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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 0:06:12 GMT -5
Daws looked thoughtful. "Well, Cole's gonna be contacting me when he gets back into town anyway -- I thought I'd have a little talk with him about his spying on Tiernan."
She shrugged one shoulder. "If Cole can pick something outta that creepy brain of Tiernan's, maybe we can move to screw up Tiernan's plans even before they happen -- which'd look a lot less suspicious than his plans going wrong everytime he tells me about 'em."
The detective grinned crookedly. "After all, you and Alex are gonna tie the knot someday. I'd kinda like to still be around when it happens. "
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 0:12:01 GMT -5
Miriam blushed and dropped her gaze.
With a yawn, Vance let his newspaper flutter to the floor and sat up. He glanced at Daws.
"Any plans for this second round of waiting, or are we just gonna sit around here until Ollivard gets back?--Other than dropping in on the Padre, that is."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 0:20:42 GMT -5
Daws shrugged. "We could go down to Our Lady right now, for that matter -- Padre's always around on Saturdays, because the basketball league plays later in the day." She grinned. "In fact, seein' a game played mutant style might be a great cultural experience."
She raised an eyebrow at Hubert. "Whattaya think, Hubert? You want to see how our kind of people handle religion and sports?"
Hubert looked up from a section of the newspaper and shrugged. "Almost anything would be preferable to simply sitting here all day."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 0:30:30 GMT -5
Alex had wandered over from his chat with Handy. "You wanna go along?" he asked Miriam.
She nodded. "It'd be nice to get out and take a walk in the sunshine."
Vance looked at her with a slight frown. "That safe for you, Doc?"
Miriam fingered the light scarf around her neck. "That's what this is for," she replied, drawing it up over her head to conceal her auburn tresses. "I should be safe around here, though. I wouldn't wander off in any ordinary neighborhood, but most of these people know me from the resistance meetings."
"Fine." Vance looked over at his confederate. "C'mon, Handy. We're gonna go for a stroll."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 0:38:47 GMT -5
Daws retrieved her coat and fedora, grinning. "This oughtta be interesting."
Huber set his coffee cup aside with a skeptical look at the detective. "It's my observation that -- generally speaking -- your definition of 'interesting' is radically different from any sane individual's."
Daws merely grinned cheekily in reply and led the way out of the apartment.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 0:52:38 GMT -5
Outdoors, the late morning was bright and fresh as the six mutants made their way toward Our Lady of Refuge. Miriam and Alex walked hand in hand; Vance prowled along alertly, keeping his ordinarily brisk stride in check for the benefit of his companions. Handy lumbered at his own pace, kicking at loose pebbles and bottlecaps on the sidewalk, and occasionally bending down to examine some cast-off object more closely.
The neighborhood was active, with people going about their business all around them. Many looked ordinary, while others were quite visibly mutants. Other than a few random greetings, no one paid the group any attention.
"Pretty normal, isn't it, Hubert?" Vance observed to the scientist at length, only half-questioningly.
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 1:05:03 GMT -5
Hubert nodded thoughtfully. "In point of fact, it seems rather more normal than most of the neighborhoods in the City."
Daws chuckled. "y'know, outsiders -- people who aren't New Yorkers -- they mostly think of the City as one big, terrifying urban wasteland. Truth is, it's more like hundreds of small towns that just happen to be all strung together." She gestured to their surroundings. "That's doubly true down here. It's not just an area where we all happen to live -- it's a community, and a pretty close-knit one at that."
The group reached Our Lady of Refuge, and Mrs. Abramoff called a greeting from her third-floor balcony across the street. Daws waved in response, and held open the gate for the others.
"Mike Whitebird's usually around on Saturdays, too," Daws said offhandedly, "But I dunno if he's here today or not."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 1:12:56 GMT -5
Daws had hardly spoken the words before Mike came around the corner of the church building, bearing an armload of empty terracotta flowerpots. Seeing the detective and her companions, he grinned and shambled toward them with his limping gait.
"Hi, Daws! You here to see the Padre?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 1:15:27 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Yeah, Mike -- I've got somebody here I want him to meet."
Almost as an afterthought, she turned to Hubert. "Hubert, this is Mike Whitebird -- he does a lot of the upkeep around here. Keeps the church from fallin' down around our ears."
She turned back to Mike, gesturing at the scientist. "Mike, this is Hubert. A new friend of ours."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 1:21:17 GMT -5
Mike gave Hubert a friendly, childlike grin, sticking out a huge hand. "Hi. I like people that're Daws' friends."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 1:24:42 GMT -5
Hubert looked a little unsure of how to take that, but he smiled and returned the handshake. "Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mike."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 1:27:46 GMT -5
"You wanna see the Padre, he's watchin' the basketball game." Mike smiled. "Joey's there too, Daws."
"Wonderful," Vance murmured under his breath.
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 1:35:19 GMT -5
Daws grinned and patted Mike's shoulder. "Thanks, Mike."
She led the group towards the gym building, glancing at Hubert as she did. "We've got a weekly sports league that runs pretty much all year. It's basketball season at present. I play softball when the season comes around. My friend Joey Falco's on the basketball team."
She shot Major Vance a pointed look. "You behave yourself."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 1:43:50 GMT -5
Vance rolled his eyes at Daws.
As they entered the gym, they were met by the sounds of youthful shouts and a hard rubber ball against the floor. Joey Falco happened to be near the doorway, and grinned when he caught sight of Daws--but upon noticing the Major, he quickly frowned and turned his concentration back to the game.
"I used to play," Vance murmured, with a touch of nostalgia. "High school. I was better at baseball, though. What about either of you?"
Miriam shook her head, and Alex shrugged. "When I was a kid, I was too busy learning to make a living."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 1:52:04 GMT -5
"I could teach ya sometime if you want," Daws offered, "Although I'm with Vance on this one -- better at baseball." She shrugged and gestured for the group to follow her.
They skirted the edge of the court, passing the enterprising trio of girl scouts and several clusters of spectators, before they reached the bleachers. Father Rick was in his customary spot, with his Referee baseball cap settled backwards on his bald head.
The priest glanced away from the game and smiled at the approaching group. "Well, well -- if you all aren't a sight for sore eyes." He nodded to Alex, Miriam, Daws and Handy, then raised an eyebrow at Vance. "Still alive, Boyo?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 1:56:14 GMT -5
Vance gave the priest a hard smile. "An' still fightin', Pop. We've done a pretty good week's work--rufflin' Nocturne's feathers and maybe saving mutantkind at the same time."
He turned and gestured to Hubert. "Allow me to introduce the late Franz Huber."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 2:06:38 GMT -5
The scientist in question stepped forward somewhat sheepishly, and Father Rick shot Vance a brief, astonished look.
Quickly composing his features, the priest held out one of his wide hands. "Welcome to Our Lady of Refuge, Doctor Huber."
Hubert nodded and returned the handshake. "I'm operating as Hubert now, actually, Father . . ."
"Rick Steele, though it's a bit of a parish custom to just call me 'Padre'." He examined the other man gravely. "It's been quite a week for you, hasn't it?"
Hubert smiled wryly. "That doesn't even begin to . . . "
"Hey, ref!" A brusque voice from the court interjected, "That was a foul! You blind or what?!"
Padre shook his head. "I'm afraid this'll have to wait until halftime." He apologized. Then he snatched off his cap -- revealing his extra eyes -- and stalked onto the court with a scowl. "Jenner, you know full well that phrase isn't allowed on this court!"
Daws chuckled at the somewhat dumbfounded look on Hubert's face. "I said it'd be eye-opening."
Hubert blinked in surprise. "He . . . that is, your priest has . . ."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 2:13:26 GMT -5
"He's got extra eyes like I got extra arms," Handy remarked, with a roll of his eyes. "So what's new?"
Vance chuckled grimly. "I thought you said you'd seen mutations that'd make anything we know look normal," he recalled to Hubert.
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 2:18:12 GMT -5
Hubert shook his head slightly. "I'm simply wondering what on earth the interior of his skull must look like." He replied.
Daws threw her head back and laughed brightly. "Yeah, and you're not the only one, Hubert -- I know a lot of people who wonder what must go on in the Padre's head."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 2:27:58 GMT -5
Vance gave a comfortable shrug. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but if the Padre can't give us his attention at the moment, I think I'll just sit down and watch the game." So saying, he dropped himself onto the nearest bleacher.
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