Everybody Needs a Hero

by Lloyd Marshall

Adam Luca is a young mutant who has just found himself caught in the midst of a maddening journey, with Witches, Mutants, Vampires and Super-Humans alike after him for what he might represent in granting them either superiority or equality. Crossover between X-Men, Smallville, DC, Marvel, Charmed, True Blood, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, and Buffy/Angel .

10. Hidden in Mystic Sight

"She's not talking…" Bonnie said as she rubbed her temples in annoyance, having spent the last day and a half trying to break through the blonde mutant who had somehow managed to turn two of their friends against them. Bonnie had no idea how the woman had been able to affect them so easily, or why she couldn't affect the woman with her powers now.

When they had first met Bonnie had easily been able to take her down, but now… it was like she was walking into a brick wall. Bonnie was getting frustrated with the whole situation. The only consolation prize having been Tyler and Caroline's ability to apprehend her buddy later that same night, even that didn't give her the answers she wanted.

He knew absolutely nothing about this Emma Frost's plans. It was almost as if there was a block around his mind in certain places. "Maybe I should compel her." Caroline said in a feathery tone as she tilted her head to the side in annoyance. Bonnie tugged at her black jacket, wondering if that was the next logical step in their questioning. Bonnie's magic wasn't forcing Emma's hand, perhaps Caroline's vampiric powers could.

"Let's try it," Bonnie said as she ran a hand through her long straight black hair, pulling it back behind her ear in the process and out of her face. Bonnie desperately wanted to know why Stefan and Damon had turned on Elena. They loved her, both of them, and had put their lives on the line for her so many times before. What made this time any different than the others beforehand?

"Oh joy," Emma said in a dry, cracked tone as she struggled to lift her head against the metal bar that held it against the wall. Two more bound her wrists and another pair at the elbows and her knees and ankles. Bonnie wasn't taking any chances with this one. "Barbie's come to play. I have to warn you though," She coughed dryly, "I'm anatomically correct and if we're going to be playing games, at least crack out the whips and chains. These bindings are so trivial a child could get out of them."

"She sounds like she likes it," Tyler said as he licked his lips and took in her ravaged but still beautiful form. Her once pristine white outfit was now smudged, torn, and caked with mud in some places, hanging on by threads in others. Her hair had lost its volume and a few locks clung to her face from the sweat that the heat radiating within the Lockwood cellar had drenched her with.

"Careful tiger, naughty boys are to be punished at a later… more sensual time." Emma said as her lips struggled into a half-cocked smirk. "It's grown-up big girl bonding time, or haven't you noticed the male to female ratio, darling. You're outnumbered in more ways than one."

"Enough!" Caroline snapped as she surged forward, appearing before Emma a split second later due to her vampiric speed. She cupped Emma's face and jerked it forward, pressing the bound blonde's throat against the metal and cutting off the air to her lungs all at the same time. Caroline's eyes went wide while her pupils dilated for a brief moment before growing bigger at a faster pace. "Tell me how you forced Stefan and Damon to do your bidding?"

"Cheeky aren't we?" Emma choked out, the lack of air hampering her ability to speak clearly and eloquently. Bonnie sighed in annoyance. Something was different about this woman, humans were vulnerable to compulsion if they hadn't ingested vervain, but Bonnie couldn't sense the presence of it anywhere within the woman. Somehow she was casting their efforts aside without even really trying.

"Alright, that's it," Caroline said as she pressed her hand into Emma's skin, thrusting her head back into the wall. Caroline brought her other hand out and threw a fist forward, a glittering flash of light shifted over Emma's entire body just as Caroline's fist connected. Caroline cried out in pain as she staggered backwards, prompting Tyler to rush forward and hold her in his arms, before sending his gaze up towards their captive.

Bonnie gasped as Emma took a deep long breath; every inch of Emma's body was covered in glittering diamond. Behind her head, from the force of Caroline's impact, a small head-sized crater crumbled into existence. She had been able to protect herself from the brunt of the damage, but as she slumped forward in her bindings, Bonnie cracked a small smile of her own. She hadn't been able to protect herself fast enough, meaning there was a way to crack her.

The diamond swiftly faded, leaving a fleshy Emma behind as she shook of her delirium from Caroline's attack. Bonnie's eyes fluttered closed as she tried to think of something that she could use to force Emma to talk. She needed answers, more than either Caroline or Tyler realized more than she even could understand. She could feel something coming, something horrifyingly dark that would require more than just one force of good to combat it. Emma was working for Klaus, and Klaus had something to do with this force, making her an enemy of nature. Effectively making her an enemy towards Bonnie in the end, it didn't matter what her motivations were, Bonnie was going to stop her and Klaus both.

"You're going to have to better than that, darlings." Emma taunted as she looked over towards Caroline as she turned towards the woman and stood her ground. Bonnie flinched as she heard Tyler let his hand fall from the girl, causing Bonnie to twitch as she felt everything happening around her without really seeing it. Her mind's eye gave her everything she needed.

Bonnie felt the magic of her ancestors, the spirits, and nature flow through her body and spindle into her mind before spiraling towards her hand. Fire swirled into existence into the palm of her hand, as she opened her eyes and glared at Emma Frost. Her sardonic smile slowly devolved into a grim frown as diamond flashed over her skin. "I wonder how much heat you can take before I set you aflame."

"The amount of pressure you'd need…" Emma said as her grim expression faded to be replaced by a decidedly more neutral one. "You'll not only kill your friends, but incinerate this town and many more. Ignorant witches shouldn't play god."

"Who's playing," Bonnie said as she felt the magic inside of her grow in size. There was no limit to her power, and this woman was going to soon learn the consequences of crossing a Bennett witch.

"Tell me, darling, your family descends from Salem," Emma said as her diamond eyes looked towards Bonnie with interest glittering in them somehow. "Do you truly think you're the most powerful Wiccan family from that town? Someone should brush up on their history because I don't believe you're a Halliwell. The amount of power you think you have, that you so blatantly misuse for your own personal end… it comes with a cost."

"I am the most powerful witch to walk this Earth," Bonnie breathed as the fire within her hand expanded. She was beginning to feel lightheaded, but she knew she had enough power to reach the level of heat and pressure she needed. There wasn't a force of magic alive that could best her power. Bonnie arched a brow in intrigue as she watched Emma take a deep breath, and simply hung there to watch Bonnie increase her fireball.

Bonnie staggered forward, but refused to let her fire die, knowing that she had to increase the heat and size of the flame. It wasn't at the point where she could use it effectively against Emma, not nearly enough. She knew she had to make it hotter, bigger, and stronger. Bonnie wasn't going to let this woman ruin their lives. Emma was going to give her all of the information she wanted, even if she had to lose an arm and a leg in the process.

"Tyler!" Bonnie heard Caroline cry out behind her. The sound of Tyler falling to his knees was loud and dissonant against the silence Bonnie had felt surrounding her for the past few minutes. Bonnie couldn't turn around; she wouldn't, not until she had-!

Bonnie gasped for air and clawed at her neck, confused as to what had happened. Emma's lips were held tight, but Bonnie could see the distinct curve of a smirk on her diamond cut face. "What did you do?" Bonnie crowed as she fell to her knees, trying to gain the necessary amount of air.

Emma chuckled darkly as Bonnie fell forward completely, weakened as the magic she had spindled evaporated from within her. Something had gone wrong, but Bonnie had no idea what or why. Caroline still knelt, awake, confused, and horrified as she watched Bonnie's eyes begin to open and close rapidly as black spots formed in her vision.

"In a locked room," Emma began after several long moments of silence, relishing in whatever she had done to beat Bonnie. "A young woman lights a fire, and then increases it in size, heat, and energy, and she wants to know what I did. Why sweetie it's simple, really. You drained all of the oxygen out of an almost completely sealed room, and continued doing so as it hurried to refill itself. You might be powerful, not as powerful as the Charmed One's mind you, but at least they have the brains to back up their power. Enjoy the nap."

"Why you," Caroline began to say, faltering in the rest of what she wanted to say at the sounds Tyler made as he coughed loudly behind where Bonnie lay on the ground. She had let her arrogance get the better of her. Bonnie cursed herself as she felt a blanket of sleep begin to flow over her. She wasn't strong enough to fight it, to stay awake and force Emma to give them anything. The only reason Caroline hadn't been affected, had been the simple fact that she didn't need to breathe.

Bonnie felt Caroline though, as she reached for Bonnie and subsequently Tyler, to pull them out of the room and outside where oxygen was readily available. Bonnie felt her throat begin to wet as air flowed into her body once again, her magic did the rest, healing her and bringing her up to par. She had made a mistake, one that could have left all of her friends and the town of Mystic Falls vulnerable to an attack by an army of vampires.

She couldn't let her anger get the better of her, not again.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Caroline whimpered as she tended to Tyler where he rested in her arms. Bonnie bit her lip as guilt began to grab a hold of her; she had made a mistake in there. She knew that beyond all shadow of a doubt. "If we can't get her or her pal to talk… who knows what will happen to us."

"Nothing," Bonnie said as she found the strength to continue on fighting. Bonnie put the back of her right hand against her forehead as she felt sweat begin to bead and trickle down. "I could feel her probing my mind in there. What she does or doesn't know is locked up tight, but because I'm not a telepath…"

"She knows everything we know." Caroline gasped as she covered her mouth in shock. Caroline's eyes welled up with tears as her emotions began to overwhelm her. A vampire's weakness, which could lead them down a path of pain, sorrow, and death, was turning off their emotions. "She knows where Elena is, and, and Matt. Oh my god she knows where we live!"

"Caroline breathe, she doesn't seem at all interested in us." Bonnie said in an attempt to placate the emotional wreck of a vampire she now had on her hands. "She just wants to know about Elena, that's why she's here, remember. To deliver Elena to Klaus so he can break the Sun and the Moon Curse."

"We're not gonna let that happen," Caroline said as she looked down at Tyler, allowing Bonnie to see the attraction growing between the two of them. Even unconscious, Bonnie could see Tyler's desire for Caroline, and it was just rolling off of Caroline in waves. "Not just for Elena's sake, but all of ours. Klaus has to know we're working to stop him from breaking this curse. What's he going to do with us once he gets here and finds out."

"We'll be ready for him," Bonnie said before flinching as the last word left her lips. They had no idea what he was capable of, but Bonnie needed to believe in their capabilities. "Come on; let's make sure Elena and Jeremy are alright. I can feel Damon and Stefan dancing around the edges, waiting for a moment to strike. We're going to save them too, whether they like it or not."

"What if we can't?" Caroline asked as she hefted Tyler up into her arms without breaking a sweat. Bonnie didn't want to answer the question, not out loud, and not now. She refused to believe they couldn't be saved, that they couldn't be brought back around to sanity.

Bonnie pushed herself onto her feet, knowing she couldn't let them find Emma now, not until they were saved. Although it took the appearance of fire surging over the Lockwood cellar doors, it was a barrier of sorts. One which would allow vampires to cross it, but not leave again, Bonnie knew that they would try to save Emma, she wasn't stupid. She was going to make it damned near impossible for them to succeed, though.

Bonnie looked up to see Caroline had already loaded Tyler in the backseat of Bonnie's car, and with the last thing on her list checked off, Bonnie started towards it. She wanted Damon and Stefan back on their side again; they had been through so much already, to let it end like this.

"Come on, Bonnie." Caroline called with a cheery smile as she sped around the car to climb into the front passenger seat. Bonnie smiled warmly, glad that Caroline was able to find the silver lining in their predicament. Bonnie couldn't sense evil in Emma Frost, but everything that warned of Klaus's coming said he was evil. Klaus had to be stopped before he broke the curse put on him so long ago. Original vampires already couldn't be killed by any means known to man, allowing him to be a werewolf-vampire hybrid would almost certainly null and void anything they did come up with eventually.

Bonnie walked around the front of her car, wondering what could kill that which was incapable of being killed. Everything had a natural end to it, but then again vampires were enemies of nature itself. At least, that was what her magic had taught her. I was what her grandmother had taught her, and how she had most certainly been taught. Magic was natural, vampires weren't. And yet… some of her best friends were vampires.

Bonnie opened up her car door and climbed inside, something was cracking in her mind. How could she condemn one vampire and none of the others, if her magic told her that vampires were unnatural? Caroline… Stefan and Damon, they were here friends, and they were all vampires and Tyler was a werewolf while she herself was a witch….

Bonnie sped off through the woods, no longer wanting to think about this. She had to stop Klaus from breaking the curse, and if holding Emma captive did that, all they had to do was make sure Elena was kept safe from him. If he didn't have the doppelganger then he couldn't break the curse. But would they be able to protect Elena for the duration of her life, and not allow either her or Jeremy to have children without worrying about another doppelganger showing up at some point in time?

There had to be another way, a safer more amenable way for them to overcome Klaus. Bonnie wanted to find that way, because she wasn't going to let her friends suffer at the hands of this… monster.

"Hey there's Matt," Caroline said cheerfully, abruptly pulling Bonnie out of her thoughts. She hadn't realized that she had already reached downtown Mystic Falls, her thoughts had literally pulled her away from everything around her. She looked over towards Caroline as one of their closest, oldest friends entered the Mystic Grill. It was early in the morning, and he was probably getting ready to open it. "I think I should stay with him until we can convince the brothers to get over their insanity. He could be a target."

"Alright," Bonnie said as she pulled over towards the sidewalk to let Caroline out. "I'll make sure Tyler is alright after we get to Elena's. Thank god Jenna's out of town for the day."

"Yeah," Caroline said with a warm smile as she pushed the door open and practically leapt from the car to greet Matt. "Hey there cutie, need any help?" Caroline asked as she reached the tall football player before he could even get the door open fully. "Or, you know, make sure no one comes to kill you."

"I highly doubt I'm number one on the Salvatore's kill list," Matt said with a small frown, and although Bonnie knew it to be true, they couldn't take any chances. The most likely targets were all in doors, although the longer they were at Elena's the more danger they were in. Bonnie's spell was keeping the already invited vampires out of the house, but with how drained she was… it wouldn't hold for much longer, and she knew she had to be there to keep Elena as safe as possible. "But I'd love your company, Caroline."

She didn't know why, but she felt as if something darker were coming to town than just Klaus. It was almost like a blanket of darkness had washed over Mystic Falls. Something different, cold really was coming, she just knew it. Her powers had grown over the course of the year, but she wasn't nearly as powerful as she could or should be. She knew she could protect the town from vampires, at least for a little while. But what would she do if something far more powerful decided to reveal itself.

Bonnie watched her friends disappear into the Mystic Grill, before putting the car into reverse to head towards Elena's house. She didn't know what she would do, but she knew she had to come up with something. It was her job to protect the sleepy town of Mystic Falls. It was her birthright. And she really hated losing.

So whatever was coming, she knew that she could stop it. She was the most recent witch in the line of Bennett Witches, and at the moment she knew she was the most powerful. She could do this, hands down. All she needed to do was have faith in her powers. She knew that her ancestors had failed in their duties, or succumbed to the will of vampires at some point during the course of their lives. In creating a Daylight ring for Caroline, Bonnie knew she had partaken in the same string of failures that had plagued her family's lineage. She wouldn't make the same mistake again.

She was going to stop Damon and Stefan, bring them back to their side, figure out what Emma wanted and stop it. And while she was at it, Bonnie was going to stop this dark force that was coming to her hometown singlehandedly. She was the most powerful good witch to ever walk this Earth. Hell to the force Emma had mentioned. There were no family lines of witches that were stronger than hers. Bonnie knew that in her heart.

Her lips curved into a dark smile, and she could feel a fire light up in her heart as she reached Elena's house. Yes, there was nothing that could stop her, not now and not ever.

---

Sam leaned back in his seat, they had been on the road for six hours now, and with Mystic Falls literally just up the street from them, they had made some pretty good time. The small town was lit up in the darkness of night, and seemed to be enshrouded in a thick fog. This was where Emma and Remy were being held, and three vampiric allies awaited them. As well as some witch that had taken Emma captive. It was in this town that Sam hoped to get some answers… and not necessarily from Emma.

Although he hadn't made it apparent to Dean or to the others really, he was worried. Not so much about Emma and Remy, but a force that he and his brother had neglected to touch upon in at least a month. He hadn't even thought about this particular friend of theirs that had become like family to them, more so with Dean, almost to a sensual level. Castiel…

After defeating Eve, the Mother of All, Sam had thought they might be able to take a break from hunting, even enjoy life for at least a few days. Castiel, though, had been fairly insistent in keeping them busy, the fact that he hadn't even come looking for them in a month, though, was pretty odd. It was almost like he didn't want to talk to them, or something. That in itself was pretty confusing. Add on to the fact that they hadn't even really seen a demon in twice that amount of time… Sam was beginning to wonder what the hell was going on. If it hadn't been for all the action they'd had since meeting Emma… he'd almost say that the battle between good and evil had… stalled.

Being on the road again had really made that apparent to Sam…. Sam sighed as he tried to think of something else, something a little less depressing. His growing attraction towards Adam had surprised him… to say the least. He had never considered himself interested in men… although he had found his brother salivating. It was strange, though, it had come on all of sudden. He had dismissed Adam's claim that it had anything to do with the lust spell cast by that demon. He really did know what it was like to be under someone's thrall.

He felt something pulling him towards Adam, and he wasn't exactly complaining about it. For years, so many now, he and his brother had watched one person after another that they cared about die in this battle between good and evil… heaven and hell. Maybe he didn't give a damn about the world any more, about what could happen to it and only wanted someone who could survive all the horrible things he saw day in and day out. Someone like Adam who had the power and the ability to learn how to navigate this strange world they lived in. Dean could survive this world, and Sam knew he could. They had to, there hadn't been a choice.

Adam stirred in his seat in the back where he slept, bringing a small smile to Sam's lips. Adam's power… it reminded Sam of the power he had once had… still had really, just never used. Demonic powers… they were apart of him he really tried to forget…. They had caused so much grief for him, his brother, Bobby, Castiel, and countless more. Drinking demon blood to get stronger, to try and stop Lucifer from being freed, as much as breaking the first seal had been on Dean, Sam had broken the last all the same.

The only consolation being that Lucifer and Michael were now locked in battle for… hopefully for forever, Sam knew that that was probably not the case. It didn't mean he wouldn't hold on to that hope and keep doing what he did best. Ganking demons and getting drunk, and getting laid were Dean's specialty, although Sam partook in all of those actions as well, he wanted something else.

Rogue stirred next, before stretching her arms up and over her head, hitting the roof of the car in the process. Sam watched her eyes flutter open in the rearview mirror, knowing she had startled herself awake. She blinked several times before hovering her hand in front of her mouth has she yawned.

"Is this it?" Rogue asked as she looked outside the window of the car as they drove over a bridge. Sam could hear the sounds of rushing water running down below them as they drove over it, splashing water from the recent rainstorm that had hit the town. A cloudbank had rolled in; giving it a mysterious aura that Sam couldn't quite place. It didn't' feel explicitly supernatural, then again, small towns always had creeped him out. It didn't mean he was going to discount that the aura stemmed from the supernatural. After all, they already knew vampires and witches were involved.

"Yup," Dean said as he reached the first street light. The town was filled with people simply going about their everyday business, enjoying their lives and all it had to offer them. They seemed… out of place amongst the rest of the world, though. It was weird, to say the least. "Why don't we find a place to eat before we look for a motel to stay in? I am fuckin' starvin'.

Thunder echoed in the distance before a bolt of lightning crackled in the sky. It wasn't normal... but then again, it wasn't distinctly abnormal either. "Sounds about as good a plan as any," Adam said from the back seat. He stifled a yawn and ran a hand through his smooth hair before smiling into the mirror, eliciting something within Sam once again. He could feel his attraction growing… filling every last inch of his body and mind. "Without a telepath on the team it'll take a while to find Emma anyways. I only hope they aren't hurting her."

"That's what the vamps are here for." Dean said with small frown as he pulled forward through the recently turned light. Sam looked out the window as he tugged at his jeans to make his erection less noticeable, although the look Dean gave him told Sam he had only made it that much more apparent. "Once we meet up with them, we'll find Emma and get the hell outta dodge."

"I don't know," Adam said softly as he rolled down his window and took a deep breath. "It's so… enchanting. Once we find Emma, maybe we can find out the reason behind her being kidnapped and then… go."

"Hell, the longer we stay the longer I get to avoid the mansion." Rogue said as she leaned forward to pick up a bottle of water. She turned the cap and took a swig of the water and let it settle in her mouth before swallowing. "You definitely will not find me complaining about an extended stay."

"I guess some things can be negotiated." Dean said with a sly smile as he pulled into a parking space out front of some place called Mystic Grill. A tan canopy ran the length of the front of the building, which sat on the corner of an intersection. Dean put the Impala in park, turned around in his seat, draped his arm over the back of it and smirked as he said, "Only after I've finished eating though."

"Like I said," Rogue said with a smirk of her own as she held up both of her hands, palms out, tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes softly in concession. "No complaints are comin' from me."

Dean chuckled as he turned back around in his seat and moved to step out of the car, a wide shit-eating grin on his face. Sam found himself laughing under his breath as he joined the others in getting out. The rain had returned, although it was only a light shower thus far, the darkening clouds threatened to brew much more dangerous storm later.

It was strange how the storm seemed to represent the situation they were currently in with Emma and Remy. He knew that Emma wasn't going to be hurt that badly, at least until those who had captured Emma realized they couldn't get anything out of her, or they did. What they could possibly want with her, though, was the mystery.

How these Salvatore brothers, Damon and Stefan, figured into the mix was what Sam wanted to know as well. He knew that Emma had a penchant for working with vampires, at least the more friendly ones. So had these two proved to be something similar, or was there something else at play here? And what of the third vampire that Remy had made sure was mentioned. Elijah… Remy had made a point of putting the man as the one to trust the most. Why that was… Sam didn't know. Who they were, Sam didn't care.

Sam had noticed Emma talking to another vampire in Gotham, but he hadn't done anything because he trusted her. That vampire had seemed completely different than any other he had met before, including those of different species. It was… older than he had ever seen a vampire to be, or most supernatural creatures for that matter. Sam could generally sense someone's place in the hierarchy of power, something Lucifer had left him with after getting left in the hole, and exacerbated after he had regained his soul.

Lucifer was stronger than the vampire Emma had been talking with, but it didn't seem like it was by very much. Emma had gone out of her way to keep him engaged in their conversation, which had been readily apparent. Was she trying to coax him to work with her like she had been able to do with Remy and Selina? Or was she doing something else?

Sam stretched out his arms as high as he could, stepping onto the tips of his toes. A cool rush of wind rustled past his body, tickling his now exposed midriff. He stretched the top half of his body around to loosen up his muscles and found himself smiling when he saw Adam hadn't taken his eyes off of Sam. It was definitely something he wanted to pursue, regardless of the reasons behind that desire. Sex had never been an issue for Sam, not since Jessica.

"So," Adam said as he broke eye contact with Sam's tight butt, eliciting a grin from Sam as he turned around to lead the way towards the front door of the Mystic Grill. Adam's interest in Sam had grown exponentially since Sam had claimed his lips earlier in the day. "What do you guys want to eat?"

"Burger, always go with burgers." Dean said as he pushed the door inward and stepped inside. Sam smirked as he reached for the door and held it open for Rogue and Adam, flashing a warm smile towards the few patrons that turned to look at them as they entered. "No one can fuck up a burger without really trying."

"I guess I'll go with the burger than," Adam chuckled as a young blonde woman made her way over towards them, wearing a perky expression, a tight white shirt, and tight jeans.

"Is it just the four of you," she asked before pulling out menus for all of them. Dean nodded as he bit his tongue, his interest clear to the whole world if they cared to look. Sam leaned against the railing of the stairs that led up to a raised portion of the bar as he took in their new environment. It was obvious that the place was filled with locals, and the strange looks they were getting only further served to try and isolate them.

It wasn't gonna work.

"Right this way then," she said with a flirtatious smile as she finally took notice of Dean's erection, causing Sam to roll his eyes in annoyance. She was tall, bouncy, and too cheerful for Sam's liking, even on a good day. "I don't really work here, I'm just helping out a friend, but for today, I'm Caroline Forbes and I'll be serving you, in any way you please."

"Coffee, lots and lots of coffee," Adam breathed as he sat down and slid into the far side of the booth. Sam moved quickly, sidestepping Rogue before she could join him, and gave her a sympathetic smile as she made her way towards the other side to sit with Dean. "If it could be applied intravenously, I'd gladly pay for it."

"Sure, although I don't think I can legally give it to you that way." She said with a sweet smile before turning her eyes onto Dean. Her smile turned flirtatious as she wrote down something on her notepad. Sam flipped the menu open as he tried to think of what their next move should be. In a strange town which seemed to be dripping with supernatural forces… Emma and Remy were lost somewhere in it and there was a trio of vampires that wanted to work with her.

Working with vampires… they had only ever truly met one vampire that had tried to live life without harming humans, but the Alpha's call had destroyed any hope for her. Castiel had been forced to destroy her, because she hadn't wanted to live like her kin. She had wanted to be different, tried to be different, but in the end… her natural desires had overcome her inner desires.

"Beer, nice and cold," Dean said, breaking through Sam's thoughts and allowing him to refocus on the menu. Rogue smiled as she thumbed through her own before ordering a diet coke. Adam stifled a yawn and ordered a glass of root beer, before looking over towards Sam as did Caroline.

"Oh, uh, a beer too," Sam said as he shut the menu. He was definitely going to need a drink to calm down, especially if they were going to be working with Vampires. He trusted Emma, and he knew that she trusted him and his brother. If she had vouched for these vampires… was that enough though? Did it really count if she were under duress? Caroline flounced off, allowing her blonde curls to bounce around her head as she made her way across the room, seemingly at a controlled pace.

"Vampires…" Adam said under his breath as he looked through the menu. "If they're really as dangerous and unpredictable as you guys said they are… can we trust the ones Emma wants us to work with? Not to cast doubt on her word but… can we trust them?"

"I was just thinking the same," Sam said as he flashed Adam a toothy smile, liking that Adam had thought about it as well. Vampires were lethal and almost always travelled in numbers. Lone vampires were dangerous enough; covens were a death sentence unless you were grossly over prepared for them. "We have the numbers to take them on if we do it smartly. One wrong move though…"

"Which is why I've had my gun trained on that pretty little blonde that's bringing us our drinks," Dean said under his breath with a cheery smile, the juxtaposition sending a chill down Sam's spine. He had suspected something, in the back of his mind but he hadn't said anything about it. If she were a vampire, then she would already know that they knew what she was. Vampires senses were unparalleled by human standards, everything about them was enhanced, they were a predator species, it was their very nature which drove them to do what they did. "But she's not much of a threat," Dean added as he leaned back in his seat. "The vamp in the corner, though."

Rogue casually reached into her purse to disguise the fact that she was stealing a glance in the general direction Dean had mentioned. Sam and Adam were completely disadvantaged because of the direction in which they were faced, but Dean knew what vampires were like, hell he had been a vampire briefly. Thankfully they had been able to save him, although Sam had been partially responsible for the change.

"That's no way to talk about an ally," Sam suddenly heard as the man appeared at his side, rustling his hair lightly. Sam looked up to see the tall, muscular man with dark feathery hair and a cheeky grin. He was the image of a man who was tall dark and handsome, eliciting a reaction within Sam almost immediately. He wore tight black clothes, and as he looked around the table, his grin turned sly. "The name's Damon and I have to say, you aren't really what I was expecting when Remy said you could help out."

"Was that before or after you let him get captured?" Adam said coldly as he looked up at the man with ice in his eyes. Sam shivered at that, feeling as if the room really had grown colder. Had Adam copied another person's power without them realizing it, or was this just a natural extension of what he could do with water already? Sam had absolutely no idea what the answer to that question was, but he knew what he had to do.

Sam slid his hand over Adam's and squeezed it firmly, causing Adam to snap out of his icy demeanor quickly. Damon held both of his hands up, palms out as he took a hesitant step back. "I advised against getting caught by Bonnie, he was the one who decided being a hero wasn't a strict nine to five gig. My brother and an Original want to help, Emma allied herself with both of our groups in rather short order and I think it would be plain rude to not save her after that crazy idea took off."

"What do you mean?" Rogue asked as she leaned forward and gestured for him to join them. "I just assumed you were a group beforehand and Emma wanted your help with something. So what's she doing uniting two different groups of Vampires, and while we're at it, what the hell is an Original?"

"An Original vampire, love," Sam heard as another, rather British sounding vampire appeared at their booth, this time on the side Dean sat on. Tall, with short blonde curly locks of hair and a wide grin, Sam instantly recognized the man as the one Emma had met with in Gotham City. Sam could feel it too, the difference between this vampire and the one that had shown up first. The level of power, of supernatural energy which flourished in all beings that had gifts that were above the level of normalcy that humans equated to, and it was huge.

"The first Vampires, at least of our kind, beautiful," he said as he stepped forward to stand before the middle of the table before he slid his hands into either pocket of his tailored black dress pants. Damon flinched as he man looked over at him, indicating to Sam and the others of their group that these two did not know one another.

"Niklaus," Adam breathed as he smiled warmly and reached out to pull the vampire in close, shocking the vampire immensely at first. He soon slid his arms around Adam as well, causing Sam to stiffen in more ways than one. The man was dangerous, but Adam was acting as if they were old friends. "I didn't know you were… a vampire." Adam said warmly as Sam gently patted Niklaus on the back, trying to make the moment at least as awkward for Niklaus as it was for Sam. The smirk he offered towards Sam though, did nothing to make the moment awkward, in fact Sam felt… enticed.

"Please, call me Klaus." He said as he pulled out of Adam's embrace, allowing the young man to sit back down and the Original vampire to tower over them. "Emma offered to help me break a curse, it was the only reason she travelled here, the second she was taken hostage my brother Elijah informed me and I hurried here as fast as I possibly could. Although I wish she had informed me herself, we could've taken things much more slowly and cautiously."

"Do you know who has her?" Dean asked as he arched a brow in disbelief. Sam was finding the story to be less than forthcoming, but he also knew Emma had met with the man of her own accord in Gotham and she hadn't seemed as if she were being coerced. "Because if you do we can bust in and get her right now."

"I know," Damon said as he leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows on the table before subsequently resting his hand on his hands. "Unfortunately there isn't a single one of us that can get in there without becoming trapped ourselves. Bonnie left a little… gift for vampires there."

"Witches…" Klaus scoffed as he crossed his arms in annoyance. "Always butting in where they're not wanted and making judgment calls that are anything but unbiased. She doesn't want me to break the curse, if only because she thinks her friend will stay dead after the ritual is completed."

"Wait you intend to kill someone to break this thing?" Sam demanded as he looked up at the man, feeling a flash of rage flow through his entire being that was doused rather quickly for reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom. He had spent most of his life avoiding this destiny, only to embrace it and risk his life to save as many as he possibly could. But Klaus wanted to… kill someone to break a curse and suddenly he didn't really care. He and Dean had killed plenty of innocent people over the years, by way of the demon killing knife. They had skipped straight past exorcizing them without a second thought to killing the host body and the demon in the process at some point… Sam had lost count of the people they had killed that way.

"Supernatural creatures only," Klaus said as he took a step forward and looked over at Sam with sympathy in his eyes. "Witches cursed me so that I couldn't be who I was truly intended to be, what I am destined to be. They took away my choice, my life really. I'm just trying to get back what's mine."

"Will she really be brought back to life?" Sam found himself asking, earning a glare from Dean and a yelp from Adam as Dean kicked him by mistake. Dean gave Adam an apologetic look before returning his glare towards Sam. They were playing with fire, he knew that, but he could tell when someone was lying, almost intrinsically. So when Klaus nodded in response to Sam's question, he could feel that the vampire was telling the truth. That was all that mattered in the end, right? That they could bring back the sacrifice from death. With that kind of guarantee… there couldn't be anything inherently wrong with helping Klaus.

"My brother Elijah has a way to revitalize her after the ritual, as long as he isn't interrupted… Elena will be fine." Klaus said as he looked directly at Damon, then Rogue, and finally Dean, as if he were trying to win the three of them over. Sam could see that Dean and Damon were struggling with it the most, causing him to question whether or not he had made the right call.

Sam felt something swirl around within him, calming his nerves and doubts and allowing him to see the bigger picture. A force wanted Adam for his power, Emma was doing everything in her power to keep him safe and having an ally as strong as Klaus and his brother Elijah… he understood perfectly why she had reached out to them.

He nodded his agreement then, and felt Adam's hand sneak into his a second later. He could feel Adam's warmth, his passion and desire, all coursing through him as if his demonic powers had returned. As the last and strongest of Azazel's psychic children Sam had had amazing powers that had tried to consume him. He understood what Adam was going through, and Sam knew that the man deserved the best protection they could offer. Sam had had his family to protect him, Adam had almost no one.

"Lovely," Klaus said as he gave a half smile of warmth and desire. "Now then, why don't we come up with a plan that can get us Emma back without having to worry about much repercussion. Bonnie is definitely going to come after us, but once Emma and Remy… it is Remy, right?" Adam and Dean nodded in unison at that, eliciting a nod from Klaus then. "Right then, we'll get them back, complete the ritual, and be on our merry little ways."

Sam found himself snickering at that with his brother, knowing that it couldn't and definitely wouldn't be that simple. Nothing ever was, and as hellish as their lives had been for the past several years, Sam knew that it would be asking for a lot to even get their plans off of the ground without incident.

But then again, those had always just been plans enacted by Sam and Dean. They had two mutants on their team and at least four vampires now. Sam had no idea what would happen now. He was definitely in uncharted territory. And yet, that was part of the mystique of their situation, and as he looked over at Adam and then towards his brother, he knew that they could make it out on top.

---

"Thor, I catch you dreaming of this woman every time I come upon you." Thor heard his mother, Frigga say from the open door of his inner chambers. He let out a sigh as he continued to peer out the arch-window of his room, a cool breeze rustling his long blonde hair every once in a while. Night was falling, although the distinct lack of a sun or moon made it unclear to Thor as to what the time was.

The problem he had, though, was that he was not concerned with the woman he had met and romanced on Midgard, but that of his brother, Loki. Despite the evils he had conspired in, Thor had recently found himself thinking of his younger adopted brother quite often and intimately as of late. It was strange… although he still considered Loki his brother, and at the moment his enemy, knowing that he wasn't in fact his blood brother had opened up certain… roads he had never entertained before.

"I shall not bore you with the details of my depression, mother," Thor said warmly, but still his gaze remained upon the blanket of darkness that was encapsulating Asgard. He needed to understand why these feelings were surfacing within him. Why was Loki so enticing towards Thor, and what would it mean if he were to engage in such activities with the man. Let alone he was his brother, he was also a criminal. What would the people of Asgard do if they… if they knew?

What would Jane think?

Jane had grown quite close to Thor's heart in the short amount of time he had known her. She had captivated his mind even to this day, and yet she had only been thought of momentarily when he had set out to capture Loki. He had barely even stopped to think of her really, a mention and then Thor's thoughts had sped back towards Loki. Was she not as… enticing as Loki was? Until today, Thor had never questioned his yearnings for Jane. He had never even entertained the thought that he might be enchanted by Loki.

Yet here he sat, dreaming of what he and Loki might be viewed as by the people of Asgard. His lips curved into a small but decidedly delicious smile. He was Odinson and Loki was Laufeyson, together they could bring a new era towards their respective realms. But was that wise? Was it even plausible for Thor to discount the sight of a woman he had come to care about for a brother he had always loved as such?

Thor desperately needed to know the answers to those questions, and he knew that they did not lie on Asgard. Here where expectations were beheld of him, Thor knew he needed a world where those expectations were vastly different. He was a Prince here, a God at that. On Midgard he was simply a man who had saved their world from another realm. Asgard was open about many things, which unfortunately was not the issue; he needed someone to give him a reason to say no to his yearnings. Thor needed a reason that would crush the desire within his mind.

Loki had captured Thor's attentions at some point, without Thor ever having even noticed. Was it love? Or was it something much more tantalizing and seductive? Could Thor accept the answer to those questions? And if he couldn't, what would be his response when he found an answer. Thor shook his head as he felt his body warm and cool down at the same time as both options filled his mind. He had never truly tasted of desire before, the fiery passion that lust could offer over love at times. But Loki was still imprisoned here. Could there ever be a future with him, after what he had done to Loki?

Thor stood up, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had aided in bringing Loki to justice, but that wouldn't be enough. He had worked with others, and soon they would come to recoup their losses. Thor had to be ready for them. Thor could feel the power of Mjolnir reaching out to him from across the palace. He rarely let it out of his hand, but he had found himself becoming increasingly depressed over the past few months. He refused to allow Mjolnir's power draw off of his negative emotions. Powerful weapons could have wills all their own, and Mjolnir was one of the mightiest weapons of all the realms.

"Come son, tell me what troubles you?" His mother said softly as she entered his chambers and crossed the floor with graceful haste. Her long flowing curls swirled around her, almost like an illusion, and fell down her back as she sat down on the edge of his bed. She patted it lovingly, beckoning him to join her. But Thor had other things on his mind than a chat with his mother.

He could feel a dark storm approaching, one that would affect more than just Asgard and Midgard. He had been looking for something to distract him from his depression, from his… yearnings. Perhaps paying his fellow Avengers a visit would be a much better use of his time. "I'm sorry to say mother that I must depart." Thor said firmly as he strode towards his wardrobe.

Thor was a tall man, standing at six feet and six inches, he was muscular than most and proud of his physique. He had worked hard to earn it and maintain it. With shoulder length blonde hair, he cared for it when needed, although it was usually covered by his helmet when he went into battle or training. Endowed by the gods, Thor knew he was a woman's pleasure to invite him to her bedchamber, and he never left them wanting… other men, of course. His back curved into a smooth and firm pair of cheeks that had endured many nails and claws from the opposite sex, though it remained in perfect condition despite its varied encounters. His legs were strong, as were his arms, without his magical power, his physical strength was more than enough for his foes to run scared.

"Where are you going, Thor?" his mother asked as he pulled the double doors of his wardrobe open wide to reveal his armor which sparked into bolts of electricity before surging towards his body to cover replace his clothing. For a brief moment, Thor was entirely naked, and for some reason he felt as if someone was watching him. Glancing over his shoulder, he found that his mother was facing the other direction entirely, and yet he still felt as if he were being watched… examined.

Thor reached into his wardrobe to withdraw his red cape, and swiftly fastened it to his shoulders. He definitely needed to escape Asgard… if not to enjoy another adventure with his newfound friends, than to reclaim his own sanity. There had to be something wrong with him to draw him into his brother as he was finding himself to be. Didn't there?

"To Midgard, mother," Thor said as he moved towards his doorway, feeling the pull of Mjolnir begin to strengthen. He held his hand out, closed his eyes softly, and felt the wind flow past him to rustle his hair and cape. A distinct sound only he and those who were worthy of the hammer, pierced his own personal sense of silence as Mjolnir sped from hits pedestal to join him in his travels. He knew that he would have to let his father know of his intentions, but Thor needed to escape.

He needed to know why it was he desired Loki rather than Jane. If he could just test his favor with Jane, he would have a definitive answer. But he wouldn't have to do such a thing right away. Whatever darkness he sensed coming might be more important to inspect first. That could give him a legitimate reason to leave Asgard and travel to Midgard. One his father wouldn't be so likely to cast aside without at least some thought on the subject.

That Thor could feel the source of power even on Asgard, no matter how weak it was, meant that Asgard would play a part in its destined course. Whether they liked it or not, whether Thor liked it or not, something was happening. Thor wasn't going to waste time this time. The Chitauri invasion never would have been able to have gotten so far out of hand if Thor had been more proactive in his hunt for Loki.

Thor's eyes opened wide as he felt Mjolnir grace his touch. The Mighty Hammer of Thor was his to command, giving him the power of flight, the weather, and myriad of other special abilities that could only be unlocked over time and through training. Thor was lucky to have it; he knew that now, especially after his father's trial. The one which had led him to meet Jane in the first place, it was strange how only a year ago he had been the spoiled prince of a God. Now he was much, much more. "Don't worry about me, mother, I'll soon overcome my quandary."

She nodded lovingly, before turning to leave him alone in his chamber to continue getting ready for his journey to Midgard.

He would find a way to get over his intimate thoughts towards Loki. If he couldn't, well then he would simply indulge himself and allow the consequences to transpire as the Gods decreed. But only after he found if there was nothing he could do to remove them from his mind.

"Thor, just know that whatever concerns you," His mother said softly, with a warm and loving smile as she looked at him from the doorway. "You are Odinson, and the powers you have to offer the realms are far more than most can ever hope. When you find your destined path… you shall know it beyond a shadow of a doubt."

"Thank you, mother," Thor said with a boyish grin as he looked at his mother, feeling the power of the storm flowing through his body. His destiny was greater than most, and he would do everything in his power to prove that to all the realms. Not for his vanity, but because he had the ability to offer up his gifts in a manner that could better the realms. It was his duty to do so.

It was his destiny to do so. And he wasn't one to work against destiny. Thor moved towards the door and stepped into the hallway of the royal palace. It was tall, majestic really, beautifully crafted; it was his home and had been for all his life. Having left it only a few times beforehand, Thor knew he would be missed by those who he represented. But the storm that he was sensing that was driving him to Earth… or so he wanted to believe.

Could it be that it was really Loki which drove him towards this decision? To leave Asgard, simply because of his desires? He was the Mighty Thor, a God who ran from nobody and yet… something as meaningless as lust was driving him away. Thor shook his head, dissipating those distracting thoughts with quick haste. He needed a clear mind; otherwise he could not count himself worthy of his destiny.

He needed to prepare himself for the truth, but at the same time, he could alert his friends to this… dark energy he sensed coming into the forefront. That was the best he could do for now, lest he wanted to confuse himself further with more unsettling thoughts. Thoughts that didn't quite make sense, and yet they were there all the same.

Thor turned to leave, knowing what it was he must do to make himself feel pure again. Either he had to purge the thoughts of Loki or embrace them with an open mind and a whole heart. That the latter option was even viable was excruciatingly daunting. He didn't know why he was entertaining it, but he had to. Destiny was unquestionable, even by a God. Thor would embrace whatever he was required to do.

As he reached the doorway, to descend towards the bridge, the sudden sounding of the alarm from the royal prison captured his attention immediately. "Brother, what have you done?" Thor breathed as he swung his hammer valiantly and took off towards the cells. Something was happening, something he had to stop at all costs even before he made his decision.

He only hoped he wasn't too late.

---

"I can't sense his location," Clark heard Zatanna say with a deep-set frown and a shake of her head, sending her long black locks flying. The statuesque, stacked witch of Shadowcrest was a gorgeous woman, and one of the few on the team that could take Clark down without using kryptonite. "I keep getting interference in the magical connection, but I think I know of someone who can find him regardless."

"Who would that be?" Chloe asked as she walked away from her computer, having been at it for days trying every avenue she could access to find her husband. She was a tall young woman with shoulder length blonde hair, whose beauty was eclipsed with worry, clear in her expression and eyes and causing her entire demeanor to darken. "Who can find Oliver so that we can bring him back home?"

"Sorcerer Supreme," Zatanna breathed as she stood up, and held her eyes closed for several long moments. "One of the strongest magical forces of our world, along with the Charmed Ones, the strongest good witches prophesied long ago to fight the forces of evil. If I were to combine my powers with theirs… we might be able to break through this magical barrier and find him."

"Well, we already know the Charmed One's, so who is this Sorcerer Supreme and how do we find him?" Clark asked as he sped forward, hoping he could do something to save Oliver. The distance between him had done nothing to lower the passionate desire he had felt growing inside of himself for Oliver, as he had hoped it would. Getting a chance to speak with the Charmed One's might help get rid of it and then he could feel his love for Lois again. Every time he thought of Oliver though, his desire easily overcame him and drove his loins to grow in size.

"We don't," Zatanna said simply as she opened her eyes and looked over at Chloe with a supportive smile. "He's cast himself into his own dimension to study magic, the last I heard he was awaiting a threat that actually required his presence. The arrival of the Charmed One's… rendered him unnecessary except in the most extreme of cases that they were either unprepared for or unaware of."

"What did the forces of evil just migrate to San Francisco?" Chloe asked dryly as she made her way back towards her computer station. Clark looked over at her, feeling her pain and yet he knew that eventually she would discover their deceit and feel even more pain. So why hadn't that made him pause before pursuing an intimate relationship with Oliver and Arthur?

"Well… yes actually," Zatanna said simply as she magic burn to life around her, as she reached out towards the power that was Charmed. She could find them, and bring Clark to meet with them, to ask of their help. Clark only hoped that they would help him. "Evil forces and dark energies migrated towards the source of power closest to them that could either defeat them or prove a challenge. Much like your early days Clark, threats that you were destined to encounter were all around you or within reach of your power and influence. So too was it for the Charmed Ones, the Vampire Slayers, mutants, vampires themselves. They were driven by unseen and unknown forces towards their own destinies."

"Yet now we're dealing with one another's threats," Clark said with a grimace as he remembered how easily he had been taken down by the pair of witches outside of Wayne Enterprises. He had thought he could handle them, and he had been grossly mistaken. That mistake had given them the edge they had needed in capturing Oliver and that poor young woman.

"Don't worry Chloe," Clark said as he looked over towards her, a warm smile on his face. His feelings for Oliver were driving him over the edge, and they were most likely artificial. Hers were real. Her pain was… natural. Clark didn't want her to suffer through this, not like he had had to with Lana. It wasn't fair to her. He only wished he were stronger and better able to overcome magic.

The Justice League needed to grow, to include members better able to handle threats that Clark couldn't. The ability to handle the threats that no one member could take on alone, that was why he had wanted to reform this group with Oliver at his side. They had to be the best they could be, not just for their sakes, but for what they wanted to stand for. An organization that the entire world could rely on in the direst of times that was what they had to be. A true Justice League that the world deserved was what Clark hoped to bring them towards.

"I know where they will be tomorrow morning," Zatanna said as she opened her eyes, her magic had burned brightly around her as violet fire, which swiftly flowed into the palm of her hand. "I see a placed filled with mystical beings, vampires, werewolves, witches, and mutants alike. I also see the power that I foresaw in my premonition. Adam Luca is there as well."

"What's he doing there?" Clark asked as all thoughts and worries over Oliver left him for the moment. Adam had presented a unique threat that Clark didn't' particularly see as a threat. At least not as the threat Zatanna had implied would follow him. Was that simply because he would be immune to whatever calamity Zatanna had foreseen? Or was it because he knew that those with great power could control it as long as they wanted to? Clark had done so, and his powers were dangerous beyond all shadow of a doubt.

"It seems his friend has been kidnapped and he is trying to save her…" Zatanna said as her eyes flashed a deep violet, completely filling them with the intense glow of her magic. "Along with several vampires, a young mutant girl, and two demon hunters, they are attempting to…" Zatanna gasped in horror, the blood from her face quickly drained, and a terrified scream ripped from her lungs, drawing the attention of Dinah, Bart, and Victor from downstairs and waking Arthur from the couch across the room.

"Zatanna, what's wrong babe?" Bart asked as he surged to her side, his super speed bringing him to her faster than the others of Clark's team could even blink. He pulled Zatanna into his arms before she even lost her balance, and held her steady as she brought her hand to her head to soothe herself.

"What happened," Clark breathed as he took a hesitant step forward, while the remaining members of the team came to a sudden stop at the top of the staircase, expressions of shock and horror on their faces. Zatanna began to shake violently, as violet energy swirled from the tips of her toes towards the top of her head like a flash fire, urging Clark to ask her with fear, "Zatanna what's wrong?"

"Adam is about to travel down a dark path." Zatanna whimpered as her volatile shaking increased, the glow overtook her entire body, illuminating a silhouette of her small frame within Bart's arms. "We have to stop him, Clark, before it's too late to save him."

"Do you think the Charmed Ones are gonna be willing to pull a double whammy?" Clark asked as he sped across Watchtower to collect his uniform and some cash for while he was away. He had a feeling that they might need to spend some time finding Adam, especially if something so dark was going to be going down. "I know they're pretty worried about what he's capable of."

"They'll want to keep his power pure, yes." Zatanna agreed as she silently thanked Bart for his help by giving him a gentle peck on the forehead. We're going to have to request their help on both counts. I have a feeling that they might be intertwined, how I don't know. I just… I have a feeling."

"Then let's go ask for their help." Clark said simply as his lips curved into a boyish grin. He truly hoped they could help him with his affliction. Otherwise… he had no idea what he would have to do. First thing's first, however, they had to save Oliver first. With Zatanna there at his side the fight would be much more evenly matched, magic against magic and all. He only hoped they could save Oliver before both Chloe and he were broken from the loss of him.

If he did lose Oliver, even without the lust spell being involved, Clark knew that that would the beginning of the end of the Justice League. Oliver had helped form this team; he was Clark's closest ally on the actual team. Clark relied on his guidance and Oliver relied on Clark. He needed to help his friend out of whatever danger he was in, no matter the cost.

"Oliver needs our help, and we never turn our backs on our own." Clark declared as he looked over at the other members of the Justice League. They could do this. They had to do this. How could they protect the world if they couldn't even protect themselves?

Zatanna nodded her agreement, as Dinah and Victor stood tall with the clear intention of joining them in this mission. Bart smirked as he placed his fists on his hips, and Arthur simply gave a warm smile of support. They were a team, and if all else failed… they had one another to rely on, always.

---

Pietro cursed himself as he surged past all of the defenses the X-mansion had to offer with his sister in his arms. His father had grown tired of Emma's solo missions with only Remy to tag along and had begun to wonder if the woman was even on their side or that of the X-Men.

She hadn't told them where she was going, and the only way to know that would have been to ask the Winchester's. But even they had vanished into thin air despite the fact that he had been assured they were constantly surveying Adam. If she had been lying about that… well then she damn well could be lying about anything.

Mystique had low jacked the car they had driven away in, and had only told them after the pair had left the state. Mystique was the only one who was only tangentially immune to telepathy, and even then it wasn't a perfect defense. Emma could read Mystique's mind if she tried hard enough, the only problem was trust, and at this point of the game it was really about who had it and who didn't.

Pietro had followed Emma and the others into Gotham and had watched her talk to that tall blonde vampire. Whatever she had planned, Pietro didn't know the specifics, but his father had demanded the head of the vampire who she seemed to be replacing him with. His father was under that impression because of what Pietro had watched transpire that night. The way he had eyed Adam, the vampire might know about the power Adam had and want it for his own wretched species. It was bad enough that they had tentatively agreed to work with demons, but Emma seemed more concerned with making alliances with vampires and humans than her fellow kin.

So Pietro had taken it upon himself to do some digging of his own. Pietro might not be a telepath, but he was observant and intelligent. The Vampire Slayer was being held by the X-Men, if only to protect those who weren't involved in the fight against her vengeful vendetta against all vampires.

Well, Pietro had a vampire that she could hunt down and kill with relish. Once Mystique had the location, he would bring the both of them there and let them have their way with all the vamps they wanted. Good riddance to a despicable race.

The Vampire Slayer was an interesting supernatural creature. If magic hadn't been involved in her creation, she would be considered a mutant. Of course, Pietro's own sister had magical powers, and she was a mutant. There was nothing that didn't say these Slayers were or weren't mutants.

So as he reached the elevator with a swiped card, Pietro slipped into it and began his descent towards their prison cells. The Slayers would do all the dirty work when it came to the vampires, and he and Mystique would take down Emma Frost before she could do any more damage to his father's plans.

Pietro yawned and stretched his arms out over his head, stretching his spandex suit and exposing a part of him that was generally understated in his outfit. Tall, muscular and white haired, Pietro wasn't one to skimp when it came to taking care of his appearance. After all, he was one of the better mutants and he needed to give others something to aspire to be like.

Soon, though, he would find a woman to be his Queen when he took over leading Genosha. After all, his father would only be alive for so long and eventually it would up to him as the eldest child to continue his father's vision. A world where mutants were superior to all other races, that was what Pietro wanted to help his father achieve. With the army they were raising on Genosha, they soon would have the whole of the world in the palm of their hands. It was their destiny.

And if this Adam Luca was to lead mutants towards that world, than Pietro would have a Queen on the side in the bedroom to continue his line, and cast Remy aside to take his rightful place as a leader of mutants with Adam as their beacon. Pietro had sacrificed much for his father, being intimate with a man wasn't that disconcerting as it was. If it meant Pietro would lead their entire race with the humans on their knees and the others made extinct, than he would do his duty and bed Adam Luca.

The doors opened, allowing Pietro to speed down the hallway towards the wall of glass, knowing exactly where they were keeping the girls. He came to an abrupt halt before them, smirking as he saw them playing a game of chess just to pass the time. "Ladies, ladies, this just doesn't suit you at all." Pietro said with a sly smile as he brought the key card up into view.

Buffy, was a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair that she had pulled back into a low ponytail eyed him through the glass, allowing Pietro to peer into her green eyes. "Who the hell are you?" she asked in a dismissive tone which she paired with turning back towards her game. The taller, dark haired, pale skinned Faith hadn't even looked up from where she sat cross-legged on the floor.

"The cavalry," Pietro said as he sped forward and pressed the card against the electronic lock, which caused the door to swing open. "I have a vampire problem that I'd love your help with, and a location on the woman who led to your capture and imprisonment here."

"Wasn't really a prison," Faith said nonchalantly as she moved a piece on the board. Neither of them moved, irking Pietro as he tried to think of something to say to get them to move. He had nothing; all he knew was that the two slayers and their witch friend had been captured after the fight with the sentinel when they had tried to kill everyone including the vampires. Come to think of it….

"Where's your witch friend?" Pietro asked as he looked around, wondering if she had gone to the bathroom or something. But then, the bathroom door was wide open, and they were the only occupants of the entire prison. Anger flashed in both women's eyes at the mention of their companion, giving Pietro an idea on how he could play his cards just right. "You know… the fact that you're still here and she's not, maybe Emma had something to do with that as well. I mean she isn't a friend of the X-Men's, so what's to stop her from having taken your friend."

"That's a pretty lofty accusation," Buffy said as she surged to her feet and clenched both of her hands into fists. Pietro cracked a smirk at that. He had gained their full attention, and all he had to do was direct it towards Emma's vampire friend.

"Even if it isn't true, it's a starting place." Pietro said as he turned towards the side to make himself less of a target while at the same time opening up the way towards their freedom. "Interested?"

"Always," Faith said as she sauntered through the door first, a dark smile making her look to be the more threatening of the two. Pietro didn't care about that, all he wanted was Emma's vampire friend dusted or exploded or whatever the fuck happened to them after they were staked.

"It couldn't hurt," Buffy said as she dusted herself off and moved to join Faith, saving only a cursory glance at the room she and her friend had been held in for at least a month's time. Pietro was glad his father had ordered the Brotherhood to return to Genosha, aside from Mystique who was en route after Emma, Avalanche, who was waiting for Pietro to join up with Mystique, and himself to gather the assistance of the Slayers. Pietro smirked as he sped towards the elevator doors, with both women hot on his tail.

The alarms would be sounding soon, but by then they would already be long gone. As they road up towards the ground level floor, Pietro held his hands out for both women to take. "Trust me," he said smugly as he looked from either side before adding, "You're going to want to hold on to me as closely as possible."

They looked at one another in confusion, their hesitation lasting only a few seconds before Pietro reached out and pulled them in close. They were running out of time and Pietro wasn't about to let his brilliant plan fall to pieces because they couldn't trust him.

The doors opened, and they were gone, speeding past the prepared forces of the X-men long before they could fire an effective shot against him.

He was that damn good, and he was proud of it. And soon, his father would share in Pietro's pride. He was going to either bring Emma back into the fold, or eliminate her as a form of competition. Either way, they would win out in the end. Pietro smirked as he sped towards a waiting car. Avalanche was waiting patiently, leaning against the car and reading a book. They were about to show Emma Frost why it wasn't a good idea to double cross the Brotherhood.

---

Rogue sighed as they drove past the house for the third time. After eating, meeting Elijah and Stefan as the last two members of their ragtag group, and staking out the place that the witch was hiding out in, she was definitely getting tired. It didn't help that it was growing closer and closer to midnight with each and every time they drove by.

"Is this really what we're gonna be doing all night, ya'll?" Rogue asked as she rolled her eyes and stretched her arms out over her head. Damon sat in the front seat with Dean and Elijah in the back with her, while Stefan and Sam watched from a distance, leaving Adam alone to make his way towards the house. Klaus was busy preparing the sight for the ritual, while also finding a way to break Emma and Remy out of their prison.

To say she didn't trust him was the least that could be said. Klaus was mysterious and dark, and Rogue did not trust him. But as she watched Adam appear at the end of the block, making his way towards the house, she had to hope beyond all hope that they weren't making a big mistake. Sure two of his friend's lives were in danger, but did that mean they could simply hand over an innocent girl to be sacrificed?

That several of them readily believed Klaus could bring the girl back aside, was it right? Did they have the authority to end someone's life just to help someone regain a side of them that had been cursed away?

"You didn't have to come," Damon said simply as he peered past Dean to watch Adam pull out his cellphone and start texting as he continued walking. The car came to a stop, slowly but surely across the street and three houses down from their intended target. "Your boyfriend must be having a field day being shoved to the sidelines with my brother."

"You mean my brother?" Dean asked with arched brows and a less than disturbed expression that turned sour as he looked back out the window. Rogue eyed Elijah where he sat, motionless. He was simply looking out the window at Adam, and yet as Rogue did the same, she felt as if they were looking at two completely different sights. "I'm sure he's having a hell of a time with your boy toy."

"Right," Damon chuckled as adjusted his position in the seat, catching Dean's attention easily. Rogue sighed as she resisted the urges that lust had inspired within her. She couldn't be distracted right now, especially if she was the only one was already wasn't. She had seen the spell affecting several of the women back at the mansion, but for some reason, as was quite evident here, it was readily apparent that the men were being affected by it a lot more than the women were. If a demon had done this, as the Charmed One's suspected, why use it more on the guys than the girls?

"Don't worry about Adam," Elijah suddenly said in a soft tone, his gaze still focused solely on Adam. "He is strong; should the witch make the mistake of attacking him… she'll soon learn the folly of her ways."

"If he gets the chance to use his powers," Rogue said as she leaned forward in her seat, allowing her hair to fall down past her shoulders. Her gloved hand draped over the front of the seat Damon sat in, to hover just above his cool chest. She wondered if she would gain the powers of a vampire if she were to make contact with one, which was something she had never tried before. Even thinking about it now, she was certain she never really wanted to. "He told me about the witches in Gotham, who could set his water power on fire. What if she's the same kind of witch, I know he's copied Paige's powers, but even she said she was the most defensive of the Charmed One's."

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing he'd have a great defense." Damon said with a dark chuckled as he leaned his head back to look at Rogue from the front seat. "Bonnie won't use her full power unless she sees him as a threat. He doesn't seem like much of one anyways; at best she might just throw him aside before bringing him in."

"He's more of a threat than she probably realizes," Rogue said under her breath as she thought back to the fight with the sentinel in Central Park. She hadn't been an X-man when Jean Grey had been imbued with the Phoenix Force, but she had been there to see what had happened. It wasn't the same thing, Rogue knew that, but Jean had been consumed by the power, although she had retained control of it in the end. It still hadn't kept Jean from leaving the X-men, without even saying goodbye.

Adam was a strong mutant, but strength in power meant nothing if you didn't know how to use it properly or wisely. Adam had to be trained, then and only then would he be able to control his powers. She had heard some of the other X-men talking about him, what the similarities were between him and Jean. They didn't want to put the other students in danger by not training him in how to control his powers, but then again… what kind of a threat would he be if he knew everything he might be capable of. It was a horrifying situation, one Rogue was glad she didn't have to make a decision on. She didn't know if she could, and if she did have to… she couldn't trust in herself enough that she would make the right one.

"Bonnie's arrogance is her weakness." Damon said in a softer and much more caring tone as he shifted in his seat, prompting Rogue to lean back in hers. "She thinks she's the most powerful witch to ever exist and she thinks she can do whatever she wants because she's 'protecting the town.' Unfortunately for her, we don't live in a world where the supernatural is as well hidden as we'd like it to be. Bonnie will make a mistake, and as much as I hate to say it, I hope she doesn't live to regret it. The kind of power she has might not be the strongest, but it's still pretty damned strong."

"What if she's too strong?" Dean asked in a gruff tone as he looked over at the two of them, his expression dark and ominous. "I've dealt with witches before, and aside from a few, there never that much fun. Always bringing hell with them for the most petty of things."

"Is the desire to protect a friend so petty?" Rogue asked immediately. "That's the only reason you're here right now. To help Emma and Remy get out of a bind that they might have just put themselves in, and for what?"

"My brother is very persuasive." Elijah said calmly as he looked over at Rogue for the first time since they had gotten into the car. "He generally gets what he wants through threats. From everything he's told me about Emma, she offered to help in order to get something more lucrative for her and this young man you seem to care about, out there right now. Protection from dangerous forces is hard to provide constantly and consistently and expect good quality. As Original vampires there is almost no way to kill us permanently, and for him to become a Hybrid there would be but only one, and that is an extinct manner."

"So there would be no way to… kill him?" Dean gulped as he looked over the seat and stared at Elijah, fear actually coursing through his eyes. Rogue felt her blood ice, having heard it before but for the first time actually knowing it to be true. Klaus would be incapable of being killed, the perfect protector. Emma wanted to protect Adam, almost as much if not more, as the X-men did. Then why were they considering her a threat? What did they know about Emma frost that Rogue didn't?

Rogue looked back towards Adam, sensing something was off in the way he was acting. He seemed… frightened. Rogue looked over at Elijah to see that he had returned his focus towards Adam as well, and the frown he wore only increased the worry Rogue had started to notice growing inside of her mind. "I think I should," Elijah began before Rogue smiled lightly and shook her head.

"I'm gonna keep him company," Rogue said as she pushed the car door open and stepped out into the cool night air. She shut the door before anyone could protest and walked around it before jogging across the street. She felt like something was really wrong with the whole situation, almost like they were being toyed with.

"Rogue wait," Adam breathed as she stepped onto the sidewalk, only to scream out in agony as electricity coursed throughout her entire body. Rogue fell to her knees, as the shock began to dull only to dissipate entirely as she caught herself from falling over completely. "I was trying to text you guys about this. Someone put a barrier over the block, one I can't get through any longer, and you found out what happens when you cross it."

"Yeah," Rogue coughed out as she felt Adam slip his hand in to help her onto her feet. Rogue blinked swiftly only to pale considerably as she saw Damon and Elijah standing at the edge of the barrier, with Dean running up along after them.

"Get away from him," Dean said coldly his brow furrowing as he drew his gun, cocked it, and aimed it straight ahead. Rogue whipped her head around at the same time as Adam did, paling at the sight of the tall blonde woman who had waited them at the Mystic Grill. Caroline Forbes stood over them, veins clearly visible against her skin close to her eyes as if they were flush with blood. She reached out towards Adam and before Rogue or Dean could even react, someone else appeared. Rogue watched as the blonde was chucked aside effortlessly to reveal a tall dark skinned woman with long flowing curly hair.

A shot fired past Rogue, pulling her out of shock instantly as the bullet was deflected towards the ground. Scrambling onto her feet, Rogue steadied herself as Damon and Dean surged towards the barrier, only to be knocked back by its effects instantly. Elijah took a cautious step back before kneeling down to help Dean up, but Rogue could only see this from the corner of her eyes.

"Greta, what the hell are you doing here?" Damon demanded as he bared his fangs, anger clear in his tone as the woman thrust Rogue back into the barrier. Rogue screamed as lightning coursed through her body, sending her falling to her knees writhing in agony.

"Making sure Klaus keeps his end of the deal," she said caustically before fire swirled around her and Adam. "Aren't you just a cutie? Num, num, num, Adam I'm going to enjoy using you as leverage." Greta added as Rogue reached towards them, recoiling as the flames burned her gloves. Rogue hurriedly removed them and brought her hands in close to her chest, crying softly as she tried to soothe them, only to freeze as she realized what had just happened.

Adam was gone, taken by the same people that had attacked Gotham City. Looking down she saw Caroline was unconscious on the ground, a broken neck having taken her out swiftly without Rogue having even noticed it. Rogue limped onto her feet, determined to work through the pain.

Whether or not Emma had done something wrong, whether or not Emma was the enemy, and whether or not Klaus succeeded in his goals, Rogue didn't give a damn about any of that anymore. Adam was her friend, even if he had only been at the mansion for a short period of time, mutants stuck together through the good times and the bad. The sound of the front door opening pushed Rogue into motion, trying to come up with a plan at the same time.

"She's going to wish she had never met me." Rogue said darkly, as she thrust herself through the barrier, ignoring the electric shock she received for her troubles in the beginning. Rogue cried out as she stumbled forward into Damon's waiting arms, he held her steady while looking straight towards the house they had been watching. Rogue watched as his lips curved down into an annoyed frown, and as Rogue looked over her shoulder to see what it was he was seeing, she balked.

A werewolf dug his paw in the dirt, snarling at them angrily with only the barrier standing in between it and them.

"Wait," A young woman called out before she appeared at the door. Tall, Hispanic, and absolutely beautiful with long pin straight brown hair, she pushed past the werewolf and rushed towards Caroline to fall to her knees beside the girl. "Caroline, wake up, please we have to stop Greta before it's too late. We have to stop her before she kills Jenna!"

"We have to go get Adam," Rogue said as she pulled out of Damon's arms, ignoring the cries of the young girl on the other side of the barrier. She had her own problems to deal with right now, and she had first dibs on Greta now. And Greta was going down in the worst of ways that Rogue could imagine.

---

Loki sighed in annoyance, another day locked away in Asgard with nothing more to show for his awesome magical accomplishments. Left to rot with constant desires for his brother emerging from a strange place, Loki had grown more and more interested in escaping and forcing his brother onto his knees. He had been able to manipulate the other member of his brother's little team, Clint Barton, through his powers to service him and enjoy it. Thor would be no exception when he found himself free. Of course that wouldn't be the only advantage of having his brother at his beck and call.

His hair had grown in length considerably, but his inability to tend to it had caused it to lose its attractive luster and volume. Although he was dressed in ill-fitting rags, which served only the purpose of disguising it, his muscular frame remained intact. He had been supporting it through his own ability to work his body to its natural limits and beyond through any means possible. He needed to be his strongest, even if he couldn't be his most physically appealing. Freedom would grant him that and more. His own personal pleasures had kept him from going insane, never caring if someone were to see him, rather, and this spell of Lust that had infiltrated Asgard as of late had given him an audience that couldn't keep their eyes off of him.

With raggedy black hair, near hollow green eyes, Loki knew that his appearance was harried, but it still seemed to captivate those who saw him. His lips curved into a dark smirk as he began to consider what he would do to his brother when he had Thor all to himself. Simple bondage wasn't an option for Thor, and with the amount of power Loki had… only time would tell how far Loki would take his pleasure.

He could feel Lust encroaching upon him, and he knew that it wasn't of his own accord, that a spell had been inflicted upon him as well as everybody else that came into his sights. He didn't care, lust was more than just sexual, and Loki lusted for far more than just Thor. His freedom, his respect, feared by all who crossed him, Loki lusted for power more than anything else. Whatever force had brought forth this spell was unimportant, it had provided him the distraction he needed to formulate a plan of escape. He might not have his full power in this room, but there was nothing that kept him from using them out there.

Loki arched a brow as he felt a source of energy enter the room, on the other side of the barrier which kept him from his freedom. He had felt it within Thor's chambers, not needing the full use of his magic to sense that of another. Thor hadn't noticed it, or even acknowledged its true form, but Loki could feel it… he could feel her.

"Is that all you crave," Loki heard a titillating tone flow through the air, from nowhere and yet from everywhere. Loki glanced towards the glass wall, which separated him from freedom. Enchanted by Asgard's most powerful of magic users known to the royal family, Loki had known he would need to use the full force of his power to escape it. "Power is as fickle as time, changing hands and always fleeting. Although, I can give you access to a power that you've never even imagined in your wildest of dreams. All you have to do-!"

"You might have been able to fool my brother through your trickery, but I am the Master of Trickery." Loki responded candidly as he turned towards the wall fully, knowing that a woman of high clout and power had infiltrated his prison to speak to him. That she had gone through all this trouble to taunt him gave Loki nothing but fleeting respect for the woman. "Power is only a means to an end for what I desire."

Green sparkles flickered in a diagonal pattern before filling out the form of a curvaceous woman. Long blonde locks flowed down her head, of which a green metallic Asgardian crown adorned gracefully. Her breasts were large and supple, barely contained by the steel bustier of her short form fitting green dress the skirt of which was informally pleated. She wore thigh high dark green stiletto boots with golden buckles running up the outer side of either leg. Her eyes were a piercing green in color, which were hidden behind pale pink eye shadow whenever they fluttered closed. Beautiful was too plain a word to describe this woman.

"Power, lust, freedom, money," the woman said as she moved towards the glass wall, her long hair flowing around her as if she had her own personal gust of wind following her around. "I am a member of an order of people with goals, ambitions, and desires similar to yours, and we hoped that your… defeat was merely temporary so we might be able to draw you into the fold."

"How mystifying," Loki said as he leaned forward, the sleeve of his rags slipping off of his shoulder to reveal his collarbone more clearly. "An order of people who are similar to me in what they desire. How do you ever work together without stabbing one another in the back?" Loki asked as he stroked his chin in deep thought, seriously considering her offer. "I really must know."

"In a world filled with forces out to stop us at every twist and turn," she said with a sly smile as she raised a hand towards her hair to run a finger through a lock of it in a seductive manner. "It's a wonder no one considered it sooner rather than later. You see, we've surpassed such petty… differences and animosities for one simple reason. We're outnumbered."

"That alone has pushed you to work with one another," Loki said as he leaned back, actually interested in what she was saying. He had worked with others many times before, and if he hadn't been the one with a knife ready to plunge in their back… it was already far too late. "Why me…?"

"Magical power," she said simply as she moved her hands out from her chest in a swooping arc. "We draw our power from sources long since considered extinct, dead, or worse. You have a power that we need, a power we wish to utilize even after the next phase of our plan."

"And if I were to… accept your cryptic offer," Loki said as he pushed himself onto his feet, finding this conversation curiouser and curiouser. He eyed the young woman, who was almost as tall as he was. She was Asgardian, he could tell that even with a pane of magical glass in between them. Sensual and enticing, scantily clad with far more magic than any mere Asgardian should possess. "Amora," Loki breathed as he stared her, eye to eye with mere inches between them now. "Why should I trust anything the Enchantress has to say? I am, after all disadvantaged against your wiles and powers at the current moment."

"Because," an unfamiliar voice said from the shadows, capturing Loki's attention a split second after he saw Amora's lips curve into a sly smile. A man stepped forward, impeccably dressed by Midgardian standards, with tailored sleek black pants, smooth and shiny shoes to match with thin cashmere socks, a tucked in black button down dress shirt, which was beneath a black blazer buttoned once at the middle. He was only slightly shorter than Amora, with a bald head, despite his youthful appearance. "She isn't here to release you of her own accord."

"What gives a Midgardian the right to direct an Asgardian?" Loki scoffed as he took the man in, finding his muscular form easily beneath the sleek suit he wore. And as the man paced to the left, Loki forced himself to not lick his lips in gratification. He knew why it was he was here. "Is he a member of this… order you were talking about, Amora?"

"The Order," the man said as Amora took a step back from the magical glass to allow her companion full view of Loki in his captured state. Loki could see the lust radiating around him, and it wasn't just directed towards Amora. No, he had been affected by the spell as much as Loki had, perhaps even more so. "You see, with heroes everywhere, growing exponentially, we needed to cover our asses in a way they would never see coming."

"By combining all of your forces and eliminating all in-fighting." Loki said as he nodded his understanding. His freedom was within the hands of the two who stood on the other side of the glass wall. He could simply wait for them to free him under the impression he would work with them, but he found himself contemplating that. Loki had failed in his efforts to bring Midgard to its knees, not especially due to in-fighting, but lack of true support from those who worked with him. They had banded their forces together, and as far as he could tell success was theirs. "I have to say… I'm impressed."

"Of course you are," the man said in a dismissive manner, irking Loki just the tiniest bit. "What's more important in this moment is that you understand that the forces we work with do not allow in-fighting. Double crossing is dealt with swiftly, and permanently. We're not just a group of villains out looking to make a buck."

He turned away from Loki then, but Loki had caught a flash of the man's dark smirk. Underestimating Midgardians had been another reason Loki had failed, he would not do it again. "Now then, we can either release you, invite you into the fold, or…" Loki heard the alarms sound loudly as their presence was finally noticed. The guards would be there soon, and Loki knew he had to make a choice. "Or we can leave you as you were found, nothing more… nothing less."

"Brother!" Loki heard Thor roar from down the hallway. His voice, Thor's voice was tantalizing and aggravating all at the same time. Loki was going to bring his brother to his knees, and as his lips curved into a dark smirk of his own, he knew that it would be The Order that assisted him in doing so.

"I accept your terms and conditions," Loki said simply, prompting Amora to snap her fingers twice in rapid succession. The man vanished in a flash of glittering green energy before the glass pane shattered in place. The shards fell down immediately, rather than fly in any one direction, and as Loki stepped through where the barrier had once been, he felt his power return immediately. "Well then, Amora let us take our leave."

"My pleasure," Amora said seductively as a glittering green array of lights swirled before them, just as Thor reached the doorway with Mjolnir in hand. Thor lunged for them then, but as Loki flinched backward, he soon found himself standing in the middle of a wooded area overlooking a quarry.

"Welcome to Mystic Falls, Loki." Amora said as she stepped forward onto the dirt to make her way towards the edge of the cliff which overlooked the beautiful crystal clear water below. "Our plans are unraveling slowly but surely. In time… we shall draw on power that no one has dared touch in far too long a time." Amora spun around then, allowing a gust of wind to billow her hair around beautifully before she stopped and said, "And when we do, Thor will do more than fall to his knees for you."

"What exactly is it you want me to do, then?" Loki asked as he moved up to stand beside Amora and overlook the water below more easily. It was definitely a clear, unadulterated source of water, something Loki knew had the potential to meet a magical necessity. "Because I have to say, I'm absolutely dying to find out."

"Trust me, Loki, when I say you won't be the one dying in this waterfall." Amora said as she casually glanced towards him and flashed him a dazzling smile. "Sacrifices are always such darling events, especially when there is more than one."

Loki looked out over the falls that was possibly the namesake of the town Amora had brought him to as the first step towards down the path of his personal freedom. At least two sacrifices were going to take place in this town, and from the way she spoke, Loki knew it could only be a matter of days before it came to be. "And which shall I be partaking in, Amora."

"In due time, my sweet," Amora said as she turned to leave, allowing Loki to continue looking over the beautiful sight that Midgard had to offer him. The planet was full of savages, but that didn't mean that they were all savages. He could sense a great power on the world that had been revealed during his imprisonment. A power that had been suppressed by the true Midgardians and it was a power that should be as respected as Loki himself was. Gods that lived among men should still be treated and respected as Gods and nothing less. "For now, let's see just how far someone is willing to go to keep what he has and earn what he deserves."

"Yes, lets." Loki agreed as he turned to join the beautiful and enchanting Asgardian that had allowed him to be released from his hell on Asgard. Yes, he would join them, but not just for his own selfish ambitions. He wanted to see just how far this group was willing to go to achieve their own. She and the Midgardian talked of power greater than any being could ever truly comprehend or appreciate. Loki wanted to see if they were willing to play with lightning.

"Even as we speak, forces are being added to the board." Amora went on to say as she took Loki into her arm to lead her towards a dirt path which travelled down to a lakeside cabin. "Midgard and Asgard are no longer the only major players involved. Worlds even our realm never anticipated have now reached out to this world. It is for that reason that The Order has chosen to enact its plans on the realm of Midgard, so that they will have their maximum effect and bring the universe to its knees."

"Then I am honored to apart of such a… lucrative venture." Loki said with a sly smile. If this group could promise him everything he ever desired, as well as everything they ever desired… betrayal was out of the question. If only because he could sense a power greater than his looming over them as if it were waiting to strike him down. But also… if they could give him everything he had ever wanted… trust was only a small price to pay along with loyalty.

But as they moved together as one, he found himself craving for something else, for someone else. Not even her ethereal beauty could hold his attentions for long, because a much more potent force was calling out to his loins… to his heart? Loki closed his eyes for a brief moment, and the one he desired appeared to him in the darkness of his mind. Thor was there, surrounded by shadows, though he himself was illuminated. He felt his cheeks burn with desire, his lips wet with passion, and his loins grow with pleasure.

Why did he want Thor, though? Was it just for revenge? Did he want him for some sexual thrill, after which he would lose interest and cast him aside as if he were a common whore? Or was there something stronger than just lust and hatred brewing within him? He couldn't possibly love Thor? Not after everything he and those imbeciles had done to him and against him.

Love certainly had to be out of the question. Yes it had to be. It was impossible. It had to be something else entirely that was pulling him towards Thor. Those piercing blue eyes and large bulging muscles which so easily could pull Loki into him, at which point he would fit snuggly like a puzzle piece, it had to be lust. Love was just too… alien. It was especially such wen it concerned Thor. Everything he had wanted out of life, Asgard and the crown, and the power of Odin, Thor had taken it from him. All because he was the true Odinson and Loki was just Laufeyson.

Certainly there was someone of any realm far more… available than Thor. Yet he seemed to keep dismissing every viable option… some for trivial reasons at that. Thor was who he desired, he Loki wanted the attentions of. Not out of hatred or sibling love. He wanted Thor to be at his side not on his knees, although pieces of that could be negotiated at a later date. No, Loki wanted Thor to be there with him, to rule with him and whomever this Order seemed to be comprised of. He had taken control of hearts before through the Chitauri staff. His magic could bring the weapon to him, now that he was free.

And when the time was right, Thor would be by his side. And together, they would lead The Order towards all of their ambitions, no matter what they might be. Power remained for the strong and able to take, and Loki was definitely both of those. Intelligence was simply a bonus.

Loki looked over towards Amora to see her flirtatious smile, he wondered if he could sense his desire for Thor, thought it didn't matter. Thor would not distract him from anything they needed of him. And when he proved himself a necessity to The Order… well… time would tell.

Then, as he looked up in the sky, Loki grimaced as a pillar of light surged towards the ground a short distance away… Thor was coming, and Amora's expression of annoyance was the only thing to quell Loki's fear. He knew what it was he had to do, and without a second thought Loki held both of his hands out to call for his staff. "We're going to have to cloak ourselves until you're prepared to do the ritual, my dear. Less you wish Thor to step in and ruin your plans."

"Who said he wasn't apart of them?" Amora said smoothly, as she looked out towards the dissipating pillar of light. Loki nodded absently, wondering just how the God of Thunder would fit into their plans; then again… did it really matter?

---

"Let go of me!" I demanded as I tried to fight off her abnormally strong grip around my wrist. A golden chain of pure energy coursed around my wrist beneath her grasp, before flowing over towards my other wrist, completely blocking my powers. The almost full moon filled the dark sky above us, silence encroached upon us only broken with each step we took over twigs, leaves, and dirt.

Greta was silent as she continued to drag me along, where to, I had no idea. But I didn't like it. I should've been more proactive, attacked her when I'd had the chance. But something had kept me from doing so, and in that moment of inaction… she had thrown Rogue aside, apparently killed Caroline and run off with me.

It was strange; she seemed much more powerful than she had been in Gotham. And the distinct lack of her companion Maddox was truly creepy. I was afraid… of her and what she might do to me. I had absolutely no idea why she had taken me in the first place or how she had blocked my powers. And yet, here I was, ensnared and just waiting for whatever it was she had in store for me.

The woods were dark and dreary, with only the background noises of nature to keep me company amongst her ominous silence. Crickets chirped, birds sang their songs; water flowed beautifully not too far from us, providing an odd dissonance between it and the situation I was in. I looked around, scared as I a wolf's howl echoed in the distance.

I was practically on my own… again. This time, though, I had the power to do something about it, and yet I couldn't use it. I wasn't about to let my fear rule me, not with what I knew I was capable of. I yelped as I stepped on a large rock, losing my center of gravity and sending my stumbling forward into Greta.

A distortive flash spread across her entire body briefly, taking on the form of a suavely dressed, pale skinned man with black hair I could have sworn was styled into devil's horns. Then it was Greta again, tall, beautiful dark skin, and long flowing curly locks in tight jeans, leading the way towards my possible decimation. Or worse… exactly what Professor Xavier feared. Someone who might want to harness the power that scared them so.

"Get in," Greta grumbled as she thrust me forward, causing me to let out a surprised shout as I fumbled into a doorway, only to be sent tumbling down stone staircase and crashing into a wall.

I groaned in discomfort as I brought my hand up towards the back of my head, feeling extremely woozy as I rubbed my head. Bringing my hand forward I blanched at the sight of blood, but before I could even think to freak out, my mild discomfort began to vanish. "Thank you, Logan." I whispered then, remembering him using his power on me right before we had left the mansion. He had saved my life, three times now. I definitely owed him big time.

"Adam," I heard Remy call out weakly. I looked to my left and paled as I saw Remy lying on the ground badly beaten and bleeding on the ground. I surged towards him, almost sprawling onto the ground by the time I reached him.

"Remy, oh my god," I breathed as I fought against myself on touching him anywhere. "Did Greta do this to you?" I asked then, knowing that it had to have been her or Maddox for that matter. But why were they holding them if they were against Elena and Bonnie. Killing Caroline had been a pretty big clue about what side they were on, then again I had absolutely no idea on whose side they were on.

I calmed myself in that moment and felt the powers that Paige had gifted me by accident. Whitelighter's were guardian angels, healing was one of their special gifts, and through Paige I could heal others. Love had been the key; Paige had told me that during one of our first training sessions. I loved Remy… didn't I?

But when nothing happened, when the Healing touch didn't work, I felt a tear slip past my calmed state. I had to do something; I couldn't just sit back and watch him die. Even if I didn't love Remy as I had clearly thought I might be capable of, he was my friend. That had to count for something… didn't it?

"Sam, what am I gonna do?" I asked as I looked up towards the cave ceiling, only then realizing how foolish I was being. I might not love Remy, at least not as much as was obviously required but… I looked down at my hands, tears streaming down my face as I saw a golden glow grace them beautifully.

I loved Sam… and that was enough for me to save Remy's life. I leaned in close to hug him, knowing I loved Remy too but Sam had clouded it with his own presence. His own scent, smile, taste… touch, Sam had invaded my mind with his very being, and as Remy's hand slid around me to hold me close to him, I felt Remy's presence begin to fight for my attentions within my own mind…

"Adam what are you doing in here?" Emma whispered as she reached us, covered in glittering diamond which she soon dispelled to place her warm, bruised hand upon my shoulder. "I distinctly told them not to bring you here."

"I wasn't about to let my friends be treated like this when I knew I could do something about it." I countered somberly as I looked over at her harried appearance. "What happened to the two of you? The witch who took me… she's not the same one who grabbed you guys so what the heck changed?"

"Loyalties," Emma breathed as she looked over towards the stairwell, annoyance in her icy eyes. "Greta was working for Klaus to help him break the curse, but something sent her to Gotham to attack the gala and in turn us. I don't know what game she's playing now. I don't even think Klaus knows yet."

"She was working for Klaus?" I questioned as fear iced through my veins. The woman had attacked us… but during that attack it was like they had gone out of their way not to attack me. Why hadn't they attacked me then if they were just going to grab me here? It didn't make sense; something bad had to have happened to push her away from Klaus.

"Yes, but I think she's found that independence suits her better." Emma said as she brushed a lock of red hair out of Remy's face, his breathing having returned to normal in the past few seconds. "And if that's the case… it will be short lived. Klaus isn't known for letting betrayers live long… especially if they…."

"Emma what's wrong?" I asked as her eyes began to move from side to side rapidly, fear slowly flowing over her entire being. "Emma, are you-!" I screamed out, along with Emma and Remy as a flash of light flood the room, as crackling lightning and roaring thunder moved in to silence the three of us, despite our mouths still moving and our voices still working.

Something had happened. And as the stairway began to crumble into dust, I quickly rushed out of the way, with Remy and Emma hot on my trail. But it was far too late. The ceiling caved in on us, sending large chunks of cave and mounds of dirt in on us. Something had definitely happened, but before I could even think to look for it, I-!