"Orphans Beloved: "Helena V…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended…

(Oh, come on…I have to give Helena a great exit… Best if you play the Henry V St. Crispan's theme at youtube while reading)

Before the grim gates of the fiendish Dyad Institute…Menacing security confident in their ranks and numbers…Backed by the craven hangers-on of their wealthy backers, seeking after immortality…Neolutionists, fanatic in their faith...The overconfident and lusty (as always) Aldous Leekie in command with his equally arrogant "daughter"/mistress Rachel…And an additional force of true abominations…Mindless clone soldiers, the final vile spawn of Dyad's hideous "research"…

The army of independent clones, collected by the original clone club from every nation, determined to put an end to Dyad's little Neonazi Neolution Hell on Earth…

Joined in the leadership by the most haunted yet determined of all to right this terrible and infamous wrong…And her own tragic errors.

A second chance to do so, God-granted, she has confidently assumed to her seestras…Er, sisters. Who, after much time, and many acts of atonement have taken her into their ranks…

Sarah: "Looks like they've at least a couple of thousand, a little brain-dead mercenary army of us.. They're not going down without a fight."

Cosima, repressing cough: "Well, looks like this is the trip, man. And welcome, all…" wry grin.

Allison: "O, Judas Priest! That we now had here

But one ten thousandth of our sisters in those damned Dyad embryo tanks

With us to-day!"

Helena, stepping forward: "What's she that wishes so?

My sisester Allison? No, my fair sisester;

If we are mark'd to die, we are enow

To do our clone club loss; and if to live,

The fewer us, the greater share of honour.

God's and the Holy Mother's will! I pray thee, wish not one clone more.

By the Holy Virgin, you should know I am not covetous for gold,

Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost so long as the restaurant is so nice, yes?;

It yearns me not if men my garments wear;" (Sarah and Ally exchanging looks…And who would want that coat…?)

"Such outward things dwell not in my desires.

But if it be a sin to covet honour,

I am the most offending soul alive.

No, faith, my clone, wish not another from Dyad's spawn.

Judas Priest! I would not lose so great an honour

As one clone more methinks would share from me

For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!

Rather let us proclaim it, Sarah, through our host,

That she which hath no stomach to this fight,

Let her depart; her passport it shall be made, yes?

And crowns for convoy put into her purse;

We would not die in that…(spit) proclone's company

That fears her cloneship to die with us.

This day, by Jesus' blessing, is call'd the feast of St Helena,

Mother of Constantine, blessed saint of my church.

She that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,

And rouse her at the name of that Helena.

She that shall live this day, and see old age,

Will yearly on the vigil feast her sisters,

And say "To-morrow is Saint Helena."

Then will she strip her sleeve and show her scars and her barcode,

And say "These wounds I had on Helena's day."

Old ones do forget, yes; yet all shall be forgot,

But she'll remember, with advantages,

What feats she did that day. Then shall our names,

Familiar in her mouth as household words-

Helena, Manning and Hendrix,

Yes, Neuhaus and friends, our dear ones…Bell and Dierden,

(Art and Paul grinning…)

Brother Donnie (Ally hugging), our other sister Delphine, and our beloved brother Felix (Fee, wry nod)-

Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.

This story shall our Allison teach her son, our nephew;

And St Helena's Day shall ne'er go by,

From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remembered-

We few, we happy few, we band of sisesters;

For she to-day that sheds her blood with me

Shall be my sisester; be she ne'er so vile, yea even such female Cain as I am.

Yes…This day shall gentle and absolve her condition;

And clones unknown in the world now-a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,

And hold their hard-won Humanity cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us…Upon…Saint…Helena's day!"

Cheers…