Reckoning [IC]

[alderwitch]

When Jack came into the library, Taylor was already mostly dressed as her night-time alter ego except the fabric of her mask still hung around her neck and the hood of her cloak had been pushed off. Although she usually wore her dark hair braided up underneath the shadows of the hood, it still flowed loose down her back, vanishing among the heavy folds of the cloak that writhed around her. Some thought that the cloak was a living thing with the way it writhed around the floor as she moved, never managing to trip her or tangle despite the fabric that draped out and down well past her booted toes. Really, it was just an extension of her magic and will the same way that her spells were.

She glanced up at Jack as he entered and smiled grimly, "I found him but now I need your expertise."

Turning, she glanced up at the mirror above the fireplace and it clouded over for a moment before revealing a dilapidated old church in the Fens. Unfortunately, the church was far from empty as the poor masses came in and out the door for all the various services that the church offered. Inside the church proper, was their quarry, out of his costume for the moment.

[Avenger Assembled]

Lock the doors and burn the place down. No, wait, that won't leave anyone to tell the tale afterwards. Plus, there are all those civilians. "Can't call the cops or fire, Fens are too dilapidated for that," said Jack, unconsciously mirroring Avenger's speech as he studied the serious problem before them. He studied their quarry like a snake would study a particularly large rat. "I recommend we wait him out. He's only human. Eventually he'll need to void his bowels, or grab a cigarette, or buy good, any number of things. And once he's off holy ground, we'll get him."

[alderwitch]

"What about a bait and switch," Taylor suggested after a moment of consideration, coming to stand next to him and watch the mirror. "He's always reacted to magic before. In my ratty jeans and a hoodie with a bit of hedge magic, I bet he'd come out after me. I mean, it wouldn't take much for me to look like another punk kid hanging outside."

Clearly spending this much time with Jack, some of his bad habits had rubbed off on Taylor. Usually she was much more the port in and announce a day of reckoning but this had very little to do with her work as Phantom and a great deal more to do with protecting her infant son from the man who had kidnapped her once from her own bed and done his best to terrify her. In this, all bets were off. This was entirely personal.

[Avenger Assembled]

"That'll do it," agreed Avenger. "Take him to the alley around the back," he said. "Those tenements are deserted, and sufficiently a fire hazard that only the poorest of the poor and the most heavily drug addicted live there." He didn't mention how he knew that piece of information in particular, namely, where he'd used to eat. "Once he's there, we can grab him, subdue him, and take him away at our leisure."

[alderwitch]

Taylor watched the screen for a little longer and then nodded as she pushed the angle of what they were watching around a bit to make sure she understood exactly where she was taking him to be jumped. With a gesture, she dismissed the image from the mirror. "I can do that. Now, lets see what I have to wear."

It took a bit of digging into her old pre-Ace wardrobe that she'd held onto, but eventually, Taylor had tracked down the faded and ratty jeans with the multiple patches that dated back to her senior year of high school. Matching those with a pair of dusty steel toe boots and a tank top, she dug out a zip up hoodie and quickly braided her thick dark hair back, pulling the hood of her sweatshirt up to help conceal her face. Taylor pushed the Eye under the hem of both shirts, zipping the jacket up over it and then touched her wedding bands reluctantly, "Should I take these off too or will I pass?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Wear them," said Avenger. "You saw him: if he does get suspicious, he's likely to follow you. After all, as far as we've heard he's defeated most opponents already." He nodded at that, his face perfectly composed. "He's arrogant, and we can use that against him. He'll see you as a target, and he'll move to take advantage of that target. But we'll be waiting for him."

[alderwitch]

Taylor nodded and held out a hand for Avenger to take. When her fingers slid through his, she pulled him into the endless black of the Void before popping out near the church, a few blocks down. "See you in a few minutes, honey."

She knew he'd vanish and make his way over there. Taylor pulled the hood up over her face a bit better, jammed her hands into her pockets and began the walk over to the church. She tried to keep her head down and her shoulders hunched in to keep her posture different from either her in or out of costume, not only to fool Zealot but also because she really didn't want to be slowed down by some hapless mugger tonight. It would be an unhappy mugger that's for certain, as she simply wasn't in the mood.

Five very long minutes later, Taylor pulled open the door of the church and began making her way through the crowd, her teeth gritted slightly against the impulse to phase rather than be jostled as she made her way towards the un-costumed witch hunter.

[Avenger Assembled]

Zealot cocked his head, frowning at the young woman for a few moments. For half a second, Taylor caught the impression that the murderous madman was desperately weary, but a few seconds later he excused himself from his prayers and ducked into the crowd. He was a very sneaky man, and within seconds Taylor realized he was about to disappear entirely.

[alderwitch]

Shoot, Taylor thought as she dove through the crowd after the man only to come up short when he slipped into their ranks. Hopefully, he was hoping to get the drop on her, but either way, she should go find Jack. Taylor slipped back out of the church carefully, heading for the alley that she'd been hoping to draw the madman to. For a moment, Taylor felt uneasy. She remembered all too well the whip lash that had stolen her powers as it had bit into her skin. Shaking herself, Taylor forced the memories back. That was why this was so important. His prejudice and skill put everyone like them at risk. He had to be stopped!

[Avenger Assembled]

Taylor turned and moved through the dark alley, acutely conscious of the monster at her heels. And then there was Zealot, planning something dire and completely beyond her vision! Just when she reached a dead end, she heard his hissing voice "Foul temptress! The world will be cleansed of your-awp!" Avenger had grabbed Zealot around the back of the neck, lifting him high in the air, and looked very, very angry indeed. "NOW!"