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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 1:42:30 GMT -5
Veeru shrugged and smiled rather wistfully. "Some lessons you learn the hard way." He shifted slightly in his chair.
"We were eleven when the seperated us. And suddenly Jai . . . was not where he'd always been." He gestured vaguely at his right side, "Was not anywhere, really. I took up all sorts of things -- football, cricket, eventually motorcycle racing." Veeru chuckled wryly, "Partly because I was young and couldn't feel pain -- partly because I missed Jai."
He shrugged. "I did my share of 'Evel Knievel stuff', yes -- I once held the record in Mumbai for the longest jump without a ramp." His chest swelled slightly with pride, "But then I was in a crash, a fairly serious one. I shattered my right hip."
Veeru spread his hands and concluded "And now I settle for just fixing motorcycles, rather than racing them."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 1:51:32 GMT -5
"Ouch. Sorry," Joey murmured.
"About the most exciting thing I like to do is play basketball. I've never wanted to do anything dangerous. I guess maybe I don't have a lot of guts, but I just..." He shrugged ruefully. "I don't want to see anybody get hurt. Not me or anyone else."
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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 1:58:21 GMT -5
Veeru regarded the young man gravely. "There's nothing shameful in that. It makes you a better man than many."
He rubbed the back of his neck and continued thoughtfully "I've been through a lot of dangerous things -- Jai and I both have. And even if he wouldn't be . . . well, quite as able as he is . . . without them," He shrugged. "Sometimes I still wish we'd been able to stay home, and live peaceful lives."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 2:02:18 GMT -5
"Yeah," Joey murmured, thinking about his mother. "I wish that, too."
Forcing back his moment of sentiment, he looked around for Daws. "Where's that food? Whatever it is, it smells good, anyway."
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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 2:12:56 GMT -5
"Here," Daws replied, emerging from the kitchen with plates balanced in both hands and three bottled waters tucked under one arm. "Sorry about the delay -- Salman's Bangladeshi wife can really talk your ear off."
Veeru winced. "Sorry, Daws, I should have mentioned that." He accepted a water, took one of the plates, and eyed the contents, "But at least she lets Salman do the cooking, still."
"Good to hear it." Daws handed the other plate and a bottle of water to Joey and sat down herself. She gestured at the food with her fork.
"Vegetable curry, tandoori chicken, and," she chuckled, "That stuff that looks vaguely like a science experiment is dahi vada -- fried lentil balls in yogurt. Trust me, it's better than it looks."
Daws grinned and added "Salman says he went easy on the spices -- but you might wanna start slowly, just in case."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 2:16:05 GMT -5
With a skeptical expression, Joey took a forkful of the curry. As soon as he put it in his mouth, his eyebrows started telegraphing distress signals, but he managed to chew and swallow it.
"It's... good," he said with a pale grin. "Once you, you know... get used to it."
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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 2:28:08 GMT -5
Veeru laughed heartily. "It's better than the stuff you people call 'native food'," He retorted, taking a large bite of the tandoori, "American food has no soul."
"I dunno about you, V," Daws rolled her eyes, "But I prefer to not eat anything that might've had a soul at any point, past or present."
Veeru narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "Daws, was that a pun?"
"Perish the thought." Daws replied primly, sipping at her water.
Veeru cocked an eyebrow at Joey. "How do you put up with working for her?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 2:36:53 GMT -5
Joey tentatively took a bite of the dahi vada, managing to keep a straight face.
"Well, I only just started. But it's sure been... something else so far," he admitted, eyeing Daws wryly.
"I'd rather be working for her than doing what I did before, though." He paused, swallowing quickly. "I mean... the people I've been working with weren't so nice."
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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 2:42:49 GMT -5
Veeru raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Daws -- but the detective gave him her familiar I-ain't-sayin'-nothin' shrug and suddenly developed a keen interest in her curry.
He settled for remarking quietly "Sounds like there's a story behind that." If the teenager wanted to tell him more, he would.
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 2:49:04 GMT -5
Joey frowned and sighed, glancing at Daws. Well, if she trusted this guy, he supposed he could too.
"I was an errand boy for Nicholas Tiernan," he said quietly, poking at the lentil balls on his plate. "I guess technically I still am--but Daws worked it out to where I'm helping her." He chuckled humorlessly. "Which makes me a spy like her, I guess."
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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 2:59:34 GMT -5
Veeru raised an eyebrow. "I see."
He studied the teenager for a moment before he said "Then you were wrong, what you said before. You have a great deal of guts, to do something like that.
"It's hard enough to stand up against giants like Tiernan when they started out as your enemies -- believe me, I know. But to change to the right side after the fact . . . that takes much more courage."
He glanced down at his plate. "Thank you for trusting me, Joey. I am honored."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 3:07:34 GMT -5
Joey shrugged and smiled weakly. "Daws trusts you. That's good enough for me."
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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 4:14:01 GMT -5
Veeru chuckled and shot Daws a teasing glance. "Regina Dawson, you've become a role model?"
Daws spread her hands and shrugged. "Hey, I didn't do it on purpose. I think Jack's behind it -- dead or not, it's the sort of thing he'd do." She grinned and winked at Joey, "But the kid's got a good head for the job, so I won't complain."
They passed a few more minutes in companionable small talk, and then Jai's "voice" broke in -- sounding (if such a thing were possible) rather smug.
I have something very interesting to show you . . .
Daws raised an eyebrow at Veeru, who shrugged and levered himself out of his chair. "I'll 'wake' him," He said, setting his plate aside.
Daws grabbed the plate before it had time to settle, took Joey's as well, and nodded. "Go ahead, kid -- I'll put these in the kitchen and be right in."
By the time Daws joined them, Jai was 'awake' -- and gesturing at one of the several computer monitors that dotted the room.
"Doctor Henri Cabot," He announced, with restrained but obvious pride. A photograph of a wizened, pencil-mustached man filled the screen. "He has a small clinic just outside of Bastogne, in Belgium. Cole consulted with him there during a trip to Europe when Cole was still in college -- shortly before his graduation."
Daws nodded. "You find any records about his diagnosis?"
Jai smiled faintly. "One could say that, yes. Cabot took several CAT scans, ran blood tests, similar things. All of those records are sealed, of course."
"As if that'd stop you." Daws leaned casually against the wall. "Okay, Jai, I know you well enough t'know when you're playing the dramatic-buildup card. What'd you find?"
Jai gestured at the monitor, and several copies of what looked like medical records scrolled quickly across it. "What I found has less to do with Cole's health than with . . . well . . . other things." He stopped the screen at what looked like a final-diagnosis form -- written in French.
"James Marcus Cole," Jai said quietly, "Suffers from migraine headaches. They are incurable, and only partially treatable -- and they are a side effect."
"Out with it, chota." Veeru nudged his brother's shoulder jokingly, "A side effect of what?"
Jai raised his eyebrows at Daws. "Doctor Cabot is not a neurologist, Regina. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of X-Gene side effects.
"Your Mister Cole is a mutant."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 21:55:06 GMT -5
Joey gaped. "You mean this guy running for mayor is one of us?" He looked in confusion at Daws. "You think Mister Tiernan knows that?"
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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 23:07:41 GMT -5
Daws shook her head emphatically. "Not a chance -- Tiernan'd already be using it to manipulate Cole, if he did." She frowned and turned to Jai. "It say in there what he can do?"
Jai shook his head. "That does not seem to be part of the information Doctor Cabot's file includes, no."
Daws ran a hand through her hair. "So Cole's one of us. That makes it a lot more likely he'd play along with Tiernan's plans. But he didn't do so right off the bat . . ." She shrugged.
"But if Tiernan knew this," Veeru gestured at the computer monitor, "He could, like you say, use it to control Cole."
"All the more reason why I'm not gonna tell Tiernan." Daws replied, "Not just yet, anyhow."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 23:20:42 GMT -5
"I guess it explains why Cole is so interested in mutant rights," Joey mused. "But I don't see why he'd turn down wanting to work with Mister Tiernan. You gotta admit that nobody gets more pro-mutant charity work done than he does."
He glanced at Daws. "What's the next move, then?"
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Post by skybright on Jun 9, 2006 23:42:02 GMT -5
Daws scratched behind her ear. "Hey, Jai, can you get us Cole's address here in town?"
"512 North Wallace Square," Jai replied quickly, "A high-rise apartment building facing Central Park. He has an apartment on the seventeenth floor."
"Then that's where we're headed." Daws straightened. "Thanks, Jai -- this'll help, though," she shrugged and grinned, "I don't know how yet."
"Let me know what you find out." Jai rubbed the bridge of his nose, "And I will keep looking for anything interesting about Mister Cole."
"Thanks." She shot a wicked grin at Veeru, "Take care of your idiot brother for me, yeah?"
"I will." Jai nodded politely to Joey. "It was very good to meet you, Joey."
Veeru started to rise, but Daws waved him back. "We can show ourselves out, V. Don't get up."
"Mother hen." Veeru grinned and glanced at Joey. "Take care of her -- and yourself."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 9, 2006 23:50:44 GMT -5
Joey grinned and nodded. "I'll do my best. You take care of yourself and that leg, too," he added, and followed Daws out.
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Post by skybright on Jun 10, 2006 0:02:19 GMT -5
Daws glanced over at Joey as the two of them headed for the nearest subway station.
"Okay, so you've seen the grunt-work part of the job, and you've met the Twins." She sidestepped around a woman selling Hindi-language newspapers.
"But this next part is where the job's gonna stray into . . . well," She grinned crookedly, "Sort of less-than-legal territory. Not exactly breakin' and entering, you understand -- but definite poking around where we're not supposed to be."
She raised an eyebrow at the teenager. "So if you don't wanna stick around for this part, that's understandable."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 10, 2006 0:06:54 GMT -5
Joey frowned and shook his head. "I'm in all the way, Daws. Besides, I wanna know more about this guy Cole. If he isn't going to be trouble, well..." The teenager shrugged awkwardly. "He might end up in trouble, knowing Mister Tiernan."
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