(no subject)
Sooraya had gone home to her world not long after talking to Harry Wells.
She'd gotten toys, and some proper food for a young puppy, from Bar, before she left. It was just easier to get them there, than try to explain her late-night walk through town to people here.
Sneaking down to the commons, she found a phone book and skimmed the Yellow Pages' veterinarians section. There was an animal hospital in town, and luckily it was open until late at night.
She took long enough to feed Najla, and grab her own only meal of the day,
before slipping out. The pup was hidden underneath her coat, drowsing. Sooraya wished, briefly, that she could speak "canine", if only to caution Najla not to bark or jump out until they were clear of the grounds.
She made a note to see if one of the Institute's telepaths or empaths could communicate with her little packmate, enough to convey that the O*N*E Sentinels were not simply big toys or friendly, at least.
The underground tunnels had several exits. She took one that merged with a sewer tunnel, and would come out aboveground in the town itself. The smells made her wince, and quicken her steps.
Luckily, no one was nearby when she emerged. The alley was the same one in which she'd found Najla, abandoned, yesterday. Sooraya had checked the other trashcans, but found no sign of the little bulldog's littermates. She only hoped that that meant they were alright, but she had no intention of trying to find the pup's former owners. She wasn't naive enough to have not realized that if they knew the dog was worth something to her, they might take advantage.
The hospital was four blocks away. She approached, seeing lights on in the front window. The door was locked. Sooraya pressed a button next to an intercom. A disembodied voice requested that she move to be in view of the
security cameras. Frowning, Sooraya nonetheless complied.
"Sorry. It's just, we have people show up sometimes meaning to steal, or animal rights 'activists' who think we're experimenting on our patients," the staffer explained. "Why did you--oh!" as Najla poked her head out
from beneath the jacket. "I see. Well, come on in,", accompanied by a loud buzz as the door was unlocked.
Sooraya entered, and made sure the door was firmly shut behind her before she
walked down a long, brightly-lit hall to the clinic area. The staffer who'd spoken was a man in his mid forties, short, balding, with twinkling hazel eyes and a ready smile for the unexpected visitors. He introduced himself as
David Carmody, one of the hospital's vets.
"Now, if I may ask, how did you come by Najla here? We've had three other pups
of the same breed, and same age, that were found abandoned in the last week.
Here in town. One had to be euthanized, he was ill and in too much pain to do otherwise." He regarded Sooraya a little sternly. "Are you their original owner?"
"No," she replied immediately. "Nor do I know who is, I'm sorry. She'd been left too."
Carmody examined Najla, and pronounced her healthy, if a little underweight.
" Do you mean to keep her, or would you like us to help find her a home?" he offered. "I can call the local shelter to pick her up, here."
"No," Sooraya's answer was firm. "I told her I wouldn't leave her. But thank you for offering."
"I thought so. Good. Well, then, there are some books in the upstairs that give more detailed information about her breed. Hold up, and I'll get them. I just ask that you return them in good condition when you're done reading them." Carmody vanished.
Sooraya sat, and cuddled Najla on her lap, keeping the pup from going to investigate all the shiny new objects in the room.
By the doorway, someone cleared his throat. "Good evening, Ms. Qadir."
She looked up, startled, then hissed something angry in Afghani and set Najla
carefully down on the table beside her. She stood.
She didn't know the man's name, but his face--even scarred and distorted--was only too familiar.
"Purifier." That one word held weeks' worth of pain, rage, disgust, and almost hatred.
"You didn't learn anything the last time?" she asked, very softly. "That I won't spare you--"
He raised a hand. "I have, if nothing else, learned not to fight on the enemy's home ground or when they choose the time. I only wondered if you still wished to destroy us, to prevent us from setting things right for our world...and I'd say I have my answer." He smirked. "Very well. If you won't repent, there's nothing else to be said. I thought the Reverend would have wished me to give you the chance, before you went before the Lord to be judged."
Sooraya laughed bitterly. "I trust the Creator's judgment. Unlike you, I'm not so proud as to insist I know what's in His mind, what he'd wish from us. Beware pride, man. It corrupts too." She watched him, warily. In no way did she trust his assurances. None of them would be so stupid as to take a Purifier's word for anything, after all this.
He inclined his head, very slightly, in acknowledgment, and then was gone as silently as he'd come.
She'd seen him at the Institute, during the fight. He moved like that too, then, she recalled. Like Logan, or X-23; someone who knew how to be stealthy, and to fight, armed or unarmed. A soldier? Or assassin?
Carmody returned a moment later, with an armful of books. Sooraya accepted them. After quick thought, she didn't mention the other man's appearance.
She had a nasty suspicion that she'd already gotten the doctor more involved than might be wise for him.
Returning directly home, she took a different route, eyes open for any sign of ambush until she was inside the Institute walls again.
Even then, she didn't relax. She couldn't.
She'd gotten toys, and some proper food for a young puppy, from Bar, before she left. It was just easier to get them there, than try to explain her late-night walk through town to people here.
Sneaking down to the commons, she found a phone book and skimmed the Yellow Pages' veterinarians section. There was an animal hospital in town, and luckily it was open until late at night.
She took long enough to feed Najla, and grab her own only meal of the day,
before slipping out. The pup was hidden underneath her coat, drowsing. Sooraya wished, briefly, that she could speak "canine", if only to caution Najla not to bark or jump out until they were clear of the grounds.
She made a note to see if one of the Institute's telepaths or empaths could communicate with her little packmate, enough to convey that the O*N*E Sentinels were not simply big toys or friendly, at least.
The underground tunnels had several exits. She took one that merged with a sewer tunnel, and would come out aboveground in the town itself. The smells made her wince, and quicken her steps.
Luckily, no one was nearby when she emerged. The alley was the same one in which she'd found Najla, abandoned, yesterday. Sooraya had checked the other trashcans, but found no sign of the little bulldog's littermates. She only hoped that that meant they were alright, but she had no intention of trying to find the pup's former owners. She wasn't naive enough to have not realized that if they knew the dog was worth something to her, they might take advantage.
The hospital was four blocks away. She approached, seeing lights on in the front window. The door was locked. Sooraya pressed a button next to an intercom. A disembodied voice requested that she move to be in view of the
security cameras. Frowning, Sooraya nonetheless complied.
"Sorry. It's just, we have people show up sometimes meaning to steal, or animal rights 'activists' who think we're experimenting on our patients," the staffer explained. "Why did you--oh!" as Najla poked her head out
from beneath the jacket. "I see. Well, come on in,", accompanied by a loud buzz as the door was unlocked.
Sooraya entered, and made sure the door was firmly shut behind her before she
walked down a long, brightly-lit hall to the clinic area. The staffer who'd spoken was a man in his mid forties, short, balding, with twinkling hazel eyes and a ready smile for the unexpected visitors. He introduced himself as
David Carmody, one of the hospital's vets.
"Now, if I may ask, how did you come by Najla here? We've had three other pups
of the same breed, and same age, that were found abandoned in the last week.
Here in town. One had to be euthanized, he was ill and in too much pain to do otherwise." He regarded Sooraya a little sternly. "Are you their original owner?"
"No," she replied immediately. "Nor do I know who is, I'm sorry. She'd been left too."
Carmody examined Najla, and pronounced her healthy, if a little underweight.
" Do you mean to keep her, or would you like us to help find her a home?" he offered. "I can call the local shelter to pick her up, here."
"No," Sooraya's answer was firm. "I told her I wouldn't leave her. But thank you for offering."
"I thought so. Good. Well, then, there are some books in the upstairs that give more detailed information about her breed. Hold up, and I'll get them. I just ask that you return them in good condition when you're done reading them." Carmody vanished.
Sooraya sat, and cuddled Najla on her lap, keeping the pup from going to investigate all the shiny new objects in the room.
By the doorway, someone cleared his throat. "Good evening, Ms. Qadir."
She looked up, startled, then hissed something angry in Afghani and set Najla
carefully down on the table beside her. She stood.
She didn't know the man's name, but his face--even scarred and distorted--was only too familiar.
"Purifier." That one word held weeks' worth of pain, rage, disgust, and almost hatred.
"You didn't learn anything the last time?" she asked, very softly. "That I won't spare you--"
He raised a hand. "I have, if nothing else, learned not to fight on the enemy's home ground or when they choose the time. I only wondered if you still wished to destroy us, to prevent us from setting things right for our world...and I'd say I have my answer." He smirked. "Very well. If you won't repent, there's nothing else to be said. I thought the Reverend would have wished me to give you the chance, before you went before the Lord to be judged."
Sooraya laughed bitterly. "I trust the Creator's judgment. Unlike you, I'm not so proud as to insist I know what's in His mind, what he'd wish from us. Beware pride, man. It corrupts too." She watched him, warily. In no way did she trust his assurances. None of them would be so stupid as to take a Purifier's word for anything, after all this.
He inclined his head, very slightly, in acknowledgment, and then was gone as silently as he'd come.
She'd seen him at the Institute, during the fight. He moved like that too, then, she recalled. Like Logan, or X-23; someone who knew how to be stealthy, and to fight, armed or unarmed. A soldier? Or assassin?
Carmody returned a moment later, with an armful of books. Sooraya accepted them. After quick thought, she didn't mention the other man's appearance.
She had a nasty suspicion that she'd already gotten the doctor more involved than might be wise for him.
Returning directly home, she took a different route, eyes open for any sign of ambush until she was inside the Institute walls again.
Even then, she didn't relax. She couldn't.