-Chapter-6-"Dance To Disaster" Brenda sat in her spot, watching the four gather around a table. She felt her gun in the inside of her coat and smirked when she thought about how she'd be using it later. To her, this was all a game. Dressing up as a man, getting ready to make her boss' presence known. The bloodshed, the hunt… it was all a game. ~"~ Luke was in "his" house looking for something to wear so he could get into that restaurant. He found out from V's secretary, Mac Scorpio, that V. was having a business lunch at Mario's, a high-class place owned by a bunch of snobs. Luke could only see a bunch of rags lying around. Sure, he was a priest here, but couldn't this priest have some decent clothing? Then, at the end of the closet, he found a tux, finally. All he had to do was change into it, get out and hopefully not run into his… ugh, wife Karen or his son. ~"~ Lizzie, Sarah and Emily were all in the church kitchen, looking for food. Lizzie: You know, I really hope sooner or later we will have a better place to stay then a church. Sarah: It's the house of God, how can you be complaining? Lizzie: Well, let's see. First, no air conditioning, this place is hot as hell… Sarah: What the heck are you doing? You can't compare a sacred place to hell, that's just wrong. Emily: Could you two PLEASE stop!? They both looked at Emily. Emily: I'm sorry, it's just that I want to go home. I don't like this place, it's just too weird. We have grandmothers who go drag racing, a guy I used to have a crush on an annoying nerd here, Carly married to Sonny Corinthos, and on top of all this, KATHERINE BELL IS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! I may not have been the happiest person, but I want my old life back. Lizzie: We know what you mean Emily. Sarah opened a cupboard and pulled out a box of saltines. Sarah: Hey, here's a box a stale crackers. Want any? Lizzie: No thank you. I'll pass. Sarah: Suit yourself. Sarah opens the box and started eating. ~"~ Tony, Alexis, Nikolas and Venus were all sitting around the table, waiting. Tony looked at his watch and shook his head. Tony: Twenty minutes late, I doubt the good doctor will show. V: Well, maybe we should pass on this meeting and uh… reschedule. Tony: Reschedule? This is a multi-million dollar deal, since when would you just reschedule a thing like that. Alexis thought about what Tony said and looked at V. Could she be in the same situation as herself? V: Sorry… Tony: Is something wrong, V? Nikolas: She hasn't been acting like herself all day. Alexis looked at her cousin. She couldn't believe that he was just a "boy toy", as Tony put it, in this dimension. She shuttered to think what she could be in other places. V: Look, if Dr… if the doctor isn't going to show up, then what else is there to do? Venus completely forget the doctors name. She hoped no one noticed, but Alexis did and was starting to be a little more convinced that this V. was not the V. Tony and Nikolas knew. Tony: I guess you're right, nothing we can really do about it now. Tony looked at his "wife". Tony: Care to dance? Alexis: I have to go to the restroom quick. Tony: Okay. Alexis walked right by V. slowly and tapped her foot against V.'s leg lightly and cleared her throat. V. looked at Alexis as she walked away. Then she looked at Nikolas. V: I have to go now, too. Be right back. V got up and followed Alexis to the restroom. When they got inside, Alexis looked around to make sure they were alone. Alexis: So, how have you been this morning, V? V: I feel like I woke up a different person. Alexis eyes Venus, wanting to make sure V. meant what she hoped she meant. Alexis: Oh really… How different? V: Extremely, like almost everything around me has made a 180-degree change. Alexis: Then you're in the same predicament I'm in. V: Which would be? Alexis: Waking up in a different world. V. smiled, relieved. V: Oh thank God, I thought I was the only one. Do you have any idea what's going on here? Alexis: I might have some idea, but we're going to have to meet somewhere later to talk private. V: Show up at my house at midnight, if you can sneak away from Tony. There's a swimming pool in back and it's the easiest place to get in and out of. I know, I got a hold of the house plans earlier. I wanted to know the territory. Alexis: Right, well I'll see if I can get there. V: We better go now. You go first and I'll go second, it'll look suspicious if we both go out at once. Alexis: Good logic. Bye. Alexis walked out, leaving V. alone. ~"~ Alexis was on her way back to the table. Nikolas and Tony seemed to be having some sort of conversation, so they didn't notice when someone grabbed Alexis by the arm and pulled her away to a less visible spot. Alexis: What are you doing? Alexis looked at him and saw for sure that it was Luke. Luke: Hello, Lexi. Alexis: Why did you just grab me like that? Luke: Because I figure you know what's going on. Alexis looked at Luke, comprehending that Luke was in this thing too. Alexis: So, how did you wake up? Luke: Next to a different wife, half my age, which is really surprising, come to think of it. Alexis: What do you mean, exactly? Luke: I'm supposed to be a priest here, I'm wondering what a priest would… Luke couldn't continue because Alexis was starting to laugh. Alexis: Sorry, it's just that picturing you in front of a church giving a sermon is just too funny, considering you have most likely broken ten out of ten of the commandments already. Luke: Look, where there's ice, there's a Cassadine. You've been working for Helena lately, she probably sent you here along with the rest of us. Alexis: Us? Who else is there? Luke: Lizzie and Sarah Webber and Emily Quartermaine. Alexis: And V. Ardanowski. Look, I'm meeting V. at midnight at her mansion by the swimming pool, you bring the girls there and we'll try to figure out what's going on. Luke: You mean you seriously don't know. Alexis: I have some idea of what may be transpiring, but let's discuss that later. My "husband" is waiting. Luke: Oh right, Dr. Demento. Alexis: He isn't crazy. Maybe a little greedy, but his mental health seems stable. Luke: Good for you. Alexis: *shrug* I'll see you later. Alexis left Luke and went to the table where they were dining. Luke left for the church. ~"~ The man and the woman were watching the monitors. Woman: How could she have any idea what's going on? Man: Well, she has been pretty close to Stefan and the rest of the Cassadine secrets. I assume she has been briefed on this project before. Woman: No bother, so what if she figures out HOW she got there. Man: Spencer seems to be catching on to the main area of this operation. Woman: By the time he figures it out, it'll be too late! I will not fail my father. Man: Right. I suppose you won't. The woman looked at him and arched her eyebrow. She did not like being belittled, but she would not do anything about it. She needed him. ~"~ Tony and Alexis were on the dance floor… well, dancing. If this world is wearing thin And you're thinking of escape I’ll go anywhere with you I’ll do anything it takes [just wrap me up in chains] But if you try to go alone Don’t think I’ll understand Tony: You haven't seemed quite yourself today. Alexis: Why, what's different? Stay with me. Tony: I don't really know. You just seem different. I mean, your hair's the same. Nothing seems different, but you're just different. Stay with me Alexis smiled at him. Alexis: Let's just dance. In the silence of your room In the darkness of your schemes [ … dreams] There among the souvenirs [you must only think of me] And the useless memories [there can be no in between] When your pride is on the floor I’ll make you beg for more Stay with me, stay with me. --- Brenda watched as the two danced. She decided now was the time to make her move. As the music turned to an eerie rhythm, she inched her way to the table Nikolas and V. were sitting at. --- You’d better hope and pray That you'll be safe [that you make it safe] In your own world [back to your own world] You’d better hope and pray That you're gonna awake [that you wake one day] Back in your own world [in your own world] [Cause when you sleep at night they don't hear your cries] [In your own world] [Only time will tell if you can break the spell] [Back in your own world] Stay with me, stay with me. As the song faded to silence, a sound of gunfire rung around the room. Every ducked down, went to more protective areas to be sure they wouldn't be hit. Tony and Alexis ducked down and looked to see a man holding a gun to Nikolas' head. Well, Brenda dressed as a man. Brenda: *husky, manly voice* Everyone stay back and no one gets hurt! Nikolas: V? V: What are you doing? More men entered the vicinity, carrying automatic rifles. Brenda: Scorpion… remember it well. Come on, pretty boy. She forced Nikolas to stand up. V: Leave him alone! V. stood up. Brenda looked at V. and smiled. She walked up to her. Brenda: What are you gonna do about it? V. took a hold of Brenda's arm and twisted it. She also tripped her over so her gun escaped her hand. V. lunged for it and pointed it at Brenda. Everyone else with guns pointed it at her. V: Shoot me, I shoot her, and trust me, I'm a good shot. Brenda stood up, completely confused. Brenda: I don't get it, Robin said you had no ability to disarm a person. Or even fight one. Brenda had failed to use her fake voice and Venus recognized it instantly. V: Brenda? Brenda: How did you know my name? A couple of men went to Nikolas and grabbed him. V. pointed the gun at the men, but all Brenda could do was laugh. Brenda: Don't bother, it only had one bullet in it and I used that. Brenda pulled another gun out of her coat pocket. Brenda: This, on the other hand, does. V: Why two guns? Brenda: In case someone was able to disarm me. Brenda looked at the men. Brenda: Take him away. V. stood there, helpless because if she moved she'd be swiss cheese. They all backed their way out and then were completely gone. V: Is everyone all right? No one really said anything. Since no one was screaming bloody murder, it was safe to assume no one was dying. Alexis walked up to V. Alexis: Tony went to phone the police. What was that about? V: How should I know? This is just perfect, not only do I have the complete change of everyone here to deal with, but Nikolas' kidnapping as well. Alexis: V, I believe that what just happened here has to do with why we're here. V: Well… *whispers* we'll talk later. Alexis followed V.'s gaze and saw Tony approaching them. Alexis: V. one quick note, Luke is going to be there along with three girls. They're in the same situation we're in. V. nodded as Tony arrived in their little huddle. Tony: I called the police. Are you bruised or anything, V? V: No, I'm okay. I just want to go home and take care of things from there. Tony: Okay. Tony and Alexis separated from V. Alexis and V. gave each other one nod to once again confirm that they would meet again later and find out what was going on.