The Same Thing We Do Every Night ... [IC]

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded, agreeing with Phantom. "Indeed. I shall stay and turn these gentleman over to the authorities after explaining the civic redecorating." He nodded at Stesha, smiling on the inside. "I'm well thanks to you. Any lingering affects will be taken care of eventually." He was glad she was staying, if only to spend some time near her.

He turned finally to Avenger. "You are fine. You are Jack. You are a good person. You are Avenger. You are a hero. The...visions were just that, false visions. You will be fine. You are strong. You are my friend. And when you need me, I will be there." Mental damage was every so much harder to address than physical. He could only offer to be there for Avenger and he would be.

[alderwitch]

Phantom gave both Fleur and Dark Star a gratefull look as she placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and teleported them to his apartment. When they were out of the void once more, Taylor was standing in the jeans and tank top she'd put on for their date tonight. She slid her hand from his shoulder to close around his arm as she peered up at him. Obviously he wasn't okay and it would sound inane to ask.

"You okay?" She bit her lip and shook her head before he could answer. "Of course not. You were missed, by the way, but I think I covered and alluded that you were off on Knights business for the creep that I met earlier."

Taylor released his arm to tug at his jacket as she said gently, "Let's get you out of this, okay?"

[angrydurf]

Back at the former location of the warehouse the police arrived within minutes. Seing Dark Star they immediatly came forward to inquire what had happened looking worriedly at the odd plot of blank land. For the first few moments tehy didn't seem to notice Fluer at all though once they did they were quick to inqure as to her name and what she knew of the nights events.

[Electra]

Stesha, who had no experience talking to police as anything but a civilian witness, was more than happy to let Dark Star take over and do the hero talking. She rattled off her code name and said she'd come along to help the Knights, and that she was ready to remand the miscreants into their custody whenever they wanted. Since she still wasn't entirely sure what had happened to the building, except that it was probably out in space somewhere, she couldn't be much help there. She was more glad than ever for the costume, which made her look and feel at least a little more like a real superhero while she talked to the police. Doing this in a sweatsuit would've been tough.

[angrydurf]

One of the younger officers escourted her to a newly arrived paddy-wagon to unload her villainous cargo, his eyes growing wide as the flowers grew and disgourged the miscreants. "Only in Freedom." He mouthed under his breath. "Thank you Ma'am, from the sound of things you folks really saved our bacon tonight." he said as he turned to begin reading the criminals their rights.

As soon as the officers attention was back on them the mastermind behind the nefarious caper waved off the reading and demanded, "Officer, contact the estonian embassy your laws do not apply here." as he finished his his statement he glared at Fluer de Joie, "Tell your psychotic friend that what my machine showed him was nothing but the murderous fools deepest desires." With that he sat calmly, arms crossed while the Officer confered with his suppirior and they made the call. Fluer overheard a muffled curse and the words, "Diplomatic Immunity" before the young officer grimly led him to a police car, "I'll escourt you to the embassy ... Sir." the last statement was strained to say the least.

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack let Taylor get him out of Avenger's jacket, slumping into a chair when he was in just his white T-shirt and black leather pants. "I need to make some calls," he said suddenly. "If I've been missed and not found, there'd be a leadership struggle. Things will be on the edge as it is." He picked up her phone and began dialing it, dropping quickly into the easy mode of the cunning vampire leader. "It'll be just a couple of minutes."

[alderwitch]

"Well, you were missed enough for someone to show up on my doorstep. Well, Stesha's doorstep. I implied you were on Knights business." Taylor said as she examined his costume. Deciding it was clean, she turned toward his bedroom to put it away. Her voice floated back over her shoulder. "Why does anyone know about me anyways? I dragged him out to the alley before he did the hissing eye glowing thing so Stesha didn't see anything but you might want to have them send someone more subtle. Or at least smarter."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star made sure to include Fluer in the telling. It was her and Phantom's rescue after all.

He looked over at the madman. "Diplomatic Immunity applies only if they want you back, you know. And I suppose I could hold him indefinitely, officers, if you feel it is necessary. I am not, after all, an officer of the law or this country but a protector of the planet. This particular country might reconsider when they are informed that you almost destroyed the planet." He paused, wondering allowed. "Does Estonia do extradition with planets in other star systems or extraterrestial entities?" He wasn't lying. In fact, he was quite serious. The man was dangerous, had hurt his friends, almost destroyed the planet and hurt Dark Star himself. The country could petition his release but Dark Star was no politcal entity. They man could be held indefinitely. But he knew it wouldn't work. He'd feel guilty, eventually. But a week, or five, on an empty planet would do wonders he was sure. Still, it was rather tempting even if it wasn't really feasable.

[angrydurf]

Some of the younger officers brightened at Dark Stars suggestion but the Luitenant running the crime scene only shook his head.

"We already took custody, heck he's under protective custody at the request of the Estonians until we get him back to the Embassy." He said bitterly, "As much as I'd like to, I'll not put you at odds with the force Dark Star, its our necks if he's not delivered safe and sound to his people. We can just hope his antics will make the Estonians reconsider their relationship with him."

He signaled and the cruiser carrying the madman headed out along with its escourt.

[Cyroa]

He nodded. "I completely understand officer. It was a half-hearted offer. Wishful thinking I suppose. Thank you for you help."

He waited until the police had moved away before turning to his fellow hero and girlfriend. "Once again, I'd like to thank you. You certainly came to our rescue today." He bowed towards her, smiling on the inside. "If there is anything I can do, please don't hesitate to ask. Can I give you a life anywhere? I still have a quick errand to do in orbit but I can take you before or after, whichever you prefer." He'd love to spend time and here her side of the tale, it was her and Phantom's right to share the glory on this one but he still had to finish that satellite.

[Electra]

Stesha chuckled. "You're more than welcome," she replied, nearly as formally. "Anything to help out a fellow hero in a time of need. Why don't you stop by when you're done with your errand? We can, ah, debrief, and stuff." Despite the situation, she couldn't help but crack up at her own terrible pun. "My roommate's likely to be gone all night, after this, so we'll have the place to ourselves. I'll make dinner."

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack was on the phone long enough that he was just hanging up when Taylor came back out. "...and I'll meet you all tonight. Not so easy to get rid of." Hanging up, he forced himself to concentrate on her words, his fingers tight on the end table beneath them. "I...I don't know," he finally said. "I imagine I was followed, then you were. This property belonged to the former leader of the city, before her demise. There are a couple of ways my people could have followed you. Did the person say who it was?"

[alderwitch]

It only took Taylor a few minutes to put the turtleneck and jacket away. When she came out of the bedroom, she'd discarded her shoes and her steps accross the floor were muted as her socks made little noise on the carpet.

"No, but I imagine whoever did follow me was not the person I spoke with tonight. He was trying to hide inside Stesha's hall plant when she opened the door. I'd have noticed him." Taylor gave Jack a quick but complete description of the man who'd shown up on Stesha's doorstep. She reached up to touch his cheek, tracing her fingertips over the taunt muscle in his cheek, "Jack, what happened?"

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded, mostly missing the 'hidden meaning' to the words. "I look forward to it." It was kind of funny listening to Stesha be so formal. With him, he always acted this way. It was just who he was, especially as Dark Star. He might have been putting it on a little thicker than normal maybe but Stesha had an identity to protect but it was still pretty much him. But with her, it just seemed so...not her considering he'd met Stesha long before, he was ashamed to admit, he knew Fluer even existed.

"I shall try and make this a quick trip. Now, if you will excuse, me?" He gave a bow before shooting up an out of the atmosphere in a blink. He figured he'd need a few minutes to find it, another couple to put it back, a little more to call the SCC and get the linkups and positioning done. But the instant that was done, he'd be visiting a certain green-haired beauty about two seconds later.

[Avenger Assembled]

"I was breaking up a robbery outside that warehouse when I got a weird vibe from inside. Found that big lab, the one you found me. I tried approaching one of the scientists inside and...they must have jumped me." He rubbed his eyes. "That thing he had me in was running me through...I don't know, a dream, or something. A dream of my life. A place much more tempting than the world outside, except..." He took her hand. "It all died. That pretty, shiny, happy world just died off around me. I killed it. With my bare hands."

[alderwitch]

"Oh, Jack," Taylor said quietly and stepped in to slip her arms around his waist. "It was probably just your subconcious trying to shake free of the machine."

[Avenger Assembled]

"That's my guess," sad Jack almost clinically, his arms going around her. "I've...I've been in situations like that before, though not so real." He put his head against hers and closed his eyes. When he spoke, it was in a decidedly unclinical tone. "I'd hoped I'd never have to feel that again. Never have to look down and see so much blood on my hands..."

[alderwitch]

Taylor rubbed his back gently as she held Jack.

"It was just an illusion, Jack. It wasn't real" Taylor murmered soothingly. She'd seen him in many moods but never so... undone. "You didn't kill anyone."

[Avenger Assembled]

It was an unguarded moment...but not that unguarded. "I would have, you know." He squeezed her hand. "To have a human life and child, to have my parents alive and happy with all I've done, to have a normal, real life like a real person, and then have it taken away...oh yes. I'd kill for that." He shook his head, then, leaning against her hand. "But it wouldn't have accomplished anything. It wouldn't have changed anything. It never does."

[alderwitch]

Taylor pulled back to stare at him, leaving her arms loosely circled around his waist. After all, she'd only seen the blood spattered end of the dream sequence and it took even her quick brain a few seconds to catch up to what Jack was saying.

"Wait, what child? Whose child?" The words tumbled out, her voice rising at the end.

[Avenger Assembled]

"It...what?" Jack looked up at her, surprised. "It...well, in the hallucination," he said uncomfortably. "You and I started out married. With a child coming. It was...it was very real, there. We lived like that for over a month."

[alderwitch]

Taylor blinked at him, her expression almost comically shocked. If the situation had been different, it might have been amusing to see her thoughts quite so effectively derailed. Those were dreams that she'd given up on although at one point, they'd been very dear to her. After all, she came from a large family, it had been only natural to assume that was what her future held but the day she'd assumed the Phantom mantle, well, it wasn't exactly a career choice that was compatible with the family and the house with the picket fence and a dog.

"Oh," she finally managed and moistened dry lips, "Oh. Well, then."

She cleared her throat and finally glanced down before she couldn't help but ask, "It ended poorly, I assume?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"I killed that life with my bare hands," Jack replied evenly, a moment before blinking and adding, "Um, that was creepier than what actually happened. It just sort of...went to pieces. And it was my fault." It always is. "Even in a fantasy, I can't keep a relationship like that going."

[alderwitch]

This time Taylor stared at him until he added the caveat of 'creepier than that sounded' and simply explained that he was unable to handle a relationship. Which was better, Taylor guessed, than killing her while she was pregnant. Although it did make her wonder if this was the start to a break up speech. Taylor's internal meanderings did make for an interesting series of expressions that flickered across her face before she settled on a vaguely wary, "What do you mean 'relationship like that'? What's wrong with our relationship the way it is now?"

Despite this being her first relationship, Taylor was pretty certain that this was not a good conversational opener.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Nothing's wrong with our relationship now," said Jack reassuringly. Sensing danger, he sat up. "I had a hallucination of an idyll. Perfect 50s nonsense. You and me on one block, my folks one block over, your folks on the other side, like we'd lived there all our lives and knowing each other. I was an accountant, you were going to be a stay-at-home...it would never actually work in anything like real life."