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Summary: Robyn and Connor finally get the chance to meet up after everything that's happened.
Date: November 2, 2012
Log Title: Warm Welcomes
Rating: PG-13
Barnes Academy - Medical Center
The name medical 'office' rather undersells what his, in essence, a state of the art, high-tech and extremely well stocked medical bay and treatment center. There are always orderies and nurses in attendance to handle minor injuries and a doctor is always on call for more serious problems. In addition to a locked medicine storage facility, there are modules for isolating patients, a (hopefully never used) cryogenic storage and stasis module for preserving life (or bodies) when the local team can't stabilize a patient and a pair of ten bed infirmary modules attached to the main area. Each bed and exam table is equipped with the latest Stark-tech diagnostics gear.
Despite the miracles of healing by advanced technologies, Connor still looks like he was on the wrong end of a bar brawl. The bandage over his nearly-destroyed eye is now replaced with an eyepatch, and a Barnes workout uniform covers most of his bandages up nicely. Sitting down, he waits for the person doing his final checkover, sighing once as for the third time in ten minutes the scanner passes over him, and the nurse asks him to bend, or twist, or otherwise move. His head is still shaved, but the hair is beginning to grow back, even over the scar that ranges close to his left eye.
Finally Rashmi has been able to get clearance for Robyn to stay at Barnes for his own safety and before Robyn even has a chance to check out his living quarters he's pretty much demanded to see his friend Connor, since he's finally able to. Walking into the medbay dragging a large suitcase on wheels behind him and still in his jacket, Robyn instantly looks around for Connor. Seeing he's with one of the medical staff, he gives a wave and waits for the okay to go over.
Connor raises one hand almost sheepishly as the nurse gives him the clearance, and he then nods once before pushing off his spot, and walks to the entrance. Stopping in front of Robyn, there's this odd trembling in his eye, something close to tears… and then the taller young man just wraps his arms around Robyn's shoulders and pulls him tight to him, and hard… still not back to full strength, but it's enough that he feels wiry and bony against his friend, "Missed you. Guess it was my turn."
Robyn returns the hug and even gives Connor a light kiss on the cheek. "I'm so sorry I didn't see you earlier. I wanted to but they wouldn't let me." He says sounding close to tears himself. "Don't say that, it's not about turns, it's just..I'm glad you are okay Connor. If you need anything let me know. I'm not going to force you to talk about anything but you know the drill. I just wish this time I could have helped rescue you like you've done for me."
Moving off to one of the smaller exam rooms with Robyn, affording some sense of privacy, he then tilts his head and says, "No, Robyn… it's allright. I… kinda folded in on myself. I'm more worried about the students who were with me. Warlock Corvus, Nick Gerhardt, and Quenton Michaels. None of them deserved this… and neither of them have screwed up brains they can hide behind." His hand remains on Robyn the entire time as he talks, and seems to be almost more alive than he was sitting on the exam bed like that. A small notebook and pen sit in one pocket, the end poking out slightly, "You're here… that's all that's really important."
Robyn grips Connor's hand and nods. "I've been really worried about you, so has Heather. I tried sculpting you something, as a present for when you came back but I couldn't, I just didn't like anything I was working on." He says sitting in a chair next to Connor. "I'm glad you're back, and I don't know about the others. I was only at Xavier's for a bit and it just felt weird being back there. I'm working on a video I hope to release soon like Rashmi did."
When he tilts his head to one side in a cattish fashion, Connor replies, "Ummm… Video?" And he looks around a moment, "Sorry… I've been techless and screenless since I got taken. She made a video? About what?" And with that, Connor leans back and away, but the touch of the hand remains present, and he watches Robyn with an almost wolfish sense of 'mine'. The pack mentality.
"About what happened, their has been a lot of anti-mutant press out there, your kidnapping wasn't even reported on. They're touting you and the other guys, Rashmi and anyone who helped rescue you as terrorists." Robyn tries to explain in the best way he can think of. "I don't know how much you know but things for mutants have gone to hell. There's a registration and relocation act, Rashmi's back in Mutant Town helping out. She pretty much made me promise to stay safe here as long as she could get clearance for me to do so, which she did. Things are scary out there Connor."
Connor closes his eyes a moment, and then he releases the touch and crosses his arms slowly, "Robyn… I think… I think these are the same people who did what they did to create that future that the other me came back to stop…" He then sighs, and stares at the ceiling, "If I remember it all right… I think the next hit is going to be on the Xavier school… I mean they took me, and did it deliberately… the only reason I could think that would happens is because of Volk. Get me now before I could become him." But then he looks back down and gives a sad smile, "Either that or I really HAVE gone crazy… and if that's the case… they make pretty drugs for that." Trying to brighten a little after such a morose statement.
"I don't know Connor, I mean I'm not in a wheelchair or anything so that's a good sign right?" But it does make Robyn nervous that still might happen. "They did target you four, they pretty much said so during that whole…televised thing." He doesn't want to say the word execution. "At Giant's Stadium. It was live until they cut it once things started to not go their way. It was terrifying I can't imagine what you were going through." He leaning forward. "No you haven't gone crazy, it's all part of the recovery process, it takes a while."
"The only way I can equate… think about us in school before the Xavier mansion… all of that fear and worry about school… and then add in daily beatings… and then…" Connor replies, before he pauses, and then closes his eyes tightly, "Okay… maybe not that, but still… It was bad. I just turned inside, sat in all those mental constructs I keep… and I waited." Reaching over, he takes Robyn by the shoulder and snugs in him, before resting his head on his shoulder, before adding, "Would you believe I even missed Tim Burton films?"
"Yeah I would believe that cause they're awesome." Robyn says teasing Connor a bit in regards to the Tim Burton Films. "School before Xavier's…I got made fun of a bit but never beat up. I didn't have a whole lot of friends, mostly girls, and mostly it was me in denial that I was gay. When my powers showed up, I went into a comma before being shunted to Xavier's so I never had that." He knows he's rambling a bit. "How are you now though Connor, do you want to talk about what happened?"
Connor shakes his head, "What am I supposed to say, Robyn? They beat me for information… and then when they either got what they wanted, or didn't need it… they started beating me for just… the sake of beating me." One hand comes up, and he rubs over the eyepatch a moment, and then over to trace the scar going down his face, "They had something they liked to do to each of us… for me they liked to use electrical torture on me… battery clamps, a taser… just… " Rolling up his arm, he shoes the clear burn-bandage still in place, "I don't have any body hair on my arms or legs. Messed up, huh?"
Robyn runs his hand over Connor's shaved head, eyes full of concern. "I'm really sorry you had to go through all that Connor, you don't deserve it. It's not just messed up, it's fucked up." He looks at Connor for a few seconds before just bursting. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that Connor, I really am. I wish I could have done something more, something to help." He looks at the burns bandages and shuts his eyes for only a second before forcing them back open. "I need to finish my video, even if it is just Sophie and myself."
Connor rolls his sleeve back down, and lets the worst of it be out of the way, before saying with a rather stupid little grin, "I know this is totally in bad taste… but maybe the electroshock therapy helped?" One shoulder shrugging as he takes a deep breath, and then looks away again. Once more he shifts back, and then stares up at the ceiling before saying, "Robyn… I… uhhh… this is really awkward… but… I missed you. A lot. I mean really missed."
Robyn looks at Connor and raises his eyebrows at him in a sort of 'what are you nuts' expression. "What do you mean helped?" Torture shouldn't be thought of as 'helping'. "I really missed you too Connor. I was so worried about you, I could barely sleep and kept fearing the worse. Now I know how you felt everytime I was kidnapped or something horrible happened to me."
Keeping close to Robyn, Connor gulps once, "I'm just trying not to fall apart, okay? I'm… I'm just feeling like… I had nothing. I was going to die, they were going to kill me, and no one could stop it. And the thing that hurt me more was that I couldn't protect the others. I've always done that… I've always protected others… and I couldn't. They got hurt, and I couldn't do anything." Tears beginning to form, "Dammit… I'm… I just… Dammit…"
"Connor, it's okay to fall apart." Robyn says gripping his hand tightly. "Sometimes you have to let yourself fall apart so you can rebuild the pieces. It's okay to cry." He says doing his best to give Connor a comforting hug. "You're not dead Connor, which is a good thing. I don't know I'd do if…" He can't finish the sentence. "I had hope that you'd come home alive. I'm sure the others don't blame you for anything, and don't expect to be your responsibility, but then you always feel like a protector. It's one of the things I love about you."
Connor clings and sobs out, "My dad lied to me, Robyn… he lied… he…" Gulping once, "My dad works for SHIELD… that's why he didn't want me to go to Barnes. That's why he wasn't around all the time. Uncle Yuri knew… I… I don't know what to do. What am I supposed to believe anymore?"
Robyn doesn't know how to react to that as everything was not was he was expecting to come out of Connor. "What?" It takes a while for it to be processed. "You're supposed to believe what your heart tells you to believe. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this on top of everything else. That's…." He doesn't have words for it. "Maybe he had to lie to you? Not that it makes the lie any less of a lie."
Connor pulls back, and then reaches into his pocket to take out someone else's handkerchief, this marked with A TD monogram on it. He dabs at his eyes, and says, "No… because right now the only thing I want to do is go out there and hurt these people Robyn. I'm MAD… more than mad. I feel violated. I feel like if I don't break something soon, I'm going to go insane… and then my dad comes in and tells me that he's been LYING to Mom for almost twenty years. Because it was supposed to protect US. I didn't need that protection. Maybe if we'd known… we'd have been proud. Now we don't even get THAT." He shivers a bit more, and adds, "The last thing I said before I thought I was going to die was how I hated him for being such a dick about Barnes…"
"You have a right to be mad, you have a right to want revenge. I felt the same way when it came to Heather's parents. No control of what you believed in…." Robyn shakes his head as that's not important. "Connor…you don't have to make a decision right now or even talk to your Dad soon, just think about it. He might not had been able to say anything, you know how these government organizations work." At least it's how they are in the movies. "Also, do you really hate him or do you feel guilty for saying that?"
"I don't know…" Connor replies after a bit, and then he seems to shrink in on himself, but still looks to Robyn before adding, "Don't tell anyone I was like this? I… they…" And he seems to just drop his head, "Everyone acts like I'm the strong one… and I don't want them to think I'm… not. I don't want anyone to think they can't rely on me."
"Are you sure it's not that everyone acts like your the the strong one or that you also like being the strong one." Robyn says to Connor with a bit of a smile. "Don't worry, what happens here stays between us. And it's okay not to be the strong one, you don't always have to be. I'll always rely on you Connor, no matter what. Just as I hope you can rely on me."
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Connor says, "They… uhhh…" He pauses again, and looks back at you, "They assigned me a temporary dorm room. It's kinda cramped, but if you want… you can stay there tonight… with me… you know…" Looking back towards the door, he then adds, "Just us."
"Yeah, I'll spend the night with you. I didn't let them show me to where they're putting me up cause I refused to do anything until I saw you. Some guy named Agent Quetzal is waiting out there for when I'm done visiting with you to start showing me around." Robyn says smiling at him and he can also tell that Connor doesn't want to be alone. "How's the nightmares? I remember those always being horrible after going through something horrible."
Connor sighs once, "After a month of just dealing with my own crap, it's nice to have the alternate life stuff again." Tapping the side of his head as he offers another one of those slightly trembling smiles. The hand sort of falls limply to his side, and he then has to take a slightly calming breath, "It's not as bad as when they found me. I teleported twice to other places, and they had to have agents get me back to the medbay. I couldn't go far… memories were too jumbled at the time."
"You wanted to get away, you weren't thinking." Robyn says defensively of Connor's actions. "How about we go to your dorm tonight, find a way to get some popcorn and watch any movie of your choice. Like we usually do at night. We can just hang out and relax and if you need to cry, I'll give you my shoulder and hugs." He leans down kissing Connor lightly on the top of his head. "You're safe for now Connor."
Connor is just turning his head up when the kiss is coming down, and that causes what is supposed to be an affectionate gesture to turn into something a bit less so. His eyes go a bit wide, but he doesn't move away from where his lips touch on Robyn's… and then his arms reach around his friend and he pulls him closer in, staying tight to that, as if afraid letting go would make Robyn vanish.
Robyn is just as surprised as Connor as their lips meet but he doesn't pull away either. Not like he really could easily if he wanted to. He tries to not put to much pressure on Connor afraid that he might hurt him further but he does put his arms around him in return the best he can. "I missed you a lot." He doesn't know what just happened but he does know he's wanted that kiss for a long time.
