5/9 Instance: Happiness is Weakness

[Slarti]

Timelined directly after Sit Tibi Terra Levis

<Shaw> The door closed behind the last robed figure and Sebastian turned his attention to the only other person left in the room. "I know it's you, of course," he said, shifting his weight from knee to knee as the rough stone floor cut into his skin even through his trousers.

<Monet> Monet stepped out from a shadow and pushed the hood back from her head. "You're in quite a large amount of trouble, my king." She walked closer to him and put her hands on her hips, "What am I supposed to do with a king who gets himself into trouble in the complete opposite way he's supposed to?"

<Shaw> "I think you forget who brought you to your throne, my queen." He sneered up at her and for the first time since this had begun seriously considered snapping the bonds around his wrists.

<Monet> "Non. I don't forget anything. But you do." She took the last two steps and clamped her hands around his wrists. "You forget who you're talking to. And you forget what your duties are."

<Shaw> "My duties," he scoffed. "I've made more progress for our kind than ever before, with every scheme the Lord Imperial embroiled me in," head cocked, he considered this, "or those in which I involved myself."

<Shaw> "Isn't it the saying that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, after all?"

<Monet> "The progress you made has slowed to a crawl. If even that much can be counted." She shook her head at him, "Do you even realize how upset they are that you're not doing what you used to? Your goals have shifted, Sebastian. And I can't let you take me down with you, my king."

<Shaw> "My goals have not shifted," he twisted to look up at her now. "If anything, I'm more committed to ensuring mutants have a safe and powerful place in this world, Monet. How could I not?" Eyes narrowed, he studied her face, irritated by her tone.

<Monet> Monet shook her head, "Non. You are more committed to ensuring your future family has a safe and powerful place in the world."

<Shaw> "Of course, but does that not benefit other mutants as well?" Tired of this, he jerked his arms from her hold and snapped the bonds. "I've assisted that school far more from the inside than from without, simply throwing money into a black hole." Sebastian rose and looked down at her. "The Lord Imperial will come to realize I am right."

<Monet> Monet rolled her eyes at his show of power, but let him have his feeble victory, taking a step back from him and crossing her arms. "No, it doesn't benefit other mutants. Not so far as the Hellfire Club is concerned. And assisting the school as a teacher is definitely not what the Lord Imperial enjoys you doing."

<Shaw> "You teach there as well," he said with a snort. "As entertaining as this is, and as much as I enjoy our reunion, this farce is over." Sebastian turned for the door, intent on recovering his phone and returning to civilization. This was ridiculous, and he'd been taken from his own Club again. Jessica would be beside herself with worry by now.

<Monet> Monet closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "You need to stop, Sebastian. Or this will not be pleasant for you."

<Shaw> "Oh, pleasant stopped long ago, my dear queen. Would you care to join me, or do you have further bootlicking to conduct with the Lord Imperial?"

<Monet> Monet reached into his mind and held the part hostage that allowed his brain to transmit movement to his legs. "You do not get to walk out on me, Sebastian. That's not part of this punishment." She walked around to be in front of him. "And you sure as hell do not get to call me an ass-kisser."

<Shaw> Sebastian growled in frustration, but was unable to stop her pushing past his shielding. Paralyzed, he glared at her. "Oh, so you want your pound of flesh as well, amant?"

<Monet> Monet glared at him and shook her head, "Non. I don't. But the Lord Imperial? He wants more than a pound of flesh. And if I don't give it to him, it's me he will take it out of."

<Shaw> Already forming a retort, he stopped and tilted his head, this time realizing what she truly was and wasn't saying. "Pourquoi, Monet?"

<Monet> "This is not a time for you to ask questions. Only for there to be answers readily available to you. Just not the answers to your questions." She picked him up by his jacket and flew him to the Lord Imperial's throne, hovering over him. "You're not going to like this. But I will. For a bit."

<Shaw> Startled, he swore and reached for her - or tried. Sebastian found himself entirely unable to move. He struggled, but was unable to break her hold on his mind. Panting, he glared up at her. "You ingrate."

<Monet> "No! You are the ingrate, Sebastian. You are horrible. You are selfish. And because of that, you have forced me to this." She rifled through his mind and picked out a small memory, replayed it for him, and squashed it the moment it was over. "This is your fault."

<Shaw> He jerked at the sensation - a thought literally ripped from his mind. "Forced you... to do what exactly?" Screwing his eyes closed, he tried to summon the memory and failed.

<Monet> She sighed and searched for another one. This time, slightly more significant. Ah ha. Painting the nursery. Even having a nursery. "This." Monet replayed it for him, let it sink in what was really going on, then pulled that one away as well.

<Shaw> It was gone, fading even as he tried to hold on and he let out a strangled cry. "Monet..." He opened his eyes and sought out hers. "After what was done to you, to Jason, you would do the same to me?"

<Monet> "Don't you think I've thought about that?" Her jaw clenched as she reached for another memory. "Don't you think that was the first thought into my brain when I was ordered to do this to you?" Now, the memory that they had even been pregnant and the ones of them discussing having children.

<Shaw> "Do not do this, s'il vous plaît..." His eyes welled up and spilled over. Realizing now what she was doing he fought to push her from his mind until his ears rang with the effort. "Not this, not her..."

<Monet> "I have to!" The cavern echoed with her rage. At them. At him. At all of this nonsense. "This is your fault!" She pulled another of them in Hawaii painfully from his mind.

<Monet> She lowered her voice and spoke only loud enough to be heard. "We are not allowed to be happy, Sebastian. Happiness is weakness. And the Hellfire Club cannot stand for weakness in their inner circles."

<Shaw> This time the sound of his screams bounced off the walls and joined her echo. "You will pay for this," he rasped, but knew the threat was empty. Opening his eyes, he searched out hers again. "She does not deserve this..." Sebastian held on to Jessica's face, to her wide smile in the moment they exchanged their vows, and sobbed. "I would rather die her husband than their monster..."

<Monet> "I would rather face your wrath than theirs. And I would rather be your torturer than let them pick someone else." She let him keep the memory for as long as she dared before she yanked it away. "You will not die today, Sebastian. Nor, hopefully any day soon." She closed her eyes to his pleading ones and methodically played memories for him before pulling them away. "This was the better option. Trust me."

<Shaw> "Not for her..." The pieces of his life and happiness were ripped away, one by one. Eventually, he couldn't fight her anymore, was starting to forget why he fought at all. All he knew was the pain of his head turned inside out. "Keep her safe from them, at least this, please, s'il vous plaît, Monet, si ce n'est que ce." Locks of silky blonde hair slipped through his fingertips and dissolved.

<Monet> "She will not be touched." Monet knelt in front of him and took his hands as she pulled the last thread away of what was making Sebastian anything less than the Black King the Lord Imperial wanted him to be. The hardest part for her would be pretending she didn't hurt him this way. "I am sorry."

<Shaw> Sebastian didn't respond. He panted, unable to catch his breath, unable to think.

<Monet> While he was in too much pain to know up from down, Monet slid his ring from his finger and stood, putting it in her pocket. She released her hold on his nerves, taking away his paralysis. "Once you are able, Sebastian, we should go to your favorite pub down the road before we depart for New York. Oui?"

<Shaw> A familiar voice was filtering through his mind, words slowly taking shape. Sebastian groaned and blinked open his eyes, squinting at the dim light and swearing at his pounding headache. "Christ, Monet, what did you do to me?" Raising a hand, he covered his face, scrubbing at it. He felt like hell.

<Monet> Monet gave him her best smirk and shrugged, "My little secret." She offered him a hand up. "Drinks, amant?"

<Shaw> With a final grimace, he shook his head and took her hand. "Oui, évidemment," he said, finding his own smirk. "Hair of the dog and all that, yes?"

<Monet> Monet's grin didn't meet her eyes, "Oui. Just what you need."

[Starfish]

Damn, that was deliciously messed up. Poor Sebastian, and bad bad Monet.

Nicely done, you two! XD

[steyn]

Yowser! And to think Max and Penny named their daughter after her.

[Starfish]

Penny would have some stern words with her big sis. Well, some stern signing rather.