she's got the power in her hand to shock you.

Calliope "Callie" Cooper Twenty Seven Class of '08 Tech Analyst for the Institute Human Sister of Cameron Cooper Joey & Keith Salvatore & Robyn Manning

[kmcreid]

Karen had walked out of Ana's office into what felt like a sea of faces. The room was loud, the sound of overlapping voices almost unbearable. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking another steadying breath before she opened them again. Where was she supposed to start? Everyone was so busy demanding answers, that they hadn't even spotted her yet. That was sure to change any minute now. No matter what happened now, Karen couldn't turn back and she couldn't run away. She was back, she was alive. It was time to step back into her life.

"I guess this is a bad time to jump out and yell 'surprise', right?" @havensdalestarters

[c-alliecooper]

Callie's heart was in her throat as Karen McReid walked through Ana's office door. Charlie had said the words, but she hadn't quite processed them until she saw the woman with her own two eyes. How had this happened? How had this happened without her even knowing about it? Callie had cameras in all corners of the Underground, and most of the town, so how had–... That camera in the hall outside Charlie's room... that's why it was blacked out. And all those times she had seen Charlie stealing supplies from the kitchen at 3am... it had been for her.

Tears welled up in her eyes and, honestly, she wasn't sure if it was because Karen was back or because Charlie–of all people–had been caring for another person. Now that she thought about it, he had really been there for Danny since November, and he had tried with Ruby and Carrie. 'Oh my god, he loves her...' Callie's heart couldn't handle this; Karen was back! Maybe there could be hope again. Maybe the had a chance! She bounded over to her, perhaps a little too excited. "Actually, I don't think I could think of a better time. Hi Karen."

[c-alliecooper]

'Wait... Where did they–...' Her head pivoted from screen to screen. 'That's where Charlie's room is. That–... Why is that camera blacked out!?' [x]

[blakewithastake]

Blake was scheduled in to run training today. The usual drills, sparring, keeping everyone on their toes and most of all, keeping his own increasingly worsening wounds under wraps. He was in the middle of a demonstration now, grimacing as he watched them hesitate. "Bad move," he said not uncaringly as he proceeded to swiftly disarm them. "Who's next?"

@havensdalestarters

[c-alliecooper]

Callie knew that Blake was running training today and, as was her right, she had made her way down there to watch him from the back of the room. She wasn't even remotely embarrassed to admit that she was staring–swooning, even–and when the opportunity presented itself, she leaned forward on the bench she was perched on. "I could take you."

[deadliestviper]

Viper was overlooking the main training room, watching with a neutral expression as their agents practiced. They were good, but they could be better. Truth be told, they could all be better as of late. The loss of the McReids had torn a hole in this operation, and now that they were trickling back into place, she expected more. A real plan, tangible moves. Another year underground was going to drive her to the goddamn brink.

"Another day of Russo taking the cheap shot... What a shock. We should get Carmen down there to remind him of what fighting dirty is really like." @havensdalestarters

[c-alliecooper]

The only reason Callie was even in the training room was to fix one of the cameras that had landed in the crossfire of a superpowered tussle. As long as she had been working for the Institute, she had only ever been given basic self-defence training and that was just fine by her; she would always feel more comfortable at the safety of her desk and had zero desire to ever step foot in the field. At the sound of Russo's cheap shot, Callie's head whipped around and she grimaced. "Surely moves like that should be kept for a real fight?"

[c-alliecooper]

"Tell me I'm not the only one that really wants to stick their tongue on these ice sculptures..."

@havensdalestarters

[joeysalvatore]

Joseph was totally freaking out. Seeing Samuel and Lee earlier had knocked him off his game and now his phone was buzzing - texts from Malia - and he was trying to be good tonight. Champagne wasn't gonna cut it though, was it? It was then he realised that there was a witness to his minor freaking out... Shit. "Uh, hey! How are you? Have you seen this selection of dips yet or what?" @havensdalestarters

[c-alliecooper]

Iris was taking a much needed break from her sisters and Laurel's new travesty of a boyfriend, and had excused herself to the buffet table. She would make it up to Ken later for abandoning him with them, but the pulsing in her head made it clear she needed space. How the hell was she going to survive the entire festive season with them? She was pondering the question so deeply, she almost missed that someone was speaking to her. "What? I–..." Iris froze, her hand missing the table as she stumbled and landing directly in the ranch. "Shit, fuck!" It fell to the floor with a clatter as she pulled her hand back. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

[doctorrebelprincess]

"Mm, this might be the champagne talking, but the ice sculptures are looking very tempting tonight. One wrong push... that's all I'm sayin'." @havensdalestarters

[c-alliecooper]

"...I dare you."

[c-alliecooper]

It’s Iris Cooper - 1999 edition!

Name: Iris Cooper Age: 27 years old Species: Human Occupation: Self-employed Artisan Hometown: Manhattan, NY FC: Carlson Young

Picture this: you’re a darling, a Manhattan elite, you have everything you could ever want and more. And then you go to a rock concert–which is totally out of character for you, right? You’re going through this, like, rebellious phase–and meet a rock star. And then you hook up with that rock star. And then… you end up pregnant.

Yeah, that was not the news her parents were hoping to hear. Iris was determined to do her very best for her baby, though. Even if she was totally freaking out! Raising Cal has been the joy of her life. Iris will do whatever she can to make sure that Cal feels supported, safe and loved. Iris will be with them every step of the way.

When Iris met Mr Cooper, everything changed for the better. He made her laugh, he made her believe. Iris was so happy to marry him and join his family, later having another kid together. Now, they’re truly one big, happy, family. And like, out of her sisters, she’s doing the best now… right?

Notable Connections:

Cal & Cameron Cooper: her beloved kiddos, aged 9 and aged 1.

Christian Cooper: her beloved nephew, aged 3.

Kenji Cooper: her sweet husband, love of her life!

Chuck & Claire Cooper: her in-laws!

Joseph Salvatore: um, pass. Cal’s biological father.

Deborah Harrison & Laurel Whitlock: Iris’ sisters, they have a… complicated relationship, but she loves ‘em.

Charles Harvelle: let’s not talk about this man and the way he’s been with Iris, Deborah and Laurel! #harvellehater

[its-jess-bitches]

They would have to return to the Isabel-and-Robbie dilemma because now Jess was thoroughly distracted. "The communal areas... I mean, what is 'communal', really? It's more a state of mind," she said, barely fighting off the biggest grin of her life before doing a little jump. "Oh my god, I mean- I mean... If I know, and you know, I don't see why we shouldn't relive the highlights here. I mean, I know I'm hot. I just wanna see those arms in action again."

[c-alliecooper]

"Sure it is." Callie stifled a laugh, "But for the purposes of the cameras, it's anywhere that isn't a bedroom, a bathroom, or an office." At Jess' reaction, this time she did laugh, and started typing. "Who wouldn't? Besides, there's a personal data law that says I have to show you any footage of you that you ask to see. I do have to warn you though, there was something else going on in that room that you guys were oblivious to–for obvious reasons." With a smile, she hit enter and the screens changed to show the sitting room. There was Jess and Ryan still chatting on the sofa–getting closer by the minute–and there was Robbie, sat in the corner, completely unaware of what he was about to witness.

[its-jess-bitches]

Jess snorted out a laugh at Callie's totally valid observations. "Oh my god, you're so right. The last thing we need is all of this... but soaking wet," she said, pressing her lips together to hold back more laughter. Keep it together, Jess. "I guess you have to let people make their own mistakes. And, I mean, for all we know she and Joey have broken up already. There could have been a big fight, he could have told her to get out and never come back! How would we know?" Maybe Callie would know, though. She was so the eye in the sky. It was with that thought that something else dawned on her, her mouth falling open again. "Wait, are there cameras like, in other places too?"

[c-alliecooper]

Despite the despicableness of the entire situation, Callie found herself laughing when Jess did. Joey aside, it was some pretty spicy gossip. "Yeah, I guess." She was quite confident in the fact that they were still together, but with everything that had been happening recently, she hadn't really been able to check up on him; maybe they had broken up. Maybe later she would pull up street cam footage to find out when Isabel had last been at Joey's house, but not now. She didn't want anyone asking questions about why she cared. "Yeah, we have cameras–..." She trailed off, noticing the look on Jess' face, and then smiled at what had dawned on her. "–in all the hallways and communal areas." Callie pressed her lips together to suppress a giggle, "If there's footage you want to see...?"

[its-jess-bitches]

Jess turned to look right back at Callie, waiting with bated breath for her to reveal whatever part of the puzzle she was missing. Who were they to discourage scandalous sex, right? And then she said it. "Oh... Oh. OH! Ohmygod-," a few thousand emotions crossed her face as her brain worked overtime to process just what she was saying. Isabel-and-Joey. Isabel-and-Robbie. Not with Joey. "That is not good. I mean... Oh my god! What should we do? Should we do something? Can you set the sprinklers off or something?"

[c-alliecooper]

Callie pressed her lips together, awkwardly. It definitely wasn't a normal situation by anyone's standard, but she was feeling alarmingly more protective over Joey than she expected she would. "I–..." She furrowed her brow, her gaze drifting as she shrugged. It was definitely something in the realm of her capability, but she shook her head as she looked back at the screen. "Are you kidding me? It would probably just spur them on." She would have to hold on to that, though. The amount of people shacking up in the communal areas down here was insane–maybe the next time she spotted Jess and Ryan, she would do it just for fun.

[its-jess-bitches]

"Yeah! It's Robbie and Isabel," Jess repeated, gasping again for dramatic effect as she prodded at the screens. "Oh my god, are they just gonna do it in the middle of the hall!? Scandalous. I mean, sure, Robbie grew that beard and all, but I just didn't expect this from him. I-," she started before looking back over to Callie.

Oh. What was that look for? "Wait, what am I missing here?"

[c-alliecooper]

Callie opened and closed her mouth a few times, at a loss for how to formulate a sentence. How to explain that a girl is cheating on your brother, when you're not supposed to know that your brother is your brother? "I–... I mean, good for Robbie, it's definitely scandalous, but..." She turned to look at Jess, quite honestly struggling to take her eyes off the screen. "Well, Isabel's dating Joey Salvatore. Since like... prom 2014."

[its-jess-bitches]

Jess had been totally lost in her own thoughts when she realised that Callie was whispering her name. She looked up and quickly deduced something juicy must have been happening. Without further ado, she vamp sped the short distance to Callie's side and stuck her face close to the monitors.

"What's going on? I- Oh. OH! Oh my god," Jess gasped, looking around at Callie, whose face was very close to hers. "I swear, everyone is having scandalous sex down here. I- Wait, wait... Is that Isabel Valentine?"

[c-alliecooper]

Callie's hair whooshed back at Jess' approach and her heart lurched in her chest; she would never get used to vampire speed. "Right!?" She practically squealed, turning her attention back to the couple aggressively making out against the wall. Having seen that it was Robbie, she was entirely shook, but it wasn't until Jess said it that she realised that the girl was Isabel.

"Wha–..." Her brow furrowed, all the excitement over the juicy gossip fading as abruptly as it had appeared. "That is Isabel Valentine." She gasped, "But that's Robbie Wilson!"

[c-alliecooper]

"Oh my god." Callie had been keeping an eye on everything that was happening on her monitors, making sure that no one was going to end up stuck under the rubble they were trying to clear from the entrance, when one of the internal cameras caught her attention. "Oh my god!" She wasn't one for partaking in gossip, but how could she sit on this? Looking around, her eyes landed on the only other person still in the room with her. "Jessica." Her whisper was frantic as she waved her over.

@its-jess-bitches

[liamblac-k]

Liam clung on to Danny's hands as he tried to steady himself. The only thing keeping him standing was his determination to find his sister, but if that stopped being enough, he was sure that Danny wouldn't let him fall. Even when he reached into his pack, Liam kept a strong hold on him, only releasing with one hand to take the earpiece and secure it to his ear. "Thank you." He stared into Danny's eyes for a moment too long before nodding. "Danny, she-... She's all I have..."

[dannymcreid]

Danny had seen this film before, you know? He felt the dread in the pit of his stomach build. The longer Liam looked back at him, the clearer it became to Danny. He hated to think it, hated to feel like it was true, but... Laurie Black didn't make it. He didn't tend to lie anymore, or live in hope. He'd give Liam just one more moment of it. "It's going to be okay," he said softly while the world burned around them. At last, he looked away, pressing his finger to his earpiece. "Give me the update on Laurie Black, please."

[c-alliecooper]

Callie was busy juggling multiple channels and keeping an eye on everyone from her screens, when a call came in from Danny. Her heart sank at his words; after already having to give multiple updates like this already, she wasn't sure she could keep it together for much longer. Locating him on the cameras, she noticed that he was standing with Liam and the network link told her that Danny had given him an earpiece. Taking a deep breath, she isolated their coms to a private channel before speaking. "I'm so sorry, Liam..." There was too much going on to sugarcoat anything. Jamie had confirmed the deaths she had seen, but Callie didn't have all the details. "Laurie didn't make it out."

[notprofessorx-avier]

Xavier was laser focused on the soil sample he had scraped into the vial, staring at it like it held a world of answers. It was from the grounds of the school, where... Well, he knew where. Everyone knew. But what Xavier knew was the signature from the device, did not match the signature of the magic that had scorched this earth. No, this was something else. It had to have been for a reason. He was so lost in thought, that he hadn't heard them come over, "This isn't what it looks like." @havensdalestarters

[c-alliecooper]

Callie hadn't meant to intrude on whatever it was that he was doing, but she needed a break from staring at her screens- something she would never admit- and when a door is lying open... "No?" She smiled; despite it all, Xavier's voice still made her heart flutter- also not something she would ever admit. "And what is it you think I think this looks like?"

[blakewithastake]

Blake shook his head, of course this wasn't Callie's fault. He wished he could help ease her pain, to hold her through this night, but they both had to keep fighting. They both had a job to do. He might have stopped for her now, but the world continued to spin around him. "It's okay, baby," he said so softly that he wasn't sure if the words had made it past his lips. Blake felt his chest squeeze, his face already damp from tears, sweat and blood. They still had a job to do. "I'll see you soon, okay? Wait for me."

[c-alliecooper]

-fin-