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Post by Jordanna on Jan 6, 2009 23:37:33 GMT -5
Regarding the girl with a crooked, humorless smile, Proteus gently shook his head.
"No. The real Beaudry is safe--he never knew anything about all this, and now he's laying low with some friends of mine. I took his place to find out more about what was going on at that clinic... because it's a lot more than even you know."
A scowl crossed his face. "And I've got a feeling what's happened isn't exactly going to solve the problem."
He turned to glance at the place where he had lain. The papers he'd smuggled out had fallen there when he let go of his disguise, and they still lay there, untouched.
At least there's that.
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Post by skybright on Jan 6, 2009 23:47:11 GMT -5
Steph nodded slowly. "I guess . . . I guess that explains why you were acting so weird this morning, then."
She glanced towards the mouth of the alley. "There are a lot of cops and fire department trucks out there, still." She said quietly. "I don't know who made it out okay, or if anybody . . ." She broke off abruptly. "I didn't want to go out there, or they would have seen me and then they might have come back here, and . . ."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 6, 2009 23:58:48 GMT -5
Proteus' heart skipped a beat, and there was considerable emotion on his face as he looked at Steph.
"Thank you... for trusting me. For protecting me." He smiled ruefully and dropped his gaze. "I've been what I am for a long, long time, Steph... and you're only the second person who's seen what I really look like."
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Post by skybright on Jan 7, 2009 0:17:29 GMT -5
"Oh." Steph's eyes widened slightly. "I guess you took a big risk -- trusting me, I mean. But . . . well, what else could I do?"
She shrugged faintly and examined her hands, which were still clasped around her knees. "You didn't have to push me out of the way." She said quietly. "I mean . . . most people just look out for themselves, you know? You could've just run.
"But," She glanced up at Proteus with a faint smile. "Well, you said . . . you said we should watch each other's backs. And you watched mine. There's . . . not really a lot of people who've ever done that."
She fell silent for a moment, studying Proteus' face. "I don't even know what your name is." She added quietly.
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 7, 2009 21:41:39 GMT -5
Proteus considered for a long moment. For some reason, he had always felt compelled to guard his name as carefully as he guarded his true form. When asked by the few who knew him for what he was, he had always evaded the question, or occasionally lied outright.
Now, however, he made a different decision.
"I'm called Proteus," he said. He hesitated, and gave Steph a thin smile.
"But my name is Elijah."
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Post by skybright on Jan 7, 2009 23:59:19 GMT -5
"Elijah." Steph repeated quietly.
She glanced up at Proteus with a shaky but genuine smile. "It's . . . nice to meet you, Elijah."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 8, 2009 23:23:24 GMT -5
He chuckled quietly. "No one's called me that in... well, a long time."
Then he shrugged. "You've got a right to know what's behind all this. The doctors you've been working for, and whatever other scientists they've got behind them--they've been experimenting on mutants. Trying to develop their powers as weapons. I've seen one of their victims already... before he died."
He shook his head. "Whatever it is they're trying to create, they came awful close with him... and now they want to try it again. That's why they set up the clinic. They're looking for new guinea pigs with the right powers for their experiments--and they won't be stopped by what's happened today."
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Post by skybright on Jan 8, 2009 23:37:02 GMT -5
Steph's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no . . . "
She frowned and stole a glance towards the mouth of the alley. "Can't . . . can't the police or somebody do something to stop them? I mean . . ." She shrugged helplessly and glanced back at Proteus, "They can't just take people like that, can they?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 8, 2009 23:52:37 GMT -5
"They can take mutants," Proteus said somberly. "There are too many whose families have shut them out because of what they are, and would never miss them. And besides that... we know these people have connections in high places."
He grimaced. "High enough to explain away a whole mountain disappearing, when their lab blew up underneath it."
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2009 0:02:54 GMT -5
Steph clenched her fists. "Then . . . that's also high enough to scare the police away." She murmured.
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2009 0:19:42 GMT -5
"That's a pretty fair statement, yeah," Proteus murmured.
He was still for a moment more, gathering his still-unsteady strength and trying to clear his aching head. Then he picked up the hard-won sheaf of stolen papers, and gingerly levered himself to his feet.
With a grave expression, he turned to Steph.
"You have a choice to make, Steph. I know I can trust you not to talk about any of this. So if your nerves are up to it, you can go back out there, and try to bluff them that you just ran off because you were scared and confused..."
He sighed and shrugged. "Or I can take you to where Beaudry is. Whatever happens, my friends will keep you safe--but I don't have to remind you, your disappearing like that will raise a lot of questions with those creeps out there. You might not be able to get back to your normal life for... quite a while."
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Post by skybright on Jan 9, 2009 0:31:47 GMT -5
Steph worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment, then clambered to her feet. "I . . . honestly, I'm kind of scared to go back to them." She said quietly, dropping her eyes. "I've always been a little scared of Voegel and Doctor G. . . . and now, knowing that they'd do something like that to someone . . . ."
She glanced up at Proteus. "But I'll try. If . . . if it will help."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 9, 2009 22:36:51 GMT -5
Proteus hesitated for a moment, then put his hand on Steph's shoulder and squeezed it gently.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking you to be involved in this. All I care about is that they don't get any ideas about you."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his head again. "For that matter... if I take off now with what I've got, it's going to put Beaudry in a pretty bad spot."
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Post by skybright on Jan 10, 2009 1:21:19 GMT -5
Steph frowned. "But if you go back, aren't they liable to ask where we both went?" She asked.
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 10, 2009 23:42:33 GMT -5
"You know they will... and I'm not in much of a condition to hang around answering questions for long." Proteus forced himself to lower his hand from his wound. "I'm not exactly going to get any better until I've had more time to rest and heal. That little nap might've bought a few hours before I'm too exhausted to keep my act up--but after that..."
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Post by skybright on Jan 10, 2009 23:51:21 GMT -5
Steph frowned. "What if . . . well -- what if we went back to your friends and got the real Beaudry?" She suggested hesitantly.
She shrugged. "I mean -- we'd still have to answer a lot of questions when we went back, but it'd give us a chance to think up a story, and maybe it'd be less suspicious than us just disappearing . . . " She trailed of with a sheepish expression. "I dunno, though. I'm not very good at this spy stuff, I guess."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 11, 2009 0:09:17 GMT -5
Proteus smiled ruefully. "I guess the bottom line is, I'm not much good for thinking right now. And that's why getting out of here is probably the best thing we can do." He shrugged. "My friends can have some pretty fair ideas, when they try. They might be able to come up with something. And either way, at least you'll be safe."
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Post by skybright on Jan 11, 2009 0:16:45 GMT -5
Steph smiled thinly and nodded. "Okay." She murmured.
She edged closer to the mouth of the alleyway and glanced out cautiously. "There's still some police standing around," She said over her shoulder, "And a fire engine. But maybe we can sneak out without them noticing."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 11, 2009 0:24:37 GMT -5
Proteus smiled crookedly. "I think I've got enough left in me to arrange that."
He held out his hand to her. "Steph, if you trust me, take my hand. You may feel something a little strange--but whatever happens, don't let go."
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Post by skybright on Jan 11, 2009 0:29:54 GMT -5
Steph barely hesitated before she put her own hand into Proteus' outstretched one. "Okay," she said quietly. "I trust you."
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