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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 1:41:15 GMT -5
"Smart lady," Vance murmured with a grin, taking out his wallet and moving toward the counter. "Thanks for the help. You seem to be pretty good at this hand-holding business."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 1:54:50 GMT -5
Miranda smiled. "We got to take care of each other, Major." Her voice grew slightly sad. "Too many of us got nobody else to do it."
She turned to Hubert and gestured at the items she'd collected. "You gotta toothbrush, comb, some shavin' things. Socks, soap, things like that. And a few things to eat -- soup mix. Tea. You need anyt'ing else, you come back an' I'll help you get it."
Hubert had been silent and subdued; now he looked up and gave the shopkeeper a faint but (to Daws' astonishment) genuine smile. "Thank you very much."
Miranda nodded as she shuffled the purchases into shopping bags. "You come back now. You too, Major -- you always got a friend here."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 2:00:52 GMT -5
Vance smiled. "Thanks, Miranda. I'd kiss ya, but, you know... there's that whole electric shock thing." He gave the shopkeeper a cheeky smile and a saluting gesture, then turned to lead Daws and Hubert out of the store.
Once they were out on the sidewalk, he turned to Hubert with an eyebrow raised in bemusement. "You handled that nicely. A little more behavior like that, and I'll start to be impressed."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 2:06:56 GMT -5
Hubert frowned and looked away. "She was kind and courteous to me. I was simply reciprocating." He mumbled crossly.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 2:23:40 GMT -5
"Let that be a lesson to ya." Vance put the shopping bag in Hubert's arms and started off down the sidewalk. "Back before I turned, I can't even remember any mundie shop clerk being as nice to me when I was havin' a bad day."
He shrugged, looking thoughtful. "I guess if there's a real up side to being outcasts from so-called society, it's that. Getting kicked around by norms reminds us to be more kind to each other."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 2:36:17 GMT -5
Hubert frowned. "I don't understand." He shot a quizzical glance at Vance.
"With one obvious exception," he gestured briefly at his own face, "You could pass easily as human. So could that clerk. Yet I would assume that she chooses to live here." The scientist looked deeply confused. "Why mark yourself as mutant when you aren't forced to do so?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 3:07:53 GMT -5
"If you don't understand that already, I don't know if my trying to explain it'll do any good." Vance put his hands in his pockets, gazing up at the visible swath of blue sky between the buildings around them.
"A lot of us have different reasons, Hubert. For some of us, even if nobody can tell, it's enough to know we'd be hated if the norms knew what we were--we'd rather be with our own kind, and be accepted for ourselves. I guess you'd call that pride--and I know you definitely won't understand that, but it's the truth.
"And some of us would rather be here, helping our own, than just drifting along in regular society and knowing others like us aren't so lucky. I've known mutants from a coupla the oldest, richest families in New England, who chose to spend their lives working for the good of other mutants. Their families disowned 'em when they confessed what they were. They lost their status, their inheritance, everything--but taking care of the mutants who'd never had the chances they did was more important to them."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 3:10:49 GMT -5
Huber's puzzled frown lightened slightly. He studied the ground in front of him.
"It appears," he murmured slowly, "That I have a great deal of thinking to do."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 3:28:55 GMT -5
Vance chuckled. "We knew that a long time before you did, pal. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to do it, too--it'll be a few days before Doc Ollivard gets back into town."
He smiled slightly. "Ollivard's the kind that tries to walk the line between our world and the norms. Same with Foxy--the red-headed songbird you saw at the motel. I don't envy 'em; keeping up that double life just might be toughest of all on them. But in my own way, I appreciate their choice. If anybody can show the world we're not monsters, it'll be the ones who can bridge the gap, the way they do."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 3:40:18 GMT -5
Hubert nodded. "I seem to recall hearing this Ollivard's name mentioned in scientific circles. I didn't know he was a mutant, obviously. One always wonders. Several of my colleages -- that is to say, my former colleagues . . ." he broke off and shook his head abruptly.
Daws seemed to understand where his train of thought was going. "You want my advice, Hubert?" She buried her hands in the pockets of her coat, "Bury the old you fast. And I'm not just sayin' that because of who the old you was, either. For people like us," she indicated her own appearance, "There just isn't any goin' back."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 3:50:18 GMT -5
"Amen to that," Vance remarked, and glanced at Hubert. "You wanna go back to the apartment now, or spend some more time on this little educational field trip?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 3:58:13 GMT -5
Hubert raised an eyebrow. "After three days in that charming motel you located, I'd appreciate some time in the open."
Daws was of the opinion that Hubert was just as interested in postponing any more encounters with reflective surfaces -- but she kept that thought to herself.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 4:09:28 GMT -5
"Fair enough," Vance replied with a shrug. "There's a little park near here. You might find that an interesting place for some contemplation... especially at this time of day."
He was thinking of the fact that there would now likely be a number of children playing there--nearly all of them the children of mutants, and many of them already displaying mutations themselves.
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 4:21:38 GMT -5
Hubert nodded in assent, his mind apparently elsewhere.
The trio made their way to the park, a grassy swath that the community had erected on the site of two once-abandoned lots. Several younger kids were at play on the swingset and monkey bars; a few preteens were amusing themselves by skateboarding around the small fountain at the park's center.
They found an unoccupied picnic table in the shade of an oak tree and sat down. Daws removed her fedora and stretched lazily, raking her fingers through her hair.
"I'm with Hubert on this one. It's nice to be outside for a change."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 4:29:31 GMT -5
"Well, it's a nice day, anyway." Vance was a man generally indifferent to his surroundings. He folded himself onto the bench and rested his chin on his hand, gazing for a few long moments at the children playing nearby.
At length, his good eye flicked toward Hubert. "You probably didn't think I had a coupla those once, did you?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 4:39:41 GMT -5
Hubert raised an eyebrow. "And I'm sure they were charming young kidnappers, just like their father," he replied sardonically -- but there was an undertone of humor in the words.
Daws shook her head. "Two jokes in just as many days, Hubert? You gotta watch it, or you'll spoil your reputation."
Hubert gave a dignified sniff. "I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea what you mean."
His own gaze wandered to the children on the swing. "Children are at their best at this age," he said, half to Vance and half to himself. "When they still believe the world is a good place."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 4:46:04 GMT -5
"That's about as true as anything I've ever heard," Vance agreed in a low voice.
For a few more minutes, he sat watching the children. At last he gave Hubert another thoughtful glance, before his gaze turned away again.
"The guy who was planning to kill you... he had my daughter killed, too."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 4:52:22 GMT -5
Hubert gave Vance a startled look, one that softened before he glanced away again. "I'm sorry for your loss," he murmured. His tone was more sincere than it had been at any point over the past few days.
Still watching the children, he added "I suppose that really explains why you involved yourself with me. You're interested in hurting the thing that hurt your child as much as you possibly can."
A long moment passed before he said, almost under his breath, "I can sympathize with that."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 8, 2006 5:12:43 GMT -5
"I didn't need to save your life to get back at that man," Vance replied, a trifle brusquely. "When I'm ready for my payback, he's gonna know it. What I did for you, I really did because..."
He trailed off. After another moment of silence, he went on, "I have a son, too, Hubert. I'm guessing he must be pretty close to your kid's age. He's not one of us. I thought I needed to protect him from that, too--but all I did was lose him."
He met Hubert's gaze. "I'd give just about anything to see Nate now--but even if I could make things right with him, I can't get close to him, because that could put him in real danger from the people I'm fighting. But if I've given you a chance to fix things with your son... " He shook his head in resigned frustration, then finished in a quiet voice.
"Well, at least that's something."
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Post by skybright on Jul 8, 2006 5:30:24 GMT -5
Hubert looked deeply troubled. "My son . . ." He shook his head and looked away with a pained sigh.
"You all asked me what had become of him. I don't know the answer." He said quietly. "I don't know where he is, or even if he's still alive. And now . . ." He looked down at the ridged lavender skin of his hands and laughed bitterly.
"Thank whatever luck you have, Major Vance, that you never saw your son go through what I went through yesterday." He clenched his hands suddenly, as if in remembered pain. "I did. But it was far more painful for Joseph, and took him a much longer time.
"I chose my research because . . . because I wanted to eliminate the thing that had done that to my son. I wanted to hurt mutation." Hubert closed his eyes, looking faintly nauseated.
"Even if I could somehow find him . . . how could Joseph ever forgive me for what I tried to do?" He muttered. "Even if, in my own way, I did it for him?"
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