Extinguished (Alt.)

[William Talbot]

William nodded; he had known about how quickly Violet's powers had shown in her, but then Aria didn't know about himself.

"I could cause small heat waves at four, and by six could form flames and light up a room with a thought, but at seven my powers doubled and by the time I was nine, I could melt most household grade metals with a touch... Either way, she needs me..." He looked to Aria and gave a knowing shake of his head before going on; "Violet and I both had our issues with the full moon, it made us both stronger, although it affected me more, and if Iris is cranky during the full moon, then I know she's taking after me, because all Violet ever got from the moon was an added boost in her powers followed a week later by a few days of ahh... Female happenings... I however had to deal with everything about me being boosted, from appetite to powers, urges and senses, everything about me hinges on the lunar cycle. If what you say is true, the Violet sensed that about Iris, and she will be impossible for you to deal with if she's not trained, and instructed."


With the exchange of the main details over, Will's face lit up and he actually smiled somewhat at the prospect of seeing Iris, her scent and image burned into his mind from seeing her on Titans Island.
"I... I would love to Aria, thank you." he said as he tried to keep from jumping up and either bolting out the door, or giving Aria a bear hug...

[aria]

"She's two, you know," Aria pointed out with a smile. "The most training she can manage right now is toilet training."

Nevertheless, she shouldered her purse and and gestured that he follow as she exited the small coffee shop, throwing away her empty cup as she walked through the door. Opening the door barely altered the amount of noise that met her ears, as the thin glass windows offered little in the way of soundproofing. She turned around once to make sure he was following, and walked the five blocks to the apartment, the number of people on the street waning the further from the coffee shop they got. They passed by the alley, the one where Violet had died. All that was left of the gruesome scene was a dark stain in the brick of the wall.

She did not turn to even glance at it, though by the minute tensing of her shoulders, it was obvious that its proximity was not lost on her. She walked up to the door of the apartment and pulled out her small keyring, inserting the key and opening the door. The sounds that met their ears had their own kind of beauty, like a single ray of sunlight peering out from behind a cloud. In this place which held so many memories, tainted by the sorrow of Violet's passing, the giddy giggle of her daughter was a speck of joy. Aria hung the keyring on the peg by the door and passed into the living room, where her mother sat on the couch, Iris standing in front of her.

The little girl was nearly two and a half feet tall, weighing scarcely twenty-five pounds. Her shoulder-length black hair bounced as she did, reaching up with eager hands toward the apple slice that Aria's mother offered her. The elderly woman looked to be nearly fifty, just as willowy as her daughter but with streaks of silver through her short black hair. Her eyes were dark brown, almost black.

"Ciao, madre," Aria greeted her. "Hey, Iris. I brought someone to see you."

The little girl looked up with joyful cobalt eyes, indigo rimming them as she sensed something familiar.

"Fi!" she identified, running toward them on legs that seemed almost unsteady, but confident all the same. "Mama?"

[William Talbot]

Will smiled at Aria's observation, and Will knew this, but he also understood that as the girl grew, so would her powers, and that teaching needed to began as soon as possible...


Following her down the street, Will glanced at the alley, and for a moment, he thought he could feel Violet there, whispering to him from beyond, but he didn't stay to check, and he didn't dwell on it either, as he followed Aria up into the apartment, a small smile and nod going to Aria's mother, before he looked at Iris and felt the bubbles of joy from her, the laughter she held the one bright spot in his whole day.

"Hey Iris... How are you?" Will asked as he knelt down to be closer to eye level with the small girl, his eyes soft and kind, glowing softly as he felt her own powers bubble and fluctuate in his presence, and as he looked at her and felt her powers push back slightly, much like she was uncertainly pushing at his arm now, he knew, in his heart of hearts, that this was his little girl, the feel of here was too familiar, as she felt exactly the link had felt, that perfect mix of his power, and Violet's, her eyes themselves seemed to be a blend of his steely blues and Violet's dark almost violet tinted blue hued eyes, the indigo shimmer in them even more proof as to her parentage.


Gently he took her hand and kissed it as his tears tried to return thanks to her question, but he held strong, and shook his head slowly and sadly; "No... No Iris darling, mama isn't coming back... But I'm here now, dad's here to love you and take care of you now..."

Will could feel the sorrow in his heart wrench at him, as he realized just how much he had missed Violet when he was gone, and how much he would miss her now that she was gone, and with Iris here... He was shouldering a lot of pain and guilt, but under it all, he still loved Violet, and now he knew that he would love Iris in much the same way, as she was a part of him, and Violet's only legacy now... He would see that Violet would never be forgotten, not for loving him, and not for leaving such a beautiful sweet girl behind.


But just how did one make a small child understand that their parent, their whole world, was never coming back?

[aria]

Aria exchanged a short glance with her mother, a nod confirming the unasked question in the older woman's face. She clearly was familiar with some of the details of the situation, and even if she hadn't been, the resemblance between Iris and Will were marked enough that hearing him call himself the child's father was hardly surprising. She had the same darker skintone, darker than Violet's skin could become. The shape of her eyes were the same. She had her mother's nose and her face was vaguely the same shape, if rounded by her age.

"Iris, this is Daddy," Aria said, kneeling to the child's eye level. "Daddy."

"Daddy," Iris repeated, her eyes wide as she looked at Aria. "Daddy?"

"That's right, Sweetie," Aria said, a small smile on her lips.

The toddler reached her small hand toward Will's heart, feeling the fire in his core. Her cobalt eyes were curious as she looked at him, as she was yet unsure why she could feel fire in this person as well. He was clearly not Mama, this person that Aria had called her Daddy, but he smelled a little bit like her, and he felt the same there in his heart. Mama felt this way in both her head and her heart, but it wasn't this central. In Daddy, it was as if all of his energy was localized here, under her fingertips. His skin was warmer than Mama's, almost as warm as her own, far more warm than Aria or Madre's skin.

Aria marvelled at the little girl. She'd known lots of children Iris's age, and most of them were far more nervous than she was, to the point that they usually hid from strangers. But as Iris herself did that occasionally, she had to presume that there was some measure of familiarity that was making her comfortable.

[William Talbot]

Will smiled softly at Iris, as she moved closely and gently prodded at his chest with her small soft fingers, the warmth she held in herself not unlike Violet's and yet it was warmer....


Reaching his hand up, he brushed a stray lock of her ever growing raven locks from her face, then placed his hand over hers, and lightly pressed her tiny hand to his heart before speaking softly to her; "Yes Iris, I'm daddy... I loved mama very much, and now I'm here to love you too..."


At this point, Will could say no more, his voice barely stayed together through that, and now tears where creeping up in his eyes as he sensed Iris, and her powers, and her awareness of him, if struck him that he was indeed in contact with the last living remains of Violet, the sorrow of such a thought burning deep down inside, hidden away from everything and everyone.


Looking to Aria William spoke softly for a moment; "I... Can I take her for a walk? Just to the park and back..."

[aria]

Aria watched with sad but understanding eyes, but said nothing. Lord knew she had doubted the depth of his concern for Violet in the past, but she had finally come to find that she had been wrong. It was obvious that Will was hurting because of Violet's death, maybe even moreso than Aria herself was.

"Sure," Aria said with a nod. "I have to make a few phone calls anyway, to schedule that DNA test for her, and then to the custody lawyer."

She stood and walked over to the other room, where there was a small bureau dedicated to the little girl who trailed after her with a bouncing gait, her walk closer to a skip. She watched Aria as she went around the room, gathering some items for the trip, including socks, intended for feet barely longer than the palm of her hand, and including shoes, just as small. She scooped Iris up in her arms and sat on the bed with the girl on her lap, getting a giggle and a squirm as a response. Pulling the socks onto Iris's feet, she prepared the little girl to go out, taking care of her with , which showed just how much she did care for Iris.

Aria looked up as her mother came into the room, tying the short laces.

"<Aria, dear,>" the elderly woman said, speaking softly in Italian to her daughter. "<That boy. He's Iris's father, isn't he.>"

"<Yes, he is,>" Aria confirmed.

"<And you plan on handing her over to him?>"

"<Yes, I do.>"

"<Are you sure that's wise? He only just met her, and he likely knows nothing about looking after a child.>"

"<Few young parents know much about looking after children. The relevant issue is that Iris needs to be with her real family.>"

"<But Violet entrusted her to you,>" the older woman pointed out. "<It was her wish that you be the one to look after her.>"

"<Be that as it may, I can't keep her from her father. He has the right to raise her.>"

"<Legally or idealistically?>"

"<Both, actually. Mother, I would never take her father from her. She needs him.>"

"<Well, darling, it's your decision. I just hope you know what you're doing.>"

Aria nodded and then placed Iris on the floor and stood, taking her hand and leading her into the living room again. She pulled the door closed behind her and handed her to Will.

"Just be sure to have her back here before seven," Aria said with a smile. "I don't want her to miss her supper."

[William Talbot]

Will nodded his thanks and then waited as Iris bounced after Aria to the bedroom, her giggle bringing a small sad smile to his lips as he glanced in on them, as the girl was made ready.


Moving off to the side Will observed the apartment, and tried to get some kind of feel for it, for how Violet had lived outside of the tower and without himself. The very room held her scent, and he could even feel the faintest tugs of emotional attachment to a few items in the main room, his eyes drifting back to the door that he instinctively knew was Violet's, his eyes peering inward as Aria and her mother spoke, Will catching most of what was said, as his eyes looked in and glanced across the walls, at the items she had left behind, his eyes coming to rest on three items on the mirrored dresser...

A glass encased Iris, a small golden ring with a small carved bit of Amethyst set in it, and a thin hanging necklace with a tiny tear drop shaped diamond hanging from the end.

The first thing, she had bought for herself, but the last two items, where things he had bought for her, things she held dear it seemed, until her dying day. And seeing them there, carefull set on her dresser with a few other sundries pulled at him all over again, and Will suddnely felt as if he would never be rid of her ghost, and honestly, he did not want to be, not yet at least...


Once Aria brought Iris back out, Will nodded at the one instruction; "I will... Thanks Aria." he said with a small nod and a hand shake before he guided Iris out of the apartment, and then carried her down the stairs, and at last let her walk next to him, his hand downl, thumb gently pressing into her hand as it gripped his index finger, his hand simply huge compared to her's, almost in a way like Violet's long slender fingers and smaller palms had always seemed so small compared to his hands.


The small park wasn't far away, and once there Will walked to a bench and sat down, placing Iris in his lap and looking at the small almost sprite like girl, his eyes soft and kind as he sat there and held her in his lap, unsure what to say, but knowing that right now, he might not need to say anything, not yet...

[aria]

Aria watched them go, her eyes unreadable as they at last rounded the corner and left her sight. She closed the door, feeling her mother's eyes on her back.

"<Are you sure you trust that boy?>" the older woman asked.

"<I trust that he won't let anything happen to Iris,>" Aria said, "<and Iris really needs his protection. Violet didn't fall over and die; she was killed. I don't think that it was just Elias, either. If it was just her gang, she could've easily escaped. But the bloodwork found a chemical in her blood that they couldn't identify, and I suspect that it played a bit part of what happened.>"

"<Drugs?>"

"<No, Violet would never take drugs. Besides, blood tests would've caught that.>"

"<Then what?>"

"<I'm not sure. I just know that with Violet's powers, it shouldn't have been possible for them to kill her, or for a chemical to survive in her system. She could disable guns with her powers, and she was shot multiple times before she died.>"

"<Darling, this isn't my area of expertise.>"

"<Madre, whatever killed her had to be especially made for her, otherwise it wouldn't work. This goes deeper than a gang killing. I'm scared for Iris.>"

"<Have you spoken to that boy about this?>"

"<No, but if he hasn't figured it out already, I'm going to have to talk to him about it. He's the best protection that Iris could have.>"

---

The little girl's eyes were wide as she looked around the city. Everything was so big outside. Some of the buildings seemed to go into the clouds, and the street just seemed to go on and on. And the people. There were so many strangers out here, and she shrunk into Daddy's side as they walked, her small fingers wrapped around his finger like it was a lifesaver keeping her from drifting off into the sea of people in the city. Like everyone else, the people were much bigger than she was, though none were as big as Daddy. They felt more like Aria than like Daddy, with none of the energy in their heart that she had always felt in Mama, or in Daddy.

The cars on the street had fire in them, in the front. The glowing sticks in people's mouths had fire. Her inquisitive eyes watched everything with wonder. It was so loud out here! Mama had taken her out this way sometimes, but she could never quite get over all of the new sights and sounds that she encountered every time they went out. Her feet stumbled every once in a while, but her grip on Daddy's finger kept her upright.

As they entered the park, she pointed to the grass, and looked at Will, her eyes wide and inquisitive.

"Walk in za gwass?" she asked, tilting her head.

[William Talbot]

William held here on his lap and watched her until she pointed and inquired about walking in the grass, however he wasn't totally sure he had understood her, but after a moment, he figured it out and nodded to her; "Sure Iris, we can go into the grass."

Gently helping her down, he walked her to the largest open patch of grass in the middle of the smallish sized park, and once then he crouched down and let her hand go to watch her, the slowly setting sun moving towards the horizon, his eyes catching a glimpse at his watch, telling him that they had but forty-five minuets before they would need to head back for her supper time.


Watching her slowly walk around Will couldn't help the almost melancholy smile that formed on his lips. So much of Violet was in Iris, and yet, he could also feel parts of himself in there as well, and for a moment Will wondered if Iris would develop some form of Empathy, much as he had. If so thankfully that was another year or two away, maybe even longer if she truly was an even split combination of himself and Violet, which she did seem to be.


As the time passed they played in the grass some, and even talked a little, however it was mostly Iris chattering on in some nonsensical manor and Will just smiling and nodded, listening for what he discern, much of that was her comments on her surroundings, and what seemed to be questions and comments aimed at him about himself, the one thing Iris seemed to be hooked on was his eyes, which, in her own way, reminded him of Violet all the more, as one constant in their relationship was that as much as he would get lost in her eyes, she would get lost in his, her love of his particular tint of blue was one of the more guarded traits she hid from most of the world, for reasons only known to her...



All too soon, Will had to pick Iris up and carry her back, the small girl starting to tire some, and she was clearly getting hungry, so he hoisted her up into his arms and carried her all the way back, holding her close as the light faded from the sky and the street lights started to come on.


"Thank you Aria, Madre... I don't want to impose, so I won't, I have a few other things to address tonight and tomorrow, so I'll be going..." Will paused as he handed Iris over to Aria, and he smiled at the little girl, this time there was notably less sadness in his face as he leaned down some and took the little girls hand and whispered; "Daddy loves you Iris... I'll be back soon I promise." he then looked up to Aria and nodded to her and her mother before backing to the door a few steps and waving his good bye; "Thank you for everything Aria, really, you truly where a good friend to Violet, I can only hope I can earn you';re friendship as well... Good night."

And with that he was gone...


Pulling his cell out, he dialed a special number and waited for a few moments before a dry, and even female voice answered; "William." it was part greeting, part statement, and part question.

"Rachel, I need to get in touch with Jason Blood."

"Why?"

"Personal matter."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because he won;t see you, much less talk to you."

"Because?"

"For two reasons, one is a reason I share with him, and thus have limited contact with you, despite my personal enjoyment of your... company."

Part truth, part sarcasm, oh joy.

"Yeah... Etrigan would flip out because the angelic part of my heritage... But that shouldn't be an issue if I talked to Blood over the phone."

"Even so, he won't talk to you."

"And how the hell do you know?"

"He told me as much."

God dammit...

"When?"

"Two day's ago. He knows what you did in LA, whatever it was, and he told me that you where on a mission, that should not be pursued, at least not now, and not by you."

"Yeah, if he called you, and told you that, and you're LISTENING to him... Well let's just say you're not much of an Empath anymore."

"And just what do you mean by that?"

"When Blood makes the first move in a situation that has no bearing on him, its ALWAYS self serving... But then you know that already."

"She's gone Will, any vestige of her that might be left, is looking to cross over and move to the next plane of existence, or into the after life, you need to let her go."

"Like hell Raven! I can FEEL her! I've passed that alley three times since she died, and I can FELL her essence there as if she had just walked away! And..."

"You've been having dreams about her haven't you?"

"Yes, I have."

"You're going to try and bring her back? Really? But her body..."

"Can't be cremated, even dead she won't burn will she?"

"... No."

"Let me guess: Her body's in the mortuary on the north end of downtown with other historical and localized heroes who've died, right?"

"... Will..."

"Raven..." Will said with a soft, sad tone in his voice that shut the dark haired empathic sorceress up; "It wasn't her time..."

"Maybe not." She replied just as softly; "But we really don't know that for sure, and maybe she's finally found some peace..."

"Maybe... But I haven't yet, and this time, I'm going to be selfish about her, for a DAMMED good reason."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


*2:30am The next day, Jump City, Heroes Memorial Mortuary*


Lighting the candles with a thought, William then took the thee small small vials of blood he had and set them between the candles, placed over blue colored wax that had been drizzled onto the floor in the shape of a heart with a square surrounding it, the candles at the for corners, each corner set to the odd points of the compass, north east, south east, south west, and northwest, three other candles set at the key-points of the Heart, and lastly, a small wooden Star of David at the center of it all...

Closing his eyes, Will drew a small yet razor sharp knife, and waited for the moonlight to hit the center of the small area he had set up.

Once the shaft of moon light hit, Will then cut his right hand and then pressed it into his left, and then pressed his left hand into the middle of the floor, right in the center of the Star of David, before he took the three small vials of blood, the blood of Elias, Scot, and Marty, the three who had shot, and thus killed Violet, and then smashed them into the floor at the base of the heart and softly chanted: "Oh love of mine, stolen from me, I have wrought vengeance, justice for thee, may the blood of thine killers set thee free, I now bind my soul forever, never free, to you, I call, speak to me, from your grave, hallowed to me, I beg my love, speak to me..."


After a few moments, of nothing happening, Will frowned, and glanced at his notes, and tried to remember if there had been anything in that book he might have missed, but then suddenly, the heavy carved marble door that rested over the slot where Violet's Casket was sitting, glowed a pale white and lavender, and he could suddenly feel something like her inner flame all around him, and with that, William flowed all his power into his empathy, and reached out to her with a single spoken word, the small rift between the world, and limbo, and the other realms thinned, and he could see and hear into beyond the mortal world as a warmth suddenly filled the stone room...

"Violet..."

[Violet Schultz]

The lavender glow of the door spread everywhere, opaque in places, but after a few moments, it began to move and concentrate into a single entity, the bright light concentrating on a spot just over the marble tomb, and as the light faded, there was a figure that became visible. The white cargo pants and shirt were at odds with what she'd always worn in life, even paler than her now-flawless skin, and the garments seemed to glow in the relative darkness. Her black hair steamed down her back and across her bare shoulders, the same long, straight style it had ever been. She sat on the marble with her legs crossed, one hand resting on the tomb and the other crossed over her lap. Her dark eyes glowed lavender for a few moments until the glaring light faded, and they resumed their dark blue.

"A bit unnecessary," she said softly. "My soul was always bound to yours. Hello, love."

The expression on her face was far more serene than it had ever been in life, freed from the oppressive guilt and self-doubt that she'd always carried around. Her eyes were gentle, with the barest of smile on her lips. Her clothing, despite the faded light, still managed to gleam softly, and it was that gleam that made it apparent that Violet's form was still partially transparent, and thus incorporeal. Only her essence, her spirit, was there, her energy still much like the inner flame she'd always held and still held power over, in the realm she inhabited.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay for long."

She had stayed around on this plane for as long as she could, knowing that sooner or later Will would try to get in touch with her, but she was almost ready to pass over to the other side, to finally be at peace for the first time. To be reunited with her family. But first, she had some things that she needed to say, and some things that he needed to know.

[William Talbot]

Will blinked as the little light show went on and then, she was there, just right THERE, she herself, and yet, not herself, and yet, the self she was always meant to be...

Most would have a headache from that, but Will had an advantage over most.

"Violet..." he gazed at her, and the eternal beauty she had become, her appearance now as he had always seen her, in his heart rather than his mind or with his eyes; she was perfection, long soft shining hair, the softness in her eyes that was always hidden from even him at times, even the color of her clothing had changed...

"I..." he closed his eyes a moment then snapped them open as tears gushed from them, and steamed their way down his cheeks; "I'm sorry! Oh god Violet I'm so sorry! I... I was there, right there! I should have been faster! I... I... I should have come back sooner! As soon as I found out I... I knew it and... I never should have left!"

He couldn't speak anymore, but he could cry, oh god yes he could cry, and cry he did, big, hot, bitter salty tears as the emotional buildup exploded in his senses, the Lycan in him sensing her, the Angel in him feeling her, and the human in him both seeing and hearing her, all collided to break him down right there, into a crying mess of a man, staring into the eternal eyes of his one true love...


"Oh god Violet... What I would give to undo this all... to have come back sooner, to have never left, to have returned in time..." He wiped at his eyes and shook his head before he looked up at her, kneeling there at the base of his boxed heart, his eyes still flowing with tears as they now glowed with emotion; "I was wrong... and I'm sorry... So sorry..."

Steadying himself Will slowly stood, and looked at her, knowing he must look incredibly weak or at the least, overly emotional, but then he really couldn't help it, his powers had surged when she had appeared, the one thing about this whole event that he had hidden was that, due to the emotional attachment he had to Violet, his powers had, in a sense become attached to her, and as any who knew him well enough (like Violet) knew, his powers where fueled by his spirit and his emotions, and with her gone, half of his power base was gone.

Composing himself, Will rubbed his face and looked deep into her eyes then whispered to her; "Why didn't you ever tell me about Iris? Even in the letter you left me... Why? Did you think I couldn't love our daughter?"

His tone was more hurt and shame filled (at himself really) than anything, and his eyes pleaded with hers for a reply, for an answer, even when he could sense that they where forthcoming, he still asked, the question burning at him from the inside like an ulcer...

[Violet Schultz]

Violet's hand touched his arm, kneeling in front of him before he could realize she had moved. The touch was a true touch of the spirit, not just the human approximation that they had always done with the link. As her touch had always had such an effect on him, it was almost a habit to try to comfort him with a touch, but the physical feeling wouldn't have been her hand. It was more like a warmth, beyond that of flame, felt more in one's heart than on their skin. There was a degree of pain in her eyes at seeing him like this, so fully heartbroken that she could barely stand it.

"It isn't your fault," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Not any of it. Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened. I don't think I could deal with that."

She stood as he did, meeting his troubled gaze with steady eyes, but looking away for a moment, her eyes seeming to see things that weren't visible to Will.

"Of course that isn't it," she said, meeting his eyes again. "You know that. There's something that I've always known, and it seems you need to come to terms with it. My life was short, and it was hard, but I always wondered what the purpose behind it could all be. Why did my life have to be so difficult, so beyond my control? I finally figured it out when I met you."

She spoke slowly, but with conviction, willing him to understand.

"The purpose of my life was to help you. I needed to go through all of those things to help you through the same pain, so that you could have someone who could say that they understood what you were going through, and could really mean it. That's why Slade was so determined to see me dead. I was there to help you out of the darkness, and keep you out of it. It's why I was always so upset that you were so prepared to give your life for mine. Your life is too important to trade for mine."

Her eyes were almost sad, but there was no uncertainty about the way she spoke.

"That's why I won't let you do what you came here to do," she said quietly. "Your destiny was always greater than mine, and the world still needs you in it. I didn't tell you about Iris because I didn't want anything to come between you and the hero you were always meant to be, the hero you are. Not even our daughter. But now, she needs you. For now, Slade is still after you, but when Iris grows up, I'm afraid that he will target her as well. Please, keep her safe."

Her physical form was beginning to waver.

[William Talbot]

The feeling of her touch...

Dear god how he had missed it, and the last time he had felt it, she had been dead, her flesh had been cooling, and it... It wasn't the same...

But to feel her very essence caress his arm, it was if the link, and the physical world had collided into the only point of reality that mattered, and that point was where her hand, or at least the ectoplasmic spiritual counterpart to it, came to rest on his arm, the warmth, so pure, so real, and yet, not there, that it almost drove him to tears again.

But as she spoke, he listened, and as she gazed into his eyes, he once more drowned in them, in the purity and calm they held, and while a stubborn part of him refused to believe and accept it... His heart knew it was true, that in the end... Her reason for living, and even her reason for dying, was for him, and that it wasn't his fault, even if he wanted to blame himself for it, and even if logic pointed at him for it, he knew that, it was only a matter of time...

But, what of Iris?

"Violet... Iris... She... I... We need you... We really do... I would give my life a thousand times for you, I would die by silver however many times it took... I need you..." he said softly just before she started to waver, a small tingling racing up his spine before he looked to the doorway, a bald woman with simple, sweet features, and a long flowing gray robe that moved unnaturally to a wind that wasn't there.


Death.

"Oh... I'm sorry Violet, I... I thought he might have tried sooner, when he didn't I... Please... I... I do not understand all I see and feel, but do not let me stop you, there is still time, and still, choices to be made... I shall wait, for now..."

Will looked at the woman then back to Violet, the tears coming back as he looked at her then reached up slowly and then willed his empathy to bridge the gap, and bridge, it did...

As much his emotions and mind reached up, more so than his own hand, and yet, when he felt the contact again, it just felt... real...

Hand on her cheek, Will leaned in slowly and looked at her, his voiced hushed as she spoke; "Violet... I can't be that hero... Not now... Not because of Iris, but... You became my strength, my partner, my counterpoint, a part of me... My poor excuse of a soul can't stand thinking of a world without you, it would rather be cast away to the ends of creation and all that is then to be attached to me without you... I need you... I need you more than I need air..."

The tears ran freely again, not sobs, no yelling, no crying out, and no shame, just pure wet, sorrow filled, scared, and lonely tears.

Holding her there as he did, Will stared at her a moment longer before he naturally fell into a trance, and leaned in to kiss her, but a part of him realized that he could never kiss her lips....

Again?

He could feel it, her, her lips, pressed into his, the warm mesh of soft, sweet flesh, the taste of hot cinnamon and the scent of orchids and lavender, he could feel her, smell her, touch her, as real as the last day he had kissed her, the day he had been stabbed, hours before, they had kissed, and... He had felt something then he had never understood until now...


Regret, mixed with sorrow and repentance...


The kiss suddenly ended and Will felt himself pull back, as Violet became slightly more translucent before him and gentle breeze of ethereal wind stirring, the lady in gray standing back at the door way with a tilted head, and a small question on her lips.

"It's time Violet... Will... You're time is not yet, but... You have called to her, and you have enacted the first part of the Lovers Ransom..." she looked to Violet then back to William and spoke with a thousand hushed voices: "I shall tell you son Earth, Ly'ceen and of Heaven, your time is closer than you think, and far closer than any other knows, but I know, I and the fates, I and your true master, Adoni, and for this, you are chosen but... For your love, you would risk all, for your life you would lay down freely, for you are pure of heart, if not mind, and you would give yourself for your love... You shall change the world... William James Talbot... You are of the cursed ones, bread for but one reason, with but the shadow of a soul, and yet this fragment of yourself eternal as your spirit, now hangs in the balance for you're mate, companion and love... Do you freely give yourself to your destiny? Do you offer yourself for this world?"

William looked to the avatar of death and then to Violet, and them back, speaking clearly, even as tears steamed down his face; "I do... But I must beg the question... Why do you speak of me, when it is Violet who you have come for?"


The maven of death looked to them and smiled sadly; "I speak of these things, so that you may both understand... There are but three things that remain after I have passed over all... Faith... Hope... And Love... And the greatest of theses, a force that has crossed oceans, rent the starts and ended everything before it began, yes, the greatest of these, is Love... And it is Love I sense in you both, and it is Love that binds me here, awaiting the choice to be made... Do you give your poor small soul, for your love? And will she take it, to be with you and your child again?"


Will looked to Violet and then closed his draining eyes as he whispered out in a breath; "I do, if she will take it... And if she does not... Then may her next life be as blessed as mine is now..."


The Gate Keeper looked from William to Violet, and then nodded; "Then the final choice, is yours dear Violet... What says the lady warrior?"

[Violet Schultz]

Violet could feel it; the other world was getting closer. She was almost there, almost at the end that was truly another beginning. And she wasn't afraid of it anymore. Her gaze was steady as she let herself get lost in the steely blues of his eyes, listening as his spirit cried out in loneliness and desperation, saying that he couldn't live without her, couldn't fulfill his purpose without her at his side.

"Yes, you can," she said, her soft rebuke accompanied by a smile that was almost proud. "You will touch so many lives, Will. And when your time comes, we'll meet again, and we'll be together for the rest of eternity."

She looked over at the woman, acceptance in her eyes as she knew what was coming next. The deal was offered, and Violet looked back at Will, communicating with her eyes what she knew that he would guess in his heart. Shining tears began to roll down her fading cheeks, but there was no sadness on her face, or in her heart as she said what they both knew.

She could never take that deal.

"I can't," she said softly. "I won't let you give your soul for me. I love you, and I want you to be whole."

She reached out her hand and rested it on his chest, her eyes glowing lavender once more as she prepared to impart her final gift to him. The air and the light in the room pulsed, as if to a heartbeat, but the heart from which this power came would never beat again. The energy that she gave him was like an inner flame, but it went deeper, past pure fire. She poured her power into him, all that she could, until the lavender of her eyes had faded entirely, and the deep blue was untouched by any other shade.

Her hand moved, and she touched his cheek, her eyes meeting his.

"I love you," she said, the glimmering tears still running down her cheeks, though there was still no sadness there. "Always and forever. Everything in my life that was worth having, you gave me. I'll be watching over you and Iris. Tell her that I love her."

She turned to Death, her decision made. Her hand fell from his cheek and she spoke.

"I'm ready."

The doorway of light reappeared over the tomb where she had appeared, an ethereal wind sweeping her hair back over her shoulders before it abated. She turned back to look at him, a content smile lighting her face, and then walked through the doorway and vanished, finally crossing over. Two voices could be heard before the light of the door faded into the darkness of the night.

"Vi, baby..."

"Mom..."

[William Talbot]

William's eyes throbbed as he wept, her choice made, and her reason given, and yet, for just one heartbeat, he couldn't let go, his hand resting over hers when she placed it on his heart, his lips quivering slightly; "... You make me whole..."

And with that his hand followed hers to his cheek before it slipped from his grasp like so much sand or smoke, his hand now aware how wet his cheek had become as he nodded to her, as he softly replied to her one last time; "Always and forever sweetheart... You are my treasure and strength... And you honor me..." Closing his eyes he nodded at last and smiled softly; "She knows Violet... In her heart she knows... Until forever my love..."

And with that he watched her fade away into the doorway, Death slowly following her, stopping only at the threshold for at his request: "Gate Keeper, I would speak to you."

Turning she looked at him, her eyes, black as night, and yet not dark, her skin, white as purest snow, and yet not bright, her face was not ugly, but it was not pretty, she simply was, and she nodded to him, in waiting; "Of course Warrior... What would you say?"


Will walked forward but stopped halfway between where he had been and the Gate Keeper, and the slowly fading door to the thereafter, the Lycan in him not daring to move one step closer.

"I need to know two things... One, was it really her time?" He looked to her with piercing eyes that demanded an answer, despite the slowly fading tears...

She looked to him and tilted her head with a sad smile and slow shake as she let out what might be thought of as a sigh; "No... She died before her time, she was robbed of her Destiny by the Fates, the situation exploited by darkness, to try and steal away power from light... But she has made her choice, and now, you must go on to your Destiny, while shouldering the extra load of your child, but fear not, the Fates say she will grow into a strong woman of honor and power, and she will be a most fitting legacy for you, and your love... What else do you wish to know?"


Will looked at her and closed his eyes, knowing now that he must move on, but not just yet willing too.

"And what of me and my fate?"

The Gate Keeper looked to him and tilted her head the other way and spoke softly; "That is something I do not know yet, all I have told you, I know because she died, and be came my responsibility, you however, have much time yet, and so all I know and can say is this: you will die a warriors death, and you will be honored with the greatest of all heroes for your actions... I'm sorry, that is all I can tell you, it is all I know..."

Will shook his head, the honor and glory he could care less for, but still he had his answers, and as such, there was nothing to keep him or Death there to linger, and so she bowed to him and vanished, the candles burned away, now, the blood dried and flaking, and the warmth that had filled to room, suddenly fading, even as the very first colors of light teased the sky, morning almost there.


Cleaning the mess up was simple, but the journey back to the tower was both long, and short, still once there, Will fell into his bed, and instantly fell asleep, a dreamless rest that began the long task of mending his broken heart, if only to hold himself together for Iris, and for his job...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Fifteen years later...*

An explosion rocked the center of downtown, windows of all shapes and sizes shattered as chunks of rubble, concrete, asphalt, parts of cars, buildings and roads flying everywhere, a streak of red and blue arcing down into the middle of suburbia...

"Kal!" Wonder woman bellowed as she rushed to the man of steel's side, his face bloody an bruised in a manner she'd not seen in years.

"I'm.. Fine Dianna... Okay I'm not... Damm that hurt!"

"That beast is magical Kal, you're weak against it." She rebuked him as she helped him to his feet.

"So I gathered when it back handed me half way into the next county... Who else is here?" He asked as he wiped his lip clean on the back of his arm and slowly rose back into the sky peering intently at the center of the mayhem.

"GL and Flash are the only other Leaguers here, But we also have Hawkman, and Doctor Fate of the JSA here as well." she said as they flew back to the action.

"What about Titans? Any of them close?" He asked as an unholy roar sounded and a building fell over, spurring them to move faster.

"Titans West went with Batman and John to Oa to meet with the Guardians, and Titans East is in Europe helping Titans Euro with a rash of activity from the new Brotherhood."

"Great! It would figure that when the biggest hellspawn since Trigon shows, everyone's out of town!" He commented as he flew faster, still not to his full speed, because he was wracking his brain for a way to fight this monster without dying.

"There are however two Titans on their way!" Wonder Woman asserted as they got closer and closer the damaged areas pointing to the epicenter of the carnage.

"Who?"

"Blaze and Flare."

Superman nodded grimly, even as he felt a tiny twinge of worry...



"C'mon dad! You're not that old yet!" Iris laughed as she flew just ahead of her father, her hands and feet sprouting jets of indigo flame, as he flew on his blazing spirit wings, his battle armor glinting in the sunlight.

"You're right, isn't sixty the new forty or something?" he replied teasingly before putting on a burst of speed and pulling ahead, their ear buds suddenly working with a crackle of shouts and cries, explosions and thundering in the background.

"Iris..."

"Flare! Dad you can't start breaking the rules now, not even the small ones!"

"Flare..."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I know dad... Daddy, whats wrong?"


Blaze looked at the masked face of his daughter, her bright cobalt blue eyes rimmed with indigo power as her long raven hair streamed behind her.

"Stay close, and be careful... I can sense this thing a mile or fifty away and it's bad..."

Iris, or Flare rather, smiled at him and nodded; "Okay... I love you too dad."


Blaze gave her a slight smirk as he edged ahead again and called to her; "Will you pick one already? Dad, daddy, papa, da man, you smelly old man, pick SOMETHING and stick with it!" he teased as they arced up and then dove down at the center of the city, where a large black and red stony skinned beast was crashing about ruining everyone's day...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"DADDY!" Iris Shrieked as Blaze, bleeding, limping, and armor trashed, charged the beast, a massive buildup of energy in his fist as he drove himself like a lance into the belly of the monster, which also look quite the worse for wear...


The explosion was brighter than a thousand suns, the sound like a strong wind across a field of grass, the heat, blistered the paint off of cars ten miles away, and gave Superman a winter tan like he'd never had before, or would have since...


"NO!" Flare cried as she saw the remains of the beast burn away and her fathers tall powerful form fall to the ground like a rag doll, the crashing of his helmet and what was left of his armor like the sound of pots and pans being clanged in a kitchen by a four year old.


Rushing to her fathers side, Iris pulled her mask off and then tugged at his helmet, cracked across the face, and stained with black tar, and blue blood.

[color=mediumslateblue"Daddy? Daddy! Oh Daddy no!"[/color] she cried as she brushed her hands over his face, and looked at him, his breathing labored and erratic as he shuddered in her lap.

"Iris?" He wheezed as his eyes slowly opened, bloodshot and bruised, his nose bleeding slowly as his head shifted and he looked up at her, a small smile on his lips as his other hand reached up to her and brushed the long dirty and wind swept locks of hair from her face and cupped her cheek lightly.

"Daddy, hang on, helps coming... Oh why did you do that?" she asked as she realized what was happening, his inner flame was flickering wildly, like a bonfire being blown on by a hail storm, strong, but tired and being slowly beaten.


He looked at her and clucked his tongue before chuckling; "Just like you're mother... Always asking me why I do it the way I do... It's simple Iris... It's what had to be done..." He brushed some dirt from her chin before he coughed violently, spattering flecks of hot blue blood onto her indigo and blue uniform, specks she dared not wipe off as he blinked slowly at her, and she cradled his head in her lap.


"Mom..." Iris said, tears welling up in her eyes as she suddenly knew... Her father was dying... "Daddy, tell me about mama... one more time, please?"


William smiled up at her and gently rubbed her cheek as he nodded, then spoke; "Alright... You're mother... Was a beautiful, honest, strong and honorable woman... She saved me, did you know that? When I was lost, and scared, she found me, and helped me, and ended up saving me... She knew what I was going through, and she helped me to find myself again... And we became close, closer than anyone else, we knew everything there was to know about each other... And we loved each other, so much, oh so much, that we made you... And that even when we hurt each other, and had parted, we still could not deny how we felt, and that, when she died, I felt that a part of me had died too... I... Oh Iris, I love your mother, and still do, with all of my heart, and I love you the same way..."

He shuddered again, his flame suddenly half of what it had been and his eyes where dulling, but still, he pushed on; "I want you to know... that your mother and I love you, so much, and we're both proud of you... Our little girl... Our Legacy... Our Iris..."


"Daddy... I... I love you too Daddy... Please... Don't... No..." she sobbed as her eyes gushed out tears that fell down her face and onto his, washing the dirt, smoke and blood from his face slowly, her hands and arms now holding him tightly to her as the sounds of the world slowly faded, and his hand moved to her arm, then slid gently over the top of her chest...

"I know Iris... But don't be scared... Violet... Mama has watched over us both all this time, and now, both of us will watch over you..." slowly, he flowed himself into her, his power, his strength, his all slowly seeped into Iris, her eyes glowing a bright mixture of colors, Lavender, Pale Blue, Indigo and white, her face glowed, and her hands warmed, even as she cried harder than she could ever remember crying until her father sighed softly and she felt his slightly rough, blood stained lips on her cheek, his rich, lumpy baritone rasping in her ear; "I love you my daughter, more than you may ever know... Be strong, be strong, and may... you..."

"... May you be strengthened..." She finished as she felt his hand fall from her to his side, the fire now but a soft glow of embers dying in the night, his eyes now glassy and fading to a the dullest shade of blue and gray she had ever seen, a wisp of palest blue flowing from his mouth as he died under a shower of hot silent tears...

"Violet.... My love..."