"Tell me, what do you need?" Joseph asked in a low voice.
"Right now, what I need are officers," Gillie commented, "Serenity had brought her discovery of this cure to me at the station just as EVERYTHING related to game went nuts. Serenity was explaining it to me, when I got an update call that said that Penny got into a tussle with members of Jensen's Pack, which I've learned was entirely a misunderstanding on both sides..."
"The Pack attacked members of the Pride?" Joseph gasped.
"It was a misunderstanding," Gillie sighed, going by what she had learned so far, "Penny had learned she could free Leomen trapped by the Game and had gone to the Gallery to save Kirk, and probably the others there. At the same time, the Curse gained full sentience and attacked the Pack. Jensen then sent Amy and the Japanese Lupman to free the Lupmen that were there. The two "groups" arrived at the same time and misunderstood the other's intentions."
"The Japanese Lupmen also appeared to have taken it all worse then Penny," Serenity spoke up, "I was involved taking a couple "trapped" Leomen to her, and found one of the Japanese Lupmen caring for her almost obsessively. It was a sort of honor debt for them."
Joseph nodded.
"Anyway, just as I received the call about Penny's altercation at the gallery, Alphas Jensen and Kaylee arrived with Alice and informed Serenity and I of Kurse's attack on the Pack," Gillie finished, "My officers agreed to help Jensen stop Kurse."
Joseph shuddered at the memory. He remembered Kurse making his Prime Mate and loves attack him. Thankfully he proved to be just fast enough to avoid getting killed.
"I take it the Police Pride is out of action?" Joseph then asked.
"Along with Fran and Darla," Gillie answered, "the police part of the Pride is recovering at Wolf Manor, and Fran and Darla are helping their sister care for them."
"Is there any way we could move some of them to the hospital?" Joseph wondered, "make their work easier?"
"I don't think Beta Julie would like that," Gillie sighed, "I had met with Fran when I was checking on my officers, and she seemed rather determined to heal them..."
"So logically, her sisters are equally determined," Joseph sighed, "but still, the civilized thing to do would be to at least ask to help."
"I'm sure," Gillie sighed, "but I'm no good with medicine... and there are somethings that just won't end so long as the Game lives. I will need officers to maintain at least basic order. Serenity might need some help in investigating the Game before it finally dies, as Trevor seemed to volunteer to help her out while she was protecting him."
"Aaron has told me about your protecting Trevor," Joseph then said, "I apologize for not recognizing you sooner. You have the Pride's heartfelt thanks for protecting him."
"Aaron?"
"My son."
Serenity glanced at the photograph, and nodded.
"Anyway, I'm not sure if I can provide you much in the way of officers," Joseph sighed to Gillie, "some of the security guards might volunteer on a temporary basis, but I don't know how much they can really help."
Gillie nodded.
"What will you need to kill the game?" Joseph asked.
"At present, we're still manufacturing enough of the powder to kill all the turns," Serenity explained, "that won't be completed till closer to the end of the week. And I will be sure to let you know when you are ready."
Joseph nodded.
"What we will need is access to pumps and wells that supply Glendale with fresh water," Serenity spoke, "It is the pumps that will make the whole thing work. The pipes going in and out of the houses and other buildings will make the appropriate circles. Without them... we'd have to do this one person at a time, which would not only take time, but those who tend to want to use the game for bad reasons would escape."
Joseph nodded.
"It also wouldn't hurt to get in touch a radio station to have them broadcast Father Micheal's blessing of the town," Serenity continued, "though I do not know if that would be more of advertising or whether or not I'd need to contact them on my own. We're mostly trying to get things set up..."
"109.3 FM is the station that carries the news and does the city wide reporting," Joseph spoke, "along with nearly every style of music. I can give them an advertising announcement on the end of the Game if you can give me the day that you intend to try this."
Serenity told him the day they were shooting for to bless the town. Joseph then nodded.
"I can make the call to the station," Joseph nodded, "if the both of you are certain this will work."
"It will," Serenity and Gillie said in almost perfect unison.
"I'll talk with the city's water management engineer and let him know about your plan," Joseph then spoke, "how do you plan to put the cure into the water supply?"
"We haven't quite gotten that far," Serenity admitted, "for storage purposes the powder is being stored in vials... they'll probably be poured in one at a time once we have access. Which might actually work better. By using the vials, we can use multiple points of access, rather then accidentally clogging one pipe with one massive dump of the powder."
"I'll talk with the city's water management engineer," Joseph spoke, "I'll tell him you're certain that this will work. If you can leave your number with me here, I can then give it to him. He can then offer you his suggestions for how to get this cure into the water safely."
"Sure," Serenity spoke and pulled out one of her business cards, which had both her cell-phone and home phone numbers on it, "I apologize if this is too much of a gypsy/fortune teller type calling card, but I've found its been the easier way to be left alone by those who use the Game for their own personal gain."
Joseph nodded.
++++++++++++++
"Patrick!" a dark brownish-gray Lupman said in surprise at seeing the large black wolf with gold highlights and an image of a howling wolf that looked very much like a decal, "it is an honor to see you."
"Yes, I'm sure," Mr. P nodded, "I am here though to make sure the rest of the Pack is okay."
"This has to do with Kurse, isn't it?" the other Lupman answered.
"Yes," Mr. P nodded, "My grandson is busy with business matters and his mates are busy with Pack related affairs at the manor, so I have been asked to check on those that have decided to live outside the manor. See if there is anything you need."
"I don't think there is anything my family needs," the Lupman answered, "In fact it is I who should be thanking the Pack. My young Timothy has been restored."
Mr. P couldn't help but smile, "Yes. Zelipe informed me of his freeing your son this morning."
And nearly all of Mr. P's meetings with the other members of the pack that lived outside of Wolf Manor would go in fairly similar manner. There were some differences as each individual family and sub-Pack was different, though he did get a feeling in his gut that Molly and Library, Miley, Mara, Rachael, Roberta, Geraldine, and Kaylee, Isabelle, Hope, and Grace's parents would soon be visiting the manor because of his visit with them.
+++++++++++++
1689
Lark slowly made her way toward the steps to see Joella standing beside the mean girl and in front of her was a VERY large snake, a small gargoyle that had sustained serious damage somewhere, and a human that was in clothing that was too big for him.
"Who are you?" Mal'akh demanded, pulling Joella away, though she was terrified, particularly of the snake.
"I formally have no name," Vatican answered, though it sounded rather trance like, "Most recently I have been known as Vatican."
"Draco Fire," the human spoke.
"Linussssssssss Sssssssssure," hissed the snake.
"Impossible," Mal'akh tried to give as threatening a growl as she could muster, "Linus is Human, Draco is a Dragon, and Vatican is much larger... unless..." some slight indication of what happened then hit the young Leoman, "...oh God!"
"What?" Joella asked.
Mal'akh hit herself on the head for breaking one of the ten commandments and then spoke, "Your mothers transformed them somehow. They're under some sort of spell. You have to undo it!"
"Me?" Joella asked, "What can I do? My mothers were the witches not me!"
"I don't know... tell them not to be under a spell... tell them to be who they are!" Mal'akh urged.
"Would that work?"
"I don't know, but you have to try!" Mal'akh urged.
Joella sighed and stepped around Mal'akh, and the three transformed hunters seemed to relax a bit.
"I much as I am happy to see that you have realized that my mothers weren't evil... I don't want you to be "under a spell" as my friend says," Joella spoke, "So... could you live your lives as you would if you weren't under a spell. We can be friends... but I don't want make anyone do anything they don't want to do."
Joella then looked back to Mal'akh, "Did that work?"
"I don't know," Mal'akh started to say when they both heard a sudden gasp and then a thunk as Linus and Draco fainted... "I didn't see that coming."
"Thank you, young one," Vatican spoke as his memories of vowing to protect Marie came back to him, as well as her orders to protect Joella from Marie... which ironically reinforced Azrael's geass and the witches' Dare, "I'm sorry if our appearance is disturbing to you. Your mothers did not take kindly to being killed and refused to admit that they had made mistakes."
"But they died for happiness..."
"I suppose that is one way to put it," Vatican gave a sigh, "though in their madness, I doubt they've done anything that could make someone else happy. They made mistakes young one, and sadly for them, they paid for those mistakes."
Joella slowly nodded, "It's okay. I do not want any more war. No fighting. Surely we can ALL find some way to get along."
"Of course," Vatican nodded.
"Where is the one-eyed hunter?" Joella asked.
"I believe she is still in Glendale," Vatican answered.