Jade herself retreated to the bathroom, fully intent on slamming the door and shadow walking if the meeting went south. Seconds ticked by anxiously before she began seeing the first signs of arrival. A few feet away a collection of blue lights began to materialize in the dim light of her apartment. No bigger than fireflies, they hovered and swarmed around each other, growing in number with each passing moment. A sudden flash of light consumed the apartment and, when it faded, revealed that Erwin Sikowitz had been the first to appear. Sikowitz had been around even longer than Jade, called sometime in the late 1700s. He was a strange man, a playwright in his mortal life, fused now with a korrigan spirit. He was able to predict the future and detect dishonesty and had proven incredibly valuable to the council. Enough to be promoted to elder by the time Jade had been summoned. He had been unfazed by her summoning; perhaps he sensed–even though he had never had an outright vision–that Jade would not be like her phonoi predecessors.

He scanned the room before his eyes settled on the figure in the doorway. "Jade," he breathed, taking a hesitant step forward. "You… you look… you haven't changed a bit," he smiled.

Jade didn't have time to reminisce. "Sikowitz, it's bad. Tori, Andre, Cat… they've been taken–" She didn't get to finish before Sikowitz wrapped her up in a suffocating bear hug.

"I know it must be serious if you called. But allow an old man just a moment to rejoice in the fact that you're alive." He picked her up and squeezed her tightly as Jade hung there helplessly. She groaned in protest, every wound from the past few days making themselves present in the crushing embrace.

"Eris," she breathed when he finally released her, rubbing her sore ribs.

"Eris?" Sikowitz echoed. Before she could continue, more glowing orbs began to materialize.

"Oh, good, the cavalry," Jade muttered bitterly.

To her surprise, eight managed to teleport successfully into her tiny apartment without leaving too much damage in their wake. To her concern, many arrived prepared for a fight. Energy crackled at the fingertips of those with active powers; swords were gripped firmly in the others'. "What is this, Sikowitz?" She snarled, backing further into the darkness.

"I'm not sure," he replied nervously, placing himself protectively between her and the group. "We agreed that this would not be necessary," he greeted calmly.

"We took another vote after you left," a voice answered. Jade recognized her after a moment; the decades had changed her.

"This gank made the council?" She scoffed. Madeline McKee, brownnoser and siren hybrid, proficient in the art of persuasion. "Who'd she have to sleep with?"

Madeline's grip on her sword tightened and she took an aggressive half step forward. "We agreed to hear what she had to say before we took any action," Sikowitz reminded.

"I promise you're going to want to wait to dissect me, Maddie," Jade sneered.

"Doubtful," Madeline retorted.

"Ladies," another figure interjected. Jade didn't recognize her, but didn't like the look of the crackling white energy snaking from her fingertips. She relaxed her fist and the energy dissipated; she stepped forward and extended her hand. "Jadelyn, you're quite the legend amongst the council. It's a pleasure to meet you at last," she greeted. Her accent was thick. Italian, maybe?

Jade made no move to accept her handshake. "It's Jade," she corrected stiffly.

"Jade. I'm Aria. Would you kindly tell us what drove you out of hiding after so long?"

"Just your run of the mill demi-god intent on world domination." Jade felt the tension ripple through the room.

"Please, go on," Aria said quietly, breaking the silence.

Jade kept her recount brief, only telling the most crucial of information. She obviously excluded her demonic possession. "Manticore venom takes at least an hour to wear off," Jade checked the clock on the wall. It'd been 45 minutes so far. "Assuming they drugged Andre with the same we don't have much time before Eris begins her interrogation."

"You're trying to convince us that a demi-god has been working on converting dark hybrids for months and we haven't noticed her presence?" Maddie huffed incredulously.

"She's got ways of hiding herself," Jade countered. "Look, I don't have time for this. Three of your ranking Guardians are in the hands of a psychopath. She's going to torture them for information and use that to seriously fuck you guys up. Then she's going to use her growing army to enslave humanity and kickstart Twilight 2.0. Do you really want to use this time as your chance to bitch with me?"

"How do we know you aren't trying to lure us into a trap?" Maddie retorted.

"Because you've got your human lie detector here to confirm!" Jade swept her arm in Sikowitz's direction. "Look, I don't have time for this! Go to Tori's apartment. You've got the address. Look at the map on the bed. Every hybrid who's consumed demon blood will be one bright little pinpoint on that map. There're dozens, and they're going to be coming for you." She reached for the sword that one of the council had placed on the bed. "I'm going after Tori, Cat, and Andre if you're just going to sit here with your thumbs up your assholes."

"Jade, wait." Aria stepped forward, hand extended. "Maddie, take Jacob and Sikowitz to Tori's hotel. Report back with details on the map. I'm going with Jade."

Jade narrowed her gaze suspiciously; she didn't know this woman, didn't know how trustworthy she could be, especially considering she was on the council. "You're exhausted, Jade; anyone can see that," Aria reasoned. "You don't have an offensive power, and you're about to charge headfirst at a demi-god who was once your soul's master. You need backup. Let me help. Let them rally the other Guardians. They'll catch up… swiftly." She shot an imperative glare towards the remaining council members. The murmured in agreement before dissipating in blue light.

"We'll be quick," Sikowitz assured, as he, Jacob, and Maddie followed suit.

Only Aria and Jade remained in the apartment. "Are you good in a fight?"

"I can hold my own," Aria assured, holding out her hand. "Do you know where they are? Or do we need to scry for them?"

"I can sense Tori," Jade shook her head, accepting the other woman's offered hand. "Empath connection." She swung the sword at the wall to kill the lights. "Ever shadow walked before?"

"I haven't."

"Get ready to puke," Jade warned before they shimmered into thin air.

Unable to speak or move, all Tori could do was observe. She lay shackled on the ground between Cat and Andre, now in human form, as Eris lounged on the chaise before them. "You seem familiar," she said, leaning forward and swirling a glass of red wine in Tori's direction.

"A light Guardian, obviously. Did we engage during Twilight?" Eris rose to her feet and glanced the watch on her wrist. "You'll tell me soon enough."

Tori glared at the goddess. The longer she stayed in Eris' presence, the less surprised she was that the deity chose her sister as a vessel. They were remarkably similar. Impatient, demanding, cocky. If she didn't know any better she would have guessed Eris had possessed her sister from birth. As the minutes ticked past slowly Tori felt sensation returning, albeit barely, to her extremities. She shifted uncomfortably on the hard ground.

"Ah, about time," Eris muttered, snapping her fingers at the vampires at the door. The pair moved quietly and hauled Tori to her feet and deposited her heavily onto the chaise lounge. "So, Guardian, tell me. How is it you returned Jade to her former, pitiful self?" Tori clenched her jaw defiantly and bored her gaze into her captor's. "Don't be difficult," Eris coaxed, tucking a lock of dark hair behind Tori's ear. "Who were you millennia ago?"

The spirit inside Tori bubbled in anger as her master's rival grazed her skin. Eris seemed to sense this. "Pax." Her eyes gleamed in triumph. "One of her ass kissers. It's been ages since I've killed one of you. I can't believe one of my generals lost in a battle of wills to the likes of you." She seemed disappointed. "What was your name? Tell me."

In a nearly unprecedented act, Tori felt her spirit demand control. She conceded, her own conscious retreating temporarily to the back of her mind. "Lucia," she replied proudly.

"Lucia," Eris echoed. "Doesn't ring a bell. Guess you weren't that important." She shrugged.

"Importance is clearly relative. I never thought you were all that important either, Eris," Lucia replied smugly.

The goddess' dark eyes narrowed. "None of this explains why you seem so familiar."

Lucia sealed her lips into a thin line and retreated back to her space in Tori's mind, returning control to her host. "Tough nuggets," the Latina replied.

"I'll find out soon enough, I promise you. However, there are more pressing matters to attend to." Eris rose from her seat and retried a scalpel from a nearby tray. "As much as I love blood, I'd hate to ruin this dress and send my lackeys into a frenzy. So lets leave this as a last resort, shall we?" She twirled the blade between her fingers and stood squarely before her captive. "First question for you – how many reside on the Brotherhood council these days?"

Tori turned her head in defiance. "It's a simple question," Eris coaxed. She gently placed the blade on the coffee table and traced the back of her finger down Tori's cheek. The hybrid shivered as her chest tightened with anxiety. Her powers were infinitely more potent than Jade's. It was overwhelming. Her chest began to heave and she felt clammy as panic set in. "I could stop your heart if I tried much harder," Eris explained.

Lucia reacted as best she could and tried to combat the discord. She barely made a dent. "How cute," the goddess smiled, cupping Tori's chin.

Tori screamed.

"Hey! Hey, cut it out!" Andre had finally regained motor skills.

"I wouldn't try that little trick of yours, rock golem. The chains binding you are indestructible," Eris warned. "But now that you're able, do you want to answer my question? Remember, I really only need one of you to live for the time being."

Neither of the three spoke.

"All right then," the goddess smiled, retrieving her scalpel.

Jade felt nauseated. As she and Aria sat in silence she could feel her stomach twisting in knots. Eris' power was unmistakable, and she was using it against Tori. The pair perched on a roof across the alley from Pandora, surveying the perimeter as they waited for dawn. Eris' vampires forces would fall dormant then, giving the Guardians an edge.

Jade glanced at Aria, noting that her gaze was locked on the horizon. "Dawn will be here soon," she muttered. Jade could sense it as well–night was retreating. Very few hybrids were sensitive to these subtle changes; usually it was reserved to only those who were dependent on the day or night for their powers to be effective.

"So what's your story anyway," Jade inquired bluntly.

"I was summoned in the 70s," Aria explained.

Well after she had disappeared, Jade noted. It was strange; most hybrids had to pass the century mark before they were qualified to be voted onto the council. To be inducted so young implied she possessed great power. "Shenlong. Storm dragon." She explained, apparently sensing her confusion.

Jade's brows flickered. She'd never before met a dragon hybrid. "Hence the electricity," she ventured, nodding to Aria's hands.

"Indeed," Aria confirmed.

"Can you fly?"

"Unfortunately not."

"Can you breathe fire?"

"Negative."

"Well… that sucks."

"Indeed," Aria repeated.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?"

"Is there anything particularly pressing you'd like to discuss as we try to prevent the apocalypse?" she teased.

"Well, no," Jade said matter-of-factly. "I just thought a council member would be more chatty considering my disappearance is completely unprecedented."

"There will be time for that later," Aria insured. Jade huffed in response and took in a sharp gasp of air. She clutched her chest. Shade was shaking the bars of his cage again. "What is it?" Aria demanded.

"Tori… Eris is hurting her," Jade wheezed, trying to calm her pounding heart.

Aria hummed in response, turning her gaze from Jade to the building below. "We may not be able to wait until dawn."

"We can't," Jade confirmed. "Eris is going to kill her."

"Can you get us in?"

Jade gripped her sword firmly and, with her free hand, grabbed Aria's shoulder. Seconds later they rematerialized in Pandora's cramped supply closet. The pale girl shuddered involuntarily as another wave of anxiety washed over her. In the distance she heard Tori scream. "Wait," Aria whispered firmly. "Where are we?"

"Closet behind the bar. They're holding them in Mercy's apartment. 50 feet."

"Can you sense demons beyond this door?"

Jade shook her head in the darkness. "Not with Eris overloading my empathy." She watched Aria's nostrils flare. "Are you… smelling them?"

The dragon hybrid ignored her. "There are a few outside. Vampires and others."

"So… do you have a plan or are we just going to go ahead and play 7 minutes in heaven?"

"The main goal right now is to retrieve Tori, Cat and Andre. Slay as many of her minions as we can. Do as much damage to her as we can. Retreat. Hopefully by now the Brotherhood have called in the other Guardians."

"No," Jade countered.

"No?" Aria contested.

"The minions… the demons. Some of them are Rogues. Innocents. We can't just kill them," she explained.

"They've submitted to the Dark, Jade. We can't save them now. They're dangerous."

"No."

"Yes," Aria disagreed firmly. "You may feel like you have something in common with them but they're lost–"

"I came back from it," Jade hissed angrily.

"You what?"

"Eris poisoned me. I was lost. Look, I don't have time to get into–"

"No one's ever come back from Dark possession, Jade," Aria whispered in disbelief.

"Tori brought me back," Jade urged. "It's possible. They're victims, Aria, like I was. We have to try."

"Fine… fine," she conceded after a moment. "Should we spare the vampires too?" She huffed.

"Oh, no. Fry those fuckers," Jade smirked.

"Deal. Are we ready now?"

"Ready," the older girl nodded.

In one fluid motion Aria threw open the door and stepped into the bar, hands popping with white energy.

"We're ready too," a vampire sneered. Jade groaned inwardly. How long had they been listening to their conversation? He lunged only to be blasted backwards by a bolt of lightning. He hit the front door with such force that it flew off the hinges; he lie, smoking and unmoving, in the alley.

"Are you sure about that?" Jade taunted, taking note of the opposition. Three more vampires. Two hybrids. She didn't know what resided behind the door. She dove between two charging vampires, tucking and rolling effortlessly to her feet behind the pair. She swung her sword in a wide arc, cleanly decapitating one of her assailants. His head bounced twice before his body landed next to it and disintegrated into dust a second later. Aria released a stream of electricity from both hands, setting the remaining two aflame. Jade could now see why she had been promoted so quickly to the council.

"Get the others," Aria commanded. "I'll keep these two busy." Jade looked at her skeptically as she twirled her weapon. "I won't kill them," Aria promised. With a quick nod Jade dove over the bar and scrambled towards the door. She could hear Aria laughing behind her, taunting them.

Jade threw open the door to find Eris already waiting for her. Tori sat quivering on the couch, Eris behind her with hands resting gently on her shoulders. "Nice to see you again, Jade." Her grip tightened and a wave of panic washed over both hybrids. Tori screamed. Jade's sword clattered to the ground. Behind her the door slammed and Jade found herself in Mercy's arms, being lifted in a crushing bear hug. "Very interesting," Eris muttered as she stepped around the couch. "What an endearing bond you have. I wonder, does it go both ways?" She wagged her finger and Mercy lumbered forward. Jade struggled weakly against him to no avail.

She placed her hand on Jade's cheek and cranked up the power. Inside, Shade cackled with pleasure. The hybrid began to shudder violently. Behind her Tori did the same. With no ability to restrain her powers, Jade watched as Cat and Andre began to visibly break down as well. "This is just too amusing," Eris smiled, glancing momentarily at Tori as she reached again for the scalpel. Jade attempted to recoil. "No, Jade, this isn't for you," she assured as she dragged the blade across the palm of her hand. "As much fun as this has been, I'd much rather have my general back to finish these Guardians off. I've learned as much as I can from them."

She squeezed her hand into a fist as her blood began to pool and drip and held it Jade's mouth. She turned her head only to have Mercy grab her jaw forcefully and pry her mouth open. She felt copper drip down the back of her throat and she coughed and sputtered. Satisfied, Eris removed her hand, smearing blood on Jade's pale face for good measure. She nodded and Mercy released her, allowing her to fall to a heap to the ground.

Jade once again struggled for control against her demon, empowered by Eris' pure blood. "Jade!" Tori's voice was distant and muffled. "Jade, fight!" She released a tormented wail and dug her nails into the wood floor, trying to physically cling to her sanity.

"I'm coming for you again, Jade," Shade laughed.

"Jade!" Tori screamed again and Jade forced her eyes open. They were glimmering as Shade assumed control yet again. She watched as the younger Latina scrambled over the table in an effort to reach her, only to be stopped when Eris grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground. Mercy passed her Jade's discarded sword and she pressed the tip into Tori's spine, breaking the skin and eliciting a whimper.

"Watch her disappear again," Eris teased. "Before I let Shade rip your throat out."

"Jade…" Tori pleaded. "I'm right here."

Jade felt a ripple of good vibes emit from her. A pitiful drop compared to the negativity Eris was imposing. Jade latched onto it desperately. She groaned and closed her eyes again, resting her head on the floor as she wrestled with Shade.

"It's useless this time," Shade taunted.

"Jade, please." She heard Tori beg over the pounding of blood in her ears.

Behind her, the door banged open and a second later she heard the unmistakable crackle of electricity. She felt the hair on the back of neck raise as a bolt flew overhead, knocking Eris and Mercy to ground. A second later she felt a pair of clammy hands latch onto her wrist. Seconds later she felt a concussive blast of positive energy flow into her.

It took Shade just as much by surprise; he released a howl through Jade's mouth and attempted to wrench her arms away. "T-Tori," she panted through pained snarls. "I-I can't. I–"

One hand released its grip and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her into a strong embrace. Tori kissed her forcefully and Jade whimpered as Shade rampaged, fighting against her empathy. Despite Eris' best attempts he was no match for this. Jade felt him weaken with every passing moment, and before long she felt herself regaining legitimate, though shaky, control.

Tori sensed this as well and pulled away, though she maintained as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. "Jade?" She whispered. Jade's pale eyes were no longer glowing. Blue met brown in an intense and knowing stare. "There you are," Tori smiled weakly, kissing her again.

"The hell?" Andre broke the onlookers' silence.

Eris and Mercy groaned as their literal shock wore off. "We gotta go," Aria interrupted, hauling Andre and Cat to their feet by their bindings. "Now," she urged.

Jade and Tori helped each other upright and stumbled after Aria, leaning on each other for support. The Latina kept a firm grip on Jade's waist under her shirt, pumping in the good vibes to encourage her. The group spilled into the alley as a grey dawn washed over the city. Jade's powers were officially useless now, not that she could have used them in her weakened state anyway. She glanced over her shoulder to the still-empty doorway to Pandora, wondering how long it'd take for Mercy and Eris to begin pursuit. At this pace they were no safer now than they were just moments ago.

The group rounded a corner and Aria halted suddenly, waving for Jade and Tori to quicken their pace. "Hold on," she instructed as she dug through her pocket and retrieved a small glass vial. "I've never used this spell on so many before." She threw it at their feet and it shattered, releasing a turquoise cloud of smoke that smelled overwhelmingly of sulfur. She muttered a few words Jade couldn't understand and suddenly she felt herself falling through the air.

She landed heavily on her side seconds later and, as her vision cleared, Jade realized they were back in her apartment… and they weren't alone.

"Long time no see, Jade," a voice commented.

The Guardians had arrived.