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Summary: Jono returns to the mansion after being shot, and unsettles both Connor and Mike. They send him home. We get to learn some neat stuff about Connor and Mike just the same.
Date: 05-16-2010
Log Title His slightly appalled common sense…
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Courtyard
Surrounded on three sides by the school, a large courtyard forms the front yard. The courtyard leads right up to the door of the mansion. Yellow square stone slabs cover the ground where the grass would be. The most noticeable thing about the courtyard is the large statue of Jean Gray, aka Phoenix, in the middle as a memorial. Benches surround the outside of the statue so students can sit and hang out in the courtyard. There are two paths leading off the courtyard, one to the left and the other to the right.
It's nearly noon before Jonothon puts in an appearance at the school. This whole missing for a couple days, then arriving late, isn't like him. Well, those who've known him for years would think it normal, but none of those who's met him in the last six months. On his Harley, the Brit parks it near one of the garage doors, and slides off it to hit the garage door button. Such mundane things. In as much as he looks tired, he does appear whole and in good health. Even showered and changed his clothes before coming here. No signs at all of the strife of the other day as he wheels his motorcycle into the garage, and out of the way of others.
From around the corner from the garage, off to the side of the courtyard a voice can be heard… along with a subharmonic that most might not even hear. Connnor has one hand pointed up in the air, fingers splayed as if holding something up. Ten feet above him, Mike is currently surrounded in a faint blue-green aura that seems to be giving off ripples in the air, a short distance off his frame, "Okay Mike… I'm going to try moving you again… I promise this time no sudden movements…" A crushed metal garbage can evidence of the last time he attempted to… thankfully Mike isn't harmed by such a thing, "Thanks again for letting me do this."
A tinny-sounding song is coming from Mike's internal radio, "I wanna be like everybody else, be like every body else, gravity don't work on me, I wanna be like everybody else…"
He's floating, as described, in robo-mode, and skeptically considering that garbage can. His voice is a bit more auto-tuney than usual as he talks over his own soundtrack, "So, what haappened, Connorr? You had an eepiphanny, or aa brain crramp, and stopped beinnnng intangiiible and staarted beinng a woorm hoOole insztead?"
Eh? Hearing voices, the Brit hits the button to shut the garage door and meanders around to where there's a floating Mike. Jonothon frowns at you both, for it actually takes him that moment to remember. Oh, yeah! Sorry, still a little strange. It won't take long to right itself. «There a point to this, mate?» Not about to try and stop it, Jono merely wanders over and eyes the floating, glowing Mike. Stops as he accidentally hits the crashed can with a booted foot, and looks down at that. The thing is toed in a curious manner. «I'd suggest not repeating this on Mike.»
Connor almost loses his 'grip' on Mike at the sound of a new voice, so for a moment the glow vanishes from Mike, but then a small ball of blue-green energy appears in his other hand and he throws it at the robot-teen, catching him before he hits the ground. Slowly rotating him to standing once more, he holds it at a few inches above the ground, and starts rubbing at his shoulder a moment, "Hey Jonothon… how's the new place settling in?" Turning back to look at Mike, he then says, "Actually… Mister Mayfair-Parker did his thing, then Doctor McCoy ran some tests… found out I wasn't connecting properly to where my powers come from… took an afternoon of mad science, but this was the result."
"Hey Jono," Mike says in a more normal voice, and starts to wave, then drops for a moment, though at least he was prepared to land on his feet if he did reach the ground.
"GAH!" After the explanation he says, "OK, we're gonna work on you holding stuff up while distracted, I wonder if Hank can program a cheerleader chorus line… So are you still having the nightmares?"
And Mike's internal soundtrack switches again.
Weird! Weird Science
Plastic tubes and pots and pans
Bits and pieces and
Magic from the hand
We're makin' …
There's a grin that spreads as he makes Connor nearly drop Mike, but since poor Mike didn't hit the ground there's no harm done. «New place is brilliant.» Jonothon nudges the can again even as his psy-fire takes form. It wraps around the garbage can and metal pops and protests as it returns to its proper form. In moments he's setting the can to rights. «Oh?» That to Connor as he fixes the garbage can, eyeing the teen. «Connecting properly? How so? Come on, mate, don't tease.» He is impressed with the holding Mike up, even if Mike is teasing about cheerleaders. «I could just bang things loudly if that would help, but I'm so not doing cheers.» Nor would he much of a cheerleader, no matter he's the legs to wear the miniskirt.
Connor laughs a bit before rubbing the back of his neck, whistling at the reformation of the garbage can, "Okay…" Looking back and forth, "I mean it's no big deal I suppose… I've been… enhanced. Apparently all I was ever supposed to do was hear things from other dimensions… like a dream, but really an alternate reality. Anyways… whatever did it to me and made me how I am now didn't quite do it right… kinda like… trying to hook up an AC to DC, or opposite. It's why it was all erratic, and why I was being a little across the board since I started trying to access it. I was getting my juice the wrong way. Now… it's fixed… and he showed me how to do things I didn't know were even possible. Like with Mike there." He stops and laughs a bit, "But seriously… enough about me. When do we get to come see the new digs?"
Since Connor is distracted by Jono, Mike turns down the sound track, and considers how to get out of the field. Twitching doesn't help, already figured that out. Maybe… it's all gravity-feeling… he starts building a change-image, his familiar "Tron Bike" alternate, the one that got Magneto's attention so long ago. Was it really only a few months? To anyone able to feel magnetic or psionic energy, directly or indirectly, it's like a half-million tiny points of twisting energy suddenly almost appear, spinning around Mike to construct the image of the light-cycle from the posters for the new movie, almost brightly enough to replace his actual self. Of course to visible light there's no change at all.
«When I decide to run daycare.» That's when people will get to see his apartment. Jonothon is also kidding. «That's interesting.» Not sure what else to say about the changes. As much as Jono is VERY glad Connor is doing better, he doesn't have the intellect to truly appreciate the details. «You feeling better I hope?» That's what he's been worried about after all - Connor's mental stability. Mike is eyed for the shift. He can't see anything, but there's this shift. It has him intrigued. Psy-fire tendrils snake out to touch that shift. Not to try and alter it, but instead to understand it better. And Jono's just 'off kilter' enough today that the air around him whispers with echo of the twisting energy. Knocked his mental shields off center and he's not been able to right them. Might even sound briefly like Connor's teleporting. «What are you going?» Asked of Mike.
Connor can't see or sense what's going on, since he hasn't had his own 'senses' that fine-tuned yet… it HAS been only a month and a half since he got here, but he does realize his hand is still slightly extended towards Mike, and he says with a small 'oops', "Oops, sorry Mike… lemme just release the field…" And he draws his hand back, making the field go away in slow order, so that soon normal gravity is restored to the robot-man and he's back on the ground once more, "Actually yes… knowing that using these abilities won't be driving me nuts makes me feel better about using them… actually… I makes me really want to push myself!" As he speaks, once more he rubs at his shoulder and then forearm, as if there was a momentary twinge.
"Trying to disrupt the gravimetric field," Mike answers, unconsciously spending Star Trek Nerd Credits. "Wait, you can tell what I'm doing? Uh, what does it look like?"
For the moment, he's deferred his reply to Jono's pretended misopedy, instead realizing that he can sense the touch of psi-fire along the edges of the construct rather than his actual body. Too weird. Oh, there's a hole in the shell there above the motor. Whirling motes of psycho-magnetic energy fill in the incompletely imaged spot as Mike is returned to the ground.
"Huh. Were you getting any sense of what I was doing there, Connor?"
A little distracted in energy, Jonothon none the less replies to Connor, «That's brilliant.» And even as he speaks he stops his efforts with that energy for he realized he's being kind of rude. Tendrils drop, and psy-fire dim to only a small wrap of fire around his upper chest and shoulders. «I've been worried about you.» Connor and his troubles. «Glad to hear that.» Mike's asking draws his attention back and he nods. «I can feel it. You're doing something psionic.» What? Well, Jono doesn't rightly know. «All this energy, tiny points of it, formed around you. Can't see the stuff, but I can bloody well feel it.» A pause as eyes shift red and he points to that 'hole'. «There's a spot here. It's concentrated….» Kind of trails off, and that auburn head tilts. Sorry, distracted. Not his normal, grounded self today. «…» Stills, unnaturally so, then blinks and shakes his head. «Guh.» Didn't want to hear about what those two students are doing in the woods. Really. Why'd he catch that?
Connor holds up the arm that was focused on Mike, "Started feeling a weird tingle along my arm… but that was about it…" Still rubbing the spot, "Like it was going to sleep… but anyways… Mike was letting me experiment since there's a team in the DR doing training this morning… we made sure to stay in camera, and Mike agreed because well… it's kinda harder to hurt him than mos…t…" Trailing off as the conversation seems to be more focused on whatever Mike is doing that he cannot see or sense from here. So, hands go into his pockets in a casual manner, and not his stress-reaction and he moves to lean against the wall of the garage for the moment, "Is he seeing your schematics, Mike? That's pretty cool… I thought they could only be felt by someone like Miss Dane, or Magneto…"
"Psionic. Magneto said it was magnetic. Weird."
Mike … doesn't grin, but the impression is there, and it shows in the tone of his voice as he looks at Jono, "I didn't say it bothered me, by the way. You OK? You were gone for a couple days and now youre acting kinda spaced out. If you could use drugs I'd think you were self-medicating."
The energy field retracts into his body in a direction that would make M.C.Escher proud, and he walks over to Connor and places one hand on the front side of his shoulder, and (with knuckle not pointy fingertips) presses gently but with energy at the spot just at the intersection of trapezius, latissimus dorsi, and rhomboid muscle where things tend to bind up when over-lifting, then moves the pressure in a small counterclockwise circle. After that he moves to the bind-trigger point at the top of the deltoid. While he's doing this, he answers Connor.
"I was seeing if putting out a template would let me push away the graviton field. It didn't, at least, not that way."
«Why didn't you use the gym?» Asked of Connor. «Safer than out here.» Jonothon can only spread his hands in a helpless manner about being able to feel what Mike is doing. «I don't know, mate. All I do know is that I can feel it, which means it's psionic. I can't do magnetism.» Nope, not a bit, even if he can make it look like he does. A little. Ad asked if he's okay, the Brit nods, letting his arms fall briefly. They lift again, his answer a little slow. «I.. got hurt. Left me all sheets to the wind as it were. Knocked down my shields. Trying to put myself back together. I keep hearing everyone. ..Sorry.» Shakes his head again. «Ruddy awful it is.»
He is interested in the template idea. That was Mike shifting? «Template?» Asked curiously. «That how you alter vehicles you bond with?» Not sure, as he hasn't done much to figure Mike out, so tossing that out there.
Connor's reply comes with a bit of a grin, "Thought about the gym… but I also thought about how I'm still in trouble over what happened with Robyn… adding property damage to that? Nooooooot really something I was looking forwards to. But… really?" Turning to look at Jono a bit more closely, "Then I'm glad I'd had my calmdown… I know I was probably a pain in the butt before… Did you need anything we could get for you? Or is this just going to be a time thing?" The look on his face enough to let concern be well known before he goes silent, giving Mike his space to explain his own power as well. The massage does it's work, and there's a sudden and soft groan of relief as the tightness is suddenly loosened, and the young man's arm goes limp for a moment of pleasure.
"And how did you get hurt, Jono," Mike asks patiently. Rashmi would be proud, even though Mike isn't using the Stare of Infinite patience. Because, well, it always looks more effective coming from her. His surface thoughts are as non-leaky as ever, but that may not matter to Jono at this distance if he's hearing students breaking School Rule 12a prohibiting PDA in front of forest creatures. However, his intentional thought is «yes/prep-for-shift» in a concept block instead of the usual words. He continues into the arm, as well - there are four more trigger points that need to be relieved to prevent carpal tunnel.
"I learned this from my Papa," Mike says in a quiet tone to Connor. "He taught me weight training. I needed it."
Smiling at Mike's helping of Connor, Jonothon shakes his head, «You weren't a pain, mate.» Means it too. «Theo is a pain. You, you merely needed some help. Very glad you're feeling better.» He knows how much of a difference that makes. So very, very well. «Just stick to the gym after this? There's a reason they made it powers proof.» And behind the garage just isn't.
Mike is shrugged at, but you are all in luck today. Jono's off kilter enough to actually answer. «Someone shot me in the head.» That certainly explains it, doesn't it? «Well, I think it was more of bounced off my skull, as I don't think I had any bullet holes, but took me nearly two days to get my brain right again.» Yep, this happens everyday, doesn't it? Jono merely smiles and shrugs. «Met this bloke with a glowing sword.» A little pause. One of the weird ones again as he tilts his head, «His mind slid.»
Whatever Connor might have been thinking to say at that point is completely derailed by the politely frank explanation of what Jono had happen. It takes a moment for his brain to process enough to finally say, "You were… shot?! In the head… and you're… just a… Okay, wow…" Looking down at his arm where Mike continues to work, occasional spots making his exhale somewhat, or shift a bit as there is alternating discomfort and relief. Finally he reaches up and touches Mike's shoulder as the final point is hit and worked, "Thanks… careful… keep this up, and I might be borrowing you after DR sessions."
Gym? "Yes Mister Starsmore," Mike sing-songs. "By the way, you got shot in the head and didn't explode, right? That's pretty awesome, you been getting more training?"
He finishes the massage and again that grin in his voice, "Any time, Connor. I almost miss the pain after a workout. Not."
Jonothon can only shrug at the both of you. He doesn't remember much right now, but he's here and mostly whole, so it couldn't have been too bad, right? «I don't think I did.» Explode. Well, beyond the normal anyway. His head certainly didn't pop or anything. Even smiles a little because of Mike's tone. «Yes, been training with Magneto.» Maybe you two shouldn't be asking him questions right now. He's not holding back. La la la. «…Wish I didn't feel the pain.» Wistful that. «Guess somethings you keep even after you lose all your organs.»
The second revelation makes him look at Mike for a long moment out of concern and then back to Jono before he replies, "Jonothon… maybe you should go back to your place, or your room here, and lay down for a bit… you're babbling some… and I don't think some people would appreciate your current candor… and others might take advantage of it. I mean…" Shrugging once he continues to touch Mike's shoulder as he continues, "I'm not going to say word one unless you want… but seriously, you should get some time and get your head together."
Blink. Magneto. OK, that makes perfect sense. Mike's subconscious highly approves, even though the part that has common sense is slightly appalled.
"Tell me about it," Mike mutters, "I burned my hands pretty badly on our first outing, you might recall."
He nods agreement to Connor's remarks. "Yeah, unless we can act as a lever for you to push against in some entirely not-braincrampy way, you might want to find a peaceful place to regroove."
In the background, Mike's soundtrack starts up again, this time playing very quietly the Firesign Theatre routine, "Returned For Regrooving." Mike is apparently completely unaware of this.
The Brit blinks at Connor and just looks at him for a long moment. Finally he glances away, head tilting. Slowly Jonothon nods and shifts his attention towards the paved road leading off school grounds. «Alright.» He totally knows that Connor is right. If he's unsettling the teens then there is something wrong. «Sorry.» Didn't mean to bother people. Really. Looking frowny in a worried kind of way, the man offers, «Cheers.» Before wandering back to the garage. One more day off work won't matter, right?
Connor watches Jono wander off towards the garage once more, and finally looks back at Mike once more, before his hands go back into his pockets again, and he then sighs, "You know… all things being equal… this is just par for the course. But a bullet to the head… makes me wonder just how powerful he really is. Not that I'm afraid. Maybe just… creeped out a bit." Offering a shrug at the end before looking back at the repaired garbage can and mumbles, "I apologized for crushing it…"
Mike nods to Connor. "You get used to it. You're pretty, uhm, scary yourself with the Systema stuff sometimes."
He calls out, "Hey Jono? Don't take this badly, OK? You want me to tell Scott what happened, so they won't worry? Also, would you rather I drove you back to your place?"
Mike's most obvious concern is, of course, that Jono is distracted and might hurt his bike. Because that would be a tragedy! Also, he's kind of looking forward to driving it again. (Again!?)
Unmindful of what Connor is saying, if only because it gets lost in the din, Jonothon does pause as he's addressed directly and looks back. There's the shake of a head. «Told them days ago, mate. Don't worry about it.» Which is why no one went off looking for him. The Brit warned people by means of his Xcomm. Word just didn't get out to the students. «I'll be okay.» No, no need to drive. Not like he couldn't rebuild the bike anyway. A backwards repeat of his arrival as he wheels that bike out of the garage and gets the door closing. «I'll be at my flat if you need me.» And with that he's starting the cycle and heading off. Mike can drive the bike again later.
Connor points with one finger as Jono goes roaring off on his bike, and then furrows his brow, before saying, "Why do I feel like we had a conversation with Jonothon without him being here?" Sighing once he runs his fingers through his hair, mussing and neatening it a bit at the same time before he gives an almost apologetic look, "I'm scary? Me… HA!." Putting a playful shove on roboboy before shaking his head again, "C'mon Optimus Prime… let's get out of this disgustingly nice day."
"OK. If I was anything like that for the first two weeks, I know why my parents were freaked out," Mike says, waving to the departing Starsmore. His memory is, uncomfortably, that he did act rather a lot like that after his reconstitution.
He allows the shove (staggering for effect) and says in an aggrieved tone, "Optimus? RODIMUS, you doof!" before they head indoors away from the dangerous rays of the uncontrolled nuclear reaction in the sky.
