Conviction (Dark Phoenix preferably)

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Dusk was setting, the dark woods made even darker by the failing sunlight. Soon it would be left to the moon and stars alone to pierce the thick canopy and bring any light to the forest floor, and they would, as always, be hard pressed to succeed. Though in an ominous and ever threatening way, the Forbidden Forest was quiet that evening. The pressing stillness was broken however by a sudden pop, quite loud, though the closeness of the place muffled the sounds from traveling far. Immediately afterward a whispered curse again broke the silence. Zee thought to himself how he'd need to practice more to reduce the sound of his apparating. He knew some wizards were able to appear and disappear with near silence, and while simply being able to do so at all now was quite the rush of power, it would be eminently more practical if he could depart or arrive without alerting everything within a half-mile.

Placing his back to a large tree, Zee glanced around the shadowy terrain, muttering the incantation for his atrum charm and tapping his temple with a finger. Immediately the area brightened, to his eyes anyway, and he could see rather well despite the near lack of visible light. An ironic smirk came to his lips as he confirmed that he was indeed at the edge of the small meadow where he'd met Wysteria on more than one occasion. He'd been so disgruntled to learn that D'rorah was allowing the vampire to move into the Room of Requirement, thinking at the time how it would interfere with his training. Now it turned out to be astoundingly convenient, allowing him to enter the woods in a less than subtle manner without any great concern that a lightfighter, particularly a lightfighter who seemed to have few reservations about tearing his throat out and more than enough strength to accomplish the task, would notice.

His amused look quickly became a grimace however as Zee had now reached the part where his plans grew somewhat hazy. He'd been to the Shadow Realm once before, had gone with Keaira to (more or less) successfully rescue Alessandro. The portal they'd used to get there however was long closed. He had checked. Perhaps Kerridon could have directed him to an open one since, to Zee's knowledge, the Mage was as of yet unaware of the Ravenclaw's shifted allegiance. He noted this as potentially useful bit of information. Still, he didn't want the other boy knowing that he wished to meet with Dark Phoenix, and was of late in no mood to come up with a complex web of lies to explain why he sought a portal to her castle. Instead he was left with simply standing about in the Forbidden Forest and waiting for Dark Phoenix or one of her servants to notice him, and then hope that he would prove enough of an interest to be taken to her rather than simply killed on the spot.

Zee sighed. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was the best he could manage. Besides, if he were killed on the spot, it would only rob him of some of his goals. With a helpless shrug he leaned back against the tree and began molding a small bit of metal he extracted from the earth into various shapes, waiting.

[Dark Phoenix]

She always did have trouble keeping time in this place; the continuously overcast sky meant that reading the sun was quite out of the question. She wasn't even sure if there was a sun beyond that mass of cloud, in fact. She wasn't completely without need for time, however, and as a result she did have one rather unusual clock in her rooms. It didn't contain the numbers one to twelve around the edge, for instance; nor did the hands move at a continuous rate. But it was useful beyond measure when she needed to actually plan something in which darkness or the light of day would be a major factor.

As it was, she sat upon her dais, observing the small time-teller and noting that darkness was falling even as she watched. She expected that shadows should be back for their brief report any minute now; what she didn't know was that a few of them were at this moment zooming toward the nearest portal to the Shadow Realm, bearing news of a boy standing alone within a clearing of the forest. As they entered her chambers, her attention was diverted toward them, and she knew that their excitement could very well be cause for celebration. "What is it?" she questioned quietly, her voice telling them in no uncertain terms that this had better be good. One informed her of the presence of the boy, and she shooed them away. "Well what are you waiting for? Bring him." Honestly, sometimes they were like children the way she needed to direct them every five minutes; she had clearly ordered the capture of anyone within the forest borders, professor and student alike.

As they began to file out once more, her eyes furrowed. One suggested that it was sure the boy had been playing with metal, morphing it at will. Her eyes were suddenly lit with a small fire. "Wait! This boy is not to be harmed. Bring him directly to me, and if you fail you will suffer most painfully." An Elemental Master revealing his abilities within the borders of the Forbidden Forest, where it must almost be common knowledge that the shadows were abound? This should prove to be most interesting.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

The sun was fully gone, but Zee couldn't really tell. The atrum charm he'd cast kept his vision flawless, and so the slight dimming of the natural light over the span of several minutes was hardly noticeable. The metal that hovered before him shifted from a plain sphere into a small statue, a slightly smaller version of the statue he'd made of Wysteria so long ago. Seeing it again however made him grind his teeth, and so the object quickly morphed again, this time into a plain dagger. Cocking his head as the blade slowly rotated before him, he began making little alterations. The blade itself grew wavy like a kris, looking as if it were a bit of water streaming from the hilt, or perhaps a serpent. The serpent idea gave Zee some inspiration for continued modifications, not to mention bringing to mind his house mascot, and he went to work on the hilt, carving it into the likeness of twin snakes intertwining, splitting off from each other with their necks and heads extended out to the sides to form the cross-guard. Throwing on a few more details and fleshing out the serpents, he reached out and plucked the finished product from the air, tossing it back and forth a few times between his hands.

Whatever tiny satisfaction the crafting had brought him evaporated as his vision went dark. Having eyes that could pierce any natural darkness suddenly fail him could mean only one probability; the Shadows had come. Zee had of course noticed the occasional flitting of some indistinguishable dark form at the edges of the clearing, but he'd not bothered to react. Now though his instinct forced him to respond defensively, slashing out with the dagger before him and rolling to the side. Surprisingly, the meager (and meaningless to a Shadow) defense seemed somewhat effective, causing the creature to back away from him.

In a crouch, Zee faced off against the Shadow. He'd had no intent to fight, but his survival instinct wasn't leaving him much choice. The beast before him seemed to be having some similar inner conflict. It clearly wanted to attack him, but for some reason was unwilling to do so. Several others drifted free of the treeline, coming into clear view but similarly not advancing on him. After a moment the boy straightened. He knew why they weren't attacking, the only reason they wouldn't. They'd been told not to. With a slight nod to himself, he spun the dagger around in his grip to hold it less aggressively, the flat of the blade pressed against his wrist and forearm.

Suddenly distracted by an unexpected texture being pressed into his skin, Zee glanced down to see the tri-banded bracelet Keaira had given him caught between his arm and the dagger. He'd forgotten all about it until now and, odd as the timing of it was, his curiosity overthrew him. Flipping it right-side out, he stared at the engraved lettering.

Latin. That girl loves Latin. "Aut viam inveniam, aut faciam, aut mori, por nemo nisi mors." Hmm.

His Latin wasn't perfect, but Zee was fairly certain it said something to the effect of finding or making a way or dying, for only death could separate them. Again his teeth ground together as he grimaced. For all his rage, he couldn't bring himself to honestly deny that she was, in more than one way, absolutely correct. Snapping his arm out to the side, he released the dagger to tumble end over end, adding extra force behind it through his mastery over the element. Turning to the Shadows, he stalked angrily forward, barking out a simple phrase.

"Take me to her."

The Shadows obeyed, leading him forward. As the cold of their presence settled upon him, his anger cooled and he hazarded a glance behind. The dagger stuck where it had landed, buried hilt-deep in the hard wood of a huge tree. All that showed were the twin snakes, the two Slytherins, wrapped in their metallic embrace. Releasing a sigh and shaking his head ever so slightly, Zee turned and strode sullenly away.

((Feel free to have them all arrive. Zee's just going to follow the Shadows where they lead him, whether it be to the throne room, a torture chamber, wherever.))

[Dark Phoenix]

As the shadows departed for the forest beyond this realm, she contemplated how this couldn't really be seen as a bad situation for her; in fact, it could only ever be a good situation. Quite content in that knowledge, she wondered whether he were stupid, ignorant or daring beyond reason for entering the forest so unwittingly. Then again, of course, he could be there quite on purpose, waiting to see her, wishing to join forces. Or, on the other hand, he could be out for her blood, on some noble mission of redemption in which he perceived he might overpower her. She was also inclined to believe that he was the Elemental Master, whoever he was; other than that, he could only be able to cast wandless magic and have a sound knowledge of Transfiguration, whilst coincidentally choosing metal. Whatever the circumstances, he had her attention all right.

She raised herself from her current seat and proceeded from the room, closing the solid wooden door behind her and leaving behind a world of deep crimson for the bleak grey walls beyond. Phoenix travelled down the long, straight hallways and finally emerged into yet another room, this one guarded by a thick stone door. Set in the very centre of the room that looked much like the corridors beyond, was a large stone throne-like chair, high-backed and set with a cushioned base and back. It stood on a square stone step and she put one leg before the other in order to reach it. Finally taking a seat, she had a direct line of sight toward the door that had been closed behind her.

She summoned a few more shadows from the very centre of the Forbidden Forest and bid them stand guard at either side of her chair; they emerged within minutes and stood ready, waiting as she was for the others to arrive. Whatever eventuated from this, she was certainly eager to discover it, and she planned a strategy for whatever may happen. Laying her hands on the arms of the curving throne, she began to drum a hollow tune to herself, her fingers dancing over the stone as she continued to wait.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Zee knew as soon as they had crossed through a portal into the Shadow Realm, though he'd seen no dark opening. They'd simply walked between two particularly dark and twisted trees and suddenly his vision was severely diminished. It surprised him, though thinking about it, it shouldn't have. The spell pierced natural darkness, and this was anything but. It was also obvious by the way his skin felt as though it were shriveling from the utter lack of life or warmth. With a (grudgingly) uncontrollable shiver, the Elemental Master of Metal continued to follow obediently.

As the entourage approached the seat of Dark Phoenix's power, the dark and unbelievably menacing castle, Zee willfully didn't gaze on the thing in awe, though he certainly had the last time he was there. Instead he directed his view elsewhere, out across the surrounding land. A curious sensation, but one that Zee had been fully expecting, rushed over him as he took in the ravaged landscape, the total destruction. It was that same admittedly petty but very deeply felt emotion that had flitted through his mind upon seeing Alessandro's remains. Satisfaction. Zee almost smiled as they entered the castle. Almost.

Though it would have been very like him to carefully keep track of where they were headed, what turns they made, so that he could find his way out and escape if need be, he did not do so. Whether his plan succeeded or not, there would be no escape. Zee felt no glimmer of hope that he could possibly leave that place in the same condition he'd arrived, if he ever left at all. He supposed his body would leave at least. If nothing else Dark Phoenix would make him into whatever Mordred Kade had become; a facade, a puppet to some dark thing controlling him from within. Zee realized the irony of this, that it could in fact describe the way he'd always been, but gave no outward sign. There was no amused smirk, no bitter chuckle. Just a blank face as one foot fell before the other in a continuous motion toward the end.

After what Zee felt was a short walk, though with him hardly paying attention it could have been much longer, they paused before an impressive stone door that looked to be as sturdy as the walls supporting it. Sliding open with a surprising lack of sound, the heavy door admitted the group, the Shadows again leading the way in. As soon as she came into view, garbed as elegantly as he'd expected, Zee's eyes remained transfixed on Dark Phoenix. He wondered briefly how many modern lightfighters had actually stood in the woman's presence. D'rorah almost certainly. Alessandro probably. Keaira . . . Zee closed his mind to that line of thought as soon as the Shadow Warrior of Metal entered his thoughts.

Instead he focused on the now, continuing to gaze upon the woman on her throne as the Shadows retreated slightly to form an arc behind him, hovering between himself and the again sealed door. He seemed heedless of their actions, thinking to himself how she was quite breathtakingly beautiful. At most points in his life, despite the ridiculousness of the notion, he'd have flirted with her, shamelessly yet subtly. In his more bitter moments he'd find some sarcastic remark to make against her physical form. Now though he simply regarded her for a moment before giving the tiniest of nods and a rather curt greeting.

"Phoenix."

[Dark Phoenix]

Soon the sound of only herself began to bore her, of the incessant drone of fingers against stone. The shadows beside her were as silent as the night, and the drumming stopped. Her eyes began to drift from the doorway as the minutes rolled past and soon her sight found nothing but the constant grey of the walls; at least the door showed something different, however minutely. She really should redecorate this room, it was used for most formal occasions, after all. Giving a small grimace and planning to get onto it, sure that crimson red would be necessary, her attention turned back to the door as she heard footsteps. Obviously, her shadows glided in silence, so the footsteps were those of another, of the one they were accompanying. Righting herself fully on her high-backed chair, her eyes intent and her demeanor proud though not obnoxious, she saw the door swing open.

Garbed in a luscious red and black velvet, her dress proceeded right down to her ankles, beneath which were bare feet, the only odd thing about her but strangely enhancing the look. The dress was tight-fitting and shapely, revealing all of her womanly curves, and was a dark, dark red. It was also sleeveless, though instead of bare arms it was only her shoulders, forearms and hands that revealed bare flesh. Draped around her was a wispy red and black shawl, and she was placed so elegantly upon her seat that she wasn't surprised in the least that the boy stared as he entered.

She wasn't entirely sure what her mind had expected the boy to look like, but she was sure he might have been younger and more prone to foolish behaviour. Her eyes betraying none of her curiosity, Phoenix indicated for her shadows to surround him immediately, leaving a large gap directly between her and the boy that had them forming a small arc. He gave a small, curt nod of greeting and said only one thing, her name. Returning his gesture of greeting herself, the tiniest of grinning smiles rose to her graceful features, though did not reach her eyes. "May I help you with something?" she said, raising one eyebrow as her smile continued. It was of course a ridiculous comment; whatever he wanted, it may very well not go the way he intended. That, of course, depended on just what he was here for.

She studied his features for a moment and didn't suppose he had wandered into the forest unwittingly. He looked old enough to know of the activity within its borders, or at least to know that something was going on there. He also wasn't panicked in any sense of the word, but rather calm. Normally anyone brought to her calmed in her presence, but he showed no signs of having been tense or nervous only a minute previously as the horde of shadows had moved with him to who knows where. Thinking then that perhaps he wanted to make some kind of deal, or else was here on a suicide mission, the options had been narrowed considerably. Her shrewd eyes searched him for any kind of reactions without seeming to, as she awaited his answer. That said, she would not wait that long; she had never really been known to possess much patience.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Disregarding the humorous ridiculousness of her question, Zee simply nodded again, this time in affirmation, and spoke. His tone remained even, though his words seemed rather arrogant and presumptuous.

"You can actually, and you will. I see no probable outcome to this meeting that will not serve at least some of my purposes. You . . ."

Here he paused and considered her for a moment. Caira knew his face, his name, and his identity as a Lightfighter. He had naturally assumed that all this information had been passed on to Dark Phoenix. Now though he stood before her and he caught no flash of recognition in her features. True she was without question better than even he at hiding true thoughts and emotions behind a mask of whatever she chose, but why would she do so? Accepting that he could be wrong, Zee went with his instincts anyway.

"You don't know who I am do you? Odd. I thought your pet headmistress would keep you better informed. Zane Lucifer Bishop, Slytherin Pre-. Well, ex Slytherin Prefect. Elemental Master of Metal. And I am, in a way, at your service."

He no longer carried the Prefect badge that had always supplied him with a convenient bit of metal. He did however have the bands Keaira had placed on his wrist, and as he spoke they shifted some, though very subtly. The three interweaving bands fused together, becoming one long hoop of metal that was simply looped about his wrist a few times. With a thought he could slip the metal off his wrist and thin it into a sort of razor wire, which was his fail-safe at the moment, the final backup plan that he would employ if this began to go unfavorably. For the most part, he hoped he wouldn't need it. But there was that growing part of him that saw the benefit of blissful oblivion.

((I decided to keep it relatively short since it's getting into the conversation bit and there's always the potential for interuption at any point. Feel free to do the same or launch into a monologue. Zee will listen and wait his turn to respond. ))

[Dark Phoenix]

((OoC: Sorry Zane, I've hurt my hand recently and it's put me off posting for a few days.))

Smirking slightly as he replied to her ludicrous question, Phoenix considered him bold beyond stupidity for telling her, of all people, in no uncertain terms that she will help him. Then again, perhaps it was something else; he did not seem stupid by any stretch of the imagination. She waited until he had finished his little speech and remained seated sedately, her eyes watching his every expression and movement carefully. She would disregard his arrogance if he had something valuable to offer; what was his own self-importance if she got something she wanted? Whether he did indeed have something she wished for, however, remained to be seen. All he seemed to be doing so far was either stating the obvious or saying things that had a small potential to annoy her. When he had stopped speaking, she surveyed him with her luscious eyes for a moment, her expression unreadable, before lowering her eyes to her dress and smoothing it out a bit. The material was soft beneath her hands and it took her a moment or two to turn her gaze back to the boy.

She exhaled lightly as a small grin rose to her features. "Mister Bishop," she began in a light tone. "The next time you have a grand plan to get captured in the forest, I suggest you don't waste your chance to converse with petty inaccuracies." Her tone remained even, but her eyes pierced his for a moment before turning away once more. Caira had informed her of all Prefects, as well as the Head Boy and Girl. She also kept her informed of staff changes and social groupings that were of any note. The idea that she wouldn't relay the names of any known Elemental Masters or Shadow Warriors was idiotic; nevertheless, Phoenix had not seen Bishop before. Perhaps a small oversight on her part. "Now. How might you be of service?" She was undoubtedly curious to see what he might have to say. There were of course numerous ways he could be helpful, but which one he intended was yet to be seen.

Given that he was the Master of Metal, she could only identify one visible bit of the substance on him; a band around his wrist. He could have things concealed, of course, and she didn't discount the idea that he may. Sending a quick message to the shadows directly beside him, indicating to watch the band and for any other movement or glint of metal from beneath the Slytherin's robes.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

(( D: No worries at all. Take your time in recovering. Whadja do? ))

As soon as the illustriously dressed woman began speaking, Zee rolled his eyes at her. The way she addressed him reminded him of nothing so much as the Shadow Warrior of Wind. It was not a reminder he particularly liked, and he felt the formality quite unnecessary. Whatever conversation they might entertain, he and Dark Phoenix were natural enemies as much as any two conflicting things could be. Despite his apparent nature as a creature of darkness, light had chosen him. What was inside of him, buried but there, did not at all get on well with what she held inside of her. Still, he held his peace until she inquired further into his intentions. At this he figured he may as well lay it all out there. His voice remained calm and methodical. He'd clearly gone over this conversation many times in his head.

"Let's be candid Phoenix. You seek the near total destruction of my entire realm. Nothing living there now will survive if you have your way, but you seem to be taking your sweet time in fulfilling that goal. Perhaps you're patient. I am not."

Pausing, he took a few steps closer unless something prevented him, in which case he'd ignore it other than to compliantly halt his movement and continue his speech.

"I am no fool. I've no illusion that aiding you will in the end bring me power or prosperity. I am of the other realm and I have a piece of Yin inside me. My very existence is a threat to you and eventually you will decide that I am no longer useful and I'll be disposed of. That's acceptable. In fact it's largely the reason I've come. The other . . ."

He paused again, his gaze lowering as his fists clenched, all the anger that had been bubbling up within him for several weeks now manifesting physically, his entire form shaking. When his face again rose to meet his apparent new mistress, it was twisted into a horrible sneer, mixed with a pained grimace. His voice was no longer controlled, unbridled malice dripping from every word.

"They, two in particular but all of them in some way, have taken from me. You and yours have too, but their crime was first and it was greater. They will pay. Revenge, punishment, justice, I don't care what any label it. They will suffer. They will scream. They will die. And so will I. Let the entire world suffer and burn with us."

He seemed to finally get a handle on himself, only then noticing the trickle of blood dripping off his left fist onto the floor. The band around his wrist had been given a razor edge in subconscious preparation for his contingency plan and the clenching of his fist had allowed the thing to rupture his skin. It was not deep, not dangerous. Though he could feel the heat of his spilled blood on his hand, he ignored it, not even glancing down. His eyes, no longer cold and dead but with a spiteful flame burning in them, were focused on Dark Phoenix as he awaited her response.

[Dark Phoenix]

((OoC: Sports are dangerous activities ;D))

Her features forming an undoubtedly annoyed expression as the boy rolled his eyes at her, she was quickly becoming impatient. Having half a mind to simply dispose of him in the easiest way possible, she knew that she should wait until he had explained his presence here. Her shadows quickly cut off his forward movements, indicating that clearly he was to go no closer to her. His arrogance was, to say the least, beginning to annoy her, and as a result she turned her eyes away from him and to the floor at one side. Her expression revealed that she was quickly growing tired of this conversation, a dangerous account for anyone who needed to keep her placated if they wanted their head to remain attached. He stated that he was not a fool, and she begged to disagree given his current situation, but held her tongue. Clearly, the Slytherin boy was intelligent, and she would have to keep a close eye on him.

Significantly liking the difference as his face changed into a sort of sneer and his previously even tone transfigured into what was, Phoenix considered his admittance that he could deal with being disposed of. Of course, any Elemental Master that came within her reach was, in her mind, more likely to simply be chained up with the most monumental amount of security imaginable; unable to escape, unable to die, so that the Lightfighters would be minus one vital component for a very long time. Then again, she had killed Gat, and as it turned out, so far there was no word of his successor. It may very well take them a long time to find that person, and that too would set them back. Yin divided the power, and if a piece of that power was missing, her opposing side was incomplete. All Yang needed was a single person that contained that power, and as Phoenix sat clearly on her chair, that power was very much active and complete.

The smallest, most imperceptable of grins had surfaced onto her features as Zane spoke of burning and screaming. She liked those things very much. She hadn't the faintest idea of whom or what exactly he referred to when he spoke of something being taken from him, but didn't much care at this point. Perhaps that knowledge would come, in time. "At this point in time, I have plans working through that are turning out to be relatively effective. My move will come, Zane," she said, reverting to a less formal mode of address. She could see the fire in his eyes and she liked it much more than the emotionless mask he had worn only a minute beforehand. "Out of curiosity, what would you suggest I do? Who are you aiming to hurt with your intent of revenge?" she queried, her tone as light as a feather.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

A quiet sound of derision echoed from his throat at her assurance that she had plans in motion, a snort more than anything else. He'd not been paying an overwhelming amount of attention of late it was true, but he'd not seen any dark fruit being borne of any dark plans. Zee knew he was likely underestimating Dark Phoenix, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. He knew his continually disrespectful manner was not going to get him far, but he didn't much care about that either. The flames in his eyes only burned hotter at her question. His tone contrasted sharply with hers, as fierce as it had been before yet more controlled.

"I am not here to indulge your curiosity. My reasons and my will are my own and I will act as I choose. I came here because my goals and yours are uncommonly congruous and through cooperation we may each meet our desires more quickly. If your ego however will not allow this relationship to persist under my terms, then it shall be terminated now."

The metallic band about his wrist seemed to liquefy, and in a flash it had snaked up his arm, under his shirt, and emerged from his collar to form a skin-tight choker around his throat. Having yielded to the Shadows when they moved to prevent him from stepping closer to their mistress, their proximity now meant he'd have to be quick if he wanted to end this his way. She was already annoyed with him he knew, and it was also within his knowledge that she would much rather keep him on the torturous brink of death indefinitely rather than simply kill him and let his successor arise. That was absolutely unacceptable.

"As shall I. You can either agree to let me operate after my own fashion and watch me destroy the Lightfighters, or order your minions to clean up the horrendous mess I'm about to make and hope to chance that the next Elemental Master of Metal is not exceedingly more noble and righteous than I."

A tiny stream of blood seeped out from under the choker, though whether it was leftover blood from his wrist or from a new piercing of his flesh was hard to say. Zee stood at apparent ease, his body relaxed but his mind ready to issue the simple order that would sever his head and end his torment. Better that than the agonizing perpetuation of his life, and as a slave no less.

[Dark Phoenix]

She was starting to become bored with the insolent student, but nevertheless listened to each word closely; missing anything wouldn't do her any good. She chose to ignore his various, blatantly obvious shows of obnoxiousness. If he wanted to play, or simply didn't care what happened to him, she wasn't particularly concerned, and certainly wouldn't bother doing anything about it. She regarded him closely for a moment as he spoke. "I don't care what you do as long as you don't mess up my own acts. Don't put yourself in my way, Zane," she said with only slightly disguised malice. He could yet prove to be a handy tool, and she didn't want to have to clear him out of the way because he was blundering around and messing things up for her. Every ally could have their uses, whether they knew of them or not. She could handle giving him a free reign, but she would need to watch him closesly all the same. If he managed to actually do some damage to those opposing her, she would be completely content to watch it happen; if he happened to, in no uncertain terms, screw up her plans, then she would deal with him.

Returning to her previous habit of drumming her fingers lightly against the arms of her chair, she felt the shadows she had ordered to watch the metal around him tense. Noting that the band around his wrist was beginning to liquefy, she watched it with close eyes and saw that it did not aim toward herself, but to Zane, as it re-formed into a solid and created a collar for him. More like a choker, but collar was a sufficient term, and the irony was not lost on her. He was most definitely not to be underestimated, however. A fool could see that, and she was far beyond that standard of definition.

"Well, it seems we have an agreement. Do what you will, just don't get in my way," she responded lightly. She had to question his motives for this meeting, however. From his previous words and actions, she could only assume that his own death was not entirely unwanted. He had stood alone in the forest, and if she had wanted it, she could have easily have ordered his death. He had also been less than polite to a woman renowned for her darkness, a move that would be considered stupid to most. Then he had threatened to end his own life in exchange for something that he could have done without her approval or knowledge anyway. If she was wrong, she was wrong, but she could see no alternative way of deciphering his actions. "But what do you want from me? Surely you could have caused such mayhem on your own; without me ever getting involved. What are you doing here, Zane?"

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Her barely veiled threat again went unheeded. He knew she had both the will and the power to do unspeakably horrible things to him, things that would make all his own atrocities look like the loving discipline of a doting parent. But he believed he'd be able to escape, in a sense, before she could execute any such plans. She seemed ready to agree to his stipulations however, and so his mental state began to relax, to coincide with his physical manner. He still kept the command on the tip of his mind however, ever ready to have the metal ring about his neck shrink into a marble. It was a tempting sense of power, knowing that he could just end it, and that he was willing to do so. Still, if he could meet a few more objectives before that, he would. His voice and expression calmed considerably as he addressed her inquiries.

"A fair question. As I said, our goals are more or less the same. As you said, left to our own, we would likely end up stepping on each others toes, a result that I'm sure would prove quite unpleasant to all. So, what I need from you is the ability to move about the castle and do what I wish without worrying about reprisals from the school's authorities. I believe your pet headmistress can handle that. In return, while I'll not be your stooge and take orders, I'm more than willing to consider suggestions. Is there anyone you'd like dead, or maimed, or brought here?"

Zee stood passively, mostly confident at this point that the encounter would finish out smoothly. She was a canny and cunning creature though, and he kept in mind that at any point she may change her mind about him, or reveal what had been her true intent all along. He'd just have to try and remain a greater asset than inconvenience.

[Dark Phoenix]

She considered his reply for a moment, thinking he at least made some sense. She could afford to give him some lee-way if it meant he could aid her, and if he decided to stop co-operating then he could be dealt to relatively easily. "So... I tell Caira to let you be, and you can roam free around the castle doing what you wish," she said in a conclusive tone, thinking he had finally given a reason for seeking her out; of course he wanted to be exempt from any punishment at the school should something go awry. The Headmistress could also provide a small back up if ever he required it, whether to have suspicion cast away from him or for physical aid in battle; even to gain any supplies he might need. Content with his suggestion, she nodded lightly a few times before continuing, relaxing a bit though not noticeably. Once the initial suspicion had been removed from the situation, they would be getting along a bit more smoothly, though she would be watching him closely for any change of heart or alternate motive behind his actions of tonight.

"Now, if it's within your capabilities, I'd like you to see what Dylan Cooper is up to," she said quietly, examining the backs of her fingernails. Purposefully, she had not made it specific that she wished to know about how he was treating D'rorah, and how she was reacting. The less Zane knew about any of her deeds around the castle, the safer those plans would be, and destabilising the seeming leader of the Lightfighters was certainly one she wished to see fulfilled. Considering Zane had been part of that little group, she supposed he knew D'rorah, and Dylan in turn since they had been involved together. That was, until she had surreptitiously come between them. Caira had of course let her know the rumours flying about the castle concerning the couple, but she would get it from both points of view anyway, and certainly Bishop might be privy to information from the Lightfighters that LaPointe would not.

"Also, I know of you and Mr Darko, Keaira and Miss Philosophy. I assume you know the remainder of the Lightfighters identities and possibly anyone associated with them?" she queried, almost eagerly. She would never reveal it to the boy, of course, but if he could provide her with those names, she would be incredibly pleased indeed. D'rorah certainly was making certain that no untoward information reached Caira's ears, and knowledge of the Masters and Warriors was not reaching the headmistress as much as Phoenix would like. Knowing who they all were would give her a massive advantage in this war, and she would be allowed to move into action much faster and more effectively.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

"So . . . I tell Caira to let you be, and you can roam free around the castle doing what you wish."

The Master of Metal nodded curtly, keeping his increasingly venomous tongue from releasing the sardonic response he'd immediately prepared concerning her excellent grasp of his stipulation. He continued to stand idly as she seemed to decide something privately, waiting for her response to the offer he'd made in exchange. Zee's eyes grew incredulous when she finally spoke, looking back at her skeptically and ignoring the implied insult in her phrasing.

"Cooper?"

The name came as more of a scoff than a question, derision thick in his voice. Zee clearly didn't think the boy worthy of his attention, but a moment later offered a shrug and tilted his head to one side slightly in a crooked nod, communicating well enough that he would comply. It wasn't much of a request anyway. He'd likely find out some things about Dylan anyway as he gathered intel for his own purposes, so he saw no reason not to pass that along to her.

Next came the inevitable. Zee had known that if he didn't end up chained to a rack of some sort or dead on the floor by his own doing, his simple knowledge of the identities of those actively opposing Dark Phoenix would prove too great a lure to ignore. He didn't answer her at first, something occurring to him. She hadn't mentioned Dylan in her list, yes had asked him to keep an eye on the Ravenclaw. Was she perhaps seeking confirmation that he was a Lightfighter? Or perhaps just not letting him know how much she knew. The second seemed more likely, particularly to Zee's paranoid psyche. She didn't seem to know that Wysteria still lived. Well, rather still existed, but lived enough for the shard of Yin within Alessandro to still consider her its guardian. She had also mentioned anyone associated with the Lightfighters, which put Zee in mind of the double agent, Paradox. Of course he immediately directed his thoughts elsewhere, saving that little gem for some other time. A ghost of a taunting grin flashed across his face as he finally responded.

"You would assume correctly, if nothing drastic has occurred since I left the school. I can't say I know all of your enemies across the globe, but those centered at Hogwarts, I'm fairly certain are all known to me. But you can hardly expect me to pile everything at your feet just yet. I don't adore you that much love. You know the Elemental Master and Shadow Warrior of Metal, the Master of Fire, and the Warrior of Wind. In the interests of ensuring I retain valuable information once I leave here, and simply because, I will give you the name of one other. Any Shadow Warrior or Elemental Master you wish, within my knowledge. Choose well."