Skai

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

Lyss did her best to listen to Agatha, but the moment the articles were spread across the table Agatha faded into the background. Lyss managed to pull one of them to before the others could. Her eyes darted across the page as she read over the details and her eyebrow rose. She'd heard of deaths similar to this, but three of the same deaths in one week? Either this thing moved quickly, or there were multiple creatures in New Port.

Babylon's presence grew stronger and Lyss lifted her eyes from the article to stare at the apparition. This time her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips parted as if she wanted to speak. If these deaths had anything to do with apparitions, Lyss knew that she would be able to stop any further murders. Something about these deaths felt more like a werewolf or other flesh eating monster attack instead of the work of an apparition. Even so, it seemed like Babylon wasn't filling them in on all of her knowledge. Perhaps a little poking later when she could get Emily alone would get the rest out of her.

Lyss was certainly interested in these deaths. Was she capable of stopping a creature like this, if it wasn't an apparition? She certainly wouldn't be able to do it alone. Madison spoke up, and while Lyss thought she just stated the obvious, the Mystery Inc. reference brought a small smirk to her lips. She looked over at Agatha and raised her eyebrows. "Madison has a point. We can't do anything about it unless we do it from the shadows."

Kayla even stated the same thing. Lyss turned her attention towards the other witch as she stood and expected some grand speech about staying out of the government's way. She was severely disappointed, and expressed it with a puff of air from her nose. She set the article flat on the table. A serial killer? She sounded like a Blind. These were obviously caused by something supernatural. The real question here was whether any of the girls in the Coven could handle if they found out exactly what was feeding so openly. At least Riley agreed.

Lyss was just about to speak her mind. She even took in a deep breath so that her words would come out clearly, but then Kayla continued with a different topic. Lyss pressed her lips together, but listened to Kayla with genuine interest. She sounded different than usual. Was this... Was this the tone Kayla used when she asked for help? Kayla, the ultimate badass, was asking for help?

Well... she had a good reason to. At first it was odd that Kayla would put her pup on show like that, but as Lyss saw the bruising on Oleander's skin she felt a hot wave of rage pass through her. Who the fuck hits a dog? She pressed her lips together and she wished that she was close enough to Oleander to give the good boy a scratch behind his ear.

Lyss looked up at Kayla. It would be extremely evident that Lyss was totally, 100% down to rough up some animal abusing hick motherfuckers by the look on her face. It wasn't much different from her usual blank face, but her lips were a flat line. Her eyebrows were furrowed ever so slightly, and her jaw was sharper than usual as she clenched her teeth. What if they'd gotten to Kayla too? She hadn't known the girl for long, or any of the Coven members, but Lyss already felt an odd protective instinct kick in whenever they were threatened. It reminded her of her last little group of misfits, even though they probably hated her guts now.

"And one last thing... They're vampires."

Oh my satan.

Vampires fell for dog shit covered weed? Lyss laughed. Her hand came up to cover her mouth, just so that it wouldn't completely fill the room. It was a completely inappropriate time to laugh, but she couldn't help it. " So you're telling me, they didn't even smell the shit? I wouldn't have even fallen for that. Kayla must have found a vampire den with the combined IQ of a toddler.

Lyss then cleared her throat,and took a deep breath in case any other giggles wanted to squirm their way out. She was glad that the other girls were speaking over her laughter. This isn't the time for laughs. They hurt her dog, for satan's sake. Madison and Claudette were in. So were Jessica and Elise. It was surprising that Madison and Elise had agreed. Especially after Madison made a Scooby Doo reference about snooping around crime scenes. Seriously, didn't the Mystery Gang fight some "vampires" too? At least as quiet as Elise acted, she could act as the getaway driver if things went south. Even Riley could add some shock to the beatdown. Lyss was beginning to think that this group might actually get the job done, but she was still unsure about her own role in the fight. "Look, I'm fully invested in helping you, Kayla. I can't believe what they did to Oleander, and he's so strong for protecting you like that with only a few bruises to show for it, but..." She paused, and raised her hands up from the table where they rested moments ago. "I've heard about how to kill a vamp, but I've never really... done it." She bit her lip and raised her brows. She looked apologetic.

She'd seen plenty of severed vamp heads in the black market. Plenty of advanced or rare "VAMPIRE KILLING KITS". There were even many vampire gangs that ran parts of the market. It was pretty obvious not to buy the kits when they were around. If Lyss ever saw one walking her way, she'd hand the table over to one of her partners and step away. She'd never liked them. Just the energy that they emanated was eerie and just downright creepy. How the hell was she going to fight one off?

"I can't guarantee I can do anything but act as a decoy, but I'm not sure I can stake a vamp if I have to."

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

Lyss was late to the meeting. Later than she usually was. After being in the Coven for a month, she learned that it usually took a bit for the girls to settle down. So, being late today wouldn't hurt her chances of hearing any news. She usually kept up with local murders, hauntings, or the like anyways. While Agatha rarely informed her of any news she hadn't heard about already, the recently chosen leader generally had some good ideas about which cases to go after. So, why not go to the meetings anyways? The girls weren't all that bad. Only a few really got on Lyss's nerves.

So as Lyss walked into the Lucky Strike Casino, paying little to no interest to the splattered pizza as she stepped over it, she was happy to see that everyone was finally settled and ready to actually have a meeting. She glanced around as she walked over to the briefing table(s). Thank the devil I wasn't early.

"Hello everyone," she said as she took up a spot at the table. "The place is looking even messier than usual today."

To ease any tensions that might arise, Lyss gave a sly smirk to anyone that might be looking her way. After all, a few of the Coven gals looked flustered. Must have been one hell of a fight. She saw Kayla sitting at the table across from her and raised her eyebrows as she looked her way. Kayla usually had a good head on her shoulders. Everyone else was... generally reasonable. Even ol' One Eye over there, who Lyss couldn't believe was allowed to come to the meeting, had better control of his actions. Unlike who Alyssa assumed to be the culprits behind the slain slot machines and Tony's Famous Pizzas.

Lyss turned her head towards Agatha and gave the woman a reassuring smile. "So, what's the latest?" She'd come to the casino to hear what the others had to say, but that didn't mean it had to last all day. Sure, she enjoyed goofing off with these girls every now and then, but she wasn't in this Coven to live, laugh, and love. Just the feeling of having the apparitions of the other girls so close by made her itch to get back to work. In an effort to make herself comfortable and forget her plans, Lyss leant back in her chair and awaited their fear^(ful)less leader's words.

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

Alyssa "Lyss" Burns**

╚══════════════╝

"Was I being sarcastic? I couldn't tell."

[ 23 | 5'7" | American of European Descent | Pronouns She/Her | Weight 127lb ]

Real

APPEARANCE

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together." - Elizabeth Taylor

Lyss has a sort of unblemished, untouched look to her beauty. While her height comes from her long legs, her torso is rather average with a toned figure and breasts that aren't too small nor too large. Her grandmother used to call her the brunette version of Snow White because of her pale complexion and dark brown hair. Her skin is smooth and unscarred. Her eyes are a striking hazel mostly comprised of blue flecks.

The only really girly aspect of Lyss is that she loves to wear makeup. She generally ignores things like foundation, blush, and bronzer, but loves to wear eyeshadow and lipstick. Generally her eyeshadow is a simple smoky eye to highlight her eye color. She then pairs it with a dark red or muave lip depending on her mood. The lipstick is her favorite, so it is rare to see her without it.

When it comes to clothing, Lyss rarely changes it up. Her wardrobe consists of dark colors like black, maroon, or navy. Her jeans are usually a dark washed denim or just black, and she wears either long sleeves or v-necks with them. If she ever wears any color, it is in the form of a bag or jacket. Her favorite jacket is a leather jacket with floral embellishments. She also owns a dark red leather jacket. Her feet are either covered in black boots, converse, or slip-on sneakers.

PSYCHOLOGY

"Life isn't black and white. It's a million gray areas, don't you find?" - Ridley Scott

MAIN GOAL ⫻ To carry on her family's name. To survive this messed up world. Maybe even save a few lives while she's at it. Dunno. She's not the "hero" type. She would also like to learn how to seal an apparition into her channeler for a power boost. She's been unsuccessful until now.

WHAT THEY WANT OUT OF THE COVEN ⫻ Lyss wouldn't mind being around others like her. Her grandmother was in one, years ago. Why not try it out? Maybe they'll become a family too.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Everyone is just trying to get by. Doesn't mean you can be a dick about it, though.

SECRETS ⫻ Lyss may or may not have worked in the black market to get by until now. She may have made some enemies, too, but she knows how to cover her tracks.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Asexual. Lyss has only ever been romantic with one man, but it just wasn't her thing.

FEARS ⫻ Death. Failure. Pretty typical stuff.

REPUTATION ⫻ Her family name has a long line of powerful witches and warlocks. They were first known as great necromancers, but as the earth evolved, they had to evolve too. Necromancy was looked down upon because it was often misused, so their name also carries a bad meaning as well. By the time Alyssa's grandmother met her grandfather, most of the Burns resorted to less horrifying uses of the black lux.

FLAWS ⫻ After being alone for so long, Lyss has grown to be quite blunt with her words. She's forgotten the meaning of "white lies" and prefers to keep her words and actions as obvious as possible. She'll let you know when you're wrong.

BACKSTORY

"I owe it all to my grandma."

The Burns family name carries meaning. Whether that meaning is looked upon in a good or bad way, Alyssa's family didn't care. Her mother worked with apparitions and spirits, while her father practiced necromancy like her grandfather. Her parents traveled often, so Alyssa was raised by her grandmother. After her grandfather died, Alyssa's dad became more obsessed with keeping the Burns necromancy tradition alive. Eventually on one of his trips, he lost his life to his passion. Alyssa's mother and grandmother weren't sure it it was by his own hands, or by those who opposed necromancy. Either way, Alyssa knew that he could never resurrect himself. She was six when he passed. She wasn't emotionally grown enough to feel the grief of it. Yes, she missed him, but she didn't know why her mother cried all of the time. Or why her mother left her. She just remembered her mother walking out of the door.

So, her grandmother took full responsibility of Alyssa. She took her to school, fed her, clothed her, and became Alyssa's life. When Alyssa turned 13, her grandmother handed down her family ring and began to teach her the ways of the Black Lux. Alyssa found her niche in the warding and trapping of apparitions, just like her grandmother had. The two became quite happy living together. In Alyssa's opinion, they never really needed anyone else. Her grandmother was the only Burns she needed to learn what her family name meant.

They were happy for years after, but when Alyssa entered high school her grandmother grew ill. She held on as tightly as she could to life for Alyssa, but after a year of medication she passed. Alyssa was devastated. She tried as hard as she could to bring her grandmother back, but she just wasn't taught to use the Burns lux that way. She even tried to summon her spirit, but that only put her into a day long coma.

When she woke, she learned that she would be travelling to Florida to live with a distantly related Burns family. Apparently her grandmother had been their aunt. She lived with them until she turned 18, but never grew a familial bond with them. At 18 she moved out, and tried to live life on her own.

It didn't go as planned, unfortunately. She fell into some debt, struggled with jobs, and met a man that wasn't a good influence on her. Basically, she got in with the wrong crowd. Until recently, Alyssa worked with some pretty shady characters in Miami. She managed to get herself out of it, and set her sights on joining the coven to right the wrongs of her past.

SKILLS & TALENTS

"I know a thing... or two."

Tracking ⫻ Alyssa can track anything or anyone down. Just give her a name and some time. Maybe even a few tracking spells, too.

Cooking ⫻ Learned it all from her grandmother. She can whip up anything under the sun. Just name it.

Firepower ⫻ After her time in the market, Alyssa has learned that it's always a good idea to carry a gun.

Knows a few People that Know Certain Things ⫻ Alyssa understands how the underworld works. She still has some friends there, even though she's made herself disappear from that world.

ABSTRACTION

"Who ya gonna call? Haha, I'm just kidding."

TYPE ⫻ Adept (Black)

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Manipulation of Apparitions and Spirits. Recent Necromancy Casting *Channeler:* A ring passed down by her ancestors. Given to her by her grandmother.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Alyssa has the ability to ward and trap apparitions to her liking. She has also been able to summon up to two undead with the use of casting a Necromancy sigil.

Warding ⫻ If it is necessary, Alyssa can keep apparitions away from her or others as long as they are within a certain distance. The epicenter is located in her ring and she emits her lux energy into the space around her.

Trapping ⫻ Trapping can mean two things. Either Alyssa traps an apparition into a certain "bubble" of space for an x amount of time, or she traps it into a physical object. When she traps them into an area, one of the outer edges are where her ring begins. So, she could carry the spirit into a different place with her if she keeps her focus on the apparition. Trapping it into a physical object is much harder, but is a faster way to trap a spirit.

AURA SENSING ⫻ A suiting aura, Alyssa is able to sense when apparitions are within her range. She can track them down this way because the feeling will grow stronger the closer she is to them. She is also able to sense apparitions that are within aberrations.

LIMITS ⫻ The distance of Alyssa's warding is up to seventy feet and comes with a few stipulations. She can physically keep them distanced from her but they can still utilize their abstractions within the distance and possibly attack her. However the more apparitions she's trying to keep away the less distance she'll have. At her peak, she can keep away three before the distance drops. Alyssa can trap an Apparition within a thirty-foot radius of herself... which is pretty close to her - if she's not trapping them into an object. She can keep an Apparition trapped for about thirty minutes before it can break free and she can only trap one Apparition at a time, but again it's limited by her stamina. She can trap an Apparition within an object indefinitely because she's functionally sealing them. She can keep an Apparition trapped or warded for as long as her stamina allows it but its a very consuming process on her. She can only do one or the other, so if she's warding, and she needs to trap an Apparition, then she'll have to stop one to do the other. Of course, she cannot trap or Ward Apparitions that are Agents or Adjoined to somebody but can trap an Apparition that is affixed to somebody. She is also able to trap or ward an abscised. Duh.

WEAKNESSES ⫻ There's nothing stopping the Apparitions from using their abstractions when they're trapped/warded. Which can be kinda ugly. The outer barriers of the trap/ward can be physically attacked and damaged and can be destroyed by sending enough firepower that way. Which will stun Alyssa for a second. Any Apparition of significant caliber can easily destroy the Ward/Trap.

OTHER

"I haven't even seen Ghostbusters."

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

Alyssa "Lyss" Burns**

╚══════════════╝

"Was I being sarcastic? I couldn't tell."

[ 23 | 5'7" | American of European Descent | Pronouns She/Her | Weight 127lb ]

Real

APPEARANCE

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together." - Elizabeth Taylor

Lyss has a sort of unblemished, untouched look to her beauty. While her height comes from her long legs, her torso is rather average with a toned figure and breasts that aren't too small nor too large. Her grandmother used to call her the brunette version of Snow White because of her pale complexion and dark brown hair. Her skin is smooth and unscarred. Her eyes are a striking hazel mostly comprised of blue flecks.

The only really girly aspect of Lyss is that she loves to wear makeup. She generally ignores things like foundation, blush, and bronzer, but loves to wear eyeshadow and lipstick. Generally her eyeshadow is a simple smoky eye to highlight her eye color. She then pairs it with a dark red or muave lip depending on her mood. The lipstick is her favorite, so it is rare to see her without it.

When it comes to clothing, Lyss rarely changes it up. Her wardrobe consists of dark colors like black, maroon, or navy. Her jeans are usually a dark washed denim or just black, and she wears either long sleeves or v-necks with them. If she ever wears any color, it is in the form of a bag or jacket. Her favorite jacket is a with floral embellishments. She also owns a dark red leather jacket. Her feet are either covered in black boots, converse, or slip-on sneakers.

PSYCHOLOGY

"Life isn't black and white. It's a million gray areas, don't you find?" - Ridley Scott

MAIN GOAL ⫻ To carry on her family's name. To survive this messed up world. Maybe even save a few lives while she's at it. Dunno. She's not the "hero" type. She would also like to learn how to seal an apparition into her channeler for a power boost. She's been unsuccessful until now.

WHAT THEY WANT OUT OF THE COVEN ⫻ Lyss wouldn't mind being around others like her. Her grandmother was in one, years ago. Why not try it out? Maybe they'll become a family too.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Everyone is just trying to get by. Doesn't mean you can be a dick about it, though.

SECRETS ⫻ Lyss may or may not have worked in the black market to get by until now. She may have made some enemies, too, but she knows how to cover her tracks.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Asexual. Lyss has only ever been romantic with one man, but it just wasn't her thing.

FEARS ⫻ Death. Failure. Pretty typical stuff.

REPUTATION ⫻ Her family name has a long line of powerful witches and warlocks. They were first known as great necromancers, but as the earth evolved, they had to evolve too. Necromancy was looked down upon because it was often misused, so their name also carries a bad meaning as well. By the time Alyssa's grandmother met her grandfather, most of the Burns resorted to less horrifying uses of the black lux.

FLAWS ⫻ After being alone for so long, Lyss has grown to be quite blunt with her words. She's forgotten the meaning of "white lies" and prefers to keep her words and actions as obvious as possible. She'll let you know when you're wrong.

BACKSTORY

"I owe it all to my grandma."

The Burns family name carries meaning. Whether that meaning is looked upon in a good or bad way, Alyssa's family didn't care. Her mother worked with apparitions and spirits, while her father practiced necromancy like her grandfather. Her parents traveled often, so Alyssa was raised by her grandmother. After her grandfather died, Alyssa's dad became more obsessed with keeping the Burns necromancy tradition alive. Eventually on one of his trips, he lost his life to his passion. Alyssa's mother and grandmother weren't sure it it was by his own hands, or by those who opposed necromancy. Either way, Alyssa knew that he could never resurrect himself. She was six when he passed. She wasn't emotionally grown enough to feel the grief of it. Yes, she missed him, but she didn't know why her mother cried all of the time. Or why her mother left her. She just remembered her mother walking out of the door.

So, her grandmother took full responsibility of Alyssa. She took her to school, fed her, clothed her, and became Alyssa's life. When Alyssa turned 13, her grandmother handed down her family ring and began to teach her the ways of the Black Lux. Alyssa found her niche in the warding and trapping of apparitions, just like her grandmother had. The two became quite happy living together. In Alyssa's opinion, they never really needed anyone else. Her grandmother was the only Burns she needed to learn what her family name meant.

They were happy for years after, but when Alyssa entered high school her grandmother grew ill. She held on as tightly as she could to life for Alyssa, but after a year of medication she passed. Alyssa was devastated. She tried as hard as she could to bring her grandmother back, but she just wasn't taught to use the Burns lux that way. She even tried to summon her spirit, but that only put her into a day long coma.

When she woke, she learned that she would be travelling to Florida to live with a distantly related Burns family. Apparently her grandmother had been their aunt. She lived with them until she turned 18, but never grew a familial bond with them. At 18 she moved out, and tried to live life on her own.

It didn't go as planned, unfortunately. She fell into some debt, struggled with jobs, and met a man that wasn't a good influence on her. Basically, she got in with the wrong crowd. Until recently, Alyssa worked with some pretty shady characters in Miami. She managed to get herself out of it, and set her sights on joining the coven to right the wrongs of her past.

SKILLS & TALENTS

"I know a thing... or two."

Tracking ⫻ Alyssa can track anything or anyone down. Just give her a name and some time. Maybe even a few tracking spells, too.

Cooking ⫻ Learned it all from her grandmother. She can whip up anything under the sun. Just name it.

Firepower ⫻ After her time in the market, Alyssa has learned that it's always a good idea to carry a gun.

Knows a few People that Know Certain Things ⫻ Alyssa understands how the underworld works. She still has some friends there, even though she's made herself disappear from that world.

ABSTRACTION

"Who ya gonna call? Haha, I'm just kidding."

TYPE ⫻ Adept (Black)

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Manipulation of Apparitions and Spirits. *Channeler:* A passed down by her ancestors. Given to her by her grandmother.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Alyssa has the ability to ward and trap apparitions to her liking.

Warding ⫻ If it is necessary, Alyssa can keep apparitions away from her or others as long as they are within a certain distance. The epicenter is located in her ring and she emits her lux energy into the space around her.

Trapping ⫻ Trapping can mean two things. Either Alyssa traps an apparition into a certain "bubble" of space for an x amount of time, or she traps it into a physical object. When she traps them into an area, one of the outer edges are where her ring begins. So, she could carry the spirit into a different place with her if she keeps her focus on the apparition. Trapping it into a physical object is much harder, but is a faster way to trap a spirit.

AURA SENSING ⫻ A suiting aura, Alyssa is able to sense when apparitions are within her range. She can track them down this way because the feeling will grow stronger the closer she is to them. She is also able to sense apparitions that are within aberrations.

LIMITS ⫻ (DO NOT FILL THIS OUT, I WILL PROVIDE IT FOR YOU)

WEAKNESSES ⫻ (DO NOT FILL THIS OUT, I WILL PROVIDE IT FOR YOU)

OTHER

"I haven't even seen Ghostbusters."

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

---

---

Elara

Location: Mojo... world?
Skills: N/A

Longshot was ignoring her. Elara huffed and crossed her tiny arms. She gave him her best icy glare before Andrew's comment broke through her frustration. She let out a breath through her mouth in a little puff. Watts didn't seem to hate the fact that she'd been in his bubble of space for too long, so that was good. She wouldn't readily ask to phase through solid ground again, but she did have to admit that it was a unique ability to have. Yeah, fine, it was cool.

Sapphire always let the group know what was really important. Not phasing through the ground, a little bit about surviving Mojo's goons, but getting to the safe location was their goal. Elara was looking forward to having a moment to rest. If they could be safe for a few hours, Elara wouldn't mind it at all. "Does this safe house have an alien version of McDonald's nearby?" She murmured to herself and whoever was listening. Something about being young again made her crave chicken nuggets.

She took up a spot behind Andrew as they followed the asshole. She rose an eyebrow when Arthur asked Longshot about Spiral. So many questions. Barely any answers. Was this a trap? Elara watched the back of Longshot's head. What would it take to bring a guy like him to the ground? His body was a lot stronger since he was still an adult. The only person in the room that could probably stand against him in a physical fight would probably be Watts because of his speed alone. The rest? She wasn't so sure.

Sapphire could just turn him into an man-sized iceberg if she got a good shot in. Arthur had his arrows, but lately any direct attack like that was easily sent in other directions. The sewers weren't a great place for wayward weapons. That also took Belladonna and Evelyn out of the picture unless they fought without their weapons. Andrew too, with his stolen blaster.

If, IF, things went any further south than the sewers, it would be best to disorient Longshot so that the others could get a chance at him. Elara happened to be an expert at it, when the rolls were in her favor. One little change in Longshot's perspective, and he could believe that the tube the sewers created was a long vertical fall. How would he react, if his world shifted so drastically? Elara would find out once Longshot presumably turned against them.

She happened to look at Bella as she stepped over a puddle of- Please just be water. Please just be water. Bella looked just as uncomfortable as Elara felt. Her smile wasn't genuine, or courageous. Bella was probably missing Earth too. As cool as an alien planet would be, if they weren't being hunted down by a psycho slug, Elara was just ready to get the hell off of it. Or at least out of this dimension. Home sweet home. She thought as she continued down the path.

Black Fall: The Ghosts of LA (Superhuman romp in a destroyed Los Angeles!)

---

While Elise would have normally been surveying the area and tapping into the senses of those around her, she found herself distracted by the sight of her partner digging his arm into the door of a van. Despite her usual reserved manners, a smirk pulled at the right side of her lips. She'd have never expected in her life to see something like that. It was a completely weird yet totally awesome sight.

The joke was a selling point. Henry, in all of his glory, made the same exact pose as Captain America in the movies. Elise couldn't help but chuckle. Just as she was wondering why a bullet-proof delta would need a shield, he explained his reason before turning towards their destination. It was a noble thought, but Elise wasn't sure if they'd need it.

They- well, Henry, hadn't heard many bullets fly since he'd made his makeshift shield. Thinking it was unnecessary to waste energy, Eli released her hold on his senses. She was back to her regular human hearing since it seemed like the battle was over. Now they just needed to figure out who was in the fight, and if there was any other present danger in this neighborhood. As she followed behind Henry, she recalled hearing about a small group taking shelter here. There was no real information about any of them, not even descriptions. Just a few words mentioned here and there from refugees that fled to the 105. Whoever was here to provoke them either won the fight, or was currently retreating back into the shadows.

Henry took up a position against the wall after roughly removing the mirror off of a nearby car. She stood back with her gun at the ready. While he peeked around the side of the building, she looked at the building across the street and noted a fire escape on the side that led to the roof. It was the same building that faced whatever carnage had been left in the aftermath. She glanced between it and Henry, and wondered if he was the type to let her do her own thing during missions. Just as she was about to make her case, the flaring of motorcycle engines suddenly caught their attention.

Henry called out, and Elise instinctively knelt to the ground and held her gun up. The bikes were growing louder. They were headed this way. Henry and Elise were in a risky position, so it was best to have the first shot at whoever was about to blow past them. She steeled herself and braced for any potential return fire, but suddenly the door of the car planted itself in front of her. Looks like the door was useful after all.

Safe from any imminent harm, Elise turned to the side so she could see the fleeing troop through the small window left between the door and the other side of the alley. They sped past, and fortunately neither Henry nor the door were fired at. They all had guns. Some even sported burn marks. Most of all, they all wore masks with the same crude drawing of a grinning face. X's marked where the eyes should have been. The Boyz.

Of course. They had a district of their own just blocks away from this location. Whoever owned this part of town must have brushed shoulders with them before. Their territories were close. Too close for The Boyz, apparently. Elise had done a few numbers against the gang. Mostly just busting drug deals, gathering intel on large supply transports, and turning a few of their members over to the National Guard. They were a force to be reckoned with. Their presence in LA after the incident only grew. Enough to overcome REAPER on the list of current highest active organizations. Whoever had just run them off must have been pretty strong.

Her attention was returned to Henry as he threw the door to the side. She looked at him, and saw the fear in his eyes. Her head tilted to the side and she gave him a quizzical look.

"Oh, thank god."

He slumpt against the wall, and Elise slowly rose back to her feet. She was just about to ask him if he was alright before he apologized. He stood up and acted like he was fine, but Elise could tell that something was off. Henry had gone through a lot in his past. Situations like this must be triggering for him. He'd likely lost a partner before in similar situations. So she took the liberty to remain silent so that he could regather his courage, and returned his uneasy smile with a reassuring one. Hopefully she could her pass own strength into him.

"I'll head in first. If anyone's trigger happy, they'll go for me first. You should be able to maneuver around freely with them focused on me. Use my senses if you need them."

Her nod wasn't seen. Maneuver around freely, hm? I'll take that as the liberty to get a better viewing point. This time she took his place against the edge of the wall. Peeking around it, she just saw her partner heading towards the front of the building. He was already drawing attention to him just by announcing himself. "FAMA agent, open up!"

With Henry flaunting his Captain America shield, Elise stealthily made her way across the street and into the shadows of the building's side. As she holstered her gun she took in the charred bodies of the lost Boyz. The people inside this building either had an arsenal of grenades, or a pyromanical deltahuman on hand. She made her way towards the fire escape with it's conveniently dropped ladder to reach the first landing. Elise grinned at the blessing. Someone had been careless when they snuck back into the building.

She made her way up to the middle landing of the building and could hear voices from inside it too. It was time to do some recon. She'd need to know just who was, and how many of them were, in the building. Her eyes closed, and she took deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. A little spying wouldn't hurt anybody.

The first mind she grasped onto was someone crawling into bed. Must have tired themselves out in the battle. The next, looking at a girl with pink hair wrapped in a blanket. She looked scared. Was she just a regular human bunking with deltas? She looked into the girl's mind next, and saw a man with faded blonde highlights sitting across from her. Nothing here.

After a bit of searching, she found three of them in one room together. She tried to see through their eyes, but there was nothing to see. Why? Why couldn't any of them see? She didn't have time to sneak into they were in to find out. She wanted sensory information. Well, what are they feeling? She changed the tune of her ability, and grasped onto the physical sensations of one of the minds to figure it out.

She instantly regretted it. The connection only lasted a few seconds before she couldn't stand it anymore, but what she felt was excruciating. It burns. She groaned and collapsed against the wall of the building. Fuck, it felt like her entire body had been roasted over a fire. Breathe, Elise. The pain will pass. She panted as she waited, and her ability grasped onto another individual's senses out of instinct. Her body wanted to feel normal again. Like her skin wasn't blistering from the exposure to heat. The next person felt fine except for a slight amount of pain around the throat. "What the fuck happened to these people?" She hissed.

She had to move on. A screech up above was enough of a reason to. Her body was still aching. Residual aftereffects of feeling the pain of another. It would be gone by the time she reached the roof. She climbed, and climbed. When she reached the top, she slowly rose her head above the parapet to get a look at whatever had made the noise.

The sight was... interesting. It would have been more shocking if Elise didn't have a partner that was just as odd. Yet this was something completely different. Whatever delta was on the roof just looked like a dragon instead of a dinosaur. Headquarters is gonna love this. She tore her eyes away from the dragon-thing to see a woman was just making her way into the stairwell. Soon after the pink haired girl and the man came out.

At this point, Elise was just curious to find out who these people were. Henry probably wouldn't approve it. It was against better judgement. Elise just had to know. If anything went south, she could easily fake her way out of the situation. It only took her a second to climb her way onto the roof. In an effort to come across as nonthreatening, Elise raised both of her hands up. She set her eyes on the man, who was probably the only one that could speak at the moment.

"Afternoon, dragons, ladies, and gents."

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

---

Cianwood's... Cianwood's. It had to be close by. Eli recognized the shop to their left. They just had to turn around, walk a bit, and they'd be there. She was still waiting for Nicholas's response, but something else drew her attention before he could get a word in.

There were rushed footsteps behind her. Someone was in a hurry, but they were getting closer and closer. To Eli, it sounded like they were getting louder and heavier. Nic's eyes shifted to her left ever so slightly. He was looking at whoever was approaching. Who was it? She turned her head, just in time for Archie to nearly crash into them in an awkwardly fast motion. Normally she would have just laughed it off, but this time every inch of her body was screaming 'PANIC'. Her entire body froze. It only visibly showed the signs of a subtle flinch, although her mind was struggling between a fight or flight response. Something about seeing Archie in person- in human form, didn't frighten her as much. She dug her nails into her palm. Slowly, she let her hand relax again while releasing a small, barely audible breath. The thoughts faded until it was a dull ache in her spine. She was still tense, but there was no imminent danger. Just Archie being Archie, like he usually was.

It's fine... Everything's fine.

Eli watched him closely. She couldn't help but feel like he was avoiding looking at her. Was he ashamed? Did he see how uncomfortable she was with this? The feeling of shame passed over her in a small wave. She knew that Archie wasn't a real threat. At the moment, he just seemed like a lovestruck puppy. The way he looked at Natalie... it was sweet. Someone had once looked at her like that, too. His eyes turned to Nicholas, and Eli thought that he looked transfixed by the sight of him. She glanced between the two boys. Did Archie remember Nic, from the bonfire? From the loading bay?

Something was off with Archie. Not because of her fear. Not because he was struck by love, or challenged by the other testosterone in the group. He looked... taller. Like... Like how he looked through her blurry vision on the night of the bonf-

Pop^!!

Eli's heart stopped. Her skin even paled for a moment. It was like she couldn't function anymore. Archie was... He was changing. Ever so slowly. She stared at him, her eyes expressing her concern and terror but her face as blank as a wall. If he looked at her he'd know that she knew. He was too focused on Natalie, and then on Nicholas. He seemed so casual. Like he wasn't growing millimeters by the second. Why was he playing it off like there was nothing wrong? She fought against the dark path that her thoughts were carrying her towards. It was something Lynn would have thought. Eli wasn't one to doubt her friend's intentions. Archie wouldn't put them in harm intentionally... _{would he?}

The others... Did they know too? She glanced between Nicholas and Natalie. They didn't seem to notice. Natalie must know, right? Or was she staying calm about it too? Eli stared at her too and hoped that she would catch on. Maybe pointing it out-making a scene about it- would push him past his limit. Eli didn't want to repeat it all again. She knew that if he morphed again, she would get herself out of there as soon as possible. It was best if she didn't mention it. Or if Natalie did and helped calm him down before it was too late. As much as Eli wished she could be that type of friend for Archie, there was no way she was going to do it alone.

It wasn't like Eli was scared of Archie. No, not of the innocent and awkward boy that stood before them. She was just scared of what he could become. That thing had no way to discern friend from foe. It would wreak havoc on all of them, if it was set loose. It was like a physical amalgation of Archie's basic survival instincts. A purely predatory state of mind. It only thought that it should kill, or it would be killed. Eli had managed to bring the real Archie back in the loading bay. Could she do it again, after taking such a huge blow to her mental state? Reality was already distorted enough now. Surely she would go insane after the second try.

A thought crept into her head. That if Archie wasn't the sweet boat farmer boy that they all knew and cared for, he could abuse this power to get whatever he wanted. If he was even just a little bit sadistic, he would be just like the parahumans that were sent to the station's prison. To hold so much power like that, and to be unaware of it or repress it, was something Eli couldn't comprehend. It was either something incredibly brave, or something incredibly naive. How long could he keep this up before the world changed him for the worse? How long until the predator escaped it's mental prison and dominated his mind forever?

... Weren't they all like that, in a small way?

Lynn's voice, as clear as day, could be heard to Eli's left. It was hard to tear her eyes away from Archie, but she managed to turn her head to look at the girl. Lynn was looking at Nicholas, but she wasn't noticing Archie. Her eye-... it looked bad. It was healing faster than Eli thought it would, but it still was messed up. Lynn... Look at Archie. Look at Archie. Eli couldn't be the only one to pick up on it. She knew that they were aware of his transformations, but were they aware that he could slow the process too? Lynn smiled at her, but all Eli could do was glance between her, Archie, and Archie's wrist watch.

Wait, he had the watch on? She glanced between his eyes and the watch. How can he be like that... but the watch isn't going off? She swallowed, and looked at him like she was confused by it. Is he... Did he stop himself? The watch... it would be going off if he was changing. Her brows furrowed, and she suddenly found it hard to think. Nothing was making sense any more. She could pass out, if she wasn't so damn wound up about everything.

Damn it... I can't do this. Breathe, Eli, breathe! It's only dangerous if the watch is going off. She managed to take her own advice, and subtly inhaled through her nose before quietly releasing the air from her mouth. While she was still just as tense as before, the breathing was helping to clear her mind. They all just needed to sit down, somewhere that Archie could relax. If he managed to calm down, Eli would manage to be within ten feet of him. She just needed to keep cool about it, and hope that he wouldn't take her fear too personally.

After clearing her throat, Eli glanced around at the others. "Well, should we go sit? I think we... have a lot to talk about." She glanced at Lynn, and then Archie specifically. Lynn was the reason they were meeting, and Archie was the one she needed to understand better. Natalie and Amelia were good friends too, and well... Nicholas could come along because it felt like he was looking out for them in his own way.

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

---

---

Elara

Location: Mojo... world?
Skills: N/A

Elara was beginning to grow impatient with this situation. The impatience only grew when Longshot told them that they'd have to wait for her majesty, Spiral, to show up before they could do anything. She just wanted to go home. Or to what was home, but would be completely different when they returned. Even if they cleaned up this mess, safely made it back to Earth, and regained their older forms, there was still a major problem to deal with.

Rae Gardner was a part of the Mastermind Sisters. Who even knew where they were at the moment? They were probably back at Serval, wrecking everything the industry once stood for. The entire state could be in chaos at this very moment. People could be getting hurt, innocent people, and here the group was. Stuck in a completely different dimension.

Elara was beginning to feel the time lag catch up to her. How long had it been since she last had a meal? Since she'd last gotten a wink of sleep. Were the others feeling the same way too, or were they just used to such long and endless days like this. She glanced around at the group as they argued, and tightened her grip on her injured shoulder. The bleeding was slowing, thankfully. She almost asked Sapphire to freeze it over, but their moment of rest was interrupted when the suits walked in.

Why didn't I bring the blaster? She thought, immediately taking cover behind a nearby dumpster. The others jumped into action quickly, but Elara needed more time to think. She needed a break. She'd had plenty of long nights back in San Diego, but this was an otherworldly experience. She just wanted to patch up this cut, eat a whole dining table of food, and knock out for at least twelve hours. She closed her eyes and gave herself a moment to think. How could they get away from some many of Mojo's goons, without being followed?

It was then that she heard Watt's voice, and she turned her head to see him taking a rather large dosage that she'd seen before. She wasn't sure what he was going to do, but if he had a way out that wouldn't require using more energy, she was all for it. So, she rushed herself over to him and grabbed onto his arm. It was weird to think of at the moment, as she felt his arm and soon her entire body begin to shake, but she'd never expected to be within five feet of someone who she assumed hated her for just existing. Yet here she was, gripping his wiry arm and praying that he'd taken enough of whatever it was that gave him powers.

It happened fast. Fast enough to send Elara's mind through a loop as it tried to grasp what had just happened to her. One moment she was on solid pavement, and the next she was falling through it. Subconsciously, her hand held onto Watt's arm tighter. She stood in what she assumed was the sewers for a few moments in complete shock. Her eyes were wide, and she panted as if she'd just ran a marathon. It took her a bit before she regained the ability to move, and she looked over to Watt's to see that she was still holding his arm like a lifeline. Her face suddenly burned with embarrassment, and she pulled away from him and coddled her hand like a disobedient toddler.

"S-sorry... I... What just happened?" She swallowed, and turned away from him so that he wouldn't see the look of horror on her face. Instead, she busied herself with peering into the darkness around them. Arthur's question reminded her that they were still in danger. She turned to Longshot, her jaw tense as she stared. "Get us the hell out of here, now." She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand all of this.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

@Ghost Note

All it takes is one phone call and they'll know everything.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.