"We don't know what sort of power he has," Theo said. "We know he has access to energy attacks of some variety from his attack on my daughters..."
Gina walked in then with a frantic look on her face.
"I just heard from Penny," she said hurriedly. "They tried for her, but she drove them off. Even managed to sink a tracker in one of them. She has images..." a hesitant look came over her face as she looked around and found Brittany. "Selena Masters and Danielle Carter are two of his thralls..."
Britanny's face, full of dread, fell as that information came out. Her head bowed and she shook in rage, eyes tearing up. Her fist came up then and slammed down cracking the arm of the sofa she was sitting on.
"Damn bastard!" Britanny growled harshly. "My family, my clan, my friends, these girls and DANI!?! I'll...I'll..."
"You'll stay here," Jetta said firmly.
"What?" Britanny demanded, standing up. "You don't even begin to think..."
"Last time I had to stay out of it because I was pregnant with Alera, Britanny," Jetta reminded her. "The situation is reversed now, if you go, you aren't just risking your life, you're risking your baby's!"
Cheetah sniffed and sat back down, feeling helpless.
"We'll have to contact Mimi..." Theo said without much relish.
"What about Kagome," Inu-Yasha demanded. "Was Kagome with them?"
"No, the images and recordings report the other two as a 'Sakura' and a 'Kodachi,'" Gina said.
Ranma blinked and sat up at that.
"Kodachi?!" Ranma said, shocked.
"You know her, too?" Theo asked.
"She's of a samurai family," he said. "Last time I saw her she was giving me a tearful goodbye as she went off to go 'find herself' or something. Kept telling me not pine over her..."
"Ex-lover?" Inu-Yasha asked gruffly sitting down in a huff.
"In her mind, maybe," Ranma said, not as firmly as he would have if the girl hadn't been enslaved by someone. "She's a loon...but she doesn't deserve...hell, she was getting more normal than my sane fiancees have been...now I have another reason to hate this guy."
"Fiancees?" Brianna repeated in a confused whisper before, like everyone else, taking it to be a translation spell glitch.
"Does anybody know a Sakura?" Julia asked.
"I've heard of one in some fighting circuits," Ranma said. "But that's about it..." Everybody else shook her head.
"Then we have an unknown element with her," Julia said.
"But Penny's tracking them, when they stop," Gina said. "We got them. And if Selena's with them we know who's giving him his magic since Brit broke his book."
"Don't be sure," Theo said. "We don't know how he escaped death in the first place. He could have a surprise or two in store. We need to discuss our plans fully and take into account everything. Brendan is crafty, but arrogant. His actions show two dimensional thinking.* Given the power and intellect gathered here, we should be able to outwit him."
"Contact Mimi, Theo," Julia said. "The Masters' coven will want in on this, and they'll be welcome. Overwhelming power will be necessary to take these girls down without hurting them too badly."
"I shall do so, dear," Theo said.
****
"Aja, you're a mess," Mimi said. "Pull yourself together, we'll find her, whatever is going on. And maybe she's got a reason for blocking out her link to you."
"Selena is ALWAYS neck deep in trouble!" Aja moaned. "You know her, and she hasn't been home in weeks! She vanished going out for cigarettes damn it! The last thing I got from her was a blast of sheer terror before she blocked the link."
"Why can't you find her with your magic, Mimi?" Aloysious asked.
"Selena routinely has scry-blocking spells in effect," Mimi said. "And she's very skilled at those. Aja knows that."
She didn't make her own fears too obvious, trying to keep a bold face on for Aja's benefit. When it came down it though, Selena had best have a very good reason for vanishing. If this was one of her jokes...she was in for a severe reprimand.
"Message coming in, Mimi," Aloysious said, gesturing toward the crystal ball. Mimi looked down and blinked as Dr Theodore Diggers came into view.
"Dr. Diggers," Mimi said. "This is a surprise, what can I do for you?"
"I'm afraid I bring bad news, Mimi," he said. "One of my daughter's enemies has extended his war to those that have been our allies."
"I haven't had much contact with you or your daughters," Mimi said. "I'm not sure what...Selena has been involved in at least two of your daughters' adventures, hasn't she."
"You know of Brendan the Betrayer?" Dr. Diggers asked, not directly answering the question.
"I do," Mimi said. "I thought he was dead until I got that notice from the Council..."
"You probably should have attended..." Theo said.
"The Master's Coven does not answer to the Council of Mages," she reminded him. "Nor do you answer to us. To show up uninvited, that would be quite rude. Especially for allies."
"I know," he said. "But this would have served both our purposes. I didn't want to say anything until it was confirmed but..."
Mimi feared where this was heading.
"What is the news you have to bring me regarding the werewolf and my sister?" she asked tightly.
"Brendan has enthralled your sister, Mimi," Theo said reluctantly.
Mimi shut her eyes and stood back. She had been expecting it with the direction of Theo's talk, but it still hit hard. Of course, she realized there was more. She nodded to theo for him to continue, her eyes downcast as she did so.
"We've rescued one thrall," Theo said. "Or rather, we were allowed to rescue one. She is pregnant." Mimi winced.
"I'll be over there within the day, Dr. Diggers," she said.
"We'll be waiting," Theo said. "And, Mimi, we includes the leaders of the werewolf clan."
"I know why he's called the Betrayer, Dr. Diggers," Mimi said. "I'll speak to the Coven on the wolves behalf. But we're going to want our share of the retribution. The fool that dared to touch a hair on my sister's head shall face Masters' justice."
****
Kagome glanced briefly at her arm and swallowed as she looked at it. Was she imagining things? Or was she starting to grow fur?
It was impossible to tell. If she was, it was happening terribly slowly.
"Where are you Inu-Yasha?" she asked.
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(Posted Thu, 11 Sep 2003 21:45)
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