Post by Typhoid on Jun 26, 2008 22:00:22 GMT -5
(A one shot. Takes place after 'A Reluctant Question' and the related dorm post)
A excerpt from Typhoid's diary.
It didn't make any sense, really- doing this. I should have figured that out a long time ago, but old habits die hard. All I can remember is being freezing cold the whole time. It didn't make sense, but that didn't really dawn on me at the time. I do this all the time- taking myself down what I affectionately refer to as the Walkway of a Thousand Doubts. Is it really worth the price...I'm turning around and heading home...No, no I'm not, I can't. Something has to be done... And around and around in circles until I drive myself half mad. Not that I'm not to begin with.
It was dark that night, or maybe it just seemed that way to me; I've only got vague impressions of what was around me, and the heartbeats, outlines of people highlighted in green. I guess I was using my power, but I don't remember. Hookers, pimps, dealers...all the people who only did business at night were coming out, and always the homeless, asking for change or using the dark to get on with whatever business the homeless have, some talking to themselves, shying away from streetlights. I avoid the streetlights too.
Mona says something in my head. That one looks cute. She's talking about someone walking past me. I ignore her- I have to be in control right now. Mary's talking too, trying to talk me out of whatever I'm about to do. I ignore her too. I really don't know where to start, which haunt to find. So I start at the nearest one.
Humans think that the Hellfire is the only mutants-only place around. It's not true. We find back alleys, places to be with our own kind. I don't look down on humans. I just think they run from what they don't want to understand. And they're more likely to be hurt if I use my power. It's an old habit. At least with mutants I could find someone every so often who I could touch without hurting people. After seeing Odin, it's not a problem, but the caution never goes away. People end up dead too easy, human or no.
The bar's old, a hole in the wall, somewhere that I could get free food when I was on the street, and later a place where Morlocks used to go, easily accessible from the tunnels. And also the haunt of an old friend. Sort of.
I know he saw me before I saw him, and he turned to me out of the depths of his hood. “What are you doing here?”
I smiled coldly. “Masque.”
He repeated his question. Masque's powers never used to work on me; he couldn't use them without killing himself. I didn't correct that, left my hands in my coat pockets. He looked like he was about to strangle me. “Do you know what you cost us by not doing your job?”
“I don't give a nuts about my job, Masque,” I said, taking a seat across from him and crossing my legs.
“Really?” I could hear the smirk even though I couldn't see it. “So what are you doing here?”
“I need a bounty,” I replied.
He sounded amused. “Do-gooder now, hmm?”
I didn't reply to that, but sighed. Bounties were mutants who hurt other mutants; murder and rape and other crimes still exist, even with us. I never used to do those kinds of jobs. “Do you have someone, or not?”
“For free?”
“For free.”
“Why?”
“None of your business.”
“You came to me after a year and a half and an invasion on the same cell you lived in by humans,” he spat the word. “And now you want a job. I'm not convinced.”
I felt cold now, colder then I'd ever been. Maybe it was the air conditioning. “Last chance. Yes or no?”
He snorted in derision, then became businesslike, professional. “There's a mutant. Doesn't keep a codename, tries to pass as human. Has a talent though- hypnotism. You can't look in his eyes straight on for more then a few seconds. Likes to use it to his advantage with women. Other mutant girls.”
A babble of mental voices accompanied that, most Mary's. It hurt my head. Typhoid, don't.... This isn't any of your business.[/b]
“Address,” I said, curtly. He gave it to me.
I don't know why I'm writing this all down. I only know that after this, I felt like I was operating like an automaton. I know I went to the address, I know I found the guy. He tried to hypnotize me, but I didn't keep eye contact long enough for it to work.
I didn't even try to be sly about anything, I just dissolved the door. I found him with a girl who couldn't have been more then fourteen. And I just...the world exploded.
I found myself standing in the middle of a room now made out of half ash and crumbling brick, the wall facing the street blown away. I was standing and glowing bright, and I knew I'd done it. The girl had run when I'd first walked in. Just as well.
I was on him before he could move. Danger Room sessions did me more good then I'd thought. One of my knives was in my hand; I didn't need it, of course, but it makes a point, I suppose.
My knee was planted in his chest, and he tried to struggle until my hand disappeared into his chest and closed around his heart. He was pleading, and after a little bit I stopped hearing it.
“PLEASE GOD, DON'T KILL ME! I HAVE A FAMILY!” The crazy things everyone says when they're afraid. Sometimes movies get it right. The God part still makes me laugh, but the other part...
I didn't care about his family. I still think they could have done better without him. But the word provoked Mary, and she quietly began to speak to me again, about the people I cared about. Pietro. Phoebe, who was far away now. Mystique. The Professor, though I kind of avoided admitting that. Abby, my goddaughter. And the only thing I could think was “What the hell am I doing?”
All the endless debates with Pietro about what was and wasn't my fault echoed in my head in the space of two seconds. I wasn't an assassin, he said, not a killer, not anymore. Then what the hell was I doing?!
I pulled my hand out of his chest, pulled the knife away from his throat, shaking, close to tears. I was gone before he could call anyone, turning to ash and materializing in a park a few blocks away. I threw up. I'm still sick...and this time I know it's not the flu.
A excerpt from Typhoid's diary.
It didn't make any sense, really- doing this. I should have figured that out a long time ago, but old habits die hard. All I can remember is being freezing cold the whole time. It didn't make sense, but that didn't really dawn on me at the time. I do this all the time- taking myself down what I affectionately refer to as the Walkway of a Thousand Doubts. Is it really worth the price...I'm turning around and heading home...No, no I'm not, I can't. Something has to be done... And around and around in circles until I drive myself half mad. Not that I'm not to begin with.
It was dark that night, or maybe it just seemed that way to me; I've only got vague impressions of what was around me, and the heartbeats, outlines of people highlighted in green. I guess I was using my power, but I don't remember. Hookers, pimps, dealers...all the people who only did business at night were coming out, and always the homeless, asking for change or using the dark to get on with whatever business the homeless have, some talking to themselves, shying away from streetlights. I avoid the streetlights too.
Mona says something in my head. That one looks cute. She's talking about someone walking past me. I ignore her- I have to be in control right now. Mary's talking too, trying to talk me out of whatever I'm about to do. I ignore her too. I really don't know where to start, which haunt to find. So I start at the nearest one.
Humans think that the Hellfire is the only mutants-only place around. It's not true. We find back alleys, places to be with our own kind. I don't look down on humans. I just think they run from what they don't want to understand. And they're more likely to be hurt if I use my power. It's an old habit. At least with mutants I could find someone every so often who I could touch without hurting people. After seeing Odin, it's not a problem, but the caution never goes away. People end up dead too easy, human or no.
The bar's old, a hole in the wall, somewhere that I could get free food when I was on the street, and later a place where Morlocks used to go, easily accessible from the tunnels. And also the haunt of an old friend. Sort of.
I know he saw me before I saw him, and he turned to me out of the depths of his hood. “What are you doing here?”
I smiled coldly. “Masque.”
He repeated his question. Masque's powers never used to work on me; he couldn't use them without killing himself. I didn't correct that, left my hands in my coat pockets. He looked like he was about to strangle me. “Do you know what you cost us by not doing your job?”
“I don't give a nuts about my job, Masque,” I said, taking a seat across from him and crossing my legs.
“Really?” I could hear the smirk even though I couldn't see it. “So what are you doing here?”
“I need a bounty,” I replied.
He sounded amused. “Do-gooder now, hmm?”
I didn't reply to that, but sighed. Bounties were mutants who hurt other mutants; murder and rape and other crimes still exist, even with us. I never used to do those kinds of jobs. “Do you have someone, or not?”
“For free?”
“For free.”
“Why?”
“None of your business.”
“You came to me after a year and a half and an invasion on the same cell you lived in by humans,” he spat the word. “And now you want a job. I'm not convinced.”
I felt cold now, colder then I'd ever been. Maybe it was the air conditioning. “Last chance. Yes or no?”
He snorted in derision, then became businesslike, professional. “There's a mutant. Doesn't keep a codename, tries to pass as human. Has a talent though- hypnotism. You can't look in his eyes straight on for more then a few seconds. Likes to use it to his advantage with women. Other mutant girls.”
A babble of mental voices accompanied that, most Mary's. It hurt my head. Typhoid, don't.... This isn't any of your business.[/b]
“Address,” I said, curtly. He gave it to me.
I don't know why I'm writing this all down. I only know that after this, I felt like I was operating like an automaton. I know I went to the address, I know I found the guy. He tried to hypnotize me, but I didn't keep eye contact long enough for it to work.
I didn't even try to be sly about anything, I just dissolved the door. I found him with a girl who couldn't have been more then fourteen. And I just...the world exploded.
I found myself standing in the middle of a room now made out of half ash and crumbling brick, the wall facing the street blown away. I was standing and glowing bright, and I knew I'd done it. The girl had run when I'd first walked in. Just as well.
I was on him before he could move. Danger Room sessions did me more good then I'd thought. One of my knives was in my hand; I didn't need it, of course, but it makes a point, I suppose.
My knee was planted in his chest, and he tried to struggle until my hand disappeared into his chest and closed around his heart. He was pleading, and after a little bit I stopped hearing it.
“PLEASE GOD, DON'T KILL ME! I HAVE A FAMILY!” The crazy things everyone says when they're afraid. Sometimes movies get it right. The God part still makes me laugh, but the other part...
I didn't care about his family. I still think they could have done better without him. But the word provoked Mary, and she quietly began to speak to me again, about the people I cared about. Pietro. Phoebe, who was far away now. Mystique. The Professor, though I kind of avoided admitting that. Abby, my goddaughter. And the only thing I could think was “What the hell am I doing?”
All the endless debates with Pietro about what was and wasn't my fault echoed in my head in the space of two seconds. I wasn't an assassin, he said, not a killer, not anymore. Then what the hell was I doing?!
I pulled my hand out of his chest, pulled the knife away from his throat, shaking, close to tears. I was gone before he could call anyone, turning to ash and materializing in a park a few blocks away. I threw up. I'm still sick...and this time I know it's not the flu.
