Growing Up Vampire [IC]

[Dr Archeville]

See? He does care!

About the health of his blood-cow! About any potential competition!

Archeville gave a reluctant shrug, "it is impossible to tell mit dis test vhether or not it is human, dough it does appear so. To know for certain, I vould need to do some an amniotic fluid test for any chromosomal abnormalities or signs of infection, und some bloodvork on Taylor to see if it is causing any changes in her, beyond vhat a normal pregnancy vould engender."

"Und speaking of blood," he said, turning to directly face Jack, "you must stop feeding from her. I know you still are, und not using de blood substitute I made for you; even dough her own regenerative abilities vould compensate for any damage constant feedings vould do to her circulatory system, or at least any signs dat dis particular scan vould detect, de fact dat you haff pointedly avoided answering mein qvestions regarding how you are coping mit de substitute is enough to tell me you haff not been using it, und are still feeding from her, if not also from others. She is going to need all of her own blood, for herself und de fetus, und as I am sure you do not brush your fangs betveen feedings I am sure you do not vish to risk contaminating her -- or de child -- mit someding you picked up from some criminal."

[Avenger Assembled]

"I've been using the substitute," said Jack defensively. And it was true, he told himself. He had indeed used the blood substitute on multiple occasions...sometimes as often as once a day. But he didn't want to dwell on his sins anymore than he already was right then, so instead he found some new things to say. "And I won't feed on Taylor while she's pregnant," he said carefully. He looked down at his hands. "The bite induces miscarriages. I'm surprised it hasn't happened earlier."

[alderwitch]

"I don't think I can be infected, Jack, but I'm willing to go through whatever tests the good doctor thinks are important and neccesary," Taylor soothed, running her hand up and down Jack's arm gently. "It's got to be protected somewhat by my physiology, I imagine, since I've been running around phasing and in space and doing all the normal activities I tend to."

She turned her head back to the doctor, her eyes sliding uneasily away from the floating fetus to fix on the Doctor's face. Taylor could feel the tension thrumming along Jack's arm, so she continued her gentle caress trying to soothe the panic just below his urbane mask. "I would appreciate any tests you feel are neccessary. I'd like to be informed as possible so we can decide what to do from here."

[Dr Archeville]

The look on Archeville's face clearly showed he believe Jack as much as a medical doctor whose overweight patient swears he's been going to the gym three times a week, not laying around the house gorging on junk food. But he made no remark, and simply turned back to Taylor.

Well, for her sake, and the baby's sake, I hope he is using it.

Bah! Kill him now and be done with it! And tear whatever secrets Taylor knows of interdimensional travel from her mind! She is already clearly intimidated by our technology, and this simple scanner is the least of what we have!

No, we will not be doing that. I we obtain any information from Taylor, it will be because she chose to give it to us after politely asking.

"Dere are a few more tests I vould like to run, ja," he said, his tone changed to a kinder and more diplomatic one. "As advanced as dat scanner is, it is still just an ultrasound/MRI, und dere is much it cannot tell. Fortunately, de tests I vish to do vill be far less stressful on you, as I require only a few samples of blood und amniotic fluid. However, do note I said less stressful, not completely stress-free -- de amniocentesis procedure typically involves a local anesthetic, since de procedure is qvite uncomfortable, but if mein theories about your time-locked biology are correct, most anesthetic agents vill not vork on you."

"However...." he said, the corners of his mouth curling slightly up as his eyes lit up, his mind clearly racing with an idea, "I do haff von alternative, von dat vould involve no needles at all. I haff in de past treated metahumans mit extremely tough skin, und haff had to find alternative methods to piercing it in order to take blood samples or administer drugs, or to perform surgery. Von technique I developed vas a vay to use teleportation technology to extract blood samples; I could try und do someding similar mit you...."

[alderwitch]

Taylor hesitated, her expression screwed up with some reluctance before she admitted, "Well, I do have full control of what parts of me are solid to prime at any given time. It takes a bit of concentration. I don't know if it would help at all."

The idea of phasing and letting Archevielle poke about her insides was about as tantalizing as stepping back in the creepy scanner. "And, no, medications don't generally work on me. I'm willing to give the teleportation thing a go."

[Dr Archeville]

"Selective intangibility vould probably not suffice: if you vere to turn your hand intangible, blood vould not suddenly gush out of your wrist, vould it? Dere is typically a sort of... 'translocalized interference barrier' dat prevents such from occurring."

I wonder what we should get them for the baby shower? Assuming it goes to full term... but with so unusual a parentage, is it too premature to be thinking of that?

Bah! You're thinking of gifts for these three?! We should be binding them and extracting every useful scrap from their bodies, and their minds!

I already told you, no. But, if it would quiet you, I could see clear to asking them for some information, in lieu of monetary payment.

"It vill take me a bit to put together a teleport system dat is sufficient for de task," he continued, going back to one of the workstations and pulling components out of drawers and cabinets, "but vhile I am vorking on dat, Jack, dere is someding you can do for me in order to help in mein caregiving. I vill be needing samples from you. Und since you haff already told me you haff no blood of your own, und ve are discussing your child," he said as he tossed a small sealable plastic cup to Jack, "you can guess vhat sort of samples I am referring to. Dere is a restroom down de hall on de left."

Yes, go, you freak, go wallow in your own debauchery while we 'study' your bride! Muah hah hah hah hah!!!

... do you not remember all the things we have seen her do? How she handled herself during the Inferno the month before last? Or the breach by Arachnos last May?

Archeville glanced up again at Jack, then to Taylor, then to Jack, then to the components he was assembling, then to Taylor again. "Oh, er, dis vill take soem time, so if you vished to go mit him...."

[Avenger Assembled]

With a look of deep disgust on his face, Jack simply disappeared down the corridor, reappearing in the room Dr. Archeville had suggested. He stood in a room full of mirrors, reflecting in exactly none of them. If it was possible for this afternoon to get anymore awkward, he wasn't at all sure how he'd go about doing that. Always private, especially about his relationship with Taylor, this sort of under-the-lens examination was the last thing he wanted. Especially now.

[alderwitch]

"I'll go wait for Jack. I wouldn't want to be in the way," Taylor seized on the idea and fled Archevielle's lab as quickly as she could without full out running. It wasn't too hard to find the door to the room in question and Taylor located a chair near enough to it in the hall to wait for Jack. She dropped into it, folding her arms across her chest and tucking one leg up under herself. She shifted in the chair a few times, impatient and miserable, before she began flipping through the magazines on the coffee table just for something to do. Hopefully, if Jack refused to reappear (and she wouldn't really blame him, although she envied the ability at this particular moment) someone would come prod her out of her chair when she was needed to be stuck in another mad science device.

[Avenger Assembled]

After a long, uncomfortable few minutes, Jack reappeared next to Taylor, vials carefully cradled in his hands. "Well, that was unpleasant," he said, his eyebrows furrowed. "Is there anything other than satisfying Archeville's sense of humor that's keeping us here right now?"

[Dr Archeville]

"Oh, de targeting scanner's connected to de molecular imaging scanner... de molecular imaging scanner's connected to de Heisenberg compensator... de Heisenberg compensator's connected to de..."

You idiot! What do you think you're doing?

I am trying to help my friends have a child, while also expanding our knowledge of-

Bah! You think we should help those two reproduce? Bring another bloodsucking freak into the world?!

As... unusual as the circumstance of the child's conception are, it is not impossible that it is fully human. It may not even be theirs; I am still in favor of the "it is something that slipped in there while she was on one of her intangible extradimensional jaunts" hypothesis.

Yes, because that would be sooo much better...

Well, we will not know either way until we get the bloodwork from Taylor and the fetus done, and the analysis of Avenger's material, so we can see if the fetus really is theirs or is something else entirely.

Or if it's hers but not his... oh, another rooster in the henhouse. Well, another bat in the belfry, as it were.

I am sure she would not cheat on him, and-

and in a world where metahumans with assorted telepathic abilities -- not to mention vampires, which practically embody both carnality and disease -- it's not impossible that something else got a hold of her, had its way with her then wiped her mind of it.

In any case, we will not know until we study those samples, which we cannot get until we finish this extractor.

Archeville continued working, waiting for the two to return.

[alderwitch]

Taylor dropped the magazine back on the pile with a thump and stood up, looking as unhappy as Jack currently felt, "Well, if I don't miss my guess, he's going to compare the samples from you from the ones he's taken from me to try and figure out what... it is."

She stuttered over word choices, including a vague gesture to her mid section. As they walked back to the doctor's lab, Taylor asked in an undertone that she hoped wouldn't be overheard, "You don't think he's going to keep the creepy hologram of me, do you?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"I do my best not to think about what he has in his files," murmured Jack, a sour look on his face that was entirely in agreement with Taylor. He walked right up to Archeville and handed him the vials he'd filled, preferring to simply not think about the circumstances. "Here's everything you asked for," he told Archeville. "How long is it going to take you to process this?"

[Dr Archeville]

"Vellllll..." he began as he place Avenger's samples into an boxy machine, "normally it vould take me just a couple of hours to run all de tests I anticipate needing to run... but if even separated parts of you exhibit de same 'cloaking' field you do, den most of mein eqvipment vill not work on it, und I vill have to come up mit entirely new vays of testing it, as I had to do mit de skin samples you gave me back in April."

How did he even supply this? If his body's dead, and his skin samples indicate it is, then he shouldn't have been able to give us this!

You know, being a good scientist means being skeptical enough to not take things at first glance, but open enough to accept the supernatural when it is in your face, not narrow-minded and the unable to accept that which you do not understand.

What the devil are you babbling about?

I am saying that if you want to know what Avenger is and how he does what he does, he literally handed us something perfect for study!

... you're stealing my jokes. And what's this, you're trying to help me?

I am trying to help Avenger, and any other reluctant vampires out there. If we can figure out what makes him tick, we can figure out a way to reverse his condition.

"However, de samples I get from Taylor und her fetus," he continued, holding up his device (which looked like a wide wrestler's belt, covered in circuitry and glass vials), "should not present any troubles to mein scanners, und a full work-up can be shown in an hour or so. At least, presuming dat de fetus does not share his father's cloaking field."

Archeville held the 'belt' up, turning it so Taylor & Jack could see all side of it; the inside seemed lined with circuitry and glass lenses. "It is based off mein own gravimetric belt, but instea dof creating a vormhole to teleport de vearer to someplace else, it vill teleport minute parts of the vearer into de glass vials on de belt. De controls on de belt determine exactly vhich bits get teleported out. I put in some hardvired block so de targting beams vill not go in too far; it vill just take blood samples from Taylor und de fetus, und samples of de amniotic fluid."

[alderwitch]

Taylor visabally winced at the idea of more mad science but shook off the shudder and took a step away from Jack, holding her arms out to her sides loosely. "Do I just... stand still then? I assume that phasing and such is strictly out of the question."

Her brow creased and she gritted her teet as she waited for Archevielle to scan or probe or whatever he felt the need to do now. Her muscles were tense below the skin, but she focused intently on not shifting out and away from the doctor as he did his neccesary work.

[Avenger Assembled]

It occurred to Jack that such a device would be remarkably useful for any vampire. No more hunting, no more dangerous attacks, just... He shook his head, trying to chase those thoughts away. He wasn't here to expand on his vampiric nature. And besides, he liked hunting. "Okay, well, if that's what we're doing, that's what we're doing." He took a step back and added, "It's not a cloaking field as such, Doctor. Mirrors and recorders reflect the real world. It's just that what you see before you now isn't real."

[Dr Archeville]

"Standing still und remaining fully in dis dimension is advised, ja," Archeville replied, "und it is starting... now!"

When Archeville switched the device on, Taylor felt a slight but not truly unpleasant tingle. If actually felt, in a way, like she did when she first teleported, though she didn't recall having quite as many goosebumps then as she did now.

We probably could rig this thing so it could take samples from beings that are incorporeal...

Yes, we probably could, but there is no need for that now.

... and if we rigged up similar projectors at every door in this building, then we could obtain samples from every metahuman who walks in here! Muah hah hah hah hah!!!

Trust and invasion of privacy issues aside, they would probably realize something was up, given the tingling sensation Taylor seems to bee experiencing.

As Archeville kept a careful eye on the glass vials on the belt which were filling with Taylor's and her fetus's blood and amniotic fluid, he made a small "harumph," at Avenger's explanation. "You realize, Jack, dat vhat you just said makes absolutely no sense to me? Mirrors reflect light dat bounces off of objects, und light bouncing off of objects is how standard vision vorks. Vhy vould light bouncing off you avoid mirrors, but not human retinas?"

After a few moments -- the time it would take to draw blood samples in a traditional manner -- Doc switched off the belt on Taylor and unhooked it from her, then began removing the vials and placing them into assorted scanning devices. "Dere, dat vas not so bad, vas it?"

In a few hours Taylor would find five quarter-sized sunburned spots around her waist, but that was the only negative effect.

[alderwitch]

Taylor dutifully held still, resisting the urge to rub at the tingling goosebumps on her skin until Archevielle gave the all clear. She stepped back over to Jack's side and repressed the desire to suggest they go home *right now*. Taylor rubbed the skin of her arms and tenatively touched the fabric of her shirt over her stomach. She supposed the doctor would consider it rude if she were to lift her shirt to check the skin below.

"Do we wait around for the results or will you just call us?" Taylor asked as her hand creeped back into Jack's. She didn't answer the doctor's question as Taylor didn't want to be rude but she didn't want to lie either.

She gripped Jack's hand tightly, her posture ramrod straight and shoulders squared. She was trying for cool and detatched but she might as well have been shouting, Get me out of here. Get me out of here right now.

[Dr Archeville]

Yes, go, get out of here, you abominable throwbacks, and leave me to my Science!

No, they should stay! We... oh... well, it is going to take some time for all these tests to run... and I do not think there is anything here that would really interest them. More is the pity, of course, but-

If you're going to babble so much, babble at them. It might make them leave quicker!

Fine, but only because I know cracking a mystery like this will divert and quiet you. Besides, Taylor, at least, seems eager to get away from here -- from you.

Good.

"Even mit mein advanced techniques," Archeville replied while leaning on one of the workstations, "it vill take some time before I get even a preliminary read on everyding. I vill run de tests meinself, of course, to maintain your secrecy; I do not mind burning de midnight oil. I should be able to call you mit preliminary results... tomorrow around noon?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Noon it is," said Jack, reaching down to take Taylor's hand. Just at the door, before they left, he called back, "Just remember, Dr. Archevile...there are more things on Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy." There, who said Jack couldn't quote Shakespeare? He was pretty sure that was Shakespeare, anyway. And with that, he and Taylor headed out of the lab, a look of profound relief on his face. "Thank God. That was...an unpleasant experience. You okay?" he asked her. "Now that we're out of all that?"

[alderwitch]

"I'm okay," Taylor replied automatically and then shook her head almost immedieately, "No, actually. I want to teleport as fast and as far away as I can but I'm going to make myself walk down to the car and drive home with you. And then I want a shower"

She shuddered involuntarily and squeezed his hand hard enough that a normal man would have had bruises. Taylor took quick steps alongside him, her pulse still hammering in her ears, "I don't want to sound ungrateful but Archevielle makes my skin crawl. I don't know why. He was perfectly civil. Its taking a lot of my attention to stay solid, actually."

[Avenger Assembled]

"I've heard you say that before," said Jack with a nod, a solid, familiar presence next to Taylor. "He is a little strange," he added in agreement. "But he's the best we have right now." He gave her a level look. "Should we find someone better, though?" he asked. "There are others in the city, even if we'd have to lie to them."

[alderwitch]

"No, no," Taylor said reluctantly as they returned to the car. Her hand stole accross the console to rest on his leg. As they drove away, the set of her shoulders slowly relaxed as her skin stopped prickling with dread, "I'll manage, Jack, and I think he really is the best doctor we can go to. I wish I knew why he gave me the creeps but I know you trust him. That's enough for me."

Taylor didn't think she'd be able to sit still until noon but within minutes of curling up in her corner of the couch, she drifted off to sleep as the stressful day took its toll, book forgotten in her lap and her cheek resting against the couch's armrest.

[Avenger Assembled]

The next day around noon, Jack was sitting up with a bottle of blood substitute, slowly watching the painfully bright sun creep down the highly polished wall of the master bedroom. Taylor was in the shower, and he'd taken the opportunity to eat. How long am I going to be stuck with this stuff? he thought, sipping the artificial concoction and glancing at his cellphone. Surely Archeville would call, and pull the two of them out of this hole where they'd fallen into for the last day. Had it been such little time? When was Archeville going to call?

[Dr Archeville]

Before Avenger & Phantom are fully out of the building, Archeville was thoroughly engrossed in studying the readings and samples he'd gotten from them

Too bad Taylor didn't stay for more scans. If we could crack how her body's temporally locked...

I do not think I am ready for immortality.

Of course you're not, you're a wuss! But I'm not resorting to vampirism for my immortality, so Phantom's "dynamic stasis" seems the best bet.

Anyway, we do have blood samples from her, and the baby, so let us focus for now on determining whether or not Avenger is indeed the father.

Eh, I'm sure he is; he seems the type to tear apart anyone else who'd touch his property, and probably chew out the fetus if he even suspected it wasn't his.

Eugh! That is disgusting!

It's what all the cool kids are reading.

That does not make it any less disgusting, or even right.

Oh, you and your quaint little notions of 'right' and 'wrong.' Science! is the only determinator!

~~~

Wow, Avenger's lil' swimmers are healthy buggers. I haven't seen virility like that since... since... well, since my own samples.

Riiight... they are oddly motile, though. Moreso than most other samples. Which just makes him all the more impossible: how can he be physiologically dead yet still generate active reproductive material?

Burn 'em all and be done with it, I say.

Yes, you would.

Still, I would love to see how they react to standard living ova. Perhaps I could acquire some eggs from th-

No, you will not be doing any such thing.

~~~

Well, whaddayaknow: the lil' bugger is their spawn.

And the fetus is fully alive and healthy.

Though its blood samples do show some odd energy readings.

Yes, similar to but far less intense than the energy readings from Taylor's blood. Which makes sense; there's bound to be some crossover in the womb due to the shared blood supply.

---

Just as Avenger finishes asking, for the twenty-third time, when Archeville will call, the phone rings.

"Hello, Jack?," Archeville's voice crackled through, "I haff de preliminary results of mein tests. First off: congratulations, you are indeed de father. Second, your baby... vell... it's alive. It's alive... it's ALIVE!"

[alderwitch]

Taylor was brushing her dark hair out, combing out any lingering tangles, when she heard the phone ring. Her nerves were so badly jangled that she phased at the noise, the brush clattering to the floor through her suddenly ghostly hand and body. She left it there and grabbed a towel to wrap around her torso before phasing back into the bedroom in the most direct route possible.

Taylor floated through the wall wrapped in one of the large dark towels from the bathroom with her still damp hair streaming around her shoulders. Her worried eyes searched Jack's face as she clamped her lips together in a strained line. Her hearing wasn't good enough to pick out the doctor's words so she had to watch Jack's reactions instead.