Harpy's Den

Alana's message rung clear over the earpieces of Hannah's team. This was her time to strike. Alana snuck back into the crowd and spread the false alarm that there was a bomb threat then proceeded to clear the civilians from the building. Before the mission, Hannah gave them all one condition.

"No innocent bystanders are to be harmed. Deliberate or accidental. This is not their fight."

As the evacuation was underway, this gave Hannah enough time to sneak past cameras and unsuspecting guards into Roselyn's dressing room. Roselyn had been preparing to give a grand speech alongside her douchebag of a husband to celebrate the latest achievement of her company's biotech project. She had never banked on her old school rival outwitting her every step of the way.

The door to her dressing room was flung open violently.

"Jane I told you not to let anyone in!", Rose yelled in an aggravated tone as if it wasn't the first time that happened.

To her horror, Jane's body slumped through the doorway and someone else stepped in. Rose gasped and began to back up into the dresser.

"Oh she's fine. She's just out cold for now. You and me though... We so need to catch up, don't we?"

Hannah stalked in like the cat with the cream, her boots resonating on the solid wooden floor. It was as if Rose could die from the sound of her boots alone.

"I see it wasn't enough to mock me in school, huh. You spread rumours about my family back in the past but that failed so badly. So you tried to come after my father. Thank god I stopped you in your tracks!"

Hannah's voice trembled with remembered rage as she glared towards Rose. "I'd even forgive infiltrating my agency, but messing with my father?"

Rose snapped back, "He disrespected 'my' family! How could I sit back and allow that!".

"Your folks were some of the dirtiest officials in the States! But you couldn't accept that, could you, hm? Can't take the Gold name being dragged in dirt I see.".

Hannah turned her back to Rose as she looked around the pompous room. Her blood was so hot an omelet could have fried just by being near her.

"If only they knew what you really were, Rosy. The public see a big hearted CEO, but she's a CEO who abandoned her own mutant brother.".

Rose's eyes went wide. "What.... How did you kn-"

"Xavier Gold, went to the same schools as us. Boy gets his powers and the next day he reports in, saying he was domestically abused. Thought it was his parents but whew. All the families in the area got a letter that it was you. You swore blind it wasn't but wounds never lie. I'm wondering just what the hell you have.....hidden up....here... ".

She stood close to Rose tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Hannah raised her left hand with a sound orb she'd been making and aimed it for her head.

"No... No don't please!"

Hannah began to vocalise a sweet tone that sounded like the flow of petals. If it had a smell, it would be like lillies in an open pond. She pruned the orb as if she were casting a spell while defiantly staring Rose down.

"Don't....don't make me remember that please!"

A woman who was a master at making chemistry altering serums...no match for the song of a siren. The orb flew over Rose's head, permeating her mind and reaching into its depths while Rose was powerless to resist.

Her brother's face rang clear in her mind, the day his powers showed up and the way she physically abused him. Her cold response after he was bullied for being different. Her cunning tactics when she saw Hannah take an interest in mutant powers. What was worse, she could see Tom's face as she ran test after test on him. Treating him like a mere lab rat. Even lab rats have more say than Tom ever did. The resentment he felt, the hatred. It could be felt, even as a memory.

Hannah ended her hypnotising tune in time to hear the walkie-talkie crackle. A muffled voice could be heard emitting from it.

"You might wanna get that."

Rose, too afraid to disobey, picked up the radio.

"This better be good news...".

"Test Subject 2,he...he....he's coming for us! So many taken down already.... Oh god he's here! Ahhhhhhh---...".

The voice was cut off by the utter sound of terror. Rose looked up in shock at her enemy. She never envisioned that Hannah would gain this much power over her.

Hannah had the keys to the kingdom. If she chose, she could make someone's life a personal hell. And Roselyn Gold was more than deserving of it.