Regitnui

Epic City: Starburst

@Old Amsterdam But the anticipation is half the fun. It will be so much sweeter when you do eventually get to let the whole thing loose.

Epic City: Starburst

@Old Amsterdam@TheHangedMan I don't know. The effectiveness of that sort of idea hinges on nobody knowing, not even the reason for doing it...

*winds @Old Amsterdam's leash around a hand and pulls* Almost time, my sweet. Then you will be unleashed.

Epic City: Starburst

Long post is long. I think we have everything ready... Almost.

Epic City: Starburst

The Parts We Play - Death of our Demons Part 2

Dragon nodded, getting up from the table and heading through to the other room. "Looking-Glass?" Dragon tapped on the door to the bedroom. "There's a lady from PART here. She needs you to come talk to her, if that's alright?" Spectrum frowned, disapproving, but she didn't say anything. It wasn't really her place to stop the kid from going. Dragon held out his hand, as if to lead her through.

Charlotte was in the middle of enjoying a cup of hot cocoa. It had been a while since the battle with Blacklight, and she had calmed down somewhat. When Dragon arrived with the news, she frowned, but was not particularly surprised - Blacklight was one of the most infamous villains of all time, and she had just ended his life. That in itself was news worthy of investigation, but when one considered her age and background... So yes, she was not surprised.

"Yes, of course," she answered steadily. She was more than prepared for this. She had taken the law into her own hands, and she had no illusions of getting off lightly. From the start, this was a pursuit fueled by vengeance, and she always knew that it would put her at odds with the law, so she ready to accept what needed to be done. She was no hero, but she would not let herself fall and become a villain, even if it was one by small measure.

Spectrum stood, still in her armour, and followed them both through to the table. She sat directly opposite the police officer, radiating Pulsar Red in an angry attempt at intimidation. Dragon sat to her left, pulling out a seat for Looking-Glass.

Regan took in the newcomers. Spectrum, of course, she knew well. If she wasn't mistaken, the red hew of her armor was for offensive purposes. Okay. Regan thought. I can see I'm up against a unified front. I'll have to nip this in the bud. Not like I'm the bad guy here. She nodded at Spectrum and Looking-Glass.

"Thank you for coming out to talk. As I told Dragon. I'm not here to point fingers or look for scapegoats. Blacklight is dead and his death needs to be explained, even with the villain that he was." Regan looked at Looking-Glass uncertain for a moment. It was never easy taking statements from children. Even exceptionally mature ones that probably never had the average childhood most kids had. They were still children somewhere down deep, even if they didn't know it. "Hello, Looking-Glass, I'm Regan. Corporal Regan Murphy with ECPD Part." Regan spared a glance at Spectrum. "Spectrum." She added shortly, nodding at the Epic. "Dragon already told me his perspective on the incident. I would like to hear yours as well. But first..." She looked at Looking-Glass again. "I am obliged to inform you that I cannot question minors without the presence of a parent or a guardian."

"Charlotte." She cut them off before anyone else could speak. She wasn't Looking-Glass at the moment, and she figured she owed at least her name to Dragon Heart and Spectrum. She spoke with a straight face, avoiding anything that would indicate how so very tired she was right now. "Charlotte Lutwidge. And consider Spectrum and Dragon Heart as my guardians for the moment, as no one else qualifies. Don't bother looking up my parents, they're dead -- Blacklight killed them, so I spent the last two years trying put a bullet in his head. I . . . succeeded, as you can see."

A quick summation of the truth, even if it didn't encapsulate the entirety of it. But details could come later, for now, she needed to make the policewoman see that she had no intention of running. Spectrum forced herself to be quiet. While on one hand, she liked the way Charlotte adopted them, she didn't like the fact that she admitted to killing Blacklight. She was supposed to be safe, with that sniper taking the blame. She's a kid. She looked across at Dragon, who had schooled his face into a better mask than hers.

Regan scowled upon hearing the young girl's... confession. This was not what she'd wanted to hear. Locking up kids was not in her job description, damn it! Not especially kids who'd lost their parents to villainy. Epic or otherwise. She thought of Megan, who'd just recently lost her parents because of the Kryptonites. What would have happened to her if she didn't have Teagan and her parents to look after her?

She considered the repercussions of what Charlotte had actually told her. Of planning for two years to kill Blacklight. Killing an Epic villain during a fight in an attempt to prevent them from doing harm was one thing. But premeditation. Even if she was a minor, this would force the court to prosecute her as an adult.

"Charlotte..." Regan began carefully. "I won't insult you by telling you I can imagine what you've been through. Because I couldn't possibly. Still... All three of you just went through a traumatic experience. Taking a life is never easy... Even in the line of duty. While I appreciate your candor, let's not be hasty. Dragon mentioned Blacklight attacked first. And that he was killed by a sniper..." Regan let her sentence hang. Come on, kid, work with me here. I can't help you if you keep begging for a ticket straight to jail!

She shut her eyes at her words. When she opened them again, there was a thankful light in them. Charlotte understood her - for some reason, she was trying to help her. Though it had scarcely been five minutes since they'd met, Charlotte felt like she was a good person. Which was all the more reason for her to be honest; she couldn't lie to her, even if she wanted her to, not in good conscience.

The smile she gave Regan was as distant as it was forlorn. "Blacklight attacked first, yes, but not against me - against Spectrum," she began, glancing at the woman. "Moreover . . ."

It was at this moment that Aida stepped into the room, called in mentally by her mistress. The mannequin was faceless, and still dressed up as a sniper - her gun was even flung over her shoulder. The made radiated hostility and disapproval, her faceless head swiveling back and forth between Charlotte and Regan, and her hand twitching to pull the weapon from her shoulder.

Charlotte shook her head, and gestured for her to calm down.

"This is Aida. The sniper. My ability allows me to give life to inanimate objects, giving them sentience, and powers comparable to an Epic or a Freak." She avoided mentioning the price that came with the power, however. There was no need to burden these three with her problems any more than she had to. "Though she can think and act for herself, Aida is ultimately loyal to me, and as such, was only following my orders. And..." She took a deep breath, the memories of Blacklights' final moments flashing to the forefront of her mind.

"And when I killed him," she breathed, her words practically a whisper. By this point, she was shaking as the emotions of the events that had come to pass came rushing back again, unbidden and unstoppable. "Dragon had already pinned him down. I shot him on the shoulder, before shooting him on the head. I- I... showed him my face. I wanted him to know I did it. And then I . . . shot him. I shot him knowing what that meant for me afterwards but to be honest . . ."

She was crying again, she realized. She rubbed away the tears, willing herself to stare only at Regan, without looking away or hesitating. "I did not expect to survive the attempt." The tears continued to flow, refusing to stop and blurring her vision, and she shook her head violently to drive them away. "Please, officer, I know you want to help me but I understand. I know what I did. I know what this means for me, so please . . . just let it end."

Her feelings were clear: She had no intention to run.

Spectrum wasn't aware she'd let the red fade from her armour to white. Partially out of sympathy for Charlotte, so she put an arm around the girl's shoulder to comfort her. She just wanted to scoop the girl up and cuddle her until everything was better and the world made sense. It hurt her heart to hear this, almost so that she forgot she had also been assaulted.

The mannequin, on the other hand, was just unnatural. She tensed, ready to throw up a shield. Somehow, she knew that Dragon would hit the thing, hard, had Charlotte not stopped it. "So what is this?" Dragon growled. "That's also just a tool you used, like that pistol?" He turned away from the table, kicking a couch with a thump and a shout. Spectrum flinched, but turned back to the faceless thing. She didn't know what to do anymore.

Regan's sigh was heavy and she didn't hide it. This is a hot mess. She thought. Here was a kid who was obviously distraught by the loss of her parents, who was enabled to do what other children in her position would only dream about in their wildest dreams. And at the same time the girl was evidently well mannered and all in all a good kid. She understood what she'd done and the consequences that came with it. Still, Charlotte was too close to it to see, but the drive for vengeance was born out of an unforgivable trauma and the enablement her powers provided her with. Powers she was probably not yet mature enough for at the time of her parent's murder. I child's sorrow was a dangerous thing. Coupled with an Epic power like Charlotte's even more so. I will not allow this girl to go to prison for ending a scumbag like Blacklight! Especially not when she's fully aware of what she's done and the remorse that is evident in her. But what could she do to make this right?

Regan paid no mind to Dragon's outburst. It was more than clear that the three of them were still feeling the effects of what had happened. She couldn't discern quite yet the relationship between Dragon and Spectrum. A romantic liaison was one possibility, of course. But it could also be as innocent as two Epic friends having a quiet evening at home. She looked at Charlotte, nestled under Spectrum's shoulder, like a little bird beneath its mother's wing. I'm sorry kid. I'm sorry, because you're gonna live with this for the rest of your life. But I'm not gonna put you in jail even if it costs me my job. You've paid enough as it is already. Regan remembered her own childhood before she was adopted. She remembered learning about her birth mother, violated by the crazy Epic. What would she have done had she Charlotte's powers. She didn't what to think about it.

"Spectrum." She addressed the armored Epic. "Do you mind taking Charlotte to the other room so she can calm down?" She nodded encouragingly. Then she turned to Dragon. "You and I need to talk some more." Though she'd let his outburst slide, Regan wanted to know the real reason behind it. "Charlotte, please have your... friend, relinquish the weapon and then... they can come with you and Spectrum if you wish." Regan was having a hard time determining how to address Charlotte's homunculus.

"Let's go, Char," Spectrum hoped the girl didn't mind her name being shortened like that. In any case, she stood and held her arms open, inviting the girl to come to her. Dragon, for his part, calmed down enough to sit back at the table. "There's going to be some consequences for this, isn't there?" He asked Murphy, quietly so that neither Spectrum no Charlotte could hear. "We can't keep her from this."

Charlotte nodded, and left them. She gave Spectrum a thankful smile, but shook her head, refusing her offer. Right now, she wanted to be with her companions. There were things that needed to be settled, in the case that she . . . would be separated from them. Chesire and White Knight were waiting for her on the roof. Wordlessly, Aida slung the large sniper rifle and placed it in front of Regan, staring at the woman for a tense moment before nodding, and followed after her mistress.

"I suppose things can only get worse before they get better," commented Charlotte idly, once they were out of the room. The future was so uncertain now, no different from the time Blacklight killed her parents. It seemed the man was determined to inflict pain on her, even from beyond the grave. Spectrum watched her go, then sat again and folded her arms in front of her. This was so bad, she just wanted to run away and hide again. Why was life so complicated? Her head fell into her arms with a lighter-than-it-sounded thunk.

Regan waited for Charlotte to exit the room. She wasn't surprised the girl declined Spectrum's company. She couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. She was so young and yet, with such mature troubles plaguing her.

Upon Dragon's question she looked at him, pensive, trying to formulate an answer. "Children like Charlotte, who've lived through what she's lived through don't stay children for very long afterwards. But at the same time they are still childlike in their emotions and how they deal with them. Because they don't have the experience to process those like an adult." She paused looking first at Dragon Heart and then at Spectrum. "In her case her child rage at losing her parents in the most vile of ways had an outlet that no other child could have. Her powers. Like you I wish to protect her from this. Because she's suffered enough. And she will continue to suffer, because she will carry what she's done for the rest of her life. In here..." Regan tapped her chest where her heart was. "And in here." She finished pointing at her temple. "If her behaviour is any indication, she is a good kid that understands full well what she's done and was prepared to suffer the consequences. And then there is the remorse as well. Even though she might not know she's feeling that quite yet." She sighed heavily. "You're right though, Dragon. There must be some accountability for this. And as much as I want to help Charlotte, I cannot do it unless you give me something to work with."

She stood and pointed at the sniper rifle. "This might be Epic City. But even we don't have legislation for prosecuting a... a... whatever Charlotte's constructs are." She returned her gaze to Dragon and Spectrum. "Give me something." It sounded more like a plea, rather than a demand.

Dragon shrugged. "I have no idea. My people could probably tell you copyright law back to front but..." Spectrum looked up. "What?"

"If you have a lawyer, they could help, right?" Spectrum asked, her eyes widening.

Regan was thoughtful for a long time. If Charlotte cooperated and they kept the premeditation out of the picture they had a chance at keeping her out of jail. The problem was the girl was actually a good kid with her morals in the right place. She new what she'd done and expected full well to pay for it. The PART officer wasn't sure Charlotte would agree to Dragon, Spectrum and herself perjuring themselves by omitting some details from their testimony and Regan from her report.

"Do you think you two can convince Charlotte not to mention she knew who she was fighting before she dealt the final blow. The premeditation would be pretty hard to fight, but it can be explained by the trauma of her parents being killed by Blacklight. If we convince the courts she entered the fight not knowing it was Blacklight and killed him only when she saw him it could get chalked up to the heat of the moment. A good lawyer would be able to get her a suspended sentence with a lot of stipulations, I'm sure." Regan looked Dragon Heart and Spectrum grimly. "It's not ideal, but it would at least keep her out of the adult courts and prison as well." She finished and fell silent.

Dragon nodded. "If she comes back here and doesn't disappear, perhaps." He had started working on his phone, no doubt trying to find some of those "people" he mentioned earlier.

". . . is what they're saying."

Unbeknownst to the trio of people, Cheshire had listened in on their conversation, relaying everything they had discussed to Charlotte. The girl and her children were on the roof of the apartment, with Charlotte herself leaning on the rails, looking down at the street below. The police were examining the scene. Pedestrians looked on with interest, while passing cars honked at the disruption of traffic. Elsewhere, she could see kids playing in a park, and just a bit further from them were college students, out and ready to have a good time.

It felt so strange, that the world could go on, unmoved by the events that had shaken her. For her, it felt as though time had frozen, but from atop the roof she could see that wasn't the case -- life went on, as it always did.

"I suppose I am still just a kid," she murmured.

Cheshire plodded his way to her, rubbing himself at her feet in an attempt to comfort her.

"A remarkable kid, Mistress, a very, very remarkable and talented and amazing kid."

"But a kid, nonetheless."

Silence reigned between them, before White Knight broke it with a clear of his throat.

"I- I have yet to see Master Aida. Perchance she is busy with something Mistress?" he said, an obvious attempt to distract them. Unlikely as it seemed, however, it worked. Looking around, Charlotte realized that the maid was indeed nowhere to be found. Attempts to contact her through their mental link came up with nothing.

She was deliberately not replying.

Charlotte frowned. That was strange, Aida never kept secrets from her. She never felt the need to. If she was doing so now, that meant-!

She turned so suddenly that the cat next to her jump about a meter in the air. "Cheshire, listen in on the conversation below us again, now!"

The cat nodded quickly, beginning to do just that when suddenly dark, violent thoughts barged their way into his mind, freezing him in his tracks. 'Don't' it cried out, as a warning and plea in one. Begging him to sit this out, telling him to lie, and promising pain and hell if he didn't. More importantly, those dark and terrifying shadows all screamed with Aida's voice.

He licked his lips to drive away the nerves. This was becoming more complicated by the second . . .

---

She was her world. Her mother, her daughter, her master, her treasure. She would do anything for her. She was a light that deserved better than this wretched earth; a pearl among the refuse of swine; a jewel buried under mounds of dirty coal. She believed in the goodness of heroes, and the ability of the righteous to triumph over evil -- she never said so openly, but sometimes, her thoughts slipped, and she caught glimpses of the truth.

She was different. She hated the world, hated what it put her through, hated it for what it will continue to put her through, because so long as there is injustice in the world, her mistress will ever seek to correct it - even in herself. She could care less - if it made her happy, then she would gladly burn the world, slaughter the innocent, and boil children alive. She would tear puppies limb from limb, just the same as she would hang a villain by his fingers, and feed their cohorts to the lions for supper. She would do all that and more, if it meant her happiness.

Despite everything however, despite all that happened to her, her mistress still held fast to her values, still believed in the strength of good and the power of justice. She didn't understand it, but then again, why bother? She wouldn't question it. If that was what her mistress believed in then that would be her mission, and every second since the day she was born she served without questioning it.

Not today, however. Not when the one chance for her to be happy, when she was finally free of Blacklight's haunting shadow, was threatened by the law of all things. The same inept and useless law that forced her mistress in that position in the first place. The same law that her mistress would hold up, and would gladly martyr herself to. Not today, not while she still lived.

Aida put on a face - it was the face of Camilla, the fake person that her mistress had commissioned for her identity as a maid - and that face was smoothed into a disciplined expression. Her identity may be fake, but it was real enough for the rest of the world, and that was all that mattered. Without knocking, she walked into the room with Spectrum, Dragon, and Regan, greeting them all with a polite bow. "I've come to talk. I have an idea, and you will listen. I believe I can get the mistress out of this entirely."

Regan barely suppressed the urge to shoot to her feet and reach for her sidearm upon the sudden arrival of the newcomer. The woman greeted them politely and proceeded to state her intentions to help her mistress. Mistress? Is she talking about Charlotte? Is this the... that homunculus sniper thing that was here a while ago?!? Regan didn't like how forceful the woman was with her words, but if she had an idea about how to get Charlotte out of this mess, she was willing to listen.

The PART officer glanced at Dragon and Spectrum. "There is no need to force us to listen to you. If you are here to talk to us about helping Charlotte we want that as well. She's suffered enough already as it is." Regan fell silent, staring expectantly at the woman.

Without further preamble, Aida continued without pause. "On paper, I am Camilla Anderson. The sniper, Charlotte Lutwidge's head-maid, and current legal guardian. I am also responsible for enabling her to build the resources and develop the mentality necessary to end Blacklight, who killed my employers - her parents - and close friends." She paused for a moment, to let that sink in. The implications of what she was saying should've been obvious. "If anyone is to be taking the blame, then it will be me."

Spectrum blinked, still processing the mannequin being able to walk and talk, more than what it was saying. Dragon, however, was more on top of things. "But you're a dum-" he stopped himself. "You're not a person. You can't prosecute a gun, can you?"

Regan considered the situation carefully. While the homunculus' offer was appealing, they were all missing the point. She stood up and said as much.

"You are all missing the point here." She looked at Dragon and Spectrum... and then at Charlotte's construct. "This is not about assigning blame. If blame is to be attributed, it belongs all to Blacklight. His actions had consequences. And those led to his death. But Charlotte's actions have consequences of their own. The circumstances, of course would be considered. And this is what I'm trying to establish here in the best possible way as to minimize her further suffering." She fixed Camilla with a hard stare. "But make no mistake. Charlotte will pay for the life she took. Even though it might not be in the way you imagine it. Taking a life, no matter the circumstances, is a lifelong punishment in and of itself, if one is a good and caring person. And Charlotte seems to be those."

Regan approached the construct, which was alive for all intents and purposes. She peered into Camilla's eyes. "Even if we could tag you for this, which we couldn't because the evidence will contradict it, you didn't pull the trigger for the killing shot. Nothing you do will change that." The PART officer pulled back. "But I said I'd listen and so I will. What exactly do you propose?"

Dragon put down his phone. "I think I get it. If the mannequin is legally a person, can't it legally stand trial for the crime? You can sue companies, according to Arthur." He started scrolling down his phone's screen, explaining, "Arthur's my lawyer. Arthur Savage. Maybe he can get the legals straightened out here. Lieutenant, are you allowed to be around when the defence is being sorted out?"

Regan sighed. She wasn't getting through to them. "First of all, it's Corporal. Not Lieutenant, but thanks for the promotion. And the only thing Camilla here can stand trial for is assault and grievous bodily harm. The finishing shot came from Charlotte and the evidence will point to that. You cannot transplant this act onto Charlotte's... construct." Regan paused to collect her thoughts and try to explain once again the procedure and what she could do to help the girl. "I'll need to file a report. Evidence will be collected, statements. What we can hope to do and you can ask your lawyer to do, is to keep Charlotte out of the adult courts and push for suspended sentence. Whatever we do must corroborate the evidence collected." She fell silent again. Her gaze shifted from Dragon, to Spectrum, to Camilla. She felt the beginnings of a headache. Frowning she pinched the bridge of her nose and thought of Teagan, bringing her tea. A small smile crept up her lips.

"Make your report, Corporal," Dragon declared. He hit a number on his phone. "And I'll make my calls. Hello?" He said into the phone. "Put me through to Savage. His favourite client with a big challenge. He'll know what I'm talking about. Listen, kid, you'll put me through and you'll get a pay rise."

Regan stood. "Very well." She nodded at Dragon, electing to forgo his tone of voice. "You do what needs to be done on your end and believe me I'll do whatever I can to keep Charlotte out of jail." She headed for the door, but before she exited Regan turned to look at all of them. "Expect officers to come and take you to the station for your statements. I trust you'll cooperate." The PART officer nodded and left the apartment, closing the door behind her. She sighed heavily, rubbed her eyes and started down the stairs to issue instructions to the uniform officers and the criminology teams. Regan fished out her phone from her front jeans pocket and looked up Teagan's contact.

'Hey...' She started texting. 'Don't know how much long I'll be. I got a dead Epic villain on may hands and a ton of paperwork to go with it. I'll call you when I have a breath of fresh air. I miss you.' She hit send and went about her business.

Epic City: Starburst

@Old Amsterdam is all worked up and about to burst. But he hasn't been allowed to. Not until I'm ready to let him. Which is admittedly as soon as I've posted Part 2 of the Death of our Demons mega collab, and maybe one or two other things. Man, I'm a tease.

Hider

You're expecting a double entendre in here, aren't you?

Epic City: Starburst

Part one of the massive posting between me, @ihinka, and @thehangedman dealing with Blacklight's death posted. I foresee at least one more part, but it'll get emotional quick...

Epic City: Starburst

PART First Responders - Death of our Demons Part 1

Teagan woke up gradually. She was stretched out on her sofa and felt an unfamiliar heaviness over her as she breathed in and out. She was confused for a second and then the heaviness was no longer unfamiliar. She grinned before opening her eyes to behold Regan's sleeping face. Her cheek resting over Teagan's heart, her left arm hugging the older woman across her torso with her hand tucked under the firefighter's shoulder.

Teagan couldn't help but feel elated. Here was this gorgeous, strong, capable woman, sleeping on top of her, like they'd done it for a lifetime. And yet they'd just barely met. The ex-smokejumper smiled gently, remembering the events of the evening before.

They'd gone home to clean up and met afterwards to go and collect Megan, Rory and Martha for dinner as was their original plan. Teagan's parents had declined stating that they needed to rest after the day's excitement. So that left only Teagan, Regan and Megan.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here with Ma and Pa?" Teagan asked in sign and out loud for Regan's benefit.

"I'm fine. I'm not tired and I wasn't that scared. And besides... If I am to make Epic city my home, I'll have to get used to this sort of thing, right?" She asked and looked at Regan as if for confirmation.

Teagan translated for the police officer.

"Well..." Regan began thoughtfully. "It's true occurrences like this are not unusual for Epic city. But I'd like to think that between the Epic heroes and the ECPD we do our best to make the citizens of Epic city feel safe."

"See." Megan signed "Now let's just go already. I have a ton of questions for your new friend here." She flashed Martha a grin and a thumbs up. Teagan's mum grinned in answer.

Oh, Jesus! The firefighter groaned and rolled her eyes.

"I'm suspecting by the looks between your mother and Megan that I'm not off the hook with the third degree." Regan whispered in Teagan's year making her jump in surprise as she felt the hot breath on her earlobe. The firefighter swallowing down the flash of arousal that'd coursed through her system. She managed a shrug and a grin in answer to the question.

"Come on, then." Megan signed after she'd taken her goodbyes with Rory and Martha. "Let's go already!"

Surprisingly Megan hadn't pressed much about Regan and Teagan's involvement with each other. The three had spent a pleasant evening discussing all sorts of things, chief among them Megan's intention to try her hand in becoming a graphic novel artist. She'd gone ballistic when Regan told her her dad was a writer and she'd nearly exited the Earth's atmosphere when the PART officer had suggested that she introduced Megan to her father. She'd started signing so frantically that even Teagan had difficulty understanding her.

"Slow down, baby girl!" She'd insisted, grabbing Megan's hands, laughing.

"If you don't marry this woman, I will!" Megan signed deadpan and Teagan blushed furiously not daring to look Regan in the face.

The PART officer had caught the exchange though and noticed the crimson hue of Teagan's cheeks. She grinned. It was though making Teagan blush with her glorious bronze complexion, but whatever Megan had said had managed to do the job quite well. Regan chuckled, looked at Megan so her mouth would be well visible. "By the way your godmother is blushing I doubt she'll translate whatever you just said to her. So help a girl out." She winked.

"Megan don't you dare!" Teagan almost growled, signing her threat.

Regan erupted into a full laughter next to her. Megan was also laughing her silent deaf-mute laughter.

"Aye, sure, laugh at me why don't ye!" Teagan grumbled good-naturedly.

The evening had finished without any more threats to the firefighter's composure and the three of them had made their way to Teagan's home. Once inside Megan bid them goodnight and warned them not to do anything she wouldn't with a cheeky little grin and a waggle of her eyebrows.

When they were left alone in the living room Teagan returned her attention to her companion.

"Stay awhile?" She asked shyly, extending her hand to Regan.

The PART officer took the offered hand in hers, entwining her fingers with Teagan's. "Okay." She agreed with a radiant smile.

Teagan breathed in sharply, stunned by her beauty. She tugged on Regan's hand drawing her closer. Time slowed as the two women beheld each other with trepidation. Finally Teagan framed Regan's face with her hands and slowly lowered her head. The kiss started out sweet, like their first one, but it quickly spiraled out of control as both women were eager to give more, receive more. They clung to each other, hands roaming over shoulders, fingers twisting into fists on backs. Finally when air became an urgent need they separated from each other with mirroring stunned and dazed expressions. Both breathing hard, flushed, lips swollen from the hungry kiss.

Regan moved first. She raised her right hand, her thumb gently brushing over the scar bisecting Teagan's lower lip. The move elicited a shaky breath from the firefighter and her eyelids lowered as if in bliss. "You have no idea how tantalizing this little thing here is." Regan whispered, inches from Teagan's lips. "It winks at me when you smile as if saying 'Come! Kiss me!' and I'm helpless to do otherwise." She finished, capturing the desired lower lip between hers.

This kiss was slower, more deliberate, the impact a thousandfold more potent. Teagan closed her eyes and surrendered. Her heart was beating so hard and fast in her chest she was surprised Regan managed to hold on to her. But hold on she did, until she finally released Teagan and smiled with their lips still pressed. She than slowly lowered her head and pushed her forehead into Teagan's chest. "I think we need to stop here tonight, as much as it pains me to say it. Because I don't think either of us is ready for what follows next." Regan said, lifting her head to look at Teagan.

"What did I do to deserve ye?" The firefighter marveled smiling down at Regan. She hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead reverently. "We could just stay like this all night and I would be the happiest woman on Earth." She assured.

"Than let's do just that." Regan spoke from within the embrace.

Teagan put some distance between them to look at Regan. "Are you sure?" She whispered uncertain. "I mean... I would love to, but..." She started babbling and was soon silenced by three fingers against her lips.

Jeez, stop being so god damn adorable! Regan thought. I'm trying to be honorable here! "Let's sit on this big sofa you got, catch a movie, like we planned to and maybe I'll let you hold me as we nod off." She winked playfully at Teagan. I mean, of course, I'd let her hold me! I'd practically beg her to do it!

---

Teagan smiled remembering finally how they'd ended up in their current position. Her lying on the sofa with Regan as her impromptu blanket. She grinned for the umpteenth time and began sifted her fingers slowly through Regan's hair. The move elicited a small sigh from the warm body above her.

"Don't stop." Regan mumbled against her chest. She squeezed Teagan tighter and settled more comfortably against her body.

Teagan chuckled. "Awake?" She asked quietly. They didn't have to whisper or talk quietly for Megan's sake. It just felt right. Speaking in a soft manner agreed with the lazy mood of the morning.

"Mmmm..." Regan just mumbled in response skimming her lips along Teagan's collarbone and the firefighter trembled beneath her. Okay, enough for now. Her still sleeping mind cautioned.

They settled in again, dozing on and off. A phone on a table nearby began to vibrate insistently, buzzing against the table's surface. Regan woke up from her pleasant slumber on top of Teagan with a start. No! She pleaded inwardly, recognizing what had awaken her. Teagan began stirring beneath her. No, no, no, come on! Have some fucking mercy! Regan implored and squeezed tightly the warm body beneath her to still its movements and pressed her face against Teagan's velvety neck. She remained like that in complete denial for almost a minute.

"I think yer phone is buzzing." Teagan whispered, not moving a muscle. She'd awoken as soon as Regan had and had started to stir, but stopped when she felt the younger woman cling more tightly to her. Her heart had started beating faster when Regan pushed her face into her neck, her soft lips brushing against her pulse point.

"No it isn't!" Regan objected almost petulantly and snuggled deeper into Teagan.

The phone persisted unimpressed with the intimate atmosphere it was interrupting.

"Fuck!" Regan cursed under her breath and stretched across Teagan to grab the offending object. One look at the screen had her scowling.

"It's okay!" Teagan whispered. Brushing a lock of hair off Regan's face.

"No, it's not okay." The police officer whispered back. She lowered her head and brushed a soft kiss on Teagan's lips. "I wanted this to be perfect."

"It is!" Teagan assured. Regan was about to protest something but the firefighter wouldn't allow her, kissing her to silence her. "It's okay, Regan. I'm a firefighter, remember. I know how the job is. Take the call."

Regan was flushed a bit after the short, sweet kiss. She nodded, stood up and answered the phone she couldn't hate more at the moment.
"Murphy!" She barked into the microphone. She was pissed and she didn't care it showed in her voice. No matter what Teagan said it was not okay! She was not okay with it. She'd wanted to stay like that forever, suffused by the warmth of Teagan's body.

"Good morning, Murphy," came the falsely sweet voice of her superior over the phone. "This is your daily reminder THAT YOU HAVE A GODDAMNED JOB! GET YOUR TONED ASS INTO THE OFFICE BEFORE I TAKE YOUR BADGE AND RAM IT SIDEWAYS UP YOUR..."

Regan held the phone at arms length as Lieutenant Peter Humphreys barked his usual threats at her. She rolled her eyes and waited out the worst of the tirade. She would have been more impressed with the decibels and her boss' words, had she not heard it all before. When she felt it safe to do so, she stuck the phone to her ear again. "I'll be there right away, boss." She assured when the other end of the line went silent.

"You're not coming into the office," the lieutenant barked, giving her an address. "There's a corpse on the docket, and you've drawn the short straw. Get there and check the situation. Dismissed."

Regan blinked a couple of times in rapid succession. The only time her outfit handled deaths was when Epics were involved. Fuck! She thought.

"Bad news?" Teagan entered the living room, carrying a steaming mug in her hands.

Despite the news from her boss Regan couldn't help but smile. She hadn't notice when the firefighter had gotten up and exited the room. Teagan approached her and handed her the cup. "Tea." She said with a smile. "I'm afraid no coffee for ye, copper." She grinned and winked "Not in my house."

"Ha!" Regan challenged. "Just because I don't have your gorgeous Irish lilt, doesn't make me any less Irish. I'm a tea and waffles lass."

"A woman after my own heart than." Teagan grinned and watched Regan sniff her tea approvingly and take a small sip.

"I'm afraid we'll have to do breakfast another time." The PART officer said, regret marring her beautiful features. "That was my boss just now. It would appear duty calls."

Teagan took the mug from Regan's hands and placed it on the coffee table. She wound her arms around Regans waist and drew her in slowly but insistently, until there was no air between their bodies. "I'm goin' to repeat this to ye until it sinks in." She kissed Regans nose lightly. "It's. O-kay." She separated the words for effect. "Every minute I spend with ye is a gift." And before Regan could react she captured her lips in a swift, lip-bruising kiss. "It's okay." She murmured. And held on until she felt Regan nod.

They drew apart. The PART officer placed her open palm against Teagan's chest, above her heart. "Thank you." She simply said. "I gotta go."

Teagan nodded. "Call me when you can." She asked, following Regan to the front door and opened it.

"I will." Regan promised, stole a quick kiss from the firefighter and left.

By the time Reagan arrived, the area had been cordoned off. A rookie beat cop, freckles and gangly growth, saluted. "Sir. Ma'am? We've spoken to the culprits, and witnesses, they're inside," he pointed two storeys up at a nearby apartment. His badge, brought into prominence by the motion, read 'Franks'. "Identity of the victim is tentatively Blacklight, but the cororon- coroners wanted that your people confirm, ma'am. Sir?"

Regan couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the young patrol officer. He seemed eager, but at the same time so young and green. Just like she'd once been. "Good job, Officer Franks." Regan said. "Keep the media away. I'll take care of the rest." The young man saluted and returned to the police line.

Regan stepped up to the body lying on the street. She crouched and peered at the face. Ouch! The bullet wound left no doubt at the cause of death. "The infamous Blacklight defeated by a simple bullet." She muttered. For it most certainly was the villain Blacklight. The PART had a Most Wanted list of Epic Villains just like the FBI used to have a Most Wanted list of Terrorists. And Blacklight was on the list. Regan walked into the building and found the apartment the patrol officer had indicated. She knocked.

"Corporal Regan Murphy with ECPD PART." She called through the door. "I'm here about the body outside. Blacklight..." She left her sentence hang unfinished in the air.

Spectrum tensed, putting Looking-Glass' head on her shoulder to stop her finding trouble. Dragon stood, opening the door and holding an arm across the frame. "Officer Murphy. You were at the snapper incident yesterday, if I remember right." He offered her a sullen, friendly smile. "You PART types stand out in a crowd." Spectrum stood, ushering Looking-Glass into a different room, after which Dragon let Reagan inside. "Anything you'd like while we chat? Tea, coffee, juice?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Regan answered with practiced ease. She looked about the apartment and noted the obvious signs of struggle. Did Blacklight attack them? Is this how he died? They fought. But he was shot. Dragon doesn't use guns.

"Alright then," Dragon invited her to sit near the table. "Am I supposed to tell you what happened, or will you ask?"

Regan squared the Epic with a steely gaze. Dragon was one of the good guys, but he'd brought upon a ton of damage to the city while fighting with Blacklight. The animosity between them was as famous as the reclusive nature of the High. In fact, if it wasn't for the Island, those damages that Dragon and Blacklight had incurred, would be pretty permanent. If Regan was to look for an easy suspect, it would be Dragon. Still, Blacklight was shot to death. Oh, sure, there was definitely a fight prior to that. But the killing blow had not come from Dragon.

"You could tell me what happened, of course." Regan spoke with an even tone of voice. "It would certainly make things... more expedient shall we say." She looked around pointedly and then returned her gaze on Dragon. "Let's start with how your apartment ended up looking like the training room for young Epics."

Dragon folded his arms. "Blacklight invaded my home. Spectrum was present, and she defen..." He frowned, them asked, "if the word for 'thrown out a window' is 'defenestrate', what's the word for 'thrown through a wall'?" He waved a hand. "She threw him out, and that's when Looking-Glass and an unidentified sniper entered the fray. I arrived shortly after, and exploited Blacklight's weakness to make him harmless. He was killed by the sniper while helpless and injured."

Regan stared at Dragon for a long time without saying anything. She imagined how she would feel if someone was to invade her home while Teagan and Megan were inside. She clenched her jaw in silent rage. She could sympathize with Dragon. But her job wasn't to sympathize with him. She needed all the facts and it would appear she didn't have all the players. Dragon appeared sincere enough, but Spectrum and Looking-Glass would have to corroborate his story.

"I'm truly sorry for what happened to you, your home and your... friend." She wasn't sure in what capacity exactly was Spectrum present at Dragon's home. "Thank you for sharing your perspective on things. I'm afraid I would have to get statements from Spectrum and Looking-Glass as well." Regan paused. "Blacklight might have been a villain, but his death still needs to be explained before the authorities. I hope you understand."

"I do, but I think the sniper is more at fault here." Dragon took a deep breath and sighed, blinking heavily. "I- I think there are laws to protect children from this sort of thing, am I right?"

Children? Regan though, caught off guard, but not showing it. "Of course there will be an investigation into the identity of the sniper." She leaned toward Dragon. "And I cannot answer that question without having all the facts..." Regan puzzled over how to address Dragon. Somehow calling him Mr Heart or Mr Dragon seemed laughable. "Look, Dragon, it would appear you are trying to protect someone. That's admirable. I can tell you this. Minors are not prosecuted the same as adults. Of course, there are exceptions. If the minor was emancipated from the parents, for instance, they would be tried as adult and would be subject to the full force of the law."

Regan withdrew and sat back. "This is not a witch hunt, Dragon. I have a dead Epic villain downstairs and a job to do. I will do it to the best of my abilities while upholding the law and serving justice." She set her gaze on the Epic and waited.

"To be truthful then, Looking-Glass is a child," Dragon said, looking up at her. "She's definitely under 18, so we decided we'd try and keep her safe from the worst of this. I don't know about her home life or parents, but both Spectrum and I want her to be safe from this."

Regan scowled. Fuck, this is going to complicate things. She knew there were a number of minor Epic heroes out there that could hold their own against a monster or two and in a major crisis. But this... This was taking a life. No child should go through this.

"If she's a minor, she would need a guardian present for her statement. I cannot question her without one." She looked at Dragon Heart. "And as much as you and Spectrum want to help, if neither of you is that guardian, the only thing you can offer her is moral support. We'll need to contact her parents. But understand this. If she was involved... However it pains me to think it. She cannot escape the due process."

She fell silent for a moment. "Actions have consequences." She stated quietly. "I can wait for one of you two to speak with Looking-Glass to contact her parents or a guardian. The sooner we sort this out, the better for everyone involved."

To Be Continued...

Epic City: Starburst

@ihinka, I love the way I'm escaping the abuse. Don't worry, there'll be something left. Whether you'll want to nurse it back to health...

Epic City: Starburst

@Old Amsterdam, also, I get to roll the dice when it comes to Alex, with the odds we agreed on: 6+ for one result, under 5 for the other. We can adjust as the situation solidifies.

Epic City: Starburst

@ihinka, great movie, it just was not Ghost in the Shell. It was Hollywood ineptly trying to mimic a better animated movie for cash. Also, ScarJo's boobs are probably deserving of their own listing in the credits for that movie.