Rabid *HF* Chapter 10
By Gene
"Members of the White Court - the situation with Gene, the White Pawn has become a crisis. He remains possessed by the demon of the black opal and is at large somewhere on the East Coast, we think in the Mid-Atlantic. We sent a team composed of Khalid, Rune and Strider from our Court and Echo and Scrib of the Grey Court to take him down near Philadelphia. They confronted the White Bastard in a shopping mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He killed three workers there before engaging in a hunt and chase through the inner workings of the mall. Gomurr and Shaman maintained a telepathic rapport with the team to help direct them in the operation. The mission failed. Not only did Gene defeat the entire team, he also displayed an ability to interfere with and even shut down the telepathic rapport. Rune was critically injured in the battle, but is healing. Shaman, Echo and Scrib have lesser injuries. Strider is dead. Khalid, would you like to elaborate?"
The Court's attention turned to Mufasa, who sat in a chair to the right of the King. Small bandages covered recent stitches in his face, and a gauze patch was taped over his right eye. He spoke grimly, but clearly.
"First, I'd like to clarify something that's at least as disturbing as the overall fact of Gene, the King's Pawn, taking on the powers of this Court and declaring war on the public. Grover was correct in saying that STrider was killed. But he was not killed by Gene. Gene wounded him, gave him serious injuries, but he would have lived through them. Rune was the one who killed him by draining his life force so Rune himself could heal and teleport away."
Nebula's head hung low as she heard this, and Cyclop's face wore an expression of horror.
"Where is he now?" Cyclops said. "He has to pay for this."
Mufasa shook his head. "He said he was going away to heal, and that he would return to help if he could." He swept his gaze across each member of the Court. "The more immediate concern is taking the Bastard down. This demon has considerable powers. They seem to include a healing factor, paranormal control over its body, even when parts are severed, some morphing abliity, and some kind of illusion-casting ability. It was able to cast sounds and other sensations out there to confuse us. The power was most effective in the dark. All this, combined with Gene's normal stealth, combat ability, and guile. He was the ultimate commando fighter. Made us look like fools."
"Sometimes you do that to yourself," Shaman said. He was seated in a chair in the corner of the room. "Charging ahead like amateurs, breaking away from the group. Forging ahead into the unknown. He had you rattled and playing in the palm of his hand. Rune was the only real threat among you for a while, and Gene was more than ready for him. Strider hardly ever operates in the field, despite his power, and Gene has been more than capable of setting you on edge since you met. Of the Grey Court operatives, Scrib's power is also her limitation, and Echo is a great fighter, but those conditions gave him every advantage."
Khalid bared his teeth and growled. "You think you can do better, old man?"
Shaman cocked an eyebrow and picked at a thumbnail. "In this situation, yes. We're taking on my younger self. I know all of you fairly well, but I really know him. No offense to you, Khalid. You led the team as well as could be expected. You made the right calls and performed fairly well. Except Rune doesn't always like to be led, and STrider, no pun intended, is a bit green when it comes to team play. Ironically, if we had sent just you, it might have worked out. But you had to watch out for the others, and thus your attention was divided. You were screwed, and Gene preyed on everyone's weaknesses, just as he is supposed to do."
Grover fumed, his eyes narrowing. "So what would you have us do, Shaman?"
"Send the tougher players in," Shaman replied. "And prey on some of Gene's weaknesses as well." He thought for a moment. "The other thing we haven't done is capitalized on Gene's resistance to the demon. He's obviously still fighting it, restraining it. He could have easily killed the field team, but he held back, incapacitating them instead. And while he proved capable of cutting out our telepathic rapport with the field team, he only did so some of the time. He allowed us to communicate with them when we wanted to know where he was. That's when he wanted to be found. AS soon as the group closed in, the rapport was terminated and battle was engaged."
"I saw much the same thing when I analyzed his aura before we fought," Mufasa said. "Gene has a weird aura. It changes, depending on his mood and the circumstances. Normally it's blue, sometimes changing to green. When he's in battle, I've seen it change to red. When he uses magic, it's green tinged with gold. Looking at him in that hallway, it was clear what was going on. His aura was gold, with black coils all around it. The demon is around him, polluting him, containing him. He's holding out all right so far, but the longer they fight, the more Gene himself will be corrupted. "
"That's a good assessment, Khalid," Gomurr said. "Grover, we need to act soon. If Gene and the demon aren't stopped or separated, this will only get worse, until Gene can no longer hold back the demon or until he wants what the demon wants. That would equal considerable bloodshed if Gene were purely powerless. It will be a thousand times worse if the demon gains control of the ring."
"Understood," Grover said. "Shaman, despite the revelations of your manipulation of this court and its members in the past, I'm leaving this up to you. You're the most qualified, and you're behaving more openly than at any point in the past. What do you need to do?"
"The idea of a small strikeforce is still a good one," SHaman said. "We just need to make better use of the members. I'll go. I'm powerless, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Diablo will come with me. Gomurr, you're transportation and backup. I'll enlist a few others. Grover, we'll also need you. You'll stay out of the action unless you're absolutely needed. If we can't take him, you get to level the fucking block."
There was a knock on the door. A moment later, Alice entered holding a sheet of paper.
"Grover, this just came in on your private machine," she said, handing it to him. Grover read it, then frowned and ran his fingers through his hair.
"It's from Gene," he said. "It reads, 'Why couldn't you stop me? Now you never will.'"
End Part 10
Gene
Original and Longest-Running Editor
White Bastard/King's Pawn--HellFire Club
Knight of the Long-Necked Bottle
Forbidden by Law to Eat Onion Rings
Selectively Sterile
Wielder of Unbridled Contempt for Humanity