[Fic] Summer Camp: Holding Out Part 3
I had a bit of writer's block today, so this is a bit... not as good. And shorter. Sorry about that.
Title: Holding Out - Part 3: Science
Characters: England, America
Rating/Warnings: PG-13. Sorta X-men-universe crossoverish kinda sorta except I call 'mutants' 'supers' so maybe The Incredibles crossoverish kinda sorta? Point is, some people have superpowers. And it's a pseudo-police state.
Summary: Alfred has qualms about science. Arthur calms them down.
Part 1 Part 2
Alfred never liked science. Science, as it was explained back when he went to school, was used to explain the world around them. This sounded really good to Alfred back then, but in reality all he’d ever heard from scientists was about finding ‘cures’ for Supers or searching for what caused the ‘mutation’ that created a Super.
Alfred had never seen his strength as something bad or as something that needed to go away. Like his blonde hair or his blue eyes or that cowlick that never stayed down, it was just a part of who he was, not something that needed to go away.
So when Dr. Von Bock appeared on the television one night and talked excitedly about how he and his team were getting close to discovering where the ‘Super Gene’ came from and how they could use this to find a ‘cure,’ Alfred, naturally, got upset and took what he considered to be an appropriate action; throwing the remote through the TV.
Arthur, on the other hand, was not amused by his act or his excuse, “Lovely, now I’ll have to get a new one!” he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering curses under his breath.
Alfred didn’t care, he knew Arthur could afford twenty new TVs, what he hated was shopping for them, and curled up farther into the couch. When Arthur eventually noticed he wasn’t moving, he awkwardly sat down next to him.
“Is, is everything alright Alfred?” he hesitated before putting a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m not, wrong am I Arthur?” he asked, curling away from the hand.
“Wrong about what?”
“Just, in general, because of, you know…”
“Your powers?” he asked as the other trailed off into nothing. Alfred nodded the conformation, “It’s never bothered you before.”
“No,” he admitted, “It’s just, always been there, so I don’t think about it. But the scientists in the news, they’re always looking for a way to ‘cure’ it, but what if I don’t want to be cured? But, they wouldn’t be looking for a cure if it wasn’t bad, so does the fact that I don’t want to be cured make me bad or-”
“You’re not wrong,” Arthur rubbed soothing circles into his shoulder to calm him down, “and you’re not bad. Why would you think that?”
“Everyone’s studying Supers so they can find a cure,” Alfred pouted as he leaned into Arthur, “S’not fair. I don’t wanna be cured.”
“You’re over thinking it,” he wrapped his arm around his shoulders, “Or rather, you’re thinking about it in the wrong light.”
“What do you mean?”
“Humans are always afraid of what they don’t understand. It’s our survival instinct, why our ancestors were able to survive the Stone Age. When we don’t understand something we’re have two choices, try to learn more about it or run away from it. Right now, humans don’t understand where the Super Gene comes from, and that fact alone scares them. Some people are trying to run away or control it by forcing restrictions on your. Others, like the scientists, are simply trying to understand it.”
“Yeah, so they can get rid of it.”
“That’s what they think they want, because right now they’re afraid,” he pulled him closer to his side, “Some are just trying to appease the other side as well, but the more they learn, the more they’ll understand, and the less scared they will be. That’s what science is all about, you know, finding answers. Simply discovering things isn’t good or bad. It’s how you use what you’ve discovered that defines it.”
And the way Arthur described it, it didn’t sound as bad. Alfred had always wondered why, out of all those kids in the orphanage, even all of everyone in the world, was he the one who was Super? If science could figure it out, if people could understand, then maybe the world would be a little better for everyone.
“Feel better?” Arthur asked as Alfred sat up.
“Yeah,” he nodded, “A little.”
“Good,” he smiled, “because you’re coming with me to shop for the telly.”
“What, but,” Alfred gaped as he sprung off the couch, “That wasn’t my fault!”
“Yes, the remote just magically flew into it by itself,” Arthur rolled his eyes, “If I have to suffer through finding a new one, so do you. Grab your shoes we’re leaving.”
Alfred pouted but did as he said. After all, spending time with Arthur might not be so bad.
Part 4
Title: Holding Out - Part 3: Science
Characters: England, America
Rating/Warnings: PG-13. Sorta X-men-universe crossoverish kinda sorta except I call 'mutants' 'supers' so maybe The Incredibles crossoverish kinda sorta? Point is, some people have superpowers. And it's a pseudo-police state.
Summary: Alfred has qualms about science. Arthur calms them down.
Part 1 Part 2
Alfred never liked science. Science, as it was explained back when he went to school, was used to explain the world around them. This sounded really good to Alfred back then, but in reality all he’d ever heard from scientists was about finding ‘cures’ for Supers or searching for what caused the ‘mutation’ that created a Super.
Alfred had never seen his strength as something bad or as something that needed to go away. Like his blonde hair or his blue eyes or that cowlick that never stayed down, it was just a part of who he was, not something that needed to go away.
So when Dr. Von Bock appeared on the television one night and talked excitedly about how he and his team were getting close to discovering where the ‘Super Gene’ came from and how they could use this to find a ‘cure,’ Alfred, naturally, got upset and took what he considered to be an appropriate action; throwing the remote through the TV.
Arthur, on the other hand, was not amused by his act or his excuse, “Lovely, now I’ll have to get a new one!” he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering curses under his breath.
Alfred didn’t care, he knew Arthur could afford twenty new TVs, what he hated was shopping for them, and curled up farther into the couch. When Arthur eventually noticed he wasn’t moving, he awkwardly sat down next to him.
“Is, is everything alright Alfred?” he hesitated before putting a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m not, wrong am I Arthur?” he asked, curling away from the hand.
“Wrong about what?”
“Just, in general, because of, you know…”
“Your powers?” he asked as the other trailed off into nothing. Alfred nodded the conformation, “It’s never bothered you before.”
“No,” he admitted, “It’s just, always been there, so I don’t think about it. But the scientists in the news, they’re always looking for a way to ‘cure’ it, but what if I don’t want to be cured? But, they wouldn’t be looking for a cure if it wasn’t bad, so does the fact that I don’t want to be cured make me bad or-”
“You’re not wrong,” Arthur rubbed soothing circles into his shoulder to calm him down, “and you’re not bad. Why would you think that?”
“Everyone’s studying Supers so they can find a cure,” Alfred pouted as he leaned into Arthur, “S’not fair. I don’t wanna be cured.”
“You’re over thinking it,” he wrapped his arm around his shoulders, “Or rather, you’re thinking about it in the wrong light.”
“What do you mean?”
“Humans are always afraid of what they don’t understand. It’s our survival instinct, why our ancestors were able to survive the Stone Age. When we don’t understand something we’re have two choices, try to learn more about it or run away from it. Right now, humans don’t understand where the Super Gene comes from, and that fact alone scares them. Some people are trying to run away or control it by forcing restrictions on your. Others, like the scientists, are simply trying to understand it.”
“Yeah, so they can get rid of it.”
“That’s what they think they want, because right now they’re afraid,” he pulled him closer to his side, “Some are just trying to appease the other side as well, but the more they learn, the more they’ll understand, and the less scared they will be. That’s what science is all about, you know, finding answers. Simply discovering things isn’t good or bad. It’s how you use what you’ve discovered that defines it.”
And the way Arthur described it, it didn’t sound as bad. Alfred had always wondered why, out of all those kids in the orphanage, even all of everyone in the world, was he the one who was Super? If science could figure it out, if people could understand, then maybe the world would be a little better for everyone.
“Feel better?” Arthur asked as Alfred sat up.
“Yeah,” he nodded, “A little.”
“Good,” he smiled, “because you’re coming with me to shop for the telly.”
“What, but,” Alfred gaped as he sprung off the couch, “That wasn’t my fault!”
“Yes, the remote just magically flew into it by itself,” Arthur rolled his eyes, “If I have to suffer through finding a new one, so do you. Grab your shoes we’re leaving.”
Alfred pouted but did as he said. After all, spending time with Arthur might not be so bad.
Part 4