Third Person Closed -- Penance
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The portal shimmered behind him, but Jono didn't check if it was still active. He didn't want to know yet. It could wait for him until the morning.
The portal was on a section of the grounds that wasn't often used. Even the latest bit of unrest hadn't gotten all that close. It was just that Jono preferred a bit of distance when it came to fighting. Mostly, it just meant it was a long walk back to the main building.
Scott was, unsurprisingly, the first one to see him. Emma was right behind him, but it was Scott who started talking first. "Chamber, where the hell have you been?"
Jono kept his face carefully impassive as Scott started winding up a lecture on responsibility and what it meant to be an X-Man. It was nothing he hadn't heard a hundred times before, after all.
He saw Emma look at him, felt her brush against his mind. His shields slammed down hard enough that they were ringing in his own ears, but he knew she'd gotten a peek. The way her face changed, the expression thawing a bit. For his part, he refused to look at her. Even when he knew she was talking to Scott using telepathy. He couldn't hear it because of his own shields, but he could feel the buzzing of it at the edge of his perception.
He knew when Scott understood because the other man cut off his lecture and dismissed Jono to the showers. Or, really, just dismissed him. Jono nodded, slipping past the two of them and heading downstairs.
One good thing about being an X-Man was that he got use of the Danger Room. He checked to make sure that nobody was up for using it right away, then keyed his entry code in.
Program Chamber-Ten, he told the room, rolling his head a bit to get the kinks out. The room brought up a field that he'd only seen one time in person, though more times in pictures. There were trees off in the distance and a tractor. And ordinary people who turned on him them moment they saw him.
But no flames. No fire. No body. What good would it do, seeing that and knowing that even if he changed it here, that it really changed nothing?
He prevailed, in the end. It was just straight out fighting, resulting in a bruised body and scraped knuckles. Jono reached up, rubbing at his nose before dropping back into a fighting stance.
Again.
He'd never been one for rosaries and prayer. But everybody did penance in their own ways.
*******
Even after exhausting himself, Jono was up bright and early the next morning. He slipped out of the school and off-grounds, heading for a convenience store with a small notebook and pencil in hand. He couldn't go back right now. Even if the portal was still there. But if it was, he wanted Angelo to know. That was important.
The clerk was surprised to see him and a little nervous about the notebook until she read the note. He rolled his eyes as she turned to get what he wanted. She didn't even notice him nicking something from the display.
It was a long walk back to the place where the portal had been, but he could almost feel it once he got there. There was no questioning the relief. Last night, he hadn't been certain he would want to go back. Now he knew better. Now he wanted to be able to go back.
A little while afterwards, next to where the portal appeared in the Nexus, appeared a convenience store bag. In the bag was a carton of Angelo's favorite brand of cigarettes, along with one pack of the el cheapos that were kept by the register. A reminder of when they'd both shoplifted so that Angelo could have his smokes.
There was also a note, addressed to Angelo and underscored by threat of great bodily harm to anybody who took the bag instead of his friend.
The note was quick and simple: Missed Christmas. Feliz Navidad, mate. And I'll see you soon, probably. -Jono
He was smiling again by the time he got back to the Mansion. Whatever else that place was, it had given him back his best friend. And this time, whatever happened, he swore he was going to have a chance to say good-bye before he went on.
The portal shimmered behind him, but Jono didn't check if it was still active. He didn't want to know yet. It could wait for him until the morning.
The portal was on a section of the grounds that wasn't often used. Even the latest bit of unrest hadn't gotten all that close. It was just that Jono preferred a bit of distance when it came to fighting. Mostly, it just meant it was a long walk back to the main building.
Scott was, unsurprisingly, the first one to see him. Emma was right behind him, but it was Scott who started talking first. "Chamber, where the hell have you been?"
Jono kept his face carefully impassive as Scott started winding up a lecture on responsibility and what it meant to be an X-Man. It was nothing he hadn't heard a hundred times before, after all.
He saw Emma look at him, felt her brush against his mind. His shields slammed down hard enough that they were ringing in his own ears, but he knew she'd gotten a peek. The way her face changed, the expression thawing a bit. For his part, he refused to look at her. Even when he knew she was talking to Scott using telepathy. He couldn't hear it because of his own shields, but he could feel the buzzing of it at the edge of his perception.
He knew when Scott understood because the other man cut off his lecture and dismissed Jono to the showers. Or, really, just dismissed him. Jono nodded, slipping past the two of them and heading downstairs.
One good thing about being an X-Man was that he got use of the Danger Room. He checked to make sure that nobody was up for using it right away, then keyed his entry code in.
Program Chamber-Ten, he told the room, rolling his head a bit to get the kinks out. The room brought up a field that he'd only seen one time in person, though more times in pictures. There were trees off in the distance and a tractor. And ordinary people who turned on him them moment they saw him.
But no flames. No fire. No body. What good would it do, seeing that and knowing that even if he changed it here, that it really changed nothing?
He prevailed, in the end. It was just straight out fighting, resulting in a bruised body and scraped knuckles. Jono reached up, rubbing at his nose before dropping back into a fighting stance.
Again.
He'd never been one for rosaries and prayer. But everybody did penance in their own ways.
*******
Even after exhausting himself, Jono was up bright and early the next morning. He slipped out of the school and off-grounds, heading for a convenience store with a small notebook and pencil in hand. He couldn't go back right now. Even if the portal was still there. But if it was, he wanted Angelo to know. That was important.
The clerk was surprised to see him and a little nervous about the notebook until she read the note. He rolled his eyes as she turned to get what he wanted. She didn't even notice him nicking something from the display.
It was a long walk back to the place where the portal had been, but he could almost feel it once he got there. There was no questioning the relief. Last night, he hadn't been certain he would want to go back. Now he knew better. Now he wanted to be able to go back.
A little while afterwards, next to where the portal appeared in the Nexus, appeared a convenience store bag. In the bag was a carton of Angelo's favorite brand of cigarettes, along with one pack of the el cheapos that were kept by the register. A reminder of when they'd both shoplifted so that Angelo could have his smokes.
There was also a note, addressed to Angelo and underscored by threat of great bodily harm to anybody who took the bag instead of his friend.
The note was quick and simple: Missed Christmas. Feliz Navidad, mate. And I'll see you soon, probably. -Jono
He was smiling again by the time he got back to the Mansion. Whatever else that place was, it had given him back his best friend. And this time, whatever happened, he swore he was going to have a chance to say good-bye before he went on.