Players:
Summary: Franky asks Travis a question he's not sure how to answer.
Date: October 12, 2011
Log Title: The Right Thing
Rating: PG
NYC - Mutant Town (Avenue A)
Mutant Town, also known as District X, has become a haven for mutants. This section of town doesn't care what you look like, accepting all mutants no matter what their appearance. Most of the businesses in this section of town are mutant run ranging from small convenience stores to clothing shops to restaurants to night clubs. The buildings here aren't the high rise buildings you might find in mid-town but most are about 5-6 stories high. Mutant Town might not be the most luxurious section of town, in fact it's fairly run down, but this section of where mutants are safe and welcomed regardless of race, religion and culture.
It's been almost a week since the firefight in Mutant town with the FoH and the cops have let the patrols go back to normal which has allowed Franky to come out of hiding. The large mutant sits on the stoop of an apartment building with his cart next to him, pulling a foil-wrapped burrito out of a greasy bag that he'd just bought from a food truck. His clothing is more patched and ratty than normal, not having gotten a new set since the fight and having to settle for sister Lisa patching most of the bullet-holes his attire suffered.
Coming out of the apartment where Franky is sitting is Travis. He's just been spending time with his girlfriend, Rashmi, and is now going to head back to the school. He's got his backpack slung over his shoulder and a large jacket covering his extra arms. He's about to push past Franky when he recognizes him and smiles. "Hey Franky, I haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?"
Franky scoots over to let Travis past and gives a smile as he sees who it is. "Ah Hello Traviz, hy haff been doing hokay. How about hyu?" He takes another bite from the burrito and offers the bag after swallowing. "Hyu vant vone? Hy haff plenty. Pipple are being verry nize to me theze dayz. Call me a Hero."
"Oh no thanks." Travis says patting his stomach. "I just had breakfast so I'm not hungry." He says as he decides he has some time to kill so he sits down next to Franky. "I've been doing good, really busy with school and deciding what direction I'm going to go in. So what happened that they're calling you a Hero." He says with a smile and a bt of an impressed look.
Franky motions out to the street "Few dayz ago a bunch uf men wearing clothez with Foh on zem drove in and shtarted shooting at pipple. Hy made zem run avay, and ze polize caught zum uf zem." He looks down at his patched clothing again "Got my clothez all mezzed up again. Zizter Liza zayz it iz hard to find zem in my size."
"Well if you let me know what size you are maybe I can go into a Big and Tall for you." Travis offers since he shouldn't have to just keep patching his clothes. "That's great and not great Franky. I'm glad you were able to do something to help so that noone got hurt. I've seen too much violence and it's never a fun thing. Noone got hurt? And you're okay?"
Franky nods "Vell zome uf dem got hurt, but zat waz ven de other pipples came out to help. Nobody here got hurt." When asked is he is ok he smiles. "Ho yez hy em fine, zey can't hurt me. Hy em too tuff." He reachs into one pocket and pulls out a handfull of bullets, each one has flattened like it hit somthing it couldn't penetrate. "Zee? Zey ken't hurt me."
Travis looks at the bullets and blinks. "Well, it's good to know you're bulletproof Franky." He says. "I'm glad noone here got hurt. Really glad. Especially since Rashmi and her friends live right in this building." He says as he starts to play with the corner of his jacket. "So how are those books I gave you coming along? They're not too hard are they?"
Franky shakes his head and smiles "Ho no hy haff finished zem all, been going to ze library vit ze card Razhmi gave me now." He clearly seems more intelligent, his english has improved greatly though the accent remains.
"Oh, I'll bring some more by then. I can get them easy enough from my Mom." Travis says. "Is there anything you liked more than others, or found to easy?" He asks as he leans back on the steps. "What have you been reading at the library?"
Franky smiles "Oh Hy haff been reading Harry Potter right now. Iz a very good book. Oh hy haff been learning other things to." He thinks a moment and speaks in Chinese, though there's no trace of the acccent "<Hello Friend>"
Travis looks at Franky for a bit. "Is that Chinese or Japanese?" He can't really tell the difference. It could be Korean for all he knows. "I haven't read those books, I've seen the movies though. Rashmi likes books like that such as Lord of the Rings. With elves and wizards and, again, the movies are really awesome. I just don't read a lot myself."
Franky nods "Iz Chineze, hy haff been vatching a show in ze morningz where zey are zpeaking it and haff shtarted to learn."
"I never studied another lanuage. I was too busy with baseball in school." Travis says before he frowns a bit. "And this year was another year the Rockies didn't make the playoffs." Not that he expects Franky to fully understand but then again Travis is a baseball nut. "If you like Harry Potter I think there's another movie…or book, that's similar. Jackson something or other."
Franky nods "Hy think hy know wich book hyu mean. Perzy Jackzon and ze lightnigh thief. Vaz going to read zose next. Hy em zorry hyour team did not vin zis year. Mabye next time?"
"Don't worry about it Franky." Travis says. "I like watching the games cause it reminds me of my Dad." There's a sort of bittersweet smile on his face as he says that. "Cool, if you see Rashmi she probably knows some great book recomendations. And I'll talk to my Mom. I don't know much book stuff."
Franky nods and finishes off the burrito he was eating before that usual smile fades from his face. "Traviz, vat do hyu think happened to me? Hy know hy lost my memory, but hy know that thiz" He brushes his hair back showing the metal studs in his neck. "Are not normal.."
The question throws Travis completely off guard to the point where he doesn't realize a third and fourth arm sneaking out of his jacket to nervously fidget in his lap. "Well…honestly…I don't know Franky. I..um…I think you were part of something. Like, uh…a test or.." He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Franky, whatever I say don't like it change who you are okay? You're you and you're not just…." He waves hand number three before talking again. "Anyway I think you were part of an experiment or something. That's about all I can assume. Maybe something when wrong and you lost your memories. Maybe they were trying to make you the next Captain America."
Franky nods and takes a few moments to absorb this. "Mebbe it vas vorth it then, to be az stronk az hy em. Mabbe that's vat they vere trying to do."
Travis reaches over and puts a hand on Frank's arm. "Hey, I really don't know, I'm just making guesses. If you were able to become a hero and save people from the FoH asshats then I'd say it was worth it. Anytime you're able to save a life, it's worth it."
Franky nods and smiles again "Hy vill try and be a goot perzon then. Hy vant to do vat iz right and vill protect zis town ven hy ken."
Travis looks up at Frank and gives him a smile, it's a true smile but there's just a hint of sadness behind it. "Thanks. I want to do what's right to Franky and I want to protect those I care about. I've seen too much wrong but at the sametime there's more good than bad and the good is worth it."
Franky nods "Vell if hyu need any help vit anything hyu ken call me. If hy ken help hy vill." It seemed a weight has been lifted from hiz shoulders at the talk. The smile returning quickly.
"I definately will Franky. The same goes in return okay? I'm also a decent healer so if you know anyone whose injured I can always try to patch them up." Travis says as the smile becomes a bit more confident as Franky's smile returns. "Rashmi also lives right in this building so I know she'd be willing to help too."
Franky nods "I haff zeen her coming and going, but she seemz to haff a man vit her zometimez. Hy don't vant to bother her."
"That's probably Connor or Robyn, one of her roommates." Travis says. "I know she wouldn't mind it or think it's bothering her if you really needed something. You…don't have a cell phone or access to a phone do you?"
Franky shakes his head "No but if hyu call ze shelter Zizter Liza ken tell me a mezzage"
Travis nods. "Okay, I'll have to get the numbe from the shelter and give Sister Lisa my number as well so if you need me for anything, she can reach me. Does that sound okay?"
Franky nods "Zounds fine Traviz, hy think hy need to find a job mebbe. Zizter Liza haz been goot to me but hy ken't alvays shtay in ze shelter. Hy em gettink shmarter, hy em stronk. Hy need to do zomthing, hy just don't know vat yet."
Travis nods. "Well maybe you can look into doing something small like washing dishes or busing tables as a resturant and then go from there? I really don't know what's out there. Maybe Sister Lisa can help you find something or over at the Genoshan Embassy?"
Franky nods "Zister Liza zays to shtay avay from dat building. Dozen't truzt the pipple in there. Zayz a man zere named Magneto iz there and iz a bad man.. iz like the Dingo man."
"Okay well maybe try looking at the resturants and small businesses around here and see if they need someone like you. A fulltime stocking position isn't bad either. I don't really have a job because it's hard to get one when you have six arms." Travis says with a bit of a chuckle.
Franky nods "Hy tried to vash dishes vonce.. hy em too big. The roomz are made from young men who are not az big az hy em."
"Well I'll talk to Sister Lisa and Rashmi if you want, and some of the places around here and see about getting you some work. I don't mind helping out at all Franky." Travis says as he looks up at him. "You are a friend of mine after all."
Franky nods "Vell hyu zeemed to be goink zomewhere and I need to finish my lunch bevore it gets cold. Don't vant hyu to be late zo hyu have a nize day and ve vill talk again zoon." He smiles and moves to fish a new burrito from the bag.
Travis stands up and pats Franky on the shoulder. "Definately, I'll be back with more books for you. Take care Franky and anytime you need me, just let sister Lisa know." And instead of heading back towards Barnes he heads towards the shelter to talk to Sister Lisa first.
