Red Rain

Part 2

Chapter five

The sun made its way over the river Pontcahtrain and its velvet climb was greeted by the waking members of the X-Men. This time they were prepared

It was no good hiding it would just prolong their agony. Jane had filled them in over the course of the night and Logan, having felt braver for getting his chest off to Alex told them of what happened to him in Russia during the revolution.

Jane exhaled heavily at that and said that it would explain some of why Alexi was so hell bent on doing this mission. It hadn't made Logan feel any better about actions his had memory had remembered.

Jean pulled her gown round her as the morning sun shone its golden hue through the window. Her mind was whirring and making battle strategies that she was only half aware of what she was doing,

She had Remy show her every corner of New Orleans when they had first arrived here. Something on a primeval level had told her that this was not the end, her aunt had indeed warned them that this would happen but she wondered how many more of their friends and loved ones were now creatures of the Undead.

She felt a presence beside her and turned to see Jane stretch and yawn a little. "Good morning" She greeted, her sunglasses shielding her eyes.

"The sun bothering you Jane?" Jean asked.

"The early morning sun is a bit bright, even for me"

"Coffee?"

"herbal tea if you have it"

"Which one?"
"Peppermint please"

Jean took her mug and poured herself a fresh one as well as making her aunt a tea, the two went and sat on the balcony and Jean lit a cigarette.

"I didn't realise you smoked?"
"I been smoking since I got here. Silly I know but when I get stressed I have a cigarette, when I am not stressed I don't"

Jane looked out over the still sleeping city "Is it true the funeral parties are rather – colourful?"

Jean chuckled a little "Yes defiantly that" she put her feet up on the railing and drew her gown further down and around her legs and underneath her.

"Jane?"

"hmm"

"Why did he not attack you in Elizabeth Town?"

Jane sipped her tea and set it on her knee cupping it in her pale slender fingers. "He would be breaking all sorts of rules. To attack me in my own domain would invite civil war and it is a war he will not win, not with my bloodline"

"You said your sire was a fallen angel is that true?"

"Sort off, he wasn't Lucifer thankfully. My sire was Adam."

"Adam?" Jean frowned "Adam!" She sat forward suddenly interested "As in Adam and Eve?"

"That's right. When he died he went to Heaven but something happened I don't know what and he was cast back to earth. He was met by his first wife Lillith who promised him that he would be able to do good in the world of man.

Adam already knew what fate had befallen Caine, his eldest son and the first murderer and in Vampire law he is our sacred father. Lillith the first woman became a Vampire for disobeying the law of God and when Caine murdered Abel and was banished from the lands of men Lillith took this as the chance to have her revenge against her husband. So when Adam died he came back to Earth at heavens command but Lillith bewitched him and turned him.

So now he hunts all the evil of our kind and he sees it as his penance to at least try and keep a balance"

"Was he handsome, all the vampires I have seen are handsome and beautiful" Jean asked curious beyond measure.

"Oh yes, even in mortal life Adam was said to be handsome beyond words, well he was created in Gods image so I suppose God must have been one hell of a hunk"

Jean spluttered her coffee and wiped her mouth choking a little the smile on her face "that's better" Jane smiled broadly "Nice to see you smile"

"So have Caine and Adman crossed paths?"

"frequently but Caine is tired of the war, tired of the battles he wants peace but it is a peace he can never find." Her voice was sad "A moments madness, a moments jealousy an eternity of hurt. But that is why Alexi won't touch me. One it would cause civil war to attack a high ranking prince in their domain and two my bloodline makes me a damn sight stronger then him."

"Do you think you'll defeat him?"
"Well he'll be a lot harder the Bathory if only for his sheer power and presence but I hope to the good lord I can. Because if I can't then I shall have to prepare myself for judgement"

"Would you be ready?" Jean quietly asked "To meet your maker"

Jane shrugged a little "If I have to then I will be." She glanced at her niece "and you?"

Jean nodded "If I have to be"

The two women sat in a companiable silence for a while then Jane sipped her tea and absently said "Remy's a nice young man, handsome, charming…nice catch for someone"

Jean rolled her eyes but said nothing; her mind on other things. Jane glanced at her out the corner of her eye and a smiled crossed her face hidden by the rim of the cup.

Chapter six.

New Orleans went about its day as usual, unaware that death had come. Now waiting for the shroud of night it readied itself in the shadows of the city, in its ancient buildings and Alexi watched the shadows grow longer.

As the sunset lost its hue and the sky darkened his children awoke.

"It is time!"

The screams echoed through the night. No one was safe. Not from the mutants that stalked them or the vampires the mutants were killing them. Alexi revelled in the slaughter, his memory lost in the folds of time when all he could remember was the screams of his family as they were executed, the expression on his sisters face when she realised that her brother was a vampire.

The New Orleans PD could barely cope, when they cornered Moonstar Cannonball grabbed them and tore at them like they were nothing more then bacon bits. The Nightstalkers were all but slain as the Red King and his niece The Black Widow beat them down, cornered them then fed off them.

The New Orleans streets ran with blood. Doors were crushed, windows smashed and cries of women and children filled the air.

The guilds themselves were over run Jean Luc desperately tried fending off Tigra, a werecat that was also vampire and could only scream as his arm was torn from its socket. And his kin slain

Remy crashed through the door to the Boudreaux estate with Exodus to see his ex-wife about to be set on by Moon Knight.

"get her!" Gambit ordered and threw a table at Moon Knight "hey Knightie, this no way to treat a lady!" Moon Knight turned, his face a mess of gore, blood and guts over his once pristine uniform now dark crimson.

Remy didn't know much about him except that he was a vigilante that operated out of LA and had been part of the West coast Avengers.

Once he knew that Exodus had got Belle away he upped his game.

This time he had the upper hand, nobody knew New Orleans like he did and that was his advantage and the amount of times as a young pup he would crawl up the side of the wall to sneak into Belles room when he wasn't supposed to was nobodies business.

He leapt up into the air and landed squarely on the Moon Knights back, using his bo-staff he battered the Vampire round the head several times but his over confidence was his undoing as the Moon Knight roared and drew all his strength up and threw Gambit over his shoulder and into a pillar with a Marble bust of Marius which promptly crashed on the floor inches from his head.

"Sorry Marius" he muttered and crossed himself in respect for his long dead father in law.

He wiped the blood from his mouth and saw the hunger in the vigilantes eyes "you want some Cajun blood?" Gambit grinned savagely "come and get me!"

Moon Knight lunged after the Gambit and slid across the table head butting the Gambit in the midriff knocking the wind clean from him.

"What is it with you blood suckers huh!" Gambit threw a spread of cards at the Moon Knight sending him back while he got his wind back "you just kill and kill and kill and you don't care what or who you hurt but you picked the wrong man," he charged his bo-staff and aimed it "on the wrong day" he took aim and threw it "in his city no one kills my people" the bo-staff hit the Moon Knight square in the chest and exploded taking him and half of Belles Hallway with it. He picked his Bo-staff up and looked at Exodus "c'mon we got a lot more to do before this gets any better"

"Remy" Belle stopped him "thank you my – assassins are at your service."

Remy looked at her coldly "Then get your people round to every house in the Orleans that has been hit and stake them. Man woman and child that hasn't been torn apart."

"Children!" belle was aghast "You can't ask me to do that!"

"Why not? Assassins been doing it for centuries. Look" he stepped into her space ignoring her angered flash of the eyes "unless you want New Orleans to become Undead capital of the USA then I suggest you do as I say." He stepped back "sorry about the mess" he walked out of the house with Exodus by his side "I am getting a little tired of this" he snarled,

"Belladonna said the Thieves guild has been wiped out"

"no it hasn't" Remy gripped his staff "long as I live it still exist! And that their worst mistake!"

Havok jumped down to see Moonstar feeding on the neck of one of the bouncers from the Crypt, he didn't much like the guy, there had been rumours that he had been dipping from the till at the end of the night but still one scum dying didn't mean that it would stop there, the hysteria going around him was proof of that,

Anyone running was caught by Alexi's children and he had seen enough jerking bodies this night.

"Danni" he quietly said.

She looked up and a feral grin crossed her mouth. Well judging by the meal she had made of that carcass he wouldn't be rising again. He dodged the way of her psychic arrows, the faster he moved the more she fired it was taking all he had to keep his speed going.

He couldn't get the space to use his powers she was faster then he remembered but then she was a Vampire.

He finally got the room and throwing his arms open released a plasma wave straight at her knocking her into the building behind and landing on more dead bodies.

Havok shook his head "Danni I am sorry" he moved forward to pick her up when Cannonball came out of nowhere and slammed his face into the wall then picking the already dazed man up threw him into another wall. Alex felt a stickiness flow down the back of his neck but he had no time to regroup, the stars and blackness were overwhelming him

"Sam don't do this you can fight this!" Havok pleaded.

But the Sam Guthrie he knew was long gone. He kicked Havok in the leg viciously snapping bone and dropping him to the floor then tearing some metal from a fire escape advanced on his former friend.

Havok gritted his teeth and let a powerful plasma blast go, he was dying he could feel that but what they had forgotten was that Alex couldn't contain his powers and he let the encroaching blackness take him.

His heart beat slowed as Moonstar rammed the metal pole through his chest, blood spurting from his mouth.

"you stupid kid" he whispered as Cannonball took off to do more work and wreck more havoc. Alex lay his head back "hi Lorna" he smiled as Moonstar pushed the metal once more then stared as she realised her mistake, seeing Lornas' face smile at him, her arms reaching out for him.

Havok wasn't afraid of dying he knew what would happen if he did and as his heart stopped all the power that was contained within his body had only one place to go, up and out and the resulting explosion not only took out the city block but blew Moonstar to pieces with it.

Gambit and Exodus stopped as they saw and heard the plasma explosion.

"Havoks dead" Exodus bluntly said.

Gambit grabbed him and rammed him against the wall "Show some damn respect boy" he seethed "that's a brother of Gambit you talking about! Speak like that again Exodus and we will see just who has the most power upstairs nest'pas"

Exodus nodded "My apologies LeBeau"

"So you fucking should be now get your head out of your arse and move!" he shoved the Acolyte in the back and looked towards the remnants of Alex's death. "Adieu brother" he whispered and went to look for more of the leeches.

Chapter seven

Magneto and the Scarlet Witch burst into the crypt to hear the moans and cries and pleas for mercy but Sunspot was showing none of it neither was Tigra. She was more feral then the Beast had been.

Magneto swallowed heavily as those that had been turned rose from where they lay to start feeding on the hiding whimpering people.

The Scarlet Witch let her hex power fly knocking vampires by the score and into oblivion. She ducked as Tigra launched at her and nodded curtly at her father to signify she had this under control.

He wavered a moment but she was a Lensherr and in that regard she was his daughter and she was powerful enough to deal with this herself.

That seemed to seal it for him and he headed after Sunspot.

So many memories ran through his head as he fought the X-Force warrior. He had taken this young man and moulded him he had been his student from the days of the New Mutants and he had many hopes, all that Roberto had fulfilled quite spectacularly and had been everything that he had wanted.

But now he was not the man he had known, he was something else entirely and although it gave Magneto no pleasure to do so he had to do what he had to do. He dived behind the remnants of the bar as Sunspot unleashed his power just missing his head.

He glanced at the wall behind him and grimaced as it disintegrated. "That was too close" he muttered and wiped the blood from a small cut in his forehead. The last time he had done something like this he had almost killed the man, if it wasn't for his incredible healing factor he might well have died, he came close to it.

He got up and concentrated. There was a reason that he was known as the worlds most powerful mutant it was not a self proclaimed title it was one that Charles had termed and the mantle fitted him like a well worn cloak.

He raised his arm and concentrated until he could see nothing but Sunspot who was dancing around a little. Too confident, that always was your undoing Roberto hr coldly thought and then he started.

Blood contained iron, iron was a metal no matter in what form and Magneto was the master of magnetism. Sunspot didn't stand a chance.

He scowled as the blood came from his nose then his eyes and ears and the scowl became a scream of pain as Magneto tore the Iron from his body. Erik Lensherr pulled the Iron from the young mutants body then stopped as the Vampires that he ad turned leapt on Sunspot and tore him to pieces, their frenzy being such that they were prepared to eat him to.

Magneto turned to see Wanda blow Tigra into the middle of next week.

The Werecat was not about to let her former team-mate off that easily and jumped into the air, somersaulted and came down claws first. Wanda however had been a member of the Brotherhood, and an Avenger far longer then Greer and she had been trained by Captain America himself.

She waited until the timing was perfect and then jutted her hand upwards, the stake in full view before Greer could stop herself she was impaled. Her wide eyed face locked view with a snarling Wanda then she exploded.

Wanda dropped the stake as if it were alive and her and her father began to destroy the remaining Kindred joined by the Assassins sent by Belle.

Wolfsbane heard the horrible sucking sound and as she turned the corner she saw Meltdown drinking the blood of an exotic dancer.

She ducked back round the wall but as she came round to attack she was met with a sparkle of lights and an explosion sent her flying into the air and hitting an overhead fire escape and back to earth with a crash.

Blood filled her mouth and every bone in her body ached, Tabitha stood over her and tutted a little.

"Rhaine, you'll never learn will you? I am faster then you no matter what form you take, I always was love"

The Werewolf way kicked under the jaw and sent sprawling across the centre of Bourbon Street. Wolfsbane wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, it had been a little while since she last tasted her own blood in her mouth.

Usually so in control of her temper she let it go now.

The supernatural strength and vitality filled her every bone and every sinew. She was a child of earth, a warrior of the wolves and a god fearing woman. She clutched both her pendants drawing strength from them. As her vision returned to normal she saw Kitty standing there warning her, she was pointing up and as the Garou followed her direction and rolled as Tabitha's explosive balls came down landing just feet from her.

"She's playing with you Rhaine" Kitty told her close to her ear.

"Yer think so?" Rhaine sarcastically replied "Ah wood ne'er have guessed"

"Danni, Moon Knight, Tigra and Roberto are down." Kitty told her

"Alex is dead too" Wolfsbane got to her feet and breathed deeply. It wasn't a question more a statement. She had felt Alex's death on a deeper level then any telepath.

They had been soul bonded in Genosha, worked as a hunting team when they were classed as Mutates a bond that could never break.

"Rhaine, she's coming" Kitty hissed.

Wolfsbane wasn't sure if she was really seeing Kitty or if it was a figment of her own imagination but right now everything seemed to be out of a Stephen King novel or a George Romero horror flick.

She crouched down in the shadows and as Meltdown came round the corner she swiped her claws and tore into the Vampires face.

She pressed her advantage but the Vampire, despite her wounds was still fast and she bounced across the walls like a yo-yo just out of reach of the Werewolf's claws.

Wolfsbane heard a hissing and out the corner of her eye saw a ruptured gas mane deep in the ruined side of a house.

She ran knowing that Meltdown was close behind, that became apparent when she was kicked in the back and sprawled across the floor.

Groaning in pain and tired beyond measure she managed to crawl herself to the pipe. She wasn't getting out of this one, her wounds weren't healing fast enough and one of her lungs was ruptured, the more Tabitha beat on her the more her body began to fail from her.

"Rhaine?" She turned her weary head to see a concerned Kitty staring at her "you are never going to…"

She smiled, for the first time in a long time she smiled "Will yer be there, ta take me to ah friends?"

Kitty nodded sadly "I'll be there Rhaine, I promise"

The Scott girl nodded and yanked the pipe further out of the wall. "c'mon" she growled.

Tabitha came into the ruined shell of a room "say night, night Rhaine its going to be enjoyable"

She unleashed her explosives then realised her mistake as Wolfsbane held up the wrecked pipe.

"Yer so right Tabby, it is gonna be enjoyable"

The explosion ripped up the remains of the house and Tabitha's body vanished into ash, Wolfsbane let the flames consume her before she was ripped apart she saw her friends all there.

Kitty knelt down "Time to come home Rhaine"

Then everything went in a yellow flash and nothing.

Cannonball held Exodus in his arms and headed high above the burning French quarter. His kinetic power driven by the rage at the death of his lover.

Exodus however let him take him it would give him the chance to do what he should have done a while ago.

Not play the lap dog.

As soon as he was high enough he used his tremendous psionic will and while Cannonball was righting himself he followed up with a psionic blast to the mutant vampires mind.

He flew and grabbed the stunned X-Force leader and battered him senseless. "I have always had respect for you Samuel Guthrie" he growled "but what you were not what you have become"

He stabbed another psionic blast into the battered mind of the beleaguered vampire he held cannonballs head and yanked it back then reaching in he pulled the young mutants teeth clean out, drawing his fist back he slammed his fist clean into the chest of the badly wounded vampire.

"Au Revouir" he snarled and watched as Cannonball dropped to the earth burning up before he had even reached the ground. The heart blew up in his hand.

He overlooked the city and just as the victory of the battle consumed him so too did the sadness of the scene below and for the first time in so many years, so many centuries he saw what it was that his oldest friend Dane Whitman, the Black Knight had fought for.

Death was following the city like a lady in waiting and it was reaping its toll.

Chapter eight

Logan watched the lightning spike as it landed amongst a group of assassins killing them instantly. The fools had forgotten that as a vampire Miguel had the lightning element more powerful then he had ever managed to wield before.

He saw Exodus touch down and grabbed him "yer ain't no Petey" he growled "but throw me up there"

Exodus followed his pointing claw and arched an eyebrow "Why? That is suicide!"

"its all suicide now mate" Logan growled "so just fastball me up there"

Exodus shrugged, it would be a shame to see a warrior like Wolverine die but this was his choice. He grabbed Logan by the lapel and belt and threw him high into the sky.

Miguel turned as the fast approaching Wolverine with a bestial war cry coming from his lips slammed into him like a speeding bullet.

It didn't matter how much electricity the living lightning discharge and how many volts went through him the Canadian was like a leech.

His hair was smouldering his body sparked off and electricity flowed through him like a living conduit.

He popped his clews ignoring the pain as Miguel sunk his fangs into the Canadians arm to try and dislodge him to give him some room to manoeuvre. Had it been anyone else it would have worked but you see Logan was famous for not just his violence and healing factor, he was cantankerous and stubborn and that is what kept him going, even when his body had had enough he just never knew the meaning of defeat.

But Logan had outdone himself this time. The more punishment his body took the faster his healing factor had to work and it was overloading.

Miguel seemed to sense this on some level and reaching behind him he dug his claws into Logan's back.

He twisted his face round and the sneer crossed his face "If I die Logan so do you"

"Bub, death holds no fucking fear fer me!" He replied and rammed his claws straight through the chest just as Miguel ripped the Canucklehead's spinal column clean from his back.

The Watching Exodus mouthed a silent no as Wolverine now free of the combusted body plummeted towards the ground. He set off and reaching out his arms caught the body.

Taking it to the ground he sank on the floor "Logan. Logan!"

Logan's eyes flickered briefly a smile crossed his shaggy features "Hi Roro" he whispered then they closed again and for the last time he sighed. Exodus bowed his head as the warrior that had been Logan passed into the hall of the warriors.

Gambit saw Exodus holding the dead Logan and realised in the pit of his stomach that this may not be the end of it that they had all wanted. Alex, Rhaine and now Logan who else was going to die and suddenly he found himself running to where the two women were.

Chapter nine

Alexi sneered as Jane and Jean came into view, both covered in soot from the Vampires they had slain and blood from their wounds.

"So, your descendant and mine" he motioned to the stone faced Black Widow.

"'Tasha" Jean whispered.

You know her? Jane's voice drifted into Jeans head.

Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow she is current chairman of the Avengers.

Can you take her? My fight is with Alexi

Jean nodded inpercetably and moved a little to the side. The Black Widow watched her but didn't move.

There was something that Jane and Jean had read. As Alexi crowed about the devastation he had wrought and the blood that had been shed in his name the Black Widow was casting him a sideways glance.

She is fighting him Jane hissed in her mind

She is a former KGB agent Jane, it takes a lot more then a vampire to break her mind. He might think he has her but he doesn't not really, if she wanted to kill Wanda and Exodus she would have done.

Can you reach her?

I am the Phoenix I can reach her.

Jane left her niece for a moment and turned her attention to the Red King. They had both felt Logan's death as well as the death of Havoc, Wolfsbane and Logan. How Jean had tried to keep her feelings in on that one.

Jane climbed the mound of rubble that had been the centre of the New Orleans Saints playing field.

All around her the bodies that he had slain lay rotting and clouds of flies were feasting on what was left. When this was over it was going to take forever to clean up.

She knew what had to be done Alexi had gone too far. Her people operated in secret they relied on it, it was not safe for them to operate so openly.

She had no wish to bring the wrath of Blade and his kind on their heads that was tantamount to suicide as it was Alexi had signed his death warrant, she had heard from the Conclave that the Red King was now a liability and an heir was being sought. They had asked her to intervene and to deal with it.

She said she would on the condition that Tomas de Torquemada was to distance himself from any dealings with the court of the Red King until she had dealt with the situation.

If what she suspected was true then she had the solution in the mean time the Conclave were going to move against the Red Kings loyal followers.

"You have gone too far Alexi" She called "You have broken all the rules in your quest for revenge against a madman"

"You think it was just about that! Do you know I wasn't too sure until I saw the pictures but I would recognise Logan's face, the man that killed my sisters and my parents."

"A man that also set you and Anastasia free" Jane corrected

Jean was out of his view and as Jane kept him busy she reached out with her mind and touched Natasha's

Are you whole Tasha or do I have to take you down?

I am whole as whole as I can be. Logan is dead

There the sadness in her voice that was what had triggered it, Jean was aware that Logan and Natasha had a past and they were always fond of each other. A close friendship that had she been that woman that wanted Logan she might have been jealous of.

I need your help

Silence then I have to atone for what has happened here, for what I have done.

Jane has a way for you to do that but I need your help right now

Alexi launched himself across the playing field and Jane leapt to meet him, two supernatural beings moving at speeds that were beyond natural and clashing like two leviathans.

Gambit ran into the stadium and hurried down the steps leaping the boundaries and stopping beside Jean he was about to attack Natasha when Jean stopped him and shook her head.

"She's with us."

Gambit frowned not sure he understood but if Jean was confident then he would go with it,.

Right now they were watching the titanic battle that took place before their eyes.

Jane was giving as good as she got. For every blow the Red King landed the Nine Day Queen equalled. This was not about fighting for power this was revenge. Jane wanted revenge for the pain her descendants had been put through she wanted revenge for the dead who had nothing to do with the mad king.

Alexi flicked his wrist and brought the scoreboard crashing down. Jean reached out with her mind a fraction too late but Jane had it, she held it in her own minds power and flung it back at him. She jumped in the air and hung there, waiting for him.

Alexi rushed up to join her and was kicked back into the stands.

Jane was tiring even Remy could see that, she had only taken the blood of those that had already been turned but her energy would only allow her to continue for so long.

Jean glanced at Natasha who took off toward her uncle.

"Natasha finish her off" Alexi raged "and take your place as my heir!"

But Natasha didn't do what he said instead she grabbed her uncle "You try to make me like you, but I know about you my family disowned you my grandmother said you were evil!"

"Then die!"

"No" Jane's voice dominated "Alexi you have been dethroned"

As Natasha pinned his arms Jane used every ounce of remaining strength she locked onto Alexi's blood and began to draw it from him.

Gambit and Phoenix stared in horror as their ally opened her mouth and took the blood that was flowing from the rapidly aging vampire and swallowed it herself.

By the time she was finished Alexi was nothing more then a withered husk. She walked over and raising her boot she brought it crashing down on his head crushing his skull and severing it from the neck then stepped back as his body disintegrated.

"Its over" she fell to her knees, tired and weary "its over."

Epilogue

The sun rose on the devastation that was New Orleans survivors picked themselves up and began the task of cleaning up their beleaguered city. Few remnants of the Thieves guild and surviving members of the assassins guild were helping people and Belladonna was handing out clean water and hot food to those who wanted it.

Exodus had took his leave that morning and returned with the Acolytes but not to battle, to help rebuild.

Gambit was surprised at that but Exodus had been the one to see Logan die and there was something in him that had changed.

Magneto was helping the wounded with Wanda and they would remain until they were not needed anymore.

Jane kissed her niece and Gambit then with the now silent Black Widow took her leave. Remy heaved a sigh and looked around him.

"What we do now?" He asked no one in particular

"What we always do" Jean held his hand "carry on."

Remy squeezed her hand then stopped and took her head in his hands and planted a kiss square on her lips.

Jean moved back staring in shock at him

"I wanted to do that for a long time" He admitted.

She swallowed a little then grabbed him and planted a kiss back. Remy wasn't too keen for the moment to pass so held her against him and as the sun rose up fully over New Orleans the two thought that life might start getting a little better from now on.

The Kremlin

Jane stepped back as Natasha was crowned the new Queen of the East. Tomas bowed his head and offered her his fealty as did every vampire in the east be it through spokesmen or in person.

She nodded once at the new Queen and knew, somehow that the reign of the maniac king was over.

"Red rain is pouring down, red rain, red rain is pouring down, pouring down all over me" – red rain, peter Gabriel