Electra

Erin, who hadn't bothered ordering any food, listened intently to the story Zoe told, her fists clenching on the table until the knuckles were entirely white. Not that she believed a bit of the story, but someone inventing a tragedy in another world to try and score some kind of sympathy points with them was somewhat upsetting. "She needs to be turned over to the Freedom League," she opined aloud, her face blank. "If she's from another world, she might be carrying diseases, or she might be radioactive. They're the ones who handle refugees, anyway."

Stesha was substantially less than reassured by that, but she could deal with that problem later. Maybe Derrick could stay over for a few nights, just in case... Setting aside her own apprehension, she tried to concentrate on Taylor again. "It makes sense to move if he's found your apartment, even if it was just a fluke," she agreed. "But that might be hard with the school year just started. You probably can't move back home, not with the schedule you need to keep, and a student roommate could be a problem too. But there'll be something," she said, projecting confidence. "Especially since commuting isn't a problem for you. If you need a place to stay while you're looking, you're welcome to bunk at my place. I never really use my bed, but it's nice enough."

Stesha listened to what Taylor had to say, then gave a shaky, slightly disbelieving laugh. "Yeah, maybe, but I sort of doubt that all he wants is my stereo. How did he find you? How did he even get into your place while you were sleeping?" She deliberately untwisted her fingers and folded them neatly in her lap, looking from Jack to Taylor. "Do you think he's already gotten anyone else?"

"Oh, come on, please?" Stesha pressed with a grin. "My career so far has been nothing but embarrassing stories, it would be good for my morale to hear some of yours. I spend my heroic days being chased around by a loser in a robotic bee suit and being rescued by my boyfriend. I promise I'll still respect you afterwards, honest!" She leaned forward confidentially, hoping to invite a story.

Stesha rested her head on his shoulder, the light from twin moons washing them both with silver as they say quietly for a moment. "It's tempting," she admitted with a chuckle. "It's so beautiful here, and peaceful, like nothing bad could ever happen. But you're right about responsibilities," she added, sighing a little. "Even if we got our powers by accident, it still seems like we owe something back, for all the heroes before who've made sacrifices to keep the world safe. Just the idea scares me to death sometimes. And then there's family, and friends, and work, all those other ties..." She was quiet for another minute, running her fingers along his arm almost meditatively. "I don't think I could live without all those things, really. I could see us going out, exploring the universe together, seeing everything there is to see. It would be amazing, I know. But there's something valuable in being tied to Earth, in knowing where you come from and where your roots are, I guess." She laughed. "Spoken like a plant controller, right?" Digging her toes into the sand, Stesha tipped her head back to look at the alien sky. "Even if I never spent another day off Earth, though, my life would be better because I was here today, with you."

Stesha hadn't been feeling uneasy before, but listening to Taylor and then to Jack was enough to change that. Twining her fingers together, she said, "I don't know how to shoot a gun, I don't really think it would help. Do you really think that someone would come looking for me? I don't operate on that kind of level, I just work in parks and cemeteries and things. Surely he wouldn't have any reason to zero in on someone like me?" That was less statement and more plea for reassurance. She felt a little bad for it, since it was Taylor who needed help, but she didn't want to be staring out her windows all day and night, either.

Erin White- Wander

"It's a lot more effective, too!" Stesha called from the kitchen, "and cheaper! I'll give you one to keep in your freezer, if you want. They're really nice to have around." With the water already near boiling, she wasn't long in brewing the tea, though she had to wash the dust from one of Jack's coffee mugs before using it. She was glad she'd brought her own infuser. In just a couple of minutes, she was back in the living room with a hot cup of tea, and not terribly pleased to see that Jack had taken her seat. Maybe Taylor needed comfort, but he was the last person in the world who ought to be giving it. She gave him a dark look while Taylor's head was turned, then leaned down to pass over the cup. "Here you go, it's hot and will taste a little strong, but it should help. It'll make you sleep better, too." She went and sat down cross-legged in one of the recliners, trying to avoid any more useless glaring.

It wasn't hard to tell that Taylor was in considerably worse shape than she was ready to admit, but Stesha decided not to make an issue of it. If it was important for Taylor to seem strong, letting on that she could see through the act would only make things worse. Keeping her tone as cheerful as she could, she opened up her knapsack. "You're in luck then, because I just made up a couple of new cold packs the other day, and they're perfect for bruises. They've got lavender and chamomile and a few other ingredients that will help you feel better much faster. She handed over a trio of cloth packets that seemed to be filled with frozen rice, and smelled like fancy soap. "I'll make you some tea, too, and you can relax. This seems like a nice place to stay, if you've got to be away from home. A lot bigger than Jack's last place," she added with an unconscious glance at that notable as she rose. "Which way's the kitchen?"

They napped for a little while, then woke as the moons were rising, reflecting light off the sea brightly enough that lights really weren't necessary. They sat on a blanket on the beach, eating sandwiches and drinking wine as they watched the stars come out, mostly in companionable silence. "Do you ever think of leaving it all behind?" she asked at long last, almost meditatively. "I know how you feel about all your responsibilities, but don't you ever wish that you could come to a perfect world like this and just stay there, and never worry about anything again?"

Stesha pursed her lips sympathetically and sat down on the couch with Taylor, setting down her bags. "Looks like they got you pretty good," she observed ruefully. "I hope you beat the crap out of them for it." She dug into the canvas bag first, pulling out a blue chenille bathrobe with daisies on the hem and the belt, then a lightweight green sweatsuit, then a long nightshirt with sleeping cartoon birds on it. "I wasn't sure what you like to sleep in, so I brought over a few things," she told Taylor. "They'll be a little big, but that's okay. And I brought some stuff," she added, digging in again, "even though I don't know how long you'll need to recuperate. Some crossword puzzles, some of my favorite books, my little electronic solitaire game..." She pulled out a little pile of romance novels and the games, setting them on the couch on top of the clothes. "And I brought some stuff that might help you feel better, too. I've really been studying up lately. Where does it hurt?"

Erin seemed less than mollified by Zoe's explanation, but the attack seemed to be over, and if this stranger who knew their names was going to cause problems, she was outnumbered four to one. Rising, she went over and lifted one of Mystic Force's eyelids, checking to make sure... something. She didn't know why people did that, but the guy was still alive and breathing, so that was a good sign. Leaving him where he lay, she turned back to her friends. "Just so long as she doesn't pick the place. It could be a trap. Mark, what's someplace to eat around here?"

Jack's timing was good, he was just in time to see Stesha stepping out of the potted plant in the elevator lobby. She had her omnipresent knapsack with her, as well as an additional canvas bag full of clothes. She gave Jack a stiff nod and walked towards him. The smell of herbs and dried flowers was stronger on her than usual, she obviously had filled her knapsack before coming. "Jack," she said curtly. "How much is she hurt?" Despite the fact that she'd obviously rather be anywhere but here, concern for Taylor was paramount right now. Hating Jack was more a recreational activity.

Erin shifted to block Zoe from getting a good grip on Mike, her attitude just short of threatening. Her face was a younger version of one Zoe knew very well, but the intensity in this Erin's expression wasn't leavened by the affection and humor Zoe could remember. For Erin's part, there was no recognition at all, not even a moment of foreshadowing. Maybe this stranger had earned points by beating up Nerd Boy, but that didn't mean she wasn't a threat. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"Taylor doesn't need to eat," Stesha told him, plenty of censure in her voice. What kind of boyfriend didn't know that? "But tea makes everyone feel better, and I've got some that's good for muscle aches and stimulating healing. Tell her I won't stop by her apartment if she doesn't want me to, but if there's anything she needs, I can go out and get it. Otherwise, I'll be there in just a few minutes."

"All right," Stesha said, jotting a couple of notes as she went through her cupboard and her freezer. "Ask her if there's anything she wants from her apartment, I can run by there on the way if she needs pajamas or her books or anything that would make her feel better. That poor ficus is probably still up and kicking, I can run in without needing a key and get whatever she needs."

"Works for me," she said with drowsy contentment, snuggling in and closing her eyes. Even though she didn't need to sleep, there were times when it was certainly nice to take a little nap. "That was really nice," she murmured. "Better than nice. But nice, too." That sentiment had come out a little garbled, but she hoped he would understand anyway. "It was very special."

On the other side of the phone, Stesha hesitated as well, before choosing to do what a good friend must, even if it meant bracing Jack in his den. At least she was sober this time. "Just your address and the floor you live on is fine, and if you have any plants in your apartment," she told him brusquely. "I'm going to get some things together, I'll be over in maybe ten minutes. Do you have a teapot?"

"Where is she?" Stesha asked, wriggling into a pair of jeans even as she hopped over to the window to see if any insane religious zealots had materialized on the lawn. "Does she need anything? She shouldn't have to be on her own right now if someone just beat her up." Her tone implied that he was dubiously acceptable company at best. Despite the durability and nigh-invulnerability most of the Knights seemed to try and project, Stesha didn't really think anyone could take a hard pounding and just get up and be okay.

Stesha wasn't exactly happy to be hearing from Jack, especially when she didn't even get the luxury to prepare before she picked up the phone, but any response she might have made to his voice was swept away by hearing what he had to say. "Is Taylor all right?" she asked immediately. "What happened? How bad was it?" After another moment, she responded to his actual question, even as she hurried to her bedroom to change out of her pajamas. "I'm fine here, everything's fine. Who attacked her?"

The phone rang three times before it was picked up, and this time Stesha answered with a curious "Hello?" rather than a snap. Well, this was a new apartment and she didn't have this number, so it was just one more random middle of the night phone call. She didn't sound tired though, appropriate enough for someone who didn't need to sleep.

"I think Ace is definitely our best bet. If he can't do it himself, he'll know who to talk to," Stesha decided with confidence, polishing off the last of her ice cream and wiping her fingers. "He knows everything about everybody. But you both have to promise not to laugh when I make a total fool of myself trying to throw people around. I mean, I have three big brothers, but wrestling with them isn't exactly fighting for my life. I'll probably just end up laid out flat. But it's better than carrying pepper spray and just hoping."

--- The twin suns had sunk nearly to the edge of the sky before Stesha really started paying attention to the cool ocean breeze again. Even then, her attention only went as far as pulling up the cot blanket over both of them. That, and her hair curled wildly around both of them, was all that either of them were wearing, but that was all right. She yawned and reached out, brushing her fingers along his cheek. "We could get up," she suggested halfheartedly, "maybe get something to eat, jump back in the water..." Staying put seemed like quite a fine idea too, actually, with the second thoughts she'd worried about having failed to materialize, and her whole body feeling good all over. "Or let all that wait awhile."

Erin felt a quick breeze as something unseen seemed to pass by, but the sensation was quickly forgotten as things began happening fast. She was rather gratified to see Tech Guy go flying, then equally alarmed when an invisible force attacked Alex and Mike. She spared a quick glance for Mystic Force, the most likely source of the attack, but he seemed as shocked as she was. Giving him a quick open-handed slap to the side of the head so he'd have something to think about, she dropped his arms and went to the aid of her friends. Mark was already heading towards Alex, so she moved in Mike's direction, dropping to her knees as well. "What's wrong?" she asked anxiously. "Who's hurting you?"

Erin is going to attempt to stun poor ol' hapless grappled Joey, spending an HP to power-stunt Stunning Attack. She's making a full power attack and will be using the inspiration bonus from Edge to bolster it as well, if that applies to damage. I don't think I need an attack roll since she won't be trying to maintain the grapple, right? The damage DC is 25 or 30, depending on whether the inspire bonus adds on. And Edge would like to add that if Joey passes the save, he would like to make that not happen.