Chapter: [Redacted]

"So what now?" Starleston asked honestly. She sat patiently behind her desk, tapping her fingers against the hard wood. She was talking to a very important person sitting across from her. "P.O.N.Y. was a complete failure. Nothing turned out as planned."

"That doesn't mean it failed completely. We can still work around the complicated bits. There are plenty of resources left to savage."

"But it could have gone better. The people above have lost faith in us."

"Victoria, have you still got Hue and Price wrapped around your finger?"

"Of course. Those idiots wouldn't be anything without me. Every move they make, I know about."

"Then, my dear, you are the people from above. You need to stay positive. Otherwise, I might suddenly have a need to replace you."

"Don't be crazy! You need me. Who was the one who made the deal with that insane man with the smiley face? Who was the one who allowed him to contact those rogue Russian maniacs to get rid of Anthony Wilson?"

"And who was the one who informed you to do those things in the first place?"

Starleston groaned. "Ugh… you did."

"That's right. And I could continue to do things without you, so stay positive. Think of it like this: Balle didn't end up destroying the entire world, so therefore, we did not completely fuck up. So therefore, we still have things to work with. So therefore, we can still work as we were supposed to."

"Yes, I know but… it's such a shame what happened to Sullivan. Could you feel that power she had within herself? She may have been one of the most talented people I've ever seen…"

"I know. Tara… was a sweet girl. She was also very good-hearted, which means she might not have joined our cause at all. You have to admit: it's not something for those with light stomachs."

"In any case, there are now plenty more Macers around in the world."

"Exactly. That's why we need to keep an eye on the four of them. I doubt they'd be willing to go back after what they've been through, but… in time, with enough persuasion, we can make something happen. I even hear that one of them has already decided to join the Marines. Maybe that will help put her conscience at ease."

"Wait…the four of them?" Starleston asked, confused.

"You didn't hear? Anna-Jean has decided to leave her life behind, and start over."

"Really? How come I didn't hear about this?"

"Who knows? She left with barely a word. Said something about 'not fighting for something she didn't believe in'. I'm guessing the truth about her father and her childhood was too much for her to handle. Add the death of her friend, and well… I'm sure you can guess the rest."

"And you told her everything?"

"No… her father did."

Starleston gulped. She leaned in, and asked quietly, "So… does that means she knows about… the other?"

"Don't worry. Matthew didn't know about the other as well, so I doubt that she knows. Plus, she never mentioned it to me. Hopefully, she never will find out."

"But should really put all of our faith in her now? You've seen how brutal she can be."

"We don't really have much of a choice. AJ was a disappointment. We always put too much faith in her, and it never turned out right. It probably had something to do with that damn mentor she had. She was always the inferior one of the two. Not only that, but she would have been fruitless to our cause. But the other one… the monster… we might still have use for her yet. It's a long shot, but it's all we have. Until that time, we'll just have to wait to make our next move."

A timer rang off in the room. The session was completed.

"Victoria, I have to go now. Remember what I told you today: have a little faith. Our time will come soon enough, and I know we'll be ready for it. We still have very valuable assets on our side. Tara Sullivan and AJ Balle may be gone, but we never needed them. Everything is going to plan."

Starleston watched her companion rise from her seat and walk to the door. She sighed.

"I'm sorry for having my doubts, and I'm sorry for questioning you. Let's just hope this plan doesn't fail."

Bridgette Celestia rested her hand against the door. She did not turn around when she spoke.

"Our job is to protect the human race from the members who wish to destroy it," she answered. "We're not allowed to fail."

With that, Celestia exited the dark room, and walked away down the halls of the Pentagon. Starleston sat in her desk, an empty feeling remaining in her chest.

__________

Date: Unknown

In the 1970's, a top secret deal made between the British and the Americans allowed for the building of blacksites on English territories. These blacksites were designed for numerous purposes. The most important of which was the design for a detention facility designed for the rehabilitation of "objectionable" convicts, using unconventional means. On most occasions, these "unconventional means" were hardly legal, which made the United States government push for an out-of-country location.

The most controversial of these facilities was known as Black Heart's Bay, located just outside of northern London. Hidden from public eye due to its camouflage as a decayed construction site, it became the perfect location for housing dangerous political "criminals", without the political struggles accompanied with Guantanamo. The only access to the structure was via a singular elevator, which descended into the underground core. Heavily guarded at all times, no one could get in or out without being warranted by both government.

In was in this elevator that Madame Gregoria made her descent. Her uniform was kept clean and decent, displaying the variety of badges and medals that she earned. An older woman, Gregoria had made a name for herself in the 1960's as a solider with ruthless aggression towards her enemies. Now, she was the overseer of Black Heart's Bay, in charge of operating all security in the area, and ensuring the proper treatment of its criminals.

The elevator pinged to a stop. After the doors opened, Gregoria found herself with a familiar sight: a long, desolate corridor, with guards present every couple of yards. They saluted as she walked past, her route leading to a large, bulky door. She pulled a card out of her pocket, and scanned it against a device nearby. The door beep ajar, and she passed through into a central hub. The guards only continued to increase in number, and would often do so as she moved further. Gregoria knew the path quite well; for it was a road she had traveled many times. She passed through the mess hall, past the security checkpoint, past the armory and past the main prison cell, which was the most heavily guarded. When passing through, she encountered dozens of captives on either side, snarling at her for her wicked deeds. However, she was not interested in them.

At the end of this section was another elevator that only those with the highest clearance could operate. Easily, Gregoria passed through. Down in the darkest pits of the Bay was one final secret, one that no soul could ever learn without facing the most horrible repercussions. Once the elevator opened, Gregoria passed through a final security checkpoint, and came face to face with hr destination. She stood in a large, mostly empty room, with dark walls and a dark ceiling. In the center of the room was a single cell. It was unlike any other cell in the base: this cell was a large cube, made entirely of glass, three inches thick. Surrounding the cube on all sides were heavily armed guards.

But it was the prisoner that was most enticing to the eye. Despite her youth, she seemed aged by her struggles. Her clothes were in tatters. Her skin had turned dry and pale from years without sunlight. Her flowing hair was as thick and colorful as blood. The vixen's smile was one of wickedness, and peering into the monster's eyes revealed a cruelty and hatred unlike anything else in the world. As for now, the beast rested on its knees, its head kept in low in the shadows of darkness.

"Do you know why I'm here?" asked Gregoria. The creature did not move, although Gregoria knew that it had heard.

"Are you here to take me outside?" the woman joked weakly. Her voice was full of discontent. She knew that an appearance from Madame Gregoria would not bode well for her.

"I have some news to deliver you," Gregoria said dryly. When the prisoner did not seem aroused by the subject, she simply stated. "Anna-Jean Balle has decided to leave our operation."

Immediately, the woman perked up, as the stage words pieced themselves together in her mind. "What... what do you mean?"

"She's decided to retire," Gregoria said without emotion. "She has simply decided to walk away from everything she has worked towards. Such a shame, but I suppose that is a problem with being given too much free will."

The creature picked her head up, and stared at Gregoria. From her position on the ground, it almost seemed like she was about to beg. She asked weakly, "Does that... f-finally mean I can-"

"Get to leave? Get to see the world? No, of course not. I don't think you fully understand, although I shouldn't be surprised. A simple mind like yours never could understand details. See, she was the failure. Which means, obviously, that we must now focus on doing what we can with you."

The despicable thing fell over, clutching the ground in despair. Gregoria continued on. "We can't risk you possibly deciding to follow in her footsteps. I know that you must have been thinking about doing such a thing, but let me remind someone as plainly stupid as yourself why that is impossible. You are the most heavily guarded prisoner in one of the most heavily guarded structures in the world. Escape from the inside is impossible. No one from above knows of your existence. Even if you did escape, we could hunt you down within hours. You have nowhere to run to, and nowhere that is safe from our jurisdiction. Your purpose is here. Your life is here. This cell will be your tomb. I want you to hang onto these words very closely, because I want you to remember them after we recapture you, and are beating the life out of your body: There is no hope left for you. It's over."

The room was filled with silence, until it was suddenly broken by an unfamiliar sound: laughter.

"You said... that she would never leave, either," the being said through her terrible laughter. "You said... that your will was stronger than her's. You said that she would always fall back in line. But she's gone now. You... you can't control her life... and you can't control mine."

Gregoria sneered. "As I said: you never remember anything."

The commander of the Bay turned around, and began to walk back towards the door. However, before she could move far, the creature lunged forward, and slammed herself against the glass. The paid movement drew the attention of the guards, causing them to raise their weapons towards the cell. Gregoria turned back around, only to be met with the vicious gaze from a pair of searing green eyes.

"No, I want you to remember something, bitch," spat the creature. "It doesn't matter how many people you send after me, or how hard you try to force me to surrender to you. I swear, no matter how long it takes, I will get out of here! And once I do, I will make sure to kill each and every last one of you!"

Gregoria said nothing. Instead she turned back around, and waited for the door to be opened. The inhuman thing smirked.

"And one last thing," she said, her words filed with all of the venom and hatred she had experienced all her life. "Make sure to find AJ, and tell her everything I just said. Because after I finish with these guards, after I drain every last ounce of blood from their bodies, after I make them suffer like I've suffered... after I finally kill you... I'm coming for her next."

To be continued... in P.O.N.Y: From the Ashes