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Summary: Bruce learns of Rashmi’s disappearance. He offers to help Cale find his sister, but his method seems like it will hurt a lot of people.
Log Title: How Far Will You Go?
Rating: G
NYC- Thompson Square Park
Thompson Square Park is a small park in the middle of Mutant Town. The benches might need a fresh coat of paint, the fence might be rusted in places and the pavement is raised and has cracks but it's all part of the mutant haven and fairly relaxing. Trees and grassy areas are in between the many paths, there are a few structures and benches along the path as well as a special area of the park that is marked 'the dog walk'.
Two trees have been planted in the park as a Memorial to Carmencita Florez and Detective Baxter each with a plaque stating the tree is in their memory.
There are quite a few people in the park today. A few of them are cooking on grills, some of them are jogging or walking dogs, and the rest are just lounging about reading or picnicing. The 80 degree weather seems to have put everyone in good spirits, the arrival of an ice cream truck delighting the children at the park even further.
Toward the middle of the park there is a man wearing camouflage board shorts and sunglasses playing frisbee with a German Shepherd. Without a shirt, an elaborate Aboriginal tattoo design can be seen running across the exposed section of his body.
It being mother's day, and Cale not exactly having parents anymore, Cale has of course gone with his usual choice of simply ignoring things like that, deciding a trip into the city was in order and dragging along someone ELSE who isn't likely to have any parental related stuff going on, that being Mikhail. The lizard-like boy is wearing a pair of somewhat snug fitting khaki shorts and a light blue t-shirt depicting cartoon ponies of one sort or another, long hair done up in twin braids today with bangs hanging free; his usual sandals on his feet. He seems to be in good spirits and enjoying the sunlight, eyes roaming around the park as he people-watches.
Mikhail hasn't had parents for so long that he can't even remember so mother's day has always been a non-issue, also he doesn't really understand it so that helps a little. Dressed in red shorts, a green t-shirt and blue sneakers (Mik kinda forgot about laundry day) he's been dragged along with Cale to New York, with all the people around Mik slips on a pair of sunglasses to hide his eyes.
This park being in Mutant Town, many of the people in the park have features that would lead one to believe that they are perhaps mutants. A small group of children with push between Mikhail and Cale, running toward the man with the dog in an excited manner. "Dingo! Do the thing! Please?" They jump up and down around the man, one of the children hovering a few feet off the ground.
Bruce backs up slightly and holds up his hands defensively. "Woah kiddos. You know, once you get your powers figured out this will be a lot less exciting for you." He crouches down to pet his dog when it returns with the frisbee. "What'll it be today?" The children shout out various things and the man decides on one of them. "A dinosaur, huh? Well maybe a small one. Don't want people to think I'm attacking the city or nothin'." The man holds out his hand over the ground and large amount of sand comes up from under the ground, moving until it forms a dinosaur about the same height as the children. It moves around for a couple of minutes before the sands break down and disperse across the lawn.
"Hey, that's pretty neat," Cale nods, eyeing Bruce… he remembers him pretty well from when he and Taylor went out to eat a few days back. Though he didn't exactly agree with everything Bruce had to say at that point, he waves at him nonetheless, greeting him with a friendly, "Hi!" the boy glances over at Mikhail, "You don't /have/ to wear those here, you know? Tay doesn't even use an image inducer. Nobody'll mind, I swear. That's the whole point of mutant town."
Mikhail frowns at Bruce and the kids openly using powers, that frown becomes a look of confusion as it seems Cale knows the man, "I guess, if everyones not hiding it here", he pulls off the sunglasses and has a look around, "The mansion always says not to use powers in public".
Bruce smiles at the kids and points to one of them. "Alright, your turn Billy." The boy focuses on a small rock and it floats up from the ground. "Ah! Very good. Keep practicing and I'll make another construct for you tomorrow, deal?" The man preparss to throw the frisbee again when he hears Cale's voice. "Ah…You were at that Bistro the other night, no?" It seems Bruce hears Mikhail's words. "The Mansion?" He frowns, "Yes well maybe that's why people in that place always seem to get into trouble. Maybe if y'all were allowed to use your powers the way you should then people would leave you alone a bit more."
"Well, yeah, in general…" Cale trails off, glancing from Mikhail to Bruce… x-nay on the ansion-may? He sighs. Clearly Bruce already knew about it beforehand though… "I guess. I've got no particular inclination to use them unless I have to…" he trails off, thinking about the most recent instance of /that./ "Well, maybe every now and then, besides that… Anyway. Like I said though, Mutant Town is different. There aren't many people here who /aren't/ mutants, and the ones that aren't usually don't care…"
Mikhail lets out a low growl before he stops himself, he doesn't like people badmouthing his home, even if maybe it does draw danger from time to time, "I know i've got friends that live there but i can't help but be a little worried, people tend not to like us if they know us" and that never used to bother him.
Bruce shrugs, "So you don't use your abilities unless you need to. But when you need them, you're not as familiar with them than if you DID use them all the time. That is a dangerous mentality, and one of the major issues I have with Xavier's and Barne's." Tiberius lowers slightly and growls back at Mikhail when he hears the boy growl at his master. Bruce just pats the dog on the head to calm him down. "Yes, I do know about you. I do some work for the Embassy. I've worked with a few of the people where you're at. Rashmi actually lives in my building now…If you know her."
"Just stop being so paranoid, Mik," Cale sighs, "Look even in the rest of the city nobody's gonna come up and stab you or something just 'cause you look a little odd. I think you worry about it /waaaay/ too much," the boy plops down on a bench. He shrugs a little, "I dunno, it's not as if I DON'T use them either… they tend to just sorta do their own thing… then again… they're not exactly complex powers to begin with…"
"Cale, you don't LOOK like a mutant, you can blend better than i do, i can blend better than others too but still i look different enough", Mik's frown softens at the mention of Rashmi, "Yes i know Rashmi", he also knows she's missing but beyond that all he knows is that she's no longer in New York, he relaxes a little but keeps an eye on the dog.
Bruce shakes his head at Cale, "Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that. We had an issue a while back where the humans made a game out of hunting the mutants in the city. Luckily Magneto threw together a plan to stop them. The people from your school were too indecisive." The man wipes a bit of sweat from his forehead, "I guess what I'm saying is…Don't trust that the humans WON'T stab you randomly for being a mutant. I don't know why your school is so adamant on peace. Rashmi and I argue about it all the time…Maybe that's why she won't answer her door." He shakes his head, "Anyway, no power is super simple to master, what can you do?"
"I dunno…" Cale trails off, "I mean… I don't believe in attacking people just 'cause they're not the same as me or… whatever. I didn't like it… I mean… before I was a mutant…" he trails off, shrugging as Bruce asks about his powers. "I dunno. It's sort of embarassing. I don't really like to show it off or anything." Yeah, even other mutants think his power is pretty gross!
Oddly Mik has sort of fought alongside Magneto before, though he did get in alot of trouble for it, "Rashmi has been missing for the past couple of months". Mik's powers are simple and he's never had to train to use them, just comes naturaly.
Bruce scoffs a bit at Cale. "Your powers are "embarassing"? Is that what the scool tells you? Oh no, don't use your powers in public, the humans will be offended. We have to be nice to the humans or they won't LET us have the rights we should ALREADY have." He shakes his head and then makes a shocked expression when he hears Mik's words. "What do you mean she's missing? Like you haven't seen her? How could Rashmi be missing and no one tell me?" He gets closer to the boy as he questions him. "Do they have any leads? Who's in charge of looking for her. Why didn't they come to me?"
"No it's because EVERYONE finds them weird and disgusting!" Cale sighs, shoving his hands in his pocket. "Anyway," he frowns, glancing between Bruce and Mikhail as something more important seems to have come up. Everywhere, there are girls missing! All these girls kidnapped by… vampires? Was his /sister/ kidnapped by a vampire? He looks slightly sour.
Mikhail can't help but growl a little again as once more Bruce badmouths his home, he frowns as Bruce advances on him, the growl mixes with his Romanian accent as he talks, "She and some other girls went missing a couple of months ago, no ones told me of any leads and all i found myself is that she's not in New York, as for why they didn't come to you? why would they?"
Bruce stops advancing, standing up and looking around again. "Rashmi helped me when someone I care about went missing about a year ago. She and I are usually on opposing sides politically, but we both do work for the embassy. We've worked together many times to protect the mutants in this city." Then Bruce went crazy for a short while when he got addicted to Kick. He leaves that part out. "Do you think whoever is in charge of your school knows anything? Tell them the Bartender at Nowhere would like to speak with them." He ponders for a minute and looks north. "Or maybe Tony Stark might know something."
"I think… that they know what's going on," Cale murmurs quietly as he sits on his bench. "I guess I can pass that along… too. Hm." He trails off, starting awkwardly, "Do you… Do you think you could help me look for someone else, while you're at it?" the boy asks. "I've been looking for myself for a while but… I don't know. I mean I know we don't know each other very well. But, you seem to be well connected here…"
Mikhail crosses his arms, "They will be found, even if us students have to do it ourselves, we look after each other", though he does make a note to ask around the school about the bartender at Nowhere.
Bruce glances at Cale. "Someone else is missing? How many are there? And yes I can help…If it's a mutant matter. Humans can deal with their own problems." He shakes his head at Mikhail, "Your school tends to blunder a lot of things. Magneto told me the last time your school attempted a rescue mission nearly everyone involved was killed, including Magneto himself. Don't trust in people who aren't willing to go all the way."
"I don't know… I mean, my sister is a mutant. We're both mutants. I mean, we both manifested at the same time, there was this car accident, people died… ANYWAY, we both ended up in a hospital here in New York, and we were both supposed to go to the school… only… she didn't. And now she's just like, gone, they won't let me see her or even acknowledge that she's there…" Cale frowns. "I don't think it has anything to do with this Rashmi or my friend Nick's friend Jill or… whoever else… Bleh," he sighs.
Mikhail steps forwards closing the gap between him and Bruce, "My school does everything it can to keep us safe, so many of us owe it our lives, so don't talk down about it because you don't understand", he turns to look at Cale, concern taking over his frown, "Who won't let you?"
"The hospital won't let you in? You're a mutant. Just kick down the door. Or if your powers aren't that grand I can do it. I could tear that place apart in five minutes." He pauses, "Jill…Don't think I know her. But there are others missing then." He frowns. "Well…" And then Mikhail is right near Bruce. "Don't talk about what I don't understand? I understand Xavier's perfectly well. And I know that Frost woman would rather see you locked up away from the rest of humanity than take your rightful place at the top of the food chain. What they teach you at that school…It may seem like they're protecting you but they're only going to end up getting you killed in the end."
"I don't know, I don't wanna hurt anybody… I talked to someone at school and she just said… she'd look into it," Cale wiggles his feet out of his sandals, bringing them up onto the bench with him whereupon he begins to play with his toes. "But you would think they'd know, if she was supposed to come there and didn't. I mean what if she actually died or something, and they just don't wanna tell me 'cause they think I'll go nuts?" It's actually a valid concern - if he knew that for sure he WOULD go totally nuts! "You think I should? Just break in? I don't know, I mean, I'm not that strong," he pauses, demonstrating his power by lashing out with his length, slimey tongue and snatching the frisbee Bruce was throwing earlier. "I guess, I dunno, I can like lift a person with it," he notes, after sucking his tongue into his mouth. "And I can climb walls, and change colors. Like a chameleon. But like, they probably have guards there. With guns. I don't wanna get shot. 'n what if it IS just something legit,
"Locked away? that is exactly what they saved me from, nearly three years ago now Xaviers saved me from a cage i'd been forced into for as long as i can remember, an my memory is amazing, so it was a long time", Mikhail forces himself to stop growling, "Xaviers are the only reason i'm still alive and able to function like a normal person, they did and are protecting me". He turns to Cale again, "If you know what hospital she's in, we can find the room and get in though the window, or i could just cause a distraction, short of a headshot, i'm pretty hard to kill".
Tiberius jumps up and tries to get the frisbee as it is taken, but a small fence of sand springs up out of the ground to keep the dog from charging Cale. "Well that's not a useless power. Or embarassing. Change colors like…Go invisible? That could be useful for sneaking in. And if they have guns then they ARE up to no good. Not that bullets can hurt me." He turns to Mikhail. "And a headshot will NOT kill me. There are plenty of other places that take in mutants. And many of them will actually prepare you for the coming war. Your school is…Hopelessly optimistic."
"War?" Cale's eyes go wide as he shrinks back from Bruce a little, skin changing and matching the color of the bench he's sitting on as reflex. "N-not exactly invisible. But kinda," cale reaches up and wipes at his chin. It's hard to use such a power without slime getting … places. "No no! I don't want anybody getting shot! Even if it doesn't hurt you that bad.'
Optimism is all Mik had for a long time but something else he's got? a short temper, before he can even fully form the thought he reaches out to quickly to try and just leave Bruce with a slight scratch. "What makes you think you sister is under armed guard?"
Bruce nods. "Oh yes. The war. It is coming. And not that it wouldn't hurt much, it wouldn't hurt at all." He glances over at Mikhail as the boy swipes at him, doing nothing to avoid the attack. There is a momentary shimmer of the man's arm as he transforms it into sand for a moment, allowing Mikhail to swipe through that. He lifts up his arm again, unharmed. "See?" To make the point even cleared he pulls a pocket knife out and jabs it into his own chest a few times, the skin around the blade taking on a sandy appearance as he does so. "Physical attacks do nothing to me. So humans can generally not hurt me."
"Oh, nono, I didn't mean it like that it's just like - if you break in somewhere they tend to call the police, or whoever…" Cale sighs, glancing at the two and wincing before he notices that Bruce wasn't hurt at all. At least Bruce didn't try anything /back./ "I don't know, I don't want to fight in a war. That's ridiculous."
"Yeah well…The police are of little concern to me." Bruce shakes his head at Cale. "Fine then. Hide in your mansion. Then when the war's gone on long enough and all of the mutants who were ready for it have been killed off, they'll hunt down the rest of you. The ones that hid. It's easier to win a war if the opposing side isn't united." Bruce gives the two an indignant look and pulls the frisbee back out of Cale's hand. "I'm going to look into Rashmi. If you want my help with your missing girl ask for Dingo at Nowhere." Bruce clips a leash onto Tiberius and the two head off toward the residential area of Mutant Town.
"I didn't … I mean…" Cale whimpers as he watches Bruce head off, sighing and getting back to his feet, "C'mon Mik, let's go home… I suddenly don't feel comfortable here anymore…" the boy trails off, heading out of the park.
