Perfect Kismet characters © and written by me. Chaotic Harmony characters © and written by Melanie Weaver-Anderson. Wild Fictives characters © and written by Cara Russell.

There's an old adage about a straw that breaks a camel's back... one little action, whether meant for good or ill, that causes the beast carrying the burden to just snap... an adage Caleb knew quite well first hand, having experienced the feeling first hand time and time again. Though some part of him would be grateful that this time, for once, he just felt dead inside instead of the usual boiling rage urging him to lash out physically.

"You know what," he said quietly after staring at MD and the smile she gave, even with worry etched on her face. "That'd mean a lot more if I'd ever actually do something for Jonesy's sake. Move heaven and earth for friends like you... but I'm not the sort for philanthropy.

"Now s'cuse me... I gotta check up some other friends while I'm at it..." He turned and strode across the reception room, into the night and out of sight into the neighboring alleyway. His cellphone dropped from sleeve to palm, the LCD screen shedding little light in the shadow as he scrolled through the address book to find the number he wanted. Hitting 'dial', he slumped against the brick wall and stared up at the moon, idley wishing he could just grow wings and fly away.

*

"Great," Maggie muttered. "God-like powers and ruled by hormones..." the phone still in her hand rang with a familiar tone, cutting off any expletives she might've thrown Billy's way. Probably for the best, she regretted everything she's said while frustrated later anyway. "It's Caleb..." she explained, the urge to fidget rising again as she edged backwards towards the door way. "Excuse me..."

Damn near hanging up on him by accident as she fumbled with the keys, Maggie finally answered while striding down the massive hallway in a grab for a little distance... a little room to clear her head.

"Greetings, might I interest you in a vacuum cleaner...? They're handy dandy machines guaranteed to cut your housework time in --"

"Caleb." She said sharply, cutting his goofy tirade short. Some people and phones...

"But would you expect any less of me..?"

"Frankly no," She replied softly, slumping against a wall and sliding down to sit with her knees drawn up. "Where are you?"

"L.A. Took Jonsey to see a friend about his mobility problem, so that's fixed now. Selena took him and Frost again from here to god knows where... MD's still here. You?"

Too many names that meant nothing to her mixed in with the familiar. Maggie just went with it, introductions could be made later... she hoped. "In Oceanview, at the Emery estate. Joe brought us back after..." Oh lord, how does this explain this one? "After a glyph started glowing on my back --"

"--Glyph?" Caleb interrupted. And shit, Joe could teleport, couldn't he? He forgot. Another check in the 'you fucked up' column, right above 'vandalism is bad' as he kicked a trashcan over and airborne into the far brick wall with a satisfying bang. Hyung would forgive him... maybe.

"Mn." she affirmed, resting her forehead on her knees. "Marks of Prometheus, they said. The 'god' that's causing all of this. The marks on me are for 'union'... one said I'm to be a mate. There are ones on Amanda and Danny's hands for 'servitude'."

"Brilliant," Caleb muttered, his hands itching to be holding his own arsenal... the weapons he held faith in. Least Maggie was at the Emery estate... if they didn't have a good security system to match their wealth in possessions, then he'd bet his last cent pod people were in charge. "Look, Maggie, stay there at the house whatever you do. Don't even think about even looking out the windows until Noah gets there," Because yes, Noah would know what to do. Hell hath no fury like the big fucking indian when he's in a snit, and fuck if he could do so much on his own. Not when he was getting the distinct 'kiddie table' feeling.

Deep breath.

"Think you can beg a favor from Joey and get him to give me a lift back home?"

"Mn," Maggie affirmed. She could do that. Gleefully. Doing something was better than twiddling her thumbs and waiting for the world to end... or whatever was going to happen.

"And send the blond too, Noah thinks you're with him... he'll carry more credibility than me right now." Reeling off the address Caleb steeled himself for the hard stuff that was coming. Really was hard to go home sometimes... "After that... call Chris. Tell him what's up and tell him to get his ass in gear. Even if he does the cynic shit, just tell him to come. 'Kay?" Maggie affirmed again, running her fingers through her hair. "'Kay. You do that, I have to make a couple more calls. get a move on, hey?"

"Yeah." she said, before whispering 'be careful' into the dialtone. Rising, she walked back to the rec room, giving a small smile to Link who was leaning in the doorway. Watching over her? Comforting, either way.

"Lance..? Joe?" She ventured, hopeful. "The others left Caleb stranded in LA. Can you get him? And Noah."

***

The entourage had long since retired to the sanctity of Uno's Headquarters. "Why do I feel like things are about to get worse before they get better?" It was a rhetorical question, but one Uno felt the need to say. "What of Vashn'ka? Is he there with them?"

"He has gone to find Sergio and Lotus," Myst answered, straightening the cuffs of his jacket. "Vashn'ka all but demanded to extract vengeance himself upon Prometheus."

"But now there are going to be a lot of others." Darklore had left Uno's side, but did not pace far from the fireplace mantle. "In theory, keeping the balance is a good idea for all of existence. However..."

Slowly he turned to face the room, much contemplation and clarity in his words. "... Has it ever occured to any of you that perhaps this is how things were meant to pan out?"

Drakka smiled, a slight nod her only allowable answer. "Elaborate, child," she beckoned.

"Prometheus is from the first dimension," Darklore began, moving from his spot as he walked the length of the room. "He is above and beyond the rules of this dimension and all others. He functions like a God, but even I have to doubt he was the one destined to be God of his own time and space."

His hand ran through his hair, hands moving back into his pockets. "Therefore," he continued, "If he has come here and caused catastrophic harm to our balance, then it makes sense to me that others not meant to get involved should definitely be included to make it right."

Uno traced the line of one horn, sighing heavilly. "And this was not brought up before, because....?"

Darklore leaned towards her, a nearly impish grin spread across his face. "Sometimes, dear, you forget the whole purpose of Revolution was to do away with rules... and you start following rules again."

"These rules have kept our dimension stabilized for eons," Myst interjected. "Why should we do away with them because another who does not play by them causes chaos and imbalance? It is illogical, Darklore."

"It IS logical," he rebutted. "To correct a balance caused by outside parties, you bring in other outside parties. Prometheus threw some big rocks on his side of the scale. We get rocks to counterbalance our own."

"You should have mentioned this sooner," Uno growled, standing up and straightening her suit. "And I have been trying to follow these rules for no other reason than to keep this place from collapsing on itself. You realize the consequences of causing such an unstable imbalance, yes?"

She turned to Myst, a bit of a frown twitching across her lips. "What sort of chances do we take by acting upon this information?"

"The best way to end this imbalance is to take the offending parties away from here," Lady LaOra answered. "That is the only logical answer. Remove the cause of the disorder, and order can be reclaimed."

It was Uno's turn to pace, hands crossed over her chest. "So now I am to go and ask all these people I blatantly dismissed because of these rules to help us," she snapped, "Go to a dimension foreign to all of us, and still hope this longshot is a chance worth taking?"

"Are you really concerned about this dimension," Darklore whispered, "or are you more upset that you have to swallow pride to accomplish this?"

"Swallowing pride and possible rejection are inconsequential," Uno bellowed. "Though I won't lie and say I'm happy with this turn of events and sudden clarity, especially when five minutes ago it was not such an easy fix."

"It is still not an easy solution, Uno," Drakka warned. "This is the only solution that has a chance of working, but there is no guarantee that everyone who does agree to go will come back. If you would like, I will go in your place to ask such a thing..."

"No." The answer was firm, difinitive. "I will take responsibility for this. No one is interested in excuses or valid reasons. There are things at stake, great and small. No one is to be denied their deserved anger and frustration."

Uno turned to the three ancient beings, her eyes narrowing defiantly. "There are things that entwine in the greater balance," she said. "Things that may seem inconsequential, but they all make up the entire package deal. Even though I took the advice to focus on only Prometheus, it should have occured to me that the smaller balances would chain react and eventually lead to this in time."

"You are only human... more or less."

A sharp turn and a flare of energy coursed about Uno, the room shifting and altering to suit her darkening mood. "I am NOT human," she retorted coldly. "But I am still plagued by human mistakes... mistakes I will correct."

The aura of power dying down, Uno started her walk out of the room with Darklore right behind her. "I will convene with my small and insignificant balance of companions," she declared. "Then I shall make amends as best I can to execute a successful finality to this."

Her final words were iced, ominous; the words both God and Satan had feared she would utter and what they would mean to their sides. "Never again will I follow anyone's rules and dictated playing guides except mine.

The doors shut behind them, leaving Uno and Darklore to the solitude of each other's company. "We're spoonfed balance, Uno," he said. "It's not like you had much of a choice, given your desire to make things right. We've been dealing with balance for how many battles now?"

"I did have a choice," she corrected. "We all have choices. That's why we all push this damned Revolution forward. Besides, we're spoonfed religion since birth... and we still have aetheists in this world."

Darklore nodded, keeping up with her furious pace. "So then what's your reason for doing it if you hate following rules?" he asked. "Why have you done it all this time?"

"Because I care about those that work for me, that fight with me." She stopped and stared up at him, as determined as she once was when the Revolution started. "I don't like people coming in that I don't know, that I don't trust. The balance was a custom, something that's there regardless of what I want to do. I followed it to keep the people I care about safe and protected... to keep their world, this world, safe."

He nodded thoughtfully, taking a moment to straighten her tie. "Then the only offense I can see that you've made is blatantly offending and disregarding the actions and motivations of Emery and his friends," he sighed.

Leaning forward, his hands moved upwards to cup her face. "I know your passion," he whispered. "I know your motivations for what you do. Mine are mirror images of your own. But, I have to say it, apologies are in order before we have any hope of asking for their assistance."

"I'd rather you tell me these things before apologies are needed."

Brushing her lips gently with his thumb, he gave her a rare smile. "Pride is irrelevant, Uno," he answered. "Right now, only saving and preserving what we've worked to accomplish is... and making ammends and getting that taken care of are priority number one."

***

"So now we have backstory," Alora allowed, finally looking up from the documents that had ended up in her hands after making the rounds of the room. "Though as... interesting... as it is, nothing you've told us or presented here helps us plot our course of action or changes anything we already assumed... Billy Bob?" Alora ended on a questioning note, grasping for something else to call the horned man sent to act as their informant.

"Even taking all this into consideration," she set the documents aside, "I think the original plan to fortify and sit tight shall have to stand. Hopefully something useful shall come along before actual trouble, but given everything so far," she glanced to her brother, who still looked quite as though his feathers had been ruffled, "we can't count on continued outside help or information. I'll return to the library to see if I can find anything else that might be useful..."

"And I'll go with you," Keith spoke up, recognizing more than anyone the weight of responsibility being put on Alora's shoulders. He would help to ground her to reality when frustration set in.

She accepted with a demure nod, grateful. "In the meantime, this room is as protected as almost any in the house. I think it would be best if everyone stayed here. Maybe movie night doesn't have to be indefinitely suspended as there isn't much else for you to be doing. Someone should warn Susie to stay in her room..."

"I'll take care of the bad witch," Sheeba volunteered cheerily, glad to have a use.

"Thank you, Sheeba," Alora agreed, though refrained from acknowledging the label. "You," she indicated Billy once again, "are obviously free to stay or leave as you see fit."

"Shouldn't Maggie be better protected?" Lance asked, thinking on the rooms that were better fortified.

"I think she'd be more comfortable --" Alora started.

"I think she should be better protected."

The subject of discussion, herself, reentering the room delayed further argument, but started an entirely different one. "Lance..? Joe? The others left Caleb stranded in LA. Can you get him? And Noah."

Joe unfolded himself and stretched a bit, looking to see if Lance was ready to take off at such short notice. "No problem."

"Uh?" Lance said unintelligably, focused on Maggie instead. "Why me? I don't want to leave you here..."

***

"Back in Mayhaven, they think I'm with you, remember?" Maggie prodded. "Noah's going to think I'm with you and out of trouble right up until he sees otherwise." And hell if Noah'd be inclined to believe anything Caleb said without half a dozen independent testimonies for the next while. Perils of losing the trust of the untrusting, she thought. "But hey, don't worry. I'll be fine here for a bit. Safest place in the world, right?" Maggie smiled, quite sure what she said was true.

***

Lance groaned. Why did everyone always have to throw logic at him? Of course his house is one of the safest places in the world, that's why he wanted to come. This is a group of people he trusts more than any. More than himself. With anything. Including Maggie.

It wasn't like his presence or lack thereof made any logical difference. Sure, staying with Maggie would make him feel better, but feelings and emotions had no place in logic... as he kept being reminded.

Logically, Maggie was right. And that sucked.

But she wanted her boys and was asking him to get them for her, so Lance would get them. Quickly.

He sighed. "Okay, I'll go with Joe if you promise to stay with Link until I get back. Please."

***

Maggie crossed her heart with a fingertip. "Promise. Just.. you be careful too. Okay...? Both of you."

***

"Why? Noah gonna kill me?" Lance snorted, suddenly feeling like he was abandoning his friends to danger rather than helping in any significant way.

Couldn't be helped.

"Sure thing, Maggie," Joe was saying as Lance exchanged a glance with Link. His best friend nodded, accepting the responsibility, and Lance felt better; able to leave, at least.

"Let's make this quick, Joey."

"Next stop LA."

And then there were two fewer people in the room in Oceanview.

*

Lance stepped purposefully out of the tear between locations and into an alley, running into Joe who had come to a complete stop just outside his rift. He didn't like the sheepish look Joe turned on him as he repaired the hole much, either. "What?"

"Um," Joe started out of the alleyway, messing with his curls again in a nervous gesture, "Was I supposed to know where we were going? ...Don't look at me like that, we're close, I was just talking to Caleb not too long ago so it wasn't hard to find him. Kinda. He's within a block or two, I swear."

"...Joe..." Lance growled as they merged into the drifting crowd on the sidewalk. They were in a hurry, dammit.

"What? You didn't think of it either, shuddup."

***

Well I meant you did that for me, but if we're gonna be a little snot about it.... Moondancer's smile had faded drastically and was no longer anywhere in the vacinity. She had put up with Diablo's condescending remarks about her lack of concern for Jynx. She had tolerated Hyung and her blatantly falsified engrish accent. And now she was apologizing and thanking Caleb, sincerely and from the bottom of her heart, for going out of his way for someone who he would rather forget existed...

... and yet for some reason she felt her mouth staying shut would have been the best answer.

She stood up, moving to where Caleb had disappeared. She was fully prepared and intent upon laying out what was on her mind, but then she saw his expression full of perplexity and unsurety. She tilted her head to one side, her lip twisting in a half frown while she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorway.

Even as his hands returned to the keypad to dial another number, she found herself not liking the growing look of worry on his face. "I take it there's no good news then?"

***

God damn. Caleb was hoping he'd get away without having to face MD. She was safe enough with his best friends, and all things considered the routine 'sorry hon, can't bring you home' speech was really something he wasn't up for.

"No, nothing good whatsoever. 'Less you think it's cool Maggie's got glowing bodyart and some fucker of a deity put it there to mark her for a girlfriend, and more on Amanda and Danny to mark em as some kinda slave." The words just poured out, he couldn't help it. Steady breath.

"'Chelle... in a minute or two someone's gonna be here to give me a lift back home. Will you stay here?" please please please "Get a ride from 'Lina back to your HQ...?"

***

"You make it sound like someone was expecting you to babysit me or something, a chore." A bit of a smirk, quickly vanished as his expression remained unchanged. "Don't sweat it. LA's got their HQ around here. Just a block or so."

She straightened her hair as she began to move away. "Look, don't hesitate to reach out with the old noggin if you need something... ok?" She was sincere, meant the offer completely. "You try to take on too much shit all by yourself sometimes. You do remember how to do the mental trick I taught you, yeah?"

He nodded, halfheartedly. It was all she needed. "Be careful," she said, lingering in the doorway only for a moment to watch him turn back to the phone. The bell above the door chimed as she left, leaving her to the bustling streets and a few blocks of cement to cross.

***

Caleb glanced back up at MD's retreating figure. Someone's gotta make sure what needs doing gets done... unfortunately Caleb had the weirdest ability to be in the thick of things no matter how he tried to stay out of trouble. 'Gifted' some could say.... before being scowled at. And thinking of...

He dialed Chris Thompson's number from memory, choosing to bite the bullet instead of lingering any longer. An answer and brief verbal acknowledgement was his cue to let loose.

"Maggie's calling in a minute - no matter what she says, you need to get to her in Oceanview --" a glimpse of unnatural light from across the street caught Caleb's attention. That'd be Joe, he hoped. " -- and believe what they tell you for her sake. I gotta go--" Click.

Chris stared at the cellphone in his hand in disbelief. The call display identified the caller as the younger Bailey, but his voice was uncharacteristically shaken, and what was that about Maggie? For moments like this he was thankful Oceanview was closer to San Francisco than anywhere else Maggie tended to appear... he could exercise one of the benefits of being a big brother instead of inflicting the detriments on her.

*

A quick word and a step through a portal later their motley party -- a playboy, a suburban boy and a killer walk into a yard -- was in Mayhaven crossing the distance to the porch steps and by the watchful mutt Daniels ever wary of strangers traipsing home with her master's kin.

Sam greeted Caleb from a nest of blankets on the couch with a a sly glare - you're in trouble -- that was returned in kind as he strode past -- you should be in bed. Into the kitchen, and a short exchange in an arcane language with Noah, who was already half equipped ready for a hunt, in terse tones - Explain this shit to me - You wouldn't believe what I told you - That's what happens when you lose someone's trust -- only to stop short when Noah caught sight of Lance.

"But you'll believe me when I say Maggie's not with him, now won't you?" Caleb said sharply, wasting no time working at the buckles of borrowed gear to equip his own familiar weapons already spread out on the kitchen table and spilling out of a duffle bag. Somehow it was comforting that they were packing such a care bundle.

"Hn." Noah conceded. Glancing to Jean Wyatt, a family friend who'd be watching after Sam, idly munching on a cookie as she leaned against a counter, to Rosemary quietly hiding in a shadow of the adjoining hall, and past Emery and that redheaded kid to see Sam perched precariously on the back of the couch, all the better position to be nosy. Noah caught Lance's eye and jerked his head to indicate the back porch's doorway. "C'mon, you and me are gonna have words. Away from from the eavesdropper." Somewhere in the background you could almost hear Sam's hope hit the floor.

***

Ugh. Lance's immediate reaction was only made worse by the sound of Joe snickering behind him and he scowled. A look out of the corner of his eye had Joe shutting up and that, at least, made him feel a little better. Now was not the time.

Joe shrugged as if to say 'you should appreciate funny where you find it'.

Lance rolled his eyes, but didn't speak to redhead or the man demanding his presence. Instead he made his way to the porch where he waited silently until Noah had the door shut behind them. "She said I had to come convince you," he had the uncharacteristic urge to cross his arms, but instead leaned back against the porch rail, "so tell me what you need to hear to be convinced so we can get back."

***

"Aw no," Noah could've laughed with incredulity. "I'd walk through hell for that woman barefoot if she looked ready to ask me to. What I wanna know is what the fuck is going on." Trying to keep hold of his temper, but the lines were still etched on his forehead, and anger still lacing his words. Far more physically animated than most people would know him to be... not often he got riled at all. "Got a call saying Caleb's in trouble, someone's hunting down people using Maggie as bait, when I knew for a fact she was in California with you. Now Cale shows up nary a scratch on him with you, who is nowhere near California, an I'd kindly like this shit explained to me."

*

Caleb watched Jean wordlessly consider her options for a moment before following the men to the back, and he hoped she wouldn't cause a scene. Another fuckup for him that night, putting an unsuspecting guy in the same area as his unofficial girlfriend's dead fiance's big sister. But not much he could do about it now... other things to take care of right this second.

"Rose, can you grab the tranquilizer kit for me?" He said absently, but was heard anyway.

"Mm." she acknowledged, turning down the hall to the bathroom where they stored such things... and that's when Caleb snatched the opportunity. Sliding across the floor he turned to the counter, tearing off two sheets of wax paper form a holder suspended beneath the wall cabinets, and revealing a rack of hours old cookies from beneath tea-towels meant to keep them warm. Shaking a generous portion onto each wax sheet it only took a moment to fold each into a neat package, with the same skill any fast food worker quickly learned, and Caleb tossed one to Joe who caught it easily.

"Now can't say I never did nothing for you," He explained with a wry grin.

*

'Why? Noah gonna kill me?' Lance meant it as a joke but Maggie didn't feel the humor. Quite the contrary it was a depressing thought, though a baseless one... Noah wouldn't kill him, but there was no telling how many minions were lurking who could do just as well. But a clarification she didn't voice, instead just watching the portal disappear with both figures, and for a discussion she felt she couldn't contribute to start once more.

But there was one last task she had to carry out.

She turned and leaned against the wall beside the doorway in the hall, still under Link's watchful eye, to make a final call to her closest brother... and thankfully the one most likely to believe her.

"Maggie?" The greeting that surprised her barely into the first ring.

"Yeah," Steady breath, collect the thoughts. "Chris, would you believe me if I told you something akin to God was after me... to claim me for a mate?"

"No," he replied flatly, truthfully. "Atheist that I am. However I'll buy that some guy is chasing you to be his girl."

"Good enough." Maggie conceded. "So this really powerful guy is setting up some of my friends to be shot and marking off others -- and me - for god knows what. Others are thinking abduction..."

"The plot thickens." Chris answered dryly.

"Yeah." She confirmed.

"Look, I'll be there before you know it. You're at the Emery estate right?"

"Mm, I am."

"Then sit tight little sister, there's nothing to worry about." He grinned, more so she could hear it in his tone than anything else. In truth Chris' mood was closer to murderous... nothing could rile him more than harmful intentions towards his family and especially Maggie.

"Alright." Click. Nothing left for Maggie to do but wait, now, while Chris drove out of San Fran to speed along the highways at breakneck speed.

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