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Post by Shade on Dec 11, 2007 14:51:36 GMT -5
Shade had been tossing him a sidewards glance when he spoke, noticing the movement of his eyes. It took her a little longer to register what had caused it since his senses were far better trained than hers. Subconsciously, she noticed that the volume in the bar had gone down and that seemed a little strange to her. Automatically, she followed Gambit´s gaze and fixed her eyes on the screen where the banner of some local news station was just appearing and disappearing again to give way to the news.
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Post by Gambit on Dec 11, 2007 15:18:14 GMT -5
"...giant robots seemed to have appeared out of nowhere," Trish Tilby on the screen was vaticinating. "So far, it is hard to say what is happening, but they seem to attack random people on the streets..."
Behind the reporter, there were images of chaos and panic on the streets of Washington. And Sentinels. Gambit kept a nonchalant appearance while he was watching it.
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Post by Shade on Dec 11, 2007 15:27:25 GMT -5
Shade had never been to Washington and since her attention was more drawn to what was happening than the where things were going on, she did not recognize where it was rightaway. She was for some reason pretty sure it was not in NYC - they would have had news on that earlier, her mind noticed in the flash of a moment. She felt herself stiffen slightly, unable to keep the same nonchalant manner as Gambit who, as usual, had a better control about his outer appearance than she did. Her eyes widening slightly at the blurry, shaky images of sentinels that flickered across the news, she could do nothing but stare. "God..." she said after a moment, her voice low when her thoughts started to pick up speed drastically. Sentinels meant there were people in danger - mutants. It meant that the attack on her had indeed just been a test run...
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Post by Gambit on Dec 11, 2007 15:58:16 GMT -5
Hectic as the coverage from the scene of the battle was, one could tell that there were people fighting back against the Sentinels. Not humans - mutants. Not much of a surprise there. Gambit recognized quickly what was happening but the reporter didn't give any conclusions yet and the word 'mutant' hadn't sounded yet from the screen, so the other people at the bar were still largely unaware of what was going on.
He leaned towards Shade and said in a low voice, "Anyone you recognize out there?" - referring to those fighting against the robots.
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Post by Shade on Dec 11, 2007 16:12:52 GMT -5
Keeping her eyes glued to the screen, Shade tried to make sense of te hectic images, but apart from the huge shapes of the sentinels, there was not much to make out yet. She tried for another few seconds, her heart pounding hard, then shook her head. "No." she said, her thoughts quickly jumping to a conversation she had had with Xavier when the reporter mentioned Washington. "I hope none of them are out there..."
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Post by Gambit on Dec 11, 2007 16:36:54 GMT -5
As if in response to her words, the image zoomed in on Storm sending a bolt of electricity at the robot. Gambit clenched his teeth. So that meant the X-Men had been informed in advance. And of course she would be out there fighting... He couldn't tell whether he was glad they were informed and helping, or frustrated that Ororo had to be there, in the midst of the mess.
The other people at the bar finally reacted, just as Trish on the screen was commenting on something about mutants. "Finally somebody is taking care of that problem," one of the men not far from where Shade and Gambit were sitting remarked in a bitter way, 'somebody' apparently being the Sentinels and those who created them.
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Post by Shade on Dec 11, 2007 16:43:57 GMT -5
Shade let out a barely audible gasp when she recognized Storm. She had not talked to the other woman too often, but she knew here since she lived at the mansion naturally. The remark of the man at the other table caused anger to sweep across her in an instant, provoked by the images they were witnessing and her hand clenced into a fist as she tried to calm her emotions down, just in time managing to keep herself from replying something to those words or giving the other man a glare. Gambit´s behaviour was probably the wisest, she thought. And therefore, her anger was barely visible, but clearly traceable in her emotions. "That means the others might be out there too..." she murmured.
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Post by Gambit on Dec 11, 2007 17:12:21 GMT -5
And apparently, they were. The cameraman seemed to be adjusting better to the hasty way the attack went, and the images were getting more and more discernible. Gambit felt disappointed he wasn't out there; guilty, too. What better way to spend the weekend than fighting in a lethally dangerous situation along with Storm?.. He closed his eyes momentarily at that thought, then glanced at the people around. Their eyes were glued to the TV that was showing the capital city being destroyed by giant robots; Gambit wouldn't get scared if they all turned their attention towards him, rather obviously a mutant, but at the moment, he preferred it that way, mostly for Shade's sake.
"How many Sentinels did she say there are there?" he asked Shade quietly.
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Post by Shade on Dec 11, 2007 17:18:41 GMT -5
Gambit remaining calm helped her to force down her own fear and confusion. The people around, most of them had to be humans as chances were, did not heed them and she caught herself glancing around, watching out for eyes darting their way, noticing that the eyes of the man next to her were red. Even though that didn´t happen, some remote protective instincts stirred, not surfacing but there, lurking and they would get to the surface quickly if need be, even though she knew Gambit would deem that unnecessary.
She looked at the screen again, thinking. "I think she said ten." she said after a moment, quite sure she had heard that number a moment ago, but not having consciously considered it up to now. Ten! She had escaped one with more luck than anything and even though Storm and whoever was out there was likely more capable of fighting, there sure were some who were not. The thought alone made her shiver.
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Post by Gambit on Dec 12, 2007 4:49:20 GMT -5
It had to be pretty obvious to Trish Tilby now that the Sentinels were attacking only mutants - it was easy to tell that the mutants were fighting back. She didn't take any sides, merely stating that robots were shooting and mutants were responding with means of their own, but the mood in the bar was getting heavier by the second and harsher comments were heard. All against mutants. A few haters in the audience were easily swinging the others their way.
"Ten..." Gambit gave a short nod. "A sho sign t' start prayin'." He chose not to get all upset and crazy about it since he was in no position to help, anyway, but it didn't mean he took it calmly, and that showed in the way his fist slowly balled on the table.
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Post by Shade on Dec 12, 2007 4:59:10 GMT -5
Shade knew him well enough to be able to tell that Gambit was not as calm as he looked. As usual, he chose to keep his reason when things got hectic, she noticed his fist and knew things were looking quite different inside. She felt the same, even though her own anger was mingled with fear, but not fear for her own safety. The comments she caught from the audience were getting more and more hostile and she felt her fingertips start to tingle as they sometimes did when she was fighting back her powers that meant to protect her.
She just nodded slightly, a bad feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.
Someone stepped behind them that moment and a second later there was a voice close to her ear. Turning her head, Shade noticed it belonged to a man around her age, two others sitting at the next table, watching what their friend was doing with interest. "Hey girl, you better get away from the mutie. Those things are dangerous" the stranger said in a voice that was bound to evoke the attention of some others around, obviously having noticed Gambit´s red eyes.
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Post by Gambit on Dec 12, 2007 6:08:29 GMT -5
Gambit turned his head at the commenter, not moving much, although he knew his body was automatically preparing for assault as he sensed hostility. "Damn straight dey are," he said. "Anythin' else ya wanna talk 'bout, homme?" He would have surely found a more efficient response, but Shade was sitting between him and the guy, so he had to consider her safety and stay cautious so far. He was only glad Shade's mutation didn't show in her appearance.
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Post by Shade on Dec 12, 2007 7:27:05 GMT -5
Shade felt her jaw clench at the stranger´s words. He meant to provoke, no question, and doubtlessly also because he knew that he was on the winning side in this place were emotions against mutants were already being stirred. Still, she braved the other man´s look with an expression that hovered somewhere between anger and disgust. "I think I´m pretty much capable of chosing my company." she gave back. Part of her tried to prompt her into using her powers, scare him by reaching out for him and making him vanish or using them to show that an insult against Gambit meant an insult against her as well. But she knew this probably would have been a bad idea, so she didn´t.
The stranger gave Gambit a look. "I was talking to the girl, not to you, freak." he said.
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Post by Gambit on Dec 12, 2007 7:49:26 GMT -5
"Well, obviously," Gambit remarked, still calm, sliding out from behind the table and using it as a support for one hand so that he could easily hop over it, stepping now between Shade and the guy, "she sho wasn' talkin' to ya. Ya wanna discuss anythin', we can take it outside b'fore anybody get hurt."
"Oh yeah?" the guy smirked. "So whatcha gonna do, freak? Use your superpowers on me? I'm so scared!"
His buddies behind him stood up from their seats, too, clearly wishing to join in the fun. They were now drawing attention from other people at the bar.
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Post by Shade on Dec 12, 2007 9:06:30 GMT -5
The gesture was obviously protective, even though Gambit stayed calm. She was not scared, all she felt was anger. These boys were no danger she was sure, not with Gambit as an opponent, but their attitude was starting to seriously annoy her. That, and they had called Gambit freak for a second time. People who called those that meant something for Shade names had always been something she hated.
Refuging the urge to get up as well and step up to the main provoker, she shifted in her seat a little, touching Gambit´s arm with her hand, not in a keeping-him-back way but to underline what she was to say. "Maybe we should go." she said, her voice making obvious that she did not back out but merely found the strangers not worth her while. "and let those kids find someone else for a schoolyard fight."
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