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Summary: Bruce & Maxwell seek shelter in a shop from a snow storm.
Log Title: White Mute
Rating: PG
NYC - Mutant Town
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.
Scene
A cold night with the storm in full bloom, out of the flurrys and gloom of the mutant town streets the sounds of a diesel engine rumble through the night and a single flashing yellow light herald the approach of a large vehicle. A flat-bed 'wrecker' style towtruck with a large salt bin on it's bed with a spreader sending rock-salt down onto the street and a heavy plow on the front. A painted sign along the side notes the truck as belonging to "Karlow Salvage Yard".
Bruce frowns at the terrible machine lurching down the street. He frowns even more at the snow piling up on the sidewalk. The man sighs when he thinks about the man he came all the way out here to meet, who apparently decided to stay inside tonight. Bruce huddles up into his bomber jacket and blows a puff of smoke out from under his hat, cursing when a particularly large snowflake puts out his cigarette for the third time. He decides to give up and spit the butt at the ground, turning away from the snow plow to start home.
The truck rumbles to a stop next to a 24-hour corner store and the four-ways flash as the door opens and Max steps out. Too cold for his usual vigilante act he's in civilian garb actually doing a bit of honest work. He pulls a two liter thermos from inside the carb and unscrews the top to look inside. "Damn.. no coffee. Better refill, got another few hours of this before my shift is over." He heads towards the storefront.
Bruce stops moving as a particularly nasty gale of icy wind blows down the street. He decides that he'll stop in this corner store for a few minutes to warm up. The man pries the door open and steps in, standing by the window and looking out. The shopkeep seem to want Bruce to buy something and yells something that is so heavily accented he is difficult to understand. Bruce just waves a hand dismissively at him and stomps the snow off of his boots.
Maxwell wanders through the doors shortly after Bruce and gives a nod and smile to the shokeeper. "Evening, completely friggin miserable night out there." He looks over the various sizes of coffee cup available and does a little math in his head about how many it will take to refill his thermos before fishing a billfold from one pocket and heading for the counter. "Ummm 4 larges and a medium I think."
Bruce glances at the other man as he enters the shop. He has no idea that it is the same man he met with in the alley about a month ago, since Maxwell was in costume back then. Bruce is actually dressed much the same as he was that night. He sighs as the shopkeep continues to shout at him to get out. "Oy shut it! Just get that bloke his coffee and go back to…Doing whatever it is you people do. Eating sheep or whatever." He waves dismissively again and continues to look out the window. "Bloody winter. Why can't it just be warm all the time?"
Maxwell looks over at Bruce and chuckles "Then it wouldn't be New York, it would be Florida." He sets some bills on the counter and takes his empty cups and moves towards the coffee pots. He begins to fill them from the pots. "Can't complain much, the city boys are too afraid to drive their big expensive trucks in here so it's good money for a short-term independent contractor. With any luck I'll win the bet at the motorpool too." He fills the thermos and takes a sip from the last cup that would have overfilled it. "Unions boys got a pool going on how long it'll be till someone either hits the truck with lightning or that guy in the purple jumpsuit shows up and magnetically hurls it halfway to Jersey."
Bruce tips his head down and shakes it a few times, causing melted snow to drop down off his hat and splatter onto the floor. This causes the shopkeep to open his mouth but a nasty look from Bruce convinces him to shut it again. "Oh trust me, mate. If I didn't have responsibilities here I'd be in Florida in two shakes." He glances out at the truck and chuckles. "I don't think Magneto'd waste his time attacking a snow plow. And why would a mutant take out something that's clearing their streets? Unless it's that diamond chick…I sometimes suspect she's a bit crazy."
Maxwell shrugs "Doubt they would either, but hey more money for me. Guy's gotta make a living and I'll milk this work for all it's worth so long as those union candyasses are too scared to enter mutant town." He screws the cap back on his thermo, still sipping from the cup with the excess.
Bruce brings a hand up to his mouth and draws it downward, pulling the water and ice off of his stubble and wiping it on his pants. "Yeah well, they've got a good reason to be scared. Last big bit o' news down here was that a bunch of idiot humans decided we looked like we'd be fun to shoot. Didn't turn out so well for them. But still, if ya didn't live here an you didn't belong here you might see coming here as a scary thing. They come to Town too often someone might confuse them for a mutant an try to kill them."
Draining the last from the cup Max nods and tosses it in the trash. "Yeah saw the news stories on that, hell of a thing. Buncha morons with guns. Not worried about being called a Mutie, can take care of myself well enough. Don't really mind this place, a lot of good folks just trying to live their lives. part of the reason I sign up for these jobs. No point in them getting treated any different than anyone else. Streets gotta be clear." He looks back out towards the idling truck and sighs. "Well better get back to work, got a few more hours to go till the salt runs out and the job's over. You have a good night and try to keep warm yeah?" He waves to the guy at the counter and again to Bruce before heading towards the door.
Bruce offers a half hearted wave and lowers his head. "Yeah I suppose I should head out before it gets so bad I can't walk home." He looks back up and squints through the glass again, frowning. "But maybe I'll wait just a few more minutes." Just in case that contact happens to show up after all. Maybe the truck cleared the road enough that his deviant friend will show up? Doubtful, but he'll stick around just in case. "But yeah, drive safe. You knock into somebody's car here and you might get more than you bargained for."
Maxwell laughs and nods "Ah but I have very good insurance and I know how to run like hell. So no problem." He slips out the door and a minute or so later the truck lurches to life again and rumbles down the road.
~ Fin ~
