Nexus Nevermore

by RogueFanKC

Set in Red Witch's Misfitverse! The Slayers and the Charmed Ones sense trouble brewing, but can the XMen, Misfits, and Joes manage to protect them from the wrath of the Heartless and the Hellfire Club or will the Nexus be lost in the hands of evil forever

12. No Turning Back

CHAPTER 12: No Turning Back

"You guys sure about this?" Bezerker asked as he and the rest of the X-Men along with the Misfits, the Misfit handlers, the Justice League, Batgirl, the Scoobies, and the eight Slayers gathered around (though it was a tight squeeze) in the infirmary inside the Watchtower in outer space. The Charmed Ones and Willow were sitting alongside next to Supergirl who was still resting in her bed, deep in the coma. After the battle, both Batman and General Hawk realized that there was no time to waste now that the Organization had the Nexus, and as such, Supergirl's life would no longer be of any use to the Hellfire Club, so it was indeed very possible that if they did not hurry, Kara's life would be brutally and immediately cut short.

"There's no other way if you think about it, Ray," Magma surmised, frowning thoughtfully, "And if the spell Toad, Xi, and Andrew came up with was enough to suppress the Nexus before Blackheart could destroy the city with it, then it should be enough to break the spell the Organization put on Supergirl."

"Hopefully," added Rona, listening to this, "But I can tell you one thing: it feels like we're going up to bat with a toothpick. There's no guarantee that this is gonna work, you know?"

Meanwhile, Andrew and Xander were taking in the fact that they were in the actual headquarters of the Justice League itself with their usual enthusiastic endeavor: they were having absolute orgasms of euphoric joy.

"Oh my God, I could die right now and be happy," Xander sighed, his brown eye starry with wonder and delight, "If this is a dream, seriously, I'm going to kill the next person who wakes me up from this. Oh my God, we're in the actual center of operations of the Justice League itself, the one place that no human in the world had ever been able to set foot in! Oh my God, we're in hallowed ground! Oh God, I could just kiss this floor! I never want to leave this place ever again! They'll have to drag my dead body out of here first!"

"Wait 'til the people on the sci-fi dot com boards hear about this! We'll be the stuff of legends! Oh, oh! And we can have a chance to get their autographs and pictures taken with them!" squealed Andrew, almost sounding like a girl with his excited screaming, hopping up and down exuberantly.

Superman gave Xander an unreadable look before he winced and glared at Batman.

"And you brought those two here?" the Kryptonian asked, an edge to his voice.

"Trust me, I regret meeting up with them. If you thought Trinity was annoying…" Batman muttered before Supergirl, despite being in a deep sleep, arched back and screamed, howling loudly enough to cause many around her to wince and clap their hands over their ears. The shrieks of pain were so deafening, they could literally be measured only in the decibel levels. And everyone could notice that there was a faint, black luster surrounding Supergirl now, her entire body almost as if it was suffocating in a black cloud of magic that could only rival the powers and omnipotence of the First itself.

"What…what's happening to Supergirl?" Boom-Boom yelled as she did her best to make herself be heard over the din of the piercing, jarring wails and screeching. Faith then guessed it correctly.

"It's those Organization jackasses!" Faith yelled, "They must be trying to snuff out Supergirl! Since the fight's done, they're tryin' to cut off all the loose ends! They must be tryin' to kill her! Will, girl, whatever you're gonna do, you better do it now before she kicks the bucket! And I'm not gonna let those thirteen assholes leave us with the raw end of the shaft like last time!"

"Quickly, join hands! All of us, do it now!" Willow yelled as she, Paige, Piper, and Phoebe rested their hands on Supergirl's glowing body in order to jump start the spell and initiate all the magic the four witches could harness together, a united and amalgamated power that not even the Titan, Raven, could produce, and as one, all the heroes (even the Justice League) joined hands with each other and linked to Willow, Paige, Phoebe, and Piper's hands before they all chanted a slightly modified version of the spell they used on Blackheart in San Francisco. Even Polly the parrot was chanting while perched on Shipwreck's shoulder.

"Darkness and Light, Dusk and Dawn. Heroes battle and carry on. Mutant and mortal, Wiccan and Slayer, the curse is broken with this prayer. Hand in hand, heart and soul. Blessed be, set her free, the power of good, we extol!"

There was a bright flash…

---

"NO!" howled Larxene as she, Zexion, and Lexaeus were suddenly thrown back from the obsidian, stone fountain of the Thirteenth Order, flung forcefully by an overwhelming pressure and magical aura that could have easily injured them noticeably. The strapping man in the black cloak with brown hair swore as he slammed his fist on the marble floor of their headquarters.

"Those whores!" Lexaeus raged, red in the face, as he, Zexion, and Larxene picked themselves up from their sprawled positions on the ground and rushed to the pool of water resting at the base of the scrying fountain. To their horror, they discovered that the connection to Supergirl was completely obliterated; they no longer had any power over the alien girl with the bond to the Phoenix Force in their hands.

"A little trouble, I see?" Axel said in a playful tone as he emerged from the shadows, holding his twin, spiked chakrams of fire. The female Organization member named Larxene whirled on Axel angrily, her normally pale face absolutely flushed in crimson, her eyes glittering with vengeance and cheated gall.

"The Charmed Ones!" the blond girl hissed in annoyance, "They broke the spell we maintained on Supergirl! And they were powerful enough to stop even our magic before we could kill that bitch!"

"My, my, my, I certainly would not wish to be in your boots when the Superior discovers how badly you failed in your simple endeavors," Axel snidely bragged, enjoying their misfortune. Zexion narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his slim chest defensively.

"This is no time for outlandish gloating, Axel," Zexion said in an acidic voice, "Now the heroes still have a way to fight us because of this setback! They too now have a powerful agent who harnesses the might and raw power of the Phoenix Force!"

"But we still have the Nexus…" Axel answered as he turned around and walked away, his gait simply relaxed and even a bit merry (which infuriated the other three members to no end), "And I wouldn't worry. The Superior says that those heroes will get theirs soon enough, especially with the Gathering approaching…"

---

"Whoa…" Supergirl said, a bit woozy as she held a hand to her forehead before she noticed the odd crowd gathered and congregated around her bed (along with a love-struck Xander who was drooling with glazed eyes like a typical oblivious idiot). Supergirl blinked, wondering if she was still dreaming until she started feeling the bedsores on her back and rear end for lying unconscious in a bed for over two weeks.

"Uh, Batgirl?" Supergirl asked hesitantly, "Why are all these strangers along with the X-Men and Misfits watching me in the infirmary?"

"It's a long story, Kara…" Batgirl groaned, rubbing her bruised arms, before she gave her friend a much-needed and joyously exuberant hug. Supergirl was awake and all right, and that was all that mattered to Barbara for the moment.

"Uh…hey, you guys," Xander whispered clandestinely to Fred, Todd, Roberto, and Kurt, "Do you guys know if Supergirl is seeing anyone or if she's available? Do you know if she even has a boyfriend?"

"Don't even think about, Mr. Harris," Superman growled, giving the Scooby the evil eye, catching that whisper with his sensitive hearing.

---

Meanwhile, back at the Institute, the adults decided it was best to give the kids the night off to recover and perhaps rest after the harrowing battle that could have very nearly cost them all their very lives. Piper and Leo were in one of the guest bedrooms of the mansion, tending to Chris and Wyatt, primarily because they needed some time alone from the rest of the groups of Slayers, mutants, and humans in order to deal with the fact that their lives were now officially over. It wasn't easy to remain level-headed and emotion-free when your entire life was in shambles. Piper wasn't ready to deal and face what happened with her by herself, and the brown-haired Wiccan was even less willing to endure being in the presence of the crowd and wanting to endure self-righteous I-told-you-so statements from many of the warriors. Still, both she and Leo, despite needing the time of solitude, were extremely grateful that the X-Men, Misfits, and Joes along with the Slayers fought on their behalf.

It is hadn't been for their interference, the Charmed Ones would have easily been killed…or worse.

However, Phoebe and Paige were very willing to integrate and spend time with the kids and adults, easily making friends and pleasant conversation with all of them. Phoebe had already received many apologies, especially from Bobby and Jean, to which she accepted gracefully and had forgiven all the negative feelings whole-heatedly. Jubilee, however, was not one of them, but Rina and Kitty explained to the middle Halliwell sister that Jubilee was too ashamed over what she had done and how she had acted to Phoebe to even be comfortable in staying in the same room as her. Phoebe understood; when Jubilee was ready, she would come the Charmed Ones herself, and sincere apologies and redemption could not come if they were forced.

Granted, Paige and Phoebe still felt a little anger at the X-Men and Misfits, but it could be pardoned easily enough, especially since the heroes helped save Wyatt and Chris and continued to stand by the Halliwells and protected them after the entire fiasco. If they ever needed friends, Paige and Phoebe couldn't afford to push their allies away now, especially since they could never be truly safe and hidden again like before. And like Paige pointed out, the Hellfire Club and Thirteenth Order tricked all of the Misfits and X-Men and Joes, and Piper wasn't exactly receiving and affable herself (thus making matter worse).

Paige, Professor Xavier, Hank, Wood, Cover Girl, Spirit, and Roadblock were quietly discussing the matters in Xavier's study when Phoebe walked in, clicking down the lid of her cell-phone, sighing and her face dejected and downcast.

"Bad news, I take it, girl? After everything that's happened, I'm expecting a real whirl," Roadblock asked in verse.

"Sort of. I just talked with Darryl and Shelia. They saw what happened on the news, and despite the seriousness of it, both of them told me that they would support us, all of us, no matter what we choose to do. Even Shelia was sympathetic and concerned for our safety, especially when she saw what Blackheart nearly did to all of San Francisco. Even though it may cause them to be pariahs and outcasts and targets to the Friends of Humanity, Darryl and Shelia said that they'll try to organize as much support from the human public as they can. They're not going to abandon us, and they called to let me know that we're always welcome as their friends, and us being witches isn't going to change that. Of course, it helps that they knew our secret beforehand."

"You call that bad news?" Cover Girl asked, blinking, "That sounds great!"

"Not really, because I'm now no longer a columnist at my job at the Bay Mirror newspaper," Phoebe revealed.

"I'm sorry about that. My condolences on getting fired, Ms. Halliwell," Hank supplied gently.

"Actually, I quit, Beast. If anything, my editor, Elise, wanted me to stay on board as a columnist for the paper. She said that being a witch didn't change the fact that I was one of the more popular and memorable writers for the Bay Mirror ever. And she also said that if having a witch on staff of the paper made people mad, then she must be doing something right," the Wiccan clarified.

"I must admit, that is surprising," Wood said, amused and pleasantly amazed.

"So, how are we doing so far?" Phoebe asked as she settled down on the couch next to Beast.

"Well, though the house is completely destroyed along with half of the neighborhood, we managed to find the Book of Shadows before we took off," Paige said wearily, holding up the leather-bound tome of spells, the triquetra now fully formed and whole, though if you looked closely enough, you could make out soft yet distinct cracks in the material between each spike of the symbol, a permanent reminder that the Power of Three had been split and never been the same since.

Paige continued, "And from what we can tell, the Elder Whitelighters aren't going to help us on this one. That means now the whole world knows about our legacy and that demons and monsters exist. It's not going to be good for the rest of the supernatural and good beings of white magic, especially now with people being in a complete and biased snit over anything that has to deal with witchcraft."

"We know," Spirit stated with some fatigued remorse and sorrow, "Already, G.I. Joe have been receiving reports from our superiors of violence and hateful hysteria all over the globe in numerous cities. Several officials in the government in China, Italy, France, and the Netherlands are declaring immediate execution of anyone found practicing witchcraft or showing an interest in it. The leader of the Friends of Humanity, Graydon Creed, is blaming the existence of mutant via the meddling black magic of all Wiccans and witches and as such, witches are now on their target list along with mutants, human sympathizers, and aliens. Stryker from Purity is leading a large coalition of churches and religions to form a new branch of anti-magic and supernatural group called the Purifiers, and from what we can deduce, they have some very influential and rich backers supporting them such as Lex Luthor and the Quarrymen in New York, so you know this will be future trouble. Several members from the House of Representatives are pushing for bills for Congress to approve that all witches be move into concentration camps for their safety and the safety of innocent 'humans'. Tarot reading booths have been trashed, herbal shops have been vandalized and burned to the ground, TV shows about ghosts and demons have been pulled from networks, and libraries all over the United States are destroying any books they can find about wizards and witches and magic. Even legendary and harmless stories and fairy-tales such as King Arthur and Merlin are being obliterated. And by now, several people believed to be witches have been targets of hysterical mobs that somehow got wind of their beliefs and were killed by bombs and fires. One female who was a firm Wiccan was even crucified by an over-zealous Christian mob in front of their own church after they slit her throat."

"My God," Paige gasped, tuning white, "This is barbaric! We can't just hide here and let this go on! And the Hellfire Club has really hit a new low this time! They didn't even care about causing the world to be at each other's throats as long as they gained the Nexus! They really let the cat out of the bag this time!"

"This is even worse than setting Trigon free into our dimension, if not on the same level At least when Trigon was banished, no one had any idea what was going on," Cover Girl groaned.

"And I do fear that unless something is done to appease the public, things will get worse before they get better. And this is not including that the Gathering of Twilight is fast approaching…"

"I just hope the kids are handling this well," Wood remarked, feeling for the Slayers and the mutants, "Lord knows how this isn't going to be easy for any of the kids to deal with, especially since we just failed this last battle with the Heartless…"

In the meantime, not too far away in a separate room…

"Let me get this straight…" Ororo said tiredly, her voice on an edge as she rubbed her head at the congregation in the large living room, "While we may possibly be facing the end of the world, the magical world of the paranormal and the supernatural have been exposed, the Thirteenth Order has accurate validated our fears about the Gathering, the general public is in mass hysterics, and the forces of Mother Earth and Nature is now in the hands of the Hellfire Club to be used as a massive weapon for the Heartless…you're all playing video games and eating snacks?"

"Pretty much," Fred said as he along with the rest of Slayers along with most of the X-Men and Misfits were chowing down on candies, packaged cakes and pastries, sodas, and chocolate in the plush room while watching Multiple cheering after his latest conquest.

"Ha-ha! I win again! In your face! So in your face! I'm the video game champion!" Jamie crowed as he raised a fist in the air and pumped it, whooping as the announcer screamed "Game!" and the instant Xander's Captain Falcon plummeted to his death, leaving Jamie's Gannondorf victorious in the latest round of "Super Smash Bros. Melee". Andrew, Xander, and Rona just glared at Multiple, twitching at the fact that they lost the fifth game in a row to the little, jubilant and annoying shrimp. Andrew was exceptionally outraged at the fact that he had never lost whenever he had Mr. Game and Watch on his side (his key strategy to winning most of his tournaments when he could enter them), so to be defeated by a thirteen year-old (who was also the youngest of the X-Men) was certainly outrageous.

"You have to admit, he's very good," Caridad marveled despite her belief that video games were really for immature and easily-entertained dimwits, "Over twenty rounds, and I haven't seen him lose once yet. Even when Andrew, Kurt, and Bobby ganged up on him altogether, he still pulled through with one extra life to spare."

"How does this little twerp keep winning?" Rona grumbled as she massaged a blister on her thumb.

"If he doesn't quit bragging, I might be tempted to strangle that little pipsqueak," Xander muttered darkly.

"Use a pillow. It'll his muffle his screams, and you can hold him down for me while I smother him," Andrew growled, having a very disturbing twitch in his right eye as he reached for a soft cushion from the couch.

"Who's next?" Jamie taunted rather boorishly and insolently, "C'mon, are you all scared for a challenge or are you ready to admit that no one alive can win against Multiple, the King of Games?"

"I daresay I am quite up for the challenge," spoke a familiar, erudite, English voice, and everyone in the room turned to see a modest Giles polishing the lens of his glasses on his burgundy sweater. Some were a bit perplexed at the fact that Rupert Giles, of all unlikely people, would be willing to participate in something that adults would certainly regard as childish (and Jamie was downright mocking).

"You?" Jamie scorned, looking at Giles up and down before he sneered with a little disrespect, "Uh, hate to tell you this, Giles, but video games are nothing like books. Maybe you should go back to the library and study like a good bookworm. Really, I'm giving you a chance to back off and save yourself the humiliation."

"What can I say, young one? I'm a stubborn Brit who doesn't know any better," Giles said as he took a controller and began to select his character. He was the only contestant.

"PICHU?" Jamie gasped in shock before laughing disdainfully at the Watcher, "Boy, am I gonna feel bad when we see how fast you lose this round, Mr. Giles! Don't you know he's the weakest character ever and that his own electric attacks give one-percent damage to himself automatically? Wah ha ha ha ha, are you amateur! Choosing a baby Pokemon as your fighter!"

"Ready…Go!" yelled the announcer on the video game, and before the teenagers knew it, within five minutes…

"Game!" cheered the announcer and Multiple's eyes glazed over as the controller dropped out of his frozen hands, unwilling to believe that the screen was now applauding a little, familiar, electric, yellow baby Pokemon as the winner as Gannondorf's body, now completely covered with fire, was sent screaming into the screen before crashing and sliding down into oblivion.

"I…lost?" squeaked Jamie.

"Yes, quite a memorable battle, actually. You almost had me there with that hammer, Mr. Maddox," Giles said as he polished his glasses with his sweater before placing them back over his eyes as Xander cheered alongside Rona and Vi.

"I lost?" Jamie said, his voice cracking.

"And the winner, the stuffy British Watcher from England who drinks his tea with his pinky sticking out, the G-Man picks up the spare with no lives wasted!" Xander yelled, hooting, as he raised the Watcher's hand high over Giles' head like a boxing champion. Giles remained impassive, but one could see a corner of his lips turned upwards.

"I lost?" Jamie yelled, his screaming now strained and practically falsetto.

"Yep, and we got it all on video, little Multiple. And FYI, we've already been receiving request for copies of this little setback in your undefeated run in Game-Cube history here at the mansion. Better luck next time," Kennedy drawled, holding up a video camera.

"I LOST?" Jamie was now screaming, clutching his temples in his hands, throwing an absolute fit, "I LOST? I LOST? I LOST? AAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!"

It was safe to say that Jamie was having a little breakdown.

Tabitha, Kennedy and Ray just watched on, incredibly amused.

"We're never going to let the little goober live this one down, are we? The fact that he lost to a librarian and a British Watcher of all people," the blond-haired X-Girl giggled as she got a malicious glint in her eye, remembering all the unbearable times she and the rest of the residents of the X-Mansion had to endure Jamie's bragging rights and outlandish, obnoxious behavior at rubbing his teammates' respective faces that no one could ever reclaim his title of "Video Game King" at the Institute.

"Nope," chuckled Ray.

Meanwhile, Wolverine was traveling to the guest room to where Jubilee was resting. The grizzled, feral mutant was intending to check up on the Chinese girl and seeing if she needed some comfort and someone to talk to, and considering she had lost her parents and had been used as the Hellfire club's pawn, Logan knew, more than anyone here in the X-Mansion, that Jubilee needed healing. Though he wouldn't admit it, Logan was pained and grieving for Jubilee's drastic change in her life. She didn't deserve this pain, and the X-Man intended to make the Hellfire Club pay for what they did by screwing her over.

Logan then opened the door to Jubilee's bedroom before he found, to his surprise and annoyance, Jake Clawson leaning against the dresser of the room while Jubilee was sitting on the bed. Apparently, they have been talking before Logan arrived in, unannounced. Though he could guess what Jake was trying to do, Wolverine felt his irritation at horning in on private matters grow even more at the faint scent of Jake's kat hair.

Logan frowned before he said with some impatient hostility, "Hairball, can you give me and the Firecracker some time alone?"

Jake narrowed his eyes, but he nodded easily enough before he looked at Jubilee and said, "Take care, kitten. If you need people to talk to, there are other people besides me too, you know."

"Get out before I throw you out, hairball…and preferably, though the door," muttered Logan, indicating that he wanted to talk to Jubilee now. Jake smirked, knowing Wolverine didn't mean it as he left, closing the door behind him.

"You shouldn't be so mean to Jake. He was actually kind of helping me," Jubilee said in a subdued tone.

Logan raised an eyebrow as he grumbled, trying to not sound curious, "Oh?"

"Yeah. He was telling me about how in his days as a SWAT Kat, he lost Chance and had to leave to make it safe for himself and Callie Briggs and the others who were friends with him back in his home dimension."

She paused as she swallowed the ball of helpless rage and grief lodged in her throat. Even now, her parents' deaths were still extremely painful for her to reflect on, and Logan felt his heart secretly break from the look of devastation on the teenager's face. And God help him, when he got his hands on Tala, Wolverine would see to it that Tala wouldn't even live to cause more tragedy and death and mindless manipulation on any innocent soul ever again. Jubilee wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before she shakily continued.

"He was telling me to not expect the pain to go away because it never will, the guilt and sorrow and anger that life has changed for the worse and that it will never be the same again. But Jake also told me how…how it takes time, but it will get better. Yeah, I wish I had one last moment with my parents, but…but Jake says that he wishes the same thing for Chance and him, but it won't happen and that I have to learn to accept it. It may make me feel a lot better, but Jake says that at least I have people who won't abandon me now, so in a way, I am lucky. I…I just wish I didn't try to kill Phoebe because I thought she killed my parents with that vampire, but Jake says that it's nothing to be ashamed about. He told me that when you're grieving, you want to hurt someone and that it's natural to do something drastic you normally wouldn't. Jake even told me that when he was in Megakat City, he tried to commit suicide and take out the Alliance of Evil, so he knows what it's like to do something desperate."

Logan just silently looked at her; Jubilee had grown since the last time he saw her, and he was glad. But his heart then broke as Jubilee then started weeping softly, and helpless and now wishing he could do more, Logan just sat on the bed and gently embraced the Chinese girl. Grateful and sniffing, Jubilee just buried her face into Wolverine's chest, feeling her tears soak up the fabric of his shirt, as she wrapped her hands around his broad waist and held on tightly, distraughtly, as if she was afraid that if she let go, Logan too would die before her very eyes.

Logan whispered in Jubilee's ear, as soft as his gruff voice possibly could, "Hey, kid…it's OK to cry. You took a hard hit, one that a kid should never have to endure, so it's OK to cry. Shows that you still have feeling and that your soul ain't broken, so there's still a lot of hope to heal and recover from this whole crap."

"I just miss them so much," choked Jubilee.

"And you should, Firecracker, you should. But you're not gonna go about this alone, kid, not a chance in hell. Me and Chuck and all the kids here are gonna help you through this. I'm gonna help you through this, and I'm not going to rest until I make each and every one of those Hellfire scumbags and Tala pay for what they did to you, you hear?" Logan said, holding her face up by placing a finger underneath her chin so she could see that he wasn't lying when he promised her that, that hidden message that life goes on and so will she.

Jubilee, despite the tears and grief still coursing inside her, actually managed to smile at last, one that she had never dared to attempt since her parents' deaths.

At the same time, Andrew wandered off a bit from the video game tournament and the shattered remains of Jamie's pride when he came up to Xi and Todd, who, upon seeing their friend, their faces lit up before they hurriedly dragged him into the study nearby. Andrew didn't even have time to yelp in surprise before the door closed so that the three could have some privacy.

"Man, are we glad we found you, yo!" Todd said exuberantly and he and Xi took out a wrapped package each from behind their backs, both of the objects clumsily and messily wrapped in brown paper. Toad's package was small and bulky while Xi's was long, cylindrical and thin enough to have his entire clawed hand grasping around it.

"We've been trying to look for you forever, ever since we got back from San Francisco," Xi explained as he and Toad held out their packages to Andrew, "We got something for you."

Andrew was flabbergasted and shocked to say the least as he numbly let the two teenage mutants place their gifts in his hands. He was simply astounded and amazed and touched to say the least. Not even his ex-friends, Jonathan and Warren, were this gracious and nice and open with him when Andrew used to be evil.

"For…for me?" the blond Watcher-in-training managed to croak out in a falsetto tone, hardly daring to believe his good fortune. Xi and Todd nodded eagerly, smiling.

"To help thank you for saving me life during the battle," Todd said easily enough, though he did unconsciously rub the bruise on his neck where the Friends of Humanity supporter tried to choke him earlier.

"And plus, you're our friend now, so we wish to not only thank you, but also help your for your future well-being, especially since you will be fighting for your life in battle with the Heartless. We know you have the potential to be a good warrior, and we both want you the have the confidence to see that people do trust and believe in you. So we figured these gifts could help you, Andrew, especially since the staff Giles gave to you broke during the battle with the Turok-Han and the Friends of Humanity," Xi provided compassionately.

Fingers trembling, Andrew felt his eyes burn with touched sentiment as he hurriedly tore the string and tape and paper off Toad's present first, and the blond Scooby then felt his heart stop when he saw what it was.

Todd's gift was a large gold-colored bandanna, large and comfortable enough to be worn and tied around one's forehead like a warrior with black Japanese characters written artistically all over it. But the bandanna was gently wrapped around a very prized and valuable object, cushioning a weapon Andrew had been pleading for quite some time…

"A glovatrix!" Andrew gasped, nearly squealing, at the trademark weapon he saw so many times in the episodes of the SWAT Kats, the black and blue glove complete with a fully-loaded ammunition cache resting in the torn paper, pristine and oiled and primed, ready for use.

Todd then explained, feeling his heart swell with pride and satisfaction at Andrew's happiness as he explained, "Yeah, yo, we were able to talk Jake into making one for you, especially since Xander, Vi, and Rona already have them, and Jake agreed with us and all how it wasn't fair to you, especially since you really wanted one. But Giles and Wood say that they don't want you using it always and that you need ta' learn responsibility and everything, yo, so me and Xi had to plead and promise them that we'd help you practice your sharp-shooting skills and everything and make sure you don't blow stuff up! But it's worth it. And the bandanna you can wear on your head like a ronin or ninja, yo, and we had Blind Master make it for you, and we even asked him to paint the writing on it!"

"What…what does it mean?" Andrew asked, holding the soft cloth in his hands.

Xi smiled, almost chuckling at a private joke, "It's Japanese for 'Courageous Mouse'…oh, don't look at us like that! We figured that title fits you really well."

"It does," Andrew admitted before he opened Xi's present. It was a beautifully carved, dark wooden staff, wrapped with sturdy bandages in the middle and ends to ensure easier grips for Andrew, and the bo was smooth as bone and polished, gleaming in the lamplight.

"We also requested some help from Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow for this one," Xi said as Andrew fawned over the new weapon, "We know you're not comfortable with wielding swords or knives, so a wooden staff would be a terrific weapon for you. It's made from a special wood, and it's been cemented in ash and pitch and fire until it has been nearly petrified. That bo you're holding is strong, strong enough to withstand any sword or axe easily, and I daresay, only Japanese steel can truly cut it. It's strong enough for you to pole-vault with it if you really needed to, and that staff can support your body weight. But it's lightweight enough that you can easily carry it with one hand."

"You…you did this for me? You pleaded with Razor and Giles to let me have a glovatrix? You asked the ninjas from G.I. Joe to give me a weapon made just for me? I…I don't know what to say. No one's ever done this much for me before…" Andrew asked as he was now shaking, still wondering if he was dreaming.

"Yo, you're one of us now, an honorary Misfit along with the other Slayers. Of course we'd do this for you," Toad piped up, resting his hand on Andrew's shoulder.

"You…thank you," Andrew sniffed, wiping his eyes, before Xi grabbed him and Todd in a group hug, just the three of them. And Andrew swore to himself that he would never forget this day as one of the happiest times of his entire life.

Meanwhile, General Hawk was waiting in the living room when Piper and Leo emerged, white in the face, but Piper had a look of determined and complacent fire inside her eyes.

"What do you wish to do now, Piper?" Hawk asked, "As I have offered before, we can hide you and your family should you wish -"

"No," Piper stoutly declared. Hawk looked a bit taken aback at the strong and firm resoluteness of her voice, as if she had already made up her mind.

"We've done enough hiding. I need to settle this now. We need to settle this now…and I'm not going to play into the Hellfire's hands and run scared any more. I make my stand here…like I should have done the first time you and Batman came to me that night," Piper said stoutly. General Hawk felt a surge of pride at Piper's declaration, already having an idea of what she wished to achieve, of what she needed to do to make the world understand the truth.

"Then what do you want to do, Piper? I give you my word that you'll have G.I. Joe's protection and full support in whatever decision you make," Hawk replied.

---

"You sure about this?" Leo asked his wife for the umpteenth time as she, Phoebe, and Paige waited in the safety of the escorts of the Slayers and the Scoobies along with Wood and Giles. The X-Men, the Misfits, and the Joes were understandably not with them as they were helping maintain that the entire perimeter was secure and safe.

"General Hawk thinks it's a good idea, and after everything that has happened because of my refusals, I need to trust him and G.I. Joe this time, Leo. We have to do this, no question about it. Why let people speculate when you tell them the truth and give them hope, real hope, about the Gathering? We can't fight darkness and lies with more darkness. We have to let the light in and expose the truth, to show them the real story. Afterwards, whatever they believe when shown both sides of the story is their decision, but at least this way, we get a chance to show the real truth about the Charmed Ones. Like Grams always said, the truth will set us free," Piper answered shakily before she, Paige, Phoebe and the Slayers along with Willow, Giles, and Wood emerged out of the guarded room and into a podium where a gargantuan, massive, and tightly-packed crowd of reporters awaited them, sitting on chairs or the floor with their pads, cameras, and video camcorders ready. Piper looked out at the throng of representatives from every major news network and publication in the city and indeed, in the entire world. From the BBC network to Gotham City News to KTSF to CNN to reporters from the periodicals of the New York Times, the Daily Planet, and Newsweek. Everyone who wanted the real story and facts about the Halliwells and their friends were gathered at the small meeting room in the military base in San Francisco, ready to report and describe the biggest news break of the year if not the century. Even Elise (who gave Phoebe a wink and a thumbs-up sign showing her support) from the Bay Mirror was there with her staff, eager to jump on the latest juicy tidbits. Though many of the men and women in the media were glaring and sneering at the witches with contempt and malice, many were curious and respectfully silent.

God help them all.

Piper took a deep breath before she began speaking in a clear and composed voice in the microphone.

"As you may have heard, we are the Charmed Ones, a group of Wiccans prophesized from colonial times to fight evil entities and protect the innocent with witchcraft, descending from a long line of powerful matriarchs…"

And for the next hour, filming live on television for numerous TV stations and for millions of people in various countries, the Halliwells and Giles explained and described everything.

They talked about the legacy of the Charmed Ones, a prophecy that three women born in the Halliwell family line would emerge as the most powerful Wiccans born to combat and fight against the dark forces.

They talked about the legacy of the vampire Slayer and the Watchers Council, and how since the early days when the world was young, human girls were chosen by fate to fight and slay the various forces of evil, especially vampires, and how the world was changed at the Battle of the Hellmouth in the small California town called Sunnydale.

They talked about the Nexus and the truth about why they were targeted, and how the Organization used the opportunity to gain infinite power of the Earth, a loving and nurturing force though the spirits of Nature along with the real truths of magic, on how it was not inherently good or evil but rather how it was used that defined its moralities.

And as the hour ended, Paige raised her hand, and to everyone's amazements and gasps of awe and astonishment, the room was filled with dwarves, valkyries, leprechauns, fairies, pixies, and (to some onlookers' delights) a unicorn or two. Even Sandra herself appeared, displaying her full regalia as a Whitelighter Elder, an Immortal who was the guardian angel of good witches all throughout the world. Hawk had to smile. Everyone could recognize these universal icons associated with beneficial and good magic, and from his observation in the room, every reporter appeared to be less guarded and suspicious of the supernatural beings in the room. If anything, it made it less hostile and more pleasant, their faces melting away to something skin of wonder and curiosity, but not hate.

Phoebe then finished strongly, "Everyone, respected men and women gathered here, if we wish to tell you one thing, it is this: magic exists and it has existed long ago before any of us even comprehended it. You had no problem reading about them in stories and fairy-tales, and now that they are proven to exist, you have no reason to fear them. They are still the same creatures you have grown up with since childhood. They are the same beings and forces that fight evil, protect us and themselves against real threats like the Turok-Han and the demons and the Thirteenth Order. They are the same beings that wish to live in peace, which was why they remained hidden for so long. Magic is here, and it cannot die or go away because it is a force that none of us can ever truly abolish or vanquish. But we can accept it as real, and whether or not you disagree, there is both good and evil in magic, just like anything else in this world, and we're on the side of good. If you don't believe us, then ask yourselves why we fought alongside G.I. Joe and the Misfits and the X-Men? Why did we risk our lives to stop Blackheart from using the Nexus to destroy the city? And why did we battle against the army of warlocks and vampires to protect the cops and the children from getting attacked? You cannot argue those facts, just as how you cannot argue that magic exists and it does not have to be a thing to be feared but rather, something that is just different."

There was a soft pause when the Wiccan was done speaking.

"Any questions?" Giles then asked calmly, and indeed, immediately after than, quite a few number of hands shot up (a good sign). Giles pointed at one male reporter who called out from halfway across the crowded room loudly.

"The Charmed Ones claim to be Wiccans, but aren't they the same as witches?"

Willow answered, "No, a witch can be both good or evil, but a Wiccan uses white magic, and thus, is inherently good, because Wiccans can only harness the power of Nature and the Earth, and in order to do that, you need a pure heart, a virtuous soul, and though Wiccans can become bad, then they lose their powers and become evil witches, but an evil witch can turn good again if she is repentant. This, witches equals good or bad. Wiccans equals good."

One woman piped up curiously, "Why aren't there any male Slayers? Why does a Slayer always have to be a girl?"

"It's the way how it's always been miss, ever since the Shadowmen summoned the first powers to bequeath to a single girl," Wood provided.

Kennedy then smiled as she joked, "Besides, if men can't handle the pains of the monthly period or childbirth, then how we can expect them to handle the job of destroying evil supernatural demons and vampires? Without us women to pick up the slack, the Earth would be doomed already."

There were a few dirty looks from the men in the audience, but all of them had some amusement as well, and indeed all, if not most, of the sea of reporters and journalists were chuckling softly, and quite a few female reporters called out approving praises of "Testify, girl!" and "Amen!"

Hawk had to smile as well. The Slayers and the Charmed Ones were already starting to show their human sides, to empathize with the curious inquisitors. And it was working, making them appear less as monsters to the public and rather as ordinary people no different from them.

Paige then called on one boisterous male reporter from Fox News.

"Can a witch or Wiccan ever use their powers selfishly? How do we know you freaks can't simply enchant people to do your bidding or enslave us normal folk?" he asked with a sneer. Quite a few reporters close by shot him with dirty looks because such insults would certainly be grounds to declare the news conference over, but to their relief, Willow and Paige just smoothly and sincerely answered.

"No, because if we did anything for personal gain or to endanger and punish innocent people for selfish reasons, we lose our powers. Contrary to what many believe, magic has rules and you have to abide by them if you wish to live properly. Notebook!" Paige said before calling out that last word, and to the reporter's surprise, the pad of paper in his hands disappeared and orbed into this air only to reappear into Paige's palm.

Willow then added, "And as I have said before, if we break these rules, we become evil. Being a good witch or a Wiccan isn't as glamorous as some people make it out to be. Yes you have power but you also have responsibilities and consequences if you make even the slightest mistake. Any careless magic and spells, no matter how harmless you try to make them can have enormous repercussion in the future."

"And considering that we still have our powers, I think this should indicate that none of us have ever misused our magical abilities," Paige answered as she orbed the notebook she took earlier back into the reporter's grasp.

"So why even fight for the side of good if you have to follow rules and laws?" another reporter piped up.

"Because it is the side that always prevails. Good may be boring and stiff and all that, but it always wins because being evil destroys you from inside, consumes you until your are so severely weakened that you become reduced to almost nothing. And it is the side of good that empowers us and makes us stronger, thus it gives us hope and a reason to fight if we ever wish to survive the Gathering to come."

Suddenly, before there could be more questioning, the doors burst open to display a triumphant and arrogant Agent Keyes along with a lesser-pleased Inspector Sheridan and a small group of policemen, all of them armed and wearing bullet-proof vests, walking towards the podium.

Willow gasped before she turned to Faith, saying, "Faith, be prepared for trouble! Jean just warned me telepathically!"

"What the hell?" muttered General Hawk darkly as the small throng moved in with Cover Girl, Low Light, and Shipwreck protesting behind.

"We couldn't stop them, General," Low Light said, though he was glaring poisonously at Keyes and Sheridan's backs, "We told them to take a hike, but they have a warrant!"

"A warrant?" Leo gaped, astounded and confused, but then leading authority figure from the Department of Homeland Security then explained it all in one sentence.

"Faith Lehane, we have a warrant for your arrest…" Keyes said smugly.

---

"You cannot be serious!" Piper yelled, red in the face and her hands clenched into fists as she, her sisters, the Misfits handlers, Willow, Xander, Wood, Giles, General Hawk, and Professor Xavier stood in front of Agent Keyes and Inspector Sheridan in the San Francisco Police Headquarters less than an hour later. The other Slayers and mutants were not at the scene, but understandably, it was to be expected. And indeed, all of the police officers in the station were silently observing this showdown between the freaks and Agent Keyes and Inspector Sheridan. Faith was in handcuffs and being held between two burly officers, but the look of carefree assurance and smug smile on her face said otherwise.

"All those charges against Faith had been dropped. She served her time in jail already!" Xander yelled, heated.

"Surprisingly, those charges mysteriously came back up," Keyes said, throwing a smug look, "Murder, vandalism, breaking and entering, kidnapping…Faith Lehane has a rap-sheet as wide as the bay area itself, and I can see to it that your precious Slayer doesn't even make it through her jail sentence unless the Charmed Ones will be willing to…assist some friends of mine. It depends if you so-called good witches are willing to do whatever it takes to save your friend from serving three-consecutive life sentences."

"What?" Sheridan gasped, now horrified as she guessed what Keyes was leading to.

"What?" Paige said weakly, though Piper and Phoebe's collective eyes narrowed at the investigator from then Department of Homeland Security. They had a pretty good idea where this was heading (but they'd be damned if they were going to help Keyes get there).

Keyes then continued with snide superiority, holding out the trump card, "The federal government has been aware of your past activities for several years, Halliwells, and though it has been kept very clandestinely, you have made mistakes. Needless to say, many of my superiors and fellow agents were naturally curious and eager to know how such talents and knowledge could be actually put to good use in protecting the United States and helping special interests in various agencies. We can offer you and your extended families protection. And make sure that your two children, Wyatt and Chris, won't have anything unpleasant happen to them and that your father, Sam, I believe his name is, won't suddenly find life difficult."

Her eyes blazing, Phoebe made a move to punch Keyes, but Blind Master and Willow held her back. Paige gritted her teeth as she inhaled through her nose sharply before saying, "And dare I ask what happens if we tell you to piss off?"

Keyes smile grew as he clarified, "I have powerful connections to those in the United States government that can make your lives very, very difficult for you and your friends, Paige. Detective Morris will suddenly find it difficult to raise his family if he is somehow discharged from the force along with his need to declare bankruptcy, and I know several individuals in Social Security who will be very interested in seeing that Wyatt and Chris go to foster families to be raised under less hostile environments due to child-endangerment charges. And your poor father is already old, has a weak heart I believe. It'll be hard for him to survive and continue living if his savings are depleted, he's kicked out of his own apartment and is rendered a penniless vagrant, cut off from Medicare and his retirement pensions, especially if his assets and accounts are mysteriously frozen. And of course, that's without any guarantee that our agents and the police will be able to stop the Friends of Humanity and Stryker's Purity from acting of their own accords, especially when they target you and your associates in their witch-hunts, pun intended. And that's not including that your friendly delinquent, Faith, never seeing the light of day again, if she lives that long…"

Now Wood was ready to go kill Agent Keyes, and Low Light and Roadblock had to grab the African-American Watcher by the arms to prevent him from doing something he'd regret. Only Xander looked slightly lost.

"Uh…so what's he trying to say again?" the one-eyed youth asked, and Giles winced and bit his tongue, already starting to have a headache. But Shipwreck gracefully explained in layman's terms.

Shipwreck growled, "Blackmail. This asshole's trying to snowball the Charmed Ones into working for the federal government and the Initiative, or else he makes them and their families suffer."

"Any why do I get the feeling that there are a few questionable government superiors who are going to be extremely tempted to see how far the Halliwells' magic can take them?" Low Light rumbled, his eyes narrowing and his hands twitching with the urge to sock Keyes directly in the face. He was so tempted to release his hold on the seething Wood. Inspector Sheridan looked disgusted; yes, Faith Lehane was dangerous and deserved to be in jail because she still had not fully settled her past sentences (and this was in no way changing the system since her criminal history was valid), but this…

"Keyes, this is an outrage! You're making a fool of yourself and the law you stand for!" Sheridan heatedly retorted. Keyes coldly ignored her.

Agent Keyes then grinned, "And unless I'm mistaken…Wiccans cannot fight or use their powers to attack me or any police officer here in the station, not unless they want to lose their powers, all in the name of that piece of street trash. So, seems like you Halliwells are caught in a little dilemma, aren't you? You can't use your powers to break Faith out of jail or stop us from simply doing our jobs in apprehending criminals nor can you stop people from doing…unpleasant yet unexpected and tragic events in your associates' lives. You help me and my associates, and I'll see to it that no harm comes to Wyatt, Chris, Faith, or your friends and father. Refuse…and well, you can't hurt me, but I can make you three regret your decision."

"Keyes, that's enough!" Sheridan yelled, but then Giles and Willow smiled, and Keyes' face fell, not sure if he was enjoying the look of prepared satisfaction on the Watcher and witch's faces.

"Agent Keyes, look outside and tell me what you see," Giles requested, his voice aloof and yet respectfully tactful while he took off his glasses and began polishing one lens. It was remarkable that no matter what situation, Giles always managed to maintain a cool and calm demeanor.

"Like I'm going to fall for that oldest trick in the book, Watcher," snorted the government agent.

"Uh…Agent Keyes, you really need to come and see this," gulped Agent Roark, one of the few remnants of Keyes' men who managed to survive the battle at the Halliwell Manor with bruises and a broken arm as he looked out the window, and upon this statement, the rest of the officers followed suit. Bothered by the tone of fear in his subordinate's voice, both Keyes and Sheridan finally piqued their curiosity as they went to the window and peeked out of the blinds to see a rather surprising and daunting sight.

"What the hell?" hissed Agent Keyes in outraged and dawning horror.

Indeed, what the officers and federal agents were seeing was a huge, colossal, massive crowd of Slayer girls standing in a patient yet menacing manner alongside the rest of the Misfits and X-Men. Considering this was a throng of girls over three thousand, it filled the entire block, and many of the law enforcement agents could also see additional Slayers and a few mutants along waiting on the rooftops of the buildings nearby the police station. Though the street was filled with girls, the streets were completely devoid of any other civilians, and upon looking at both ends of the street, Sheridan saw why. There were tightly guarded blockades manned by soldiers from G.I. Joe themselves (probably General Hawk's work), and it was the Joes' efforts that prevents many mobs of people and reporters from entering into the street and gaping at the scene, providing a very noisy and fearful audience in the background. Inspector Sheridan and Agent Keyes had to admit that they had never seen so many young females gathered around in their entire lives. The three thousand plus Slayers were of different ethnicities and religions, ranging anywhere from Arabian and Moroccan to girls from Tasmania and the Canary Islands. Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic, Christian, and Hindu. It was a hodgepodge of girls and teenagers from all regions of the world, united as one to this street, like a Slayers' version of the United Nations.

But what made it more intimidating was that each and every one of the Slayers was armed with weapons. Swords, daggers, knives, spears, stakes, polearms, halberds, maces, wooden staffs, hammers, axes…every sort of blade and wooden implement imaginable, the Slayers girls were all armed to the teeth with them, the metal gleaming off the sunlight and their faces stoic and blank. The teenage X-Men and Misfits were standing among them along with Wolverine, Andrew, and Razor. Even the youngest ones, barely more than twelve or thirteen years of age, were expertly baring and wielding razor-sharp weapons like the most battle-hardened soldiers, betraying no emotion in their eyes or visages. Shannon and Kennedy were among the Slayers, Storm, and Beast stationed at the rooftops, all the Slayer girls armed with bows, crossbows, and a more than adequate supply of shafts.

Needless to say, the entire headquarters of the San Francisco police department were completely surrounded by Slayers. And they looked extremely pissed off.

"Holy shit," breathed one of the officers in shocked apprehension.

Shipwreck grinned as he said, "We told them to wait for five minutes. If they don't hear from us, then all those girls come in and start fighting to make sure we leave this place with Faith."

Blind Master said smugly, "Four minutes, actually, and before you go for your guns, Willow just placed a spell on every firearm in the building so that you will not be able to use them. They will be phased into an unstable state where you will not even be able to grasp them physically."

"Damn, the Joe's right! We can't use them!" another officer exclaimed in horror as he tried to pick up his gun, only to discover that his hand went completely through it, like a ghost.

Giles' voice was now final with steel and dangerous detachment as he finished, "If eight Slayer girls can fight an entire army of vampires and warlocks, creatures that your men could barely hold off against, then I do not need to imply what a group of over three-thousand Slayers should be able to do to you and all the officers here in the station if you do not let Faith and the Charmed Ones go. And of course, because the Misfits and X-Men have made friends with the Slayers, it is only natural that they help defend one of our charges by any force necessary."

"It's your choice, Keyes," Wood growled, "And I doubt everyone in this building and city can be a match for a group of very pissed mutants and Slayers and witches."

"Yeah, I think it's safe to say that it's not gonna help everyone's morale here if people learn that San Francisco's finest got their butts kicked by a group of girls," Xander remarked snidely.

Cover Girl's voice then got absolutely frigid as she said, "Remember, Keyes, Wiccans can't hurt you, but when you threaten one of their own, the Slayers can hurt you. Granted, they don't kill because they don't sink to your level, but I'd doubt that even the Thirteenth Order will be stupid enough to piss off an army of Slayers."

Keyes' eyes turned absolutely and brutally icy as he growled, "You think this will stop me? I had full authorization to do this! And if you think this sets me back, you freak lovers are a lot more stupider than you look! I've got connections, I've got the men, and I'll chase you and the Charmed Ones down if you even try stepping out of those doors!"

General Hawk then growled, "If you're referring to your authorization from General Eddington, I might want to inform you that when I checked, he disavowed any knowledge of meeting you or how you wished to utilize the Charmed Ones for agents in the Initiative."

"The Initiative?" Wood yelled in shock.

"So that's why he was so intent on trying to subdue the Charmed Ones!" Willow gasped in anger.

"And it's pretty easy to guess what creeps like this bastard in the Initiative would do with three very powerful white witches, huh?" Faith drawled with contempt as she indicated to Keyes with a nod of her head.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Willow asked the general.

"I just found out. The Joe, Mainframe, just sent me the information before he arrived here, Willow," Hawk replied before he took out a manila envelope from the folds of his coat and tossed it onto the desk in front of Agent Keyes.

"What the hell is this, Hawk?" spat Keyes in fury, and the general of G.I. Joe regarded the federal agent with cold steel in his eyes, his jaw set.

"A summons to a military tribunal," Hawk returned in a even voice, "I have a few men and women who will be very interested to learn about why you screwed this up so badly, and it's not including evidence of you abusing your powers to forcefully coerce the Halliwells to work for your department and the Initiative, Keyes, and after this, I'll be banking that it's safe to say you're in deep trouble. You've already been dismissed from your post as head agent of the Department of Homeland Security, and as of this moment, you are no longer associated with the government. All powers and authorities made by you during this investigation have now been nullified and revoked."

Despite this, Sheridan had to smile at last.

The grizzled, bald man was now red in the face and livid as he snarled, "This hold nothing in court, Hawk! I had Eddington's approval and authorization, given personally by the General himself! There's a paper record and everything!"

"Funny thing that you should mention that. It was Eddington himself who signed the command for the military tribunal. And as for your paper records, I'm sorry to inform you that Eddington's secretary cannot find them nor can the federal bureau locate any physical proof of such authorizations," Hawk said simply.

Keyes was now murderous, shaking and apoplectic with rage, red in the face, as he then roared, "Bullshit, Hawk! You have no jurisdiction to do this to me! You mutie and witch lovers can't do this! I have rights! I'm a goddamned federal agent! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

"Looks like he just did," Spirit commented none too gently, glaring at Keyes.

Hawk looked at him before he growled, "It's over, Keyes. You're finished here…permanently."

"Officers, escort this civilian off police premises," Sheridan commanded in a steel tone as she pointed at Agent Keyes, finally taking command of the situation before it could get any more ugly.

"You can't do this me! This isn't finished Hawk! Not by a long shot!" Keyes hollered as he was forcefully removed by two officers. Sheridan indicated to the other officers to release Faith from her handcuffs before she coldly addressed the heroes.

"Take your delinquent slayer and leave, you freaks," Sheridan snapped, "Hurry, before we change our mind."

"You do not have to follow Keyes' ideals, Inspector Sheridan," the Professor frowned, starting to become annoyed.

"What, no apology for exposing us and ruining our lives?" spat Piper with bitterness.

Sheridan then glared at Piper before she said with unnerved steel, "You expect me to apologize for my actions? I may not like what Keyes did, but I have no regrets for exposing you and your sisters for the threats to society you really are. When it comes down to it, you may be protecting innocents, but you cause far too much damage for it to even be a good thing, for it to be even worth it. No matter how pure your intentions, you're as much of a threat and a menace as any that mocks all true enforcers of the law to even be good. You Charmed Ones are not for the law, so I know where we stand in this. I don't agree with Agent Keyes, but I sure as hell am not your friend like Morris is. You may be off the hook now, but I will be watching you closely in the future. This changes nothing between us. The minute you or your sisters do anything incriminating, I'm busting you three once and for all and throwing away the key."

KABOOM!

With a flick of her hand, Piper used her molecular combustion to destroy every piece of furniture in Sheridan's office, messily rendering it into a pile of splinted wood, shattered glass, and ashes. And since it wasn't for personal gain or to kill an innocent, it was considered abiding by the rules (though just barely beyond self-righteous)

"Be grateful I didn't do that to your head. And word of advice, Inspector: don't piss of a witch," Piper growled.

The blond-haired woman just crossed her arms coolly in front of her as she said with passive-aggressiveness, "I'll be sure to send you the bill for the repairs to my office, Mrs. Wyatt."

"Get in line along with the hundreds of other people trying to sue us," Phoebe spat with barbed insult as they all left, teleporting via the Mass Device.

---

Back at the Institute, all the Slayers and the mutant teenagers were celebrating Faith's pardon. The Joes were worriedly conversing with General Hawk however.

"At least it didn't go as badly as we expected," Cover Girl remarked, "I know Giles and the other Watchers wouldn't want the Slayers to injure and kill humans, not if it can be helped."

Hawk sighed before he explained his worries, saying, "True, but you're forgetting that Keyes said he got his authorization to go after the Charmed Ones from General Eddington, and though I couldn't find any proof that Eddington had given permission to the Department of Homeland Security, I don't think Keyes was lying."

"He wasn't," Blind Master said, "I could sense his emotions, his state of his feelings controlling the biological signals from his body. He truly did believe that Eddington said it was alright to expose the Halliwells."

Low Light pieced it together as he then said with a grimace, "So in other words, Eddington set up Keyes like the Hellfire Club and the Organization set up Jubilee and the Charmed Ones. Though Keyes was an idiot, Eddington saw that his interest in the Charmed Ones as a perfect window to gain the Nexus for the Inner Circle. Though Keyes really did have agendas for the witches to work for the Initiative, Eddington was more interested in using this as a tool to make things difficult and for us to play in Zankou and Blackheart's hands. In other words, Keyes was a pawn in this as much as we are."

"Geez, this just goes to show that the Hellfire Club and the Thirteenth Order are getting to be more cunning that we first thought. They really know how to play games," Shipwreck cursed.

"And what makes it worse is that the biggest game is yet to come during the Gathering," Hawk said with vexed thought.

Meanwhile, Lina was sitting by herself next to the roaring fireplace, her body cold and shivering despite the heat that was radiating around the living room. She was unconsciously rubbing her neck, flashing back to that moment when she nearly died under the lethal bite of the Turok-Han vampire. If it wasn't for…

"Lina…do you have a moment? I want to talk with you, if that's all right," asked a voice in English, and the insect-Misfit turned to see, to her surprise, the Chinese Slayer, Chao-Ahn, now speaking in perfect English. Dragonfly was shocked and stunned to say the least, but she quickly got over the jolt as she moved a bit from her position on the couch.

"Oh…uh, sure, I guess," the white-haired girl said hesitantly as she scooted over, allowing room for Chao-Ahn to sit by her. There was an awkward silence for several seconds before Lina coughed.

"Uh…Chao-Ahn, how is it that you can now speak English? I…Fred said that you could only understand Cantonese," Lina queried, and Chao-Ahn smiled before she tapped an electronic pendant with a white plastic covering attached around a silver chain hanging around her neck like a necklace.

"This was a gift from the X-Man, Farl…no Farge…no, wait…" the Slayer tried to explain, but realized that she was lapsing on the inventor's name, but Lina provided it helpfully.

"You mean, Forge," she supplied, smiling.

Chao-Ahn nodded as she said, "Yes, Forge. He made me a translator that instantly and automatically transforms all spoken words I speak into English, and in turn, this invention also translates to me all spoken words around me into Cantonese so that I may understand. Granted, I do not know the details of such complicated junk, but I am grateful he made it. Even Wood and Giles are starting to see the value, and have asked Forge to create more necklaces for the other Slayers back the academy."

"Ah," murmured Lina before she became quiet again. Chao-Ahn thankfully broke the tense and apprehensive moment as she spoke next.

"Lina…I wanted to talk with you because I want to assure you that nothing is going on between me and Fred."

Lina seemed less than willing to believe this as she said with some hurt and snubbed resentment, "If that was true, then he wouldn't constantly be hanging around you and being nice to you. It's obvious he likes you because he apparently now stopped realizing I even exist."

Now Chao-Ahn had her trademark, Oriental temper and fussiness springing out of her personality, and she knew her mother back at Shanghai would give her an ironic smile if she saw how much Chao-Ahn was acting like her whenever she nagged at her children. Chao-Ahn scolded, "So you think because Fred has feelings for you, he should completely dedicate himself to your needs and wants rather than to everyone else he cares about? You think it's selfish of Fred to want to have friends and spend time with others besides yourself and the other Misfits? You don't like it if Fred tries to make friends or acts nice to other girls because it makes you feel left out or jealous, even though you know perfectly well Fred isn't a flirt like Gambit or Quicksilver? If so, then you're not being a good friend to Fred."

Lina looked up, shocked at such a blatant accusation until Chao-Ahn clarified it.

"If you want a person's life to revolve around you, then that's selfish. And if you're jealous because Fred's being nice to me, it says a lot more about your character than his. Lina, I know you like Blob and I like him to, but not in the same way you like Fred or Bobby for that matter."

"I do not have a crush on Bobby! We're just friends because he's been nice to me and because we helped each other when the Furies attacked us!" protested Lina, her hands on her hips, but she felt her cheeks burn and redden slightly, and the Slayer noticed this with a deadpanned look.

"Fred said to me that he didn't blame you if you did," Chao-Ahn said with some sympathy, "Keep in mind, Lina, Fred's not the only one who's self-conscious about his appearance. You're not the only one with fears and issues about relationships."

Lina looked ashamed as she pondered this. The Slayer was right; she was being unreasonable. And if Chao-Ahn had feelings for Fred, then she wouldn't even be encouraging Lina to listen to her feelings and try spending more time with Blob in the first place.

Chao-Ahn then took Lina's hands in hers before she looked directly into Lina's green eyes before she got her point across.

"Look, if you like Fred, then spend time with him and tell him. It may work out, it may not. There will always be doubts about anything this important, so it's not unnatural. You may stay with Fred. You may go to Bobby. You may even go with someone completely different. But being afraid and not making a decision still counts as making a decision. And I don't think Fred will wait forever. And I also doubt you want to be trapped in a love triangle like Peter, Kitty, and Lance…or Spike, Angel, and Buffy, for that matter."

With that Chao-Ahn let go of Lina's hands and left, but Lina made no move to follow the Chinese girl as she just stood there, pondering. But before Chao-Ahn could completely disappear from the premises, Lina called out.

"Wait!"

Chao-Ahn turned around to see Lina pause before she gave a shaky and miniscule smile.

"Thanks," Lina finally answered.

Chao-Ahn smiled back as she replied before leaving, "You're welcome…"

Phoebe was sitting outside by the bay window of the kitchen until Jubilee, shaking, came up to her from the bushes, her eyes full of terror and fear. Phoebe didn't need her powers of premonition to see what was about to happen, and her brown eyes showed nothing but openness and understanding.

"Phoebe, I…"

Jubilee faltered, realizing that this was harder than she thought.

"I'm sorry for accusing you of murdering my parents, especially how you saved me from getting killed. I…I wish I could take it back and make up for everything I did. I'm so sorry. I wish…I just wish I wasn't so stupid."

The mutant girl then started crying again, and Phoebe helped her sit down on the stone bench next to her before she comforted Jubilation.

"Apology accepted, and I've done a few things I'm ashamed of too, Jubilee. Being a Queen of the Underworld, using some of my powers for personal gain only to lose them, and hey, my mother was killed by a warlock, and me and my sisters had to kill him as well in order to exact retribution and avenge our mother's demise. So, trust me when I understand why you acted the way you did. And no, I don't blame you, Jubilee. You didn't deserve to lose your parents like that, honey."

Jubilee wiped her eyes before she asked hoarsely, "You…forgive me? Just like that?"

"Just like that. And Sweetie, I think we got on the wrong foot…and I would like it if we tried starting over again," Phoebe said gently, brushing a few strands of hair from Jubilee's forehead.

The Chinese mutant smiled, wiping her eyes before she said, "I'd like that too, actually."

"No time like the present, then," Phoebe said automatically as she held out her hand for Jubilee to shake, "Hi, I'm Phoebe Halliwell. I have two sisters, an older and younger one, I work at the newspaper the Bay Mirror as a columnist, I'm a Wiccan who has the ability to see visions of the past and future and is a notch potion-maker, and I love kickboxing, Italian food, especially real Italian sausage, and I have the annoying habit of drinking milk from the carton."

The X-Girl was stunned for a moment before it dawned on her, and she smiled at last, not a smile of pure euphoria, but one of relief.

"Ewww, that last one is so gross!" giggled Jubilee as she shook Phoebe's hand.

Phoebe grinned wryly as she said, "You should have seen how Piper takes it. Last time she caught me doing it, she screamed and ranted for a minute before she threatened to blow up the milk carton in my hands along with my lips if I ever tried that again. Apparently, I didn't think how my germaphobic sister would handle my mouth on the family milk."

Jubilee then decided to return it after some thought, "Um…OK, I'm Jubilation Lee, but my friends call me Jubilee. I'm a mutant that can make explosive bits of plasma energy like fireworks, I'm an only child but Wolverine, the gruff hairy guy with the metal claws who keeps calling your sister Piper, 'a real bitch'…uh, no offense."

"Are you kidding? If me and Paige only had a nickel each and every time an enemy, one of the Whitelighters, or Gideon called her that one!" Phoebe chortled.

"I HEARD THAT, PHOEBE HALLIWELL!" yelled Piper in extreme annoyance through the Institute's kitchen window, indicating that she overheard Phoebe's little slip-up. Jubilee giggled despite herself, and Phoebe had no choice but to join her, laughing. It was wrong, but it felt so good.

"And I love gymnastics, Chinese and Mexican food, and…um, well, I snore. And one time, I caught Bobby playing a tape recording of my snoring to the other New Mutants before the Sentinel exposed us. Needless to say, Bobby needed a new tape recorder as well as a few bandages when I was done with him," Jubilee giggled.

"You know, I like you, Jubes. You remind me of my younger self," Phoebe said warmly, giving the teenager around the shoulders with a compassionate and enveloping arm.

"Then can you teach me how to kick demon butt and use a sword like you did in the last battle with the Turok-Han?" Jubilee asked eagerly, grinning widely, and Phoebe flinched at the thought.

"I think Mr. Logan will want my head if I even considered giving one of Xavier's students a weapon."

Meanwhile, after her outburst at her younger sister's crack, Piper wandered out aimlessly to get some fresh air outside in the Institute's gardens…and to get out of the many glares she was receiving from all three groups in the X-Mansion. As much as she hated being on the receiving end of many of the teenagers from both the X-Men and the Misfits and Blind Master (who, despite being blind, absolutely made her shiver under his death glower), Piper knew that she deserved it. And as much as she appreciated Paige and Phoebe telling the mutants and the Slayers that she was regretful, apologizing for their sister's behalf, Piper still felt a bit of anger and blame towards General Hawk, Batman, and Jubilee. Granted, she was grateful that they helped fight to protect her and her family, but it wasn't easy to not think dark thoughts of cheated misery when you lost your home and are now under scrutiny of the general public, your life in shambles. Leo and Phoebe encouraged Piper to forgive and understand that the Hellfire Club and Organization used all of them and manipulated the situation, so that it was of no one's fault since they were misled. Piper felt she needed some time and solitude and thought before she could ever remember them without some hatred.

It was unfair and unreasonable, but Piper wasn't willing to feel very fair right now. It was only human.

But then she remembered that she owed one apology to at least one person, and this thought came to her when she stopped suddenly in the midst of her walk to see, to her surprise, Whitelighter trying to practice his telekinetic orbing on a bed of wild roses in the garden, all of them aromatic and a plethora of colors, Ororo's pride and joy.

"Rose!" Justin called out, holding his hand.

Nothing happened.

"Rose!" Justin called out, a little more frustrated and blushing.

All the flower heads just swayed softly in the night wind and moonlight. Justin thought for a minute before he remembered what Paige lectured to him in the battle, and he closed his eyes and concentrated, picturing a white rose in his mind, before he took a deep breath.

"White rose!" the teenager called out, and this time, a white rose in full bloom disappeared in a mess of lights before orbing into Justin's hand directly. The teen was immediately ecstatic.

"Oh…wow! I did it! I actually did it! I did it!" Justin marveled, almost squealing.

Piper coughed, and it got Justin's attention as he looked up.

"Oh," the teen squeaked, surprised before he became a bit intimidated at the sight of Piper. The eldest Halliwell then realized that the adolescent was still slightly fearful of her.

"Um…I'm sorry, I'll leave," Justin said quickly, gulping, as he tried to scurry away, but Piper called out.

"No…don't go, please," she called out before she took a deep breath and steadied herself before she asked jadedly, "Could I talk to you? Please? I…I need to say some things that need to be said."

Justin's eyes softened a bit, and he obliged as both he and Piper sat on one of the garden's benches. There was a tense silence (partly because Justin was still a bit nervous and because Piper was still ashamed of her previous behavior) before Justin, out of the fact that he had no idea what to do or say, weakly just offered the rose he had orbed to Piper, who accepted it numbly.

"I think you could use it more than me. After all, you lost your home and nearly had you son get killed. Kinda pales in comparison," Justin said before his face grew serious, remembering the things he had to endure hearing in San Francisco.

Piper nodded, touched at the thoughtfulness. Paige repeatedly told her that Justin was nothing like Gideon; and it further embarrassed her that she didn't listen or accept it as the truth. The Wiccan then broke the ice first.

"I…I wanted to apologize for how I acted, especially to you. I'm sorry I misjudged you and how I slapped you and…well, I regret saying all those insults and horrible things about you ever since you…you healed Chris."

Piper was starting to cry at the memory of Chris' limp body against her own, her son's skin burned to a lethal and deadly extreme from Galatea's fire-wings, and if it wasn't for the Misfit, Chris would have never lived. She wiped her cheeks hurriedly before continuing.

"I was wrong, so wrong. You saved my son's life, even…even after I said all those mean things to you and after I hit you for no reason except the fact that you're Gideon's son. It's just…it was so much easier to blame you for what went wrong rather than accepting that I was being so stubborn and that I didn't want to involve myself or my family into a fight that I felt wasn't ours."

Piper sniffed a bit, feeling her nose run, before she then said, "I'm so sorry how I acted to you. Can you ever forgive me?"

Justin nodded heavily as he said, "Apology accepted, Mrs. Wyatt. And if it makes you feel any better, I'm used to it."

Piper looked at Justin something akin to shock and disbelief at the tired acceptance in his voice. She blurted out, "That still doesn't make what I said nor did right, Justin."

"I never said it was all right. I said that I'm used to it, that's all," Justin said wearily, but there was a hint of a sad smile of his face, letting Piper know that he wasn't irritated.

Piper looked at Whitelighter inquisitively, and Justin's mouth grew into a flat line. He partially explained, "Being Gideon's son didn't do me any favors, Mrs. Wyatt."

"Call me Piper, please, Justin. Hearing Mrs. Wyatt makes me feel older than I already am," the Halliwell groaned, but she felt pained at that one sentence. She also then remembered Paige telling her that Gideon didn't do what was right to Justin either, and her previous thoughts of how Justin was nothing more than a selfish, whiny, pampered brat made her feel like kicking herself for being so obstinate at not listening to the entire story. And from the tone of his voice, Justin wasn't really in the mood to elaborate, and she respected that unsaid request for privacy.

There was a small pause before Piper spoke again.

"I'm sorry about that," she whispered.

Justin actually smiled at the memory of Allo, the Dinosaucers, Blind Master, and the Misfits as he clarified, "Don't be, Piper. In a weird way, I have an adoptive dad and a family who love me very much, and the Misfits became a second family once I learned that I was a mutant. And Blind Master is a great teacher and guardian. He saved my life. So in a weird way, Gideon's…vendettas kind of caused me to have some people I really love and care about in my life."

"Still, I…I would like to make it up to you - "

Justin's voice was tired as he said gently, shooting down the offer, "You really can't fully make up for something like that, Piper."

That was true, and though it was harsh, Piper could tell that the mutant adolescent didn't mean it as a malicious retort but as fact. And saying that she wished Justin never born, that the Oath of Abraham was wasted on his life, and for slapping him certainly couldn't be truly be erased and made up by a simple token or an apology. Piper felt her shame come back, two-fold, and the guilt was nearly constricting her throat. Still, she managed to somehow find her voice.

"I still want to try, if you'd let me and my sisters attempt to, Justin," Piper said softly before she paused and then said with great delicacy, "I…I also know about your mother, Justin. About, how she died giving birth to you."

Justin stiffened before his eyes became gloomy at the reminder as he looked at the ground, focusing on his sneakers.

"Who told you?" he asked quietly, but Piper was relieved that he wasn't hostile at her knowing. But what pained her was the look of sorrow on Whitelighter's face; apparently, he still carried some hurt over never knowing his mother.

"All the Misfits, actually," Piper admitted, "They and Blind Master kind of really let me have it with the guilt trip by telling me how you were an orphan and how you suffered a lot of abuse at Gideon's hands. They didn't give me the details, and all I know is that you were under some sort of curse, but other than that, I don't know anything else except the fact that I'm surprised the Misfits haven't done worse to me."

"The night's still young, Piper," Justin said with some amusement, exhaling through his nose.

Piper then continued, sympathizing, "I know how you feel. I…lost my mother and my older sister as well, both of them to demon attacks. But, I'm sorry about that, about how you were practically an orphan and had no one to raise you, and I thought…well, I thought perhaps if you would be willing, me and my sisters could give you one moment to talk with your mother."

This got Justin's attention as he looked up at the white witch, startled.

"How?"

"Our Book of Shadows," Piper explained, "We can't raise the dead or break the rules of life and death itself, but we can communicate and summons the spirits of the dead to talk and communicate with us. Normally, we have only done it with fellow witches, but we can contact any living being in the spiritual plane if we truly wished to. Granted, we've never known your mother, but we have the ability to…well, summon her from the afterlife just for several minutes so that you could have a moment to talk with her, to see what she was like and to hear her tell you things she always meant to. Justin…I want to give you a chance to see your mother."

Justin just stared off into space, his heart beating. It was what he wanted…wasn't it?

His thoughts then drifted off to Allo and the Dinosaucers, to General Hawk and the Joes, and to the Misfits and the X-Men. As much as he would have loved to meet his mother, truthfully, it wasn't that unbearable, and he did have a large enough family (and enough insanity) that was enough to take away the real sting of the sadness. To tell the truth, ever since he joined the Misfits, he rarely pondered over it. And unlike some people, Whitelighter never saw someone die in front of his eyes (though Allo was a close one, he was healed in the end).

Justin remained silent until he realized he couldn't accept the gift on his behalf.

"Actually…Piper, don't get me wrong. I…I want to use the gift…a lot…"

Piper blinked, puzzled, and Justin sighed heavily, a part of him wishing he could just accept it without argument or conflict of emotion.

"…but I think that there's two people who can use it more than me."

Meanwhile, Kurt and Willow were chatting animatedly in Xavier's office as Xavier, Ororo, and Hank were listening and smiling at the one moment of peace after a long battle, all five of them sipping from additional cups of cocoa. It wasn't hard to like Willow after a few minutes of meeting her, and indeed, it was easy to see why Kurt was so fond of the red-haired witch. And indeed, Professor X and the other two adults grew to enjoy the Scooby's company as well. Hank was quite surprised and pleased to learn that Willow was actually quite intelligent, practically at a genius level, and her knowledge of literature, physics, and history (especially the Renaissance) made the blue-furred teacher wish that Willow had been one of his students. To Hank, it would have been impossible to have been bored by her incessant talking.

Kurt was exhaling after the five of them reminisced, "Mein Gott! Already, in less than two months, we've had to fight a Demon Lord, a bunch of vampires and warlocks, Heartless, and an evil clone that harnesses the Phoenix Force! I'm actually beginning to wish I stayed in the monastery and continued my training to be a priest if I knew that being an X-Man would be this insane!"

Willow's eyes went wide as she heard this before she asked, "A priest? You? In…in the Catholic Church? Um…it was Catholic, right?"

"I can see why you'd think that because I look like this," Kurt replied easily enough as he wiggled his three fingers on one hand, "But despite my appearance, most of the Fathers who have taught and raised me along with my adoptive parents had any big issues with my being a mutant. Yeah, there were one or two who didn't want me around, but all in all, they were incredibly accepting."

"Even though you're part demon?" Willow gasped, incredulous and not sure if she was believing what she was hearing.

There was a flabbergasted silence as Kurt did a double take, and Professor Xavier's eyes went wide with surprise and discomfort along with Hank and Ororo's eyes. Kurt's eyes were glazed for a moment before he then started guffawing, thinking that Willow was playing a joke on him.

"Wah ha ha ha!" Kurt chortled, wiping his eyes, "Good one, Willow! You know how to make a convincing joke! Wah ha ha ha ha!"

But the laughter died in his throat when he saw that Willow wasn't laughing, and upon glancing at Hank, Ororo, and Xavier, the three instructors of the Institute were sharing some guilty looks towards one another.

"Um…actually, Kurt," Willow piped up a bit nervously, not sure how well this would be taken, "you're part demon. I can sense it with my magical auras. It's faint…but there's no question about it. You have demon blood in your veins, and trust me, I've fought and encountered enough demons to recognize the supernatural signature of anything dark or belonging from another world."

Kurt was trying to vainly smile, though it was rather unsuccessful as he exclaimed, "Willow, I assure you I'm a mutant! That's why I look like this! I was experimented on by Magneto and Mystique, the shape-shifter who is also a world terrorist, was my mother! I mean, I'm no demon! It's impossible! Right Professor?"

Kurt turned to Xavier for confirmation, and he suddenly felt his smile freeze on his face when the Professor rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling very hot underneath his shirt collar.

"Right, Professor?" Kurt tried again, and now his voice was wavering, a bit fearful and completely desperate for a confirmation that Willow was wrong.

The Professor then decided it was the best time to come clean about Matt Burke and his real identity as the demon, Azazel.

"Kurt," Xavier said calmly in a soothing voice, but wincing nonetheless, "There is something you should know…"

Several minutes later, after Kurt was told about his demon lineage with a Demon Lord of darkness from another dimension…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" screamed Nightcrawler shrilly enough for half of the neighborhood to hear him.

Willow was then heard frantically trying to soften her earlier revelation with some encouragement, but in the midst of her babbling, she actually was making things a bit more unbearable for the blue-furred X-Man.

"No, no, no, Kurt! I didn't mean it as a bad thing! You're only part demon, so it's not a completely bad thing! You're also part human, so it's really that you're a mutant who also has demon blood, so it's not all bad!" Willow protested.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" screamed Kurt again, this time pulling his hair and nearly yanking it out by the roots.

"Uhhh….I mean, I mean, it's all good! Being part demon is nothing to be ashamed of! It's not a bad thing at all, I mean! We've known some good demons and vampires and werewolves who fought with us against evil. Although to be fair, they also ended up being evil for some time and we had to be forced to fight and kill them due to circumstances beyond our control," Willow tried again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"It's not a bad thing, Kurt! So you're related to a demon! It's not really the worst thing! I mean, there are worse things to be related to, and it's not like you're related to a mass murderer or some terrorist bent on ruling the world!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kurt screamed even louder.

"This is one of those times when I really shouldn't have opened my big mouth, wasn't it?" Willow was overheard murmuring sheepishly and apologetically to the three elders, wincing at the sound of the blue-furred mutant hollering his lungs out. Storm rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Yes, child, it was," she highlighted, her voice on edge. And in no time at all, thanks to Multiple, who somehow got wind of it, and his MNN connections, everyone knew about Kurt being one-fourth demon and how Matt Burke, the secret agent from A.U.N.T.I.E, was really a Demon Lord.

Author's Notes: Note, in this timeline, the other X-Men, save the adults, didn't even know the truth about Matt Burke yet, so I hope this clears up any confusion! And be prepared for next Friday, folks! The final chapter is titled, "It Is Coming" and we find out not only a new romance and a new life for our favorite Slayers and witches, but the bad guys' plots with the Gathering and a surprise guest character will cement what I have been building up to more the past year! Folks, you won't want to miss this one for it will reveal the next crossover with the Misfits! Until them, read and enjoy! Constructive criticism welcome, and please excuse any mistakes in spelling I may have missed! Enjoy and see you next week!