And An Island Never Cries (IC)

[Heritage]

Lynn stood on the rocky shore, expertly skipping stones across the icy waters of the Atlantic; it's was a dreary afternoon in early October, gray sky hanging heavy over the gray ocean. She hadn't bothered to wear her costume, since the one clear thing she got out of the confusing cascade of thoughts Scarab broadcast last month was everyone's secret was out.

Oh yeah, and the Knights were gone. She got that, too.

In her New Jersey Devils hoodie, green fatigue jacket and scuffed jeans, she was just another girl on the desolate beach, having a crappy day.

[alderwitch]

Taylor scuffed up, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her bomber jacket and her battered hat pulled low over her eyes. She had to tilt her head to keep the wind from knocking it off as she caught up to Lynn on the cliff side. Appearing in front of her her all floaty and ephemeral had not been the message she'd gotten, so she'd obligingly shown up in her civvies between classes.

"I got your message." Taylor spoke up once the wind wouldn't toss her words away. She glanced out at the sea, "I haven't been out this way in a while."

[Heritage]

"I got your message." Taylor spoke up once the wind wouldn't toss her words away. She glanced out at the sea, "I haven't been out this way in a while."

Lynn nodded as she skipped one more stone. "It's my first time, believe it or not; never went any farther than Ocean Heights when we used to come visit Grampa and Gramma."

The young woman turns to her (former?) teammate and sighs.

"Look, I'm sorry to drag you all the way out here; I was just kinda...tired of all the masks and crap. Do you get cold like that? I forget how your powers work."

[alderwitch]

"Nope, don't get cold. I could nap in deep space. But I like this jacket. It has character," Taylor volunteered with a decent amount of cheer. She smiled easier out of costume and without the face mask, a dimple flashed in her cheek when she did. Even in boots, she was only about five feet tall.

"It's no big deal. I ported in just down the way and I have a couple of hours between classes."

[Heritage]

"Nope, don't get cold. I could nap in deep space. But I like this jacket. It has character,"

Lynn nods and smiles. "Yeah, I like it, it looks good on you."

"It's no big deal. I ported in just down the way and I have a couple of hours between classes."

The shapeshifter snorts. "Dude, it took me forever to get out here; three buses and a half hour walk! The pixie stuff is a bit harder now since my little 'metamorphosis' last month."

She hold up her hands in a display of innocence.

"No dimension hopping or anything, so you don't have to cuff me, but I might wanna catch a lift back, if that's cool."

Lynn chuckles ruefully, but then her face darkens.

"Look, I wasn't there when all this crap went down; I got a lot of weird messages from Elena, but none of it made sense. All I know for sure is that the Knights are dead, and I really don't know why."

She squints at the Asian girl.

"So I was kinda hoping you could clear a few things up for me."

[alderwitch]

Taylor nodded her assent at the 'ride home' request before blowing out a sigh as Lynn brought up the meeting Taylor was still trying to forget. Pulling her hat from her head, Taylor ran her hand through the thick mass of her hair as she let the hat vanish into the Void with a soft 'pop'. "Yes, the Knights are over. Although I'm still in contact with many of them socially, the group has disbanded. I left that meeting with Jack. What do you want to know?"

[Heritage]

"Yes, the Knights are over. Although I'm still in contact with many of them socially, the group has disbanded. I left that meeting with Jack. What do you want to know?"

Lynn laughs ruefully. "Wow, what don't I want to know? Who was there, was there like this big argument...and on a selfish note, was I mentioned? I mean, if I had any idea how important the meeting was gonna be, I wouldn't have blown it off; I dunno, maybe I could have helped somehow. But I was still so freaked out over the whole Wesley thing-"

She stops suddenly and grabs Taylor's arm. "Ohmigod, was Wesley there? Is he okay? I just-"

And just as suddenly she drops to a crouch, arms wrapped around her legs, and starts rocking back and forth. "Oh god, I'm such a horrible person! We were this awesome crimefighting team, and now it's gone, and all I think about is the guy I dumped!"

[alderwitch]

Taylor opened her mouth a few times to respond but when Lynn dropped and started rocking, she might have just stared for a few moments before she shook herself. Reserved by nature, the emotional explosion caught her more than a bit by surprise.

"Ah, well, hmm." Taylor started uncomfortablly, "It all started because Dark Star wanted to resign because of something Arrowhawk did but everyone just started arguing. Eventually Scarab volunteered that Avenger was a vampire and then it pretty much exploded. Not literally. I did throw Jack against a wall at one point but even he admits he deserved it. I really don't think that anyone could have stopped it. Actually, Dark Star and I tried to stop but but no one wanted to listen."

Taylor blinked and then added, "No, Wesley wasn't there."

[Heritage]

"Ah, well, hmm." Taylor started uncomfortablly, "It all started because Dark Star wanted to resign because of something Arrowhawk did but everyone just started arguing. Eventually Scarab volunteered that Avenger was a vampire and then it pretty much exploded. Not literally. I did throw Jack against a wall at one point but even he admits he deserved it. I really don't think that anyone could have stopped it. Actually, Dark Star and I tried to stop but but no one wanted to listen."

Taylor blinked and then added, "No, Wesley wasn't there."

Lynn stopped her rocking and looked up at Taylor in disbelief. "Oh my God."

She slowly rose to her feet until she was facing the other girl, eyes wide.

"So Avenger...Jack...really is a vampire? That part was real? Whoa, that is..." She stops and turns slowly on her heel. "Are you guys...you said you left together..."

[alderwitch]

"Dating? Since early in the summer, yes." Taylor answered with a quiet lift of her chin, "He really is a vampire. Scarab had been aware but she shared it with the group. Ace, as you can imagine, was horrified. Arrowhawk was to distracted by the blood on his hands and the pissing contest in the corner with Ace. Really, it was an unpleasant scene all around."

[Heritage]

Lynn just sort of stands there, at a rare loss for words, then looks off across the water, flexing and unflexing her hands. Finally she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"Uh, to be honest I'm kinda horrified, too. I mean, I try not to judge; I've done some nasty things in my time, too, but this..."

She chews on her lip for a few seconds, then gives Taylor a very serious look.

"Are there more of them? Like a lot? Are there...things stalking our streets? I mean, how...how does he do it? Like, does he just feed on the bad guys, or does he..."

The young woman's face goes sour as she places a pale hand on her stomach and takes a few random steps along the rocky shore.

"Oh god, I feel sick. This is not settling well with me."

[alderwitch]

Taylor took a quick step back at that warning. She had no real desire to test her reflexes at dodging a sick Grim. "I don't really think I'm qualified to answer those questions. I mean, I don't really ask a lot about the feeding thing. I mean, other than when I'm there for it. Well, I mean not in a back alley with hobos or anything. Nevermind that. Here, let me call him."

Flushed, she fished her cell phone out of her pockets and punched in Jack's number with a bit of extra verve. Anything to derail where this had conversation was going.

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack picked up with admirable promptness, his voice a cool, familiar presence on the other end of the line. "Hi, Taylor. What's going on?" he asked her. "You usually don't call at this hour." Well, except for booty calls, but he had an intuition this wasn't an evening for that.

[Heritage]

"I don't really think I'm qualified to answer those questions. I mean, I don't really ask a lot about the feeding thing. I mean, other than when I'm there for it. Well, I mean not in a back alley with hobos or anything. Nevermind that. Here, let me call him."

Suddenly Lynn stops dead in her tracks and turns to face Taylor as she dials.

"Wait a minute, you don't really ask a lot about 'the feeding thing'? Except when you're there?"

She steps closer to her former teammate, eyes level, her right hand now clenched in a fist, not raised in anger, but desperately holding anger back.

"I don't know which of those statements I find more disgusting. You're sleeping with a guy who sucks the blood of the living, Taylor; how can you even look at yourself in a mirror? In what crazy cosmic balance does any of this make sense?"

[alderwitch]

"Hold on a sec, Jack," Taylor said into the phone before she responded to Grim, her tone cool and clipped, "First off, whatever bodily fluids I chose to exchange with anyone is my concern alone. I get that you're freaked out but why don't you dial that judgement back a bit before I blip out of here and leave you to work this through by yourself on the bluff."

Angling the phone back so that her mouth was next to the mouthpiece again she spoke to Jack her tone a little warmer but still somewhat strained, "Grim has questions about Freedom City's vampires and you."

[Avenger Assembled]

"On my way," said Jack quickly. "I can be there in a couple of minutes. Just sit tight, or port her over here if you need to get here in a hurry. Everything okay on that end?" he asked carefully.

[Heritage]

"Hold on a sec, Jack," Taylor said into the phone before she responded to Grim, her tone cool and clipped, "First off, whatever bodily fluids I chose to exchange with anyone is my concern alone. I get that you're freaked out but why don't you dial that judgement back a bit before I blip out of here and leave you to work this through by yourself on the bluff."

Lynn throws up her hands in a classic East Coast shrug.

"Wait, what? I don't care who you're shtupping, that's your deal. It's not your bodily fluids I'm worried about! The fluids of others are my concern; Joe and Jane Bloodbag, walking the streets of our town, all tasty and...bulging."

Angling the phone back so that her mouth was next to the mouthpiece again she spoke to Jack her tone a little warmer but still somewhat strained, "Grim has questions about Freedom City's vampires and you."

Lynn holds up her hands and walks off a bit of her frustration, then turns back to Taylor.

"Can I talk to Count Chocula for a sec? I won't mess up your phone, I promise."

[alderwitch]

"Yeah, I get it. What I'm trying to tell you is that other than the consensual thing. I've only seen villains get bitten. I know about the rest but I really don't think that its a better conversation to have with Jack." Taylor said, trying to juggle the conversations, "And, yes, Jack, we'll be fine until you get here. No one has blasted anyone."

She smiled faintly at that before adding, "Grim wants to talk to you." And handing the phone over.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Heeey, Grim," said Jack, a trifle uneasily before he found his feet. Talking on the phone while he went was going to slow him down, but he was confident of his ability to get there fast. "Nice to hear from you. How's every little thing?"

[Heritage]

Lynn nervously takes the phone.

"Heeey, Grim," said Jack, a trifle uneasily before he found his feet. Talking on the phone while he went was going to slow him down, but he was confident of his ability to get there fast. "Nice to hear from you. How's every little thing?"

"Uh, fine, Guy Who Sounds Nothing Like Avenger. Was that all an act? I just assumed you had throat cancer, or like a brain injury."

She smiles at her own joke; it's strained, but at least it's still a smile.

"So yeah, word on the street is you're a dead guy who feeds on the blood of the living; how's that working out for ya?"

Lynn's trying to keep the tone light, but there's clearly a nervous edge in her voice as she stares down at her sneakers.

[Avenger Assembled]

"That's true," replied Jack, his voice all perfect, composed smoothness. He opted not to explain Avenger's style to Grim, with any luck she'd figure it out on her own. "I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. I understand you have some concerns." He was already in his car, speeding quickly towards Taylor and Grim.

[Heritage]

"I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. I understand you have some concerns."

The shapeshifter laughs hollowly. "Yeah, I have some 'concerns'. So, I'm guessing you're one of those 'good guy vamps' we're always seeing in movies; y'know, you've got a badass tricked-out muscle car, maybe a hot bowhunter chick riding shotgun, and you always do the right thing."

She stops herself, clutching the phone tightly as she closes her eyes; this is not easy for her. "I, uh...I don't care about you - I mean, obviously I care, but we both know Phantom's too uptight to date someone who's actually 100% Florida squeezed Evil, so she can vouch for you."

Lynn clambers down to sit on the ground Indian style, head bowed.

"Tell me about the others; the vampires who aren't you."

[Avenger Assembled]

"We'll talk when I get there," Jack told her reassuringly. "There's no point in hashing this out over the phone." He wasn't about to spill his guts to her from either direction, but there was no point in hashing _that_ out over the phone, either. "Just stay right there, and I'll be there to join you and Taylor momentarily. Talk to you in a minute." And with that, he hung up.

[alderwitch]

Taylor laughingly protested, "I'm not uptight. And he'd better not have a hot bowhunter chick otherwise he has some serious explaining when he gets here."

[Heritage]

I'm not uptight. And he'd better not have a hot bowhunter chick otherwise he has some serious explaining when he gets here."

Lynn lays back on the cold gray stone, puts an arm across her eyes and holds up Taylor's phone. "Yep, you're right, you're Miss Mellow Yellow, my bad. Here ya go." She sighs deeply and shakes her head. "Un-freakin'-believable." After a few moments of silence, she sits back up and runs her eyes.

"So what are you and Jack doing, patroling together or solo? You see any of the old gang?"