Jack grabbed his clothes, and then took her hand, still holding his towel with the other one.

As soon as Jeff and Jack take Candy's hands, she is able to teleport all of them (including Darren) to Gysboure Manor.

>>>>>>>>>>>To Gysbourne Manor>>>>>>>>>>>
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:58, Thu 23 June 2011.

  Megaira aettled down with Edge, laying her gently on the cot.

Vaan barely had time to make even a feeble attempt to catch herself before Meg rocketed into the sky. Vaan slowly closed her eyes, before she knew it, she was being gently laid down. Her body was beginning to relax after what seemed like a week on pure adrenaline, and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and fall asleep.

Reaching out towards Meg, Vaan grabbed the girl's wrist. "What's going to happen to me?" she asked softly, "I can't go back...I can't go back....."

  Megaira let her healing energies flow into Edge as she said "Well, if you can't go back, you stay here, in this time.  How are you doing now?"

Vaan felt the life-energy flow into her through her hand. It burned slightly, as cuts and bruises, and probably a couple broken knuckles and various fractures healed almost instantly. She breathed sharply inward as toxins were metabolized, and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes turned a bright shade of green, and she smiled slightly, letting her hand fall.

"I'm...better," She said, feebly attempting to sit up..and failing miserably. She was out of energy, almost completely, though she did manage to prop herself up slightly. "I should be nonexistent right now. Every time or metaphysics theory I've read tells me I should've either died when I went through, or be catapulted into nothingness."

She glanced downward, her voice soft as she spoke.

"Besides, anything's better than where I come from. Parents disappear before you're two years old, raised by a cripple who can barely function physically. The only real family I've had were Uncle Jack and Aunt Penny, and now they're gone, too..."

She was scared, and she stared at Meg, her eyes turning a deep purple. "What is this time like, at least?"

  Meg said quietly "It's not a picnic, but things usually aren't that bad here in this now.  I haven't lived to your time yet, obviously, but I think you just figured out, I won't grow old and I won't die.  Here, take some more energy.  I can give you a place to stay if you need it, if you want, close to me.  In the Derring Condos.  Humans are struggling to accept that parahumans are among them, and we're not ravning, fire breathing, baby eating monsters."

At Meg's prompting, Vaan took more energy, lifting one of her hands slowly, fingers spread out. Almost instantly, Vaan's eyes turned a solid black color, accessing the Flow and draining the fount of energy at an alarming rate. Fortunately, it only lasted a few seconds, and the energy consumed was tantamount to a starved man at a feast. The pallor in Vaan's skin livened up, and as her eyes returned to normal, she leaned upwards, resting her arms on her knees.

"I know. Mastermind.....Hunter, as you would call him, said you were perpetually young. Never really believed it until now, though." She stared at her hands. Gloved, caked in encrusted blood of a thousand opponents, and cut off at the digits. She'd been in battle almost constantly. Now, by some odd hand Fate dealt her, she could relax...maybe try to avert the future if it began that way.

"If you could help me adjust...I'd welcome it. Maybe I can do something to keep this past from becoming my present." She said, absent-mindedly taking a picture out from inside her coat. It was of Katy and Aaron Tanaka, holding each other, eyes locked, and smiling.

"No, we're not. Everyone has a choice to become a monster. Only when we cross the line, the chaos is bigger, stronger." She said, tearing her eyes from the picture in her hand and staring at Meg.

"So what now?" She asked.

  Meg smiled, and said "Did he ever tell you why I am?  See, I heal.  I regnerate, actually, and you can literally watch the damage vanish.  Even 'aging' is the body decaying, and my body doesn't.  At all.  I'll never look any older.  And I take after my Mom.  She's well over four thousand right now.  She looks a little older than I do.  Not much though.  I can heal others, like I just healed you, by making your body heal like mine does.  I will gladly help you acclimatize."  She rose, and padded to a chest where she grabbed a terrycloth robe and a couple other items out, and said "Right now, you get a hot shower and a good night's sleep.  In the morning, we can begin getting you acclimatized and set up comfortably here."

Sliding off the cot and onto her feet, Vaan unclasped the bindings that held the gloves together, slipping them off and laying them on the cot. Flexing her fingers, she began fishing out all the armaments she held on her person. two pistols, a belt of throwing knives, and a plethora of handheld armaments that could cause plenty of  damage were laid out on the cot, as well as taking off the helmet, laying it aside as it reformed to it's full size. Sure that she was completely disarmed, she shouldered out of her coat, folding it with extreme care and depositing it on the last free space of the cot as well.

Accepting the robe from Meg, Vaan made her way to one of the shower stalls. Closing the glass door behind her, she began undressing, beginning with her hand- and foot- wraps. "He mentioned it a bit," She said, turning on the shower and enjoying the warmth of the water. She felt as if months of stress were being washed away. "It's one of the reasons we launched a suicide attack to get you back. The great Megaira Kattakara, the one who was to keep the Emperor alive forever...or something like that."

She was silent for a moment or two. Then the water ceased flowing, and the curtain swished back. "Meg, what can you tell me about Lady Psyche?" She asked as she dried off, her tone inquisitive.

  Megaira arched an eyebrow, and said "I know she is a current member of the Legacy.  Would you like to meet her?"

Vaan wrapped herself in the robe, sighing contentedly as she tied the waist-cord. She began drying her hair with the towel provided, not bothering to tidy the poorly cut fan of hair. She had never learned how. It was supposed to be manageable, so much that it wasn't a weakness to an opponent. Opening the door, she stared at Meg a moment or two, contemplating what she had said as she walked out, feeling refreshed.

"I...maybe. Yeah. Do you know what she's like?" Vaan asked, her eyes vibrantly changing shades of multiple colors.

  Meg said "I haven't really dealt with her much, she doesn't seem to think a lot of those of us who are a younger generation of heroes so far.  Here, let me give you a hand.  Your hair is all ragged, and I can at least neaten it up for you.  Comb it out, let you feel like you're a human being again, and not like a hunted animal."  She caught a little personal grooming kit, and drew forth a comb and a small pair of scissors.  She waved Vaan over, adding "Some of my team mates call me the mother hen of the team, but I can't really help myself.  I'm a healer and a nurturer by nature, so I tend to try and take good care of my team mates, and sometimes even strays they find that need a hand."

"Um....okay..." Vaan said, walking over to Meg and taking a seat, so Meg could have free reign to deal with Vaan's unattended hair. "Even so...I'd like to meet her. She disappeared when I was really little. Masterm....Hunter didn't say why." Vaan waited for Meg to begin tending her hair, halfheartedly mumbling, "Didn't have the luxury of being human."

  Meg said gently, as she began combing and neatening her hair, trimming it to an even length and trying to give it a little style as she talked.  "I can arrange a meeting for you, most certainly.  If nothing else, I can pester Hunter for it.  I'm the fix-it lady for everyone, really.  You have that opportunity now, Vaan.  You can be a human being, you can see what it feels like to live in a world where freedom is the norm, not the exception.  And take that knowledge, and make yourself stronger for knowing what you want to keep."  She finished combing the hair, and trimming it, and then offered Vaan the mirror.

"Yeah..." Vaan said dreamily, taking the mirror and looking at herself. Taking a deep breath and trying to see herself as less of a warrior, and more as a person. "It's funny, really. I've done nothing but fight to end so much suffering, and I find it before I'm even born...And I don't even know what to do now." Her hand moved to touch her hair. It didn't feel greasy or grimy, and the shampoo she'd used made it smell wonderful. A small smile touched her face.

  Meg chuckled, and said "Ready to go meet my neighbors, Bill and Darren?  And their daughter, Bella, whom you already met?"

"Um....Sure," Vaan said, "Just let me get dressed." Vaan stood up, changing into the clothes that Meg had given her before. A simple blouse and jeans, but Vaan couldn't help but feel exposed. She was used to being a face in the crowd, blending in, with an arsenal of weapons capable of dealing with just about anything or anyone.

"O...kay. How do I look?" She asked.

  Meg smiled, and said "Pretty normal.  Want a backpack for all your stuff, so you don't have to leave it anywhere else?"

"It would be nice," Vaan said, casting a glance back at her possessions. Granted, 95% of them were weapons, it wouldn't hurt to store them away, and when she finally got settled in, find a nice safe spot and hide them away. A hole in the ground, maybe. Vaan began rubbing her left hand. It was strange without having any sort of armor or protection.

  Meg nodded, and said "Let me grab you a backpack, and I can see about setting up a meeting between you and Lady Psyche."

"Okay," was Vaan's response as she began packing what little she now owned, making sure her weapons weren't chambered, and unloading the clips, as well as making sure her knives were secure in the belt. Once she was sure they were no longer dangerous, she arranged them so they were taking up as little space as possible...as big as, say, a small backpack, at least.

When Meg brought Vaan the backpack to her, she put everything in, arranging it carefully. Most were sharp and/or explosive objects, so she couldn't really afford to have anything loose. Vaan also grabbed her helmet, giving it a moments look. She wasn't in a war-zone now, so protecting herself from a bullet to the head wasn't needed, but she wasn't going to just throw it away. It was way too useful. Pressing  a panel where the forehead would be, the helmet reformed into a forearm-length glove on Vaan's left hand.

"Nano-technology. Experimental stuff," Vaan said, shouldering the backpack and looking at Meg, "...Ready?"

  Megaira nodded, and said "Yes I am.  I'll take you to my apartment first, and while we are there, I will ask Dragon Fist to contact Lady Psyche to see if she is available for a meeting with you.  Yes, complicated communication chain, I know, but it is worth it."  She offered Vaan her elbow as she summoned up her magnetics.

"Thank you," Vaan said, taking a firm hold of Meg. Now flying she was used to.

  Megaira lifted them both off, and headed them to her apartment.

------>> Derring Condos