Somewhere in New York
09.35pm - 1st August 2019

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”It all started on a dark and stormy night...” A voice echoed in the darkly lit room. Looking around it was nearly impossible to tell where the unnerving voice was coming from; was it to the left? Perhaps the right? ”Well… I can’t really use that as an opening can I?” the voice continued, the sound getting closer, the silhouette of a man emerging from the darkness blanketing the room. There wasn’t any notable details that the silhouette gave away. The voice most certainly belonged to a man. The accent bore a strange hybridisation of both English and American. It had the authority and superiority that normally came across from an American, but also had the refinement and grace that menacing villainous undertone that only your Hiddleston’s could muster.

”Mostly because it isn’t a dark and stormy night. I mean night has not even arrived in full yet.” The figure took another step forward. This time the light from the centre of the room was glowing on the highlight of the males body. Enough this time to actually give some detail to the mysterious voice. The male had long dark coloured hair; long for a male anyway as it brushed to just past his ears, the odd split end caressing his cheek. The hair parted exactly in the centre of his head, the right side brushed behind his ear while the left was free to dangle down and almost cover his eye. It was a look that most people could never pull off, but this guy seemed to pull it off flawlessly.

”Plus it sounds too cheesy, don't you think?” The male asked somewhat casually, taking another step forward into the light and bending down, looking at something right in front of him. That something was a woman; bound and restraint, a little beat up too. Normally a person would show fear once captured, but this woman had eyes filled with anger, annoyance and wrath. Ironically she couldn’t respond to the male as her mouth had been gagged with a cloth that had been tightly knotted around her face.

The male stared deeply into the female’s eyes, noticing the hatred that was radiating from them towards him. That however only caused the males lithe lips to tighten into a smirk. He jumped back to his feet, holding his hands up and then placing them over his heart. ”Aliira, Allira… I am hurt.” He mocked ”It is almost like you are trying to stab me with your eyes.” The smirk on his face quickly changed to a pout as he bent down once more to look at her face in more detail. ”Do you hate me that much? What has poor little Aloysius done to irk the usually calm and composed second-in-command of the Guild?” With a flick of his wrist a small gust of wind formed at the back of the woman’s head and was just enough to release the knot bounding her mouth and for once allowing her to speak. Though the first thing to escape her lips wasn’t a word, so much as it was a growl, a more feral growl.

”You are a sick bastard you know that?” The woman finished the sentence with a snarl. The amount of hatred towards the male was clear. ”Do you really think Salem will let you get away with this Aloysius? Do you really think that she won’t come and rip your guts out one by one?” Listening to the last part of Aliira’s words, Aloysius’s face scrunched up in disgust, his mind visualising that rather morbid process quite vividly.

”Please, Salem couldn’t deal with me when I killed her father, all she did was go on the attack and burn everything else down.” With that Aloysius rose to his feet, and retreated back into the darkness. ”But this time it is going to be different”. His voice this time was colder, more reserved. The joking, laid back and somewhat psychotic Aloysius of the past few moments had gone. Walking back into the darkness there was silence for a few moments. The only sound in the whole room was the clanging of metal.

A moment or so later, Aloysius re-appeared into the light. He walked right over to Aliira, pulling the females phone out of her pocket. Unlocking it, he took a moment to observe the homescreen background; it was an image of Aliira and Salem, both looking rather happy. Salem actually had a smile. Aloysius couldn’t even remember the last time she had seen Salem smile. For a second Aloysius stopped. His brain was processing the thoughts in his brain, and Aliira had clocked on too.

”Let me guess, not used to seeing Salem so happy? You would be surprised how happy and nice she is when your ass is not around.” Aloysius stopped looking at the phone, and looked over into Aliira’s eyes. His pupils had widened and his eyes softened. It was almost as if you were looking at a stray cat… Aliira however laughed, not quietly, not nicely, but loud and abruptly in Aloysius’s face. ”No… Please don’t tell me you actually… ” Aliira couldn’t bring herself to finish her sentences before she began laughing again. ”You thought she would… wow… Salem told me you were a gullible idiot, but this...wow.” With that final laugh from Aliira, Aloysius let out a huff, placing the phone on the ground as he reached up grabbed a piece of Aliira’s hair, the woman letting out a groan of pain and frustration at Aloysius’s manhandling of her.

”You ought to remember who is currently tied up and close to losing her life. Aloysius hissed with a low growl. His free hand swiped across the phone screen until he reached Aliira’s contact list. His fingers danced around the screen until a single contact turned up: Salem. Calling her, Aloysius placed the phone on speaker mode so he could make sure that they both could hear Salem. It didn’t take long for her to answer.

”Salem it…” before Aliira could say anything else, she quickly had her hair pulled, a scream of pain shutting her sentence down.

”I do apologise about the noise. Hostages these days don’t seem to remember about shutting up. I miss the good old days where everyone remembered their places.” With that Aloysius let go of Aliira and rose back to his feet. ”You know Salem, me and you, we are very alike, even though in high school you were the popular one. Little miss alt princess. But anyway, As you can see I have Aliira. I hope you don’t mind. Well, you kind of have no choice.” The entire time that he spoke he was walking around the room, staring at the ceiling for no apparent reason.

”Anyway, I thought you should know that I plan to extract vengeance for Lana yada-yada-yada. How dare you think you could get away with killing Lana blah...blah...blah… you get the idea.” With that Aloysius went back into the darkness and revealed exactly what the source of the metal clanging before was. In his hand was a pistol, and he certainly looked comfortable holding it. Waving it around he looked down at Aliira.

”Look kid. It’s nothing personal. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong crowd.” He said with a what was possible one of the worst New York Italian accents of all time. ”You see, it is just business.” With that he stopped waving the gun around casually with his hand and trained it right on the female on the floor. Without even saying another word he pulled the trigger, the shot echoing across the room. He didn’t even say anything else at that point, just walking over towards the phone and stamping on it several times until it stopped sending a signal.

With the woman no living, Aloysius kicked her body over to make sure, mumbling to himself about how important Lana was to him in the process. With that done, he walked towards the exit of the room, which lead out onto a balcony, giving him a nice view of the evening-scape of New York. It was fairly nice. It was only interrupted by the sudden flash of lightning. Aloysius watched as the blue flashes appeared in the horizon. However all Aloysius did was fold his arms and smirk. Afterall the lightning had come form the ground and rose upwards. That wasn’t natural, there was only one person in New York he knew who could do that.

”Ohhhhhhh. It seems shark week has visited someone a little early this time around.”

Persphone ran through the forest at breakneck speed, her wild hair fluttering behind her. She launched herself off of one branch whilst another seemed to reach out to her. The young woman swung through the Amazonian trees like Tarzan. No matter how fast she moved she never had a misstep or a slip.

A loud bang reverberated behind Persphone and she cried out in pain as a bullet glanced her outer thigh. With a solid thud to the ground the wind was driven out of her, and as her vision cleared she noticed five burly men surrounding her.

"Desistir de Ghostvine, você não tem saída." One of the men said angrily. (Translation: Give up Ghostvine, you have no way out.)

Persephone just stared at the men, hand on her thigh trying to slow the bleeding. The lead man crouched down and grabbed her by the chin. His calloused fingers smelled of stale tobacco, sweat and earth. He slowly examined Persphones face as his men chuckled behind him.

"Você deu muito trabalho aos nossos empregadores. Eles vão pagar muito por você." (You have given our employers a very hard time. They will pay highly for you.)

"Your employers will have to be disappointed than since I have a previous engagement to attend." She managed with false bravado. The men all laughed out loud at her words.

"E como você planeja ir, gire uma arma na sua cabeça." He said through his laughter. (And how do you plan on going, with a gun to your head.)

Persephone offered a weak smiled as branches swung down smacking the guys away from the injured woman. Before the men could recover vines wrapped around them binding them all together. Using some of the forest floors leaves and a smaller vine she loosely bandaged her leg.

"The company you people work for are killing the rainforest! What will you do when you destroy the lungs of the world? Your greed will be the end of this planet!" Now that the men were bound Persephone found her confidence.

The men opened their mouths, but before they could talk more vines wrapped around their mouths. Persephone walked over to a tree that was roughly fifty feet tall. Its bark was reddish-grey in color, the leaves bright and glossy. The tree bore fruit that looked shockingly like apples.

"Do you gentlemen know what this beautiful creation is?" The mens shook their heads no. "This is called the Manchinheel Tree, normally these things would be found a little closer to the coast. But I brought some seeds a little deeper into the forests and let them flourish! Now the interesting thing about these trees? They are considered one of the most dangerous trees in the world! Just standing under them in the rain can cause burns. I planted these around the jungle to help stop deforestation. But since we are here, I guess I will have to teach you a lesson."

Persephone smeared some of the toxin on her hand and walked over to the men lifting their shirts. Tracing a giant GV into the men's chest, as the toxin started taking effect the men began to scream in pain. The woman stood up and started walking away, she had somewhere to be and she was already behind.

Mikhael

---

The bar was emptyish. Just a smattering of people, each in their own little corner. Unenthused merriment would aptly describe the noise levels. Rock classics played through a disproportionately good sound system, and if you spent enough time there you'd realise that it's the same playlist in a loop. In all senses of the word, it was a dive bar.
Though some might call it "run down" or "shitty", Mikhael would call it "homey". Whether this says something about his tastes or his home is open for interpretation.

"Ehh, Bowmore 12 year neat, please." he said, sliding a fiver across the counter. This was not enough for the drink, but to the bartender it looked like a twenty, which was more than enough. Unfortunately, someone somewhere down the line would have to account for the missing cash. Mikhael felt bad about that, of course, but sometimes it paid to be selfish. For example, in this instance it paid $8.32.

He sat at the bar, as this was easiest place to order a new drink from, and sipped the chocolatey whisky, waiting for something to happen.

It started to dry thunderstorm outside. Wasn't that odd.

Uptown Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City

---

"He actually did it?" Lex almost sounded as if he were in disbelief whispering the words to himself. He gave the sky his attention as he stood from a bench on the boardwalk. Lex had not witnessed Aloysius' actions, but instead interpreted the sudden streak of lightning that flashed across the night sky as a sign that the deed had been done.

Lex's surprise did not sprout over the execution of an enemy, but of the acceptance of this particular execution's consequences. This reminded all that Aloysius' convictions were steel and unchallenged. I guess this means things will ramp up even more now. And that means I'll need to start heading back to HQ…

Killing and death was not the objective, but it was a byproduct the Dark Shadow members accepted. Hell, there were few that gladly welcomed it. To Lex's knowledge, Aloysius had not planned to just kill someone today. His goal was to send a retaliatory message. One that was personal enough to deliver a blow that struck deep and would leave a remindful scar behind. Its effectiveness was made apparent by the powerful expulsion of electricity into the dark sky.

"No! Come on!" Lex shouted as two seagulls boldly swooped in on the french fries he had set down on the bench. Lex gave a quick backhanded swipe at the birds, causing them to flutter away, but it was too late. The fries had spilled all over the bench and the ground, leaving Lex with nothing he would want to eat. He could have been angrier at the winged pests, but he shouldn't have been so distracted and left food out for seagulls to do what seagulls naturally do. "Take 'em then." Lex said walking away as if he truly had the authority to decide whether they could eat the fries or not. He could utterly destroy the birds, but it was unnecessary to him. He imagined that his other colleagues would take the opportunity to simply flex their magical abilities to eviscerate, flay, or twist these harmless creatures into grotesque forms. That just wasn't his thing.

Minutes later, Lex found himself seated in subway train car.

"Stand clear of the closing doors, please!" The speaker announced as it always did in the train car that contained just two parties of people. Lex and the men who entered behind him and scattered themselves around the train car. Lex kept his eyes forward with a neutral expression set upon his face. Was it seriousness? Yes, and he didn't appear to be pleased at the moment either. There were deciding eyes on Lex seeking to fill a void created by greed, pride, and envy. The group of men that occupied the same train car were locked onto Lex. They actually picked him out on the platform because he was alone. Sure, he was a large man, but they had the numbers and this was not their first mugging of a larger target. Lex let out a sigh of frustration that broke the silence after the doors shut. He definitely wasn't pleased at the moment. Lex wasn't pleased that he would have to waste his time flexing his magical ability.

---

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to New York city, Local time is 08:35" flight attendant just announce. Rachel eyes open to see the airport station and look around to everyone is getting up from their seats, after Rachel give a big stretch from her nap, she got up from her seat, grab her bag from overhead bin and get out of the plane and start her new life in New York city as Guild new recruit.

---

Rachel finally made it to her apartment in Brooklyn and it looks....craptacular but it only apartment that is cheap, so you only give what you get.

Rachel unlock and door, the room was that bad but it's a little small with bed on the left side and the desk on the right side with a lamp and clock. She lay on bag on the floor and sat down on her bed, she pull out her and text her mom


Ok good, did you make it safe?

Did you get hurt?

Were you followed?

Sorry, I know that you want to join the guild but it getting too dangerous ever since me and your father left, I just want you to get there safe

Her mother does have a point, there was a reason for her parents not telling about her birthmark and her powers. From what her parents tell her that many, I mean Many, magic users die from a war that lasted wars that have no end.


tomorrow morning or tonight or somewhere in between

Ok baby, good luck out there. I love you


When Rachel turn off her phone and about to change her clothes, She jump when hear the loudest lighting strike she have ever heard in her life, She crack open the only window in her apartment to see a big thunderstorm with blue lighting coming out of it.
".....Let's just pretend that is not a bad omen." Rachel say to herself.

Circe on the couch flipping through channels on the television. She needed a little time away from the big city, to many toys and Mommy Al needed his alone time for his "special project". Circe begged him to let her play with Aliira, but he said it was something he needed to do himself. Of course when she tried to invite herself, that damned Cleo stopped her.

"You know, sometimes I think he only keeps her around to watch me. That bitch said I can't go around New York killing all you humans without drawing too much attention to us." She said laughing sadistically as she turned to the loveseat next to her.

Two young men sat together constricted in what could only be described as living shadows. A quick glance around the room and you would see pictures of the men getting married, going on vacations, among other boring things. Circe stood up and stretched herself, enjoying the delicious sound of joints popping. She walked over to the window and peered out, able to see New York from New Jersey. Just as the young woman began turning around, lightning shot up towards the sky in a dazzling display of intensity.

"He did it! The bastard actually did it! I didn't think he would actually go through with it, he's been skulking around trying to avoid that baby Zues knockoff for years! I may have slightly underestimated him! Hehehehehe, this is just beautiful! I mean seriously, she is pissed! You can feel the hate from even over here! Oh you mundanes really are missing out on all the good stuff!" She rambled to her terrified guests.

Circe skipped over to their kitchen and riffled through their food, making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She smooshed some chips and pickles she found in between to go with it. As she took a huge bite she sat back on the couch and pulled out her phone. It was terribly outdated with a large crack on it. She pulled up her text messages and clicked on Lana.

Listen, you will never believe what Al just did! Don't fucking call anyone else, I want to tell you the good news! Hurry back, I want to go out on a killing spree with you finally. Let that adorable murderous side out for once! Kiss kiss! Circe.

She pressed the send button and the message was off to Lana. Circe missed her favorite person in DS, she knew Lana was just as…. Off as Circe was, the poor thing just refused to let that side shine! Al said he sent her off on a secret mission a while ago, but she had to be finished soon right? She was going to miss the best parts of this!

She finished up her sandwich and cleaned her hands off on her jeans. The young woman stood up and looked around. She knew she couldn't draw to much attention to the magi at the moment. But once the guildlings had all died, she would be allowed to have unrestrained pleasure. She turned her attention back to the terrified couple once more.

"Well, I think it is time to go now. Guess I will have to ransack the place, else Ty will chastise me again about being careful. I bet you he is shacked up with some Fifth Ave club whore right now just waiting for Al to get back. Just one last thing before I go." Circe walked over and jumped across the men's laps. The gags keeping them quiet faded away. They began to cry out about letting them go and Circe savored the moment. A knife made of solidified shadows slid into her hand as she leaned down and kissed one of the men.

The little dagger plunged into the man's chest piercing his heart. She held the kiss as he slowly faded from life, sucking in his last breath. She leaned back from his lips savoring the moment and looked to the dead guys husband.

"Your turn." She said as she leaned in for a kiss.

Some time later.

Circe arrived back in the Big Apple, she could hear what few people found out in the middle of the night talking about the freak odd behaving thunderstorm that had transpired merely an hour ago. The shadow witch giggled with delight at the thought of the stoic dependable Aliira no longer among the living.

She arrived at headquarters and skipped her way inside, the place was dead quiet. Circe made her way to her room, she never had money to afford her own place, something about being unable to integrate into proper society. Or some bullshit a psychiatrist said once when she was younger. She checked her phone one last time, annoyed that Lana was ignoring her as usual. She then proceeded to pull out a picture of the married couple and pin it to her wall with all the others she had collected.

Restaurant Euphoria - August 1st 2019 - 9:35pm

---

Jun had been pulling a lot of night shifts lately, which was beginning to tire him out. He couldn't really complain of course, because work was work, but the restaurant was a lot busier at night and the poor guy hardly got five minutes to himself between serving tables. It didn't help that they had been short staffed for the past week as well. All of this was starting to wear him down physically and mentally. Even someone as laid back and easy going as Jun wasn't immune to the occasional stress induced meltdown; especially when dealing with the pretentious rich folk who frequented the restaurant. He did his best to keep calm and carry on though, as he couldn't afford to lose his job. He needed the money to pay his bills and buy food, and considering how much of a struggle it had been to get it in the first place, he couldn't imagine he would have much luck finding another.

There was one table in particular that was giving him the most trouble. A young couple who were celebrating their first anniversary, but were having relationship issues and kept dragging their poor waiter into the middle of them. The biggest problem from what Jun could see, was that the male was more invested in whatever was on his phone than his girlfriend; and in order to get his attention she would end up shamelessly flirting with Jun. Normally he would be flattered, but considering she was in a relationship and she was only using him, and that he was getting a lot of flack from her boyfriend because of it, it was beginning to get on his nerves. Jun was nearing his breaking point, fortunately for him -and the young couple that he would inevitably have ended up chastising- his best-friend and fellow waiter swooped in just in time to save the day.

"Hey man, isn't it about time you took a break?" Being confident that his friend would refuse, Kevin didn't wait for Jun to respond and immediately began guiding him towards the staff room. Usually he would have protested, but he was actual grateful for the chance to relax and recompose himself, so he simply went along with it. While he had a few moments to himself Jun decided he would check his phone to see if he had any miscalls or messages; there were none.

Not quite ready to return to work he then decided he would go outside to get some fresh air. While he was out there, he witnessed what was quite a strange sight. A flash of lightning tore through the sky, which normally he wouldn't pay much mind to, except that he didn't remember there being any thunder storms in the forecast. What's more, this lightning had shot up from the ground, rather than striking it from the clouds, which is most definitely not how storms worked. Of course there was only one lightning mage he knew that was powerful enough to cause such a spectacle and that was Salem. That fact did not serve to comfort him in anyway though. There was no way she would be giving off such a display just for fun, and he knew she was either pissed off or in distress. The thought to contact her and check in did occur to him because he knew how stressed out she had been lately, with Aliira missing and the elders refusing to form a search team for her. He didn't act on that thought though, as from past experience he knew it was better to let her cool off first, so he made a note to see what had happened when he finished work.

Before he could return to work a new and disturbing thought dawned on him. Although Salem could have quite an explosive temper, he had never seen her express it in such a public manner. This drew him to the conclusion that her outburst must have something to do with Aliira. Jun's blood turned cold as his mind ventured down a dark path. "Oh god...Aliira couldn't be..." Jun couldn't bring himself to actually say what he was thinking, it was already horrible enough to even think about.

"Woah, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Kevin's voice broke him out of his trance, but Jun was too out of it to register what he actually said. Seeing the look of concern on his friends face was enough of a clue to get a general idea though. "I'm fine. Let's just get back to work." There wasn't even the slightest hint of confidence in his voice, but he ran the risk of breaking down entirely if he attempted to bring the thoughts in his head to words. There was also the fact that his mundane companion would have no idea what he was talking about anyway, so it was no use getting into it. All he could do was force all thoughts of Salem and Aliira to the back of his mind and focus on getting back to work.

---

Should one ask another for their favourite pleasure in the workplace, chances are it won't be the paperwork that comes with their position- chances are that won't be near the top of their list of 'things to enjoy at the office'.
Now while more reasonable people would leave their paperwork for the last minute, giving a rushed presentation spewed with 'uhms', 'ahs' and incoherent mumbles- Benjamin didn't have this luxury. With the comings and goings required by his position, the long duration required to hunt down individuals meant that Olin's papers built up. Without submitting all of the outstanding documents before he left again, it would be anybody's guess when they'd be completed.
Which was why Benjamin Olin was still at the Headquarters, working late into the night on his outstanding work rather than watching television at home.
The desk he was using was devoid of any personal belongings, instead its teak cover was buried under scattered documents and paperweights that moved with the completion of each new paper.

A short blip came from Olin's phone and it took him a second to it. Putting down his pen,


Echoes of thunder ripped through through the office room, and a faint trickling of shattered glass could be heard as it fell to the floor. Whilst lacking in tremors, all of the guild members present had flinched or or turned their heads in reaction. Some had ducked down to the ground and others, like Benjamin, had dropped what they had been holding.
Leaning over to pick up his phone, Olin looks between the workers currently occupying the room, those who looked back gave questioning or knowing glances, certain of who was responsible.

----

There she stood up on the stage again. Willow sang the words, but she knew no one was really listening to them, not even herself. After all, it was her voice and her magic they were moved by. The words didn't exactly matter anymore. She could hum and it would do just as well.

Now Willow loved to sing, that wasn't the issue, but something didn't feel right anymore. She wasn't sure if it was because she was older now and had other things to say, but wasn't allowed to (because her producers always forced those pure, happy songs), or because now that she knew it was just her magic doing it's thing, putting everyone into a trance, that it lost it's allure. Perhaps it was both.

She always believed that music should have a meaningful message. And that message could be of any emotion one chose it to be. Sadness and anger are just as valid an emotion as happiness. Sometimes that was something people needed to hear. Sometimes it helped people to know that you were hurting too.

These are the things she wasn't allowed to say.

Willow realized she had reached the end of her last song and had already stopped singing.

She cleared her throat, "Thank you all for coming! I hope you enjoyed it!" she said, giving them all a smile. Of course, the crowd cheered for more again, "Oh come now, that was already the fifth one! I'll lose my voice at this rate. Have a great night, everyone!" she said, giving them one last smile and a curtsy before she walked off the stage to the back. In truth, she could've sang more, but she wasn't really feeling it anymore at all. She sat down in the chair they had brought for her, trying to sort through her own thoughts.

She hadn't even noticed one of her producers had come to talk to her, he cleared his own throat and that brought her out of her doldrums, he looked...sastified, but visibly displeased, "Sorry, what is it, Mr. Braunhill?"

He crossed his arms, "A superb performance as always, Willow, but I feel like you're starting to lose heart in your singing. Is something the matter with you?"

Willow frowned for a second before covering that up with a smile, "No, of course not..." Goodness, I'm a terrible liar "Well, yes, actually... It's just... why can't I sing other songs? Happy songs are great and all, but don't you think there's a place for other kinds of songs?"

Braunhill gave her a smirk, "Those kind of songs aren't where the money is. Not in this genre, at least." she smirked faded to a disapproving frown, "Perhaps it's time you retire from the idol life, my dear. Your concerts are becoming more and more rare and your popularity has fallen a lot lately. That's isn't to say people don't adore you, but the money's definitely slowing d-"

"Well, maybe if I could sing some new songs!" Willow interjected.

He rose an eyebrow at her,"-I don't see how that will help, Willow. A songs a song, and it's not making money anymore it should be cut. Sorry girlie. If I don't see any improvements soon, you're out of here." he said, before walking off.

Willow bit her lip to hold back her anger and her tears. Funnily enough two of the things she couldn't sing about. She sat there, curled up in that chair for awhile, unsure of what to do anymore...

Subway Station, Brooklyn, New York City to Dark Shadow HQ
[Hr]The double doors of the train car slid open, allowing Lex to exit with his t-shirt, cargo shorts, and sneakers intact. He faced a few people waiting to board. The first man to get around Lex and through the door noticed several men lying on the seats, appearing to be asleep on the train.

"What the..?" The man let out as he looked upon the scene with a perplexed expression. "Pieces of shit. I'm not sitting on the train with these fuckin' bums!" The man said as he backed up and headed to the neighboring train car. The rest of the group followed suit as they noticed the large number of men "sleeping" all around the car.

Lex just continued on his way.

"Stand clear of the closing doors, please!" The speaker announced as it always did in the train car…

--
The Dark Shadow headquarters was exactly the way he left it, tattered. Upon entering, Lex scanned around for any familiar faces. He never went out of his way to socialize with new people but welcomed the conversation if it came to him. He wanted to confirm his strong assumption of Aloysius going through with the execution. The matter wasn't just contributing to gossip, it was an issue that would undoubtedly change the nature of the conflict between the Guild and Dark Shadow.

Salem De Silva came to mind and he remembered the day that women unleashed an unbridled force onto them after her father's death. He had focused on his physical and magical abilities to provide greater support if an attack of that scale threatened Dark Shadow.

"Anyone see the boss? Or anyone else important enough to be in the know?"

A collab between @Strange Rodent and @PureHeroine

---

Up stairs, around corners, through the occasional door, Brynn was hurtling. She had a key in one hand, and a garbage bag in the other. Her breathing was heavy, her legs pained, and she had a stitch, but competition was competition, and must not be ignored. Especially when it’s her sister that she’s competing with.

The top of a door peaked over the last step. A few more stairs, and the number 192 revealed itself. She tossed the bag at the door, seconds before she crested the stairs. Footsteps crashed around the exceptionally grey hall as she ran the home stretch, past the unopened elevators, and straight into the door.

The elevator dinged, and screeched open. ”Beat ya!” she called, breathing heavily.



Seconds after exiting the car, Brynn had taken off in a sprint towards the apartment building. Sierra watched in mild amusement as her sister rather childishly hurled herself through the doors, and from there, up the several flights of stairs. These actions came as no surprise to her however, because she knew how competitive the other woman could be. Rather than following after her, Sierra instead opted for taking the elevator, like any rational person would, especially when carrying a heavy box like she was.

The task of pushing the button to call the elevator down was a bit of a hassle with both of her arms full, but she quickly solved that problem by propping one half of the box on her thigh, with her foot braced against the wall for balance. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but she only had to hold it for a few seconds. Once the button was pushed, she could return to holding the box securely with both arms.

Moments later the elevator would arrive on the ground floor, and the doors would open allowing her to step inside. The ride in the elevator was rather short, but relatively pleasant. She could only imagine how tiring it would have been carrying the box up the stairs, especially if she had done so in the same maniacal fashion Brynn had. She had to admit though, it was nice to see her sister so excited.

Soon enough the elevator would stop and the doors would screech open once again. Shortly after that she would hear her sister call out in triumph from the doorway of their new apartment. "Yes, you won. But at what cost? You know we still have more stuff to carry up, right?" The older woman commented in passing as she walked a few steps further into the apartment, before finally placing the box on the ground.

”That sounds like loser talk,” Brynn said with a smirk. She lightly kicked at the box that Sierra had brought up, saying ”How many more are there?”
She was definitely hoping Sierra would say “none”, but there was more. Oh was there more. And after the boxes, there was furniture. She was happy that her sister669933 got a promotion, and happy that they could afford to move, but the actual act of moving was one hell of a bitch.

"Hey, be careful! Unless you want to be eating out of your hands!" Sierra growled, albeit softly. The box Brynn kicked had all of their dishes and cutlery in it, which were rather fragile. She didn't fancy having to replace them, so she decided to pick the box up and take it to the kitchen to place on the counter, where it would be safe from her brat of a sister.

"Lots. Now let's get going, I don't want to still be moving things in while it's dark." With that, Sierra marched her way out of the apartment and back to the elevator. Their last apartment didn't have a functioning elevator, so she'd be damned if she wasn't going to take full advantage of this one.

”Hey!” Brynn called after her sister, ”It's not like we wrapped them up for nothing, and I didn't even kick it hard!”

She hurried after her sister, and only just made it into the elevator. A second longer, and she would've had to wait or take the stairs again. ”Good thing I made it, or you'd have lost again.”

Sierra was ready to reach out the stop the elevator doors from closing to make sure Brynn could get on, but her sister managed to get there just in time. "Yes, how fortunate. Any more winning from you and I would have to do all the moving myself." Sierra quipped, referring to how out of breath Brynn had been earlier.

”No, I could do that all day,” Brynn said, trying to control her breathing. She couldn't do it all day. ”And moving is the loser’s prize anyway.”

It was obvious to her that Brynn was lying, but knowing she would just continue to deny it, Sierra didn't say anything more; least she encourage her sister to try and prove it. Before she knew it they were back on the ground floor anyway. As soon as the doors open, she began walking at a brisk pace towards the car, eager to get the moving done as quickly as possible.



By the time they had finished moving all of their belongings into the apartment, and getting them relatively situated in their designated areas, Sierra's body was aching and she had worked up quite a sweat. She decided she was going to go and run herself a hot bath so she could get clean and relax. As she lay there, mostly submerged in the hot and moderately bubbly water, her mind began running through a mental checklist of everything that still needed to be done.

Eventually her thoughts brought her to the realisation that they didn't have any food. It was still reasonably early in the evening, but Sierra couldn't be bothered going out to buy anything to cook, and she had a feeling Brynn wouldn't be either. Although she was hungry, she was too comfortable to get up and do anything about it, fortunately her telepathic connection with Brynn would allow her to relay a request to her without having to move a muscle. "Hey I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty hungry. Why don't you order us some food? I don't care what it is, as long as it isn't too spicy."

”Are you reading my thoughts or something?” Brynn asked back, knowing full well that it was possible. She was slouched across the arms of her favourite armchair, phone already open. As a result, she was opening the take out app in seconds. ”I’m getting gyros.” It wasn’t a question. Brynn wanted them, and she already knew Sierra’s order. Though, the fact that it’s the same order does make it easier.

With Brynn handling the food Sierra was able to relax once again. She stayed in the bath for another half an hour or so, up until the temperature of the water dropped to the point where it was no longer soothing to sit in. Her sister hadn't called her for the food yet, so she was in no rush to get dressed, and took her time picking out a nice comfortable outfit to lounge around in, as well as dry her hair thoroughly before joining her twin in the living area. Once there she threw herself down on the small couch they had and pulled out her phone to do some online shopping. She recently received a promotion from work, which was the reason for them moving to a bigger flashier apartment, and she felt like she deserved to splurge a little as a reward for her hard work.

Just as she sat down, the buzzer for the door went off. Brynn sighed and looked across to Sierra, who had just gotten comfy on a couch. ”I'll get it,” Brynn said, dejectedly. She knew that Sierra wouldn't go get it, not for anything, so there was no real point to even asking. Brynn dragged herself out of her chair and walked to the door, buzzing the delivery guy in. She'd be damned if she was going down there again today. In fact, she'd be happy if she never had to go down the stairs again. She'd just get Sierra to do it, then teleport down there.

There was a knock at their door, which Brynn promptly opened, procured food from, and closed. Paying and tipping had already been done over the phone, so there was no need for that again. She teleported over to her sister, gave her food, and walked back to her armchair to sit down. Everything hurts and this will fix it all,” she thought to Sierra.

Sierra didn't even flinch at the sound of the buzzer, she was far too occupied with filling her shopping cart with more clothes than her wardrobe could hold. She probably wouldn't buy everything, but the site was having a sale, so who knows. The only thing that would draw her attention away from her phone was the smell of food. She quickly sat up as Brynn appeared before her, and tossed her phone aside in favor of the food. By the time her twin was seated again, she was already one mouthful in. A deep satisfied hum came as the only response to the other woman's thoughts.

earlier that afternoon

An agitated Fitz kept himself low and out of sight on a rooftop near a New York City courthouse waiting for just the right moment. Waiting was a boring but necessary part of the job, and as tedious as it was, it sure beat the hell out of a real job. So, Fitz kept himself under control, watching through a hand held scope and waited for his mark to arrive. He took a drag on the Juul e-cig he had with him, although he thought the fake things were for douchey kids, he wasn’t about to get busted from leaving cigarette butts lying around a crime scene, he had watched enough TV to be smarter than that. After enough hits to get a nicotine fix in he slipped the thing back in his jacket pocket and fished out a single bullet from that pocket. His lips formed into a small smirk as he spotted the mark, a would-be rat, headed into the courthouse.

Now there were some telekinetics who liked showing off, the ‘oh look at me I can move a big bloody boulder’ idiots who wasted all their energy on the big stuff. But Fitz liked to think he was smarter than that. A bullet was designed to a perfect little aerodynamic killing device; lightweight and easy to maneuver, and was, in his opinion, the perfect choice for a telekinetic looking to kill. An added bonus with his ability was there was no ballistics for the cops to trace, no gun he needed to hide or get rid of, just a single bullet paired with his own mind and skill. With his mind focused only on his mark and controlling the bullet he sent it hurtling through the air and curving it towards his victim with more than enough force to pierce through the man’s skull.

”Boom, bloody fucking headshot.” Fitz whispered to himself before making a dash towards the fire escape and climbing down to the streets below. The curving of the bullet was important, sending cops looking in a different trajectory than where he was giving him enough time to head into a crowd unnoticed. Another kill meant another paycheck, and while Fitz rarely cared about any details surrounding a hit or why he was asked to kill, knowing this man was about to snitch on his employers made it even easier; a man without loyalty deserved no mercy. He had offered to make the whole ordeal a little messier for the rat, but the man paying him wanted it done quick and clean, and all Fitz really wanted was to get paid, so he complied.

Liam Fitzpatrick had never worked an honest day in his life, and he never planned to; mundane jobs were for normal people, and he was more than that, greater than the mundane. His ability meant he could be more and all he had to do was be half way smart about it. Hits were a rare but exhilarating way to earn a good amount of cash, but gaming casinos was equally fun and the rest of his day was spent doing just that. He lost a bit at the blackjack tables, goofed off at the slots for a bit, and had more than a few drinks before winning a few hundred by betting it all on black at the roulette table and using his skill to ensure a win. When he gambled, which was frequently, he kept his winnings at the casinos on the low end, and rotated locations so as not to draw any suspicions.

By the time he got back to Brooklyn it was after nine that evening. Fitz was standing outside of a dive bar lighting up a real cigarette as a flash of blue lightning lit up the sky. It was strange as the sky was clear and there was no sign of storm, but the inebriated man ignored the portent as he continued to unwind with a smoke. His bar of choice was fairly dirty, had a couple pool tables, and drew in the seedier crowd that he generally liked. The main downside was it was also frequented by another group of people he hated about as much as rats, Yankees fans. Just last weekend he had a good brawl with a few who running their mouths after his Sox had lost. Today was looking up for Fitz, the sting of The Sox’s loss was fading, he had money in his pocket and more on the way, and he still had hours to go before last call.

and Marcus

Persephone's plane rumbled with turbulence as New York crested into view. She could hear the pilots talking with the tower over their headsets. As they closed in on the runway jolts of lightning spewed from the earth in apocalyptic fashion. Persephone instinctively flinched at the power of the electricity as the plane jerked away in fear. She heard one of the pilots curse under his breath.

The plane corrected itself and was once again coming in for a second landing. This time everything went smoothly and the plane touched down. Persephone collected her only belongings which barely amounted to a carry on bag. She stepped off the plane and went through customs.

[color=lightpurple]"Hello Miss Masers, so glad your flight arrived safely with that crazy thunderbolt we just had. Is there anything you would like to declare before finishing entering the country?"[/color] The TSA agent asked semi cheerfully.

"No ma'am, I have very little to my name, so just some spare clothes and my research." Persephone answered a little nervously, always worried when people looked at her i.d. they saw who she was before. But the agent barely smiled and handed everything back to her.

The young botanist left the airport and as she stepped outside she was greeted by a man holding a sign with her name on it.

"Hello, I am Miss Masers." She said nervously to him.

"Hello Miss Masers, I am Phil! I was asked to come pick you up and make sure you get to the Guild safely and answer any questions you may have still lingering. Oh and you have a twig in your hair, let me help." Phil reached out to grab at the plant but Persphone stepped back.

"I am sorry, please don't. I wish to not sound rude, but this is a Liana Vine from the rainforest in Brazil. I couldn't leave my home without something to remind me of it."

"My deepest apologies miss, I did not mean to offend you. Please step in the car and I will get you to Headquarters before you know it. I have been told everything you asked for is already set up and waiting for you, even the greenhouse." Phil said way too happily.

Persephone sighed worried that the only thing she asked for before coming to New York is done. She needed a safe place where she could grow and nurture her babies despite the colder temperatures of the north. They rode around with minimal chit chat the rest of the time in the car.

The car pulled into an underground garage, Persephone began to feel a bit claustrophobic. She wasn't used to the concrete jungle of New York. She missed her lush forests, the vibrancy of a world teeming with life both seen and unseen. The freshest air that could only be found in the deepest darkest corners of the Amazon. This steel and stone city felt like a suffocating coffin. The air thick with pollution made her throat feel like she was inhaling fire. She supposed she would have to get used to the bright lights and … odd smell quick if she wanted to traverse through the busy world.

After the car parked Phil told her not to worry about her bag he would take care of it. She softly said her thanks and walked into the Guild Headquarters. The opulence of the building was staggering to Persephone, who was used to sleeping beneath the stars in the canopy of trees on the worst of nights. The white marble and gold trim of the Headquarters was blinding at best, she had to squint her eyes until they got used to the brightness of it all.

Across the way, Guild Lieutenant Marcus Stone observed Persephone who he could see was clearly new to the Guild. Especially if she had been escorted by Phil of all people. Marcus thought of him as a good guy at heart, but Phil wasn't particularly great at reading people. Maybe I should give her a better impression on the Guild… The last thing we need is someone joining Dark Shadow because we gave a shitty welcoming. Marcus put on his best friendly face and walked over. He had been waiting to receive the official word on what happened with Salem from any passersby that looked old enough to be on the council. He was also people watching, but he'd never admit to that.

"Too bright huh?" Marcus said with a grin. Now that he was closer, he could see just how wide-eyed she was. "Sadly, it's not something anyone ever gets used to. The gold trim gets polished on a weekly basis, so I might recommend shades on bright days like this… Wait, where are my manners? I'm Marcus, and I guess I'm filling in for Phil while he gets your things to the right place." Marcus held out his hand for a handshake. It was then that he noticed the vine in Persephone's hair. He made a quick mental note of it.

Persephone was caught off guard by a man named Marcus walking up to her right off the bat. She considered herself an extreme introvert on the best of days, and this man came up to her like they were old friends. She sheepishly shook his hand back, mostly because it was the polite thing to do.

"I am sorry, hah, I just haven't had the occasion to have much …. Human interaction in the last couple years. It is, um, nice to meet you. I am Persephone, but uh, you can call me Pers for short. If I had friends I am sure that's what they would call me. And yeah, I am overwhelmed by all this. It's like something out of an old story, like Atlantis or something." She said looking around once more trying to take it all in.

Marcus took a look around just as Persephone did. He envied her. She could admire these surroundings, and while Marcus was aware of the beauty of things, familiarity made it dull to his eyes. Once his sights rendezvoused with hers he spoke.

"Pers? I like Persephone better… BUT you can consider me your first friend here at the Guild. So where to first? You don't want to hit this boring old place first." Marcus pointed at the headquarters building with his thumb. 'It's mostly admin stuff and checking in. I can probably pull some strings and get that done and out of the way for you." Marcus assured. "Now there's the library, the gymnasium, a place to specifically for practicing magic, the huge garden… and um then there also…" Marcus purposely stalled after mention of the garden.

Persephone listened to Marcus talk about the Headquarters, she wasn't interested in the administrative duties. She had little interest in any form of power, she preferred just research and improving plants overall. The library could be useful since she was mostly familiar with only flora in the Amazon. She had no interest in the gym, her abilities weren't really combat oriented, although she could fight if she had to. But when she heard about the garden she suddenly got excited.

"I need to see the garden right away. How big is it? What state is it in? Do you know what sort of ecosystem is it based off of? What are some of the plants kept there?" Her excitement was palpable as she fired off question after question..

Marcus smiled at Persephone's excitement. Now, she was comfortable. Her barrage of questions made Marcus chuckle inside. Adorable.

"Come on." He urged while nodding his head in the direction of the garden. He figured they could walk there since it wasn't too far away. "I don't know much about plants… I do have a friend who does, but she doesn't… she doesn't really talk much... Anyway, I can only assume you magical ability revolves around plants. A lot users like you got together and created the garden." Marcus could always relate to those with chloromancers or botanokinetics due to the nature of their powers. "I like your type you know. I mean, you value your element a bit more than the others."

"Well without plants our very own ecosystem and way of living would crumble. Think about it, with no plant life the ability to support existence as a whole would cease. We would lose oxygen, which in turn would completely eradicate the ozone layer. With that the sun would have unfiltered access to the earth. The temperatures would increase exponentially, the sun would bake the ground killing off all animal life that could no longer take proper shelter. It would essentially destroy any and all forms of life on the planet's surface. So I am extremely passionate about plants and keeping us all alive." Persephone realized she had gone off tangent and stopped herself with a slight glow to her cheeks. She kept following Marcus towards the gardens excited for what she would see.

Marcus had listened to Persephone's entire explanation as the two walked. He had noticed some members and at least one captain give him some odd looks. Probably wondering who is special enough to be escorted by me.

"Passionate…" Marcus said this without looking at Persephone. Her sudden pause let him know she finally realized she had been talking more than she was used to. "I just figured it was because they're alive like us. Hmm, I never thought that deeply into it though. I guess you can show me what you can do once we get to the garden. It's just around the bend. Should be coming into view in just a sec."

Persephone turned the corner and stared in amazement. The gardens where huge, there many plants and small animal life everywhere she could see. Persephone walked through in silent reverie, she never expected something like this would exist inside such a dirty city. Persephone knew she would spend most of her time in this area with many nights spent as well. She found a bushel of Tulips that had seen better days. The wonderstruck girl walked over and placed her hand near the flowers. After a second they began to perk back up with renewed vigour and vibrancy.

"It's ok my babies, I am here now. I will take care of all of you, and when I find my sister maybe she can help me here… that is if she even has my gifts!" Persephone said to the newly revived plants.

Marcus was just glad to witness Persephone's excitement. He noticed the ease of use of her abilities. Another mental note was taken regarding this. Marcus did not mean to assess the new recruit, but the Guild needed more standouts among their ranks. It was almost instinctive the way he did it.

"What's her name? I might be able to help." Marcus talked to many people at the Guild and had been here his entire life. So he was sure he would know.

"That would be so nice. I haven't seen her since I was young, and I really don't remember much since I was so young. But I do remember her having a mage mark. Her name is Circe Masers. I had heard she was here in New York, it is why I left Brazil." she said looking over to Marcus, but his expression showed a frightening mix of emotions. His smiling face was replaced by a cold, hard expressions. His eyes looked through Persephone as he was taken away by the darkest of his thoughts.

"Circe Masers…" Marcus said the name coldly. His eyes found Persephone again before he continued. She doesn't know?!… She doesn't know… "Sounds familiar, but I think she might be the only person I don't know of by name…" Marcus tried to say comfortably. I can't tell her the truth, just look at her! She doesn't even know what that woman is! "I must be losing my touch with everyone I guess. I can look into it though" Marcus always practiced transparency, but this was a circumstance he was unprepared for.

The young woman was taken aback by the sudden change in Marcus's demeanor. He was so open and aloof just a moment ago, but at the mention at her sister he shut down and closed up shop.

I wonder if they are connected, were they a couple and she broke his heart? Poor guy, it must of been bad. She touched his shoulder sympathetically and took a deep breath.

"I am sorry, I can see I touched a nerve. I am sure I will bump into her around here somewhere. Anyways, I am hungry is there anywhere I can grab a bite to eat? They didn't have anything good on the flight." She said trying to pull him out of the shadows she saw in his eyes.

"Uh. Well, there's a food court close by. They have some cheap spots there for a quick bite, but next time we can check out this restaurant a friend of mine works at in the mundane part of the city. He's part of the wait staff so we'll be treated well." Marcus was regaining his bearings thanks to Persephone changing the subject. I promise I'll tell you, just not now. "Let's go." He said leading the way.

Persephone smiled weakly at Marcus, food sounded so much better than whatever emotional baggage Marcus held with her sister. She turned to leave the botanical gardens, then stopped and looked back at the sullen boy.

"Well I have no clue where I am at the moment, going to lead the way, or let me stumble around the city blind?" She said jokingly.

"You almost sound like a different person you know?" Marcus grinned as he broke into a short light jog to move up beside Persephone. He was teasing her newfound confidence a bit, mostly to lighten up his own mood. "Phil might not recognize you by the time he finds you again."

Persephone gave a small smile, she wanted to comfort Marcus ever so slightly. If the look in his eyes were any indicator he cared deeply for Circe. Her mind wandered for a moment about what her sister was like. She pictured an extroverted girl that likes to have fun.

"Don't get use to this, moment of pure uncharacteristically good times. I am sure to be a neurotic mess later over this."

Marcus smiled along with Persephone, even though his lie ate at him ever so slightly. Persephone was bound to find out about Circe. Anyone could tell her and Marcus wasn't sure just anyone could deliver the news in the appropriate fashion. No more stalling. Marcus took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled before speaking. "Pers, I need to tell you about your sister. You see, I know her. I know her better than I would ever want to."

Persephone stopped, she didn't like the tone of voice. Was her sister a bitch or something? What could Circe be like to warrant such a reaction? What would she do if she found out her sister was some terrible person that the guild barely tolerated her? Or maybe he is building up the nerve to tell me she died! I knew I should of looked for her sooner, if I hadn't gotten so sidetracked in South America. I was working on my tan and my sister was up here dying!

"Go ahead, tell me. I can take it." She said unsteadily. She was looking forward to meeting Circe after all these years. Now she was terrified she would never get the chance.

She said she could take it… Marcus' went from uneasy to serious as he went all-in with his decision. He squared his body to hers and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"I don't know how you remember your sister, but she's considered an enemy to the Guild. She's not just a member of the Dark Shadow, she's done some horrible things to people around the world... I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier, but she… you were having the greatest time in the garden and I didn't want to ruin it for you." Marcus told a half-truth towards the end, but he could live with that one. There was no need explaining how Circe nearly killed him way back when.

Persephone stood stone still, she listened to Marcus's words and processed every one of them. Circe isn't a guild member? But why? What did she get herself into over all these years? I don't want to give in to denial, Marcus has no reason to lie to me. What happened to you Circe?!

Persephone wrapped her arms around herself, fighting the urge to sob and scream at the same time. She came to New York to find her sister, but now she learned that she was an enemy. One that had a heinous reputation. The young plant spent the last few years helping the poor and downtrodden in Brazil, healing with her plants, fighting to protect the forest. And Circe was off doing the exact opposite? She had to know more.

"How bad is it? Does she hurt people? Is this Dark Shadows as bad as your saying? Do you think, maybe she was sent to the group from here?" She held onto some hope that maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe it was an act, sure their childhood got off to a tumultuous start. But how had Persephone grown up helping, while Circe didn't?

This was not just hard for Persephone. Marcus found it hard to hurt someone like this. It would be better than lying, but still didn't sit well with him Like a loving parent that only had the bitterest of medicines to give to their sick child, he continued. It just had to be him. Another person might not have tried to be so careful, and another might have held too much back.

"Pers, listen. It's bad. She doesn't just hurt people, she enjoys it! I've seen her kill people with a smile on her face. You know she… she almost got me. Let me live on a whim. Said it was because I helped with her fun." Marcus' voice became weaker as he explained a small excerpt from what was possibly the worst moment of his life.

Persephone stood in muted shock, to think Circe was that terrible, she wasn't sure she wanted to see her sister anymore. But at the same time, she couldn't just not see her. When she looked at Marcus though she saw the fear in his eyes and knew if she did run into Circe she would have to be cautious.

"So how bout that food? Let's not dredge up something so bad right now. I am sure someone can tell me about her eventually." She said trying to change the subject.

"Yeah let's do that." Marcus agreed in a solemn tone. He felt like shit now, but he didn't regret telling Persephone the truth. [Color=tan]How the hell do I explain to Salem that I'm the reason a recruit ran off and joined Dark Shadow? She's already pissed about something and fuck… Philip, I should have let you handle everything.

The pair quietly walked to the food court, probably to give each other time with their own thoughts. Upon arriving, Marcus held the door open for Persephone while trying to show a weak yet friendly smile.

"So what do you like to eat? And I promise a restaurant next time." Inside, the food court was no different than one might find in a shopping mall. There was a burger spot, Asian cuisine, a pizza place, a smoothie joint, and a few other small spots scattered about. The place was teeming with people looking for a quick bite to eat.

"Um, you see the past four or five years my diet has been almost nothing but what I scavenge or catch myself. But I don't want anything too heavy too often. So maybe a slice of pizza, I have missed that. And I think my body won't hate me too much if I indulge just a little bit." Persephone walked into the pizza place and ordered a slice with mushrooms and peppers while she waited for Marcus to catch up and order.

"Scavenge? Why couldn't you just grow fruit trees and veggies? Being a vegan isn't something I'd be happy with, but it would be something." Marcus commented before he gave a quick nod to the gentleman behind the counter of the pizza place. Marcus was familiar with the food court, and it in turn was familiar with him.

"Two extra cheese slices of pizza LT?" The man on the other side of the counter asked in order to confirm Marcus' usual order.

"You know it. And I got hers covered too." Marcus added.

"Thanks I forgot about money. I don't have any. And as for your question, I did have a little grove of things. But being able to grow, doesn't mean you should. You have to factor in homeostasis of the environment. I couldn't just grow whatever I wanted, it could upset the ecosystem. It's why I have research notes, I didn't want to upset the balance of life. And I am not a vegan, I have had small game like rabbits and what not. But I haven't pizza in a while. There is this amazing place in Philly I remember called Top Tomato. Best pizza I ever had, it was right next to gayberhood."

Persephone took her slice of pizza and a glass of water and sat down at a table. She took a small bite and she had to suppress a moan. She missed the taste of pizza and tried to take her time to enjoy the slice.

"She sure told you, LT." The guy on the other side of the counter teased. Marcus smiled and turned to Persephone who was enjoying her pizza.

"She did didn't she? Pers has really grown you know. Maybe I'm the one with power to grow flowers." Marcus said from the counter as he exchanged his pizza for some cash he had in his wallet. Marcus silently motioned for the man to keep the change before heading to the table to sit with Persephone.

"Just because I am an introvert, doesn't mean I don't have a smart mouth. Remember this, you may think I am a beautiful flower. But be cautious, sometimes the most beautiful flowers, are the most dangerous." Persephone finished her dinner. She wiped her hands off on her jeans and waited for Marcus to finish his food.

"So is there anything I really need to know. I have no clue as to what is happening around here." Persephone said getting serious. She needed all the information she could get, and Marcus seemed like a guy in the know.

Marcus had been giving Persephone a smug look as he took a bite of one of his slices. Once finished chewing, he nodded to himself. He matched Perseohone's seriousness.

"I'm not sure where to start. There's Dark Shadow. They're a group of magic users that want to be the master race or something like that." Marcus took a small bite so he could continue quickly. "We just need to get rid of them. I think something bad happened today, but I won't find out until I run into our leader, Salem or one of the council members. Preferably the latter. If you saw that lightning earlier, yeah that was her." Marcus explained before continuing to eat his pizza. "Anything specific you wanna know?" His mouth was half full of pizza when he asked.

Persephone sat and mulled her thoughts over for a few moments. She had to ask the right questions to get the right answers. Anything less could result in incomplete or useless information. That isn't to say Marcus would purposely deceive her, but she couldn't be proper support if she was in the dark about everything.

"Honestly, I don't know enough to ask the best questions. Admitting ignorance is the first step to truly learning. If you can give me some time I am sure I can come up with some good ones for you. But after being on a plane for 10 hours my brain is still a little mush. It's late enough, and it seems that our leader Salem is the reason I almost got blasted out of the sky today. For a chloromage it would suck if I died not on the ground." She said to Marcus with a chuckle. "But I am getting a little sleepy. Do you know where my room is? Or if there are no rooms, I guess I could always sleep in the garden. It would be like I never left the jungle."

Marcus had taken the time to finish his pizza off while Persephone thought of her additional questions that never came. Yeah, I think you used up all your energy with all of this socializing.

"You're not sleeping in a garden in the middle of this city. I don't know where your room is, but… I guess Phil would know. He's probably looking for you now." Marcus got out his phone and dialed for Phil. "Hey Phil, I have Pers here at the food court. I took her on a tour, but now she's bored and wants to go to her room… See you soon." Marcus ended the call with a thumb tap and looked to Persephone. "Got a phone number? Or you can just have mine if you ever think of those questions or just want to do hangout again. And don't worry about being a recruit that's friendly with a lieutenant. It just means you're cool."

Persephone looked down in embarrassment at Marcus saying she was bored of him. It wasn't that, just she was reaching her limit of social interaction for one day.

"I am sorry, I don't have a phone. Once I get some money flowing somehow, I will buy a phone. Thank you for the tour, it was lovely." Persephone stood up and greeted Phil as he walked up. She followed him all the way to the bedrooms and found hers easily enough. She thanked Phil for all his help and went into her room.

After what felt like an eternity in that chair, Willow remembered she needed to get to Guild HQ. She slowly rose from it, and began her way out of the building, after changing into something less....standout. She took the back way and went into the alleys to stay away from people. She didn't exactly feel like talking.

As she walked, she didn't really pay too much attention to where she was going. She knew the way well and her mind was plagued with questions.

Were people's interest in her really that low?
Were they really not interested in any other kind of songs?
If she tried something different would they actually hate her or it?
What was the best course of action?
What did SHE want to do?
Should she really just quit now while she's ahead? At least then she could focus entirely on the Guild instead...

Then again she wasn't all the useful there either. As a fighter, she wasn't all that strong. On the battlefield her main role was support, if she was even allowed near it. They'd usually keep her in some secret safe place where she could sing for the injured. Not only that but she needed a guard, which meant she was taking up someone else's time. Time that could be spent where they were needed more.

Maybe she should just disappear entirely? Willow knew she wouldn't be happy that way, but it was better than being a bother to everyone. She wasn't needed. Even Salem who, while she didn't really treat her badly per-say, never really paid her much mind. The woman just seemed disinterested...

Before she realized it she was standing in front of the doors to HQ. Willow sighed. For the first time she...didn't really want to go in. It's not like they needed her for the meeting or whatever was going on tonight. She was barely a member and didn't really know much of tactics or goings on. All she knew was song and dance.

But she did want to help people. This was a fact. She knew it and everyone that knew her knew it. Her songs and the Guild were...both ways of doing this, really. Did she want to stop either? No. Not really. As chaotic as it was to balance both she enjoyed it. Sometimes she could tie them together and that felt nice.

Anyway, she still wasn't sure what to do. She needed to talk to someone to help her weigh her options. Someone to help sort her thoughts. She couldn't think of anyone though...didn't help she wasn't all that close to anybody. Maybe Salem was her best bet. She was smart and logical, assuming she wasn't angry. Willow wasn't sure she'd want to talk about it though. She also shouldn't just stand outside like this. Willow went in with a still worried, confused expression on her face.

After Ty and Jaz left, Aloysius stayed in his office for a good hour. He had no idea what to do right now. Ty was pissed at him, and despite Aloysius's devil may care, I am superior attitude, Ty was the only one he cared about when it came to what he thought of Aloysius. He had contemplated texting him, or doing something to convey how he felt, but the closing words of the conversation previously had rooted his hands away from his phone.

In reality, Aloysius didn't know what to do next. The attack was mostly out of revenge after discovering the evidence that led Al to conclude that Lana was dead. It wasn't part of some master plan like he made out to Ty and Jaz. He knew Salem was pissed right now, and that she would be looking for any excuse for revenge. The Dark Shadow HQ was possibly the only safe place right now. Well, as about as safe as could be; Salem had broken the door down once before.

Standing up he walked over to the office window overlooking the main atrium. There he saw his followers gathering around and eating pizza, acting like a family. His eyes scanned around as he picked up familiar faces, others he hadn't bothered learning their names. But they were his followers. He had a duty to protect them, from both the Non-magi and Salem and The Guild. With a hefty sigh, Aloysius lifted his hand and ran his finger through his black lockes, trying his hardest not to suddenly crack and have a break down as the reality of the situation sunk in.

Lana was gone. Dead. Finished. No longer of this mortal plane of existence. As much as they didn't get on, spent a good part of their time together arguing or physically fighting, Lana was an important part of the Dark Shadow equation. She was the glue that bound everyone. Most people found Aloysius too egotistical to listen to, or perhaps he was just crazy. Lana was the down to earth one, able to translate Aloysius's crazy ideas into a format that people could understand. With her gone, it was just Aloysius alone in his ivory tower again.

Moving back to his desk he opened up his phone and rather than opening his messages he instead opened his Spotify app and began to flick through artists. He needed a pick me up and he knew exactly who to choose for that: Willow Fitzgerald. He knew that she was a Magi, and she worked for the Guild, but he also knew how nice it was to just feel happy from time to time. Putting a song on he melted into his leather seat and began waving his fingers in the air like a conductor as the music played.

His body entered a state of bliss, his mind numbing and muscles relaxing. He knew if Lana was here she would be lecturing him about how he shouldn't be listening to the enemy, and how it was quite sad how a low level mage could influence someone like Aloysius. He could imagine her pointing out that it would be just as easy to have Willow imbue orders like 'shoot yourself' into her songs and silly old Al would do just that.

That very thought pulled Aloysius out of his trance and straightened him up like a stiff bolt. "Ohhhh…. Music… that's it. What better way to control large groups of people." Aloysius muttered to himself as got up and began to walk over through the bookcase the opposite side of his desk. His fingers scanned each book, specifically each edition of the Magi Encyclopedia. Eventually he found the book he was looking and made his way back to his desk. Flicking through the pages he eventually found the article he was looking for: 'Sirens' The fabled destroyers of ships. Of course, no one believed they did exist, they always had assumed the sailors had been drunk, lonely or riddled with disease to think straight. But no, a bunch of voice welding magi in the early 1400s thought it would be funny to play pranks on ships by singing at them. Of course, nowadays it didn't really work that well for ships, but what about large groups of people at concerts?

With a smirk, Aloysius collected his phone stopped the music and began to phone up his business department, the ones who held all his money and had no idea he was actually a Magi. "Bill it's Al. Yeah Hi. How are the kids? Good. Glad to hear. Listen I need you to incorporate a new company for me. I want to make a new record label. Yes I am more than aware I have no idea what makes good music, but that is beside the point. Just message me when it is made." With that he hung the phone up and placed it on the desk, a smirk forming at the corners of his lips.

Circe admired her walls, there were so many pictures of what appeared to be random people. Some may think that it was a weird habit, photographing complete strangers. But Circe knew better, each picture told a story. Every one of those toys were now broken thanks to Circe's hand in one way or another.

She fondly touched one, allowing the memory to wash over her. The man was a bodybuilder, she had seen him flexing his muscles for everyone who would look at him. It was that to lure him away to his car for some fun… well fun for her at least. His eyes bulging and bloodshot as she wrapped a seat belt around his thick neck.

This picture told a story of a young aspiring actress, who laid upon many casting couches to get her shot at fame. Circe could still hear the young woman pleading as the knife plunged into her chest. The smell of iron and sweat hanging heavy in the air.

Circe could smell food wafting from the meeting area. That only meant one thing, Cleo was back. The young woman quietly hurried over and locked the door. As she did so she looked at the only picture that hung there. She looked at it quizzically as she thought back to that night.

It was supposed to be a good one, the rain was coming down in sheets. She had seen the wife helping at a local homeless kitchen. She knew she would be let in easily. The dark magi knocked on the door and when the wife answered she spun a story about her car having a flat and her cell phone ruined thanks to the convenient rain. The wife took immediate pity on the drenched girl standing on her doorstep, and invited her in.

She took the woman's cell and punched in a string of numbers. Lana answered her phone and Circe proceeded to ask for a picking. Lana told her to go to hell, last time she picked her up she got blood all over her car. Circe thanked Lana and gave the phone back to the lady. As she pretended to wait for a ride that she didn't need the husband came downstairs. Circe waited a moment longer and then pounced on her toys.

The strange part about this encounter was that the couple never really begged to live. Instead, shockingly, they thanked Circe for what she was about to do. Confused the young sociopath asked why they were trying to ruin her fun. They explained to her that a few years ago their child had passed on due to a sickness. And if they were to die that night, at least they would be reunited. They even thanked her for what she was about to do! In that single moment Circe paused, and mused over her thoughts. This couple had already stolen the fun from the night so she ended their lives quickly.

She caressed the photo in front of her, a man, his wife and their child smiling at the camera. They had no clue what would befell them. Circe turned away and put on the radio, a song by Willow Fitzgerald came on and Circe changed the channel. On the next station another Willow song, when she flipped it to the third station and heard that insufferable voice once more she grabbed the radio and threw it on the floor. It shattered loudly and Circe growled at it. She pulled out her cell phone and turned on one of her phone games as she laid back in bed, waiting for that intolerable Cleo to disappear so she can snatch some food.

Dark Shadow HQ, Brooklyn, New York City

Cleo's voice drew Lex's attention. Some of what she said confirmed his suspicions which was enough information to quench his curiosity at the moment.

"Sure, I'll have a bite. The seagulls at Coney stole my dinner when I got distracted by Salem's little battlecry." Lex smirked as he found it silly to be robbed by the birds, but he was also happy to speak to Cleo. Besides the fact that she seemed to go above and beyond to keep Dark Shadow from falling apart, you could find the most normalcy in Cleo. From what Lex could tell, the woman puts in way more than she gets back. Her dedication was admirable to him.

Lex grabbed the box of pizza and flipped it open to find a pizza with pepperoni scattered across it. His favorite. Even if it had been something else, complaining about pizza toppings in front of Cleo was a bad move.

"Lucky me! I'm sure you didn't plan it, but thanks… Pizza day means that you tried to take a... lighter day?" Lex asked and followed up with a sigh before taking a bite of a slice of pizza. He shook his head in disapproval and set the pizza box down. "I gotta find a way to give you a real day off… I'd need a whole team of responsible members and some way to deal with Circe just in case… How the hell would I...nevermind. It's either that, or Aloysius needs to pay you more." He smirked again as he took his second bite of his pizza slice. Lex knew how hard Cleo worked for Dark Shadow and he wanted to show that he appreciated what she did for the group, even if it was accompanied with a few bad jokes.