“Did you forget something Tay?” Zac asked. “The key to the door perhaps.”
Taylor grinned, and stepped inside. The second the door was shut Taylor... started shape shifting? Zac glared at Z for a moment, then he grinned.
“Ah ha! I always knew Tay was a girl,” he grinned. “But seriously, what’s the deal Z? And how’d you know what room we were in?”
“We have an operative working here,” she shrugged. “By the way, I love your fake names.”
“Well, thank you. And while we’re exchanging compliments, I have to say I like the story you used to explain your sudden absence. Do you use the divorce thing a lot?”
Z grinned, a twinkle glinting in her eye.
“Let’s just say I have more divorced, long lost, step, and goodness knows how many other kinds of parents than any other person on the planet. Not to mention being separated from a bunch of kids, aunts, uncles, and few husbands...” she paused, “and a wife or two. Relax Zac, I was pretending to be a guy at those times.”
“I think Tay was right. You shape shifters have no gripes about being the other sex.”
“Ahh, Zac, you can only truly understand the other sex when you walk in their shoes. And even then it’ll take a few years.”
“You speaking from experience?”
“I like to think I pull off a pretty convincing guy by now. I’ve only been doing it for uncountable years.”
“Uncountable?” Zac asked. “Is that because you’re so old you lost track of time? Or are you too busy tracking down vampires and werewolves and goblins, and then pass whatever spare time you have left by stalking musicians?”
These last words were stated critically. Their eyes met for a long moment, Zac’s accusing, Z’s a piercing glare. There was silence.
“And I suppose you’re not going to reply to me huh? I mean, it would be just typical if you just sat there in silence for the next three hours.”
“One thing I really hate, is when people think they know me. I do what I do for good reasons -”
“Good in who’s eyes?”
“Oh, I see. So searching for and getting you back to your family was a bad thing?”
“No, the thing was good. Was the reason? For all I know, you could have done it just because you have an vendetta against the Goblin, and didn’t really care whether I got home or not, just as long as you got one up on ol’ Frog-features.”
Z was silent for a moment.
“You’re right. The main reason was not out of concern for you, as much as it was to stop that Goblin from succeeding in whatever scheme she was plotting. But it’s no vendetta Zac. I - and many others - have a problem with certain people taking over the world. I happen to know she wants to send the whole human race into slavery. I know that the entire community of the insect people will be condemned to live only to be eaten – probably alive at that. I know she has plans for other communities too – but you haven’t met them yet. That vampire was killing people, Zac. He was also involved in a couple the Goblin’s other schemes, probably more that what we know.”
“Well, aren’t we noble?”
“I do what I do without thought as to what everyone else thinks, Zac. You can think I’m the scum of the earth for all I care, but I will not see this world fall in the hands of Gretel – or anyone else. I will not see innocent people murdered. And I won’t tolerate anyone other destructive actions by any other Mutant – or Triggered.”