Welcome, everyone, to What Price Justice, the third installment in the "What Price..." Saga. To everyone who read What Price Loyalty and What Price Vengeance, I thank you for your time and your commitment. To those of you who have not read WPL and WPV, I suggest strongly that you do before you read What Price Justice. I am pleased with the way WPL and WPV were received; everyone has been so supportive and helpful. I hope WPJ will not be a disappointment.

Now without further ado, may I present:

Chapter 1

Tom Lair awoke with a start. Momentarily disoriented, his eyes darted around the dimly-lit hospital room. Then he remembered where he was...and why he was here.

Stretching hugely, the police sergeant rose from an uncomfortable chair and looked at his daughter. Her state remained unchanged, and she lay curled in a fetal position on the bed. His wife, Anna, sat near their daughter, clutching the young girl's pale hand in her own. Her thumb gently stroked the back of that hand, and her face was a mask of concern and despair.

Tom scrubbed his face with his hand and longed to do something to comfort the women in his life. His wife had become more and more despondent with each passing day. To see one's daughter in such a state had taken a toll on her heart. She had already collapsed once, and Tom worried for her health just as much as his daughter's. Anna seemed somehow fragile to him, now; a state he was not used to seeing in this head-strong woman.

Irma lay curled exactly as she had been for the last week. She hadn't spoken in all that time, and her eyes moved only to blink occasionally. Tom was no doctor, but he knew his daughter was in trouble. Something awful had happened to her that Sergeant Lair didn't completely understand. All he knew was that it had changed her life forever.

Tom knew from Irma's friends that her powers had been taken, but he didn't know why. He had been about to ask when Irma had suddenly started seizing. Without another thought, he had scooped up his daughter and raced for the car. Since then, though Irma's friends had visited every day, Tom had not spoken much with any of them. But that was going to change today. He needed answers to help him understand how to help his daughter.

The big policeman sighed heavily and ran his hand through his thinning brown hair. He felt helpless and this made him angry. As a child he had been taught to protect his loved ones and to make certain they felt loved and safe in every way. These values, instilled in him by his father, were partially why he had become a cop. Now all his training was useless, and Tom felt as helpless as a newborn kitten.

He gazed at his daughter, so rigid and still. He thought back on the past week and wondered if there was something he should have done differently. Maybe if he had been quicker to get her to the hospital they would have been able to stop the catatonia. But deep in his heart, Tom knew there was nothing he could have done.

But this didn't stop him from kicking himself.

Then Dr. Russ had mentioned moving Irma to Heatherfield Hills where he thought she could be more comfortable. Tom's initial reaction had been to punch the man. But years of police discipline had held him back long enough to simply mumble a polite, yet, firm, "no." These white-coats weren't going to pawn off his daughter...they were going to stick by her until she was cured!

Tom moved to the side of his daughter's bed and placed his meaty hand on the girl's forehead. She felt clammy. His eyes locked with Anna's and both knew what the other was thinking. What if Irma never snapped out of this?

–

Will awoke Saturday morning with a determined expression on her face. Today was judgment day for the Oracle and the entire Council of Kandrakar. They had done a terrible thing to her friend and she was determined to find out why.

The redhead showered and dressed quickly then clomped down the stairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, sweetie," her mother said. Susan Vandom was already spooning eggs and bacon onto plates.

"Hey," was the response she got.

Will and her Mom hadn't been getting along of late. Will deemed her mother too nosy and annoying, and Susan deemed Will too reserved and introverted. Perhaps if Susan knew what was really bothering her daughter, she would be more understanding. As it was, the woman simply thought Will was suffering from normal teenage brain damage. Though she had tried to get Will to open up to her, the redhead had remained firm in her quest to shut her mother out of her life.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Susan asked, trying to make conversation as she set a plate of food and a glass of orange juice before her daughter.

Will thought quickly. She couldn't exactly reveal what she was really planning...not to her mother, anyway.

"I thought I would go up to the hospital and see how Irma's doing."

Susan nodded sympathetically. She knew something had happened to her daughter's friend, but she was still unsure as to what.

"Have the doctors come up with anything new?"

Will shook her head. "All they know is Irma had a seizure and then went all catnip, or something."

Susan grinned. "Catatonic, sweetie, catatonic."

"Yeah, that."

Susan regarded Will with a searching expression. "Don't you wonder what happened to cause this?"

Not really, Will thought. I already know what happened.

Rather than reveal these thoughts to her mother, Will simply shrugged. "They'll find something eventually, I guess."

Susan knew this was an indicator to drop the subject. "I have to head into the office for a few hours this morning. We're putting in a new network and I want to be there to help work out all the kinks."

"Whatever."

The rest of breakfast was eaten in mostly silence. A little small talk was all that flew around the table. Presently, Will rose and placed her dishes in the dishwasher.

"Thanks for breakfast, mom. I'll see you later."

"Call me later this afternoon and let me know how things are?"

Will nodded. "Sure. Good luck with the network."

"Thank you. Ride carefully."

"I will. See ya'."

Will grabbed her jacket near the door and left the apartment. Susan sighed and cleared her dishes. She would give anything to be able to understand her daughter's recent behavior. Lately, she had seemed withdrawn and even her favorite activities seemed to hold no interest for her. She had not visited the pool in weeks, and Susan was worried.

Still, she supposed the best way to handle it was to let her daughter know she was available and let the teenager come to her when she was ready.

If only that time could be sooner rather than later.

–

Hay Lin awoke and got ready quickly. No helping out at the Silver Dragon today. Nope...she was hospital-bound.

Hopefully she could get out before her parents woke up.

And those hopes came to fruition, as the Asian girl managed to sneak her way past her still-slumbering parents. Even her grandmother dozed comfortably.

Hay Lin thought a lot about the past week. Everything that had happened had shaken her faith in the Council and in her duties as a Guardian. Was this what awaited all of them in the future? Hay Lin didn't want to end up in the hospital, and she felt terrible that Irma had. After everything she had been through, to end up like this...it just wasn't right.

Hay Lin grabbed her bike and rode slowly towards downtown Heatherfield. Her thoughts turned to the Lair family. Tom and Anna were so worried, and felt so helpless. Neither one of them had talked to Irma's friends much; a part of Hay Lin thought they blamed them for what had happened to their daughter.

The truth was, Hay Lin did blame herself. If she had truly fulfilled her role as Defender, this wouldn't have happened. The decision to strip Irma of her powers had blindsided everybody, but Hay Lin still felt she should have anticipated something like this.

What was worse, Hay Lin felt she knew why the Oracle had done it...and she partially agreed with his decision.

Hay Lin growled inwardly. What kind of a friend was she? Her best friend was lying catatonic in the hospital, and here she was supporting the person who had caused it. Well, not supporting, exactly, but understanding, nevertheless.

The Air Guardian shook her head and tried to banish these thoughts as she continued towards her destination. She was determined to help Irma and the Lair family all she could...and that meant never voicing these thoughts to anyone.

–

Will arrived at Shell Cave, a favorite jumping-off point to Kandrakar. She felt she should arrive in official capacity, so she transformed herself into her Guardian Form.

Satisfied that she looked the part, Will opened a fold to the Fortress Between Worlds and stepped through. She was surprised to see the Oracle already waiting for her.

"I wondered when you would visit, young Keeper," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess you would be wondering that," Will snapped. She was not in the mood for pleasantries, and the Oracle seemed to pick up on that.

"You wish answers, do you not?"

Will nodded and crossed her arms. "Do you even know what's happened to Irma since you stripped her powers away?"

The Oracle nodded. "I do."

"Then you know you have to reverse it immediately. Without her powers, she's only going to get worse."

The Oracle sighed sadly. "Tragically, young Guardian, I cannot do that."

"Can't do that? You're the one that did it in the first place. Of course you can undo it."

"Yes, you are correct, I can undo it. But I will not...not at this point."

Will narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Tell me why," she said softly, through gritted teeth.

The Oracle sat down in a plush chair and invited Will to do the same. The Keeper remained standing.

"Young Keeper, there is much of the world you do not understand. You have grown much over the last month, but you are still so very young."

"Then educate me. Tell me what I don't understand."

The Oracle nodded slowly. "Your friend is a danger to herself right now, and a danger to those around her. Her mid has become unstable and clouded with what I believe to be an addiction to her powers. If I am correct, then it is my responsibility to try and protect you and the other Guardians in whatever way I feel I can."

"Oh so now you want to protect us. Where were you when Irma was being tortured to death? Or when the Mage cast that awful spell that turned her brain into mush? Or when we got our asses kicked so badly, Irma felt she had to go all Thunderdome with Nerissa? Where were you then?"

The Oracle looked sad. "Mistakes have been made, but I assure you, had I the power to see what would happen, I would have died to prevent it all."

"You're the Oracle," Will said exasperatedly. "You're supposed to be able to see this crap."

"You do not understand my powers, nor how they work, young Keeper. Nerissa was a powerful woman with the ability to somehow block my Sight. Would that I could have been more help, but, alas, she was too powerful even for me."

"Then it's a damn good thing we did your job and got rid of the bitch for you."

To Will's surprise, the Oracle nodded. "It is better that Nerissa is gone, I agree. But that is not why Irma Lair was stripped of her powers."

"Then tell me why," Will said dangerously.

"I have already told you, Guardian. You refuse to accept it."

"What, that Irma is a danger to everyone around her? She would never hurt her friends."

"And yet, she has hurt her friends on many occasions this past month. She has attacked all of you on at least one occasion. The Earth Guardian she would have killed had not her Chamber interfered."

"Those were isolated incidents. They're the exception, not the rule."

The Oracle shook his head. "It is good that you feel so strongly for your friend, but it is clouding what is so plain to you. You know in your heart that Irma is too unstable to be thrust into battle with your enemies. She may turn on you at any moment without even realizing what she is doing. Her mind has been severely damaged by Nerissa, and she needs time to recover before she can bear the responsibilities of Guardianship. She must turn to herself now, and as long as she feels a duty to protect others, she will never allow herself to heal."

"So you think taking away her only lifeline is going to help her? She's a freaking addict, big man. You can't just force her to do this cold turkey."

"What is done, is done. I will not undo it until Irma has shown sufficient evidence that she can handle herself."

"You're going to turn her into a damn schizophrenic is what you're going to do," Will said desperately. "I read about this stuff on the internet, and Irma is dangerously close to that."

"All the more reason you should understand why I did what I did. With schizophrenia, one cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality. We have seen evidence of this in Irma's behavior. Though you may not wish to admit it, you have seen this, as well."

Will looked to the side and thought. The attack on Martin sprang to mind and the time she ran out of class because she thought Frost was waiting for her. Yes, Will had to admit, she had seen evidence of Irma being incapable of distinguishing reality.

The Oracle continued. "Irma may not be able to understand that her friends are her friends. She may mistake you for her enemies."

Will thought about this. Irma had attacked Hay Lin on more than one occasion, and nearly punched Taranee. She had also nearly strangled Cornelia in her sleep.

"Irma has tasted blood, and it may be difficult for her to restrain herself should she see her attackers again," the Oracle said softly.

Will's thoughts turned to the chain lightning she had so gleefully used to punish the Knights of Vengeance. They also turned, again, to the attack on Martin. Will felt sure Irma would have beaten the boy to death had not Hay Lin stopped her.

"She may also be suicidal, and that is the most dangerous situation of all," the Oracle intoned.

Will opened her mouth to retort, but closed it again slowly. So far she couldn't really argue with anything the Oracle had said. What if Irma really was suicidal? Will knew her friend had talked of self-loathing and how much she hated what had happened. She talked of wanting to die rather than live with the pain and darkness she had become. She had even told Will she should have let her die. To be truthful, Will had been worried for some time that Irma would hurt herself.

The young Keeper turned her back to the Oracle and sat down on one of the silver steps. The Oracle's words rang through her mind, and she felt herself reeling from their truthfulness. Irma was a danger to herself and to those around her. Will could see it now, and she felt angry at herself for not seeing it before. But what made her even angrier was the way she was almost agreeing with the Oracle. Irma was her friend, and Will felt as though she was abandoning her.

Feelings of self-doubt began to surface anew as the young Guardian thought of every mistake she had made. Again she began to question whether she had been right to save Irma's life with the Joining. The Oracle had had nothing to do with that decision; it had been hers, and hers, alone. Deep down, Will thought the Joining had done more damage to Irma than the Mage's spell, and she knew she, alone, was responsible for that.

Will clenched her fists and, again, questioned her abilities to lead. She should have seen the self-destruction of her friend and realized she needed a break. To continually throw her into battle with Nerissa had been a mistake...one that had nearly cost Irma her life and the lives of her family. Her friend had been willing to give up the Heart of Kandrakar to save herself further torment; that should have set off alarm bells in Will's head.

But the Keeper had simply kept pushing, figuring Irma needed her duties to distract her from her tortures. She still felt like stripping Irma of her powers was not the best way to handle things, but she began to understand why it had been done.

"What am I supposed to do, now?" Will asked quietly. "How am I supposed to protect Irma from this?"

The Oracle rose and moved to Will's side. He placed his smooth hand on her shoulder. "You cannot protect her, young Keeper. She must learn to forgive herself before she can truly begin to heal. Once she can truly do this, her powers will be restored."

"So it's up to Irma when she gets her powers back?" Will asked.

The Oracle nodded. "It is, but she must learn this on her own. She will need your support and your faith in her."

"What if that's not enough?" Will despaired, tears beginning to form at her brown eyes. "What if she never wakes up?"

The Oracle sat down next to the redhead. "She will need all of her friends to help her through this darkness. She will need to know she is safe, and that is sanctuary you can help provide. Do not leave her alone, young Keeper. You must be constantly on guard, now, but for different reasons."

"This isn't really a punishment is it," Will said. "This is an effort to try and help her."

The Oracle nodded. "It seems harsh and unnecessary, but I assure you, my only wish is to help, not harm."

"Then maybe you should give her back a little bit of her powers. You know, help ween her off gradually?"

"It would be like giving an addict more of the substance he craves," the Oracle said, shaking his head.

"Like giving a junkie a hit?"

The Oracle smiled. "I am unfamiliar with that reference, but if it makes sense to you, then yes."

"But we have to do something," Will said, looking the bald man directly in the eye. "We helped create the monster."

The Oracle cocked his head. "This is not your fault, young Keeper. You did nothing wrong."

"I made the decision to put Irma through the Joining. That caused a lot of mental and emotional damage. So yes, in a way, it is my fault."

The Oracle took Will's chin in his hand. "Would you feel better if Irma were now dead?"

Will thought carefully before answering. "If I had known then what I know now...yes, I think I would. I now know there are worse things than death."

"Then you have grown so much more than I thought, young Guardian. Allow me to put your mind at ease somewhat. Who was it that suggested the Joining in the first place?"

Will racked her brain. "The Mage," she said finally.

The Oracle nodded. "Think of all the implications of that. Then understand the deeper meaning and motive behind that suggestion."

Will narrowed her eyes and thought on the Oracle's statement. It had been Nerissa's plan all along to keep Irma alive. She had made a mistake and nearly killed her, and she knew it. She had to find a way to undo that mistake, and the Joining provided that solution. It even made it better somehow; now Nerissa would have a lot more damage to play with.

Will buried her beautiful face in her hands. "I played right into Nerissa's hands."

The Oracle gently pulled the redhead's hands away from her face. "Nerissa played us all, my young friend. She even cast a spell that pitted us all against one another. Not even I was powerful enough to see through it. Thankfully, the Guardians managed to defeat her, or all would have been lost."

The two sat in silence for a time while Will thought about what the Oracle had said. Finally, she spoke.

"What are we supposed to do now? We need a Water Guardian. Our powers are weaker when we're apart."

"I do not anticipate another threat in the near future, with Nerissa finally gone. I have faith that you and your fellow Guardians can bring Irma around soon. I do not believe this condition will last long, nor will it be permanent. Give Irma hope, and be her light in the darkness."

As Will nodded, it suddenly hit her. She knew how to bring Irma out of her catatonic state. She rose excitedly to her feet and turned to the Oracle.

"I think I know how to start. I need to get back to Earth immediately."

"Then go, young Keeper," the Oracle said, rising to his feet.

"Thank you for talking with me," Will said humbly. "I admit I came here looking for a fight. I was all set to wrestle with you and force you to give Irma's powers back."

The Oracle chuckled. "I know. You have good reason and a great heart. You love your friend, and I can see where this action could be perceived as an attack."

"I'm still not sure you did the right thing, but at least now I understand why you did it."

"Then it is well. Go to your friend, now."

Will nodded purposefully and quickly created a fold. With a lighter step than she had before, she stepped confidently through.

Once back in Shell Cave, Will turned back into her human form and raced back to her apartment to retrieve her bike. She had to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. But she needed everyone to be there at the same time.

Taranee, can you hear me?

I'm here, Will. What's got you so excited?

I think I know how to help Irma. Can you contact the others and get them to the hospital?

I'm already on the way. I called Hay Lin and she's been there for over an hour. Cornelia just woke up, but she's planning on going as soon as she gets ready.

Good. It's important that Irma sees all of us when she wakes up.

Care to fill me in on your plan, Will?

Not right now, T. I'll let you know everything when I get there. See you soon.

With that, Will cut the mental link and ran even faster.

–

Raythor and the other Knights of Vengeance stepped through the fold created by the Water Guardian. He found himself standing on a grassy hill, a gentle breeze blowing through the air. He still carried Nerissa's body.

As the fold closed behind him, Raythor looked around at the other Knights.

"Whatever it takes, lads, we're going to have our revenge. We are the Knights of Vengeance, and those filthy Guardians have taken our leader. If it's the last thing I do, I will extract justice."

Frost indicated the lifeless corpse in Raythor's arms. "We should give her a proper burial."

Raythor nodded. "Start digging, boys. Use your weapons as tools. After we're finished, we seek our vengeance."

So the Knights began to dig a hole using whatever aid their weapons could provide. After two hours, they finally had a hole sufficient to hold Nerissa's body. Raythor lovingly deposited the corpse into the hole and joined the other Knights in filling it up. Upon completion of their task, Raythor wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked around.

There appeared to be a busy road below him. There were cars moving along the road, and Raythor could hear their impatient honking. As he continued to look around, he noticed a mountain in the distance with a strange sign: HOLLYWOOD.

Raythor had no idea what this Hollywood was, but he knew enough about Earth to recognize it when he saw it. He had been to Earth before and he knew a little about cars and their paved roadways. He supposed there could be another planet with cars and paved roadways, but his zeal for vengeance had caught him in its web. With a glint in his eyes, he turned to his fellow Knights.

"We're on Earth, boys. A place called Hollywood. All we have to do is find our way to Heatherfield and we'll have our revenge."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Frost asked.

Raythor turned to Miranda. "You've been here most often. Where is Heatherfield?"

Miranda shrugged. "I don't know, but if we borrow a map, we can surely find it."

"Then go," Raythor commanded. "Go find us a map we can use to find those Guardians."

Miranda morphed herself into the young girl she had used many times to fool people into thinking she was human. With an evil grin, she set off down the hill.

"What do we do in the meantime?" Frost asked.

"We wait," Raythor responded. "It won't be long, now."

–

And there's chapter 1 of What Price Justice. I hope everyone enjoyed it, but if not, that's okay, too. Please let me know how I did. You know you want to hit that button.