Home is where the heart ACHES

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Westin Hills- sub basement

:: Guardian was lost in thought when she felt the touch of Rampage on her shoulder. He was awkwardly making his way next to her and she looked over to see if he was all right.::

you're getting psychic feedback...from 20 years ago. that should tell you something. this entire place is like an ugly beacon on the astral plane...the passage of time means NOTHING to the spirits that cry out for vengeance and justice here...

:: she said in a low , cold tone before turning back to the one way viewing window. Rampage asked what was on everyone's mind and Black Widow summed it up perfectly...although that didnt begin to cover each individual HORROR that every child brought down here went through.::

Haleigh is right...this is what Westin Hills was a COVER for. they...probably at mystech's influence...wanted to harvest CHILDREN for their genetic material. some would be deemed "servicable" based on their power potential...and others..were just passed off as scientific experiments.....

:: she closed her eyes tightly::

it comes to me now.....

:: she touched her hand to the glass..and gasped as a flash of light signals her being pulled into a vision.::


:: a vision that would provide another clue...::
 
Westin Hills- the brutal truth

<< the bio systems lab is ACTIVE and fully staffed. doctors and technicians are at various stages watching the vitals and other reactions of treatments to several patients deemed "sick" and qualifying for "special protocalls".>>

<< the patients are children! some lay in their tanks limply...with tubes coming out of their mouths and gauze tapped over their eyes. they have been so poisoned by chemicals and internal treatments that they will never recover. never wake up. their bodies are shutting down system by system...but their minds, their souls CRY OUT as their innocence is lost, their chance at life yanked from them by this cold, cruel entity under cover of "hospital">>

<< there are sounds of children crying nearby. children with psychic powers being sedated with experimental psychotropic drugs. other children being probbed and prodded painfully. the doctors present seem to show no reaction...>>

<< Guardian finds herself reeling from this. its all around! she can't bare to "see" anymore. but as she turns away...she sees DELILAH being brought in.>>

<< even as a little girl, Delilah shows calm, cool, courage...in the face of such EVIL. she's lead by two large technicians wearing suits with special precautions around their eyes. clearly to try to protect them from her light powers.>>

<< as the techs lead them in. the doctors look her over as though she's the star of the show. they begin taking preliminary stats and such. priming her for experimentation! where is her father? WHY is she down here!?>>

<< Alison stops herself from shouting out in protest. she doesnt have to...someone else will!>>

<< Karen BUSTS in..wearing a stylish, business "power suit", with glasses and looking sophisticated for the times [the 1980's] she's clearly pissed.>>

Attending physician: Dr. Victoria, this session does not require your presence. this is a medical proceeding, not mental health.

Karen << shoving a guard out of her way>> GET BACK, i have rank and authority to be down here.

<< striding up to the doctor in her high heels, she fumes>>

Karen: how DARE you snatch my patient without even BOTHERING to check with me! Delilah is not supposed to be down here. she's NOT a "candidate!" She's under MY care!

Attending physician: sorry Karen...I thought they told you. Pastor Trelevan went to the administrator and requested Delilah no longer have you as her psycho therapist or advocate. He feels you are a "disruptive" influence on her.

Karen: <<narrowing her eyes.>> WHY? because I'm trying to STOP the cycle of abuse that her father is heaping on her? that child thinks she's supposed to be a SACRIFICE to "God." that her powers are the result of SATAN'S TOUCH! what is rational about that?

attending physican: Karen, you're holding us up. you can of course file an appeal, but by then we'll be DONE with what we're doing here. Pastor Trelevan has given me full authority to use the mutant protocal procedures on Delilah.

Karen: WHAT!? ..... << she looks around frantically.>> you CANT! You'll render her INERT..she'll be a VEGETABLE! you people know that this crap isnt working. you're just doing it so that Mystech will continued to provide revenue and technology!

.....CHRISTOPHER!!

<< she stopped short when she said her husband's name. she knew he had been consulting with MysTech...and courting a position on the "Consortium" his influence was more than enough to sway the heads of westin hills to get in bed with mystech.>>

Karen: I won't stand for this. it's not WORTH IT. Delilah should not be here..and I'll do WHATEVER i have to do to save her. My treatment, MY therapy was HELPING her....THIS <<gesturing around>> ..is brutal exploitation.
Click to expand...

<< she grabs Delilah's hand.>>

come on honey...we're getting out of here...TOGETHER!

Attending Physician: Doctor Victoria! you're out of order. you have no authority to remove this child! you're jeopardizing your position here at Westin Hills.

Karen: << turning around as she leads a teary eyed Delilah away..>> correction. I have no "position" here. effective immediately...i QUIT! and as for Delilah? I'm RESCUING HER from an abusive situation. one that i think the police and the governor would LOVE to know about!
Click to expand...

<< a flash of light, and Guardian is propelled back into her own reality....>>
 
Westin Hills- sub basement

:: Guardian staggers back from the viewing window with a loud cry of distress.::

:: her head bowed and her hand on her chest, she breathes heavily at first...getting ahold of herself...::

Hecate....the horror of this place!

:: she closed her eyes...feeling tears well up in them.::

the children...they were treated like animals, like herds of sheep primed for the slaughter. they brutalized them down here....in the name of RESEARCH!

I SAW THEM!! even NOW...if you look in some of those tanks..you'll find bodies of children in cryrostasis or suspended animation!

:: she looked up at Rampage.::

I saw Karen....she was angry. they were going to subject Delilah to these experiments as well. Delilah's father had petitioned that Karen be REMOVED from her care. He felt she was a "disruptive" influence. Karen burst in and confronted the physician before he could begin on Delilah and she TOOK HER out of here. THIS was the moment where she and Christopher's marraige began to crack! she realized that Christopher was using Westin Hills as his way of getting a seat on the Consortium aka mystech's INNER CIRCLE [Malice, Helena Quatermaine, Kelly King etc].

Karen took Delilah and resigned her post here immediately, saying she would expose this hospital. that's all that i saw....

:: Alison buried her hands in her face...::

i ...i thought i'd seen everything this world had to offer. i've traveled it many times over. I thought i was not easily "moved"...but those children...even the ones whose eyes were sealed shut...they looked at me..THROUGH ME. it's been 20 years...and their souls STILL cry out! Delilah was one of those children....Karen RESCUED HER. but that's not all there is to this story. We have to see those files...
 
Westin Hills- back at the main computer

<< Spellbinder was still at the "mother brain" of the hospital with Haleigh, her mother and Ethan.>>

<< she briefly looked over to see Delilah stepping out of the "hive" like space into a long hallway.>>

don't go too far Delilah...

<< she called out after her friend. she knew the woman was in a bad way right now. all these things...things she didnt remember or refused to acknowledge were coming up in the most surprising and painfull way. she hoped that Delilah WOULDNT feel like she couldnt turn to her friends..her FAMILY for help. they wouldnt abandon her and Morgan hoped Delilah wouldnt DENY them the opportunity to help her face this.>>

<< turning back to the counsole as Ethan and Haleigh talked. Morgan looked at Ethan a few times, first with a look of disapproval but...as she thought about how he put forth effort to help and protect her mother, as well as trying to help unravel this mystery at hand, she realized that maybe he wasn't so bad after all. he even attempted to be empathetic with ALISON and that was a brave thing indeed. COULD he possibly be a candidate to join the Six? it was too soon to address that. it would have to wait.>>

<< looking down at files as they came up, Morgan gathered them together and placed them in the order that her mother specified.>>

Haleigh, we need the voice dictations my mom made on Delilah's observation sessions.

there's two files for Delilah...why is that?

<<she looked down at her mother, who didnt look back up at her.>>

Karen: because Delilah....is not the biological daughter of Pastor Trelevan....

<< Morgan knew her mother didnt want to say it out right...>>

you mean...she was ...adopted?

Karen: yes. her biological parents died in a violent accident which to THIS DAY as far as i know has not been completely "cleared". the same circumstances that killed Nicolas' father, Alexis Quartermaine's mother....you get the picture....

Morgan: Mystech... they made Delilah an ORPHAN! those ...BASTARDS!

<< looking down at her mother...>>

but it always seemed like Delilah was the one LEAST effected by Mystech in her childhood...
 
Westin Hills- sub basement

<< Karen lifted her hand , gesturing for her daughter to hush.>>

Morgan...we should not be discussing Delilah as if she were some kind of "case." she's a human being..and more importantly she's your best friend...the "sister" you never had. what we see here...SHE needs to see as well. we need to talk about it TOGETHER.

There were alot of things going on here at that time that even i wasnt aware of. but the more i found out...especially when i found out how much your FATHER was apart of it, the more i realized I could not be apart of this place...nor could I allow Delilah to be LOST in the system that was railroading her into brutal experimentation. I quit..and i took Delilah out of here..despite her "father's" objections...and while i may have saved her life...her father's last words to me were...

Supreme Pontiff said:
Thou shall not suffer a WITCH to live...
Click to expand...

he had quoted the bible in his tyraids before...but this was different. it was at that moment...that i realized this man was beyond "borderline"...he was sociopathic. he had no conscience and was driven by something far worse. he wanted me dead...he wanted Delilah dead...

<< Karen paused...as she began to revist things that she had wished to forget.>>


there's much that i have to tell you. all of you. but not here. we must get out of here.


Haleigh has pulled down everything we need and you've seperated it for us. I'll guide everyone through it all. I pray that with this understanding...that you can help Delilah face what is coming.

<< she looked around to see where Delilah was...>>

she's out in the corridor. someone find her quickly before anything else goes wrong.
 
:: Delilah's past was finally revealed and everything was finally piecing together. A part of Ava felt bad for Delilah. She had a father who protected and loved her. Never sacrificed her to horrible experimentations and tortoure. But another half felt very detatched about the entire situation. Persephone killed her own mother out of sheer malice. She had no need for parents, nor did she care for them. Very Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. ::

:: Hearing Karen ask someone to retrieve Delilah, Persephone nodded and let go of wheel chair that she was pushing. Walking out of the immediate room that the group was gathered in, Persephone caught sight of Delilah wondering quietly down the hall. Pausing a moment, her icy blue eyes watched Morningstar. ::

"Delilah.."

:: Moving forward toward the blonde, she made her movements smooth and quiet. With Delilah's back facing Ava, the goddess stopped a few feet away from her, but didn't reach for her. ::

"Karen sent for you. We're about to leave."
 
Westin Hills - The Corridor

[ Delilah barely heard Morgan tell her not to go too far. She felt like she was moving through a dream, her feet felt like they were floating over the ground. She started humming to herself as she walked, no tune that she recognized. Turning as she heard Ava say her name, and tell her that they were leaving, she started to smile. She was never so glad to leave a place as this one.

But as soon as she turned and saw Ava, her body was hit with a sudden jolt. The pain in her head was so intense that she nearly doubled over. Flashes of images came to her, but they were so disjointed that she couldn't put them together or make sense of them. Her hands flew to her head with the pain, but then all at once, the images stopped. The pain was gone.

She straightened and looked down to Ava, then slowly began walking toward her. Tentatively, as if she wasn't sure her legs would hold her. ]
 
:: Eyes widdening, Ava moved forward, grasping onto Delilah to hold her up straight. She looked like she was in extreme pain, grabbing and holding onto her head with her eyes shut tightly. ::

"Delilah, Delilah!"

:: Concerned, Ava dipped her body low to get a better look at the hunched over mutant, but the pain seemed to fade just as quickly as it came about. Delilah stood up straight, without Ava's assistance, which instinctively made Ava back up a bit. Seeing her move forward, Ava's eyes expressed concern and confusion. What had just happened? ::

"Delilah...are you alright?"

:: Placing her hands on Delilah's shoulder and upper arm preventing her from walking, she kept a firm grasp on her just in case she became weak or overwhelmed with pain once again. ::

"What just happened?"
 
Westin Hills--basement

Nicolas listened as the team spoke around him, disgusted at the new ways MysTech and its allies found to exploit people. Suddenly, as Ava spoke to Delilah, he felt a sharp pain in his head, no doubt feedback from his link to Delilah amlplified by the ehoes of the place itself. Nicolas grunted in pain, dropped to one knee, and the team could feel the facility shake as the psychic pressure he was feeling relieved itself in a telekinetic expression. As quickly as the pain manifested, it subsided to the low hum that he had reduced it to. He lingered on one knee as he spoke in a low voice.

"I hope we have what we need so we can depart from this place."
 
<< looking over at Persephone and MorningStar with a surprised glare, Spellbinder knew that things were only going to get worse.. she turned to Haleigh and her mother.>>

We DO have everything we need now.

There's no time for us to leave here on foot. I have to try a stepping disc. Nicolas and Delilah are suffering and Alison grows more grim with each passing moment!

<< she lifts her hands and a chime sounds off followed by thunder as the team are whisked from the technologically advanced sub basement of Westin Hills...BACK outside...back to the town square again and THIS time, the weather around them was very violent. the clouds and thunder rolled and churned...it was like something out of limbo.>>

<< Spellbinder looked at Persephone.>>

Persephone? how is she?

<< turning to her right>>

oh no.

<< in the distance an ARMY of "men" and "women" looking like those in the hospital were coming toward them... brandishing pitch forks, machetes, butcher knives, lighted torches and other weapons..they walked in unison.>>

<< there was someone LEADING THEM too!>>
 
[ Delilah was breathing heavily in short gasps of air. ]

"I...I don't know. It was like this massive pain in my head and then..."

[ She paused, not really knowing how to explain what she had seen or if she wanted to. ]

"...and then it just went away."

[ She realized that she was leaning on Ava, and stood a little straighter. She looked up into the other woman's eyes. ]

"What's happening to me?"

[ Persephone brought her back to rejoin the others and they were tranported outside by Morgan. She was breathing easier then, and just happy to be out of the building. But she knew something was very wrong here.

About the same time that Spellbinder spoke alerting them to the presence of the "army", Delilah saw them. She slowly started backing up. ]

"No! You're dead! YOU'RE ALL DEAD!"

[ She started screaming then. Her eyes were wide with fear. She wanted to run; she had an uncontrollable urge to flee, get out of there at any cost. Her body began to glow a bright green. She covered her face with her hands as if to hide behind them. Blasts of light began shooting out of her body - not just from her hands as usual, but from seemingly random points on her body. ]
 
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the town square- deserted no longer!

<< from the distance, comes an army...a "righteous" army of "men" and "women" dedicated to their cause against mutants and witches.>>

<< they will defend their homes, their LIVES [as they call them] from the EVIL ways of these godless creatures!>>

<< they are lead by one man...the Supreme Pontiff and as they march...shouting can be heard.>>

mob: there they are!! KILL THE WITCHES!! BURN THE MUTANTS!


<<though the six and their allies were vastly powerfull. this army seemed to be ENDLESS and there was no telling what the Supreme Pontiff could do exactly. there was no file on him as a "super powered" entity....just as a rabid anti mutant hater who abused his daughter! the six and their allies had to find an escape, and fast.>>
 
Town Square

As they were transported outside Ethan noticed the approaching mob and was a little scared he had to admit. With his soft British accent he addressed the group hesitantly.

"What the bloody hell is happening now? How can their possibly be more of them? It just seems endless!"

He began to think of ways to get out of the situation or at least fight them off as he enclosed the group in a strong forcefield that appeared at his psionic command. He knew his forcefield had the capacity to widthstand nuclear detonation but he had no clue what these people were about to bring onto the Six. At least it was a start.

"This forcefield should be able hold them off for a bit. I made it a lot denser than normal, if they get close it's gonna feel like five feet of concrete between us and them. Now.. What do we do?"
 
:: Keeping hold of Delilah, her body was weakened, regardless if she tried to make it seem otherwise. While holding her, Morgan transported everyone back outside of Westin Hills to 'safety'. Wrong. Troops of those soilders were in formation, walking toward them. A man leading the pack as well. ::

"Fantastic."

:: Keeping her eyes focused on the army, she began to make a rough estimate of just how many men there were until Delilah began to scream. She frantically pulled from Ava's grasp, backing away and screaming. Trying to grab her arms, she looked back to Morgan shaking her head as she fought. ::

"I need help!"

:: Turning back to Delilah, Ava's brows lowered as her body began to glow a brilliant green. Letting go of her and backing away, Ava lifted her hands in front of her eyes, squinting at how bright the lights were. ::

"Delilah! Gain control of your emotions!"

:: But it seemed her words were useless. Delilah was literally having a nervous breakdown at the sight of those troops and that man. ::
 
Haleigh gathered up the last of their data and stood from the desk... Alison had another vision and pointed out that there were STILL children in the lab down there.... and after pausing to think about it, Haleigh accessed the control panel for the lab and without a word to the others, euthanized the remaining subjects by having the computer administer a lethal dose of sedatives. The nightmare's over, babies.

She glanced around, as things went downhill fast. Morgan took them all, via stepping disc, back out into the square... where they were greeted by the sight of an army approaching from the distance with a steady march and a murderous chant.

"Yeah... I think I'd like to go back to the dark den of looney bin doom now." She said quietly, as Ethan told them he'd set up a forcefield. "Yeah... well you can't hold up that shield forever... and you might need your strength for later. I'll lay a web of mines around us... that'll slow them down... and I can deactivate them along our path of retreat... which we need to pick REAL soon. Any idea's for a safe place to go?"

She asked, as Delilah began to experience what look to be a dangerous psychotic break.... Haleigh squinted her eyes at the bright light emitting from Delilah, looking worried and passing the glance to Karen.

"Doctor... I think we should get her OUT of here... but she's teetering over the edge.... you think it'd be wise to tranquilize her so we can get the hell outta dodge?"
 
Karma
Karma
"the nightmare's over babies"...very nice touch!
The Town Square

it's him. he's come back for her..just like he promised...despite my attempts to hide her from him and to block out her memories of him...he's BACK!!! and he has more power than ever before!

<< now outside, and confronted with some horrible, dark twisted version like a scene out of "the 10 commandments", Karen stood up from the wheel chair. she was now recovered enough and strong enough to be functional on her own.>>

<< the winds were howling as the skies above raged. Delilah was about to fragment in her psyche and Ava couldnt get control of her at all. As Ava asked for help and Haleigh spoke, Karen was already moving into position>>

Haleigh, i dont think we CAN "get out of here"...at least not yet. hold her...but not too tightly. we dont want to hurt her.

<< Karen stood in front of Delilah while Ethan had erected a force field to bar the advance of the army of cult members and their apparent leader. She spoke with a firm tone.>>

Delilah! Listen to me! I am your doctor NOW as i was THEN. do not look ahead...look at ME!

<< it was hard for Karen to get through to delilah. the light patterns the woman was spraying were INTENSE.>>

We've no choice. Sedate her for now, Haleigh. Just to ALLEVIATE the stress that her mind is in.
 
The Town Square

<< Spellbinder snapped her head to look at Delilah as she began to break down. Guardian had been right. this was prooving to be too much for Delilah. Persephone was trying to help her..but it was no use and the painfull light patterns were causing a problem for everyone near her...>>

her light bursts...they HURT!

<< Morgan said as she tried to cover her eyes. Ethan used his invisible force fields to block the oncoming army but as the team scrambled to figure out what to do....Morgan spoke.>>

If i try to take us out of here...we may be SEPERATED. remember what i said earlier....i think we're TRAPPED here until whatever we came for is resolved. We've rescued my mother...but the main issue is DELILAH and her connection to ... << gesturing out toward the mob>> those "people". We can't stay here...and we're NOT going to abandon Delilah to her fate!

<< as Haleigh and Karen dealt with Delilah in the most gentle but effective way possible, Morgan looked at Alison...>>

Options?
 
The Town Square

:: it was happening just as Guardian had said. MorningStar was coming UNDONE as the trauma of her past began to revisit her in a new way. Karen and Haleigh did what they could her for...and Guardian continued to keep her eyes fixed on the Supreme Pontiff and his army...::

:: her cobalt eyes didnt waver as she GLARED at him from the far distance, ignoring her blue/black hair as it whipped in the winds from the disturbed weather around them.::

:: as Morgan asked for her options, she turned to the team.::

I think it's obvious we can't "escape". Rescuing Karen was actually a SMALL aspect of this. We have to get away from HERE...this is HIS ground...where he feels he is at his strongest. So WE have to go where Delilah will be at HER strongest...

:: pointing to the east::

back to Windmill Pointe! We'll move together, keeping Delilah in the center of the group with Rampage who is the physically strongest among us.

Persephone, use your power to drive the mob BACK with this weather. Ethan, move your Force Field BEHIND us as we move...make it trail us. Persephone's diversions will make it LESS of an effort for you to maintain your force fields. Rampage, carry Delilah. Protect her from ANYTHING that comes. Haleigh take the front..ill bring up the rear and Morgan can fly overhead.

I'll use my own temporal power to SPEED us along and SLOW them behind us.
 
City Center

As they teleported out to the center of town again, the psychic screams subsided, replaced by death sighs. Not screams...sighs as the souls left in the facility embraced an end to their suffering. Tears fell from Nicolas' eyes as he bore witness to their departure, levitating above the group and oblivious to the army that was approaching.

That is, until he 'heard' Delilah go into mental distress, her psyche beginning to fail. He quickly composed himself and caught her as Haleigh sedated her. He triggered the release of calming chemicals in Delilah's mind to better relax her on a subconscious level as he listened to Alison's plan of action. He nodded as he was given his orders and began to move with the group...but not before he took a bit of revenge for those souls that were tortured.

Rampage turned his head back once and, as he looked at the advancing group, the asphalt lifted from the ground in great blocks, each weighing several thousand pounds or more. He nodded and they fleww towards the advancing group, crushing the front lines of the demonic army.

There's a LOT more where that came from. I will erase you from this plane, I will give those souls their revenge.
 
The Town Square

<< Spellbinder's heart went out to Delilah. she wanted to help her friend...to deal with this but it was clear that there was no easy solution. Her mother ultimately had Haleigh sedate MorningStar for the time being as the group prepared to retreat back to the "old neighborhood", the posh Windmill Pointe street.>>

I feel like we're being HERDED into something worse...but what choice do we have?

<< Spellbinder lamented as she took off into the air with a rushing wind sound in her wake.>>

<< she noticed her mother flying along, using the "traditional" way of a witch, using an enchanted object...in this case a broom. her mother rode side saddle, making it look almost TOO easy in her flying suit.>>

and the kids in the neighborhood always said she looked like "samantha stevens" from Bewitched...

<< a random errant thought in a place where things seemed to be getting worse by the moment.>>

With Alison giving us a speed up and slowing THEM down...we'll reach windmill point in no time. we can draw our line there.

<< She would stand in the gap for Deliah..no matter WHAT her past was...and she would do all she could to save her.not looking back as Rampage responded to the bloodthirsty cries of the demonic army by sending ot massive blocks of concrete to smash some of the front line, Spellbinder only hoped their powers were sufficient to save Delilah and escape this realm..before they were ALL overwhelmed. >>
 
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