The crystal city...somewhere out in space...
Divis stands by a window in the topmost room in the highest tower. Behind him Rage sits in a pile of pillows. He starts to speak, telling her of his son with Sin-Eater and how she still survives and so does Bounty. On how it was for convenience and not love nor emotion was involved. He tells her of his plans to conquer earth and she listens for a time until he is done speaking...
Rage is glad that Divis is facing the window when he talks, because it leaves her face free to express what she's feeling. She hears what he says about his ingenious plan for conquering earth, but what keeps going through her mind over and over again is the shocking revelation that he had sex with this Sin-Eater-person and got her pregnant and he already HAS a son with her, and the son is about 100 years old and is on his way home to this planet.
Her fingers clutch the pillows around her tightly, and her face is pale with shock. Sure, she knew he had concubines, but he told her they were all dead. She had also been told that none of them could get pregnant...that he'd had to use alien technology to make clones in order to have progeny. She'd assumed that Divis had been waiting so anxiously for her because he knew she could give him that child he'd been wanting...because he felt she was the only truly worthy one to co-create his heir.
Rage waits until he's done talking. She doesn't want to jump right to what's consuming her heart. He just revealed all his plans to her-- what a show of complete trust in her! She has to reward that-- even if she's in agony internally.
She clears her throat and tries to speak in a calm, confident-sounding tone.
"So...those who you choose to be Doyen slaves will be those who refuse to follow you? I'm sure you have people who can read minds...tell if those who bow down to you are being false..." she says, her fingers kneading the pillow slowly.
Divis smiles to himself. "Of course...I have my precautions..." he says. "No one will fool me. They will bow down before me or be taken by the Doyen...and from what I understand that is a fate worse than death." he says. "Does that...disturb you?"
Rage shakes her head, her fiery red hair falling around her arms, contrasting vividly with her pale skin.
"No, because any human who tries to be a hero this time around is an idiot. I'm sure there are many who are filled with false confidence...fools who believe that their government is to thank for you leaving 200 years ago. It will be a pleasure to see their faces when nothing their government can do will matter!" Rage says with more venom than necessary-- fueled by her hurt at the earlier revelation.
"Excellent..." Divis says. "Then we will begin." he says. "I will send my son soon to make ready the way for our return. The Cult of Mal will be born again. This time baptized in fire and ready to lead the earth into a new age."
Rage cringes, her shoulders hunching as her fingers tear the pillows they've been digging into. She can't hold it in anymore-- without realizing it she's starts charring the sheets and pillows she's touching as her skin grows hot.
She closes her eyes tightly and exhales. She doesn't even know where to begin, but she knows better than to just start ranting at Divis.
"Your son..." she finally says in a low voice, squeezing her eyes closed so Divis won't see the tears forming. Suddenly her eyes fly open and they're blazing with firelight-- the tears evaporating in hisses of steam.
"What about THIS son!?" she cries, holding her womb. "What will that first son do to his smaller baby brother when he finds out about him??" she cries, more steam floating from her eyes.
Divis turns at her violent reaction. "Nikolai is a good son, but he is flawed. He has...certain plans that will not come to fruition. Once he serves his purpose...he will be dealt with." he says calmly. "You have nothing to worry..."
The heat starts noticeably dying down and Rage relaxes a little, hope replacing the anger in her eyes. She looks in Divis' eyes and sees only sincerity there. "You mean that?" she asks in a quiet voice. "But...what about Sin-Eater? Is she attached to him? Does she love him? What will she do?" she asks, still clutching to the pillows.
"She has no knowledge of his treachery, and it shall remain so, until I decide to let her know," Divis says. "She has as much feeling for him as I...but should there be...complications I want her usefulness to be...utilized."
Rage nods slowly. "And what will she do when she hears that I am pregnant? Have you promised her that HER son will be your heir? Am I going to have a spitting hell-cat after me? And are you so sure that she has no feelings for you?" Rage asks, the light of her eyes shifting from bright fire to warm embers as Divis tries to reassure her.
"No...I have never made that promise to her nor to Nikolai. They know their places here. They know what they are to do." Divis says. He turns to her. "You still do not trust me."
Rage gives a laugh of surprise, and then slowly gets up out of the bed-- looking behind her with a wince when she discovers what her temper did to the sheets and pillows, and then looks back at Divis apologetically. She walks up to him slowly with a swing to her hips and runs her hands up his chest and around the back of his neck.
"I'll have those sheets replaced..." she says in a low voice. "Of course of trust YOU, Divis! But I know women...I know their deceitful ways...I know how they can harbor secret feelings for men...for men that their own friends love. I want to meet Sin-Eater and assess her myself...watch her around you. Same with Bounty. I mean, how could I blame either of them if they wanted you...if they had feeling for you? I'd hate them for it, of course!" she smiles. "But blame them?" She closes her eyes and kisses him slowly and expertly.
Divis kisses her back and nods. "Of course." he says. "They are in the tower across from us. No doubt wondering when you will come to speak to them. They are very anxious to meet you." he says.
Rage glances out the window at the tower Divis pointed out to her and nods. She feels a tiny bit of hope that maybe these women could replace the ones she thought of as friends in her other life. That maybe they can be trusted. She looks back at Divis.
"Should I just fly up to their window? Or go the normal route and knock?" she grins. "What would YOU do?"
Divis raises an eyebrow. "The window...you are their queen." he says haughtily.
Rage stands straight and tall, lifting her own chin in the air and smiling proudly. "Good point! Will you give us a little while to do some girl-talk and then join us, my love?" she asks, tracing her finger across his strong jaw in admiration while her other hand wanders boldly lower.
"I will. There is much to prepare...things I must oversee before we begin our long flight to our new home," he says. "Go and speak with them, but Rage...no harm can come to them...do you understand?" he says.
Rage pauses her hands and changes her demeanor to a serious one.
"I understand. No matter what, they are precious resources. There are a dwindling number of first generation novas like ourselves. We need to band together so our mission succeeds." she says in complete understanding.
"It...was just such a big shock...finding out about your other son. It was an...unforeseen complication. But I'm absorbing the news and making the best of it, and in all sincerity I do hope that the three of us become fast friends. Although females are rather hard to trust in general, the ones that you CAN trust are irreplaceable." she says quietly, looking at Divis intently.
Divis nods. "I agree...females are often hard to predict and even worse to confide in. But I trust you Rage. You have been nothing if not honest with me," he says. "Now go and meet with them. And try not to hurt them."
Rage gives him a big smile with a wicked twinkle in her eyes. "I won't hurt them, Divis, because you asked me not to. But I'm sure that won't be the only reason. I'm sure we'll get along just fine." she says with a wink. "Don't worry about us!"
She glances at her reflection in the crystal wall-- making sure she doesn't have bed-hair-- then gives Divis a soft kiss, and then lifts up and flies out of the window. As she floats over to the other tower she turns up a warm immolation around her body like a nimbus to give her a more majestic appearance, and then remembers that she's left herself naked again and activates her minimal EuFiber as an afterthought.
She floats outside the window, listening if the girls are there.
Rage can hear their voices through the window. They seem to be talking about the invasion and eventual take over of the FSA. There is laughter and then silence.
Rage floats in through the window and sets down lightly on the floor, reducing her fiery nimbus so as not to appear offensive. "Hello ladies! I thought since I'd gotten settled in that I'd come meet you!" she smiles, shifting her weight to one leg and putting her hands on her hips.
"We were wondering when you'd make an appearance." Sin says. She stands up from the divan she was laying upon. Her black hair cut short around her face, bright blue eyes that hide much mischief.
Bounty looks up from the fireplace to the window. "Hello, Rage." she says and turns back to the fire.
Bounty is the first familiar face she's seen since Divis found her, and she finds herself feeling a mixture of relief and hopefulness that they could be friends, considering they both started out in the same place.
"Bounty-- it's been a long time." she says with a seriousness to her voice, nodding to her. "Sin Eater-- it is a pleasure." she says, also nodding to her. "It seems we are the last of the 1st generation...is that right? No one but the three of us and Divis?" she asks.
"That's correct," Sin says. "Pull up a divan and some wine," she says motioning towards a wine bottle on a small coffee table. "All the comforts of home without the pesky humans to bother us," she says. "Welcome to the revolution, Rage."
Rage smiles. Sin seems to be just fine with her, but Bounty refuses to look in her direction. "I'll take you up on that wine in a moment!" Rage smiles, reclining back on a comfortable chair. "Can we feel the affects, or is it just regular wine?" she asks.
"It is regular wine, but it still tastes just as sweet," Sin says sitting on the divan. "Bounty, don't be inhospitable. Talk to our guest." she says.
Bounty turns away from the fireplace. "There will be pain and sacrifice and destruction. It is in the fire...the fire tells all." she says and turns back to the fire.
Rage smiles. "Now THERE'S something I can help fulfill!" she grins, raising her hand and making it burn brightly with fire. She extinguishes it and looks back at Bounty. "You are a seer? You can see the future?" she asks curiously.
"Don't bother talking to her," Sin says. "She's been like this for fifty years now." she says. "I think she's losing her mind. Divis says differently. He says she's a prophet." Sin shrugs. "I don't know about that."
Rage's face falls a little. "I was hoping to catch up on old times with her..." she sighs, and then decides to have that drink after all. She gets up off the divan and pours herself a drink, and then takes it back to her seat and reclines, sipping it.
"So what has Divis told you about me?" she asks. "I know you were never part of Aeon that way me and Bounty were, so it must be...a little difficult to trust newcomers who were." she says, sipping her wine again.
"Oh just what he's heard from her," Sin says looking over at Bounty. "Oh there were a lot of Utopians who later joined, Rage. I see this as an eventuality." she says raising her glass. "One day all novas, no matter what generation, will be under our banner."
Rage nods slowly. "Well, Aeon didn't think things through very well. It went from being a James Bond-type training facility to a corporation whose only concern was trying to keep the public happy with them. Even Stormwatch disbanded itself, it was so fed up."
She looks over at Bounty again. "She saw something about me?" she asks Sin, her curiosity piqued.
"Oh yes...Divis made the both of us promise not to say a word of what was spoken so you can stop asking right now." Sin says with a look of warning. "Not to worry however," Sin says. "Bounty has spoken about a lot of things. Often strange things like she said earlier."
Rage raises an eyebrow. 'So these two women get to know secret, prophesy-type things about me, but *I* can't??' she thinks to herself in frustration. 'I'll have to ask Divis what this is about. This feels like some kind of high school clique, or something!'
"All right, well then I won't ask you anymore about it." she says, sipping her wine. "But what I meant was, what did he tell you about why I suddenly joined him? You knew me as Aura, wife of Supreme for centuries, and then suddenly I join the Teragen. He must have said SOMEthing." she says.
"He said you joined him because you had finally seen the light and that what Bounty saw came to pass. And that we will all have to work together during these next few years." Sin says.
Rage nods. Sin is not a very forthcoming person. "We'll all have to work together forever." Rage corrects. Sounds to her like Sin isn't very happy with the idea of working with her if she's already measuring out how long it's going to be. If Divis hadn't warned her not to hurt anyone, Rage would already be contemplating where to punch her.
"Unless you were planning on NOT working together after earth is safely under our control?" she asks with a little smirk, watching Sin warily.
"It won't matter sweetie." she says coldly and turns to the fire Bounty is so intent on. "Let's talk of different things shall we. All this talk of doom and gloom is depressing."
"Funny, doom and gloom is what makes my day." she say, dropping the smirk, her eyes flaring a little. This would normally be the point where she'd attack, but then her promise to Divis comes back to her and she forces herself to breathe and take another sip of the wine, pulling the flames back inside of her. The wine in her glass is now hot.
"All right then. A change of topics. Tell me about your son! I hear he's on his way back home as we speak." she says, getting up off of the divan and setting her glass on the table. She walks around the room slowly, studying the decor as she waits for Sin's response.
"Yes...he's been away for months. He never tells us what he does but I'm sure it's all to further the grand design." Sin says shrugging. "We shall see how all this plays out. It's eventual, Rage. The earth will be under his thumb and there will be no room for any dissention."
Rage inwardly sighs. 'I meant what is he LIKE...you know...personality-wise!' she thinks to herself. "Well of course! Is there any question?" she asks with a little laugh, trying to keep her voice light and casual.
'Why does she keep talking like she's trying to convince me of something?? And why won't Divis confide in me what this vision is about?? Or maybe she's lying...or PRETENDING Bounty saw something to try to get me to pester Divis and break us apart or something...' she thinks as the distrust sets in.
She suddenly turns and walks over to Bounty, taking her shoulders and turning her. "All right, stop the charade. I know you're not in some kind of trance. I heard BOTH of you talking and laughing outside." she says, the fire back in her eyes.
Sin sits up and watches Rage take her shoulders.
Bounty turns around limply and looks at Rage with vacant eyes as if she's staring right through her. She grabs her arm and leans in close. "You're her hero...there's a lot of you in her...a lot of you in her...and him...especially him..."
Rage's eyebrows lower. "What the hell...?" she mutters under her breath. 'I'm sure she doesn't mean Sin over there!' Rage thinks with an inward laugh, but keeps her attention on Bounty.
"Who are you talking about, Bounty." she says, changing in a flash from angry to encouraging.
"Supreme...Supreme...Supreme..." Bounty murmurs...
"She does that sometimes, she just repeats herself or is suddenly a different person. Like I said she's batshit." Sin says. "Just let her be and she'll calm down soon enough."
Rage cringes slightly each time Bounty says 'Supreme,' yet there's something about Bounty that's drawing her to her. She doesn't think Bounty is crazy. She thinks there's something to her.
"Just a second, Sin..." Rage says and turns back to Bounty. "The woman you are talking about...the one who thinks I'm her hero...who is she?" she asks.
Bounty continues to say Supreme until she closes her eyes and turns back to the fire. She leans herself down to the floor and curls up in a fetal position and falls to a deep sleep.
"And there she goes...it'll be days before she wakes up." Sin says.
"Shit..." Rage says under her breath, watching Bounty for a minute and then turning back to Sin. "She could be such a huge help if she could just answer our questions!"
'Well, I guess that confirms it. Supreme must still be alive and looking for Divis for Bounty to be so affected by his name. I'm assuming.' she thinks to herself.
She turns back to Sin and folds her arms, taking a deep breath. "Listen...I don't know what Bounty saw that you can't tell me about...it's not important right now. What's important is that we get along...treat each other as sister-goddesses with respect and encouragement. We have a long trip ahead of us and important things to accomplish that require complete cooperation. Would you agree?" she asks.
"I do agree," Sin says. "And I've been thinking it over and we should get along. Who knows what we'll find on earth. Maybe someone whose shine is a bit more new than ours hmm?" she says. "Wouldn't want to be replaced now would we? Either of us for that matter."
Rage tightens her lips a little. "Are you saying that Divis becomes infatuated with someone and then loses interest?" she asks, her body very still and her voice very calm.
"No...not exactly, Rage. But let's face it. There may be competition on earth that we'll have to destroy. We'll need to work together for the both of us to remain in his favor..." she looks around. "You know what happens when people fall out of favor."
Rage gives a little smirk and folds her arms. "Well, considering he shot me in the ass with his laser-eyes, I'd have to say...yeah! I DO know what happens! You mean something like that?" she asks. Inside she's seething. She doesn't know HOW Divis accomplished so much with a little back-stabber like Sin for his top-ranking assistant! But on the outside she keeps up the calm, casual demeanor.
"Yeah something like that," Sin says. "Shot you in the ass did he?" she says. She chuckles. "He can be very funny at times." she says. "So Rage...what are your plans for earth when we take over?"
Rage is not happy right now. She doesn't like Sin, so now she's EXTRA bitter that Sin and Divis had ANY kind of intimate moment-- whether or not Divis found it unpleasant-- and had a child together!
'"He can be very funny, hahaha!'" Rage mimics Sin in her head, her fingers squeezing her arms but wishing they could be squeezing Sin's throat.
And she definitely doesn't like that Sin is going to fight to stay in Divis' favor! Rage wonders why ANYONE would have to fight for that if they were true Teragen members! Wouldn't earning his favor just come naturally as a result of helping him??
'It sounds like he's been surrounded by buffoons who don't really share his vision or care about what HE cares about, as long as they get perks! I really, REALLY miss Raoul and Sifiris and even old Mathy-Man right now! What I wouldn't give to have them be alive again...I'd even apologize to the Mathematician for threatening to kill him if only we could have the old guard back again!' she thinks, fighting back tears.
She finally realizes that Sin is waiting for her to answer her question, and clears her throat. "Well, I have some scores to settle...some personal vengeance to see to. After that I plan to be wherever Divis needs me, doing whatever he needs me to do. I'm looking forward to seeing the humans whipped into shape and the planet changed into the place it's meant to evolve to. What about you?"
"Oh I plan on settling scores myself. Particularly the U.S. I want to see it wiped from the map when we are done with it," she says with a little smile. "I want every last man and woman to fall before me writhing in agony."
Rage smiles and nods, pacing around a little again. "For me, I want to see them look up at me in fear, and promise to do whatever I ask out of terror of what I COULD do to them if I chose. I want them to call me 'goddess' and really consider me one-- not just call me 'goddess' to my face to appease me, but to really consider me one..." she muses, her eyes faraway.
Sin smiles and shrugs, "To each their own then," she says. "Well this has been enlightening, Rage. I always thought of you as mindless muscle...I believe I was wrong."
Rage gives a bitter laugh as she comes out of her daydream. "You weren't the only one." She pauses. "And that includes Gwen."
She pauses again and looks at Sin. "Thank you." Rage isn't used to hearing compliments-- that's for sure. Divis may have been the first person...she can't remember.
"So has Bounty said what she wants to do when she gets to earth? Does she have an agenda? Or just more prophetic mumblings."
"Just mumblings. I don't expect her to be very useful even though Divis says she will be..." Sin says with a shrug.
"She will be useful," Divis says from the window gently gliding in. "And she will be treated with respect." he says crossing his arms.
"Of course Divis. I wouldn't harm her...I just think it's a waste of effort." Sin says sitting up.
"It's not, and that is all we'll speak of it, Sin." he says.
Rage smiles, relieved that Divis chose this moment to show up. She floats over to him and lays a soft kiss on his cheek.
Because she and Sin are trying to be sportsman-like, she chose to greet Divis more conservatively than she might normally have, but she still wanted to have it be SOME kind of kiss so she could watch Sin's reaction to it.
"We were just discussing what our wish-lists are once we get to earth, my love!" she smiles.
Sin sits back and takes a sip of wine nonchalantly. "Of course," she says.
"Good. Make your plans. We leave as soon as possible, Rage. Now if you will excuse us, Sin, we have pressing issues we must discuss, Rage and I." he says. He looks over at Bounty. "Goodnight, Bounty."
"Night, my lord." Bounty says in a low barely-there voice.
"Absolutely, Divis. So nice to talk to you, Rage. Come back tomorrow and I'll show you around the city." Sin says.
Rage smiles and nods. "I'd appreciate that." she says. "Nice talking to both of you. I'll see you tomorrow, Sin." Rage lays her hand on Divis' arm to let him know she's ready to go.
Divis nods to her and then shoots Sin a look. "Goodnight, Sin," he says.
The two of them glide out the window and fly off into the night sky, leaving Sin to watch them from the tower window below. "Goodnight, Divis," she says with a smile.
