driftfleet | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: two nerds and you
Broadcast: fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: now!

[ The audio comes on sharply, but everything is still dark as two people discuss their situation.]

Is that the camera? Can you get it to work?

I - think so? Here, push this --

I am pushing it, Hank. I thought you knew about these from that show you keep watching. Space Trek?

It's Star Trek and that isn't exactly - you know, the same thing as this.

Right. . . . Wait, I think I see something on the side.

[ And the video flickers on, the red light glowing softly. It focuses on two men. One in a wheelchair and the other right next to him, peering curiously at the camera before they step back satisfied. ]

Well, that’s over and done with. Hello to anyone who might be out there. My name is Charles Xavier and this is Hank McCoy. Apparently we’ve been kidnapped again, by an unknown force again for some mysterious reason.

[muttered:] Again. [and louder] So if anyone would be kind enough to explain exactly what's going on, we'd appreciate it. You have our thanks in advance.

But do keep it pertinent.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't have memories from before, um... she's six, year with Sparks, year in civilian life, four before that, twelve years ago or so.

[ He nods. ]

Some of these . . . places I've been to, like to mess with people's memories and timelines. It's part of the norm, I'm afraid.

Ugh.

[ He pulls a face and rubs a hand through his hair. ]

Right. Okay, so we're already on better levels of kidnapping. No memory loss, no torture, we're both already up on previous times.

Sadly, it's not a high goal to reach. I am grateful to hear that things are not as bad as they seem, though.

[ Charles may not have Erik's fatalistic mindset, but he's been through enough that his faith is often askew. ]

Yeah, likewise.

[ Apollo gestures his head slightly at a chair, indicating he's going to move to sit down. He doesn't want to spook either of them if they've had bad experiences. ]

[ They're not easily spooked. Still, sitting in a chair makes it easier for Charles to keep eye contact. He considers briefly looking into Apollo's mind, but dismisses it. There was no need for that yet and it was only his latent paranoia speaking. ]

What else have you heard?

[ That was part of the consideration for sitting down. Apollo's a big guy, most people have to look up at him even standing.

He seats himself, sprawling comfortably in the chair. ]

Not much. I've spoken to a couple of people by video and I read through the communication logs people have made. There's another person on this ship, the Marsiva, guy called Maglor. He's never heard of space before, and he's from a place called something on Tuna, so I'm guessing he's not from an Earth.

[ Lots of people. Different realities, different timelines. He can feel a headache coming on. ]

No, I doubt everyone would be from earth. Or the same Earth. Drawing people out from other realities for a certain purpose fits the M.O. Still . . . this is on a large scale.

It is. I'm... pretty used to dealing with alternate versions of our world, the entirely different ones is new, but not that far a stretch.

I've spoken to a woman called Kitty, she said her world has... mutants? With an... x-gene?

[ He blinks, his expression clearing up. ]

Yes. I'm a mutant myself.

Oh! So you're a post-human too! Um, have super powers, in my world we call everyone with powers a post-human.

[ He's vaguely glad he coined the term mutant. Charles clears his throat, surprised by his positive reaction. ]

So there are a lot of post-humans?

Quite a few, yeah. There's the born ones, the Seedlings and the Millenium babies, like my Jenny. Oddities, like Shen or Jeroen. Alien made, that's Jack, or alien born, like the Kheran. Or Earth made, like Angie, or me 'n' Midnighter. All types.

[ He nods. It lines up fairly well with his own theory of evolution. ]

What are your powers exactly? If you don't mind me asking.

I'm... well, solar powered for a start. Any star will work. I'm stronger, tougher, faster, that's just regular. I can feel the air fairly well these day. Fly. I'm good at flying.

Midnighter would skin me for spilling my secrets like this, but fuck him.

I guess I'm what a lot of people think of when you think of the classic superhero. Flying, glowing, catching planes, punching buildings.

[ He mentally ticks those off. Powered by the sun . . . an interesting possibility. Perhaps that extra energy is what allows for more than one mutant ability. He wonders if this would be the next step. ]

Is it really a secret? It doesn't seem . . . [ Secret-worthy, in a way. ] that surprising to know.

Midnighter's... not paranoid. He has computers, in his head, ticking through how everything works. He's the most dangerous post-human in the world, always calculating how to look after us...

Well. Was. Before he left us.

Cock biting bastard.

[ There's real anger there, hurt and betrayal bursting off him and then being pushed down, muted. ]

Sorry.

[ Ah. Well, that sounded familiar. ]

It's fine. We all see the world in various ways.

I trusted him to keep me safe for twelve years, so I'm used to being the trusting one while he was running the numbers on how dangerous it really was.

He walked out on us ten months ago. I have issues about it still.

[ Well. It could be worse. ]

You don't think he'll come back?

I don't know. I never thought he'd leave us.

[ Leave me, goes unspoken. ]

I don't know.

[ Charles goes quiet for a while. How often had he thought of that before? ]

I find that leaving is only final if both parties believe it. If there is space in your life for him to come back . . . then maybe he will.

I don't think I could trust him. He left. No explanation. Not even excuses. Just left.

[ He'd scream and hit and cry and knows he'd probably still end up taking him back, which he hates about himself right now. He's only just started to learn how to define himself as Apollo, not Apollo-and-Midnighter. ]

Then that's your decision.

[ But Charles can see where it might lead. And it might never lead down a road where his lover comes back.

Charles compromised. And learned. ]

[ Apollo watches him for a moment, then decides to ask anyway. ]

Who left you?