Nathan, Chelsea and Astrid
Nathan had stayed outside all night, not moving inside after his confrontation with Mordred, Gwen and the members of the Fellowship yesterday. Sometimes, he just had to do things. Even when he knew he was treading a dangerous ground.
Chelsea had gone inside after a long involved protest last night, but she walked outside, balancing a plate of food in one hand and holding a cup of coffee in the other.
"You're too good to me," he murmured as he took them from her, looking tired and wan. He started to devour the food hungrily.
"Well, someone has to look after you. You don't do it very well," Chelsea said as she sat next to him, leaning her head on her folded knees as she hugged them to her chest.
Nathan drank from the cup of coffee and then sat back to watch her, empty plate on the ground.
"You don't have to."
"But I want to."
They sat there in silence for a few moments, Nathan sipping from his coffee.
A shadow appeared on the grass, and then Astrid dropped to the ground, wings flaring out slightly. Black feathers and hair fluttered in the light wind.
Nathan stared at her in horror, then stood placing Chelsea behind him.
"Hello, little Seer," Astrid purred, drawing her sword.
"I've come to finish the job."
"Red, run."
"No!"
"RUN!" Nathan dove for Astrid and the Valkyrie screamed angrily as he tore out some of her feathers.
Chelsea hesitated for a moment, and then Astrid flashed to her, picking her up by the throat. She gurgled horribly and kicked her legs as Astrid held her above the ground, hand slowly tightening.
"NO!" Nathan yelled and dove for Astrid again. Chelsea fell to the ground choking as Nathan and Astrid rolled over the ground, wings beating at his head and claws scrabbling for his face.
Gwen
"Blood is spilt this night," Legolas said softly. He stood up, Aragorn by his side, hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Then we will fight." Gwen stood and followed Legolas and Aragorn from the caf, grabbing the bow and arrows that Legolas gave to her.
They ran outside to find Astrid, Chelsea and Nathan. Legolas shot a series of arrows at Astrid.
Astrid, Nathan and Chelsea
Astrid threw her head back and screamed, before her wings took her into the air. Nathan kicked and struggled, before she dropped him onto the ground. A sickening crack, and he yelped in pain as he broke his leg when he hit the ground wrong.
Astrid stared at the elf, and her hand went to her back, before she slowly pushed the arrows straight through her chest and out the other side. As the horrified group watched, the gaping wounds healed.
She licked her bloodstained fingers slowly and delicately, like a cat.
"Poor little Seer. I keep breaking him."
With a twist of her hand, her sword flew to her hand and she whirled it lightly.
"Come then. Let us play."
Chelsea sat up slightly, and Astrid glanced at her and smiled chillingly.
Gwen
Gwen and Legolas began shooting arrows rapidly, Gwen's skill as an archer improving, now that she was an elf.
Aragorn drew his sword, as the four hobbits ran out, swords drawn, gleaming in the moonlight.
Astrid, Mordred, Chelsea and Nathan
Astrid laughed again, an almost mocking bird-like shriek.
"Don't you know? I cannot die."
Mordred appeared behind her and swung his sword before he 'ported to the ground by Gwen and Legolas.
Astrod fluttered to the earth, one of her wings destroyed.
She hissed at Mordred.
"So brave, little Wolf."
"Should I bite you again?" Mordred said coldly.
"I think..." Quick as a darting snake, Astrid flipped to hold Chelsea in front of her, a gleaming sword edge to the frightened girl's throat.
"Now...if I killed her, would that help, or would it just be really funny?"
Astrid licked up the side of Chelsea's face with an agile tongue, and the girl cried out in disgust.
"Dammit, your fight is with me, carrion eater," Nathan hissed.
"But this is so much more fun then hurting you." Astrid pressed a mock affectionate kiss to the side of Chelsea's neck. "She tastes...sweet."
Gwen
"Can you port Chelsea away?" Gwen asked Mordred, her hands tightening around her bow.
Aragorn's eyes were determined, and the hobbits just looks slightly afraid.
Mordred, Astrid and Chelsea
"I can't. She's holding her too closely. I could...leave something behind." Mordred's teeth bared in an unfriendly grin.
"So, who exactly do we have here?" Astrid asked, hands splayed against Chelsea's body. She fought briefly, then cried out in pain as Astrid dug the edge in against her throat. Red flowed over the edge of the blade.
"They are so going to kick your ass, you skanky evil ho," Chelsea spat.
Astrid's claws ripped down the front of the shirt Chelsea was wearing, shredding it.
"That wasn't the question I asked. The question was, who are they?"
"The people who are going to kick your ass," Chelsea said as if explaining something to someone very stupid.
Gwen
The Fellowship stood perfectly still, unwilling to risk her life by attacking. Gwen stood perfectly still, watching everything unfold before her eyes.
Nathan, Astrid and Chelsea
Nathan panted, the pain in his leg almost overwhelming.
Astrid sat with Chelsea almost in her lap, very aware of the control she had over the situation. She smiled at the Fellowship, feeling her wing regrow.
"You know...this has been fun. I'll have to make sure to do it again some time. But now..."
She grinned, then sank her teeth into Chelsea's throat. The girl screamed in pain, hands clenching. Mordred made an abortive move forward, before he found that he couldn't move.
Astrid anchored their feet to the ground, as she looked up again, licking her lips. Chelsea's eyes fluttered.
"You know how rare it is to find virgins in this day and age? So sweet..." She traced the curve of Chelsea's cheek with a curved claw.
Gwen
Legolas found he couldn't move, but he pulled his arrows out and started shooting quickly, one after another. Gwen took a sidelong glance at him and did the same.
"We can't move!" Pippin squealed.
"Yeah, I picked that up too," Merry shot back.
Aragorn pulled a dagger from his boot and threw it into Astrid's arm.
Nathan, Mordred, Chelsea, Vortigern and Spike
"I need to get my leg set. I broke it when she dropped me," Nathan said through gritted teeth.
"Getting the mindwalker would be a *fantastic* idea."
Mordred dodged a flare of flame from the dragon's mouth, then cried out as one of Astrid's arrows hit him in the chest.
Chelsea screamed as he started to fall.
Vortigern sat bolt upright in bed, then ran outside.
"MORDRED!"
Spike ran after him.
"Vort! What's going on?!"
Gwen
"AH!"
Gwen clutched at her chest as her hair and eyes turned from blonde and blue, back to brown. She fell to the ground, holding her chest.
"OH GOD!"
Legolas bent down.
"Gwen, what is it?"
"Mordred... he's hurt..."
Aragorn ran inside quickly to fetch the professor.
The Mavericks, Logan and Spike
Mordred fell, twisting slowly as he hurtled towards the surface of the earth. Vortigern couldn't see him, but he could feel him. The pain...firey ache from the arrow, that was being offset by a disquieting numbness...
DEMETRIA!
She 'ported almost on instinct, looking slightly dazed.
"What?"
"Mordred." Vortigern pointed and Demetria looked upwards. She rose towards him swiftly.
And then the heavens opened, with a roll of thunder and buckets of rain pouring down.
Her clothes were immediately plastered to her skin, and she moved her sodden hair out of her face. She caught Mordred and started to slow their descent, the wind almost totally knocked out of her by the force of catching him.
Mordred's eyes snapped open, and Vortigern screamed, going to his knees. Spike dropped next to him.
"Luv, what is it?"
Another heartrending wail answered him.
"I am coming," Xavier assured Aragorn as he started to move his wheelchair outside.
Logan ran, claws gleaming to where the others were standing.
"I just caught it on the cameras. Dammit, we need better security."
Gwen
"MORDRED!" Gwen screamed, trying to reach for him. Legolas held her back slightly, so as she wouldn't hurt herself, or him.
"Gwen, shhh," Legolas said softly, trying to soothe the sobs that were rising in her chest.
The Mavericks and Spike
Demetria landed, then collapsed. Spike caught both her and Mordred, blood spilling out from Mordred's shoulder.
"I'll take her," Octavian said, putting his twin's arm around his shoulder. She leant against him, dizzy and pale.
Vortigern clapped a hand to the spot where the arrow had entered Mordred's body on his chest, crying out in pain.
"Oh not again," Spike said quietly.
Blood welled out from between Vortigern's fingers.
Gwen and Paige
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Gwen cried, finally pulling out of Legolas's arms and crawling over to him, tears streaking down her face.
She touched Mordred's face gently.
"Come on, you'll be ok... you'll be... PAIGE!"
Paige orbed in seconds later, looking annoyed, then shifting to worried when she was what was happening. She didn't even ask as she bent down and held her hands over Mordred's wound.
Gwen bit her lip as a bright light glowed from Paige's hand and the wound closed up.
X-men and Spike
Vortigern collapsed.
A growl echoed up from Mordred's throat and his eyelids fluttered rapidly.
Logan helped Nathan stand, and the insane mutant looked at the two twins.
"The Wolf is lost, the Angel falls."
"And what the sod do you mean by that?" Spike snarled.
"Poison, poison, poison..."
Gwen and Paige
Gwen looked at Paige with desperate eyes.
"Can't you..."
"I'm sorry, I've done all I can," Paige said sadly as she orbed out.
Gwen's tears fell upon Mordred's face as she started to transform back into the elf. She stood up.
"Then we must go to Middle Earth now. They will have the cure."
Nyx, Spike, Octavian, Nathan and Demetria
"And how were the wizard and the cat doing on that particular point?" Spike spat as he cradled Vortigern in his arms.
"Quite well actually," Nyx said as she appeared. She looked upwards to where Astrid had disappeared with Chelsea.
"I will help you go, and then I am going after this black winged one."
"You don't have the right people yet, cat," Nathan warned her.
"Perhaps not to defeat her entirely, but I can get the girl back at the very least. She hurt Priss. I will kill her myself."
Nathan nodded and let Logan help him inside.
"I suggest you people go and get what you'll need for an extended stay."
Energy started to glow around Nyx's hands.
Octavian and Demetria looked at each other, then back at the people.
"While we would adore to come with you-"
"This is perhaps not the time-"
"But we will help Spike and Gwen get Vort and Wolf's things together- "
"It is the least we can do."
Gwen
Gwen walked quickly back into the mansion, tears still falling as she gathered Eavan and Bryant and started to pack their things into a bag. She sat on the bed and buried her face in her hands as Legolas and Aragorn came in.
"We will assist you," Aragorn said quietly.
They set about grabbing a bag each and Legolas packed Mordred's things, and Aragorn finished packing for the babies.
Gwen got up moments later and packed some of her own stuff, then put Eavan and Bryant into their stroller, and headed back out to Nyx, Legolas and Aragorn by her side.
Spike, Nyx, Faolan, Demetria and Octavian
Spike wouldn't leave Vortigern's side.
Demetria and Octavian went to organise the pair's things. Every pencil, rubber, sharpener and sketch pad they could find went into one bag, alongside Vortigern's clothes, shoes and the katana blades Spike was training him on. In Spike's bag, they packed his beloved duster, all the blood in the mansion minus a few days worth for Angel, smokes, a few bottles of JD, and the assorted weaponry that the vampire carried with him everywhere. They used his few clothes to soften the rattling sound.
Faolan trotted up and dropped to a crouch next to his father.
Nyx glanced a look back at him.
"You know, you could stay here with me."
He needs me. And that was that.
Octavian grabbed some of Faolan's things, stuffing them in a bag, and then the two blondes reappeared near the group.
"We ready to go then?" Spike asked Nyx.
"Very, very nearly..."
Nyx's eyes flared green and she and Gandalf started to chant as the portal she was opening between the two dimensions gaped wider.
Gwen
The Hobbits looked somewhat relieved that the portal had been opened again, and they were finally going home, and they walked through as soon as they could. Aragorn and Legolas followed.
Gwen took a deep breath and wheeled the stroller through, pausing to regard Nyx with her once again blue eyes.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Nyx and Spike
"Believe me when I say I have a lot to make up to you two," Nyx said softly, her eyes glowing green.
Spike lifted Vortigern into his arms, slinging their bags across his back and walking through the portal. Faolan nosed his father and Mordred stood shakily, eyes still closed.
Gandalf took his arm and guided him through, Faolan padding behind in his wolf form.
"Go," Nyx said, her hands starting to shake with the strain.
Gwen
Once they were all through the portal, it closed, and an elf approached them.
"Welcome, some old, some new. This is, Lothlorien."
Gwen smiled slightly.