A Hard Day's Night [IC]

[Eviscerus]

An eternity later, Victor groans, putting his hands beneath him and hauling himself to a kneeling position. His thoughts were a blur and his vision was clouded with blood. He felt his face as a means of inspection and found his nose broken.

Strong creature, that one. Must be a vampire, considering he drank my blood and read my thoughts. With that slight rememberance the font of questions flowed in. Victor Harrow? Where did he get that name? My name is Cross, not Harrow. Perhaps He offered me some protection from the monster's probing. Victor wasn't sure about that, but it was the safest assumption to make... wasn't it? Victor shook his head and put his hand to his nose, clenching gingerly. He would have to do it quick to avoid too much pain...then with a quick jerk and disgusting wet crunch he set his nose back into place. Pain whited everything out for a second and he nearly fell back to the floor, but he steadied himself and eventually sat up.

This place isn't safe anymore, and considering that the so called heroes have been working with monsters I should probably dispose of all evidence of my being here. With that Victor headed to the other room and picked up a can of gasoline. A few minutes later, Victor was walking out the door as the warehouse exploded, being ravaged in the acccelerated fire. Victor's eyes shown wildly in the firelight as he walked back towards Shadow Academy. The monster had gotten the best of him, and scared him more than he would let himself believe, but the pious rage and hatred burned even hotter than the blaze behind him. He would make the monster pay for his transgression. He would make them all pay. For that, though, he'd need help, and tainted or not, he'd need the help of the Headmistress and the rest of the Shadow Academy. Yes, he would gather allies, and then, he'd meet the monster again... And next time, it would be his turn to be afraid.

[Electra]

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?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"It was a coincidence," Jack interjected, shaking his head. "He's sensitive to magical activity and he was passing by when Taylor used her powers. That's all. I did an investigation," he added to the two women. "He's not going after anyone any time soon, not after the damage I did to him and to his lair. He'll be more worried about running and hiding and...cleaning up after himself. Even if he does come back, I doubt he'll even be able to find Taylor...if you do still want to go ahead with moving, that is."

[alderwitch]

"I don't think I'll ever feel safe sleeping there again. As it is, I'm sure the memory of waking up with some sneaking into my bedroom while I was sleeping three feet way is going to bother me for a good long time. That'll teach me to do something other than nap on the couch." Taylor gave a small shudder and shook her head firmly. Her mouth twisted at the memory, "As for how he got in, he teleported. Which is fortunate as thats what woke me up. I might have lost the fight but at least I had time to summon clothes and leave enough collateral damage that whoever came looking for me knew a fight had happened."

She gave Jack a faint half-smile at that and finished answering Stesha's question, "I doubt he's found anyone else yet. He was too fixated on who I knew and where they were. If he'd had anything like a lead, he would have asked more pointed questions. That's easier to do than trying to break someone completely. He was good enough at questioning to know that."

[Electra]

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."

[Avenger Assembled]

"That's not a bad idea," said Jack, a little reluctantly. "I have so many people coming and going here that it's not a great place to get any rest. And with the two of you there, you could both feel secure. I could go in and get out anything you needed, Taylor, so you wouldn't even have to set foot back in your place." He looked at the two women for confirmation on that.

[alderwitch]

Taylor looked between Jack and Stesha. The animosity still hovered below the surface there. She could just picture the two of them interacting on a regular basis.

"I really don't want to bump you out of your bed, or cause trouble for you, Jack. I appreciate the offer, Stesha, and I'd be happy to stay for a few nights but I'm sure I can find something a bit more long term until I can find a new apartment. With my scheduale, I'd be a lousy roommate." She smiled ruefully and set the mug down on a coaster. "Thank you, Jack. I'd rather avoid my apartment for a little while at least."

[Electra]

"It's no problem," Stesha said with a wave of her hand, "it's not like you're going to wake me up in the middle of the night or anything. I'm out a lot at night myself. I'll just toss some new sheets on the bed and you'll be all set. Jack will get your stuff, and take care of any messes, and you can work on finding a new place. And maybe nurse your poor plant back to health while we're at it," she joked.

[alderwitch]

"I'm sure the ficus can use the love and attention. It's all droopy again." She said with another faint smile. "If it's alright with you, I can meet you at your place after classes tomorrow. I'm going to have to go plead my case to a few professors. They're always cranky if you miss time during the first week. And, really, I can doze on the couch just fine. Its where I usually catch my cat naps."

And she had just worked her way out of academic grey areas. The new year was off to a bang. She glanced up at Jack, "Are you sure you don't mind stopping by my place?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"It's fine," said Jack easily. "I was there when all this started on my end of things. Despite all the horrors that happened there, it's really not that hard to look at." And it wasn't; it wasn't as if Jack had never walked into a room covered in blood and singing with the aftermath of pain and terror. "I'll be fine. You worry about you, Taylor." He reached down and stroked her face, giving her a wry smile.

[Electra]

Stesha averted her eyes while Jack rubbed up against Taylor, more uncomfortable than she wanted to admit about seeing that. She'd seen rather more of Jack in that way than she'd ever really wanted, though not with Taylor, granted. "Whichever makes you more comfortable," she told Taylor. "If you're feeling well enough, we can go now. Some hours of uninterrupted sleep are probably just what you need right now." With an effort worthy of a hero, she resisted glaring at Jack with that phrase.

[alderwitch]

"I'm safe here," Taylor said simply, turning to look at Stesha, "I don't see any reason to hop over to your place tonight, if that's okay? If you're nervous about the zealot, I can come keep you company, of course."

She glanced up at Jack, a question in her eyes, "Or if you'd rather I be elsewhere?"

Tomorrow, Taylor would feel much more confident of her responses but the last thing she wanted to do was break down in tears again. With her nerves still jangling, Taylor might just end up blurting out everything that was bothering her and however mixed her emotions might be about tonight, she didn't want to betray Jack's secrets.

[Avenger Assembled]

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you need," Jack told her reassuringly. "I just...thought you might be happier somewhere with someone who's your friend, not your boyfriend." He grinned at her. "You may have introduced me to your folks already, but I don't know if they're ready for that kind of commitment yet." He bent down and pecked her lightly on the cheek. "I can be there and back fast. I know you guys can take care of the place here."

[Electra]

"No, it's fine," Stesha told Taylor struggling to hide her unease about being home alone. She was an adult and sort of a half-assed superhero, after all, and not to be intimidated by the things that could teleport in out of the night. "You can just give me a call whenever you want to come over, or even just come in if I'm not available. I know you don't need a key, and it's easy to find. Do you want me to wait here with you while Jack gets your things?"

[alderwitch]

After giving Jack a slight smile, Taylor frowned at Stesha, a dubious look on her face and said, "You don't look fine. Honestly, Stesha, if you're concerned, I really can come and make sure nothing shows up. I'd love the company, of course, while Jack's gone. You really don't have anything to worry about tonight. I'll be surprised if he can walk after the thrashing Jack gave him."

[Avenger Assembled]

"You guys should do whatever's necessary," said Jack reassuringly. "I'm just here to help out." He waved his hands, looking unmarked for the beating he'd given out a little while earlier. "If you're concerned about your apartment, Stesha, I can point you guys to several safe spots in the city. Or, hey, you could always contact Ace," he admitted. "I know his place is very well-protected."

[Electra]

"It's okay," Stesha said again, a little more firmly this time. "I'll stay till Jack gets back, then go home. I can always call Derrick, if he's not out of the universe or something he can come over for the evening. But you're right, it's silly to be too worried tonight, more like jumping at shadows than anything else." She rummaged through her knapsack, though she didn't seem to be looking for anything in particular. "How are you feeling?" she asked Taylor. "Do you need to lay down for awhile?"

[alderwitch]

Taylor settled into the corner of the couch that Jack had vacated and tenatively pressed her fingertips to the now unblemished skin at her temple. After taking mental stock, Taylor said with some surprise, "Much better, actually. Even I don't usually heal quite this fast. That's some tea recipe."

After giving Jack a wave and one last small smile, she tucked her legs under her once more and began sorting through the various pulpy books as she talked with Stesha, plucking out ones of interest. "I'll stay up with you until Jack gets back and then have a nice long coma."

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack disappeared from the vision of the two ladies without really trying, vanishing down the corridor and down the hall as he headed for Taylor's apartment. Surely nothing could go wrong with the two of them running the show while he was gone...right? He used his car to head for Taylor's apartment rather than his powers, not wanting to use more energy than he had to. Cmon, what could possibly go wrong?

[Electra]

"It's my mom's recipe," Stesha told Taylor, ignoring Jack as he made himself scarce. "I played with it a little, making the leaves a little more potent before I dried them, and I'm pretty happy with it so far. I think I'll make some chamomile now, though. It'll settle both our nerves." She fiddled around in the kitchen for a few minutes, reheating the water and making new cups of tea. It was obvious Jack had just moved into this place, it didn't look like he'd ever used the kitchen at all. She did have to wonder what kind of paranoid freak locked his refrigerator, no matter what he was keeping in there. Evidence of what? She didn't spend any longer in the kitchen than she had to.

Carrying the cups back into the living room, she passed one to Taylor and sat down on the other side of the couch, picking up the little solitaire game. "So how are you feeling, besides physically?" she asked gently.

[alderwitch]

Taylor stirred her tea and for a long moment didn't say much of anything. As she was really quite awful at lying, silence was usually her best response when faced with a question she'd rather not answer. Before the silence could grow too uncomfortable, however, she caved. "Terrible. I wept all over Jack. I really never cry."

She didn't, of course, volunteer that the tears had been brought on by a far worse shock than that madmen could ever have managed on his own, "Nor is fear something I feel often. A fight's one thing, but to be toyed with at someone's mercy is an awful thing. Not knowing when it would end, or if I'd have to get him to kill me before I let something slip. Jack really rescued me tonight."

[Electra]

Stesha sighed a little at that, then set down her tea and slid across the couch to give Taylor a hug. She really seemed like she could use one. "I'm glad he was there for you," she finally allowed, doing her best not to sound begrudging. "I'm glad you're going to be okay. You shouldn't blame yourself for any of this, it wasn't your fault some crazy attacked you in your room. But we'll go and do those lessons with Ace, and next time someone tries to jump you, you'll have a whole other arsenal to fight back with."

[alderwitch]

Taylor's slumped shoulders made her look even smaller sitting on the couch. Normally she projected such a presence, even out of costume, that it was easy to forget just how small she was. After another soothing sip of the tea, her voice sounded a little more like her usual self as she admitted, "I totally blame the loony tunes. Considering he caught me sleeping, naked and defenseless, I fought back with what I had at hand."

Her lips quirked and she glanced up at Stesha, "He kept dunking me in this tank of water. I didn't enlighten him that he could leave me in an airless vacuum and I'd be just fine. Mostly I'm unnerved and raw. A night of sleep and saftey in numbers has done me the most good. He might have made me feel alone and helpless but none of that is true. I've never had anyone who would rescue me."

She glanced down, determined not to tear up again. "Its, well, really touching."

[Electra]

Stesha eased back, keeping a comforting hand on Taylor's shoulder. "There are a lot of people who would go a long way to save you," she promised her. "Not just because they're heroes, but because we're your friends. And we know you would do the same thing for us. We have to watch out for each other, whatever the danger is."

She hesitated for a minute, weighing whether to ask the question or to let it go. Finally she spit it out, despite her own discomfort. "I know you said he did other bad things to you. Was there anything you feel like you need to talk to somebody about? Maybe not to me, but to a counselor, someone like that?" Stesha couldn't quite come out and ask, did he rape you?, but it was a concern that needed addressing.

[alderwitch]

"He didn't have the chance to do anything like that," Taylor said with a shudder that vibrated through her body. Absently she brushed the back of her hand over the cheek he'd touched. The threat had hung over her head but had gone unacted on. "If he had, he'd be a lot worse off than we left him."

Taylor paused to rub her arms. The chill, she knew, was entirely in her head. After moistening her lips, she asked tenatively, "Stesha, this is a bizzarre request but, if I ever do die, could you make certain they don't cremate the body?"