Disclaimer: Highlander belongs to Davis/Panzer Productions and Defenders of Earth belongs to Marvel Productions and King Features Entertainment. I don't own anything, just my original characters.

Eye of the Beholder

Tori and Lynn have both argued with Richie over Maya and Lynn has confided in Tori about the looks Maya has been giving Owen.

"I kept quiet all this time out of respect for Richie," Lynn eyed Maya, "But not anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Maya asked.

"Don't play dumb with me! It's your fault Richie's in jail!"

"What are you doing, Lynn?!" Jack demanded.

"No, she's right!" agreed Tori. "If you had just cooperated and helped with our investigation, he wouldn't be there right now!"

"It's not my fault, I didn't want to make a big deal over nothing!" Maya insisted.

"It IS a big deal!" retorted Lynn.

"What is your problem with me?!" Maya asked. "You both have acted like this to me since we met!"

"For good reason, but we don't expect a BIMBO to understand!"

Maya's eyes widened in offense, "Do not call me that! DO NOT call me that!"

"Well, what else should we call you?!"

Lynn and Tori's argument with Maya escalated to the point where Tessa and Jack could not take it anymore.

"You know what?! That is it!" she exclaimed. "Get out! Go outside and work it out! Talk it out! When you have, you can come back in! Go on! This has gone on long enough!"

"Thank you!" sighed Jack in annoyance. "This is getting ridiculous!"

"Fine then," replied Lynn. "You, with me."

She led Maya to the deck, while Tori secretly grabbed a tape recorder and activated it. As they walked along the deck, Lynn turned to face Maya.

"Look, I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I know people like you have a deeper personality and I think you should be honest with me," she said. "If you have something to admit, say it to my face."

"Sure," Maya nodded. "I would love to tell you the truth."

"Alright. You knew there was something off about Piton and yet you defended him. I thought Richie and Cynthia were your friends, why risk them and avoid justice?"

Maya scoffed, "Justice? Everything about this is completely stupid. Even if Piton wasn't the murderer, I would still want to save my career, no matter what. If all others before me have to die, so be it. I don't care about that. I'd even throw an autistic model under the bus, literally, even my own best friend to make it to the top because the top model position is the place for me."

I knew it. It's even worse than I thought, Tori thought to herself as she recorded everything. Fucking bitch.

"Cynthia was just a plain girl who didn't deserve what she got," Maya continued. "I'm more beautiful and sexier than her. Piton is a fool to not realize that when she was alive."

Fuck this bitch, thought Lynn. If Owen were here, he'd probably call her a whore.

"As for Richie, hmph, he is stupid. He's good for nothing and just trash. I don't think I could ever find myself attracted to, let alone be friends with a loser like that American boy. I personally think he will never amount to anything in life and I know he will be a convicted felon before he even becomes thirty. I don't know why I think that, but he's nothing to me. He never was. I'd leave him to die if given the opportunity."

"Anything else?" Lynn asked.

"I'm also baffled that you also have what I don't," Maya said suddenly.

"What?!"

"Don't be dumb, how did a plain blonde amerloque like you end up with a handsome man like HIM?"

Lynn's eyes widened as she realized the meaning. Tori's blood boiled with disgust.

"You probably had dirt on him. A man as handsome and rich as him is too good for you. He even offered to help me if something happened to Piton. He could do SO much better, like ME, for example."

"What are you saying?!" Lynn demanded.

"You're plain, I'm beautiful. You're nothing, I'm sexy," answered Maya, smirking cruelly. "I bet I can steal him away from you."

Tori was so close to pushing Maya off the barge when...

"I'd never let a slut touch me," said a voice.

The girls turned and saw Owen standing there, arms crossed, with Duncan standing by his car. Owen had heard everything.

"I know the movements you made when you glanced at me at the show. You might as well have been naked. You might be a model, but even the best ones don't have such vulgar. If anything, you're the one with dirt on guys. I think even pornstars have more class than you."

"That's not the real me," insisted Maya. "It's just business."

"I can tell you're lying. Don't pretend to be someone that you're not."

"I'm not pretending anything. My love for you is real."

"Can't you see that I'm happily taken? Why would you try to steal another girl's boyfriend?"

"Owen," said Lynn quietly, her heart melting in her stomach.

Tori smiled while Maya was in shock. It seemed like no man had ever rejected her in the past. Owen walked over to the barge, climbed aboard, walked to Lynn and held her hand.

"You might be in love with Lynn now, but I'm not giving up," Maya warned.

"Heh. Well, you should," scoffed Owen. "I'd never fall for a girl like you."

"I'm going to be even more successful as a model and then I'll get you to pay attention to me. You'll end up regretting that you choose her over me."

"I plan on spending the rest of my life with Lynn. We've been together for two years, while you're just a stranger."

"Don't be too optimistic. I'm sure that you'll get sick of her soon."

"Can't you see that all the men that ask you out are only interested in one thing? They just want to sleep with you. Only Richie wanted to get to know you. I bet you've never had a serious relationship. You're too scared to date anyone seriously out of fear that they'll realize how shallow you really are. That must also be why you turned Richie down. Not just for what you already said. I almost feel sorry for you. You want to be rich and at a high position and yet, you're too afraid of a serious relationship."

"Well, if you feel sorry for me, you should dump that plain girl and date me instead. At least give me your phone number for when the time comes."

"I'd rather cut my own head off than date you."

Maya was so shocked that Owen was that in love with Lynn, that she turned on her heel, stormed down the plank, across the quay, up the stairs and out of sight. Tori took some deep breaths to try to calm herself down as she turned off the tape recorder. Duncan walked onto the barge, clearly disappointed in Maya.

"Seems Maya wasn't a true friend after all," said a voice.

The three turned to see Tessa walking up with Jack.

"You heard the whole thing?" Lynn asked.

"Yeah, I understand where you're coming from."

"I seriously want to sabotage her career for this," said Tori.

Jack made cat sounds in response.

"I know how you feel, and before you ask, I would be furious if someone like that said those things about Duncan."

Duncan smiled as Tessa continued, "Regardless, she's no longer in your life anymore, so I think you should let it go."

Tori nodded, feeling calmer. Tessa placed her arm around Lynn's shoulders as a form of comfort, as the younger girl leaned against her and tightened her grip on Owen's hand.

Tori Gordon and the universe Earth N are owned by, PhoenixRisingfromAshes007. Do not worry, I got permission to use them. Now remember this, Tori lives on Earth N, while Owen lives on Earth 1. Earth N1 is a universe where Defender Chronicles and Highlander: The Avenger have a crossover. I have suggested it to PhoenixRisingfromAshes007 for the future.

There is not much change in the dialogue as long as their personalities remain the same.