[Plot] Admit One

[Katarina von Doom]

As stoic as Jez tried to present herself, the cracks in her façade began to show. Lady Doom's words had hit home, hard, not like a sledgehammer but like a scalpel. Her face flushes and her hand almost went for her hilt, but she stopped herself.

"It doesn't matter who invited me, you don't belong here. And I'll do everything in my power to erase every last trace of your taint from her." She moved forward as if to push past the woman.

But the blow had already been struck. No matter the outcome, Jez would have her suspicions that there was a possibility that what Katarina von Doom had said was true.

"And would you erase yourself from her heart as you did so, guska?" Lady Doom said, with a mean smirk in her voice.

"Victor was very thorough. How do you turn a Princess against her country? How do you drive her into the hands of her enemy? By making her people hate her, of course. By making her into something that they could never stand. Something anathema to their belief and their way of life. And, with a little hidden funds funneled in to certain groups of, shall we say, enhanced social interest, Victor could make sure that Katarina's people would never accept what she has become."

Lady Doom shifted her weight slightly to sort of block Jez's path as she moved forwards -- Jez could still push past if she wanted to, but the larger woman seemed intent on at least invading her personal space.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"You do the people of Symkaria a disservice if you think they would hate her so easily, when you should know that there are few who wouldn't have someone like her in their own family. To hate her would be to hate their own flesh and blood. You might get the oldest generations to fall for it, but even in Symkaria it's the 21st century."

Jez glared up at the woman, even as she felt sick to her stomach. Because she also knew how people often deflected to draw scrutiny away from themselves and their families - how many times had she heard news stories of prominent anti-gay-rights politicians being caught with incriminating materials and situations that proved their hypocritical nature.

"But if that is the choice that must be made? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." When in doubt, Star Trek. Jez tried to squash the queasiness in her stomach. What did it say about her that she didn't even hesitate to make that decision?

[Katarina von Doom]

"Oh, but why wouldn't they hate her? After all, she hates herself. You've seen the exhibits, yes? Years of hearing how terrible you are will do that to you. She is terrified of herself. We have seen to that. Her father has helped see to that. What a tangled web we weave; Katarina is in a prison of her own making, even if it is not originally of her design.

But, of course, there is a way out. Victor offers freedom; the sort of freedom that only comes through power."

Lady Doom leaned down over Jez, placing one hand on the display case behind her to really close in on the space.

"As Queen of Latveria, we needn't fear anything at all. Latverians love their king; they will love their queen just as much. And the Symkarians will learn to do so as well, if properly motivated."

She had bent down far enough she was whispering in Jez's ear, the smell of metal and perfume pungent and prevailing.

"And you can be by her side. Openly. Freely. Without judgment or pain. She can be happy, without fear of being rejected for who she is. For Doom's word is law, and if Doom commands his people to love and cherish his wife's lover, they will do so. You will live a life of luxury; the power to go out and claim your birthright; the power to right the wrongs you see in the world, your woman by your side. The power to live as you please.

All you have to do is convince her to accept Lord Doom's offer. Unite the two nations into one, as they should have been from the beginning. And trust in her own inner...goodness and dignity, to bring a new era of peace and prosperity to her people. All of her people."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez shivered. The woman was so imposing, and powerful, and close. She could probably destroy the girl easily; she had no idea how powerful was this seed that Doom had planted, but she knew better than to underestimate it. And yet....

"That... has got to be one of the stupidest plans I've ever heard.

"Any trust her subjects have for her would be dashed is she took his offer. You can't force them to love her, that would only further stoke the coals of mistrust that were started thanks to the backroom deals of some of her country's pathetic power-hungry nobles. Her people would grow to resent her, and she would fear them more and more. Soon she wouldn't see them as her subjects, but as her enemy. All of them potential assassins waiting for a chance to strike, so she'd have to strike first - telling herself it was what was best for the nation. She might have the power to do as she pleased, but she'd be twisted into something petty, paranoid, and cruel; no better than those traitorous dogs from the banquet. Peace built on the foundation of secret police and imprisonment without trial. Prosperity for a select few whom she felt she could trust most, at the expense of everyone else. She would grow to hate them, and in turn they would hate her."

"And I will not have any part in it."

[Katarina von Doom]

'Katarina' gave a sigh, shaking her head.

"Well. I shall give you this. You stand up for what you believe in. I suppose we'll have to use firmer methods with you at some point. Latverian might can figure out how to put back together a broken toy, eventually.

But for now, for this copy of you..well, we can't have you going around breaking anything, can we?"

With a shuddering sound of stone grinding on stone, plastic scraping against plastic, the oversized statues of the various League of Katarina Villains began shuddering to life, 'Prince Alex' leaning down to pick up the sledgehammer; 'Nika' slowly moving her hand to her belt of throwing weapons as the various pieces of art began to slowly self-animate.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jezabelle was not entirely surprised that it had come down to this. While she had no first-hand experience delving into mindscapes she had heard about it, and the conflicts that often arose within. With Doom involved, violence had almost been guaranteed from the start. But that was all the preparedness she had, all of her fighting experience was in the real world, not in the mindscape or astral plane, she didn't know the rules.

Well, she'd have to learn them the hard way.

"What, you need all of this just to deal with one little girl? How unfortunate...."

Jez had to think back to when her powers first manifested, the mental training that she'd been given on Genosha to properly puppet her copies. She was limited by how much her mind could process - every copy flooding her senses and demanding her attention. But here there were no physical forms to create, no strain on her body to give up mass for each. Could she separate the body from the mind enough to do what had to be done, that was the question. If she was wrong, the Cerebra was going to get very cramped very soon. Her eyes were closed as she concentrated. One, then two, then four, then eight; the copies kept multiplying. No longer limited by her body they were appearing out of each other, not just the original, to the point where it was becoming difficult to tell which one was the original. And each one was wielding a blade as they formed a growing perimeter around her.

"... for you; that she doesn't have more enemies for you to call upon for assistance." The voices spoke in unison before the wave of bodies surged forward toward the door, sabers swinging and slashing at anything that dared get close.

[Katarina von Doom]

The army of Jezii surged towards the door, mental sabres slashing. A whole squadron of the young woman began to push their way towards the door, opposed by the giant animated statues, moving to block their way.

The statues had height on their side, for sure. But they were also, ultimately, made of plastic. And so Jez's sabres were able to slash through a mean girl from the academy with ease; able to dispatch of a news anchor with a swift strike. Sword met plastic, cutting through the chaff. They were still an obstacle, but only because of their size; Jez could surely outnumber them and push past them on sheer mass.

The two main threats towards the door were 'Prince Alex' and 'Nika'. Oh, they were still plastic and not made of any firmer stuff than the other villains, but they were also armed. And so, Prince Alex managed to swing his sledgehammer, connecting with one Jez straight in the midsection and sending her back into multiple other ones. Nika threw some of her bolts, piercing multiple Jezii in the shoulder as they tried to guard the door. They were backing up and losing ground, however, as the tide of girls made their way towards the exit.

From behind, Doctor and Katarina Von Doom...were not falling. 'Doom's hand glowed purple, bathing the room in a corrupted glow; he fired a blast of some kind of energy directly into the heart of the group of Jezes. 'Katarina' cracked her knuckles as she slowly stalked the group from behind.

They, at least, were not between the Jezzes and the door they were trying to get to, even if it probably wasn't for the best to let them be walking around, long-term.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez may have had numbers on her side, but she soon found herself fighting a battle on two fronts. Token resistance gave way to actual resistance as the armed forms of Prince Alex and Nika pressed their attacks and made headway into the crowd of girls. Those in the rear though had bigger problems. The energy beam fired from Doom pierced through several of the copies, some disintegrating instantly while others struggled to continue fighting. The group lost their forward momentum as now many of their numbers had to focus on protecting their rear.

Jez was on the defensive, and she knew that this was untenable position. If she stayed long enough other demons would be pulled out of the closet to eventually exhaust and then overwhelm her. She thought back to the training she'd received in Genosha, and then to her brief sessions with Nika when she took over the role of the princess' protector.

"If a head is cut off, two more shall take its place." The best defense was a good offense, and while she couldn't make more copies forever, she could focus on making a lot of them now. They threw themselves at Doom and Katarina with no sense of self preservation; a hand busy smashing one's skull couldn't be raised to deflect a sword blade. Many hands reached out to grab at their assailants, throwing their weight upon them to try and drag them down, acting less like an army and more like a swarm. And all while trying to press for the door, to drive a wedge through the ranks to get a particular Jez out of the room. Which, unfortunately for her, made that one stand out from the rest.

[Katarina von Doom]

Any individual Jez was not going to be a match for either Doom or Katarina, easily peeled off and slammed into walls, floors, or even other members of the swarm. But sheer force of numbers? That was something she could bring to the table, and there was only so much either of the main antagonists could do immediately. Oh sure, energy blasts from Doom's hands would eventually work their way through even a whole gaggle of Jezii, but the sheer mass and bulk of her copies were able to force him to the floor, nearly smothering him. They might not be able to keep him down indefinitely, but that should be more than enough to let Jez get out of the room and regroup.

Katarina von Doom, however, was a different matter. Perhaps it was a matter of her being a version of Katarina, and thus native to the mindscape, that made her the more formidable opponent. She was able to toss Jez around like she was made of cardboard, sending copies flailing through glass displays and into walls, smashing them into one another with extreme prejudice. Even getting a grip on her was difficult, with her flowing from copy to copy and delivering haymaker after haymaker. She was being slowed down, but the main difference here was that while Doom was being pinned to the floor and could feasibly be dealt with, Katarina was slowly cutting her way through even the swarm. She would have to get dealt with, eventually, but maybe AFTER an escape was made and help could be found.

Slowly being the operative word. Which meant that the Jez trying to get out had time. The wedge plowed into 'Prince Alex,' sending him sprawling to the floor, and soon trampled under countless feet as they bullrushed the exit. 'Nika' managed to get a few shots off, as well, but the number advantage was too great, pinning her to the wall as she struggled.

The wedge made the door, where Jez could reasonably escape. Where she could go and find something -- help, a weapon, somewhere she could get the upper hand in this place.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez managed to get through the door, barely. It took a lot of her just to slow down the flurry of fists that was Lady Doom, and the flock of girls basically had to shove their primary through the smallest gap in the door that they could before pulling it shut behind them. As soon as they had, the tactics changed. There was no longer any backup, their proximity to the original being blocked had limited their ability to replicate, and they had to stimy her progress as much as possible. Injured copies who before might've disappeared into dust instead pushed themselves back onto their feet, threw themselves clinging at their foe's ankles, some even used the most injured among them as human shields. And the floor was becoming littered with their prostrate forms, making walking all the more difficult.

Outside, Jez had to act fast. The patrons of the museum would have their attentions aroused when a suit of armour clattered to the floor as the girl wrenched the halberd from it's grip, shoving the polearm through the handles to the exhibit room door. It couldn't possibly stop this twisted visage of Katarina, but it might buy her some time. She had to go... to the basement? Surely what she was looking for had to be sealed down in the archives, the special holding, some sort of vault hidden deep in the depths of this place. But she likely needed a guide, a key, a combination. Even then, she wasn't certain that gaining access was even the right idea, what if all she succeeded in doing was releasing this venomous evil early and allowing it to seize complete control over Katarina's mind? She had to make a decision.

And that decision was both. Because she could literally be in two places at once. Jez ran toward the stairs, a copy peeling off to go up the stairs toward the administration level while the other hurled herself down the stairs in great leaps.

[Narrator]

Jez did, indeed, draw some attention when she ripped the halberd from the arms of the suit of armor and roughly jammed it to block the door. It seemed sturdy enough for now, but looks could be deceiving in mindscape shenanigans; physical strength didn't always match up one-to-one with appearances. But it was holding, at least for now. And the patrons stopped paying attention shortly thereafter, back to evaluating the exhibits on display, and ignoring the yelling and crashing sounds from inside the room Jez had just left. Afterall, it was closed! And if it was closed, then surely, the patrons should pay it no mind!

It was only going to be a matter of time before Lady Doom made her way out, mind you. It was a game of attrition, though the various Jezii were doing their best to drag that Katarina down to their level. Fighting dirty was a perfectly acceptable way to fight against A Doom, anyhow!

___________________________

The administration level was...cluttered. Stacks of paper everywhere, some dated months, even years prior. Phones ringing, some even off the hook entirely. Most of the cubicles up here were empty, the few staff members running around clearly in well over their heads. The door to the curator's office itself was cracked open, and the sounds of ringing phones could be heard from inside, but there was no sound of motion in there. There was, however, someone stalking around the cubicles, occasionally stopping to bark orders at one of the overwhelmed administrative staff -- Katarina's father, the King, in a dress shirt and tie, with a scowl on his face. He had not, to this point, seen Jez.

The basement, conversely, was quiet, at least for now. People weren't supposed to be down here, but at least the access to the floor itself was unlocked. But actually finding anything? That seemed like a herculean task. A maze of crates, of file cabinets, of discarded or just un-shown exhibits, scattered around. Presumably there was some method to the madness, but deciphering it was a nigh-impossible task. And there WERE vaults, like she was suspecting -- doors along the outskirts of the space; things that were walled off and protected from being let out. High-level security doors, preventing...preventing whatever was behind them from flowing through the rest of the mindscape. Who knew what lurked deep in the heart of Katarina's subconscious? The doors themselves had some sort of circular depressions in them -- they almost looked like they could hold some of those glass balls Jez had found in the hall of nightmares. Jez still didn't know who left them for her. Some still weren't glowing. And some of the set still appeared to be missing. But they were something, at least. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez knew that she didn't have a lot of time to spare, so she set to work trying to navigate through the maze of crates and objects that cluttered the basement. It gave her time to think, at least. She couldn't just plow through like a bull in a china shop, destroying whatever the jumbled items represented and releasing from the vaults who knows what feral monstrosities that lurked in the primeval depths of the human psyche. It was such a gamble, she didn't even know which orb corresponded with which vault, or how to use them properly. And even if she did, she didn't know which vault she was looking for, or whether or not she should open it or try to sabotage it so it could never be opened. She needed information.

Upstairs, Jezabelle pushed through some of the piles of papers at an unattended desk until she had what she was looking for. It was a very big gamble, but she needed to take it. She seized the opportunity presented to her and, when the king had his back to her yelling at one of the poor workers, she quickly stepped in closer to stand up straight with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. She adopted her best vacant, emotionless stare, and braced herself for the coming stormfront.

[King Stefan Karkov]

Jez knew that she didn't have a lot of time to spare, so she set to work trying to navigate through the maze of crates and objects that cluttered the basement. It gave her time to think, at least. She couldn't just plow through like a bull in a china shop, destroying whatever the jumbled items represented and releasing from the vaults who knows what feral monstrosities that lurked in the primeval depths of the human psyche. It was such a gamble, she didn't even know which orb corresponded with which vault, or how to use them properly. And even if she did, she didn't know which vault she was looking for, or whether or not she should open it or try to sabotage it so it could never be opened. She needed information.

None of the glowing orbs seemed to say 'tour guide' or 'archivist' or something useful on them for something like this. Trying to use them or investigate them could, theoretically, be dangerous, for sure. If trial and error seemed too dangerous, she needed someone who knew what the hell they were doing.

Upstairs, Jezabelle pushed through some of the piles of papers at an unattended desk until she had what she was looking for. It was a very big gamble, but she needed to take it. She seized the opportunity presented to her and, when the king had his back to her yelling at one of the poor workers, she quickly stepped in closer to stand up straight with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. She adopted her best vacant, emotionless stare, and braced herself for the coming stormfront.

"You there! Girl," the king snarled. "And I suppose you're going to come up with excuses, as well. Well, not on my watch. I need the quarterly visitor records, the payroll reports from last summer, the requisition forms for the cafeteria and the curator's signature on everything, and I need it twenty minutes ago."

He leered at her. She was dirt to him -- no, below dirt. Gunk, on the bottom of his shoe. Nothing. Less than nothing. Some unimportant functuary, not worth even the time or effort to begin to give one shit about, much less two, serving an unimportant role to an unimportant person.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"You there! Girl," the king snarled. "And I suppose you're going to come up with excuses, as well. Well, not on my watch. I need the quarterly visitor records, the payroll reports from last summer, the requisition forms for the cafeteria and the curator's signature on everything, and I need it twenty minutes ago."

He leered at her. She was dirt to him -- no, below dirt. Gunk, on the bottom of his shoe. Nothing. Less than nothing. Some unimportant functuary, not worth even the time or effort to begin to give one shit about, much less two, serving an unimportant role to an unimportant person.

Jez was pretty certain that the King would not have appreciated this caricature of himself, but given Katarina's childhood it should hardly have been surprising. The ruler of a nation and a father figure, the two combined represented the ultimate in a controlling, overseeing presence in her daily life. Of course he would be here, running much of her mind. After all, he ran most of her life as well. The girl listened to the list of demands with an expression of dumb understanding, her eyes half-lidded. She didn't even speak or acknowledge his request with so much as a nod, simply waiting until he had finished before crossing something out on the clipboard and then looking back up at him with that almost sleepy stare.

"Of course, sire. However, there is an issue in my preassigned duties that has to be addressed first before I can move on to these tasks. The team which you assigned to the archives to prepare for the opening of the vault were not told which of the vaults was the one scheduled to be released. They are requesting clarification before they proceed further."

[King Stefan Karkov]

Jez was pretty certain that the King would not have appreciated this caricature of himself, but given Katarina's childhood it should hardly have been surprising. The ruler of a nation and a father figure, the two combined represented the ultimate in a controlling, overseeing presence in her daily life. Of course he would be here, running much of her mind. After all, he ran most of her life as well. The girl listened to the list of demands with an expression of dumb understanding, her eyes half-lidded. She didn't even speak or acknowledge his request with so much as a nod, simply waiting until he had finished before crossing something out on the clipboard and then looking back up at him with that almost sleepy stare.

"Of course, sire. However, there is an issue in my preassigned duties that has to be addressed first before I can move on to these tasks. The team which you assigned to the archives to prepare for the opening of the vault were not told which of the vaults was the one scheduled to be released. They are requesting clarification before they proceed further."

"Typical. Purely typical. Slacking off on her duties once more," the King frowned. "Lady Doom will be most displeased. That good-for-nothing joke of a curator is why this place is such a mess, you hear me? Things are going to change around here when the new management gets put in place, let me tell you."

The King sighed, and grabbed a clipboard from one of the staff members, shoving them to the floor as he did so. "It appears that our Golden Girl is supposed to be on display at the moment in the central exhibition hall," the King said, with a sneer and a curled lip. "Naturally. Because she couldn't get her work done here behind the scenes before going out there. She's the only one who can make heads or tails of this mess, at least for now. Go and grill her while she's still the slightest bit useful."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

It took a lot of self control for Jez to maintain her expression of dumb apathy, even though she was seething internally. She had to keep telling herself that this was merely Katarina's mental image of the king, a construct of her making, the personification of some mental mechanism. But there had to be some sliver of truth in this form, that this was an exaggerated example of how he had treated her or how he felt about her. As much as she wanted to go off on him... she'd essentially be yelling at the princess herself, and that wasn't going to solve anything.

"As you wish, sire." The girl said with a slow and practiced bow, before turning on her heels and walking back the way she came with a "klak klak" of her boots. Well, she was one step closer, time to speak to the golden girl in person... how hard could that be, since she was the center of attention and all, the star attraction.

[Katarina Karkov]

The king paid Jez no mind as she walked away -- why would he? She was nothing to him; beneath him; just another pawn in the machine.

The thumping of the special exhibit continued as Jez passed by it, but Lady Doom hadn't gotten out yet. That could probably sit...

And besides, Jez had something more important to pay attention to at the moment.

The central exhibition hall was a large ballroom -- draped in finery, royal crests, banners from the ceiling, the works. And a quite crowded one, too; Jez would have to weave her way through the crowd a bit, cutting through patrons and onlookers, to get to the center of it. Because in the center of the ball room was a glass case, behind a velvet rope. And inside that case lay Katarina -- larger than life; about eight feel tall, in full golden form, raised above so she was reclining at eye level. She lay back in a classical odalisque pose, lying on one side with one hand supporting her head, and the other draped lazily over the edge, dangling down. The only thing she was wearing, if it could be called 'wearing', was a cloth in Symkarian colors, draped over one of her legs; it didn't do much to preserve her modesty. All very classical and artistic, I'm sure, though normally, those statues in museums are hundreds, if not thousands of years old, and aren't actively your girlfriend.

Katarina looked over the crowd with a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes, as people walked around to view her from different angles, taking photographs and sketches, whispering to themselves as they viewed the art. Some checked their pamphlets, or read the sign with the very strict schedule listing a series of poses, and what times Katarina would be adopting them throughout the day. She was very much on display, and the first sign Jez had that this wasn't just a statue was when their eyes locked, and, just for a moment, the smile got a little more real; the free hand slightly tensing in a half-wave, the back arching maybe a tad more.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez's boots clacked a little more quickly as she walked past the special exhibit, a reminder to her that time was of the essence on more than one front. But she walked past one problem to be presented with another. There was Katarina, or part of her anyway, right in front of her and larger than life in all of her golden glory. And there, too, was a crowd of onlookers who ranged from devout loyalists to utterly disinterested bystanders, and everything in between. And while Jez could force her way through, or throw around her status to have a path cleared for her... what then? Was she going to hop the fence and get hauled off by the guards? Talk about a rather sensitive subject in front of the others? Sure, they weren't real people, but they were real elements of the princess' mind, and she had to be careful not to harm them in any way.

So instead she approached the nearest guard, still clutching her clipboard and with an expression that made her look like she was already annoyed at having her time wasted. "You there." She pointed at him before looking down at her papers.

"The king has ordered me to speak to Her Highness on a matter of great importance. Have the curtain lowered so that we may have some privacy." There was no hint of asking permission, this was an order - something she'd been forced to get used to giving during her time in the castle, as unnatural as it felt.

[Katarina Karkov]

The guard, at first protested -- close an exhibit during public viewing hours? Unheard of. Scandalous! Did she have the proper forms? The permissions? It would throw everything off of schedule. Irrevocably! Irreversibly! It would be her head that rolled, not the guards!

But Jez was persistent, and her word had some sway here, and finally, reluctantly, the guard ordered the curtain lowered. This would at least block prying eyes, and give Katarina some apparently uncommon privacy. Though even then, there seemed to be some limits to the amount of privacy her mind would let her actually have; lights on the inside still created a sort of silhouette shadowplay on the outside of the curtain and give the audience something they could watch and comment on, tittering passing through the assembled masses as the shadow of Katarina dropped her flag-robe to the floor and sat up.

The guard led Jez through the crowds and raised the curtain a tad so Jez could slip through for her private showing, to more whispers and comments from the vox populi. The one person who didn't seem annoyed at Jez's orders and the temporary blocking of the exhibit? Katarina herself, who beamed a smile down at her and pressed one larger-than-life hand against the glass of her display case.

"Hello, my love," she said, in a low voice to try not to be picked up by the crowd just outside the curtain. "Here for a little cultural education? Or is this an order from the King; am I to be displayed elsewhere for now?"

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez had stood her ground with the guard, adopting the mannerisms of someone for whom it wasn't a question of whether or not she'd get what she wanted, but how long until she did. Did he want forms and permissions? Absolutely. Just tell her the name of the guard who requested it, so that she can explain the situation to the King when she returns to him. That she was aided by the truth only served to strength her confidence and her control of the situation.

Jez strode with purpose through the crowd as they parted to make way for her and the guard, the woman stooping just enough to slip under the curtain, and then they were alone together. Well, about as alone together as she and the princess could be, here or in Symkaria. Seeing that large, golden smile, the woman couldn't resist - she had to reach out and place her hand against the glass as well, the closest thing she could get to touching her.

"I wish it were something so simple, but I'm afraid I'm here on a much more urgent matter. I have uncovered a plot against you, your hi... my love." Jez had to let the act slip, even if just for a moment, she couldn't let Katarina's words of affection go unanswered, even if this was only a part of her. She spoke in hushed whispers, her face close enough to the glass to cause it to fog. "And what's worse, your father the King is complicit in the matter, conspiring with Count Doom to replace you or transform you into.... someone else. Someone whom the Count would desire to hold power over your people."

She swallowed, it was a lot to just put in Katarina's shoulders all at once. "There is something locked away in the basement, something that has been festering inside of you, tormenting you. That thing is the key to all of this... and I have to stop it somehow." The girl didn't know how... could she seal it away forever? Purge it from Katarina's mind and soul? Destroy it? She had no idea, and she didn't have much time to figure that out.

"You know where where it's hidden away, the King said as much. Please, Katarina, please help me save you."

[Katarina Karkov]

"You know where where it's hidden away, the King said as much. Please, Katarina, please help me save you."

Katarina sighed, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "My father...

She squinted, trying to focus -- as if something was blocking her. "My father...swears he has my best interests at heart. That he is trying to protect me," she says, resting her head on her glass cage. "That...that he will take care of everything. And all I have to do is stand here and look pretty. And inspire. I...am inspiring. And I like to be pretty...and I like to be looked at..."

She squinted, as if trying to pierce through a fog. "But...you also swear you have my best interests at heart. You look after me. You are the...the..." she said, trying to find the word on the tip of her tongue.

"Who are you? My love...who are you? Are you the Dictator? The Victorious? Do you...

Are you in charge here?" she said, confused.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez swallowed. "I am the lover, who now also has to carry the mantle of the knight as well." Somehow she felt like better fit the role of the courtesan, but that wasn't important right now. "But you... you're the princess. Your father isn't the one in charge, YOU are. This is YOUR museum... YOUR kingdom. Inside these walls, you tell HIM what to do, not the other way around."

[Katarina Karkov]

Jez swallowed. "I am the lover, who now also has to carry the mantle of the knight as well." Somehow she felt like better fit the role of the courtesan, but that wasn't important right now. "But you... you're the princess. Your father isn't the one in charge, YOU are. This is YOUR museum... YOUR kingdom. Inside these walls, you tell HIM what to do, not the other way around."

"I am the princess..." she says, slowly, as if trying to convince herself. She placed her hand to her chest, thumb on her breastbone, as she tried to repeat it. "I am the princess... the princess..."

And, in a sudden moment, Katarina's hand slipped inside her chest, passing through the golden exterior as if it wasn't there. She sat there for a moment, her hand slipped up to her wrist inside of her, before pulling out a small, glowing, golden orb, identical to the ones that Jez had found in the case in the room with Lady Doom in it. On it was an intricate depiction of a statue on a plinth; a work of art on display. Katarina looked at it for a moment, her brow furrowing, as she tried to understand.

"No...I am not. I am not the princess. I am not in charge here. I am...an object on display. I exist for others to draw inspiration from me," she said, slowly turning the orb over in her hand. "And at the moment...that is all I am."

She considered this for a moment, puzzled. "They took the Princess from me. They kept it in the vault. They guarded it. We must...we must get it back. Yes? That is what you are saying? We must take control?"

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez watched as the princess retrieved her orb; had the glowing bobble influenced her mind and made it easier to convince her that this was her role, or was it quite literal and forced the role upon her? The girl didn't know, but it made the objects' purpose and usage much clearer - if not solving it entirely. She was definitely a few steps closer now.

"Yes, that is exactly what we must do." She took a deep breath. "... do you feel up to it?"

[Katarina Karkov]

Jez watched as the princess retrieved her orb; had the glowing bobble influenced her mind and made it easier to convince her that this was her role, or was it quite literal and forced the role upon her? The girl didn't know, but it made the objects' purpose and usage much clearer - if not solving it entirely. She was definitely a few steps closer now.

"Yes, that is exactly what we must do." She took a deep breath. "... do you feel up to it?"

"Up to helping?" she said, biting her lower lip. "I... I'm supposed to be here...I'm supposed to be seen..."

She looked very conflicted at the moment, before attempting to steel herself. Or gold herself. Whatever.

"But...but if you need help. Perhaps I can come. To...inspire you. That would be something I should do, yes? I could provide support..."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez considered her options. Taking Katarina with her risked the princess'... essence, her self. But leaving her here did just the same; she couldn't trust the guards to keep a force like the King or Lady Doom from reaching her. And she half-considered the orbs in the box... it seemed too early to try and replace what had been taken from her with the Victorious, or use the Knight to turn her into a force to be reckoned with. Because who knew if she would relinquish her new role when all this was done? It was a bad idea to be apart, and a bad idea to be together, but with multiple Jez's they could do both. And two bad ideas were better than one... right?

"Stand back please, your highness." Jez said softly before she again reached for her sword, drawing it back over her shoulder before striking at the glass with the pommel cap and guard.

[Katarina Karkov]

Jez considered her options. Taking Katarina with her risked the princess'... essence, her self. But leaving her here did just the same; she couldn't trust the guards to keep a force like the King or Lady Doom from reaching her. And she half-considered the orbs in the box... it seemed too early to try and replace what had been taken from her with the Victorious, or use the Knight to turn her into a force to be reckoned with. Because who knew if she would relinquish her new role when all this was done? It was a bad idea to be apart, and a bad idea to be together, but with multiple Jez's they could do both. And two bad ideas were better than one... right?

"Stand back please, your highness." Jez said softly before she again reached for her sword, drawing it back over her shoulder before striking at the glass with the pommel cap and guard.

Katarina leaned back against the far glass as Jez swung the pommel of the sword at the glass. In real life, that might have only cracked it, or even just hit it with a dull thunk. But in here, where action followed intent, Jez's swing caused the glass to crack and split, shattering down around the girl and the princess. Katarina shied away from the glass as it first fell down, and then carefully and gingerly stretched herself out over it to stand next to Jez -- you wouldn't want to scratch the gold, now would you!

You wouldn't necessarily expect an eight-foot tall animated statue to be particularly cautious or nervous. But that did describe Katarina, as she rose to her full height and stood close to Jez, reaching down to place one extra-large hand on her shoulder and squeezing affectionately. Standing behind Jez at least gave her a modicum of modesty as the two stayed behind the privacy curtain, Katarina having left her decorative flag behind on her pedestal.

"To the vaults, then, my lover," Katarina said, with a nervous smile looking down at her girlfriend. "To find what was taken from me. And to face what can not be faced."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez tried not to buckle under the figurative and literal weight of her towering girlfriend and future monarch when they placed their huge golden hand on her shoulder. She had to be strong for her, serve as her rock - even if she wasn't as resilient as her protector should be. But if she could fake it, that was just as good as actually being it, fake it until you make it... right? She reached up and patted the woman's arm, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

"Head held high and proud, love. You are their princess, and they love you. And I will be right here at your side." She tried to give her a bit of a pep-talk, already imagining what awaited them beyond those curtains. And with that, she swung the sword to cut one of the ropes that held the curtains in place, causing it to drop and swing to one side as she placed the weapon back in it's scabbard.

[Katarina Karkov]

Jez's sword sliced through the ropes, sending the privacy curtain tumbling to the floor. Murmurs and flashbulbs greeted them, as they slowly started picking their way through the crowd. Katarina stayed as close as possible to the much smaller Jez, using her as a sort of shield -- not due to her state of undress, as classical statues shouldn't care about that sort of thing, but as a shield against the judging eyes of the assembled populace. Girl needed some confidence, clearly, though at least she could fake it some by pressing up close to Jez as they cut their way through the prying eyes.

The two made their way back to the basement, giving them a moment of calmness -- or at least, of privacy. The floor itself was a maze of crates, of file cabinets, of discarded or just un-shown exhibits, scattered around. Katarina's breath hitched as she saw it, hesitating to start wading through the mess of debris and storage. "This is...where we end up. At the end of things, I am sure. When we've outlived our usefulness..."

She pointedly avoided looking at the vaults along the wall, waiting to be opened, waiting for their orbs.

[Katarina Karkov]

Searching through the piles of crates took a fair deal of time -- it felt like months, although that was clearly impossible. Everything in the museum was the carefully curated and cataloged collection of Katarina's constant concerns and cares, the overarching threat of everything that her father, that Doom, that society had told made her wrong and useless; everything that Jez was trying to bolster to fight back against whatever it was Doom had placed in her mind as an infant?. This was...everything else.

The large, classical statue version of Katarina who Jez had found was slowly picking her way through things. Hoping against hope, perhaps, that the Princess orb, one of the few missing from the collection Jez had found, would be randomly stashed here. Too good to be true, certainly. Presumably, whatever they were truly looking for would be behind one of the locked vaults, waiting to be opened, waiting for orbs of their own to be placed in the doors to open them, activating them.

Katarina gasped as she rounded another corner. And it wasn't hard to see why -- there, lying on the floor, was another statue version of her, this one with the face caved in precisely where she had had her own damage dealt to her. "Used and discarded..." she whispered to herself, looking around the room at some of the other cloth-covered objects. "Replaced..."