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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 2:39:52 GMT -5
Daws shrugged and followed suit, as did Hubert. The scientist frowned quizzically at the now-resumed basketball game.
"Did that young man just levitate down-court?"
Daws nodded as she removed her hat. "Yeah. Powers are permitted in play, so long as nobody uses 'em against another player -- and so long as fliers stay on the court for at least half the time."
Hubert nodded. "It seems to me that might make for a slight inequity between teams."
Daws shrugged. "Padre shuffles the teams around pretty regular, so that everyone has a chance to play in different combinations. But honestly, most players self-regulate themselves anyhow." She regarded the game thoughtfully. "I guess when nobody's forcing you to hide what you're capable of, you have a better sense of when what you're capable of should and shouldn't be used."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 3:07:19 GMT -5
"Ah, fair play," Vance murmured. "This is about the only place you'll find it."
At that moment, the basketball escaped from the players and came sailing in their direction. Vance reacted on instinct, tossing a small "boomer" enclosed in a telekinetic bubble. With its explosive force confined, the impact and detonation merely caused the ball to bounce back toward the court.
It was Joey who caught the ball as it rebounded. He gave the Major an uncertain look, then smiled faintly. "Thanks."
Vance grunted indistinctly as the boy moved off to rejoin his teammates.
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 3:16:38 GMT -5
Daws grinned and gestured at the teenager. "That's Joey Falco. He does some work assisting me at Grimalkin -- my detective agency."
"Grimalkin?" Hubert raised an eyebrow at her. "You do know that . . ."
"It's an old word for a stray cat. Yeah." Daws rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Don't look at me. My late partner named the place long before I came along -- picked the word out of Macbeth because he liked the sound of it."
She grinned wryly. "It's pretty much the only cat-related joke I'll put up with, too. I can't stand people who call me 'kitty' or 'kitten'." She turned her attention back to the game. "It's how I look -- doesn't mean that's what I am."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 3:23:23 GMT -5
"I'll remember not to call ya 'kitten', then," Vance remarked with a sly grin.
Finding it somewhat hard to pay attention to the game when he couldn't even tell who was playing against whom, Alex had gone over to the Girl Scouts to buy a few bags of popcorn. Upon returning, he gave one bag to Miriam, then leaned over to their companions. "Anybody want some?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 3:35:28 GMT -5
Daws grinned and accepted one of the bags. "Thanks, Alex." she popped a few kernels in her mouth and said offhandedly "Y'know, I think those Girl Scouts probably turn a better profit than half the businesses on this block."
Hubert glanced thoughtfully towards the door. "Are they . . .?"
Daws shrugged and offered him some of the popcorn. "Most of the troop are too young to tell yet -- most people don't manifest until their teens. A few of 'em were born with physical mutations, but that's pretty rare."
She gestured at the younger teens and kids who dotted the bleachers, watching the game. "Most of the kids here have at least one mutant parent, or are mutants themselves. The parish isn't all-mutant, though -- it's about thirty percent human. A lot of those are people married to mutants."
Hubert raised an eyebrow as he took a handful of popcorn. "You know . . . only a few days ago, the thought of mixed marriages was utterly abhorrent to me. And yet . . ." he shrugged. "Somehow, it's . . . lost its shock value, I suppose."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 3:46:52 GMT -5
"Someday you won't be shocked by much of anything," Vance remarked.
The basketball game ended with seeming abruptness, and Joey wandered over, running his hands through his unruly and sweat-dampened hair. "Uh... hi, everybody," he greeted them, darting a glance at the Major.
"Hi, Joey," Alex said with a grin. "Who just won?"
"My team!" the teenager retorted, sounding vaguely insulted that Alex had been unable to tell. "So how are you all? Um..." He paused expectantly, with a polite smile, as his gaze fell upon Hubert.
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 3:51:52 GMT -5
Daws smiled and gestured at the scientist beside her.
"Hubert, Joey Falco -- my assistant, in addition to being a fine basketball player."
"Joey, this is Hubert." She cleared her throat and added, "The gentleman we were looking into at the Millenium."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 3:56:36 GMT -5
Joey's eyebrows rose, and he gave Daws a look of blank surprise. "You've been... busy."
He glanced back at Hubert and shook his head, with a good-natured grin. "I get boring jobs pretending to be a delivery boy to ask questions, and she does the interesting stuff."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 4:01:17 GMT -5
Hubert smiled slightly and glanced sideways at Daws. "I see your corrupted definition of 'interesting' is spreading."
Daws rolled her eyes good-naturedly and then grinned at Joey. "Life's a process, kid. Someday you'll work your way up to the kidnapping-mad-scientists level, don't worry."
Hubert sniffed and glanced away. "I rather take offense at the term 'mad scientist'. I'm not Baron Von Frankenstein."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 4:06:12 GMT -5
"No, Frankenstein was more interested in making things than destroying 'em," Vance observed placidly. He raised a hand before the scientist could protest. "But we're talkin' about Doctor Franz Huber--not Hubert."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 4:12:40 GMT -5
Hubert ducked his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I appreciate that, Major."
Daws smiled. "Everyone deserves a second chance -- if they're willin' to take it." she said,
"I couldn't agree more." Father Rick interjected, joining them with a shake of his head. "Of course, that rascal Jenner is on his third or fourth chance." He smiled at the group. "Now, where were we?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 4:22:15 GMT -5
"We were introducing you to the fella we snatched from the jaws of a certain crazy bat," Vance replied, with a languid gesture toward Hubert. "We sorta had a rough coupla days, but it's all seemed to come out in a happy ending."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 4:36:50 GMT -5
Hubert raised an eyebrow at Vance. "I'm not entirely sure I'd call it that." He said, shaking his head slightly. "It certainly doesn't feel like I'm anywhere near an ending."
"You're not." Daws interjected. "You're just gettin' started."
Padre tilted his head and examined the scientist gravely. "And how do you feel about that?" He asked, shooting Daws a significant glance. "Seein' as how you certainly didn't ask for any of this?"
Hubert shrugged and smiled slightly. "Confused, mainly. I'm being exposed to a great many new experiences in a relatively short period. It's . . . rather overwhelming." He paused. "But . . . it's better than death would have been."
Padre raised an eyebrow at Vance. "Your little plot seems to have come off rather well, Boyo. I certainly thought you'd have come to a lot more . . . unpleasant situation by this time."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 4:54:35 GMT -5
Vance chuckled. "What, did you think Hubert here was gonna develop pyrokinesis and incinerate me? ...Well, at first he might have if he could have, but we came to terms after I got his partner out of everybody's way without even spooking her. As for his own ideas, learning more about people like us fixed that."
He leaned back, folding his arms. "I like to believe truth'll always win out eventually. I'd rather have that on my side than any other weapon."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 5:03:48 GMT -5
Father Rick chuckled. "That's a philosophy I can agree with, Boyo."
He glanced back at Hubert, frowning slightly. "What's to become of you now? You can't go back to anyone you'd have known before -- not as one of us." He raised an eyebrow. "Or did any of this lot think of that?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 5:21:13 GMT -5
"Don't worry, Pop, he'll be taken care of," Vance replied. "Miss Dawson's pal Doc Ollivard is gonna take Hubert under his wing. Help him put his skills to a good use." He shrugged. "He's starting off with more than a lotta other mutants are lucky enough to have."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 5:25:28 GMT -5
The Padre nodded gruffly and turned back to Hubert. "Well, if you need anything else, you can always come to me." He tipped his head thoughtfully. "I'll admit that I was against this whole idea -- too much that could've gone wrong, and too many lines bein' crossed. But now that you're here -- you're welcomed."
Hubert nodded. "Thank you, Father."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 5:36:16 GMT -5
"Well, there's just a coupla touchy points to clear up," Vance mused. "According to the detective, Nocturne's pretty afraid Huber disappeared to pull off a one-man mutant holocaust. Hopefully when the cops find the suicide note from Huber that we planted, it'll calm him down."
He glanced at Daws. "If not, his vicinity won't exactly be the safest place to be."
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Post by skybright on Jul 10, 2006 5:42:20 GMT -5
Daws sighed and glanced at Joey, who had turned aside to talk with one of his teammates. "Nocturne's vicinity is never gonna be a safe place to be, Major." She shook her head. "I oughtta invest in more life insurance."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 10, 2006 5:47:45 GMT -5
"I don't think it's a general practice of a lotta insurance companies to pay out for suicide," Vance muttered.
Miriam sighed. "If I still had my job as an M.E., maybe I could have figured out a way to fake a discovery of Huber's remains, or something. I've been trying to think of what we could do for 'proof', but I don't have any ideas."
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