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Summary: Taylor, Quenton, and Sophie chat about the previous day's attack.
Log Title: The Cat, the Berzerker, and the Terrorist
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Recreation Room
//What was once the Parlor has been turned into a Recreation Room for the students. A nice plush carpet meets the light blue walls giving it a homey feel. A pool table at one end, a foos ball table at the other, and entertainment center with video game systems, movies, and of course, cable TV. Big comfy chairs and couches surround a coffee table for comfortable loafing. Long glass windows with a pair of French doors line one side of the room bringing in plenty of light during the day. The main rule in here is to clean up after yourself. //
Quenton had decided to skip his punishment today. Why? Nicholas and of lesser importance, Warlock, were missing, and he was pacing the room trying to figure out what he'd do about it. He's never had faith the X-Men had anything handled ever, and was ready to soon take things into his own hand, despite the fact they've only gone missing recently. This is the state Sophie finds him in, those heavy footsteps of his and the sound of his fingers digging into his face the most obvious sign that it is the red-eyed rager.
And find Quenton Sophie does, if only by hearing those heavy footsteps. The blind girl makes her way very quietly into the rec room, and comes to a stop just inside the doorway. She has a quick sweep of the cane around her feet, and cradles her left hand against her stomach, as if unsure what to do with it; though the stitches all the way across her palm might have something to do with it. "…Quenton?" she murmurs. "Are you alright?"
The sight of Sophie does make Quenton pause. Still, he taps his foot, in an attempt to allow her to know where he is, still digging his fingers into his cheek. He sees her cradling her stomach and his brow furrows, before he mutters, "I'm fucking peachy." Good ol' Quenton. It's been a while since he and Sophie has even spoken, save for classes. "Are -you- alright?"
Sophie pauses, and after a moment, shakes her head quickly. "No," she concludes, very quietly. "Two of my classmates were abducted from right beside me last night, we were all shot at, Professor Hildegarde lost her powers for a while, and I nearly cut my fingers off on broken glass… and another person I know was nearly killed." She pauses, and dips her head downwards. "And there's a huge group of people out there who want to kill us without reason. I don't know what's going to happen and I'm very afraid."
"You were there." This makes Quenton's jaw clench, and he moves closer to Sophie, his red eyes dropping to her hands a moment. Professor Hildegarde lost her powers for a while. She was strong, like him. Stronger, even. But Quenton had long lost any self-preservation. All he could think about was saving Nick at the moment. "I'm sorry," he says, quietly. "I'm… the X-Men are gonna fix this."
Sophie bobs her head once. "I was there," she confirms. "I tried to heal Nick after they hit him with a dart or something, but he just… just vanished, when I reached out to touch him. He just… was just gone." She pauses, and rests her cane in front of her, with her right hand on top of it and her left still held against her stomach. "I think they would have gotten me too," she adds, "But I was wearing my backpack, and my Bible was in it, and it stopped a dart from hitting me." She tilts her head upwards, gazing once more in Quenton's general direction. "I hope the X-Men can find them," she whispers.
"Just gone?" Quenton furrows his brow. He doesn't understand how that works. Maybe he just went still and she couldn't touch him at all. "Yeah. Thank God it didn't hit you," he mutters, perhaps with wry irony, before he exhales shallowly. The X-Men are gonna fix this. She hopes the X-Men can find them. Quenton had little faith in God, and even less in the staff at the school. "Where'd this happen? Here?"
Sophie shakes her head quickly. "No," she replies, "Salem Center. They came on a big truck I'm told. They had a loudspeaker, they shouted about how all mutants are Satan's spawn and that… that it's a test from God, and all of us have to be killed." Sophie's muscles visibly tremble as she recalls the previous night's events; she turns, and taps her cane across the floor as she makes her way towards the chairs. "I need to sit down," she murmurs. "They had… something that made a really loud noise. It nearly defeaned me. Then they were shooting at us, and there was smoke, and I could hear people screaming… I'm sorry I can't tell you much more than that, Quenton. I came to turn on the TV and listen to the new myself."
"And that's what happened to Nick and 'Lock," Quenton murmurs, before abruptly his fist hits the wall, a clap of thunder, and then jerks away, fingers digging into his face brutally, though Sophie can't see the little red lines. "Professor Hildegard was there, who else?" he asks, now. "I need more information." Because he's going to try to do something about it. Like an idiot.
Sophie gasps loudly, and throws her hand up to shield herself after Quenton's fist hits the wall. "Quenton, you are scaring me," she whispers. "Nigel was also there. I think he fought them… he carried Professor Hildegarde and I out of there." She finds herself a seat on the couch facing the TV, and pats about on the coffee table with her right hand, still favoring her left. "Do you see the remote?" she adds.
"Yeah, but I can't fucking touch it," Quenton mutters, heading for the table and letting his hand drop right next to where the remote is. She can't see the steam rising from his shoulders either, and his chest is rising and falling, his muscles tense. "Nigel. Nigel was there. He got out safe. Good for that fucking tool," he mutters coldly.
Taylor comes through the entrance to the rec room, wearing a little black summer dress. The feline's hair is kind of out of sorts, which likely means that Tay has just woken up from nearby, confirmed by some eye rubbing. "I heard some banging in here?" says the teen, leaning in the doorway.
Sophie pauses, about to say something when Taylor makes an entrance. She opens her mouth to explain, but then just shuts it again. "Nigel probably saved Professor Hildegarde's life, and mine," she murmurs. "I think he was doing his best, Quenton… I… couldn't tell you what he did. Locke tried to get the professor's car, that was when he got taken." She reaches out to where Quenton tapped the table. She flicks the button to turn the TV on, and starts flicking through the channels. "Tell me if I go past the news," she murmurs.
"Yeah, he did a great job saving fucking Nick," Quenton snaps back at Sophie, glancing over his shoulder at Taylor when they enter. He's steaming from the shoulders, and his fists are clenched. "Not surprised Lock went for the fucking car." His eyes dart to the television, and he backs up towards the wall to give Taylor some space to enter the room proper, greeting the feline with a nod. Eventually, her mutters, "Stop."
Taylor's ears flick and the feline's brow furrows slightly, "Wait… what happened to Nick?" The ocelot takes a few more steps into the room proper, leaning up against the couch now. "What's going on?"
"The 'Church of Humanity' happened," Sophie murmurs. Upon hearing Quenton's comment to stop, she does so; she listens for a moment, and then goes one channel back, which gets her to the right one for the news. "They're demanding that all mutants have to be killed, and they attacked us in Salem Center last night." The blind girl sets the remote down beside herself, and clasps her right hand around her left, absent-mindedly playing with the stitches across her palm.
On the TV, the news anchor is talking about a grass fire in Ohio, but promises an update on the 'Mutant attack in Salem Center' in just a moment.
"I'm going to go to their nearest fucking church and play by their rules," spits Quenton out, an animalistic growl emitting from his throat as he stares at the television. "They kidnapped Nick and 'Lock, and they did something to Professor Hilde that took her powers away." He wonders, after a moment, to Sophie, "Did she get her powers back?"
"They… took her powers away?" says Taylor, seeming a bit surprised at that, ears perked up slightly, before the feline's expression darkens, "Assholes. Like the ones who shot me, probably some of those creeps in that crowd…" The feline bears their teeth for a few moments, "I hope that Nick's gonna be okay. Fuck! FUCK! I swear, I'm going to track him down, the world keeps shitting all over him like that. I might be able to track 'em…"
"Do not," Sophie interjects. "Taylor, they have guns, you will get killed and that will not help Nick or Locke, si?" She shakes her head slowly. "I think Professor Hildegarde's powers are coming back, Quenton, Si. It must have been whatever was in their darts. I—" The blind girl trails off, as the news anchor switches to the story aboutthe Salem Center attack.
"…Update on the identities of the mutant terrorists who are suspected of attacking a peaceful Anti-Mutant rally. Seen here are pictures of some of the mutants still at large." Pictures appear on the screen one after the other; one of Connor wearing a mask, one of Hilde, and then one of Sophie. "The authorities stress that all of these individuals are to be considered extremely dangerous and urge caution if you encounter them. Don't try to stop them yourself, but call the hotline displayed on the screen…"
"…What 'terrorists'?" Sophie asks, interjecting. "Did they have pictures? I cannot believe I am hearing this."
"Yep. They showed a picture of you, some masked guy, and Professer Hilde," Quenton claims, staring at the television screen. "They're covering this up. The news is fucking covering this up," he mutters, shaking his head. "Which means the X-Men aren't going to be able to fucking investigate properly." He drives his fingers into his cheek again, leaving those little red lines now, then smashing his fist against the wall in a thunderclap again. "They're gonna pay. They're gonna pay."
"Where did this all go down? Bring me there, I know exactly what Nick smells like, I've tracked him down so many times, I might be able to do it again…" says Taylor, growling softly for a few moments, before catching themselves. "This is bullshit… This is all bullshit! I know none of those people would attack a gathering unprovoked! Fuckers!"
"I don't know about someone in a mask, but Professor Hildegarde is not…" Sophie trails off, as something sinks in. "Wait, me? ME?!" Sophie's voice rises steadly in pitch, and she wrings her hands together; albeit only briefly before she winces, and stops. "But I've never hurt anyone," she continues. "How… How could they possibly… I'M BLIND!" she declares. "I'm a seventeen year old little girl and I'm blind! How could… who would possibly believe… How can they even say that? That is not fair. It is not fair!"
"Just stay inside the mansion," Quenton mutters, quietly, staring at the screen. "I don't know how to find these people. I have a plan, though," he says, quietly, just watching the screen. He continues digging at his face, watching the television hatefully.
"A plan?" repeats Taylor, "What's the plan? And people won't know I'm a mutant when I'm using my image inducer, I look like I used to… just all weirdly pretty and shit…" The teen tenses up for a few moments and says, "I'm not just gonna stay inside for this one. I am not fucking helpless, and this time, I'm not just going to stay home and wait for the heroes to save the day."
"So once again, I am a prisoner in a gilded cage," Sophie replies, miserably. She fumbles for the remote, and clicks the button to turn the TV off, before dropping it back onto the coffee table with a loud clatter. "Please do not go," she whispers. "Either of you. It will not help Nicholas or Locke if you two go and get hurt, also. And if they can shut off our powers, then Quenton… just you alone will not stand a chance against them. At least get someone to help you, si? Both of you."
"They want to kidnap us, we kidnap their people right back," Quenton growls. "We demand the release of our classmates, or I rip whoever we have limb from fucking limb," he growls, staring at the television, the steam still rising from hos body. "Who's gonna help us? The X-Men? They're just going to tell us to let them handle everything."
Taylor glances towards Quenton and then towards Sophie, "If we both go, we'd be able to watch each other's back, you wouldn't have to worry about it so much…" The feline grimaces and then says, "I just… it took students working together to get you and those other girls out of that place, and I was kept from coming and helping. I want to do something other than sit at home feeling like a tool."
"What the hell do you suggest?" Quenton wonders, glancing to Sophie. "We tell them we wanna help, they tell us they'll handle it, or they make us wait at the Blackbird. They're fucking just as powerless as we are, they just won't admit it." He shakes his head, clenching his fists. "Can't do it this time. The only staff I trust is Mister Mayfair, Kenta, and Heather."
Taylor shrugs at Sophie and says, "I dunno, I know that you probably don't want to sit here and do nothing any more than I do. I mean, you can still help. You're probably the person around here who uses their powers the most to help, even if it's not as some kind of fucking action ninja. You power's better than a doctor!" The ocelot sighs and then nods at Quenton, "And he's right. We can't just wait around and let this slide. I've been shot by people like this before, thinking of that shit happening to my friends… I can't handle that shit!"
Sophie sighs heavily. "I know," she replies. "Quenton, Taylor, I… I do not say that what you want to do, to help Nicholas or Locke, is wrong. It is just…" She hangs her head, and reaches up with her good hand to cover the two small damp spots that appear on the front of her blindfold. "I do not want to have to double the number of people who's safety I must pray for," she whispers. "Please just promise me that what ever you two do, you will be careful, si? Please. Please just promise that."
"Careful. Yeah. Fine. I'll be as careful as I can be." Quenton doesn't know how to react. She's crying. That makes his lips press together tightly, and he glances aside at Taylor a little awkwardly. "We'll be careful," he mutters. "I'll try to gather as many students I can to help." There's an awkward silence, before he adds, a little more quietly, "Just don't tell Shane."
"Yeah, I'll be careful. Maybe we can get a technopath to kind of mess with the image inducers to be invisible… I can be pretty silent, now… like, I can stalk really well and stuff," says Taylor, considering that, "But maybe if I could just track Nick's scent…" The feline student doesn't seem to react as much to Sophie's crying.
Sophie straightens, and rubs at her eyes through the blindfold. She draws in a deep breath, and lets it out slowly, taking a moment to steady her emotions. "Sorry," she murmurs. "I am sorry for crying. What happened last night was terrifying and thinking of you two going to go face them is… is hard to think about." She fidgets with the top of her cane, albeit gingerly with her left hand. "I… I envy you two," she adds. "You can… go and do these things, and I just have to wait for people to come back hurt. Professor Logan has been teaching me but… I am not very good yet." She hugs her arms about herself, and generally looks miserable. "I am going to pray for you both anyway," she adds.
"I don't know martial arts or anything like that," Quenton claims. "I'm mostly just going to wing it," he admits, glancing aside at Taylor a moment, before glancing back at Sophie. "We'll be alright. If I get captured, I can be able to get the other two out maybe." He flinches, muttering, after a moment, "If they're not dead yet."
Taylor looks down and grimaces at Quenton's words, "Fuck, we have to get to them soon… If they went through the trouble of kidnapping, though, they're probably still alive… But they might kill 'em in some kind of publicity stunt, so yeah, gotta work quick…"
Sophie leans down, and burries her face in her palms, heedless of the damage to her left one. She sighs softly, and shakes her head. "Just come back," she murmurs. "That is all. Just come back. I will leave my telephone on, si? You can call me if you need help and I will get someone to bring me to you, if… if my powers are needed. I will pray that they are not."
"We'll call," Quenton agrees, scratching underneath his jaw a litte roughly, before he clears his throat. "Right. I uh… I'm not gonna get much done in here, but I'll sit with you 'til you go to sleep," he offers Sophie, scratching at his jaw and shrugging over at Taylor.
Taylor looks down at the floor and then shrugs in return towards Quenton. "Yeah, we'll call, for sure… I will come back." The teen sits down on the floor, with disregard for how odd that might look while wearing that pretty black dress.
"I will not going to keep you," Sophie murmurs. "If you both feel you must go, I… I will wait. I have my phone… my Bible is in my room. I will be fine, here, I am sure." She manages a weak smile, and bobs her head once. "If you can bring them back, nothing will make me happier."
Quenton doesn't promise he'll come back. He doesn't even promise their mission will be a success. He just drops onto a couch and glances over at Taylor again, then at Sophie. He doesn't say anything, really, just leans back and puts his hands behind his nape.
Taylor nods a couple of times, leaning against the couch, "I need to get down there, wherever it is, to see if I can track down Nick's scent… I'm not as familiar with Warlock, but… yeah… they're probably in the same place…"
Sophie nods her head once. "Just be careful, Taylor," she reiterates. "Do not take foolish risks, just… see what you can find. But, they vanished, literally, or so I understand. There may be nothing to track."
"Just don't go without me," Quenton tells Taylor awkwardly, glancing over at the feline a moment before he pats at his jacket. He's looking for a cigarette, but then he realizes Sophie could probably do without the cigarette smoke right now.
Taylor nods a couple of times at Quenton, "For sure… I'm not gonna go in alone. I don't want to get myself hurt or anything… and… if they just vanished, well… We'll find that out too…"
"I think that is what happened," Sophie affirms. "But then… that raises the question. How did they make them vanish?" She shakes her head slowly. "That would either mean they have mutants on their side… or else… I do not know. Something."
"Do you think he might have just dropped and you couldn't hear anything regarding him?" wonders Quenton, glancing aside at Sophie. "And they might have something magical going on, like vampires." Stupid vampires. Quenton had a special hatred for vampires.
Taylor considers and then shrugs, "I don't know much about vampires or anything, might have been some kind of super technology too? I mean, there's some pretty cool stuff out there…" The feline sighs, "If there is any way for his scent to get out, though, I'll be able to smell it…"
"I am sure that he just vanished," Sophie affirms. "There was a building right behind him. If he had just dropped I would have found him, I was already crouching myself." The blind girl shakes her head slowly. "Just because I am blind does not mean I can't find anything at all. If he'd just dropped, really, I would definitely have found him."
"Relax," Quenton mutters. "Okay. So he fucking vanished." He sighs, lifting his fingers to dig at his brow. "How the fuck would the Church of Humanity be able to make people vanish out of thin air? I'm getting sick of them. They've been making my life hell since last September."
"Yeah… I feel nervous going out looking like myself 'cause of people like that… I just wish I could feel fucking normal for once in my life," says Taylor, grumbling for a few moments. "Might have technology. Or magic. I guess that shit is real for real?"
Sophie shrugs, "I have heard that it is," she murmurs. "There's a girl by the name of Fiona in the medbay, she was hurt during the attack. I think she said once that she knows about magic. And… Taylor?" She reaches out, patting the air between herself and the feline mutant, but finding only that he's too far away. "You are normal," she murmurs. "In all the ways that matter… and you're brave and loyal, and that makes you wonderful."
"None of us are normal," Quenton mutters, squinting. "I'm probably going to go down and interview Fiona soon, then," he comments, mostly to himself, glancing over at Taylor and then at Sophie, exhaling sharply.
Taylor nods a couple of times at Quenton and says, "I don't know who that is, but… yeah…" The feline then glances towards Sophie and says, "Umm, thanks… I guess I just mean, I don't want to be scared of looking how I look. Having to use the image inducer…"
Sophie bobs her head emphatically. "And you are right to wish that," Sophie murmurs. "There is no reason why you should have to hide the face that God has given you. I pray that someday the world will be more friendly." She glances in Quenton's direction, and shakes her head. "We're normal in our hearts and souls," she replies. "We just have extra gifts that most people do not get… and for that they fear and resent us. I consider it a great shame."
"Normal in our hearts and souls? Extra gifts? My gift is that I'm pissed off all the time, and that's just when I'm holding it all in. I let the rage out and I killed my father. We're not normal. You got a gift, Sophie. And I'm happy for you, I am, you're gonna do great fucking things," Quenton mutters, just lifting his hand to dig into his face while he rises to his feet.
Taylor frowns for a few moments at Quenton and then nods, "Yeah… I dunno if it's necessarily a gift for me… I feel like I'm losing my humanity sometimes…" The ocelot shrugs a couple of times, "What's scary, is that I'm starting to care less and less about it…"
Sophie sighs heavily, and her cheeks redden as she blushes. "I said the wrong thing," she mumbles. "I was only trying to help… in the only way I think I can." She stands up slowly, and purses her lips, as she takes a moment to orient herself. "Well," she murmurs, "I think… that this wanted and dangerous terrorist is going to go and get some sleep."
"Yeah, well," Quenton mutters, jaw clenched as his eyes jerk away. Still, after a moment, he mutters, "Sleep tight. I'm going out to throw a tree somewhere," he decides. He begins stepping towards the glassless window.
"Ah, yeah, have a good night, both of you… Thanks, Sophie… you didn't say anything wrong… just, sometimes I've got mixed feelings," says Taylor, sighing softly and then, when both Quenton and Sophie are gone, Tay lays down and falls asleep.
