White Wedding [IC]

[Ecalsneerg]

Arrowhawk was already heading towards the door, collapsing his staff and replacing it in his sporran. "Even if he thinks it's over, I'm suiting up and going to the roof. They could teleport in, making a guard useless, but they might not and why take a chance. Taylor, you should monitor for any magical activity so they don't get the drop in." He paused at the door and turned around. "Sorry about your wedding day." John turned back and opened the doors.

[Dr Archeville]

Supernatural filth! This is why these two should not have wed, too much infighting amongst all the ignorant savage tribes!

Ace is okay, good, good. No one else got hurt-

Hmpf, more's the pity, we should've let those... those things take Avenger to whatever fate they had in store for him!

Jack may deserve many things, but not that. And not today.

"No von injured here...," Archeville uttered, then he turned sharply to Stesha. "Vhere did you send de guests? Can you see dem now, find out if dey are alright? De vedding crashers may haff decided to take revenge on dem as dey fled."

He then turned to the bride and groom, "Jack, who und vhat were does dings? Vhat is de 'Law of de Dragon'?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"I can heal it," said Jack, giving Taylor a significant look. "Though I may need some help later." He looked at Dr. Archeville, looked at the others, and said, "Vampire society has only a small handful of rules...all of which I've broken in the last few months. And especially today." he said, reaching over and squeezing Taylor's hand for a moment. "The Dragon is the master of vampires. The progenitor of the most powerful bloodline; the only vampire who could fight the most powerful beings on Earth to a standstill and walk away without a scratch. Dracula. My great-grandsire."

[Electra]

Stesha rose from the floor, her evening gown stained with blood and far beyond repair, her shoes long gone. She looked around for Dark Star and started heading in his direction before she paused to answer the doctor's question. "Oh, they're down the street, in Bicentennial Park. I did some work there this fall, it was the only place near enough where I knew there'd be enough trees." Closing her eyes, she extended her senses through those same trees. "They're fine," she reported, her voice a bit distant. "Most of them look like they're heading back this way. It's too cold to stay out long. And the STAR squad is coming as well, but they're not close yet."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star floated down next to Taylor and Jack, nodding at them. "I'm sorry your special day was interrupted," he said honestly. He glanced at Jack. "Do you need our assistance teaching the villain to leave you alone? I admit to being somewhat...uneducated about this. But if you need help dealing with him, please contact me." If his friends were being threatened, whether it was from a mundane or terrifying sounds, he would be there for them to the very end.

He slid a few feet closer as Stesha came up, smiling on the inside. "You were great. Saving the people and bringing Ace back. My hero," he said lovingly. "Are you alright?" It hadn't looked like she had been attacked, but he couldn't help but ask.

[quotemyname]

"Ya c'n count me in too." Colt offered, walking up to the conferencing heroes. "If'n it's one thing I can't stand, it's people rainin' on someone's parade. Ya had'a good thing goin' an' they messed it up." Colt frowned. "If'n ya need me'ta help teachin'em a lesson, y'all just let me know."

[Geez3r]

"Just doing my part." said Atlas with a slight inclination of his head to Grim's thanks as he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He stood up and surveyed the rather impressive amount of damage done to the area. He still didn't know much about the way things were constructed and all the math and engineering that went into it, but he did understand the cost part of it pretty well. That little stunt was gonna run up a big bill.

"Ve are all here for you." said Atlas to Taylor and Jack, echoing the other heroes. "Vhatever, vhenever."

[Dr Archeville]

The Dragon is Dracula?!

It fits: Dracul, derived from the Latin Draco, means "dragon", though in modern Romanian it means "devil". Dracula would be translated as "son of the dragon," or "son of the-

I know all that, you limp-wristed loquacious layabout!

Now who is being sesquipedalian?

Shaddup!

"So, let me see if I haff dis right," Archeville began as he walked out from behind the bar. "Dracula --de Dracula -- has taken it upon himself to stop your union, und to do so sent a team consisting of Frankenstein's monster-esque assassin; some manner of animated iron automaton, akin to some manner of robot; und some sort of vampire sorcerer. Since dey failed, vhat vill he send next, a Verevolf und a Mummy?"

[angrydurf]

Ace chuckled and shook his head as he stood, "Unlikely Doc, Dracs brood doesn't get along with werewolves, and mummies are generally to stubborn to bend knee to some upstart undead that's only been around a few hundred years." He explained all to casually given the circumstances.

He walked over to Taylor with a smile continuing as he did so, "Given the overconfidence standard to the breed," He shot a look at Jack for a moment, "They probably assumed this stunt would work, now at least we have warning." He nodded to Taylor and murmured, "You know I'm there for you kid."

He focused on Jack, "What I'm less sure of is if he'll just send bigger minions next time or if we can expect another visit from the patriarch of Jack illustrious line?" He looked to the resident expert on vampires questioningly.

[Heritage]

Grim had barely been able to murmur her thanks to Atlas, too overcome with appreciation to speak coherently, but her small hand patting him on the back spoke volumes more. She tucked her head under Colt's shoulder and just held him for a few seconds, but then finally found words when others pledged their support.

"I'm there for you, too, kiddo, and you too Jack; thank God you had a colorful guest list, huh?" She untangled herself from Colt and stepped over to the newly-married heroes. "Seriously, though, whatever you need to fight this, whenever; call me."

As she stepped back to Colt's side, she took a brief detour to stop by Derrick and Stesha. "You guys know you're my new heroes, right? Especially you, Stesh; without you, this would have been a massacre of innocents. Thank you. You guys are awesome." She gives them both a smile and two thumbs up before returning her boyfriend's side

[Electra]

"I'm fine," Stesha assured Derrick, stepping up close to him. It was hard not to be able to touch him at times like this, but she was at least used to it by now and hardly ever put her hands through him anymore. She smiled at the praise from him and Grimalkin, even as she rested a hand against the honey locust and turned it into a fine mulch in the middle of the dance floor. "Thanks," she said, "but I doubt they'd have stopped in this room if everyone hadn't been here to fight them. We all helped."

Stesha walked up to Taylor and leaned in close. "You want me to go try and head off your family?" she asked softly. "Or at least divert them from this room? I don't know how much they saw before I moved them out."

[Cyroa]

He stood close to Stesha, smiling on the inside. He couldn't actually touch or feel her, but just being near her made him happier. He chuckled at Grim. "Thanks for the compliment but I don't really deserve it. I didn't do that much. Stesha's right, mostly. It was a group victory." He felt she deserved that praise far more than he. Despite Taylor and Jack's confidence, Dark Star was not about to cease his vigilance. He kept his senses extended to their limits, searching for anything amiss. Just in case.

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack put his hand over his eyes for a moment, still holding Taylor's with the other. When he spoke, his voice was distinct and enunciated, as if he was pushing back a thousand emotions to say the things that needed said. "Thank you. All of you. You have no idea how much this means to me. To Taylor." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "This wasn't a hit squad. This was an attempt to handle things peacefully. They'll take time to recoup. The humans of the city are safe tonight." He leaned close and pressed cold lips against her forehead. "I love you. Let's get the hell out of here."

[alderwitch]

Taylor threaded her fingers through Jack's, her gaze shifting from his face to the injury and then sweeping glances to the rest of the party. She hesitated for a moment, torn between trying to explain things to her family and agreeing with Jack. Finally she said quietly to Stesha, "Would you tell my parents that Jack was hurt in the fight and I'm taking him for... medical attention? That I'll call and explain everything tomorrow, I swear?"

She gave Stesha a grateful and pleading look before she nodded to everyone else, "Thank you all so much for all of the help. Yes, we'll let you know if we think there's going to be a follow up attack."

When we know there's going to be a follow up attack... Taylor shook the thought away and squeezed Jack's hand as she whispered back, "I love you too."

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack turned and clapped Ace on the shoulder. "Ace, will you take care of handling the cleanup here? I know there's no one who could do it better." He released the smaller man's shoulder and added to the others. "Today you all did something that the most powerful heroes on Earth have failed to do. Be proud of yourselves. And be careful."

[Dr Archeville]

Group effort... pfah!

Poor Dark Star, still with the confidence issues: he did help-

And we did nothing! Nothing at all! Fluer, Atlas, Dark Star... hell, even the cowboy and that armcandy Ace was with did more than us!

That is not true -- we were able to use our surgical laser to stop the Patchwork Girl-

Only after Dark Star held her up like a pinata! And even if we hadn't managed to pull off that one deed, they either would've ran off, or Taylor would just... 'magic' them away!

"Need any help, Ace?," Archeville asked while massaging his left temple. "Two checkbooks are better dan von, und I can probably figure out how to write dis off as a charitable donation. I can haff some men in to do de repair vork, too."

[angrydurf]

Ace nodded to Archeville, "Definitely Doctor," He said with a smile, "If you want to start making arrangements I'll run some crowd control and see if I can get in touch with someone from the club to see who to make the check out to." Ace added with a wink.

"I think you're far better qualified then I to access the damages anyway." He said as he looked about for someone in charge as the police and guests began to arrive on scene.

[Geez3r]

"Actually, I may be able to help vith ze repairs." said Atlas as he stepped up behind Ace and Archeville. Atlas produced a small (to him) business card for Builder's League United. "I had to find a new day job vhen my powers decided zat zey vould like to remain in ze on position." explained Atlas. Flipping the card over, Atlas showed the pair the number for the regional director and other higher level management officials.