12/13 Instance: He who Fights and Runs Away

[Starfish]

Timeline: Current.


Cessily: "I'm sorry! Please excuse me! Do you mind letting me through? I'm late!" Even without apologising profusely, Cessily was turning plenty of heads as she made her way through the crowded airport. Elongated limbs certainly didn't help with subtetly, especially when you were already silver, but they surely made it easier to slip past many people and their luggage.

Bruce: Bruce Banner was also in a rush, though not for the same reason as the silver lady. Sat alone awaiting his call he idly glanced the lines of the book on his tablet computer, kicking his bag lazilly to assure it was still there.

Bruce: Airports, in his mind, were useful for three things; incubating sickness, creating drama and being a playground for thieves. And with his mutation and care he'd covered two of those possibilities.

Cessily: "Oh, please don't be at the gate already," Cessily muttered to herself as she scanned the lines of waiting people. "There's like no way they'll let me through the security check." She was in fact banking on the hope that he'd spot her first. After all, her tall shiny form was hard to miss. "Bruce!?"

Bruce: And spot her he did; glancing up at what he swore was his name he winced. Cessily Kincaid? He recalled the teacher from Xaviers'. 'Xaviers' is gone now. She's not teaching anywhere now.'

Bruce: He shook his head in disbelief; it was always one of the three things, and this was the worst by far. He stood awkwardly and waved to her; hopefully it would be over quickly.

Cessily: "Bruce!" Cessily made more than up for his lack of excitement, beaming a broad smile as she returned the wave and quickly crossed the distance between them. "Here you are! I can't believe I actually found you."

Bruce: "I can.", he replied, blunt in his admittion of disapproval through his tone, "Come t' say goodbye? Appreciate i', but a'd rather ya didn'."

Cessily: "Actually, I'd very much prefer if there didn't have to be any goodbyes either," Cessily said, shortening her arms and legs again as she resumed a more human appearance. She gave Bruce an awkward little smile, standing before him.

Bruce: The transformation made Bruce shudder, it was a strange thing to see so close. He took a deep breath and adjusted his glasses, "If yer asking if I'll come back, it's no. I'm ga'an home, 'cause a' cannit do this."

Bruce: He raised his hand to stop her imminent protest, "An' a' 'ppreciate ye coming out like this but a' have already decided."

Cessily: Cessily opened her mouth, yet remained silent, her stunned expression making way for another smile. "Then I won't try to change your mind," she conceded, speaking softly. "Though, if you did so yourself, I wouldn't stop you either."

Bruce: That....genuinely stunned Bruce. He swallowed, feeling his cheeks redden a little, "Well, good. A'm glad...", he managed, ".....i-is that....all?"

Cessily: Cessily bit on her lower lip, a silver hand stroking through her red metallic hair. "You can't wait to be rid of me, can you?" she asked, her voice carrying a teasing tone.

Bruce: "N-nah! A' mean...a' don' wanna leave you! N-not that a'm with y'...", Bruce fumbled the end of his sentence in his desperation to speak, sighing irritably, "A' jes' don't know what ye want is t' say, Miss Kincaid...."

Cessily: Cessily hoped that her soft laugh would help to dispel the sudden tension. "It's fine, Bruce - I know what you're trying to say," she assured him. "I guess all I wanted is to make sure we're parting ways on good terms. And to thank you for all you did to help us... back at the school."

Bruce: 'Aye, canny bit o' luck having me kill a hundred people an' carry people out...', Bruce shuddered again as he recalled that night: the people he'd rescued, the people he'd seen die, the people he'd crushed in his own monstrous hands...

Bruce: He visibly tensed, hand over his mouth as he felt his stomach turn he did the same from Cessily, "D-din' mention it. Ever. Please."

Cessily: Cessily's smile disappeared, replaced by a tense expression as she pressed her lips tightly together. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment of silence. "I won't."

Cessily: She then reached out, her silver hand resting on Bruce's arm. "All I want to say is that you've still got friends here," the young teacher added. "You'll remember that, okay?"

Bruce: "Do a'? Did ye' do a head-count? How many?", Bruce squirmed out of her grip, sliding a hand into his coat pocket and gripping his tablet tightly at his side, "A' ne'er wanted t' come, a' knew it was a bad idea..."

Bruce: He couldn't look at her. He arrived feeling set in his mind and now that thought was an uncertain blur; 'it's for the best' he thought before, he knew it, mere moments ago. What had changed? Was it his own doubt, hiding until it was unearthed by the hapless, kindly Miss Kincaid? Was it fear?

Bruce: 'A' was fine until she showed up...', he looked back at her. The thought felt like a lie but t angered him all the same, how guilty and cruel he felt leaving her. But why? Why now, why....her!?

Bruce: "I-is this soke kind of guilt trip!? Are ye seriously tekin' the piss!?", he snapped suddenly.

Cessily: Taken aback by his unexpected outburst, Cessily remained speechless for several uncomfortable seconds. Was it something she had said? Her mind raced, something inside her chest tightening as she couldn't shake the feeling of having done something wrong.

Cessily: "Bruce... no..." she began, her expression betraying her sense of helplessness. "I'm sorry. Perhaps... perhaps I should just go now."

Bruce: Bruce frowned, looking away again, unable to form an answer, and unsure, eve, if that was his answer. He closed his eyes, shaking his head and sighing, "No....please....", he sighed, "A'm sorry....a' jus'...", his shoulders dropped, "...p-please din' leave."

Cessily: Small as it may have been, it was once more proved impossible to keep the smile off the silver counsellor's face. "When does your flight go?" Cessily asked, feeling the weight on her shoulders lessen. "Perhaps you'd like to grab a cup of coffee before you leave."

Bruce: "A-aye, t' flight's not fer an hour or two......i-if y' wanna...", Bruce swallowed, blushing a little; coffee with the school councilor? 'It's nae my school anymore...', he let out a sad sigh; why was this so hard now? He looked up at her, "...p-please, I'd....like tha'."

Cessily: With her smile growing bigger again, Cessily offered Bruce her arm. "Then we should go and make the best of the time that we have," she said. "Much better than a hasty goodbye, if you ask me."

Bruce: Bruce stopped only to lift his bag, saying nothing as they walked to a coffee shop. He tried his best not to look uncomfortable but it was no use. He felt more than a little desperate for...someone, but he couldn't say it. He withdrew his wallet and glanced at her, "Lemme jes' try an' be male again?"

Cessily: "Why, has there ever been any doubt about that?" Cessily asked, a grin lighting up her face as she slightly tilted her head to the side. "Not that I'm going to stop you."

Bruce: Allowing himself a soft smile in response to her, Bruce purchased their drinks. In a few minutes they were sat down somewhere near the back of the airport coffee house. He took a few sips in silence, glancing up at Cessily nervously, lost for words all over again.

Cessily: "Thank you for the coffee," Cessily broke the silence, sending Bruce a kind smile across their table. She poured some sugar and milk into her cup and began to slowly stir its contents. "So... where are you going now?"

Bruce: "H'yem...a' mean...'home'.", Bruce cleared his throat, adding sugar to his coffee but leaving it black, "Jus'...back t' North England. Back t' my old university...", he lifted his cup and stared down into the contents, tutting at the condensation that fogged up his glasses, "Wha' 'bout y'?"

Cessily: Cessily shrugged as she raised her spoon to lick it clean. "The only thing I can think of, I guess," she replied, adding an almost inaudible sigh. "Go on somehow."

Bruce: Sipping at his coffee, Bruce watched her with the spoon, swallowing awkwardly before smirking wryly, "Ye could visit the North with 'is?", he suggested, only half joking,

Cessily: "And force you to spend the entire time with your student counsellor?" Cessily first chuckled softly, then the smile returned to her face. "Though, I could really use a vacation..."

Bruce: Bruce raised his cup to her, "Jes' dinnae tell me mam yer a counsellor, 'reet?", he grinned, smile weakening a little, "....come with me. Leave th'....this. Th' fightin'...th' dying..."

Cessily: Cessily's smile remained kind, even when a sad look showed itself in her silver eyes. "You know I can't do that," she told Bruce, her hands cradling the warm cup. "The fighting and dying isn't going to stop just because I turn my back on it and run away."

Bruce: "D-d'y' think a'm runnin' away?", he asked automatically.

Cessily: And there was that tight knot in her chest and the heavy load on her shoulders again. "No, I don't, and I wasn't trying to say that," she assured him. "You're a student, and I'm a teacher - it's our duty to protect you from harm, not the other way around."

Bruce: "Na', a' din' think ye were...", Bruce assured her, "A' jes'....a' cannit stay, Miss Kincaid, a' jes'....a'..."

Cessily: "Bruce, it's okay." Cessily hoped that her light laugh was as reassuring as the wanted it to be. "I promised I wouldn't try to talk you out of this, no? It's just... this is where I belong. This place is like home to me." She paused, her lips forming a thin line. "No matter what condition it's in."

Bruce: "A'...a' understan'.", Bruce nodded. He took another sip of coffee, conscious of the fact he was starting to doubt his resolve. He wanted to help but....God, he couldn't bear the memories, "....will y' be alrigh'?"

Cessily: Even though it may have had a pained edge to it, Cessily was determined to not let her smile falter. She met Bruce's gaze before nodding. "It may take a while, but I will be," she replied, then briefly eyed her coffee. "Someone has to be."

Bruce: Bruce sighed, "....a'm sorry. A' jes'....", he looked away, "...a' should...a'-a' shoul' get on...", he couldn't bear to stay, but leaving felt so much worse now, "...a'...need t' go."

Cessily: "Oh, okay." Cessily nodded again, more awkwardly this time. "They won't let you keep your coffee through the security check, though. You, uhm, didn't finish it yet."

Bruce: "A'ah....aye, tha's....", he sipped at it again, "...a' think a' had enough.", he frowned, feeling terrible instantly for lying, "....n-na', a' reckon a' will stay. A'....forgive me, please, a' jes'.....feel so bad..."

Cessily: Instead of saying something else, Cessily simply slid off her seat, rounded the table, and sat down next to her former student. "If you prefer, we can just finish our coffee together before you have to leave," she suggested, looking at Bruce with a small smile. "We don't have to talk about anything."

Bruce: With a nod, Bruce managed another smile, "...t-thanks.", he managed, "...a'll...miss y', Cessily..."

Cessily: "I'll miss you, too," Cessily replied, still smiling as she glanced sideways at Bruce's face, before focusing on the contents of her cup again. Several silent seconds ticked away between them. "You have my number, don't you?"

Bruce: "A' er...a' think...", he withdrew his cellphone, scrolling through the contacts until he spotted it, "Aye, this one?", he showed her the number for reference,

Cessily: Cessily quickly checked the number and nodded. "Yes, that's the one," she said. "Just so you can give me a call to let me know you arrived home safely. Or... if you just want to chat sometime, perhaps. Should there be anything you need, you can call me anytime you want. I won't mind, okay?"

Bruce: Bruce nodded slowly, feeling himself tear up just a little. He nodded, a hand going up to pinch his eyes closed, nodding again, "Aye...t-thank y'...", he managed, "Thanks so much...", he sniffed a little, and before he knew it, he was leaning on her and sobbing gently.

Cessily: Cessily felt almost relieved by his outburst of emotion. This was something she knew how to deal with. Those determined to maintain an impenetrable facade had no idea how hard they made it for anyone to help them. Shifting closer, the silver girl put her arm around Bruce's shoulder and rested her head against his.

Cessily: "There's nothing you need to thank me for," she told him, her voice close to a whisper. "I need to thank you."

Bruce: He shook his head against her, words caught in his mouth. He managed "Why", between the burning tears, clinging to her now.

Cessily: "Because you saved a lot of my friends," Cessily told him, her silver fingers gently squeezing Bruce's shoulders. "And I know you're paying a great price for that."

- - - - -


Bruce: It had been months since that day. Since he'd gotten on that plane and split himself from his fears and woes with the entire Atlantic Ocean. Months and months of unanswered questions, sleepless nights and the return of his boring curriculum and Bruce Banner still felt like he'd died back there.


Bruce: He'd thought that slipping back into his old life would be easy. That somehow he'd be able to just...carry on, as if the decimation of XU had never occoured. And yet there he was, 2am GMT and he was staring at his phone's contact list, flicking through the names and wondering how many of these numbers still had a living, breathing friend on the end of them.


Bruce: "Melati 'Dragontits'.", he laughed to himself in the dark, staring at the photo on the contact - a photo of the two of them from some night out, shots and shouting and sex. Student life at its finest. He smiled sadly, and without thinking dialed the number, listening to the ringing and praying for....something.


Melati: On the other side of the Atlantic, it was time for Melati's after-class regimen, which usually involved beating the hell out of holographic stuff. With their old campus in ruins and the new one offering a decidedly more old-school selection of student activities, the reptilian mutant made do with venting her energy on a good old punching bag.


Melati: The green-skinned girl paused her training when her bag started playing the Ramones. Catching her breath, she strolled over to pluck her phone from its cluttered depths. It was a very simple old Nokia - those fancy new ones with their flimsy touchscreens just couldn't stand up to being handled by her clawed fingers.


Melati: "Yeah?" she said, not bothering to check the caller ID. The small display was far too scratched up for that, anyway.


Bruce: "....", seemed like the appropriate response, as the blur of possible reactions all conflicted; 'You're alive?', 'I missed you.', 'Why didn't you call!?', 'I'm sorry.'. Bruce took a shuddering breath, unable to think as his mind clouded more and more.

Melati: "Hello?" Melati grabbed the nearby towel from the bench by the wall and dried the sweat from her face. "Come on, speak up. I promise I won't bite you through the phone."

Bruce: "....Mel...", he started, "...y-yer....alive..."

Melati: "Yeah, surprises myself every day, too, but apparently I'm pretty good at staying alive," Melati replied, her brow furrowing as she tried to recognise the voice on the other end. "Bruce? Is that you?" She sat down on the bench, the towel draped over her right shoulder. "Hell, I only know one guy with such a grating accent."

Bruce: Bruce couldn't help but laugh. It started small, but quickly became hysterical as his emotions just smothered him in confusion, but beyond that there was joy; his friend was alive, and still the razor-tongued girl he'd known.

Bruce: "Fucking hell, man, ha'way....", he managed in between laughter, "A' cannit believe it!"

Melati: Melati couldn't help but join in on the laughter, leaning back against the wall of their new gym room. "Oh, you better believe it," she replied. "And guess I was too quick to hope you slipped on a heap of cow dung and broke your neck. Where are you? Still home at the ass end of nowhere?"

Bruce: He laughed again, "Aye, tha's me. A' see near-death cannit dilute yer' bitch nature?", he teased, shaking his head and wiping his face with a hand, "....man, a' miss'd y'..."

Melati: "And you're still a sentimental little pussy." Melati chuckled, grinning to herself. "You know what say they - you just can't put a bad bitch down for good, can you?" Her laughter died down for a second, before she broke the brief silence between them. "Missed you, too, smartass."

Bruce: For a few moments, Bruce let those words hang between them, too. He sat up on his bed, knees curling up into his chest, "....w-well, aye, a' cannit imagine....why not...", he got out finally, scratching his head, "Well.....this is pretty weird, like..."

Melati: "Hey, I bet you're not the one sitting around in what used to be an old insane asylum, so better don't get me started on weird," Melati replied, reached across her chest with her free hand to hold on to her elbow. "You're okay, aren't you? Not that I'd be worried about you, but I haven't heard anything from you in weeks."

Bruce: "Bit longer than weeks, aye...seems like.", Bruce sniggered, "An' nah, 'course ye' weren't worried(!) Pussy.", he sighed, "Am' alreet, jes.....really bored. It's nae the same, bein' here again..."

Bruce: He sighed, "Feels wrong, ye' na? Like.....it en't home 'nemore."

Melati: "Well, from what you told me about your home, I'd probably have gone crazy from boredom if I were stuck there," Melati remarked with a dry chuckle. "Believe it or not, I've been stuck in worse places, so I know how you feel. You have my pity, even though it ain't worth a damn."

Bruce: Bruce shook his head (though unseen), "Na' it's.....it's worth enough.", he assured her, "Thank y'.", he remained silent for a few moments before clearing his throat, "Anyway, ye' gaylord; how's....the rest o' them?"

Melati: "Most of them are doing okay - more or less, anyway," Melati replied, tilting back her head to rest it against the wall. "All things considered, I guess. Peanut got some shiny new stompers, and Drake has found a new way to get over Lorna. Oh, and apparently they threw Hisako out of the country."

Bruce: "Hisako?", Bruce frowned a little; he could barely even recall the Japanese girl, always with her tail of two other students, always bossy, failing the odd English phrase when she tried to use colloquialisms, "....s-she got deported? A-an'...wha' about Jack? Cormick? Anyone else?"

Melati: "Yeah, something about revoking her visa or some bullshit like that." Melati frowned to herself and reached up with her free hand to idly scratch the side of her head. "Jack's fine and just being Jack. And Mick... afraid he's still MIA. If he popped up somewhere else, he didn't tell us."

Bruce: Again Bruce went silent, unsure of what to say. His mouth felt a little dry as he considered his words, "...s-so ah'...yer....ok, righ'?"

Melati: "Hey, someone around here has to be, right?" Melati gave a faint laugh and smiled, even though only to herself. "This lizard may be knocked down, but can't be kept down."

Bruce: Allowing himself a small laugh, Bruce lay back down on his bed, letting out a gentle sigh, "Always admired that about y'.", he confessed, "Y' were always better a' dealin' with.....everythin'."

Melati: "Now you're giving me too much credit," Melati replied, pulling her left leg up on the bench. "I'm just a simple girl, too pissed to give up and too dumb to think twice about it."

Bruce: "Guess tha' makes me the smart one....", he responded dryly, "....c-can a' ask y' somethin'?"

Melati: "Well, you just did, but I'm feeling generous today, so you get another shot."

Bruce: Ignoring the humour he took a deep breath, "....d'ye' hate me for....leavin'?"

Melati: "What, hate you? Come on, who do you take me for?" Melati chuckled again, though more subdued this time. "And why would I hate you for leaving? After all, I knew from the beginning that behind all that tough talk there was just a little sissy who'd run from a gang of angry girlscouts."

Melati: The next moment her voice became serious. "Honestly, though, I don't hold it against you. As you said, guess you proved to be the smarter of us two. Sometimes I think I'm just an idealistic idiot for keeping this job."

Bruce: "Na', yer...haway, dickhead...", Bruce sat up again, "Yer' not an idiot....yer' jes'....strong. Stronger than...most. Braver...", he swallowed dryly again, the joke had hit a nerve whether she'd intended it to or no; he did feel like a coward.

Bruce: He sniffed, "Well a' reckon....reckon a'm safer than y'." 'Dependin' on yer definition, aye. Yer' still 'Mr Hyde'...'

Melati: Melati huffed amusedly before she answered. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Considering how many bloody psychos are out for our mutant hides, I'm not sure if something like safe places exist anymore." Her lips formed a crooked grin. "I may be at the frontlines here, but at least I've got chums to watch my back."

Bruce: Bruce blinked, "...y' serious?"

Melati: "Hey, have you ever heard me joking?" Melati asked, attempting to suppress another chuckle. "And yeah, I'm dead serious. Together we way not be invincible, but alone we'd we easy pickings."

Bruce: "....a-a' didn' come back here t' run away from them.",

Melati: "No, lemme guess, you went for the unique scenery," Melati tossed in, her voice dripping with good-natured sarcasm.

Bruce: "A' jes' couldn' deal with it...the killin', the violence...", Bruce paused, "....M-Mel, a' jes' cannit...."

Melati: "I wasn't asking you to," Melati pointed out, then turned to sit sideways on the bench, pulling up her legs before she lay back. "I realize you have other reasons to keep your distance."

Bruce: Silence presided once again as Bruce considered her words. He did have other reasons, or he thought he did. He doubted that ever since Cessily spoke to him, every time he thought about the school, every time he tried to sleep at night...

Bruce: He exhaled audibly, "Did y'....kill anyone?"

Melati: For a moment, the air flowing from Melati's lungs was the only sound crossing the distance between them. "I'd like to say I didn't, or that I at least wasn't not going for the kill... but I'm not sure if I can."

Bruce: "....how can y' even live with it?", Bruce managed, after what felt like an eternity, "A'...it's all a' ever think abou'..."

Melati: "It's tough at times." Melati paused, sucking on her lower lip as she glanced downward. "But then I think of my friends, and what they did to them. And I tell myself they deserved what they got."

Bruce: "Aye, blood fer' blood's fair....", Bruce groaned, "...'course they got more than us so we're a wee bit 'completely fucked' if i' comes down t' brass tacks..."

Melati: Melati flashed a fanged grin at the ceiling. "Nah, just means we have to spill more of theirs than they can spill ours."

Bruce: "How are ye' so ok with it!?", he suddenly blurted, regretting it instantly as soon as he realised how early in the morning it was on his side of the world, "It's not righ'! I came there thinkin' a' was movin' tae school, not a fuckin' Grindhouse film!"

Melati: "Just because I don't whine about it doesn't mean I'm okay with it," Melati snapped back. "And we never asked for this crap. The school has been under fire pretty much from the day it opened. But just because someone tries to push you down doesn't mean you give up. That's how the bullies win."

Bruce: Bruce exhaled, mouth feeling dry, tiredness gone from his body and mind a haze of self-doubt, "...a'...a' didn' mean it, Mel, a' jes'...."

Melati: "Forget it, it's okay." Melati exhaled with a sigh as she ran her free hand over her face. "I know you didn't."

Bruce: Again, there was quiet, save only for the breathing of the two. Bruce closed his eyes, rubbing his face with his other hand before switching his phone to his other ear, ".....w-what should a' do?", he finally asked.

Melati: Melati took a deep breath before she replied. "Okay, here's the thing," she said, speaking with determination. "First of all, you're going to find something to drink. Then you keep drinking until you can finally get some sleep. Finally, when you're sober again, you start to think about that question."

Bruce: "An' what if that din' work?", he sighed, unconvinced since his previous attempt at the suggested.

Melati: "Well, if it really comes that far..." Melati sighed. "Then I guess you'll just have to ask yourself very hard what you really want."

Bruce: Bruce laughed, albeit dryly, "And what d' you want?"

Melati: Melati gave a quick laugh. "For one, not being made responsible for your life decisions," she told him. "That's just for you to make, because you're the one who has to live with them."

Bruce: With another sigh, Bruce stretched, "....well....food fer' thought, at least."

Melati: "Exactly what you need right now." Melati grinned, her eyes on the ceiling. "Though... I have to admit I wouldn't mind going on another pub crawl with you sometime."

Bruce: "Aye...", he said simply. He let that hang in the air a few moments before letting out another soft sigh, "It's late....", he spoke softly, "...a' should...go."

Melati: "Yeah." Melati ran a hand over the crest on her head. "Think that's for the best." A small smile played around her lips. "And why not call me again when you've had some rest?"

Bruce: "Aye, ah'll....a' will.", Bruce agreed, smiling genuinely, even just a little, "Goodnigh' then, Mel. Good t' hear from y'."

Melati: "Pleasure was all mine," Melati replied, a grin lighting up her face. "And goodnight, Bruce."