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[oakenshields13]

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Methods of Deduction (AU) (TW: dehumanization, torture, homophobia, ableism) (11/?)

[tawabids]

"Henry?"

He jerked his head up. Moira was looking at him with both eyebrows raised. Across from her, Professor Shaw coughed and pretended to be busy making notes on his pad.

"Sorry?" Henry straightened bolt upright in his chair. "Sorry Sebastian, what did you...?"

"Quite alright, my boy," Professor Shaw smiled broadly, oozing the charisma that had boosted his popularity in many scientific circles. A German ex-pat who had defected to the States in the early days of WW2, he had joined the defense department and single-handedly reversed the policy of euthanizing all American mutants as soon as they were discovered. After making considerable scientific progress for the allies, Shaw had made a name for himself after the war as a world-renowned expert on mutant study. When the Searchlight program had gotten off the ground he had become very interested in Henry's social control work with the NA-01 tribe and was now a regular visitor to the facility. Henry had been in awe of him since he was an undergrad, and still barely managed to keep from stammering in his presence.

"I was just saying," Shaw leaned forward, "Moira mentioned one of your females is pregnant. You know I'm hoping to establish a New York facility based on your model, but I'm very keen to get mutants as young as possible, while they're still malleable, and I thought once this new infant was weaned--"

How did Henry's tie get so tight? He dragged his fingers under the fold of his collar, feeling sweat breaking out on the skin there. You take everything, GRB-M-00001 had said. He cleared his throat, but his voice still came out a little higher than usual.

"Actually, Sebastian, though I'm flattered you've asked, I-- I really don't think it's good for-- that is to say, I think NA-01 will benefit from the birth of this new member. The first of a generation raised by mutants. I was hoping to complete a long-term study on the child's development among its own kind."

Moira was frowning, tapping one finger against her chin as she watched Henry blather. Shaw's face condensed, but his smile didn't waver. "Well then, would you mind if I borrow your other female? The shapeshifter. I have another P-type, one who can smash through a ten-inch wall if he builds up the momentum, and I'm very interested in transferring his abilities to some pentagon projects I'm collaborating on. But he's a difficult one to control. If I can breed him--"

"No," Henry said, with a firmness that surprised even him. Shaw looked unfazed, but leaned back in his chair as Henry babbled his explanations, "The tribe's social structure is delicate, Sebastian, and if they realise Yu-Twennie is carrying an unfamiliar male's child, who know how my alphas will react? I appreciate your predicament, of course, but I have to think of my subjects' welfare."

"Of course," Shaw rasped, still smiling, a suture-needle smile that slid between Henry's eyes and made him feel a little dizzy. The conversation turned quickly to more mundane topics and Henry gradually felt his heart rate slow down.

Once they had finished taking Shaw on a tour of the new Searchlight site and the professor had headed back to his car, Moira pulled Henry aside. She made him face her until she could look at his face. "Are you alright?" she whispered. "You looked scared witless in there."

Henry shook his head. "Did I do the right thing?"

"By lying to Sebastian?" Moira's face broke into an impish grin. "Of course you did."

"You noticed I was lying," Henry said dully, feeling his guts contract.

"Only because you've never mentioned any child development study," Moira hastened to assure him. "And we both know Em-One and Deu-Kay looked after Yu-Twennie when she had her last baby. But I'm glad you put him off. I don't care how much the pentagon are falling over themselves to fund him, he's still a sexist, self-serving--"

"Moira!"

"It's true. You built this place from the ground up, Henry, and you don’t owe Professor Shaw anything.”

“We built it,” Henry said, his anxiety beginning to trickle away.