[United Kingdom] Lunging, Excalibur & Fate (CLOSED)

Betsy smiled at Meggan's words. She was glad that there wasn't an issue with Brian, or at least more of an issue than normal. Here, in the soft forest and faint ambience of nature, Betsy felt a pang of love for her brother. She missed him, she realised. When was the last time she had visited? Or seen her niece? She was at the Manor most of the time, watching over Jamie and Britain. These were part of her role. Where was her personal life?

Her thoughts were soothed as they went deeper into the forest. A wash of smells and sounds gently soothed her senses, of moss and soil, of the leaves in the wind and faint birds. Betsy shut her eyes, and felt for the first time her thoughts melt away, becoming one with the woods around her. She took a deep breath through her nose, holding the essence of the forest there for as long as she could.

Betsy opened her eyes, a faint look of zen on her face. She glanced at Meggan, at Rupert, and smiled wider than before.

"This must be what you were talking about, Rupe... this place is so incredibly... quiet. Full of life, but so solitary. I can't believe places like this still exist in the world."

Betsy reached out a hand, running fingers through dappled leaves as she guided Vivi onward after Rupert. This is what she was missing. What the mantle of Captain Britain truly needed to defend. Not just the people, but the land. The woods and fields, the soil and the animals that lived there, the plants and trees which grew and thrived. Betsy closed her eyes again. Kent had been right. Rupert too. There was more to it than fighting enemies and wearing herself thin.

"Captain Britain is more than a sword to fight Britain's enemies. It's a shield, too to defend Her pepple and Her land..." She murmured to herself, breathing slowly and with intention.

Their eventual destination proved as enchanting as she had hoped. As if torn right out of Otherworld and placed here. A grove of fantasy and wonder. She could sense the copious amounts of magic on her skin. It was as if she had gotten doused by invigorating energy. Meggan looked around in awe before dismounting. She gave Pepper a soft caress, then placing her head against the mare's. The two had already formed a natural bond, their trust clear and evident.

Meggan surveyed her surroundings, walking around as her dress gently went over the grass and moss. She went over to the creek, mesmerized by the water's flow. She glanced at her own reflection, as much as she could through the flowing water. Sitting down next to the creek, Meggan's face dropped ever so slightly. She mused about her family a while longer, wondering if she was doing right by them, if she was raising Maggie right. She had those thoughts more frequently than before, though that was likely purely because of motherly instincts. Children grow up, unfathomably quick and it can make one feel like they're missing out on their most formative years. And here Meggan was, wanting to get away from it all. She tried to not blame herself for taking care of herself every once in a while. But it seemed unavoidable.

And then she realized that she was missing something else as well. Something that she hadn't missed in a long time and for good reason. Meggan was missing her parents. Having been missing for so long, Meggan found it almost difficult to even remember their faces. And despite them treating her as someone who should never be seen, she knew they loved her nonetheless. These were strange feelings she was having, her appearance fluctuating as she tried to gain sense of them.

"Do you... ever miss your parents?"

The question was aimed at both of her companions. Meggan hoped that the sudden change in tone wouldn't ruin their serene excursion. But she had learnt to not keep these things inside, she was never really good at that, actually. Though most of all, Meggan hoped to gain some insight into her teammates and maybe gain an understanding of her own feelings.

Rupert watched as the other two made themselves comfortable in the clearing, and he would join them after making sure the whole herd had made it with them. Some of the horses were drinking, and others were snacking leaves from some bushes on the outskirts of the clearing. With that done, he also took off his shoes and socks, feeling the grass and moss as he walked over to Betsy and Meggan. Rupert sat down on a rock, taking a deep breath as he looked at the floating lights.

Meggan's unexpected question surprised Rupert so much that he did not even register what she had asked immediately. He listened as Betsy replied, talking about not visiting them enough and judging by how she looked. Did he ever miss his parents?

"Et must be nice," he said slowly, "to ave such feelings for your berthparents."

Rupert stopped, avoiding looking at either of them. So far, only Brian knew what had happened with his parents or his father. He let out a deep sigh. He had not even talked to his mother in years, and Morgan... did she count? She called herself his "mother", but that was from a past life that did not feel like it was his.

"No, not really." He replied to Meggan's question. "Fater- was e sad, abuseve drunk wo tought beating hes son made hem strong- and moter... es only ever tere physically." Rupert shook his head. "E prefer to banesh my parents from my mend. Excalebur es the only famely e need, and I'm always goeng to be grateful to Brian- for findeng me wen he ded."

Betsy couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming emotions. It wasn't just the feel of the place, or the words Meggan spoke. The fact that Brian had said those things... Betsy had to turn away, managing her emotions and controlling her feelings, lest she break down. She was smiling though, a wide and generous smile which felt like it had been locked down for too long. Where had this Betsy been? Captain Britain had taken over her life in a big way, and she hadn't realised how repressed these emotions had been.

Of course, her warm feelings were chilled by Rupert's words. Betsy turned to him, frowning , head cocked, fingers flexing in and out of fists with a sense of anxiety. How could she not have known? She joked with Rupert, but the two of them had never felt... close. Not as close as Brian and he had been. Betsy was sure there was something there which stifled her ever getting close to the man. The fact she had taken the mantle from her brother, for better or worse, had always felt like it had created a wall between them. Impenetrable, tall and thick, made of something beyond her knowledge of breaking through. Yet here, now, in this placid glade and with her chest full of tumultuous emotion, Betsy saw the cracks there. 

Like Meggan, she was unsure of her approach, but unlike Meggan, she was not hesitant about rushing in headlong. Her bare feet hit the ground as she rushed at Rupert. Her arms flung around him, squeezing the man tight. Betsy was feeling emotion like she hadn't felt since... the funeral, perhaps? She wasn't sure how Rupert would respond, but at this point it was just as much for her as it was for him. Betsy pushed back, looking into the dark eyes of her companion.

"You are always part of our family, Rupert. Not just Brian, but all Braddocks, and everyone else in Excalibur. Sorry that you had such an arsehole of a father, but I want you to know that you'll always be like a brother to me."

Betsy stepped back a little way, enough space between them to give the man some room. She gave a little grin, feeling slightly flustered and a bit embarassed. Rupert had never shown any sign of wanting physical contact, but... well, how could she hold back when he told such a sad story as that? Betsy glanced at Meggan, then back at Rupert.

"I... I know that it must have been hard, when Enchantress forced Brian to give me the mantle of Captain Britain. I know you two are close. I just hope there's no resentment between us. I know I give you a hard time, and I like to tease you, but... it is because I really respect you. I hope you know that."

Betsy turned away, staring out across the still waters of the glade, mostly to hide her expression. She wasn't used to this amount of emotion, and her eyes felt like fractured dams, holding back a river with futility and little hope. All this talk of parents long gone, and the feelings that had been welling up for so long, pressured by her life and the mantle, but now on the verge of gushing forth with vigour and gusto... Betsy felt like she needed to get a lot off her chest before they left here.

"You've given me so much in this short space of time. Helped me when you could have just turned me away. I know I can be a bloody pain in the arse for you, but I want you to know all this. We've never had such a good opportunity to talk openly..."

Meggan's loaded question had the expected outcome. She knew Rupert would be honest, though she wasn't expecting him to lay his cards on the table that swiftly. She hoped it spoke of his trust towards them. The fae smiled softly, as she listened to her teammates lay out their innermost feelings. A moment of true bonding in fantastical surroundings. Meggan couldn't think of a more fitting Excalibur pastime.

She turned her back towards them slowly, looking upwards at the dense forestry that managed to let through a few rays of sunshine. Meggan basked in its warmth, closing her eyes for a moment as she kept listening to Rupert's doubts and guilt laid bare. She wanted to turn around and run towards him, to embrace him and say that his past didn't define him.

But how could she? Not when his guilt was giving her such unbridled joy.

Whether her "teammates" noticed or not, Meggan's stance and posture had changed subtly, yet noticeably enough. She ruffled her hair in a lazy manner, before before breaking the brief silence.

"I remember that battle. The symphony of steel clashing, the groans of agony, the desperate knights calling out to their gods. Their pleas unanswered. And Arthur's final draw of breath as he succumbed to your blade. I don't think I ever thanked you for it."

As she spoke, her tone noticeably changed. She sounded more calm, more deliberate. Her cadence followed, her accent shifted slightly, giving her voice a deeper timbre. At the same time, as the sunlight shone upon her face, it began to morph and shift. A green, almost scaled skin gradually replaced that of Meggan's, as if an infection spreading. Her eyes turned emerald, giving them a much piercing look than the soft gaze Meggan's eyes did.

The flowing, near golden hair receded to a dim brown with shades of red. Like an autumn leaf about to lose its splendor. Her hair morphed into neat braids, a bun at the back of her head bringing it all together. Betsy and Rupert would notice her body sort of contract and crack, as it took the form of the woman who had secretly been in their midst this entire time.


Posing as Meggan was an astoundingly simple task. She was a household name in Otherworld, not to mention that her impersonator had been in the fae's vicinity many times over without anyone ever noticing. While true that the witch could not imitate powers, her own magic was more than fitting for the task. An illusion here, a whispered incantation there and the ruse was complete. Even the horses were susceptible to her wicked charms. Not to mention the grove. Protected by fairly impressive druid magic, it was still no equal to the ancient power she possessed.

She turned to face her "companions" once again, the long, ornate red dress instantly changed into a black cloak, beneath which a similarly black layered dress could be seen. Her expression was something in the middle of a very faint smile, exceptional confidence, and knowing. Her gaze drifted over the two, eventually locking in on Rupert.

"Excalibur's finest open their hearts to one another. How pretty. But you continue to try and escape your true self. I do suppose you were always good at running, weren't you? Even when you are forever incapable of doing so."

Her tone had notes of mockery present. Her hand rose to gesture at the scar. An eternal reminder of who he really is. She knew he would try to keep running until his dying breath. A pathetic attempt at a display of valor.

"Because these forlorn attempts to frame yourself as someone virtuous will only return you to this very spot. A child whose destiny is set, immutable. Embrace it and you shall be set free, Mordred."

She knew her words wouldn't sway him. They weren't meant to. But she did know that his seeds of doubt can always be exploited. His weakness too great to resist. She knew, because she had seen the power, the freedom. In front of them stood one who was gloriously set free. She was known by many names. Once she was known as Guinevere. Now, she was the Dark One, darkness incarnate.

It felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over him as his hands lowered, and he slowly turned to look at "Meggan". His mind raced, and several different images flashed into his memory, memories of pain, treason and loss. Of all people, no, creatures to be running into, with Betsy there at that.

Rupert gritted his teeth as her words, like venom, splashed against him, and he slowly stood up from the rock.

"You would know all about embraceng a fate set by oters, stepmother." He said, voice cold as he kept his hands steady. "E had hoped you would have died too, but, like weth my moter, magic like yours doesn't die so easily. Suppose thes es what she had planned too- nevermend."

He glanced at Betsy at her question before shaking his head in response. Unlike Betsy, he was not so quick to pull out his weapon immediately. Had this woman wanted to attack, she would have had ample opportunity to do so before this point, taking them both by surprise. The question was, why did she show up to meet him now, of all times? Had she followed Betsy? This was why he did not like those powerful magic users—schemers, the lot of them.

"She es no friend of mine, but e do know who she es." He replied, "Meet, Her Majesty Queen Guinevere of Camelot, my stepmoter, but tese days e believe she goes by a very defferent name, The Dark One. Now..." his focus returned to The Dark One. He could feel the anger from Betsy, and did not feel he had the luxury of also losing his own head at the same time, it would accomplish nothing. "Why do we ave the honour of your vesit- stepmother? Surely you're not ere to avenge my fater?" Like Betsy, he did wonder if she had done something with the real Meggan, but it was impossible to tell without checking in with Brian, not to mention... how could they even bring that up with him!