A Clandestine Encounter (IC)

[Raveled]

Robin stood there for a moment as the energies of the portal dissipated. The teleports were outside her normal range of abilities, and they were proving to be rather more draining than she expected; too, it was getting late in the night even for her. Any other time she might feel up to trading barbs with the woman in tight black leather, but right now she just turned to Wesley and said, in a quiet voice, "I'm going to keep a perimeter. Do what you have to."

[alderwitch]

Into the uncomfortable pause, one of the shadows of statue lengthened and twisted away, stretching and distorting until it was the shape of a hooded and cloaked figure. To those who could sense such dimensional and mystical energies, it was a serious ripple of power on the fabric of reality. The shadow darkened into the solid midnight hues of the trademark cloak of the Phantom. She spread the edges wide, revealing the crackling nothing of the Void that disgorged Avenger onto the ground below. She shook her shoulders, resettling the fabric before floating down to the ground next to her husband where she solidified. This time when the cloak parted there was a woman beneath it rather than endless nothing.

"I'd say that we always pick the most dramatic places to meet but really, I remember the collateral damage the last time we had one of these talks in doors." Her teeth flashed white below her mask and she introduced herself to Wesley's partner politely enough, "Phantom. The gravely voiced man in leather would be Avenger."

[quotemyname]

"Wes, Wes, Wes...how the hell are ya, bud? Made any interesting gifts recently?" Peering past him, she noted the young woman with the long red coat and the staff. "Ah, I see you brought back up as well! Always a good idea when seeing the ex again, am I right?" She indicated her teammate with a jerk of her head. "This here's Colt, my well-armed boyfriend. So who's your friend, Wes?"

Colt nodded at Wesley's appearance. To Grim's introduction he added, "If'n yer expectin' some kinda', 'This here town ain't big'nough fer th' two'a us,' comment, I reckon y'all shouldn't be hold'n yer breath. I'm just here fer moral support." His eyes shifted, sparing a glance in Grim's direction, "I hope." He removed his hat, and nodded at Robin, "Ma'am,"

When the shadows divested the Dimensional Guardian and the Vampire, Colt turned their way. He gave Phantom the same greeting he'd given robin. He had no ill will for her. She'd been very helpful to him in the past, and he hoped that this encounter wouldn't change things between them. Avenger on the other hand received a prickly stare. As far as Colt knew, Avenger had been the one to start this mess. Or at the very least bring it to Grim's attention. Either way, it was Avenger's fault that he was here, rather than comfortably asleep in his bed.

"Well, now't th' gang's all here, I'm just wonderin' when y'all're plannin' on fillin' me in. What's this all 'bout?"

[Raveled]

Robin paused in her tracks when Phantom's surge of power raised the hair on the back of her neck. She turned back to the group, bowing from the neck. "My name is Robin Cross," she said, a bit more formally than was probably required. "I'm... Well, I suppose tonight I'm Wesley's transportation. And the taxi driver doesn't want to get in the middle of things." She turned away again and wandered off into the park, but stayed close enough to provide support if Wesley got into trouble.

[Sandman XI]

Wesley smiled when he saw Lynn again. She was alive and as beautiful as ever. Snarky too, as always. His smile turned into somewhat of a scolded look, but still trying to look happy as she talked. Trying not to let the fear of the well armed man she brought along with her show. Wesley nodded to Robin as she tried to take off the first time. The showing of Avenger and Phantom was quick. He was glad too. This was much Avenger's boat as Wesley's. Wesley nodded as Robin spoke again, with a slight smile returning to his face. But it was quickly squished as the cowboy spoke. "We have some explaining to do, I guess," Wesley said calmly, trying to suppress his emotions even more as he looked to Avenger. "Should I start or do you want to start?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Avenger fought first the instinctive urge to flee or attack the predators all around him, then the very human urge to facepalm. "Look. Sorry you didn't appreciate the head, Grimalkin. Thought if anyone you'd see the humor in it. And that Wesley had ever bothered to tell you." He added, giving Wesley a black look, his voice growling at the words. "Not real if that's what you're worried about. Made out of pork. Did not know you were Jewish at the time."

[Heritage]

Unfortunately for Grim, Jack had come as Avenger, which gave him a distinct advantage; it was tougher to give him grief when he was all scary and swathed in black. She did however give his spouse a courteous nod. Since Robin was still within earshot, she kept things official.

"Nice to see you again, Phantom; I wish I could say the same for your teammate."

"Look. Sorry you didn't appreciate the head, Grimalkin. Thought if anyone you'd see the humor in it. And that Wesley had ever bothered to tell you.""Not real if that's what you're worried about. Made out of pork. Did not know you were Jewish at the time."

For a long time, the changeling said nothing; her eyes got a bit wide and her nostrils flared a bit, and the observant could see her claws extend for just a few moments before they thankfully retreated. The whole time, her steely gaze shifted between Wesley and Avenger. At last she spoke, keeping her voice level with obvious effort.

"So you two made a fake head...out of pork. You made a pork head that looked like me."

A short pause.

"Why the hell would you do such a thing?! You slap a few pork chops together and give it my face for what possible reason?"

Then she stopped and jabbed an accusing finger at Wesley, her whole arm trembling with rage.

"Waitaminute, last I remember, you couldn't sculpt dead tissue; it had to be alive." She quickly did the math, and her face turned to a mask of outrage and disgust. "You did this with a live pig, didn't you? You turned a pig into me, and then I'm guessing the great and powerful Avenger ripped it's ****ing head off! You sick-"

Rage quickly turned to revulsion, and Grim fell to her knees and vomited.

[quotemyname]

"Now look what'cha gon'n done." Colt's eyes narrowed. He crossed the few feet to where grim knelt and went down on one knee next to her. He laid his rifle on the ground, though never let his hand stray too far from his pistol.

"Hope yer happy. She's been like this all night." Colt rubbed her back to try and sooth her. "Ex-Boyfriend'er not, y'all're still friends, right? Usually explanation's'a this sort come wit'pologies. Leastways where I come from they do. I ain't so sure that'll make this better, but hell, ain't never hurt nobody ta' try't."

Colt stopped briefly to offer Grim some more comfort. "S'alright, Grim. I got'cha." Colt looked back up at the Vampire and, well, whatever Wesley was. "Frankly, y'all should be'shamed. Ain't no way'ta treat'a lady." Colt went back to his back-rubbing duties, attention focused on his distressed girlfriend.

[Sandman XI]

Wesley looked to Avenger with a bit of blankness. Something between 'why would you do that' and 'i am disappoint'. He damn well knew why he didn't tell her. I can explain," he tried to speak up but Lynn took her chance to talk. The finger in his chest felt like bullets. Then came the exact same reaction he had as she realized what had happened. That was the moment that made him give up meat for. "Lynn," he said softly and sincerely as he watched Colt help her. He wanted to help her too, but he got the feeling that she didn't want his help at the moment. Not after what he was about to explain. "We did what we had to do. This was not some morbid prank. It was to get your landlord off of you. He apparently wanted you dead and Avenger to deliver your head. Or so I'm lead to believe. This was the only way we could do it. I couldn't tell you. I couldn't accept what I did in the first place. How was I supposed to tell you of the gruesome murder of yourself. The images still haunt me to this day. I had the exact same reaction you did." He sighed in his inability to do anything that would seem not awkward. "Lynn," his voice choked back emotion, "I'm sorry."

[Heritage]

"We did what we had to do. This was not some morbid prank. It was to get your landlord off of you. He apparently wanted you dead and Avenger to deliver your head. Or so I'm lead to believe. This was the only way we could do it. I couldn't tell you. I couldn't accept what I did in the first place. How was I supposed to tell you of the gruesome murder of yourself. The images still haunt me to this day. I had the exact same reaction you did." He sighed in his inability to do anything that would seem not awkward. "Lynn," his voice choked back emotion, "I'm sorry."

Grim looked up, her angry eyes red from crying, a thin stream of spittle dangling from her lower lip.

"Alright...you've explained yourselves. And while I'm processing all of this, I have only two questions for you, Wes."

She paused for a few seconds while she panted.

"What happened to the rest of the body, and did you...did you create that thing before or after you slept with me?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Wesley." said Avenger sternly. "Killing a pig is not murder. He shapeshifted a pig, I took off its head, and he disintegrated the remains. Wasn't as tawdry or horrible as whatever you're picturing. Was done to save you from a very nasty vampire. Some people would be grateful. Can understand why not after this."

[alderwitch]

Phantom reached up to squeeze the bridge of her nose with gloved fingertips. She was starting to get a serious headache. Her only reaction to the cursing and the vomiting was to phase reflexively and then stay intangible.

"This, right here, is why we don't mingle well socially, honey," Phantom said to Avenger in an aside as if it was the continuation of a long standing arguement, before she turned back to the clustered heroes making yicked out faces, "I can't believe we're out here in the middle of the night over this. You're all heroes. We are all on the same side. Avenger and Knight deserve the benefit of the doubt. Grim, seriously, do you really think that Avenger would have any sort of sick joy about your death? Enough to put together an elaborate prank?."

She pivoted to pin Wesley and Avenger with baleful white eyes, "You two, knock off blaming each other and just explain. I'm not spending all night sitting on this statue while everyone has a pissing contest about about what boils down to a miscommunication and some serious cultural differences. First person to get agressive gets sent to the Void for a time out until they can be civil."

Phantom folded her arms and looked at the rest of them expectantly.

[quotemyname]

"I reckon I gotta agree wit' Phantom'ere. All's I heard so far's what ya done. I ain't heard no reasons why ya gone'n kept the damn thing in'a jar fer months." Colt was clearly frustrated. He only very rarely cursed, and only when he had good reason. "I ain't heard no explanations'a why it was necessary ta give Grim here such a scare neither." He looked down at her and rubbed her back some more before looking back and forth between Avenger and Wesley again, "Ya been keepin' it under th'rug fer who knows how long so far. Suddenly that weren't good'nuff no more? How's y'all been figurin' on'at?"

He turned back toward Phantom, "Now, don't git me wrong. I'm all fer the benefit'a th' doubt. I just reckon they owe'us th'whole story. Not jus' bits'n'pieces."

[Heritage]

"Wesley." said Avenger sternly. "Killing a pig is not murder. He shapeshifted a pig, I took off its head, and he disintegrated the remains. Wasn't as tawdry or horrible as whatever you're picturing. Was done to save you from a very nasty vampire. Some people would be grateful. Can understand why not after this."

Grim's jaw hung open with disbelief. "Wait, that's how you deal with a nasty vampire? Boy, good thing he wasn't really nasty, or he wouldn't have gotten any presents at all!"

"I can't believe we're out here in the middle of the night over this. You're all heroes. We are all on the same side. Avenger and Knight deserve the benefit of the doubt. Grim, seriously, do you really think that Avenger would have any sort of sick joy about your death? Enough to put together an elaborate prank?."

Grim folded her arms and glared at Phantom. "Well technically, I would call putting a head in a wooden gift box and presenting it as a birthday present as the very definition of an elaborate prank, but I know what you're getting at."

She shifted her gaze to Wesley, and it softened a little bit. "Wes, for your part in all this, I forgive you; you felt it was the only way to throw Pitt off my scent, and you had the decency to feel ashamed and disgusted with yourself. As far as I'm concerned, we're square."

But then the changeling swiveled it back in Avenger's direction, and her eyes grew stone cold. "You, on the other hand, pretty much fail the 'Basic Human Decency' test forever; I understand why the head was created in the first place, but what I don't understand is how giving someone their own preserved decapitated head as a wacky gag gift falls under 'cultural differences'. What 'culture' behaves that way?"

Then she stopped herself and smiled. "Oh, I get it. Of course; that culture."

Grim laughed and shook her head. "Funny thing is, I was actually happy when I got your message, 'Venger; I was looking forward to burying the hatchet and making peace with you. But I guess I should thank you for shattering that illusion."

She pinned Avenger with a stare one more time. "Look, I'm not gonna go on the warpath or doing anything stupid that will get anyone killed; I can say that I really have no interest in speaking with you ever again. I accept that you exist, and that's pretty much all I have to say on the matter."

The shapeshifter turned to Colt. "We can go now."

[Sandman XI]

Wesley was not shocked at the questions Lynn presented him but a little reluctant to answer them. He would of answered them if Avenger didn't reprimand him for having emotions. Though he did answer one of the questions for him. Bluntness sometimes has it's advantages. Then Phantom said her piece. There was nothing she said that didn't ring true. Colt was the next to speak, He really hoped the cowboy was treating her Lynn right. He had never even heard of the guy until now. But he seemed a caring enough guy. Lynn spoke again. She had absolved him. He smiled faintly. It helped a little. Nothing would get that image out of his head, but her forgiveness was somewhat of a load lightener. He nodded them a farewell as they started to leave. He then looked to Avenger. "Well," he questioned lightly looking for approval, or a non-angry response. He didn't want the shakiness to show. There were too many emotions running through him. Happiness being the main one, though he didn't know what Avenger's stance on this. And Avenger was a scary man not to be trifled with.

[quotemyname]

"I reckon that's prolly best, yea." Colt responded to Grim. He helped her to her feet, and they started walking towards the Stellar Cycle. "C'mon, let's get ya outta here. I left th'bike runnin'n everythin'. Once Colt was ready to take off, he face the rest of the assemble heroes one last time. "Reckon I owe y'all'a thank ya fer th'explanation." He tipped his hat, put the motorcycle in gear, and took off.

[Avenger Assembled]

Avenger blinked, taken aback by the sheer depth of Lynn's disgust. Though he was glad to see the back of her, he knew he wouldn't get the chance to do this again, so he seized his chance before they left. Pulling off his mask, Jack declared simply, "Yeah, like that time we ground up Christian babies to make our matzoh bread for Passover? Or that time we stole children out of their cribs and put monsters in their place! Wait, that was what people said about your people, wasn't it! Go, run home, Lynn, and cry into the arms of all the nice, safe, normal, white boys you know. I'm sure your grandfather would be very proud that his family are the same kind of people who'd slam a door in his face for the yarmulke on his head. Let's go, honey," he said, turning to Phantom and showing his back to Grimalkin and Colt. "I'm done with these people. Wesley, I'll talk to you later."

[alderwitch]

She was definately going to end up with a pounding migraine as the only person who seemed to get what she was saying... was Colt. Other than that, it basically devolved like she thought it was like to. She stiffened at Grim's venom, already reaching one hand out to Jack. Phantom winced behind her mask at Jack's barbed words but she was the only one in this little group who knew just how much those things hurt her husband. She reached out the rest of the way to Jack, her fingertips closing around his gloved hand. "Jack..."

Phantom shifted to look up at the harsh lines of his features. Letting her words trail off, she linked her gloved fingers with hs silently. Raising her free hand, she pulled a gap open in reality, large enough for them to walk through. Beyond the portal was a dimly lit graveyard for anyone glancing through.

[Heritage]

"Yeah, like that time we ground up Christian babies to make our matzoh bread for Passover? Or that time we stole children out of their cribs and put monsters in their place! Wait, that was what people said about your people, wasn't it! Go, run home, Lynn, and cry into the arms of all the nice, safe, normal, white boys you know. I'm sure your grandfather would be very proud that his family are the same kind of people who'd slam a door in his face for the yarmulke on his head. Let's go, honey," he said, turning to Phantom and showing his back to Grimalkin and Colt. "I'm done with these people. Wesley, I'll talk to you later."

Grim stopped in place as though struck across the back of the head with a baseball bat; if there were any doubts as to Jack's capacity for human emotion, his biting words laid them to rest. She felt all the anger leave her body in a rush, the sudden vacuum making her dizzy.

This was a mistake; why did I agree to see Jack tonight? It was far too soon, too close to the hurt. As much as I try to deny it, I am my mother's daughter; I can be just as stubborn, cruel and judgmental as she can. And just as stupid.

She wanted to turn, to say something, but her throat was paralyzed; face burning with shame, she slowly climbed on the back of the Stellar Cycle.

"Let's go."

She barely got the words out.

[quotemyname]

Avenger blinked, taken aback by the sheer depth of Lynn's disgust. Though he was glad to see the back of her, he knew he wouldn't get the chance to do this again, so he seized his chance before they left. Pulling off his mask, Jack declared simply, "Yeah, like that time we ground up Christian babies to make our matzoh bread for Passover? Or that time we stole children out of their cribs and put monsters in their place! Wait, that was what people said about your people, wasn't it! Go, run home, Lynn, and cry into the arms of all the nice, safe, normal, white boys you know. I'm sure your grandfather would be very proud that his family are the same kind of people who'd slam a door in his face for the yarmulke on his head. Let's go, honey," he said, turning to Phantom and showing his back to Grimalkin and Colt. "I'm done with these people. Wesley, I'll talk to you later."

Every single bone in Colts body told him that Jack's comments had been un-called for. As he sat on the Stellar Cycle, he wanted nothing more than to climb down from it and face Jack, giving him a piece of his mind. But seeing Grim's reaction made him second guess that. He realized that doing that would only perpetuate the problem. If they left now, they could avoid potentially doing more damage with words. Time may just heal these wounds, but only if they were not made any deeper. He was in control of that.

"Let's go."

She barely got the words out.

With a sad look on his face, Colt regarded the rest of the group. He shook his head in disappointment, and stepped on the accelerator. The two drove off a few feet, before the cycle's wings unfolded and it was able to take off.

Once they were airborne and on their way, Colt reached behind him and patted Grim's leg, "Hun, I am so sorry I cain't help this. Y'all know I'd do whatever'a could, but sometimes, there just ain't no helpin' people."

[Heritage]

, "Hun, I am so sorry I cain't help this. Y'all know I'd do whatever'a could, but sometimes, there just ain't no helpin' people."

Grim shook her head vigorously.

"It's not all his fault; I don't think I help things the way I shoot my mouth off."

She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Colt's chest.

"Someday, maybe, we'll work all this out..."

[Sandman XI]

Wesley held his tongue again as the events transpired. Avenger's tone was something, while he didn't agree with, he didn't dare speak against. It carried authority. Though no matter how much authority you had, didn't make you right. Little outbursts could leave lingering effects. This whole thing felt like a waking nightmare. That if he would pinch himself, this whole incident would pop and only be remembered by him. He looked to Avenger again with a nod goodbye before he went back to find Robin.

[Raveled]

Robin hadn't made her circuit very wide, and when she felt the surge of Phantom's magics she appeared in front of Wesley quickly. She gave him a long, steady look. She didn't say anything, just stood there, leaning on her staff. She wanted to see what Wesley would say, what he would volunteer immediately.

[Sandman XI]

Wesley knew that this wasn't one of his better moments. She had the thoughts in his head. She saw what had just happened. He just hoped Robin understood it all. He smiled weakly, trying to save face, but it was noticeable that it was still eating at him. He eventually sighed as she leaned on her staff, waiting for his words. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I really, really hoped that was a part of my life I had put behind me. But your past finds you I guess. I know it's going to be hard to understand. I just hope you can forgive my past indiscretions." He knew he was rambling, so he stopped. Still eating away at him he stood there in an 'at attention' stance, waiting for her response.

[Raveled]

Wesley's words resonated with Robin, who herself had skeletons in her closet, secrets she hadn't shared with the man standing in front of her. At the same time, though she had his memories of the events there were things that weren't clear -- things she wanted to know. She opened the doorway back to Wesley's apartment and gestured for him to step through first.

once they were out of the park, Robin dropped into a chair at Wesley's kitchen table, her staff falling into the crook of her neck. She was tired, but she locked eyes with her boyfriend. "Wesley," she said, "we need to talk."