I Wish

[Pepper]

"Grace" I called as I entered the room. No answer. She must have gone hunting. never mind there could still be some fun in here. "

"Hello, slayer, how's the digs here" I taunted.

She didn't answer and turned her head away.

I noticed a blade on the side. It was covered in blood. "i See Grace has already had her fun tonight. Oh well, I guess I could just go torture some tourists." I sighed, seeing maya flinch in disguist.
"They taste like chicken" I said and slinked out of the window.

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

(((Joshua, which do you think would hurt Maya more; seeing Joshua die, again, or knowing that the man she thought of as her brother was hunting him and she couldn't do a damn thing about it? Like I said, ladies and gents, this is going to be Francois at his worse, so those that have survived are in for hell Grace couldn't imagine in her worst nightmares.)))

[Maya]

((Josh, you have to be alive in this- its just too much fun to skip out on. And in fact...oooh... hehe. I'll Im you. *grins* fun))

[Pepper]

((I wonder if I should have said turkey........))

[Joshua]

(((Turkey's too chewy and even more bland than water. Besides, humans are dark meat (please don't ask how I know, I still have nightmares) and Chicken is white meat, so by saying it taste like chicken is calling 'human' the best tasting of the dark meats.)))
(((Oh, and Mai convinced me with the PM (Private Message).)))

<Wishverse timeline: The week of 'The Testing'>

The second we drove past the sign of the city limits, Avalon disappeared. Since she had been driving this was very, very bad.

Never did like that 'Welcome to the City of Lost Angels' sign anyway. Managed to stop the car by running into the side of a building.

Groaning, and trying to stop the bleeding from the cut on my forehead, I crawled out of the wreckage, and then immediately turned around to see what had happened to Lon. And I'm pretty sure the Rapture isn't due to happen for a while yet, but still . . .

The driver's cab was empty, if a bit smushed. Save for one item. Avalon's Soul Sword.

I picked it up and looked around. Over the month with Avalon, I had learned how she moved, I knew her better than anyone else in the entire universe, but I could see no traces that she had been dragged or jumped out of the car, or was anywhere around.

"What the hell just happened here?" I asked the air.

"Dat tis a good question mon ami," a Cajun accented, yet extremely familiar voice said from right behind me.

Gulping slightly, and instinctually taking the Soul Sword by the grip, I turned and faced the man I knew as Doc.

But he wasn't Doc. You can really only tell that from the eyes. I knew Doc, and I knew his eyes. This was not Doc.

He was Francois.

<End Flashback, unless opened again by myself or Doc>

[Charlotte]

((If this comes across really wierd blame Maya-her idea. Luv ya really Mai.))

It was one of those days. Just another when I longed that I hadn’t come to L.A. I sighed, curled up in the small alcove, my eyes trained on the penthouse suite across the road. ‘Why?’ I had to ask myself yet again. ‘Why did I stay here?’ The answer was obvious. I had no choice. I was chained down to L.A. by my heart. Strange how something not even whole, something in a million fragments can form such a strong weight, tying me to the place I least wanted to be. It was crazy. Absolutely plum crazy. I had known him a few weeks, kept us apart for most of them and now, when he was a monster I couldn’t leave him. Well he had left me so that was a non-issue. So now instead of standing with his arms around me or kissing him I was spying on the man I had once loved…hell still loved. But that wasn’t my only reason for being there. I shook my hair, no longer fiery red but glossy black, out of my eyes and trained my gaze to the left. I knew she was in there and I knew whatever they were doing to her would be painful but there was nothing I could do and it was killing me. I was sure Maya was alive but all I could do was watch and wait for a chance to do something about it…about any of it. I knew they were alive, I just knew it but they were all so powerful, so dangerous that they had either been captured or been made to help Karen and Grace. It was the one time my distinct lack of power had helped. They hadn’t bothered with me.

Once Karen had taken Doc from me I was unimportant. There was no need to waste effort coming after someone with no slayer strength, no magical abilities. Lucky me hey. Still I didn’t think they’d be too pleased to find me spying on them…the monster , the witch and the vampire so staying low, living it rough for a while…well maybe it’ll pay off. Maybe I’ll be able to help the ones of us left.

[Maya]

I wriggled again, as i did about every ten minutes, even though it had had no effect for the past... i didnt actually know how long it had been. My hands were numb, my entire weight having hung from them for however long it had been. I wondered again where the others were? Were they still alive? Or were they closer than i liked to think- were they maybe the source of that dripping sound..? I wondered what Grace had planned for me next- not that it made a difference. Since she had murdered my child with a sword to my stomach... nothing really made any difference any more...

[Joshua]

(((I'm gonna wait on Doc before continuing with 'What happened to Joshua' and instead focus on a little torment. To make up for the beating I got earlier for an innocent little remark.)))

"Maya . . ." the wind of an unknown breeze carried the whisper on it.

The blonde prisoner stirred, and then suddenly jumped awake all of a sudden, having collapsed into unconsciousness from fatigue and bloodloss.

"Joshua?" she hissed, eyes wide, panicked, and daring to hope.

Then she looked at her surroundings, and with that realized she was dreaming. But she was not on the beautiful Japanese cliff at sunrise, as she often found herself when dreaming with Joshua. The ground was scorched, barren earth, not beautiful at all, but harsh and ugly. There was no cliff, but rather an infinity of darkness, all around her. Held back, but chomping at the bit to get at her, she could tell. She could feel the malevolence of it.

"Joshua!" she said a little bit louder, sounding like a shout in the quiet.

Again, the breeze, so soft it only barely blew back the locks of hair that had fallen on her face. Like a lover's carress.

"Maya . . ." the whisper came with the breeze.

It was definitely Joshua, but . . . something was wrong. With him. With this place. With life! If one could call that hell life.

The breeze, a little stronger, returned.

"Mai . . ."

"Joshua! It is you! Where are you? Please, I need to know that you're all right!" she shouted at the darkness.

"My . . . Mai . . ." the whisper teased over her ears.

"Joshua! Please! I need you! I need you . . ." Maya's voice trailed off into a whimper as nothing around her changed.

The wind picked up suddenly, Maya's hair and clothing flying about in it's sudden surge. "What . . . ?" Maya was at a loss for what was happening.

Then the wind literally picked Maya up, and she was almost flying, if she didn't know she was being held up by whatever this force was that teased her with Joshua's voice.

Two, dark, angry, vengeful red orbs of crimson light suddenly burst in front of her, like a person snapping their eyes open to glare at the one thing they hated above all else.

Yet, Maya did not worry. All that anger, all that hatred, all that vengeance held within those orbs were not for her. She didn't know how, but she knew this without any doubt.

"MAI!!" the wind shouted with the force of a hurricane.

"What are you? Leave me alone!!" she shouted, trying to struggle against the air that was holding her up.

"MAI!!" the wind bellowed again, followed immediately with, "KILL!!"

Maya couldn't help it, she screamed in terror, almost drowning out the wind as it repeated the same words, "MAI!! KILL!!"

And then it dropped her, everything was quiet again, and the darkness, which had been held back, swarmed in and swallowed Maya whole. She woke up, chained to Grace's torture chamber, screaming.

[Pepper]

I was bored now. I had feasted enough and I was full. Hell, I had even done some non-food killing, That teenager had been good. I licked my lips. Now to find Karen.

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

"So, what exactly did you do today?" Karen asked.

"De usual," I said. We were sitting on the lounge, not for much longer though, knowing my lovers appetites. "Bought up al ittle more of LA, tortured my favourite prisoners..."

(((Earlier)))
"'Allo, mon ami," I said smoothly.

"What od you want?" Joshua snarled. I smiled.

"Oh, I'm hurt, really," I mocked him. "So much so, I'm going to show you a little something," I turned to the video monitor I'd dragged in. "I got Pepper to tape dis for me. I just t'ought you'd want to know what's happening to dear Maya," started the tape and walked out jsut as teh recording began to scream.

"You bastard!" Joshua roared as i closed the door. I smiled. I loved doing that.

Now, number two.

(((End flashback)))

"I wish I'd been there," Karen said, cuddling closer.

"Maybe tomorrow, mon chere," I whispered. "I have a whole new torture tomorrow. Trus' me."

(((I'm waiting with number two until I get word from Mai. What do people thingk of Francois so far? Don't worry. He get's worse.)))

[Pepper]

((Yay))

As soon as I heard the noises from inside I gave up on Karon. Insetead I went back to Grace's. Maybe a little more torture would make me happy again.
As soon as I entered the room I knew somethin was missing. I turned the corner and snarled. The slayer was gone.
As I looked more closely I saw there was blood on the shackles. She'd used her strenght alone. I sniffed the chains and realised that she must have been gone a good hour or so. I had to find Grace. I ran out as a black into the night howling my anger.

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

(((This bein' evil things interesting, isn't it?)))

[Pepper]

((yep. and very, very fun ;D))

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

(((Just thought of something.)))

I lay there, in Karen's arms, plum tuckered out. Who knew a petite thing like her could have that much energy?

An angry howl echoed amongst the buildings of LA, and I knew who it was. Since Jessy had turned down my offer, Pep and me had been getting on as good, if not better, than my former 'daughter' had. I knew what she sounded like.

"Dat's trouble," I muttered as Karen stirred.

"What is it?" Karen asked.

"Pepper," I said. "'Fraid we're needed, chere."

[Pepper]

I burst through the window, snarling angrily. My black fur was laced in blue blood-consequences of the whole demon blood thing. I bared my teeth and snarled at Doc and Karen.
"The slayer..." I growled...."She escaped".