Chapter 78

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One of Blane's "friends" Aaron, was a former police officer when he was alive. He was a good cop, hard working, not racist or corrupt. He was also a boxer in an amateur police league. Aaron was also taking care of his elderly father, who had alzheimer's. His father required more care than Aaron was capable of, but these rest homes were expensive, he couldn't afford it on a cop's salary. So one day, shortly before a championship fight, Aaron and a local bookie, who had been one of Aaron's informants, came to an "understanding." Aaron threw the fight, the bookie bet big on the other guy, and they split the money. He didn't feel particularly guilty, didn't care which gamblers won or lost money, as long as he could make sure his father was taken care of. But apparently that was enough to get him sent to Hell. Now Aaron tried to survive as best he could, and do good if he could. He found where Liv's children were, they were with someone he trusted. He told Blane, who informed Liv.

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Liv: Where are my kids?

Blane: With a gangster, known as ms Scarlett. That's what she called herself anyway.

Liv: My children are with a gangster? Tell me about her.

Blane: In one world, I believe it was the year 2043, a constitutional amendment was passed that outlawed abortion. There was ofcourse some resistance, an underground that provided this service. They financed their operations with certain things, including the selling of tobacco products, which were also illegal by this point. Ms Scarlett led one such family. They believed they were protecting young women. Truth is most organized crime syndicates started in communities where the local police, weren't actually that interested in protecting certain people. Anyway this underground, known as the Sisterhood, was absolutely as ruthless in protecting their interests as any male-run syndicate. The families often settled disputes by having the heads fight a pistol duel. Sometimes the winner showed mercy, sometimes not. Either way they did try to avoid wars, but they did murder those who betrayed them. Ms Scarltett actually murdered her own teenage granddaughter for talking to the feds.

Liv: And that's the woman who's "protecting" my children.

Blane: Protecting, holding as hostages, hard to say. In the 2050s the Justice Department went after them, tried them all together like the Nuremberg trials. Ms Scarltett was among those executed for "crimes against humanity." Her daughter Molly, the mother of the murdered granddaughter, testified against her mother and was sentanced to 10 years imprisonment. Ms Scarlett is away on some business, Molly and her daughter Betty are the ones actually holding the children at her house. Molly has suggested she might be willing to deal to give you your children back. Whether or not she really speaks for her mother, I couldn't tel you.

Liv: I'll deal with whoever has my kids.

Blane: Then let's get going.

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Aaron took Blane and Liv to Ms Scarlett's house. Superman and the others held back from a short distance. They hoped that this could be resolved peacefully, but was ready for trouble if that couldn't be avoided. Liv saw her five children, and was overcome with emotion. She hugged, cried, as did they. In the meantime Blane got right down to business with Molly.

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Blane: Okay, so what does your mother want for these kids?

Molly: She doesn't know, you're dealing with me.

Blane: Okay, what do you want?

Molly: They say you can get them back to Earth.

Blane: Antarctica specifically, you want to go too?

Molly: I just want you to take my daughter Betty.

Blane: Rumor is you just stood by while your mother shot Betty.

Molly: Yes, I helped bring my daughter into this world, believed in our cause so much I was willing to let my own daughter be murdered. I cannot change the past, all I can do is try to do better. Help give her a better chance for atoning for her own sins before the end.

Blane: Considering my relationship with my father, I really can't throw stones. Incidentally, why did she choose the name "Ms Scarlett?"

Molly; I guess she really liked the game of "Clue."

Blane: It's a lot less pompous than the names that George and Mark have tried to take for themselves.

Liv: Thank you for giving me my children back, both of you.

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Liv took her children, and Betty, out to rejoin their group. Sharon then brought them all to their new home of Antarctica.