Connections (or, No Mutant is an Island, besides the mutant island Krakoa) - Post 6

[ptmusic2586]

(I apologize if your story line wasn’t mentioned this time, this post was getting a little long. I promise it’ll be mentioned next time! -Dean)

The White Queen hung up the phone. “He’s going to the New York camp.”
“He’s what?” Raucous had to keep his incredulity down, lest the entire mansion come down. “But he’ll be obliterated! What can Forge do

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Zoe is asleep

[hamalkah]

Her eyes were so blurred by three days of salt water that she didn't recognise the figure in the boat until the hand was in front of her face, extended to help her in. She saw the square knuckles, the burns on the wrists, the characteristic callous on the inside of the first finger of the right hand, swallowed, and took it.

"Hello, Charles."
"Zoe."
"How far did I get?"
"You're three miles off the coast of Sri Lanka. We had to wait until you were close enough that a rescue boat wouldn't be suspicious."

Zoe didn't know quite what she had hoped for. But she found herself hating him for taking her out of the sea.

"Albert is virtually ready."
"Ah."
"My disappearance should set them back some, unless they can pull someone with experience incorporating electrical systems into the adamantine framework out of the woodwork..."
"Shouldn't be that hard."
"But someone who's also mastered the Sentinel robotics system? They're totally different from anything else, you know."
"So how long?"
"Maybe a week, if we're lucky. But there's something else. Creed wouldn't go into specifics, but he kept stressing the need for flexibility of motion, as though we needed to prepare for the Sentinels to perform unexpected actions...any idea what that might mean?" Zoe tried to keep her bafflement out of her voice, but was unreasonably pleased to find it mirrored in Charles' face.
"Not a clue."

Some time later, she asked. shouting over the roar of the motor: "So what happens now?"
Charles shrugged. "We try to figure out what's going on, and stop them before they murder too many more. You don't need to worry about it, though. You'll get a month's leave. You did well."

So that was that. She was out of it. And the words of praise rang biter and untruthful.

When the motor docked, she jumped out immediately, trying to retain some dignity in the sheet Charles had tossed her. She made it nearly out of the marina before he caught up with her. Though he had been running, he did not speak immediately, just slackened his stride to match hers. After a few minutes, he spoke without looking at her.

"I'm glad you're alive."

It was all uphill after that. Or downhill, depending on your perspective.

Zoe slept that night--actually slept!--for the first time in almost a year. And woke, to find her hotel room strewn with Charles' shoes, clothing, wallet--but no Charles.