alderwitch

"It's been less than four hours," Taylor said softly, her voice a low and agnonized undercurrent beneath the shouting. She could see Stesha levelling the gun at Jack out of the corner of one eye but she kept her focus on Jack. Slowly she pushed her hood back, and peeled down the mask. There were probably cameras down here but, frankly, Taylor didn't care at the moment. "And I do know what you're capable of. Now." "I still trust you." Taylor took another step towards him, hands lifted up and palms empty. She locked her gaze with his, her expression open and compassionate. Taylor was a painfully private person. Even around her closest friends, she usually remained at least a little aloof but Taylor abandoned her usual reserved air. For once, she wanted him to see the emotion in her eyes, "I haven't said it since the plaza, but I trust you. You are more than this. You are so much more than this. Even in the face of extreme provocation, you can do the hard thing, Jack." Taylor stretched her gloved hand towards his face, eyes dark in her very pale face, "Will you please put him down?"

"Sounds like fun!" Alex agreed enthusiastically, a wistful tone in her voice. Sometimes she envied her more physical friends their capabilities. The grass was always greener, after all, "Probably, I have classes early tomorrow. I still haven't had any sort of training in the Doom Room outside of team stuff. While it's nice to think that maybe I'm just that good, they probably just haven't started remedial training yet." Alex chuckled self depricatingly. "Have a good time"

While Jack was more than capable of terrifying his enemies and backing those threats up with a promise of physical violence, Phantom was all too aware at this point that with the mask off those threats became very, very real. With the image of his teeth sinking into Zealot's throat still fresh in her mind, Phantom raised a placating hand at Stesha before she approached Jack. "Don't do this, Jack," It was Taylor's voice from underneath the shadows of her cowl. "You're better than this. You're stronger than this. Jack, you're going to kill him."

"I'll talk to her about it. She's no psychic so if she needs help with it, I'd be glad to yeild to her comfort level on it." Alex agreed as she finished braiding her hair, "I am going to give her a bit before poking at her on anything. She's going to crash hard eventually. You can only put things in a box for so long. Training with Archer?"

"I thought about and sure feels weird but I couldn't help but think how scary and lonely it would be if I lost that connection with Mike" Alex admitted as she started to braid her hair up for bed. "I figure my own discomfit is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. I can adjust to it."

28

Phantom watched the Knights talk from her chair, fingers steepled together. When it was clear that some sort of confession was expected and with the simmering tension between Elena and Arrowhawk, it wasn't hard to guess who was expected to speak. One look at the archer could gauge his set expression and determined silence. "I have no idea what this is over but I can tell you that I have no interest in finding out like this. I've shared my identity with the people at this table and with that comes a certain degree of trust. I would never accept this sort of interrogation from teammates, nor will I participate in one." Phantom said firmly, raising her hands slightly. "Let us focus Dark Star's concern. It is clearly larger than any single incident, or any single person."

Alex blushed a little at being referred to as Mark's girl but she was quick to return the hug, shifting the flowers out of the way. "Thank you, Mister Lucas. That's the nicest compliment I could ask for. She asked me to say hello for her." When Mark's mother showed up, Alex handed the flowers to her with a slightly worried, "I hope no one's allergic. I mean, I figured it'd be safe since I know Mark's not allergic and that's usually pretty hereditary but recessive genes are funny things. Your house is lovely."

Being right was a rather fleeting victory as the sonic blast caught her and knocked her back. The static and sudden vertigo disoriented her. Eardrums weren't built to withstand a sonic blast at that close a range. Phantom had just enough presence of mind to go limp as she was hurled through the air. Instead of the metal floor, however, she found herself thumping into and over a slightly more giving surface. Only slightly as Avenger in costume wasn't exactly soft. Sound popped into sudden and sharp focus with one gravelly and very familiar voice. Phantom's eyes slid closed in the first emotions she allowed herself since arriving at the base. A moment of stark relief was all she could indulge in. "I'm alright," Phantom rasped as she pushed herself up. She would be, at least. Her eardrums were already mending and she was reasonabally certain that the double vision would soon right itself out.

1d20+11=16 I'll use that HP and... still be stunned and staggered: 1d20+11=22

Alex gave the question deep consideration. She always took questions about her feeling rather seriously and these feelings were all exceptionally difficult to sort out. "It's complicated. The way I build these links, they're all layered with emotions and when Zoe's ripped through my brain, it came with emotions attached to it. Protective, mostly. A little possessive which feels kind of weird." Alex wrinkled her nose, "It's not really like how I feel about anyone else. The swearing stuff drives me up the wall. I know she's smart. There's a lot of deja vu there too. Like watching her talk is like something I've seen before, but of course I haven't." Of course she'd seen those gestures before. Zoe had a lot of the same quick arm movements that Alex used when she got excited.

Phantom fired a blast that scored the wall behind the man with a gun before she coolly considered his threat. She walked towards him slowly, the great cloak billowing behind her. "You're bluffing. If you were going to shoot to kill, you would have had your weapon set when we arrived. You could have blown my heart out with that first shot. You didn't. You, sir, are a madman but you're no killer." She took another step closer and raised hands that crackled, "This is too close. Too personal. Too messy."

Attack: 12 I loathe you, IC

As the brute turned to face Jack, Phantom solidified behind him and began casting something while he lunged. Chains of eldritch energy crackled from her hands and looped of their own volition around his hands and ankles before yanking him tight. "The 'woman' can take care of herself," her voice echoed mockingly from behind him. "And you really shouldn't have turned your back on her."

TK to hit: 1d20+10=28 Opposed Grapple: 1d20+22=35 (Should have been a plus 24)

Taylor blinked as Stesha sped out of the apartment, ficus in tow. Well, the plant was probably better off in Stesha's hands than hers. Taylor leaned into his shoulder before twisting to wrap her arms around his waist and let her cheek rest against his chest. She was silent for a moment before she asked, "How's your collection of bad B-horror movies?" She tilted her chin up at him and admitted, "If I try to go to sleep, I won't be able to. Or worse, I'll dream."

Alex nodded and her expression smoothed out into its usual earnest lines once more, "A little knowledge never hurts. Who knows, we might be able to get her back home? I mean, a non-blown up version of her home. I don't think it'll change how I treat her if I know how we're related."

Sense motive: 1d20+10=30 Where was that 20 earlier??

"I don't see anyone as a science experiment," Alex said, obviously a little hurt by that accusation. She looked down at her hands, her eyes dark, "I'm not like that! I know everyone feels like my observations are intrusive but I can't help that seeing emotions for me is like seeing colors for everyone else. I've shut down my senses as much as I can and it's even worse with a psychic link to magnify it. That's why I don't go making them willy-nilly with people."

There was a rustle of wind before Alex popped into existance on his lawn. Her parents had purchased a car for her. Unfortunately, she was still working her way through Driver's Ed and Alex wasn't one to risk it without her license. Fortunately, she was more than capable of flying concealed to all human eyes. She looked a little windblown but in a cheerful way. Knowing she'd fly, she'd put her hair into two braids so only her bangs needed a hand run through them to coax them into a sembalance of order. In addition to the usual riot of color that her clothes were - in this case a skirt, striped tights and a cap-sleeve blouse - Alex held a vase of flowers. She'd probably picked it because there seemed to be one of each possible color but it had a whimsy to it. Alex gave Mark a cheerful smile, "Hi! I brought these for your folks."

"We'll see," Alex said stubbornly. "I know we're related somehow. I think that gives me a certain responsibility to look out for her interests. I don't think she makes good choices all the time. I know she's our age but she seems young. Kind of sheltered, you know?" Alex put the sample in the bottom of her desk door and shut it, "I mean, she talks a big game but I think she's a lot more fragile somehow. And, uhm, I can feel her. In my head. Just like Mike."

Shockingly, the demon stopped and gave Avenger a befuddled and quizzical look. As it paused, trying to digest the order which seemed wrong even to it's thick skull, Phantom hissed a curse and a bolt of lightning scorched its hide. The demon rocked back with an angry bellow. Not willing to risk a second dose of that fire, Phantom solidified and summoned a forcefield that would hopefully take the brunt of any further attacks.

I have no objections.

Phantom's bolt to hit: 1d20+10=16 That will be enough. Toughness save: 1d20+12=18 The demon is now bruised x 3, injured, and stunned. AA, you're up. (After I get the IC post up of course )

Avenger: 21 Phantom: 14, Bruised and Stunned Enforcer Demon: 9, Injured and Bruised and currently mind controlled. Phantom will burn her last HP to shake off the stun.