[25] Tribal Awakening

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Bliss closes her eyes as the blade comes down. Sasha runs towards Bliss and screams,
"Noooooo!"
Bliss vanishes as the blade and guillotine falls apart. Charlotte is frightened but hides it in her aggression.
"Where did she go? Find her! Guards!"
Sasha and Roman use this distraction to their advantage and attempt to escape.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Don't worry about it, Queen."
"Don't be foolish. This isn't about us, it's about my queendom. I do what's best for the--- for my business. Don't take this personal but you're not leaving."
"Let us go. What use are we if we refuse to work with you?"
"You will not refuse my one and ONLY offer."
"And that is?"
"I'll let you two live in my palace. You'll be treated fairly and accordingly to my discretion and judgement. No one, other than myself, will force to to vacate. You'll eat like a king and... boss and you'll be kept well oriented in hygiene. Lord knows you need it."
Sasha rolls her eyes.
"And?"
Charlotte tilts her head with a confused but somehow confident look on her face.
"What do you mean? Can't I be fair and just?"
"Charlotte, you and I both know you are corrupt. Flairs don't change."
"Queen Charlotte and you must believe me when I say I have changed... Bliss just happened to be my final tweak."
"You have not changed. You're still the same old Charlotte I knew. You're still insane."
"Queen Charlotte and I am not... No I am not the old blonde girl you knew."
"Then why would you let us live here?"
"To prove I have changed!"
"So what's the catch? What's your secret plan?"
"No secret plan."
"I know you, Charlotte. There's always a secret plan."
"You'll be under heavy surveillance."
"I know you too well."
"I only do this so I can trust you."
"Trust? Wow, can't believe I'm hearing this from you. How can we trust you?"
"Here take this."
Charlotte removes a feather from her head gear.
"This is a sacred feather from a generation of peacocks my great grandfather had once owned. As along as you have this... I promise not to harm you. Neither one of you."
"Give us sometime to think about this offer."
Roman interrupts.
"Fair enough. You have 15 minutes alone. No more, no less."
Sasha and Roman go into a secluded room and think things through.
"So what do we do?"
Sasha looks out of a window then eyes Roman.
"We should stay."
"Rome, you're not really considering this, are you?"
"The best way to..."
He lowers his voice and moves closer to her.
"The best way to collect intel and information on Charlotte is by staying close to her. We can help the team but they need men inside these walls. This is a benefit. Just stay close to her but not too close. Ok?"
"Ok, I hear you but what if she turns on us?"
"Then we'll contact crazy-b***h Mortaquor to slaughter her Flair ass."
Sasha looks at him and smiles.
"Your eyes are glowing, Ro. They're blue and the ring of green is just... wow. You're gorgeous."
Roman smirks and looks back at her.
"Enough about me, let's just pray this mission works."
"I hope this works."
"A wise woman once said, '... we always make it through.'"
"Stremble?"
"Yeah, yeah. Always and forever. You always bring that up."
"It helps keep you on track."
Sasha smiles and embraces him.
"But you need to be careful. She's not trustworthy. You can't get too close."
"Then it's official. I'm a traitor."
Roman looks at Sasha, confused.
"Trietta."
"Don't say it like that!"
Sasha playfully hits him as he laughs.
"Just know that whatever happens... I love you."
"Rome, I... I..."
Charlotte knocks.
"The queen doesn't wait."
"Rome, I have to go. I need to reconnect with her."
Sasha scurries away and leaves Roman broken-hearted.
POV: Seth & The Undertaker
"She's in here."
Taker senses her. Seth rolls his eyes and thinks, "I could've told you that."
Undertaker removes the rock structures with his telekinesis. Paige looks at a bloodied Finn.
"Finn! Finn! Finn, please answer me. You can't die on me. You need to get up! I need you."
"You murdered him?"
"No! Who are you? Seth, who is he?"
"I'm the Undertaker."
Seth sets Liv down.
"This is the Leader of the Ministry of Darkness."
"Who? You're the bastard who wants my powers."
"I'm the what? I'd watched your language with me. You're in the presence of a--"
"Of a what? I can't believe you think I'd respect or honor you."
"A great leader and warrior."
"Then fight me!"
"I'm not fighting you."
Paige spits in his face.
"Fight me!"
"Paige, let's not do this."
Seth tells her as he blocks her from Taker.
"I'll forgive you once, Saraya."
Taker stares down at her.
"I hate you! You can't take everything away from me."
"I'm here to assist you in all and any of your troubles. I can save your friend Finn.
"What? Help? With what? What could you possibly help me with? You'd make this worse. I'll save him. I don't need you. I never needed anyone. I'm better off alone."
"Paige, you don't be mean that."
Paige looks at him coldheartedly and repeats herself.
"I do."
Seth stares at the Dark haired lady with hurt written over his face.
"Nothing I said was untrue, Seth. No one truly loves me. Not even my own mother. She wanted me so she could see me become some monster. Tests and initiation and--"
"You must be initiated by your parents."
"I'm not talking to my mother ever again. She used me for tests and never truly loved me."
"Then talk to your father, talk to me."
"What? You're not my-- No, no, he's not my father."
"I am."
Seth freezes as Paige faints into his arms.
POV: Little Miss Bliss
Bliss wakes up in a dark underground tunnel. She looks around then at herself.
Why in the blue hell am I in a catsuit?
She walks around in her platinum black leather  catsuit wondering where she is and how she got there. In the distance, she spotted a misty black and blood colored smoke. Courageously, Bliss approached it. A woman arose from the ash-like mist.
"You must be Bliss."
"I am. Who's asking?"
"I am Catrina."
"How did I get here?"
"The Above rescued you. They brought you here."
"Where are we?"
"You'll know soon enough."
"No, you'll tell me now."
"As I said, you'll know soon enough."
"And as I said, you are going to tell me now."
"Comply with me. It'll make this..."
She tries to think of an appropriate term to define their interaction.
"It'll make this encounter more... comfortable."
"Tell me where I am and why I'm here."
"Follow me and you'll know your exact location."
Bliss rolls her eyes and sighs.
"Ok then."
Catrina leads the way.
"You are here, Lucha Underground."
"I've here of this place but why am I here?"
"This place is yours. You were chosen by your vehement show of valor and strength. This is your Temple. You are the Goddess of the 7th tribe, Raivoa."
"Raivoa? Lady, you must be on something really strong. One of Sasha's hallucinogens... I was chosen?"
"Bliss, Goddess of Raivoa."
"Catrina? What that your name?"
"It is."
"Listen, there must be some misunderstanding or complication because I didn't--"
"The chosen one is never a misunderstanding. No one understands why or how, we learn to accept who is chosen and we ask now questions."
"Well I don't know who taught you that but where I come from, I demand and it comes to me. Why was I chosen?"
"The Above wanted you to lead this tribe into victory."
"The Above? You mentioned them before. Who are they?"
"Yes, they are the ones who decipher the future of the tribes."
"Ok then. Take me to them."
"Only you can the other six heads can speak to them. I am only an introductory assistant. I can offer nothing else."
"Fine, how do I contact them?"
"In their temple, only the chosen ones may enter when called onto."
"Where is their temple? I'm not waiting."
"You're very demanding and persistent... no wonder why they chose you."
Catrina smiles then proceeds to escort Bliss to the temple of The Above.
"I cannot go any further. This is farthest I'm allowed to go. Good luck, Bliss."
"I won't need it, thanks."
Bliss grabs a torch and marches as an one woman army to the temple.
Catrina looks to her left, nods, and whispers,
"She's here."
POV: Paige and Taker
Paige wakes up.
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"It was best for you not to know. You would've never understood. Your mother is did her best."
"So what part of my life isn't a lie?"
"Seth, over there, he really does care for you."
"I don't think he'll stay with me after I almost killed him... twice."
"Darkness can't eliminate love."
Paige sits up and runs her hands through her hair and notices the blue, fiery glow.
"The night flame. Is is diminishing or expanding? It's blue again?
Taker nods.
"It means you're in control again. It's not diminishing, it's... Mortaquor is keeping quiet."
"Keeping quiet?"
"There must be a reason why Mortaquor is being humble."
"Could it be another force?"
"I think there is. Charlotte's using her mind control powers to summon Mortaquor."
"So that's why Mortaquor is hiding."
Taker nods.
"How do you know this?"
"Whenever I roll my eyes back, I lose vision only to see what spirits are lurking."
"What does Charlotte have in mind?"
"Destruction. She wants to claim a throne that never belonged to her and she's using Roman to get to Sasha."
"How can she control minds?"
"The cape her father gave her. The one with the feather. It's symbolizes a full cycle. From her father and back to her. Without it, she hopeless."
"How do I steal it?"
"You don't steal it, you break it."
"How do I--"
"Sh. Do you hear them?"
"Raiders."
"We have to get moving."
"Where are we going, Father?"
"I'm your father in spirit not blood. Ricky is still your dad."
Paige sighs and smiles meanwhile Seth helps Finn and Liv.
"We have to got Northwest. The Aztec Tribe will accept you. They have the secrets to the Tribal Throne. There, we'll initiate you and stop Charlotte."
"No!"
Lita slithers out of her shadow.
"There's only one way to stop Charlotte. You must find Becky. She has the key to Charlotte's heart of stone. She's stuck... in time. Charlotte used Becky's gear clock to lock her away."
Paige steps in front and confronts Lita.
"Why should we believe you?"
"She's telling he truth. Those who are mind controlled have a shade of blue eyes with a green ring around it."
Lita nods.
"Taker is correct. I slipped out of the spell... someone almost broke it."
Taker's eyes widen.
"Taker, what happened?"
Seth joins the conversation. Taker looks down and stares into Paige's eyes.
"Someone took your throne. You have an imposter."
"Who in the bloody hell would do that?"
"She's a blonde. The Above chose her. They think she's Mortaquor."
"But who?
"She's hidden."
"Lita, help us out here."
"I wish I could, Seth. This is no longer in my hands. We have three great forces fighting."
"Welcome to the Great War."
POV: Little Miss Bliss II
Temple of The Above
"Lexa!"
Alexa turns around and sees Neville.
"Adrian! You're healed."
"They patched me up really well huh?"
They embraced one another and share a blissful moment.
"Wow did you get here?"
"I turned into mist and the next thing I knew you were in these steps."
"What are we doing here?"
"They think I'm some goddess."
"Well, you are."
Bliss smiles.
"Neville, not like that. Plus I'm the only Queen of your throne but in need to get back to Lotta. I have to squash the Charlotte--"
The dark tunnel gates open
"Mortaquor, welcome to the Temple."
A man in a mask greets the couple. Bliss looks confused.
"You must be mistaken I'm not--"
"You must be hungry. You and the young man. Come inside. We'll clean you two up."
The man in a mask leads to their room. Maids enter the room and give both members of the team massages along with a new change of clothing.
"Bliss, you have to tell them you're not Mortaquor."
"We deserve this. They're treating us like a King and Queen. We never got this treatment at Lotta. We're invincible."
"What happens when they find out?"
"They won't, Neville."
"You're starting a Great War."
"And I'll come out victorious."
Bliss's eye darkens as she smirks.

Next Morning.

POV: Paige
Paige fights her demons in order to awaken herself. As she rises, she thinks of possible blonde suspects and traitors and yells,
"BLISS!"

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