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The visitors and some of the mansion residents work out how best to deal with the time-traveling evil alternate Topaz. Exactly no one is happy about this, several toes are stepped on, and Ronin makes a bad Lord of the Rings reference.

Trigger Warning: Discussions of death and violence.

Having listened to Topaz' recounting of her attempted abduction and subsequent memory loss, Amanda leaned back against the wall, desperately wishing she could smoke inside.

"So no prizes for guessing who Topaz' mystery attacker is," she said wearily. Just when she thought they'd gotten the other side of the potential dangers of magic, something new popped up.

Marie-Ange settled herself down in one of the chairs - they'd grabbed an empty rec room for this meeting, and if she had to deal with any more of this nonsense she was going to be comfortable. "I decline to answer, I got the moment of precognitive cheating right before Amanda texted me."

Doug leaned against Marie-Ange and waved his hand. "I decline to answer on the grounds of being the Genre Savvy. Plus boo, no prizes." There was a very comfortable, almost teasing tone to the byplay, though, born of long familiarity among members of the group. "Break it down for us, Topaz," he said after a long moment of nobody else speaking up.

She didn't want to. Especially not with three sets of suspicious eyes on her. She rubbed her temples for a moment, shaking her head. "It's still kind of fuzzy." Having her own emotion-draining ability used on her had left her unsurprisingly rattled. "But I mean... the emotion draining thing is kind of a giveaway, isn't it?" She wasn't really asking. "She felt... off kilter, though. Not just 'I'm having a bad day don't talk to me'. More like something permanently damaged." Like something she could have easily turned into, she thought. "She said she needed me alive." That part Topaz did remember.

Sooraya had been twirling her pen in her fingers absently as she watched the play of emotions on the faces of their guests. "So it is most likely we have a dark Topaz running around." She concluded as she saw those faces pale. "So be straight with us... how far has she gone?"

Talia clenched her jaw for a moment. Far enough. "She..." Her eyes flicked to Topaz - one closer to the version Talia had known when she was a kid. "She killed a lot of people. In the mansion. For the spell that brought her... here. I think ending up here, in this universe and in this year was a fluke - she ran out of power or something. She told Aunt Am - my aunt that she was going to 'fix' everything."

Jean folded her arms, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "If the other version of Topaz needs you alive then that's good for us. Either you're important to whatever plan she has cooked up, she feels a twisted kinship with you being genetically the same person, or both. She didn't take you anywhere, and left you to talk to us. That means if she needs to fix something that isn't in this time and she has a plan then she may not be ready for you yet. And she underestimates us. Which means we need to keep an eye on you until we can figure out what she intends to fix, or until she comes for you and figure out a way to stop her in the meantime."

She glanced between the group. "Perhaps we could utilize what we already know about our Topaz to do that."

"I know what she's trying to fix." There was no hesitation in the words. Topaz was staring at the table, drawing invisible shapes to avoid looking at anyone as she spoke. "The Destines killed my adoptive mother in two-thousand eleven. That's basically when everything went to hell, Taboo started turning into... what he is now, everything with the Destines... stop them from killing her, though, and no more problems. Aside from the fact that the timeline would be completely fucked. But something tells me she's not worrying too much about logistics."

Amanda nodded, her expression clouded. "And considering what we're learning about this Topaz, I doubt she'll just stop the event itself. She'll wipe out the entire Destine family to avoid even a chance of it happening. Except... this isn't her timeline she's messing with, so there's no telling what will happen."

Ellie listened to the people from the current timeline as they bantered back and forth and got themselves all sorted, signing the entire time to keep Nate up on what was being said, but her hands started moving more sharply as she got frustrated with their rundown. "You fuckin' know what's gonna happen if you - if we - don't stop her. She's gonna kill every single fuckin' one of you and probably us, too. Just to get a boost back to fuckin' 2011. So quit your chit-chat run around and start actually planning something."

Nate uncrossed his arms looking down at Ellie before looking up at the rest just signed it straight out. *Topaz killed almost everyone in the mansion. Parents, siblings, loved ones. A few were lucky to survive. Topaz doesn't care about the consequences, not to get what she wants. That is how far Topaz will go. Ellie said it, Topaz will kill everyone. Her timeline or not, it won't matter.* After he was done talking he put a hand on Ellie's shoulder, just to be a moral support. It was upsetting, the pain was still fresh as he thought about the day they lost everyone.

Doug was going to instinctively say something defensive to Ellie, but he realized that from her perspective, the people that looked like her parents had just made light of the person who killed her actual parents. He'd probably be pretty pissed too in her place. "Sorry," he said sincerely, making sure to sign along for Nate as he went. "Humor as deflection instinct sometimes results in being an asshole." He tapped a finger to his lips and thought. "Okay, so if we know she's after the Destines, that's where to start. Do we have a line on them?" he asked. "Or barring that, can we set up some kind of...catfish sting?"

"There's only one left - Jasmine. And she's way underground these days, trying to keep out of reach of anyone and everyone." Amanda had winced at Ellie's outburst, realising how they had sounded to a newly-bereaved teen. She hesitated a moment, and then looked over at Topaz. "There's something - someone - else she wants. Our Topaz. My guess is to combine powers to really be sure of getting what she wants. But it does mean we have something to lure her."

"So much for taking live bait off my resume," Topaz said, resting her chin in her hand and frowning. "What about Avalon? Put out a line about a place full of ancient magical objects that I just happen to be very fond of. She wouldn't know about the place the way I do if she left in twenty-eighteen, and Avalon tends to do favors for me if I ask nicely. It could probably rearrange itself to make a trap."

"I don't know much about Avalon, but if this other Topaz is as dangerous as they say... just asking Avalon to arrange itself into a trap isn't going to be enough." Sooraya rested her head on her hand as she considered. "There will be need to be more people..." She sat up. "Topaz, can things even be configured in a trap without hindering the movement of the others? I am worried about friendly crossfire."

"I can ask. It's a bubble dimension, there's only so much awareness." She hesitated before adding, "I'd be more worried about what she'd do once she realizes it's a trap, though." It felt too weird to use her own name referring to someone else. "The magic is bad enough, but she has the emotion draining too, which... is unpleasant."

"If you're worried about her realizing it might be a trap then she probably will too. So we anticipate that. Pretend like it's one type of trap, then try another. Strike when she's distracted," Jean said. "What is her maximum proximity? If we keep her at a certain distance that could help."

Ellie half-turned toward Nate, making sure to catch Talia's eye as well. Still signing for her best friend, she said, "I wasn't at the mansion when she got there. I got the distress signal and booked it back from my interview, so I just... I found..." She cleared her throat, hands pausing for a moment. "Where were you two when it happened? If we can get an idea of how far everyone who survived was from Topaz when she unleashed, we could maybe estimate her range?"

"I was on get kids the fuck out duty with some of the other teleporters," Talia said dryly, but with no humor. "I don't know what her magic limits are, or even if she has any anymore - she's spent years messing with the Winding Way." Her eyes flicked between the magic users at the table, assuming they understood that. "Her empathy is limited, though. Putting distance between her and possible power sources and forcing her to wear herself down to reach can't hurt."

Nate started to sign once more, *I was there inside the mansion when the alarms went off. Dad sent me out to the car to get our bows when the really big one happened. It was parked out outside of the garages. It also blew out all the car windows, but it could have just been from the echo of the initial force. The first person I found, a few feet from the door leading to the garage.* He clenched his jaw.

"That's a lot more range of magic than our Topaz has. Fucking Way." was Amanda's grumpy remark. "The dark side offers pretty much anything in return for anything, we don't know what she's modded herself with. But it seems keeping her away from emotions to charge off seems like a good plan. Maybe..." She glanced at Marie-Ange. "Think we can talk someone into volunteering to be our Topaz for bait purposes? It worked pretty well with that Satana affair and there's those of us used to empaths and blocking them. Or at least making it difficult."

"I can make that happen. We have a few options, though I am going to ask Kevin first. If we have to set someone as bait, I want experience on our side." Marie-Ange shook herself out of her distraction, playing over the conversation in her head. "If this Topaz, and we really need to find another way to refer to her, because of the power of names and all of that, then I want to pack this fight. Whoever we can bring in. I do not want anyone else losing an eye this time. We go in prepared for as much as we can."

Doug's fingers whitened on his cane at the reminder of the last time he and Marie-Ange had dealt with evil magic on this level. "As much as 'I would like to rage'," he said in a thick sort of East London-ish accent, "and put a greatsword through some demons..." If he joked and made nerd references, maybe it wouldn't show to anyone except Angie how much it hurt to be a potential liability in the field. He shook his head. "I'm not the guy for that these days." He forced his brain away from recrimination and tried to think tactically. "Heavy hitters, then. Someone see if Logan's up for a bit of the old snikt-snikt growl-snarl-growl, maybe?" He started placing pieces on the chess board in his mind. "Angelo's good in a scrap, and he's used to magic and demon weirdness."

"Surely there's also other ways to dampen her magic?" Jean said. She tilted her head, glancing toward Amanda curiously. "You could also blind Debbie Downer so she doesn't know what's coming...Sooraya might come in handy with that."

"I'll do what I can, but Avalon doesn't count as a city so I'll have to BYO my own power source." Amanda mused. Maybe see if John's about? Fire's a good distraction and..." she cast an apologetic glance at Topaz. "There might be reasons for her to have issues with it.."

"But even then... if she is powerful enough to... 'effect'... people to the degree that Nate described and over that amount of distance... I'd say psi's might be able to block her to that degree and I should be safe as long as I stay in sand form... but even those used to blocking psi's... I'd say we might need more precautions." Sooraya turned to Topaz. "I don't know your powers very well, but is there any way we could block her from draining us and still be able to fight?"

"Not really something I've had to worry about," Topaz muttered, sighing. "I suppose... fight fire with fire? She can't drain anyone if she's too busy trying to keep me out."

"What about draining us?" Ellie asked. Her loathing of the idea came across clearly, but also her willingness to allow it if it meant getting ahead of Topaz. "You, I mean," she said, lifting her chin in the other, younger one's direction. "So you'll get a power boost or whatever and she'll have nothing to take from us when we go up against her." Then she half-sneered, unable to help herself, "Or will you kill us if you try something like that?"

Talia elbowed Ellie lightly, but Topaz beat her to speaking, meeting Ellie's eyes with a steady gaze. "That's not a great idea if you plan on going immediately into battle. Being emotionally numb is bad for your desire to stay alive."

"It's impossible to kill me," Ellie replied, eyes still locked with this timeline's Topaz. "But sure. Whatever."

Topaz looked back at the group, frowning. "If she's been abusing magic, then she's let her empathy slip. I've always been rubbish at balancing the two and she's definitely not in any state of mind to try. Which means she probably can't drain more than one or two people without risking burning out. Distance, numbers, and distractions are probably the best way to go about this." The momentary confidence faded pretty fast. "That's what I've got, anyway."

"Your next job is to accompany me to Kevin's office, so I can explain to him why he has to be you for two days." Marie-Ange said. "And then go over with him your normal routine, and how you would set yourself up for another attack." She looked over at the trio of young people from an alternate future. "Which of you will want to be there for this? I assume you." She pointed at Ellie. "But what of the rest of you. Who accompanies us, who stays back to watch the child? Who is not capable of combat?"

"Franklin and Shakti aren't," Talia spoke up. "And... I don't think I can be part of this." She looked at Ellie and Nate, signing and speaking at the same time. "You guys and Shogo. Sound okay?"

*You have my bow.* Nathanial signed, *We would like to be part of this as it is our mission to stop her*.

Ellie barely contained her eyeroll at Nate's Lord of the Rings reference, though she wasn't entirely sure how. "Ruby and Garnet are gonna want in on this," she pointed out, continuing to sign. "And they'll be helpful as relays for us, if we have to split up or something. But yeah, besides Little Bit and Shake & Bake, I think the rest of us are down for combat. We can go over specialties now or later."

She'd prefer now, but somehow Ellie didn't see that happening. This group of jokers weren't really any older than she and Nate were. They might've had experience with some of these things, but they didn't really seem to grasp the seriousness of it all. Which just meant she and hers were undoubtedly going to have to pull more weight than they'd anticipated... but fuck it, they'd manage.