Players:
Summary: Ben runs into Kenta again. Tells him what he's learned.
Date: December 27, 2009
A Promise of Help
Rating: PG
NYC - City Hall Park
In front of the large white building with pillars, American Flags, and bell tower on top, is City Hall Park with its extravagant fountain. Four sets of black iron gas lamps sit on the four corners of the fountain, there the only gas lamps left in the city. Four spouts of water shoot in the center tier of the fountain and shower down into the water below. Four smaller pools sit on each side of the fountain where water pours into them from the main part. Benches sit all around the fountain with trees and flowers covering the grass behind.
He's out early, so Ben is simply strolling along the Park, not paying much attention to the world. He's lost in thought. Too much to figure out. Too much to consider. And lately, he knows something's not right inside. He's carrying a magazine in his hands, looking at some of the pictures within it.
Out in the park is Kenta, sitting on a bench playing on his accoustic guitar. The case is out as his feet as he sings for anyone who cares to listen. It's something Kenta doesn't really do for the money, he loves preforming in front of people and it's the best way he can do it. But if he can make a buck in the process, he won't turn it down. He's too busy singing the chorus of his song to notice Ben at first, it's not until he comes down to a slower part of the song does he notice his friend and stops playing. "Hey Ben, be careful or you're gonna knock over some old lady, having your head in a magazine."
Blinking, Ben stops. "Oh, hi. Sorry. I just… I've been so confused for the last few weeks." He says, stopping and folding the magazing. It's an older edition. On the cover, the title is hard to read, though there is a big letter X on it. "Isn't it a little cold to be busking?" He asks, tilting his head.
Kenta shifts his guitar to make room so Ben can sit down next to him. "Cold, not for me. I can't feel the cold." And with what he's wearing, just a pair of jeans and a loose leather jacket that allows enough movement to play, doesn't look like it'd keep him that warm. "Sit down, you know I'm always an open ear for ya."
Ben simply holds the magazing out. Turns it to a page. There's Shatterstar, swords in hand, leaping into a fight. He rubs the bridge of his nose as he sits. "Must be nice. No, this is the confusion." Tattoo is quite visible in the picture, of course. This was a few years ago. Along with him, some of the other X-Forcers. Sam. Julio. Roberto. Maria. Tabitha. Domino.
"X-Force…" Kenta says trailing off. "Yeah I know of those guys, I'm kinda in a group that's trying to live up to the name right now…wait a second." He reaches out and takes the magazine from Ben not caring if it's rude. He looks up at Ben then looks at the picture, he does this a couple of times. "You didn't tell me you were this guy…wait…what's up with you looking like this guy?" He says figuring that's what the confusion is.
"That's the problem. Julio seems to think that's me. Sam seems to think that's me. But the Sam at your… place. To me, he's Sam Smith. Gymnast. But he says he's not. That's what's causing all the trouble. Too many links that don'tmake sense in my head." Ben explains with a shrug. "It's been eating me since I saw that picture on the wall there."
"I know him as Sam Guthrie, I don't know him well, but I kinda work with the guy. He's not a gymnast that I've seen, he teaches kids how to use their powers." Kenta says as him and Sam rarely exchange more than hellos. "I don't know what to tell ya Ben, but I will say, except for the tattoo, it does look like you. And I think it'd be eating at me too if I found an old picture of me like that."
Pulling a handkerchief out of his back pocket, Ben wipes over his eye. He removes all of the makeup around his eye. Yup. Same. "But I don't know who to talk to to try to figure it out. That's the big issue. My brain is there, but everything's different from how they remember."
"Okay….so you do have the tatto. I don't know man, but either you're twins who are seperated at birth or something else is going on." Kenta looks at Ben's tattoo for a bit and shrugs. "Do you remember getting that tat? Or is it something like the 'tats' that I have all over my body? Just kind of there as a side effect? I dunno. And as for who to talk to, I have to think about it."
"Just there. It's always been there. As far as I can remember. That and the glowy eye thing when I use my… gift that I try not to use." Ben says with a shrug. "I need to find out more information about HIM, so I can see what his life was like and where he's from. To compare things."
"Well I can help you there. I can get some information about him for you. Print out what I can find at the school, hell, I think I might be able to take you there with me again and we can look through videos and old documents." Kenta says as he remembers that Xavier's security system did recognize Ben, so that's enough for him think it's okay to let him into the school. "Okay, now this might sound really strange and I don't want to freak you out, but do you think something like a Clone might be a possibilty?"
"I really don't know. I… I tried looking for my friends. They… they don't exist." Ben says, looking down. "The names work, but not as they are. They're jumbled. Apparently, the names I know are inverted versions of their names." He points to the pictures. "I'm wondering if I'm just going crazy."
Kenta lets out a sigh and shakes his head, mainly because he feels sorry for Ben. "I don't know Ben, I really don't. It sounds like someone messed with ya real good and you don't remember it. I guess I'm lucky where I remember all of what got messed with, with me. Let me think…how do you feel about a telepath?"
"I don't know any." Ben says with a shrug. "And hell, what's the worst I can find out? My whole life is a lie? Everything I've come to know and believe has been planted in my skull? I'm already wondering that, so it wouldn't be that big of a shocker."
"And it would be the thruth." Kenta says as he knows that sometimes the truth will finally make things seem less confusing. "So, I can see what telepaths are around at the school and see if we can get one to go digging in your noggin. Here's one thing that's not a lie, you're my friend Ben and I'll always be here for you to talk to." Kenta says as he knows the importance of a good friend in stressful situations. Espeically since most of his blew him off when he needed them most.
"I… I know that." Ben says with some knowledge and finality. "But… I don't know. I mean, Telepaths… I just don't know them. It is a little scary." He says with a nod, thinking on it.
"Dude.." Kenta begins patting Ben on the back. "I hate people in my head, probably cause I've had it messed with so much. And it is a little scary, but I don't know what else to do, besides hitting you on the back of the head with my guitar to jog your memory but I don't want to hurt her." He says petting his guitar with a smile to show he's trying to lighten the mood a bit.
"Good luck with trying that one." Ben says, with a wry grin. "I don't think you could hit me if you tried." He teases back. "Well, see what you can find. That'd be a great help in and of itself."
"It's probably be a good fight, you and I, but I do fight a bit dirty." Kenta admits but when it's a life and death you use every trick up yoursleeve. "I was molded to be a gladatorial fighter in another universe, so I think I'd do okay. But seriously, I'll ask around, talk to people I know at the school. You wanna come back to the school with me tonight, we can check out all the old archives? And you can meet Armande." If he hasn't yet.
A spark flashes behind Ben's eyes at the mention of Gladiatorial Fighter in another universe. A pair of words slip out. "Gaveedra Seven." He shakes his head lightly. "No, too many people that know who they think I am are there. It's… frightening right now."
"Gaveedra Seven?" Kenta asks sounding confused. "What's Gaveedra Seven?" He runs a hand through his hair and adjusts the ever present sunglasses. "And yeah, I can understand that. I'll see what I can download for you and I'll drop it off at the coffee shop."
"Alright. Thanks. Seriously. Sam and Julio, well… they just want to find out what the hell is wrong with me, without working with me. They have their ideas. I want to work into it my way." And, because Ben doesn't know for sure. If he finds out, will he still be himself, or will he be someone different?
"I dunno, I just want you to find out the truth. That's all. I want you to find peace." Kenta says smiling at Ben. "Peace is something people take for granted. I want whatever you want for yourself Ben. And don't hate them too much for it, they might be just worried for a friend and not really thinking about you as they should."
"Still. They SHOULD think of how I feel about it." Ben says with a nod and a shrug. "Anyway, I think I can sleep now." He says, considering. "Was just wandering around trying to get tired."
"I know Ben, I know they should. Not everyone reacts the same way. I dunno. Maybe it's easier cause I don't believe I have any personal attachments with this other..you." Kenta says as he doesn't even know if it is the same person or not. There are too many unanswered questions to come to any guess. "Alright, well you take care Ben. Tomorrow, you and I, bar, a few beers and other drinks and we'll go over documents, sound good?"
"Works for me." Ben says with a nod as he takes the magazine back and sticks it under his arm. "Thanks again."