Abra Kadabra [IC]

[alderwitch]

"Jack's been a vampire longer than he's been Avenger," Taylor had spun around at the threat, spreading out her hands as if she could somehow shield Jack. It would have looked a little rediculous, as Taylor didn't come up quite to Jack's shoulder except for the eldritch fire at her fingertips. She banished the energy with a gesture, lowering her hands but she didn't step aside. "He's still the same person, flaws and merits, and all. He's just something else too."

Although her eyes were still a little red, Taylor lifted her chin defiantly, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

[angrydurf]

Ace was almost gratefull for Taylors return ending the awkward silince that had followed his last statement. Judging from Taylors appearance and reaction the inevitable intervention had gone as poorly as he woudl have expected.

As the assorted recriminations began to be flung to each side he remained seated casually watching as everyone took up one cause or another. Stesha and Moiras indignant outrage over Jacks, well Jackness, and Taylor and Derrick leaping to his defense was pretty well expected. When the situation looked to turn violent however he knew it was time to cool the pot a little.

Ace let out a piercing whistle, "Thats enough of that!" he said firmly looking to both groups sternly. Once sure no one was going to actually try something he lowered his voice and firmly pointed everyone to their seats. "What Jack would never do couldn't fill this glass." He said depositing the delicate champaign flute on the table as he took his own seat once more. "Of that all of you really should be aware." He said looking directly at Derrick and Taylor. "What he's capeable of is another matter entirely, and he certainly isn't able to force or manipulate Moira into anything she didn't want to do in the first place, regardless of how much she may have regretted it in hindsight." He concluded with a nod to Stesha.

"As for you." He directed his gaze at Jack once more, "I think its about time you grow a spine and face your mistakes instead of running off like a sullen teenager any time someone brings them up." Adding to the group in general, "Now then if we can all remain civil I think we might manage to get through this without me having to pay to have the place remodled again."

[Cyroa]

Derrick watched as the scene unfolded again, eerily reminiscent of the Knight's final meeting. These were his friends and they shouldn't be fighting. And while he could agree with Ace's sentiments of people acting polite, he didn't think rudeness was the way to get there. "Ace, please. There's no need to be rude." He looked at everyone. "But he's right in that we should try to get along. And at least figure out what's going on here. We're all friends for Pete's sake. Let's not do something that could ruin that, please."

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack took a step back, hands gripping the coffee table, before he replied to the ladies, "It's true. I'm a vampire; I've been a vampire for as long as any of you have known me. The Knights and the Midnights know; they've known for quite some time." He took a step forward again, releasing the table, and moved past Taylor to talk directly to Stesha and Moira. "It is true, I used both of you for my own reasons, but no more so than any man would have in my situation." His eyes darkening, he added, "But I'm not that man anymore. I hope you can forgive me." His hands tightened as his sides as he added, "But I can't, and won't, apologize for _what_ I am. I can only apologize for what I've done."

[Moira Morley]

It all happened in a flash. Common sense reigned supreme. Jack was a vampire, yet he was a friend. No matter what he did. Hell, she even had Captain Knievel's number memorized, even after he came down with a bad case of the crazies. She would not turn her back on anyone. Though she was confused, "Is... anyone else a vampire?"

[Electra]

Stesha continued staring at Jack in shocked disbelief while the others all seemed to talk at once, It was impossible not to pay attention to Ace when he spoke, but even then, the words only penetrated halfway. She raised a hand to her own neck, rubbing lightly at the spot that had been black and blue for days after the date she'd gone on with Jack. She took a step backwards, letting go of Moira's arm, when Jack approached. "Did you bite me?" she demanded suddenly. "And no more lies, I want the truth from somebody for once."

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack sighed, glancing at Taylor, before he turned to Stesha and said gravely, "Yes, Stesha, I did." He looked down, too ashamed to look her in the eye. "I was still figuring out how...how I should act with people, then, and I didn't understand that it was wrong. That's why I avoided you afterwards, because I realized I'd done something terrible to you. But I've learned my lesson, and I've turned myself around. I don't use people like that anymore, especially not women. I don't expect you to forgive me," he added, "but I hope you can understand how sorry I am."

[alderwitch]

"No one else here is a vampire," Taylor affirmed, glancing around Jack to respond to Moira. "Ace is immortal, Dark Star is cosmically embued, I'm a dimensional guardian, Stesha's powered by magical plant energy, sort of like a neo-dryad, and you know you're a goddess."

Taylor rested one shaky hand on the small of Jack's back and turned to glance at the table and sigh at Ace, "Please, try not to inflame everyone into worse tempers, Ace? While you can pay for remodels, I'm certain, I would consider it a personal favor if you could use your powers for good instead of needling."

[Cyroa]

Derrick stared dumbstruck at Jack as two waring emotions rose rapidly within him. It took several pained moments before the words came out. And they came out in a rush and a new tone for him. "You what?!? How could you?!?!? I've defended you time and time again. I stood up for you, when no one else would. I trusted in you. I believed in you. And you attacked her? You say you're sorry. You say you know better now. But in all this time since its happened, did you ever apologize? Did you try to make amends for what you did? And not just to her, but what of the others Jack? Or are you going to tell me there are no others. No one else who you violated." Derrick's voice was far from the calm tone he always strove to maintain even as his hands were clenched so tight they were white from blood loss. He'd never acted this way as far as any here, or even himself for that matter, could recall. It contained sadness, hurt, betrayal, anger, rage, and a straining, all rolled into one as his eyes lost their color and turned white. He was struggling to contain the power inside that wanted to get out and lash out very badly. He was maintaining his control, but only just.

[Electra]

"You're sorry," Stesha told Jack softly, "because you got caught doing what you do. And you don't care what he does to other people," she added, looking at Taylor, "because you love him, for whatever reason, despite everything." She looked over at Derrick. "And you knew what he was, for a long time, you all knew, and you didn't tell me because I wasn't a member of your special little club." She rubbed her forehead, running a hand over the flowers in her hair. "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you'll be very happy together. I have to go." She closed her hand around one daisy and vanished without a sound.

[angrydurf]

Ace surveyed the emotional carnage somewhat wearily. His eyes flashed to Taylors for a moment then he turned his attention to Derrick a concerned frown replacing his usually unrelently smile.

"Derrick, You can have what rightous indignation you like over Jacks actions but you defended him because you believed in him. You never asked how or where or who, and he's not to blame for that." He said gently, "Now there is someone else that needs you much more than we do, you can have it out with Jack over his past errors later. Right now Stesha shoudl be your concern." It pained Ace to see Derrick illusions shattered but ti was bound to happen eventually, the world did not exist in the monochrome he viewed it in the sooner he managed to get his head around theat the better in the end.

He left Derrick with those words hopeing the apeal to helop Stesha would stay the mighty hero's fury for the time being at least. He turned away then to look to Jack, they woudl have words about this soon but not here and with so many volotile tempers still chaffing.

[Moira Morley]

Moira bit her bottom lip and surveyed everything as it happened. She tried to lighten the mood but the drama crushed that real quick-like. And by the end Stesha was gone. That's why she was here in this predicament. Her best friend wanted help and she helped. She really hoped Jack had changed, as the last few things he had said hadn't painted him in a good light. "Screw all this drama, I'm going to find Stesha." With that she head towards the elevator. Stesha couldnt have gone very far. Could she? Moira was going to search every area around the building that even thought about having a leaf. Then again, she might have been too late.

[alderwitch]

Taylor sucked in a breath like she'd been punched in the gut, her mouth opening soundlessly as Stesha teleported out. It was really nice to know that while Stesha believed everything Moira said, Taylor wasn't even afforded the opportunity to explain herself. Gritting her teeth, she waited as the bickering continued, her hand fisting in the back of Jack's shirt.

"Stesha's gone home," Taylor said tightly, glaring at Moira's self righteous attitude. She could still see the faint shimmer of magic in the air, and Taylor glanced up at Jack. She'd really like to have a few words with Stesha, but she wasn't sure if 'angry and upset' was the best frame of mind to pursue Stesha in. Plus, she might cry again and that would be beyond humiliating. "I imagine Derrick would be willing to open a gate. I think we can pretty much call lunch done."

[Moira Morley]

Moira didn't want to be here. She'd watched enough movies to know what vampires that walked around in the daylight were like. The elevator couldn't come fast enough.She sighed and, with a sincere tone of voice, looked to Taylor before she left. "Stesha only did this because she cared about you. She didn't want to see you hurt. She's a selfless person. I only wanted to help that selfless person. Nothing I said in that bathroom was a lie. Yet I left out things and embellished for her. Please forgive her. She's not a bad person." As if on cue the elevator dinged and opened. Moira stepped into it and made her way out.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Maybe she did go home," said Jack, his jaw set tight. "But this is my favorite restaurant too, Ace. That's because it's in the house of a friend of mine." If she was a friend, still. It had been a long time, and there were many obstacles between the two of them. Especially now, if she held his past against him the way the others were once they knew more of it. Jack reached into his pocket and came out with a long-ill-used teleporter beacon. "I'll be right back." He pressed it and was immensely relieved to find that Scarab hadn't turned them off; instead vanishing into a gate of light that opened at his feet.

[N/A]

Avenger appeared once more in the teleportal room of The Scarab's lair. The portal, and then the solid rock wall that replaced it a moment later, were flanked on either side by statues of various gods and heroes he couldn't even begin to identify. When he pushed open the door to the portal control room, a familiar crimson & gold clad figure hovered a few inches above the floor in front of him, and a familiar voice echoed in his mind. It didn't sound like her speaking voice, but rather, two voices, one far deeper and more resonant than the other, overlayed and intermixed.

No theatrics. No skulking and sneaking through the shadows. An honestly straightforward entrance. This must be important. And I would bet my considerable assets that it is not a social call. Hello, Jack. What seems to be the problem?

[Avenger Assembled]

"Elena..." Jack was quiet for a minute, his brain working, as he sussed out what he wanted to say and how much he trusted Elena. Come to think of it, God help him, he actually trusted her with his life. "I think you'd better look for yourself," he said honestly, pointing to his temple. "I'll try and take you along as we go. It, uh...some of the old Knights are having kind of a personal crisis that's getting out of hand upstairs." He opened his mind to Scarab as they went, leaving little out indeed as he began the story with his battlefield proposal to Taylor, the followup upstairs, and the madness that followed. He skimped nothing in his mind about the source of the trouble; the night months ago that he'd fed on Stesha, that night he and Moira had been together, and his own culpability in both.

Even, for the very first time, he showed her that night early in his career when he'd licked the blood off her unconscious face. Because at the end of the night, Jack trusted Elena. It was high time, after so much mistrust and suspicion, that he actually showed her that.

[N/A]

Elena first grinned in amusement, then glared at Jack beneath her mask for a few moments as the revelations of his past activities cascaded through her mind. I appreciate your candor, late in completeness though it may be. I suppose Rome was not built in a day. This confirms that I have been a little too lax in vetting my comrades. The sacrifice of security in favor of the personal comfort of my allies was a mistake I will not make again in the near future.

Bring them here. We will meet in what you have always mentally referred to as "the throne room." Feel free to point out my hypocrisy in mocking you for the employment of theatricality. Avenger felt the now-familiar push of The Scarab reaching out to his mind and, as though she was casually sliding up to his side and injecting him a syringe full of opiates, pushing out with the simple, subtle command "Do not see me." He blinked, and she disappeared. Though he knew if he fought against it hard enough, he might will himself to see through her illusions.

[Cyroa]

Derrick did not want to leave this as it was. There was so much tension and angry, from himself as well he had to admit, that it did not bode well for any of them. And despite his anger and hurt, Derrick was still the same good person. He was just a little...off right now. He nodded at Ace. Sure the man was convincing as hell. But Derrick cared more for Stesha than having this all resolved right then. This could wait, Stesha could not.

Derrick let the blackness consume him as the energy destroyed his physical form. In a moment, Derrick was gone and Dark Star remained even as Taylor pointed out where she went. He took her at her word and nodding without a word, shot outward through the wall at maximum speed.

[angrydurf]

Ace gently crossed the room to Taylors side laying a hand on her own, "Well that could have gone better." He said with a wink, "But better here then with the family right?" He joked gently.

Taking a more somber tone he continued, "This isn't goign to end here the both of you are going down a very hard path and its not going to get any easier as time goes on." Not to mention how much time would go on for two such as they, "Just make sure you both know what you're getting into, Till death do us part means something alot different for people like us." Not that he really though Jack was capable of thinking beyond the moment at this point, if he was he wouldn't have proposed this ludicrous concept in the first place. But now was not the time to dwell on Jack many shortcomings, enough of that seemed ongoing this afternoon.

[alderwitch]

"I think maybe we should just elope," Taylor said, half seriously as she gave Ace a sad smile, her eyes very old in her youthful face. She shrugged and twisted the engagement ring on her hand as she continued talking, "I know it isn't going to be easy. Nothing is easy for people 'like us'. Jack's condition, my job, that's just things to add to the list. I can deal with a hard road, its why I was chosen in the first place. I believe in Jack. No one else may believe he could love me, but I do, and in my opinion is all that really matters."

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack reappeared at that juncture, a gate of light opening in the air near where Taylor stood. "All right, Scarab's coming to help. I think Stesha and Derrick are probably beyond our reach right now, but if the two of you come down with me...well, maybe we can get this sorted out. We can always talk to them later."

[angrydurf]

Ace shrugged, He didn't exactly feel that he was the one who needed Scarabs enlightenment but he was willing to see what Jack had cooked up. Besides it had been awhile since he had seen Elena, not that this was likely to be much of a social call.

He quickly stepped through the portal and made his way to the throne room hazarding a guess that Scarab would go for its ambiance in this sort of situation, he was not disapointed. The immortal hero nodded greeting to the Scarab thinking to himself, 'No deffinately not a social call.'

[alderwitch]

Taylor followed quietly, hugging herself as she stepped through the portal. She tilted her face up to Jack as she passed him, pointing out, "This really isn't neccessary."

Despite her protest, she stepped into the teleporter room and followed along to the throne room itself, her boots ringing hollowly on the stone floor. It was weird to be in the Lair out of costume. Taylor halfway reached up to the Eye at her throat before she put her hand down. It wasn't like this was a costume sort of meeting. Although being Phantom right now would have been a welcome break from feeling emotionally raw and battered. About halfway there, Taylor tucked her hand into Jack's, lacing their fingers tightly together, "I don't need Elena to verify anything about you, Jack."

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack was relieved to hear that, for all that he covered his worry by taking her hands and squeezing them lightly. "No, but she can figure out what actually happened. If she can get as far as Moira's mind, maybe she can figure out why she's saying those things." He smiled faintly and added quietly, "Maybe Dark Star too, so he doesn't track me down." He started walking with her, slowly, his hand in hers as they headed down the corridor together. "I'm sorry about Stesha," he finally said. "That was my fault."