Gomurr sat in front of the computer screen, becoming increasingly more aggravated as they device refused to do what he wished it to. Every time he attempted a command the blasted thing would scream with an error message. Finally, his patience wore thin, and after much cursing, he decided that the best idea for locating Avalon was not through technology, but the old arcane ways. He turned off the electrical lights, replacing them with the bask of candles, as he also lit incense and unrolled his meditation mat. He quietly sat down on the tiny mat, and began chanting, focusing his mind on nothing but the chant, nothing but the darkness of his clenched eyes. Slowly, gently, images crept to him. They were of crystal clean labs, strange mutations kept in tanks along the walls, a strange little man with purple skin, and of a dark presence pretending to hold itself in the light. Then came the sight of Avalon. Gomurr could see him clearly, his arms and legs encased in massive bonds, the boy himself held to the ceiling, while strange machines took and gave back his blood. The Ancient knew that the boy was in trouble, even if the boy himself was oblivious to the fact. With his age old senses tuned on AvalonÕs whereabouts, Gomurr arose from his sitting spot, gathered his hat and staff, and passed through his door. His destination was to King Silver's office, then, after that, to Avalon's assistance.
Gulliver sat in his throne, built only to serve his ego. On the right arm rest, a small computer screen flickered. The huge man quietly sat in the chair, reading the information that spewed from the tiny monitor. Pug looked on, standing hunched over about twenty metres away. He knew what that information was about. The results of Avalon's blood tests. He crouched in nervousness. This could be their salvation, their first glimpse of hope in years. Pug feared that if the cure was found, Gulliver would only remedy himself, and leave his servant and De Locke to die. He knew the man was capable of worse atrocities. Pug was pondering this, when suddenly Gulliver sprang up, grabbing the monitor in his immense hand and crushing it. The giant roared as he increased his body size, using his strength to thrash out at anything nearby. Pug retreated even further back as he watched his master rip apart the lab. Finally, the large man finished, his anger exerted, and he began scaling back to normal size. Pug eventually mustered enough courage to approach the master.
"Not...not good news, sir?" he asked. Gulliver stared at him wildly, the rage still deep within his eyes.
"Of course not, you moron.Ó he spat.
"We wonÕt be able to siphon a cure from Avalon?" he asked, biting back his fear of his master.
"No, we won't," Gulliver bellow "Because Avalon has the virus as well..."
"He does?!?" asked the startled Pug. Not Avalon, too! Not that innocent little boy he practically raised!
"Oh, get over it, Pug. So what? He's of no use now. All those years of hoping he'd save me, and now, he lets me down."
"Are we going to let him go now...like you said we would?" the purple skinned mutate asked. Gulliver laughed at Pug, a cold, merciless laugh.
"You think...after he left us for dead to go search for his bastard father, I'd actually let him live? You think, after he went, without barely a word, to travel the globe and join some aristocratic club, I'd actually let him live? You're a fool, Pug! My plan all along was to rip the cure from his blood, then extract my revenge on the little son of a whore. But now, considering he too has the virus, I guess I'm just going to have to extract my revenge."
"But..." Pug stuttered "But you loved him like a little brother. You helped him escape from Sinister! You loved him for God's sake, Gulliver! Doesn't that mean anything?!?" Gulliver's eyes widened. This was the first time in years that Pug had used a disrespectful tone, the first time in years he hadn't used the word 'sir'. Gulliver didn't like it. His hand reached out and grabbed the head of Pug.
"Listen carefully, worm. Whatever I felt for Avalon is dead. It died when he betrayed us for his father. It died the night he left, without a word, to America, to form his 'Acolytes' and to praise his precious daddy. You don't care that he left all of us, even dear Soma, just for the love of a megalomaniac? It sickens me! To my very stomach!"
Gulliver let go his grasp, and Pug went wheeling backwards, gasping for air and gasping from shock. He lay on the cold floor, wondering if perhaps his jaw was broken. The dark figure of Gulliver stood over him.
"Perhaps my motivations aren't clear. You know I loved Soma. She was my world. When we were trapped in Sinister's cages, she was my source of light. She was all I cared for, really. After we escaped, I thought life would be perfect. Then Avalon left, and everything fell apart. I discovered that accursed virus, I discovered we were dying. I was frantic. So we returned here, hoping for SinisterÕs mercy. Wasn't it a surprise to find this place abandoned? Very surprising," he laughed a menacing laugh "So I became the doctor. I learnt from the files I found, and I tried to save us. And then, Soma died. I was crushed. Devastated. I lost my will to love. And I lost giving a damn about you or that bitch De Locke. You two and Avalon the traitor can all burn in hell for all I care. All I want to do is find a cure for myself, so I can continue to live, find Sinister, and tear him apart! I won't rest until I find him. Until I make him pay for what he did. You? You're just a lap dog. My current help until you die from the virus. Have I made myself understood, Pug? Do you need further answers." Gulliver finished. Pug sat in silence, his fear rattling his bones. Was all this true? He knew Gulliver had changed, but this much? Had he truly become that cold-hearted?
"Now, I have a job for you. Go to your little drug cabinet and fetch me something lethal. I don't care what. Just something to inject into Avalon and watch him die." Gulliver smiled his evil smile, and turned, dismissing Pug to go about his duty. The short, gangly man hopped up from the floor, and whimpered away. What to do? He couldnÕt just let Avalon die...
Beast Charming breathed outward nervously as he listened to King Silver go over the details of the rescue attemptment. He knew what he was in for when he joined this club. He just wish he had had some more teaching before he was plunged into a mission. He wasn't sure why he'd been accepted into the Black Court. He knew his mutant abilities weren't much. A psionic ability to "charm" people, and microscopic talons on his fingertips and toes that allowed him to cling to stable surfaces weren't exaclty powers that were going to intimidate an Alpha level threat. Nor was his extensive knowledge of adhesive glues, which he best used in the glue gun he constantly kept by his side. As he was surrounded by these monoliths of power, he couldnÕt help but feel just a little...inadequate...
"We're not sure of what threats we may face, we're not sure how many of us will return, but one thing is sure. We stand by our own. We do not allow our fellows to be taken without their wish. We do not stand by as our brethren go down. We fight! We stand up! We say 'We are the Black hellfire Club, and we do NOT get pushed by anyone!' I wish us all luck....dismissed." Silver finished his speech, those who had listened and had not retreated into thoughts of fear or inadequacy thoroughly motivated. The two teams moved out, lead by Gomurr, to the vehicles awaiting them. The Inner Circle members of Silver, Nemesis, Siryn and Deadpool followe behind, making their way to their private cars. As they went, Nemesis turned and said to Silver
"Motivating speech, Jack. I like a man with conviction." she smiled her own smile, as Silver pondered this enigma of a woman. Ten minutes ago, she had been steadfastly denying the call to arms. Now she moved ahead, as if eager to go into the fray? She was indeed one of her own mind. He couldn't help but wonder to think what link she had to Avalon that she had hinted at before. He remembered that Avalon had been brought into the Court under NemesisÕ insistance, and that the then Bishop Silver had felt a little startled at her conviction to have him join. It was almost if she had to have him in there for a purpose. Trying to get Nemesis to reveal aspects about herself was like trying to break down brick wall with nothing but a feather...
Ain't that the truth! :D
~Av, who says this writing stuff is fun....
"I used to be a little boy, so old in my shoes..." Billy Corgan, from the song Disarm, Smashing Pumpkins