Interlude: Lisa 01

Lisa knew she was screwed the minute she ran across Taylor at the Boardwalk. She should've walked away as soon as she saw the girl. Her Sherlock senses had already been tingling since running across Braid during the robbery. They'd gone into full Scan mode as soon as she tracked down Braid's home to gift her the money.

The cash had been the least she could do. She had been…reasonably sure that Braid wasn't going to be charged for any replacements of her tech, but 'reasonable' and 'certain' weren't the same thing. And when it came to someone as naive, trusting, and horrifically depressed as Braid…'reasonable' was never going to cut it.

And then she had to find that the damned building was barely lived in. The 'home' had all the feeling of a fucking haunted house for what it triggered in her power. And that was just from the outside with a quick glance through the living room window.

She'd known that actually seeing Braid out of costume was a bad idea. Lisa had had half a mind to even try and avoid her on whatever jobs they went on. One wrong look, one wrong word, one wrong gesture…and she'd never be able to walk away.

And then, Taylor had been there, staring despondently at window after window along the Boardwalk storefront. Her hand kept drifting down to her wallet every so often, her posture slumping further and further with each store she discarded.

Lisa hadn't even needed her power to see the signs. Was everyone in the Wards just blind? Or did they just not care?

Lisa Wilbourn likely hyper aware of suicidal tendencies due to Trigger trauma.

Like that was a goddamn revelation.

"Stupid power, tell me something I don't know," she muttered.

Taylor Hebert searching for non-specific item. Gift item. Gift for friend. Friend offered to reimburse. Friend not in the city. Friend attempting to force socialization.

Huh, that actually was something she hadn't realized. The friend part at least. What had prompted…Oh, the wallet check. Hmm, interesting. She'd need to remember that in the future. Any chance to figure things out for herself instead of leaning on Mr. Crutch was always welcome - if only to avoid headaches.

"Walk away, Lisa, walk away." Even her own feet were betraying her, she was already halfway to the brunette. "It's easy. She's not your problem. She has a support system, she's a hero. This is a bad idea. Walk away." She kept pacing closer and closer, her body refusing to listen to rational thought.

Lisa was close enough now to hear when Taylor mumbled, "I don't even know what you like anymore, Emma. I haven't known for two years…How am I supposed to find a sweater for you?"

Taylor Hebert searching for gift for friend 'Emma' who broke ties. Ties recently reestablished. Emma left shortly after reasserting friendship. Very few friends if Taylor Hebert is latching onto newly reestablished link after prolonged distance. Very little support from Wards.

Lisa's lip curled into a silent snarl. "I am never going to be able to leave this alone now. Thank you so much."

Wiping the frustration at the Wards complete incompetence aside, she threw on her customary smirk instead. It was horrible, barely a smile, but it was close enough for government work, and this definitely counted. Then she settled next to Taylor, waiting for her opening.

"Damn, I'm horrible at this."

Inside she grimaced, but outside, she just crossed her arms, flipped her ponytail and took a step forward. "Don't give up just yet, you've got at least four more stores to go before you can call it quits."

The door to her apartment shut behind her, Taylor's hand in her grip nearly tight enough to cut off circulation. For such a seemingly weak thing, this girl was deceptively strong.

She led the way deeper into the apartment, skipping the kitchen and guiding them both to the couch. Taylor didn't so much sit as collapse. Lisa smiled, rubbing her thumb over the back of the girl's hand while her brows furrowed. "I've got some tea I can make…if you're thirsty."

Taylor nodded absently, her hair curtaining around her face, yet doing nothing to hide how her eyes were jumping from place to place.

"I'll be right back." Lisa had to work hard to keep the smile on her face as Taylor's shoulders drooped once she'd taken her hand away.

Taylor Hebert is already unhealthily attached to Lisa Wilbourn.

No shit, power. No shit.

She clamped down on her power. She didn't need constant running commentary right now. She could read the brunette perfectly fine without the assist and she was already getting a headache. By the time she got back with the tea, Taylor hadn't shifted more than just pulling her legs up onto the couch, her arm around her knees, and her gaze nearly vacant.

"Hey, one sugar, a few drops of honey?"

Taylor took the cup, breathing in the aroma, her eyes widening. She lifted her head and met Lisa's gaze. "That's…just how I like it."

"I got enough hints from the diner." She was lucky she had honey. She needed to go shopping if Taylor was going to be coming over here more.

Wait. When had it been decided that Taylor was going to be coming over more?

Taylor Hebert lacks support network. Taylor Hebert uncomfortable in dwelling. Lisa Wilbourn thinks Taylor Hebert should not be solely surrounded by Wards. Taylor Hebert's current living conditions are reinforcing depression.

Well yes, she knew that now. Lisa flicked a metaphorical middle finger at her power. She had already decided that Taylor was to be regularly visiting before that bit of input.

Fuck. She was screwed. She was so, so screwed.

"Thanks," Taylor murmured.

"Don't mention it."

"You have a nice apartment. It doesn't really…there's not much here though. Not much of…well, you."

Lisa blinked. Then she blinked again. Then she chuckled, leaning back into the couch while sipping her own tea. "Touché. I tend to split my time between here and the team's lair. A few of us have rooms there and while I like my privacy, it's nice to be around people sometimes."

There was strength in numbers too. It would be harder for Coil to abduct her if she was with others. That was half the reason this was an apartment instead of a rented house. She could afford a house now. But, if the asshole was going to come for her one day, he was going to have to work for it.

He was going to come for her too. Unless he found something juicier to bite into first. But until he found a golden goose to distract him, or until he closed the noose around her neck, she could play at having freedom. And she could eventually show the bastard why you don't mess with an irate and ill-tempered Thinker with a vengeful streak.

"Lisa?"

"Hmm? Oh sorry, got lost in thought," she said.

"I do that too. More so now." Taylor sipped at her tea and they sat together in silence.

This was a bad idea. Taylor was a cape, a Ward. Coil was going to want her. He was going to want information about her.

Well too fucking bad for him. She could hide Braid behind the Ward card for long enough to figure out a real plan.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Lisa asked. She already knew, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"…Why did you stay? The other night. You didn't have to stay; most people in the city wouldn't, let alone capes. So…why?"

"That's a bit of a complicated question," Lisa sighed. She didn't look at the brunette. She was careful to keep staring into her tea. "I didn't lie that night. I did think we could be friends outside of work. But it was more than that. When I tried to give you your communicator back…Taylor, how bad are things with the Wards?" Now she looked up, letting her power loose as Taylor sniffled.

"It's fine. They're not…They mean well. Vista is really nice. She always helps when she can and we hang out. When her parents aren't being awful at least. And Kid Win is great too. But he gets frustrated with his projects and Director Piggot makes it worse because she won't let him work on the things he really wants to make."

Avoiding mentioning the others. Problems with the others.

"What about Clockblocker, Aegis, or Gallant?" Ah. There it was. Flaring of the nostrils, narrowing of the eyes, clenching fingers. Gallant was the problem. Which didn't make any sense since everyone said that Gallant was basically the perfect knight and all of her own research had held that up.

So what was the underlying issue? Could he have come onto her? No, that would have resulted in a whole different mess and Taylor wasn't showing any signs like that. It had to be something more unique.

Braid's mention of altered schedule during initial meeting and reaction to Gallant in particular imply that Gallant regularly misses patrol. Likely due to relationship or attempt to force Braid and Shadow Stalker to work together more.

Damn. That would do it. Gallant couldn't really be trying to play amateur therapist could he? And with Shadow Stalker and a suicidally depressed person of all people? Crap he probably was. Whatever made him think he was qualified for that was not something she had enough information to even guess at for the moment. Asshole.

At least she could cheat.

"Can we…talk about something else? You haven't answered my question."

"I know," Lisa nodded. "I was trying to get some background. I stayed because you shouldn't have been out there with someone who would drive you to the point of passing out, Taylor. That's not right, that's not fair, that's not healthy."

Taylor sunk deeper into the couch. "I'm not supposed to patrol with her," she whispered. "But she can protect me, so I have to."

"Sweetie, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"Yes I do, I have to help Kurt and Lacey. I can't avoid patrols. I can't."

"Taylor, are you okay? Is everything alright at home?" Of course it wasn't. That was plain as day, but words were important.

"My dad, h-he…" She trailed off into more sniffles which she tried to hide behind draining her mug.

Father either incapacitated or deceased. Likely incapacitated. Extra patrols lead to extra money.

Lisa set her own mug down and shifted next to the other girl. Taylor didn't even notice as Lisa wrapped an arm around her and pulled her down to lean against her shoulder. Taking the empty drink from her hands, Lisa set it on the side table, and folded Taylor into a hug.

"I shouldn't be here!" Taylor wailed into Lisa's shirt. Her hand came up to clutch the fabric, bunching it in her fist. "You're a Villain! Why are you the only one who's asked me if things are alright?! Why do you care?!"

"Because, Tay," Lisa murmured, squeezing the other girl harder against her, "you and I are friends now. Villain, Hero, it doesn't matter. Friends take care of each other. Friends watch out for each other. Friends care."

Taylor continued to sob, until, eventually, she cried herself to sleep in Lisa's arms.

Lisa Wilbourn is as attached to Taylor Hebert as Taylor Hebert is to Lisa Wilbourn.

"I'm so screwed," Lisa murmured. Her hand continuing to rub small circles on the slumbering girl's back.

Now what the hell was she going to do about it?

\/\/~*.' '.*~\/\/

Forward

Lisa's door slammed open while she was in the middle of cooking dinner - trying not to burn dinner at least, she could make edible food for date night, it couldn't be that hard - and slammed into the wall hard enough to leave a dent.

Lisa sucked in a breath, pausing for all of a second to collect her thoughts. Then she was moving, her right hand grabbing for the gun behind the microwave even as her left got a hold of the pot of boiling water. The gun was centered on the front hall around the corner and the pot was already drawn back to throw as her power kicked in.

Key sounded in lock. Strength of strike implies shoulder check not kick. No splintering of the doorframe. Friend with key. Friend carrying heavy weight. Friend in hurry. Friend desperate and heedless of danger from startling Thinker.

"Lisa! Lisa, get your ass out here, this girl is heavy and I do not work out!"

Lisa's heart kept pounding a mile-a-minute against her chest as Alec's voice rang out from a few steps away, confirming her power's deduction.

"Before I started panicking would've been nice," Lisa muttered. She didn't have a chance to set the pot down or replace the gun before Alec shuffled out of the front hall and around the corner, Taylor half draped over his shoulder, half dragging behind him.

Lisa's eyes widened.

"Wow. That's a hell of a reception," Alec's wondering tone cut through her shock and Lisa dropped the pot back onto the stove, shoving the gun into the back of her pants. Rushing forward, she grabbed for her girlfriend, Alec eagerly shifting to let Lisa take half the weight.

"Don't kick in my door!" she hissed. "Couch. What happened? Taylor, sweetie, are you okay? Are you conscious? Where are you hurt? Oh Jesus Christ, what happened to her glasses?"

No evidence of injury. Glasses are broken in a pattern that implies they were stepped on. Blood on shirt and jacket likely from broken nose and split lip. No evidence of injury. Taylor utilized the primary aspect of her power to heal.

"Oh crap," Lisa hissed.

"Did you know your girlfriend was an energy vampire?" Alec asked. "Because I didn't. And that was creepy as hell, Lisa. Even for me. She's like the darling of the Wards. How does the darling get to be a secret vampire and no one fucking knows about that?!"

"Because she doesn't acknowledge it herself," Lisa snapped.

Using humor to deflect. Hand clenched. Eyes narrowed. Actually half-carried Taylor here. Concerned. Concerned about Taylor. Concerned about Lisa. Concerned about Lisa's reaction. Concerned about something he did that would provoke Lisa's reaction in response to Taylor's condition.

Lisa's teeth gnashed against each other, but she didn't look up. Not yet. She had to deal with this first. Then she could murder Alec.

"Taylor, Tay, I need you to open your eyes. Please, Tay, open your eyes for me." Lisa clutched Taylor's hands, squeezing as hard as she could, letting Taylor feel her. "I'm right here sweetie, but I need to know that you're with me. Okay? Can you open your eyes?"

"She's not really responsive," Alec said, his voice softer than usual.

"Go do something useful. Make sure the front door is closed and turn off the stove. Dinner will burn."

"Smells like that ship has already sailed. You know there's a reason you're banned from cooking, Lisa. But sure, I got it."

His presence vanished from behind her. Lisa leaned forward, laying her forehead against Taylor. The brunette was clammy and her breathing was hitching every few moments in an aborted sob.

"Taylor, please open your eyes."

"I killed her," Taylor whispered. She jerked backwards into the couch, pulling her legs up to her chest and dragging Lisa half up next to her thanks to their clenched hands. "I killed her just like Mr. Spinster."

"It's okay, Tay, we'll figure this out." Lisa managed to shift her weight into a position that didn't threaten to topple her back down to the floor, and moved forward to hug her girlfriend to her chest as best she could. "It's okay."

"No, no it's not. I liked it!" Taylor wailed. "I wanted to hurt her! My powers aren't supposed to hurt people! They're supposed to help! Th-th-they're supposed to h-help!"

Lisa bit her tongue. A biting remark that the bitch had probably deserved it wouldn't help right now. "You do help a lot of people with your power, Tay."

"Not anymore," Taylor sniffled. She shook her head, her hair whipping across Lisa's face. "I can't go back. Not anymore. They'll-they'll…"

"We can hide it. Come on, Alec got you away from the scene. Give me a few hours and I can work up an alibi and…"

Taylor just shook her head again. Her eyes squeezed even tighter.

Taylor certain it cannot be hidden. Too public. Video footage highly probable. Witnesses possible. Telltale sign on Taylor herself. Eyes favored. Eyes are notable. Eyes telltale sign.

"Taylor, please open your eyes." Lisa was proud of herself that her voice didn't waver at all.

Taylor sniffled again, and slowly - ever so slowly - she lifted her eyelids. And a blazing golden glow stared back at Lisa in place of Taylor's normal chocolate brown orbs.

"I'm going to take care of everything, Taylor," Lisa whispered. She leaned down and kissed the brunette's forehead. "Let me get you to the bed. You can lie down, cry, I'll deal with Alec, then I'll take care of everything. Okay?"

"I'm sorry," Taylor whispered, her voice barely loud enough to hear.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Lisa smiled, holding a hand against Taylor's cheek. "You did what you had to do. Now it's my turn."

It took another five minutes to gently cajole Taylor into the bedroom and a spare pair of pajamas. There would be time for a shower once she got rid of Alec.

Closing the door to her bedroom, she went to the kitchen, her face a mask of indifference as she leaned against the counter near the knives. Alec turned off the stove, put the lid on the pot of spaghetti and moved it onto the warmer.

"Your dinner's ready. Figured I could finish it for you. There was a lot of food here. Definitely enough for two. Maybe enough for three?"

Lisa didn't change expressions as she stared at him. "What. Happened?"

Alec took off his apron - did she even have an apron? - and groaned. "I…may have screwed up."

The knife was out of the block, in her hands, and at Alec's throat before she consciously realized what she was doing. He was pressed back against the sink, one eyebrow raised, and a moue of surprise escaping him. She didn't care. The knife was pressed against his skin, not quite hard enough to draw blood, but enough to be noticeable.

"Lisa, you realize I can move you away from me with a thought, right?"

"I'm willing to test which one of us has the faster reflexes, Jean-Paul."

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything to your girlfriend. It's more of…what I didn't do." Lisa stepped back, the scowl not leaving her face and still brandishing the knife as she gestured for him to continue. "I got a side-job: boss asked me to follow this bitchy black girl around for a few hours, videotape her when she interacted with people, get some good blackmail, you know? Super easy money."

"And?" Lisa didn't need her power to know where this was headed.

"And as soon as I started following the bitch, I realized that I was probably following Shadow Stalker. Wannabe-murder-bitch has had the hots for Grue long enough that I can recognize her nervous system even if I can't exactly control it."

"So she ran into Taylor."

"Hmm," he scratched his head, wincing. "More like aimed straight for her. Went right to the restaurant where your girl was. That probably should've been my first sign there was going to be a problem. But I just kept filming. Easy money, right? Stalker's a bitch, and your girl is a pushover, but it was public. What could they possibly do?"

Lisa had to take several calming breaths and deliberately put the knife down to avoid stabbing him.

"You left her with that bitch?"

"Not the bad part," he said. Grunting, he shook his head. "I didn't hear what they argued about. But I did see Taylor crumble. It was like someone took out a jenga block wrong and the whole thing just…fell. I work with Rachel, I know kicking puppies is bad on principle, and this made me feel like Stalker had just kicked a whole litter of puppies."

Lisa's hand clenched into a fist. "And then what happened?" Her power clawed at the back of her skull but she pushed it down. She needed actual answers, not educated guesses.

"I lost track of them for a minute. They went out the back, I had to come around the alley to keep filming. Caught a little bit of it. Mostly it was Stalker threatening Taylor." He shuffled against the counter, not meeting her eyes.

"You're actually upset about this," she whispered, her eyes widening.

"Taylor's nice, okay? She's awkward and nerdy, and depressed as fuck, but honest. I'd do her in a heartbeat." Lisa decided to let that comment slide for the moment. "And the things that Stalker was saying to her were really damn close to the sort of shit my family used to threaten some of us with. My dad loved tormenting us with bullshit psychological games. He got into your head, made you convinced that he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it; that his threats had weight they probably didn't. Stalker did that."

"And you just stood there. Filming."

He nodded. "In my defense, it was only for…maybe a minute? Two tops. I missed what she said that caused Taylor to snap, but when that girl did, wooh boy. She just smiled through bloody teeth, barely able to see thanks to those busted glasses and blood in her eyes - and then she grabbed Stalker's arms, and…the bitch dropped like a puppet with cut strings."

"And then Taylor collapsed."

"Not right away. She stood over Stalker for a few seconds, her head thrown back, laughing. It was the laughter that got me. That was when I realized I'd fucked up. I've heard that laugh before. Too many times…I left because I never wanted to hear it again. If I had actually bothered to step in…I might've avoided hearing it today." His gaze dropped to the floor, his fingers twitching. "I managed to get her back here without breaking my back after she crumbled to pieces again. I figured you'd know what to do more than me. And it wouldn't be a good idea for her to be at the scene. Especially after that waiter came out while I was hauling her away."

"Fuck." Lisa shut her eyes and clenched the counter behind her.

"Lise…I'm sorry. I'm an asshole. I get that. Normally I like being an asshole, but this…I think I helped break her, just because I didn't bother to do anything. There's a reason I left Nikos and I just…Right now? I feel like I am just like my fucking father. And I am not okay with that. How can I help?"

Lisa lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes. "Get the team together. We'll be there in the morning. I'll have a game plan by the time we get there."

"Okay." He turned to go, but hesitated just before he rounded the corner. "Lisa? Can you tell her I'm sorry?"

"Yeah. I can do that."

The door closed again a second later. Lisa locked it, and turned to go to the bedroom. She had data to collect, research to do, and a plan of attack to craft. Busy, busy, busy.

But first, there was a brunette crying in her bed that desperately needed a hug.

\/\/~*.' '.*~\/\/