It was a Saturday morning, and the BHC was moving at a slower pace for a change. The Inner Circle went about leading their beautiful, expensive lives, the Upstarts and the Marauders hung out with each other in the gardens, Gomurr discussed excursion possibilities with Shockwave and Avalon, as he did ever Saturday, slept in. At least Gomurr wasn't so rigid as to not grant the Scribe weekends free from his new duty.
Siryn awoke in her new bedroom, it's morning light glaring. She brushed the sleep from her eyes and lay there for a moment, before throwing the covers back and moving from her bed. It felt strange, sleeping in Blink's old room. No sooner had Siryn been enrolled into the Upstarts then she had been promoted to the Inner Circle, as Queen Nemesis' Princess. This meant that she had the possibility of one day becoming the Queen herself. It was an awesome preposition. The red haired girl walked in bare feet over to her wardrobe, removing her choice for the day's clothes. Nemesis was entertaining a guest for the weekend, so that meant Siryn was free for the next two days. What was there to do? She thought for a moment as she dressed, before grabbing her guitar and heading out the door.
The cold, sterile darkness of the gargantuan system of labs was a deep contrast to the scene that had been at the Court's property. Long metallic hallways stretched forever in all different directions, endless insanity for someone who didn't know which way to go. The mysterious figure from the previous night hustled his way through these technological walkways, avoiding the circuitry which hung down from the roof in certain spots. Eventually he found his destination, an immense door which required the figure to make verbal and fingerprint identifications.
"Specimen No. 3;39;46;26, AKA Pug, requesting entrance into main research facilities."
"SCANNING..." came the emotionless voice of the computer system, as red lasers made their way across the surface of Pug’s eyeballs and fingertips.
"IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED. NO. 3;39;46;26 DESIGNATE: PUG GRANTED ACCESS TO MAIN RESEARCH FACILITIES." said the computer as the giant doors slowly slid their way open. Pug made his way through them hurriedly, and after he'd entered, the doors immediately shut again. The main research lab was crammed with equipment, with large tubes fixed to the walls. Some of the tubes had specimens in them, presumably mutant as they were far too obscurely formed to be human. Pug quickly moved through the lab, the specimens apparently disturbing him. Eventually he found what he sought, a large, overly muscled man sitting in a gargantuan chair at what seemed the focus of the whole room. He was dressed darkly, and his face was odd.
"Sir," said Pug as he approached the man with visible respect "I've located him. I've finally located Avalon. He's joined a club, of sorts, called the 'Black Hellfire'."
"What position does he serve in this....club?" asked the man, his interest piqued by the news.
"I'm not sure, sir. It appears that he's some sort of...note keeper. That seems to contradict, however, as after a meeting he attended in which he kept notes, he then went to what seemed like a classroom, with other people his age. After that, he remained behind to assist the teacher with his computer work. He didn't arrive back to his room until midnight." answered Pug, his manor like that of a secretary. The older man pondered this.
"Interesting," he replied "Return to this 'Black Hellfire Club'. I want you to return Avalon to me. Tonight. I'll prepare the equipment you'll require. You will fetch him for me...."
"Yes, master."
"...And, Pug...."
"Yes, master?"
"Do not fail me this time. You've located Avalon too many times in the past and bungled his return home. This is your last chance before I strip you of your DNA and use it to prolong myself." threatened the dark one.
"Yes, master." shuddered Pug, as he watched his master stand and go about the search for the essential equipment.
It was around ten when Avalon awoke. He slowly rose from his bed, the sheets tangled around him. It had been another long sleep of nightmares, and he was grateful for the embracing day. He looked out his window, at the passing people. The Marauder leader Psishot was sitting on the edge of a garden bed with the two werecats Puma11 and Catana, and the two Upstarts Nate and DarkWolf. They were all quietly laughing, trying to look cool and doing a good job at it. About fifty meters from them stood the new Black Bishop Rahsas, recently promoted, speaking with the new Mage Harbinger and the Black Rook Deadpool. They were less humorous then the other group, looking as if they were having a sort of private board meeting. Avalon moved away from the window, and went over to his chest of drawers. He removed his black Smashing Pumpkins 'Zero' shirt and torn jeans, and slipped them on. He remembered the first time he had worn his own choice of clothes, not a uniform or gaudy outfit. Everyone who had seen him was rather shocked. They had seen him too quiet to wear such...outlandish choice of clothing. He smiled. It seemed he'd only been able to express himself in the BHC through his choice of personal clothing. He felt too uneasy to talk to people. The clothes did what he couldn't.
Siryn walked down the main pathway, through the exquisite, well managed gardens. She marveled at the lush beauty the Club surrounded itself with. There were certainly worse places to live and work. She soon came to the area she sought. She ducked between two trees and found herself in her private little area, the place she came whenever she just wanted to think, to play her guitar and reflect. She went and sat on her usual boulder, and began to placidly strum the guitar, and sing in a hushed tone with her eyes closed.
"She's addicted to nicotine patches." she sang, as the birds chirped and glints of sun cut through the leaves of the trees. Her mind felt easy for the first time in days. She needed more free weekends....
Avalon had been walking down the main pathway, thinking he'd take one of the cars and drive into town and buy some new albums. He was surprised by the sound of music being played, coming from behind the row of trees next to the walkway. He slowly stopped walking, and peered through the leaves. He could see someone through there, strumming a guitar, and singing breathfully. Avalon considered whether or not he should disturb this person. He thought maybe it'd be fun to hang out with another musician. He pushed aside his usually bashful thoughts and whisked away the flimsy tree branches. Siryn turned around, startled, as she saw a figure come stumbling through the leafy branches. She was even more surprised when she saw it was Avalon, the usually shy Black Scribe.
"Ummm.....hi..." he said, as he picked the shrubbery from his hair.
"You usually burst in on people enjoying a solitary moment?" she smiled with a sarcastic expression.
"Well....I was just passing by when I heard you playing. You're really good..." he said awkwardly.
"Uh...thanks...," Siryn said, embarrassed "You know, you're probably the first person to hear me play. Even if it was because you were stalking me." She smiled again.
"Damn...I've been caught. That book taught me nothing!" Avalon joked. Siryn chuckled, and the Scribe sat down next to her on the rock.
"Can you play?" she asked.
"Yeah...yeah, I can. I learnt years ago, and haven't had much practice lately, but yeah, I can." he replied.
"Well then, let's see how good you are." With that, Siryn handed the guitar to Avalon.
"I usually play my own stuff..." he said, as he flipped the guitar around to accommodate the needs of a left hander.
"But I know how to play the Pumpkin's song 'Today'. Have you heard of that?"
"Yeah. I love that song."
"Well, then..." he said as he began the opening riff. The song was rather approriate, he thought. It was such a beautiful day, and the fact that he was for the first time socializing amazed him. Maybe life in the BHC was getting better...
"You're nothing more than a specimen...." echoed the voice "...Nothing more than a number. A lab rat to be dealt with as I see fit...to be extinguished if I see fit."
"That's not true." he tried to argue, but it was of no use. The voice wouldn't listen. The voice wouldn't believe. Frankly, neither did. Then the voice became visible. It had jet black hair, a face as pale as death, and the sharp, pointed teeth of a wild animal.
"Do you truly believe that?" Sinister asked. Avalon's throat stuck. His heart pounded, and he raged against the restraints holding him in place. "Do you believe your nothing more than trash to me, trash to the world? You may be the son of Magneto, but you're a bastard son, a bastard baby that only I may make better. Perhaps reverse your terrible birth right. Your perhaps I'll kill you in the process. Either way, it's of no matter. Your genetic material, nothing more."
"NO!!!!" Avalon screamed. It wasn't true! He was precious! Every human life was precious! He was about to do something, say something against Sinister, but it was too late. Sinister had disappeared, and in his place was a different voice.
"Do you believe you’re nothing more than my salvation? Nothing more than a way to keep me alive?" asked the mysterious one.
"Who....who are you?" asked the boy.
"Someone you know." the voice responded.
"You...don't sound familiar..." said Avalon, confused at what the stranger said.
"Look through your window..." it said.
"What...?" replied the younger of the two.
"Look...through your window..."said the voice, giving no explanation. Avalon felt strange, as if he was receding. It was then he awake, heart beating in his bed. Another dream. There had been Sinister's voice, and the different voice, as there had always been. And as always, the voice didn't say who he was, but he had told Avalon something new. "Look through your window." pondered Avalon. What the hell did that mean? Was it some kind of metaphor? A double meaning? He had no idea. He got up from his bed to go to the bathroom to splash his face, and as he did, he caught a glimpse of a lonely figure standing out in the middle of the gardens. "Look through your window". It had been literal! Who was this standing out there in the dark? A psionic? A mutant? A metahuman? Avalon had little time to question, though, as he saw the silhouette raise something. Avalon squinted, and saw that it was a massive personal cannon. He began to run for the door as the weapon was launched, and his room erupted into a storm of light, noise and heat. When the energy settled, the entire room was nothing but ash, with an immense hole in the side of the wall. Nothing was left but char, and not even Avalon could be found. It appeared as if he too had been disintergrated along with everything else....
{Next chapter: What's happened to Avalon? Has he been killed? Gomurr holds the answer, as Avalon is held captive by a figure from his past!(D'OH! I just blew the cliffhanger. Ah, well, like I'd really kill myself anyway! Like you wouldn't know I'd show up again!) All these answers, plus more questions, in the next Secret Destroyers. Same Secret time. Same Secret channel.}