(no subject)
Knock. Knock, knock. Try not to dent the door. In the corridor outside his boss's office, Caboose paced up and down nervously.
Eventually, a reply came. "Ah; come in, Michael."
"Um! Okay, sir!" He almost pulled the door off its hinges.
"...and sit down. I think we have a few things we need to ... talk about." Caboose dropped into the offered seat with an alarming creak. Across the desk from him, his boss gave him a friendly smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, hidden behind a pair of dark-rimmed glasses.
"...sir?"
"Please, Michael. You sound like you're in the army. Call me Mr. Valenti."
Caboose paused. "Okay, Mr. Valenti, sir!"
The older man folded his fingers together and leant forwards across his desk. "Since you've been here... I have to say, I've been impressed by what you've managed. You had your share of... problems in the early days, am I correct?"
"Um, yes. ...I, uh, broke stuff."
"You didn't break anything important. You've done well." Valenti's eyes narrowed slightly. "In fact, I've been told you're doing a little ... too well. Apart from that... absence a few months back."
Caboose swallowed.
"I watched you in action in the warehouse, the other day. Are you aware that, typically, those boxes would need to be moved by a forklift truck?"
"Uh, I can't drive very well. ...I crash a lot."
"That isn't the point. You're a ... talented individual, Michael. I'm going to ask you something, now. And I want an honest answer. Are you a mutant? Even now?"
"...no?"
Valenti nodded. "I see. But you clearly have a few skills that aren't quite the norm, shall I say? Are you registered?"
It took Caboose a moment to realise just what Valenti was referring to. "I'm not a hero! I, um, don't own any capes or anything..." He managed to close his mouth before any mention of his armour came out of it, already getting the sense that things were going to turn bad quickly if he did.
"Hm." Valenti fiddled with his glasses for a moment. "It's a good job you're working here, then. ...Take a walk with me, Michael. I have a proposition."
"Uh..."
"An ... idea. I believe it'll help the both of us."
Eventually, a reply came. "Ah; come in, Michael."
"Um! Okay, sir!" He almost pulled the door off its hinges.
"...and sit down. I think we have a few things we need to ... talk about." Caboose dropped into the offered seat with an alarming creak. Across the desk from him, his boss gave him a friendly smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, hidden behind a pair of dark-rimmed glasses.
"...sir?"
"Please, Michael. You sound like you're in the army. Call me Mr. Valenti."
Caboose paused. "Okay, Mr. Valenti, sir!"
The older man folded his fingers together and leant forwards across his desk. "Since you've been here... I have to say, I've been impressed by what you've managed. You had your share of... problems in the early days, am I correct?"
"Um, yes. ...I, uh, broke stuff."
"You didn't break anything important. You've done well." Valenti's eyes narrowed slightly. "In fact, I've been told you're doing a little ... too well. Apart from that... absence a few months back."
Caboose swallowed.
"I watched you in action in the warehouse, the other day. Are you aware that, typically, those boxes would need to be moved by a forklift truck?"
"Uh, I can't drive very well. ...I crash a lot."
"That isn't the point. You're a ... talented individual, Michael. I'm going to ask you something, now. And I want an honest answer. Are you a mutant? Even now?"
"...no?"
Valenti nodded. "I see. But you clearly have a few skills that aren't quite the norm, shall I say? Are you registered?"
It took Caboose a moment to realise just what Valenti was referring to. "I'm not a hero! I, um, don't own any capes or anything..." He managed to close his mouth before any mention of his armour came out of it, already getting the sense that things were going to turn bad quickly if he did.
"Hm." Valenti fiddled with his glasses for a moment. "It's a good job you're working here, then. ...Take a walk with me, Michael. I have a proposition."
"Uh..."
"An ... idea. I believe it'll help the both of us."