determination of Blackout.

The battle came to a raging halt with both contenders thrown backwards. A gasp was heard but Fox realized it was her own. Her eyes filling with tears not only from the mass destruction of the city but the thought of Guardian being dead. Her eyes studying both women as they were propelled into the air in slow motion.

Tightening her grip on Haleigh, Blaze could sense her friend's agony and her own guilt surfacing. Tears running down her cheeks as she held onto Black Widow for dear life. The backlash came viciously toward the group. Blaze's mouth falling a gap but she sprung to action. Releasing Haleigh she outstretched both hands as a wicked display of fire came sprouting through her palms. The flames surrounding the dome to protect them even FURTHER. Stepping to face Haleigh, Blaze pulled her toward her tightly. Her hands moving around her friend's waist and one above her head to protect her. "Don't look." She whispered to Haleigh.

Shutting her emerald eyes, Blaze waited for the backlash to come barreling into their direction. Gritting her teeth, "we'll make it through this Hales!" She yelled over the howling winds that flooded their direction. The backlash slammed into both the fire wall and Guardian's dome. A loud explosion was all Blaze heard before each of the women were thrown backwards. Blaze's grip like that of a bear around Haleigh, trying to protect her teammate. All three women were forced backwards as the dome fluctuated, taking the brunt of the force.

Landing in a pile of dirt, staining her leather uniform, Blaze gasped for air. Her body had been winded from the assault. But she also managed to protect Haleigh even further. Laying sprawled out on her back, Haleigh climbed off only to behold the awful sight. Her words echoing through the air.

"No.... no...."

Black Widow's boots stomping across the pavement and dirt, leaving behind a trail for Fox to follow. Laying on her side, she coughed up some dirt and dust. Getting to her feet, her muscles tired and sore. Looking around for Morningstar, Blaze rushed over to her. Scooping her up easily in her arms, the mutant stood up.

She followed behind Haleigh who was cradling Alison in her arms. Blaze stopped in mid walk, the scent of Alexis nearby. Turning her head in the direction, Blaze walked over to the location of Shockwave. She was piled under all the debris except for her upper torso, the scar from the choker adorning her neck. Standing over her, Blaze seemed emotionless until her eyes glowed a dark crimson shade. Pulling down Morningstar on the ground gently, Foxfire raised both arms. She wanted to be SURE the deadly villain was dead. But for some reason Blaze saw the angelic look of Alexis. Gritting her teeth, her hands fell to her waist.

"Damn....it didn't have to be this way." She whispered, turning to scoop up Delilah in her arms. Walking toward Haleigh who was blaming herself for Alison's demise, Blaze placed Delilah down. Crouching down she ran a hand over Haleigh's shoulder, "give me some room Hales." She spoke gently, her voice soft spoken and sincere. Blaze was becoming used to the threats of death, but she managed to hide the true emotion she felt. She was scared out of her mind.

Removing her gloves she placed both hands on Alison's high - cheekbones. For Haleigh it would be like seeing double for the mutant Frost had done the same thing. Blaze didn't bother to speak of the location of Alexis, instead she focused on Guardian. Looking up at Haleigh, "Hales....sweetie....you need to calm down...for me." Her green eyes pleading with her teammate. "Check on Delilah for me?" She asked calmly. Looking down at Alison, she stared at the Seer. You fought bravely but its not your destination to die Alison Marble. You will wake your ass up! This team needs you....and I know you can hear me....someway....somehow. Come back to us." Foxfire's hands began to glow a bright orange tint as her eyes morphed to that fiery yellow tint. All she could do was wait, wait to see if Alison came too or if all hope was lost. For Blaze it would result in losing another "sister" but she hoped the Seer would pull through.

When she saw no sign from Guardian, Blaze removed her hands. Placing them instead over her face, registering the fact, Guardian was gone! Their beloved Seer and amazing friend followed in the footsteps of Spellbinder.

Bowing her head, long chocolate locks fell across her dirt -striken face. Her body took another heavy blow, the death of a friend, teammate, and "sister."

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh cradled Alison in her arms as Blaze tried to heal her... her eyes bloodshot and tear filled... she began to unbury Alison, pushing the rocks and debri away from her body. As per Blaze's request, Haleigh checked Delilah's stats... she was alive... but only just.

"Her pulse is weak... she's comatose.... Blaze...." Haleigh said gently.... "Blaze... There's nothing you can do Blaze... its too late. we have to get OUT of here.... Where's Karen?"

In the flurry of the battle Karen had been separated from the group and everyone had been too distracted to think about ANYTHING not right in front of them.... but as the dust settled.... Haleigh seemed to have cried herself out and gotten her bearings... she looked around.... and knew they needed to leave... they couldn't go back to illustra... the WHOLE CITY was under a blackout and they wouldn't be safe.... but where could they go?

And then she remembered... they DID have one ally left.... one who could get them to a safe place.... the same one Alison had called out for moments before her death... the same one whose name Haleigh called now... hoping beyond reason that she was Listening.

"Ororo... ORORO!"

 

[Ororo]

a wind away

:: through the city's painfull silence, the air was thick with smoke, debris and heat from fires and explosions. through the darkness of the blacked out city, a soft breeze began to blow..the breeze was cool and subtle....swirling into a column with dead leaves flowing around it and as a haunting whistle of the wind sounded in the air, Ororo appeared.::

:: standing tall and elegant, the immortal sorceress' long flowing white hair flowed in the fading winds and her elegant white "goddess" dress and blue rube flowed slightly as well. the elemental goddess looked around and saw the unbelievable devistation before finally settling her eyes down upon Haleigh, Foxfire and a fallen Alison and Delilah. Alexis was nearby ..also fallen.::

Ororo: Haleigh, Blaze.......

gather your wounded and your dead. you must depart this place while you still can.

:: as the young women did as they were told, Ororo lifted her hands and all of them, including Alexis were surrounded by a flowing mist. enveloped in a swirl of sparkling green orbs as they were teleported away, leaving no trace...even as emergency vehicals, the national guard and other military forces were now pouring out into the devastated city.::

::they were returning to the one place where they might be truly safe...Limbo. Specifically Ororo's mystical garden.::

 

[Seer]

Nothing Left

<< and as the last sparkling green orb flickers away, military forces STORM "Ground Zero" where reports of metahumans, mutants, witches and MysTech agens had been indicated. The game had completely changed. MysTech was finished as an unchecked entity but so too were The Six. the actions of Shockwave and Malice had all but COMPLETELY reversed the work that Sharon Kelly and Spellbinder gave their lives for. >>

<< The Six had been devastated, possibly beyond repair, by one of their own. a series of events had taken place that would have FAR reaching reprocussions on the surviving members of the team that had only just began to come together as TRUE UNIT in recent months. Spellbinder- Dead; Guardian- Dead; Prophet- missing; Shockwave- Dead; Sharon Kelly- Dead. >>

<< what would happen now? who would stand in the gap against the vast and terrible powers that theatened this world full of an unsuspecting populace???>>

<< I must watch and see, like the rest of you!>>