Snippet #2553477

((Massive, massive colab))

"My friend."

Michael said as he walked in to the massive throne room where Amirah was telling a story while laying next to the Djinn on the throne of pillows.

"Djinn I need to speak with you."
Michael stopped dead in his tracks catching sight of Amirah as she rose to her feet.
"You look... amazing. Meow, if your husband could see you now, huh?"

"Michael, there is nothing amazing about the dress of a slave girl. And my husband would be immensely distressed to see me dressed in the manner equivalent to a whore; the fact that western civilization has sexualized this attire doesn't mean my husband would take pleasure in it. His desires are not as simple and base as that and I am not as cheap as this." Amirah said motioning to her outfit. Yes it was beautifully made, and yes at was authentic, but it was also the dress of a harem girl. Funny enough the dress of royalty was not much different, it was just less revealing in subtle ways. Her top wouldn't be showing so much cleavage, her skirt wouldn't be completely see through as it was now, her midriff wouldn't be completely exposed, her hair wouldn't be tied back all the way, her skin would be painted and she would have a sheer half veil on her face. It was the difference between being in a gown fit for a princess and dressing up in a slutty Cinderella costume for Halloween.

"It's not just that. You look like Jasmine, from Aladdin. Like the scene when Jafar put her in that red outfit. It's uncanny. I have decided we're in a fucked up Disney movie."
Michael said laughing.

"Do not presume to say those names in my presence, and it's Djinn not Genie. The western bastardization of my kind is insulting enough." The Djinn said rising to his feet. "Leave us slave, find something to occupy yourself."

"Have you even seen Aladdin?"
Michael asked the Djinn.

"You have to be jesting." The Djinn said raising a brow. "Slave, I said leave us." He commanded casting a sideward glance at Amirah.

Amirah nodded. "Yes." She said. "Yes what?" The Djinn asked giving Amirah chilly glare. "Yes... master..." Amirah unwillingly corrected. Amirah walked down the stairs, her bells jingling as she exited the room.

"Wow... if you told me Amirah could look like that I would call you crazy, but damn. You've outdone yourself my friend."
Michael said smiling.

"She is quite exquisite, a creature that puts all others to shame with her skill and expertise." The Djinn said smiling faintly. "Enough about my slave, now what do you wish of me?"

"How's everything going at Delegate Headquarters?"
Michael asked.

"The boy is still alive if that's what you're asking. They are working on a way to save him and working on getting a group together to retrieve my slave and the other two." The Djinn said.

"What's his condition?"
Michael asked.

"Critical, he's kept alive with machines." The Djinn said.

"Let's kill him and strike another blow to the Delegates. This will serve well to demoralize them, to show them who they’re dealing with."
Michael said.

"I will not directly kill." The Djinn pointed out.

"You will do it if I wished it but I won't. Who thought a Djinn would be so principled. I don't want you to directly kill him, just cut the power and backup power to the building. It is what I wish for you to do."
Michael said.

The Djinn sighed deeply. "As you command." He said snapping his fingers. "Anything else?" He asked.

"Yea, watch Aladdin. You'll get a kick out of it."
Michael said.

"Don't insult me with such a command." The Djinn said going back to his cushions.

"I wish it Djinn. Put on the movie."
Michael said.
"I think you'll like it."

"As you command..." The Djinn said through clenched teeth.

As Michael left the Djinn let out a slew of swears in Arabic as he fell back on his pillows. "Slave!" He called. Amirah appeared after a moment. "I'm not deaf, you don't have to shout." Amirah said placing her hands on her exposed hips. "Set up this movie for us to watch." The Djinn commanded as a white curtain fell and a projector appeared.

Amirah looked at the movie and groaned. "Djinn... you can't be serious. Why this movie?" Amirah asked.

"Michael has wished it. He thinks you look like Jasmine and I like the blue Djinn from the animation." The creature said.
"What a preposterous assumption. Westerners and their ridiculous notions." Amirah said flicking on the device and sitting next to the Djinn.

"He is much unaware of our world and culture." The Djinn said.

The movie came on and both Amirah and the Djinn were doing their best to not pay attention to the movie. They would never admit the music was quite catchy.

“Do you have a name?” Amirah asked after a few moments. “It isn’t something the creatures of this plain can pronounce but it means desire as I am the great Djinn of desire.” The Djinn responded. “I should like to give you one then that I can pronounce. If you would permit me to that is.” Amirah said. “No one has ever given me a name before… It must be a great name then, because I am of great power and presence.” The Djinn said. “Armaan.” Amirah said. “Ah… wish or ultimate desire. A fitting name for what I am. Yes, I believe I will accept this name.” The Djinn said after a few thoughtful moments.

The Djinn’s large appearance faded away to reveal that of a man barely twenty years old. He was handsome and youthful, his dark Arabic features prominent and appealing. He was in fact a creature of desire, and this form was no different. He was beautiful, and any woman would desire the company of such a man. What a sight he was to behold, easily the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. “Is this appearance more comforting to you slave? This is what I look like in the mortal world.” The Djinn said. The only thing that told him apart from a mortal was the glowing bands around his wrists. “Well, you’ll be much easier to manage. Can you imagine how difficult it is to mend clothing four times your size? Or to cook in a kitchen where I can’t reach the stove? I have to stand on a step ladder to reach the counters.” Amirah said. The Djinn laughed, it was sweet and jovial. “You’re funny slave. Very well then, for your comfort, I will appear to you in this way. I should scale down our home then.” Armaan said snapping his fingers and the whole of the castle sized down to accommodate that of a normal sized man. “Does this please you?” He asked. “Yes, thank you. This makes things much easier.” Amirah said smiling.

Looking at the boy, one would not think he was the lord of such a large palace. He looked young, far too young to be the master of such a keep. She was aware though that in the way of Djinn’s, this one was rather young. How else was he tricked into bondage, the older Djinn knew better but children were prone to mistakes. In the way of his kind, this Djinn was no more than a twenty year old, even if in their timeline he was almost two thousand years old. For every thousand years, and Djinn aged ten give or take. Which meant when he came to this world he was but a mere child. Servitude from childhood, Amirah could relate to that. She should hate this creature for binding her here, but she understood him, understood the debt that must be paid and that it was her that must pay it. She did not fault the Djinn or her father for this. It was fated long before she arrived in this world; there was no fault or blame in this situation.

“Armaan, will you tell me a story about my mother? I know so little of her and my father often can’t bear to speak of her, it hurts him too much.” Amirah said looking over at the young man.

“Come and lay with me and I will tell you all I knew of her.” The man said. Amirah was hesitant at first; she didn’t like the idea of being so close to someone other than her husband. “Come here, I will not touch you as Michael did. I’m not in the mood for intimacy right now and even if I was, I promise you I will not be as forceful as that monster.” The Djinn said. Amirah nodded and went to him, lying comfortably next to the boy. “How do those fairy tales begin? Ah yes, Once upon a time…” The Djinn began.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Over in Delegate HQ, Garrett was outside with Helena looking over the numbers on the paper.

“Well let’s see, they look like coordinates. Possibly the location of the new sleeper base of operations. This might be able to lead us to Stacy, Matt, and Amirah. Or at least to where we can capture one of those bitches and make her talk. I guess we’ll just need to follow the clues and find out.”
Garrett said examining the photos.

“We should cross reference these numbers and use the satellites to pull up images to match to the coordinates. That’ll prove the theory or eliminate it.”
He continued.

But just as Garrett and Helena were heading inside the power snapped off and the whole building went dead.
“Don’t worry, the back up generators will kick on in a moment.”
Garrett said. But that moment never came and neither did the power.

“Oh my god, Bri… he’s on life support.”
Garrett said rushing to the medical wing.

The whole wing was in total chaos. The doctor was shouting orders as he was trying desperately to keep Aubrey alive. He was engaged in a losing battle however. Without the machines keeping him alive, Aubrey was slipping away more and more with each passing second.
“Doctor is there anything I can do”
Garrett asked frantically.

“Get your sister out of here. She doesn’t need to see this in her condition.” The doctor barked.

Much to the protest of Selene, Garrett escorted her out of the room.
“You have to give him room to work Sel… He’s doing everything he can.”
Garrett said hugging his sister.
“Everything will be fine… it will, you’ll see…”
Garrett said to reassure her and himself.

In minutes however, everything was not ok. Aubrey’s heart failed, and they had no way of using the bypass to keep him alive. A few minutes more passed and the doctor came out to offer his condolences before going to call Midnight and inform her that Aubrey didn’t make it.

Midnight got the news but was unflinching. “Thank you for the news doctor.” Midnight said before hanging up.

“Good news for you my dear, Aubrey is slowly improving. Demonstrate to me how that key removes the bands and I will hold up my end of the bargain.” Midnight lied watching as the girl inserted the key into the band and it snapped off her wrist. “And the same thing will happen to the bands on Aubrey?” Midnight asked.

“Yes…” The girl said.

“Very good then, let’s give it shot then shall we?” Midnight said. “Shayde, bring her to the medical wing. Oren and I will meet you there.” She said.

Midnight stepped out with Oren and walked down the hall. “I’m sure you’ve figured out Aubrey didn’t make it. But the bands have dissolved off him, just like what happened when the sleeper agent died. One problem solved in that the bands are no longer on him, new problem is the boy’s dead.” She said opening the door to the room where the children were with Kora and Reith.

“Katherine, can you help me for a moment?” Midnight asked. She looked over at Oren. “Fortunately we have someone that can resurrect him, given that someone wants to give up their own life. I think I have the perfect volunteer in mind as a matter of fact.”

Katherine walked over to her grandmother and nodded. “We have to hurry before he crosses over, I can’t pull him back if that happens.”

Midnight picked up Katherine and the three met up with Shayde and the sleeper in the medical wing.

“What is this!? The boy’s already dead! You lying whore!” The sleeper spat violently.

“I’m a good person my dear, not a saint.” Midnight said violently grabbing the girl and dragging her into the room where Aubrey’s body was. Garrett and Selene were in there and the pair looked in shambles. “Out” Midnight said.

The two reluctantly left and Katherine walked in. “You think it’s too late?” Midnight asked.

Katherine shook her head.
“No he’s still around.”

“Good. Will he have the same problems Hunter did?” Midnight asked.

“No, Hunter had been dead much longer. Aubrey’s only been gone for a few minutes, he shouldn’t have many side effects. Memory loss maybe, but physically he’ll be good as new.”
Katherine said.

“Do it then.” Midnight said offering her hand to Katherine. Midnight knew it was ideally Stacy that would be helping to control Katherine’s ability but Stacy wasn’t available. Midnight just hoped she could control it like Stacy could.

Shayde forced the Sleeper to her knees despite the fact that she was thrashing and screaming wildly. “Without those fancy bands on, you’re as helpless as a kitten.” Shayde said.

“Katherine, her memories?” Midnight asked.

“We’ll get them in the process. It’s a side effect for me… I live their lives, the lives I am taking, sometimes for moments, sometimes for days. I guess it’s a form of punishment for what I do. It can be painful, you ok with that grandma?”
Katherine asked.

“I’m not ok with putting you through this.” Midnight said.

“It’s ok. Really it is, Aubrey is family to all of us. I’m happy to do it.”
Katherine said before giving the Sleeper a kiss.

Light traveled through Katherine and into Midnight. Katherine was right, memories and experiences started flowing through mind like a tidal wave. It was painful to feel everything the girl had felt, to see what she had seen, to live through what she loved through. They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes, well it was true and Midnight was witnessing it, every painful moment of it.

Midnight leaned down and gave Aubrey a gentle kiss allowing the light to fill him and return the warmth and color to his body. After a moment Midnight lifted away from the boy and looked down at his face. “Come on kid, wake up.” Midnight said before slapping the boy across the face. “I said wake up damn it, I don’t have all day!” Midnight yelled at him.

Aubrey rolled off the stretcher groaning. “I’m awake! Fuck I’m late for training aren’t I? Why didn’t my mom wake me up…” He said scrambling to his feet. “Midnight I swear I will be down in five minutes.” Aubrey said before taking note of his surroundings. “Did Jace drug me again?” He asked looking around.

“Not exactly. What day is it?” Midnight asked.

“March 24th… Why?” Aubrey answered.

“Well acute memory loss seems to be rather a common side effect to this. He’s lost a couple months. He doesn’t remember Texas, or the canyon… or anything about Selene… Well this is going to be an awkward conversation.” Midnight said to Oren.

Aubrey wandered out the door. “Midnight I’m not even going to ask why there’s a dead girl on the floor. One of Koda’s ex’s?” He said smirking as he walked out of the room and grabbed a flashlight to see where he was going.
“Oh the kid has jokes. Great, well at least one of us is totally oblivious to how much shit is going on.” Midnight muttered. “I’m going to tell Arucan before he leaves that Bri is fine.”

Aubrey walked over to Selene and gave her a passionate kiss. “Hey babe. I had the trippiest dream… about some like barbarians riding dinosaurs… and your mom kissed me…it was weird. But I love you and I’m glad after that weirdness I get to see your face. Since it’s so dark, it would be a good time for us to sneak away for a little bit.” He said smiling at her but when he wrapped his arms around her, his expression turned blank. He shone the flashlight down at her stomach and went white as a sheet. “Selene… you’re… um… I… think… you’re…” He stammered before passing out cold on the floor.

“Oh shit… he doesn’t remember.”
Garrett said looking at his friend passed out on the floor.
“Ok well then, he’s alive, right? Better than dead, who cares if he's missing the last couple months. Selene that’s all you because honestly, I don’t want to tell him what’s happened the last couple months. Kid just came back from the dead, the last thing he needs is to have his heart broken. Maybe you break it all to him tomorrow?”

Shayde nodded picking Aubrey off the floor. “I’ll take him to his apartment. Selene, you can look after him while everyone gets this all situated?”

Asalah was just standing there looking at Aubrey in disbelief; he didn’t remember her, or the sanctuary. Maybe he would in time but who knew how long that could be. “Midnight, can I help you with something?” She asked.

“Don’t you want to be with Aubrey?” Midnight asked. “No… he doesn’t remember me, so I might freak him out. It’s better he’s with Selene, I’ll take my stuff out of his apartment for now and take the one next to him. Just until he gets his memory back anyway, if he ever does...” Asalah said.

“Fine, meet me in the office.” Midnight said. “I know where Michael has set up sleeper headquarters. There’s a base about a hundred miles out. We have to pass this information to Arucan.”

Garrett went over to Helena.
“Maybe we should go with them since we don’t have access to the satellites. We might get some valuable information. Maybe even tag along if we have to and then break off once we get there.”
He said to her quietly.

Midnight walked down with Garrett, Helena, and Asalah to find everyone readying for deploying in the office and gathering information. Arucan looked like a wreck, surely he thought she was coming to deliver the news his son was dead. "Well the bad news is Aubrey died, but the good news is we brought him back and he's good as new. Well… not exactly good as new because the process wiped his memory of about two months or so but you know, figured you'd take that over the alternative." Midnight said yelping when Arucan suddenly hugged her. "God if our selves of twenty years ago could see this scene, eh? We might just die ourselves." Midnight said returning the hug to Arucan. It was strange to think twenty years ago they were bitter enemies. Now however they were the closest of friends, practically family. His mother would be so happy, Midnight thought for a moment. And now that his father was also at rest, she knew he would be too. What a turn of events.

"Now let's get the girls and Matt back." Midnight said breaking away from Arucan. "And now that your son is fine, I expect you to be 100% focused. Same goes for all of you. Michael will be expecting you all to attack based in anger and revenge. He'll exploit that and it will make you fuck up and probably wind up dead which helps no one. So no matter how hard he tries, you need to keep your composure. He'll be using the girls to get to you in hopes you just rush in blindly. We can't let that happen, and as pissed as we all are, you know I'm right. You'll endanger yourselves, each other, and the girls. I know you all already know what I'm tell you and it's basic Delegate training 101, but you don't know Michael like I do. He will do anything to get to you and the more you play into it, the more he will fuck with your heads and the worse off you'll be. Remember, Michael always has an ace up his sleeve. The only thing that Michael will never break, is a deal and he loves games. That might be the key to getting the girls and Matt back." Midnight said pulling out some maps.

"Thanks to our lovely captive sleeper, who is now deceased, we have the location of the main sleeper base Michael has established. I doubt that's where he's keeping the girls and Matt but it's a start." Midnight said marking the location on the map. "No doubt there'll be plenty of sleepers there, so good luck. And if you need backup, I'll be available, tap the shadow communicators and I'm there." Midnight said giving all the boys kisses on the cheeks.

Midnight looked towards the door as Khalid walked in. "Are you going as well? Not dressed like that though mister. Glitter and deployments don't mix unless you're infiltrating a notorious prostitution ring." Midnight said pointing to what the other boys were wearing. "Deployment gear darling." Midnight said.

Just as Midnight finished up talking and was getting ready to see the boys off, a familiar face popped on the tv monitor. They had no power so this was a strange development. "Michael." Midnight said. "You look well."

"Oh and so do you Midnight. Ravishing as ever. Tell me, how are you all faring without technology?"
Michael said smiling.

"Oh you know, a throwback to the dark ages. We're getting ready to break out the corsets." Midnight replied smirking.

"Well that's me for you, always late to the party. I heard you've had a death in the family. My condolences Arucan, always heartbreaking losing a child."
Michael said grinning.

"Oh that's right, Aubrey. Well I'm afraid you've been misinformed. Aubrey is alive and well." Midnight said crossing her arms.
"That's impossible."
Michael said looking mildly perturbed.

"Oh my dear, nothing is impossible for us." Midnight said.

"A minor setback I'll admit but it's no matter. Now I bet you're wondering how the girls are doing? Now, now, don't be alarmed. They're perfectly fine. Well mostly anyway. You see, I have no intentions of keeping them. For a show of good faith, I'll show them to you."
Michael said chuckling.

Michael walked down a hall and whatever was projecting his image followed him.
"Now you may think I'm motivated by revenge, but that's just not true. Well Arucan maybe it's a little true on your part, but I promise you as for Stacy, it's entirely untrue. You see William, when you first met my dear Stacy, she made a deal with me. Don't be shy now, you remember, I know you do… but since the sleepers were dissolved soon after that mission, you thought she would never have to fulfill that deal. You get to go with her on her little mission to Texas, and she has to enter the breeding program we had going on. Don't look so surprised. I always honor a deal and in turn expect that others do the same. You didn't care what she sacrificed at the time, as long as you got to go save your precious family. I never did understand why she would go to such lengths to help a stranger. Pity now it has to cost her so much, she would have been a whole lot better off never knowing you."

Michael walked in a room where Stacy lay unconscious on a bed. She seemed comfortable but they could tell she was feverish and pale and certainly not doing as well as her surroundings suggested.
"Oh don't mind the way she looks. We were simply detoxing her off that horrible birth control you Delegates use. It can cause quite a fever. Upon examination we hit a bit of a bump in the road, you see she was already pregnant. Very early stages luckily. We took care of that quickly so now she can fulfill her obligations. Sorry about that William, but the good news is she hasn't been awake at all so she doesn't know a thing. I'm not a monster after all, so I won't tell if you won't. Our little secret, ok? I don't think she would ever forgive you for costing her two unborn children. Soon her obligations will be fulfilled and I'll send her back to you safe and sound."
Michael said.

"Oh yes, and Amirah. Well I'm afraid that was just revenge Arucan, and your wife is no longer in my possession. I mean we can still visit her however. Khalid, you'll just love this."
Michael said leaving one room and opening another door which lead to what looked like a completely different place entirely.

Michael walked down the opulent halls.
"Amirah my pet, where are you hiding?"
Michael called playfully.

Michael was met with a silver tray to the face as he rounded a corner, which knocked him on his ass. "I am not your pet." Amirah said continuing down the hall completely unaware there was some sort of communication going on between them and the Delegates.
Michael picked himself up and dusted his pants off.
"Awfully high spirited, isn't she?"
He said laughing.

He walked into a great throne room smiling. Amirah sat on the stairs and lifted her head to look at Michael. "What do you want?" She asked Michael.

"I wanted to give you a gift. You may not know it but I have your husband here."
Michael said pointing to the white sheet that was used for the movie. The Delegates appeared on the screen and Amirah looked at it briefly.
"Don't you want to say something?"

"I love you and don't do anything stupid. He's commanding a Djinn. Father, tell them what that means." Amirah said sadly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… giving away my secrets Amirah. That's very naughty. I was going to let them walk right into it."
Michael said.

"Amirah come here."
Michael said.

"No." Amirah said.

"Ah, I forgot. You don't obey me. Let's change that since the cat's out of the bag. Djinn, make her obey me. It's what I wish."
Michael said.

The Djinn walked down the stairs to Amirah but his black eyes were squarely on Michael. "You dare to break a deal with a Djinn?" He said.

"No, no my friend. Just that I'm ordering you to make her do things, I wouldn't dream of taking away your control. It is permitted based on the letter of the law."
Michael said smiling.

"As you command." The Djinn said grinding his teeth. "Slave…" He said looking down at Amirah with a sad look. "Go to him." He finished and the bands around her wrists and neck lit up forcing her body to obey.

"Now on your knees."
Michael said grinning.

"Do it." The Djinn said sitting down on the steps displeased with what was happening.

Amirah was forced to her knees and Michael grabbed her hair dragging her face up to look at him.
"You see Arucan, she can be tamed afterall. And she's so sweet… tastes like jasmine and honey this one. You lucky dog you."
Michael said looking down at Amirah.
"Nothing you weren't used to though huh? Tell me, did you like it? You naughty little slave, of course you did."
He laughed forcefully shoving Amirah to the side like a rag doll.
"Ah I'm already bored with this game. Let's play another. Oh I know… As Khalid well knows, you can't enter the domain of a Djinn without being invited. Let's have dinner together. I'll make you a deal, if you can find the door that leads here without the warlock using magic, I'll let you come here and have dinner with your precious loved ones. But you only have two days to find it. Sounds fun doesn't it?"
Michael said.

"Djinn do you have anything to say to Khalid? Khalid, you do remember my friend here, don't you? Something you were keeping from your friends and family Khalid? You have quite a few dirty little secrets don't you."
Michael said.

The Djinn came into view looking directly at Khalid. "I have nothing to say to this warlock. Everything that could be said between us, has been said centuries ago." Djinn said going over to help Amirah up. "Come on slave… we're done here." He said tenderly picking Amirah up and healing a wound on her head from the fall. "You will rest now and forget this whole exchange as if it never happened." The Djinn whispered and Amirah fell unconscious in his arms.

"Oh you're no fun!"
Michael called to the Djinn as he left.

"Time's ticking Delegates. If you can't find it, I'll never let you see the girls again and no amount of magic will get you here."
Michael said cutting communications.

Midnight sighed. There was no words for what just happened. There was honestly nothing to say. It was sick and fucked up, but they had to stay focused. Inside they were all torn, destroyed, furious, and hurt, but on the outside, they had to remain cool and calm. They had to get the girls and Matt home. They had their task and for now it had to be on Michael's terms. They would have to find a way to turn it on him. That was their task and in the process, take out as many of those sleeper bastards as they could. They had where to start, and the rest was up to them.

"Good luck my friends." Midnight said turning her attention to how to get the power back on.