7/12 Instance: 'Monday' State of Mind

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Timelined current.


Greer: Struggling to sleep after the whole incident in the park, Greer had taken to wandering around the house and grounds at night. Tonight she was indoors and wrapped in a dressing gown as she pottered around trying to find something to do. Maybe she should start with a snack... she wound her way towards the kitchen.

Eddie: A shuffling and crashing broke the silence, followed with a sigh. Eddie was sat, rubbing the back of his neck in seeming pain. His clothes were covered in dirt as if he'd fallen over outside before stumbling through the still-open back door.

Greer: Greer poked her head into the kitchen from hallway at the noise, "Who's there?"

Eddie: "Uh? It's...agh...Eddie. It's me." Eddie managed between low sighs of pain. "Just...come home from patrol..." He shuffled a little in the kitchen chair, eventually rising to close the door. As he closed it he stumbled and hit his head. "God! ...damn..."

Greer: She blinked at him, "Um... patrol where? ... Are you okay?"

Eddie: Eddie turned, leaning on the door and smirked. "Oh, Greer! Didn't...think it was you. Yeah, I'm...fine." he rubbed his head. "Patrol - it's a phrase for hero-ing about the city looking for trouble."

Greer: "And falling in through the back door at...." she looked at the clock, "Three in the morning?" she smirked a little.

Eddie: He nodded. "Yup! Patrol 'til two, speed-run home, check best time, try and beat it.", Eddie smirked, wincing a little. "Sorry, can I get some ice? My neck feels broken..."

Greer: "Uh sure..." she went to get some from the ice maker on the fridge, wrapping it in a cloth and handing it over, "Maybe you should take the rest of the night off? You know... before you really break something?"

Eddie: Eddie slumped into the kitchen seat again and applied the ice to his neck, wincing at that, too. "Ye-eah, good call.", he smirked, ever jokingly. For a few moments he soothed his bruises, sighing in relief.

Eddie: He looked at Greer, "Uh...any reason you're up so late?"

Greer: "Can't sleep..." she sat down, leaning on the table, "Haven't really slept since... well... the park..."

Eddie: "Oh.", Eddie whispered, realizing how stupid the question was. She'd seemed to take it quite badly, and he wasn't exactly used to seeing death. "Nothing really prepares you, does it? All the training, the seminars...when you're actually out there, in the warzone...", Eddie sighed, putting the ice down on the table.

Eddie: "Look...", Eddie said, sitting up a little, "I know we...I know we don't talk much but, well, d'you wanna get a coffee and talk now?", he smiled compassionately.

Greer: "I don't really... um... coffee.... uh... sounds good...." she smiled a little.

Eddie: With a nod, Eddie stood up (with some difficulty) and approached the kitchen worktop, filling the kettle and switching it on. "So...", he turned and leaned on the tabletop, "Let's talk."

Greer: She ran a hand through her hair, "Not really sure what to say...." The whole mess in the park had her extremely conflicted.

Eddie: "Wanna hear something stupid?", Eddie laughed dryly, "I still blame myself."

Greer: She frowned, "Eddie... there's nothing you could have done. We all spent so much time looking... there wasn't anything more we could do..."

Eddie: He shook his head, "No, see, I know if I...", Eddie paused, "I'm the one who's in the spotlight, they did this because we're so out there. I'm always there, they see me and...", the kettle clicked, diverting Eddie's eyes.

Eddie: "No...no, you're probably right. I'm sorry.", Eddie looked back at Greer. "I mean, how do you feel?"

Greer: "We're all guilty of being in the spotlight..." she mumbled, biting her lip a little and looking away, "And I don't know... part of me is just... so angry that this happened... and the rest... can't believe it..."

Eddie: Eddie nodded, turning to prepare cups and spoons. "It seems impossible these things happen...", he nodded, reaching for the coffee jar, "And I know it's difficult to be a calm, decisive hero when we have every reason to break.", he spooned coffee granules into the cups. "But I guess it's now more than ever we need to rally ourselves."

Eddie: He took a deep breath. "Just like with ol' Cannonball...", Eddie leaned on the tabletop, back turned.

Greer: "That was different... an accident... this was cold... he was just a child..." she put her face in her hands as she started to cry.

Eddie: At the sound, Eddie turned around. "Ah, hey...", he approached Greer, hesitating a little before placing his arm around her. "I know it was. I know how you feel, I really do."

Greer: She leaned against him, "It was just awful... and every time I close my eyes I keep-" she cut herself off, "It's never effected me like this before...."

Eddie: Eddie squeezed her shoulder gently, embracing her with his other arm, also. "It'll be alright...", he whispered in her ear. "I promise we'll find them. If I have to do it myself, it'll happen...", in his head, Eddie swore he heard a sinsiter laugh, and in his gut came a sharp, burning feeling. Holding a crying friend seemed to fuel his want for vengeance.

Eddie: "It's hard, isn't it?", he muttered, "It's hard to be so upset, yet angry. You want to cry but you want even more to make them suffer..."

Greer: She nodded, "Yeah... the part that's angry wants to see worse happen to the people that did this... their scents are still clear in my mind... I'm so afraid I'll bump into them...."

Eddie: Eddie's hold tightened slightly. "My Dad bought me up with a very important lesson: 'With great power comes great responsibility'. And we have to remember, we have this power, and we have to direct it well..."

Greer: "Well try telling that to the voice in my head that just wants to pull them apart...."

Eddie: "I won't lie to you.", Eddie said, leaning back from Greer and stroking a tear from her face, "I have the same issue, or maybe something similar. I would find it so, so hard not to. If I'd have caught them there, I wouldn't have even tried to stop myself."

Eddie: "That, in no way, justifies it.", he stated. "The only thing that makes us better is that we would never do that. It isn't about 'being human'. It's about being what we are: Mutants."

Greer: "See I don't think that's right... the never doing it part... I don't think I could stop myself... well it..."

Eddie: Eddie shook his head, "Hey, hey...we're evolution in its best state. That's what we do: we evolve. We better ourselves.", he looked her in the eye. "Greer, the moment you stop fighting, you've lost. To give up after everything we've built, everything we've done..."

Eddie: "Sammy was in love with the idea we were heroes.", Eddie sighed. "He believed in this...comic book-like ideal we upheld. How can we let that slip when it's...it's what he would have wanted, right?"

Greer: "I don't have control over the feral... not really... sometimes she lets me push her around but most of the time I'm the cub and she's the really pissy mom trying to keep me safe. I can't be a hero. Heroes don't kill. I do."

Eddie: "You are capable of anything you want.", Eddie affirmed, sitting down on a seat opposite. "We live in a time of marvels, people who are so much greater than even they could imagine. Who says you have to be me to be a hero? Or human?"

Eddie: "You're feral and human, that's who you are.", Eddie nodded. "Embrace it, don't fight it, but understand you have to be both, not just one, to survive. And that means knowing when to curb your nature to fit society sometimes."

Greer: "I tried embracing it and all it did was get me in trouble so now I'm trying the 'ignore it and hope it goes away' approach... that's not really working that great either...." she sighed, running a hand through her hair, "I don't know... I doubt I'll ever find a balance..."

Eddie: "Must seem impossible, huh?", Eddie shrugged, sympathizing with her probably moreso than she realized. "But this time, for Sammy's memory's sake, we...you have to do this. Or just try. It's all anyone could ask."

Greer: "I'm working on it... really... but every time I feel like I'm getting somewhere, something like this happens and throws it all up in the air again... sometimes it feels like the universe is conspiring against me..."

Eddie: Eddie smirked, "Hah, 'Monday's a state of mind'...another thing my Dad says.", he leaned forward. "Trick is, we keep at it. We try not to give in. It's all we can do, right?"

Greer: "But what's the point? How do I even know if it'll be worth it? All it does is cause me problems..." she wiped her cheeks with the sleeve of her robe.

Eddie: "The point?", Eddie scratched his head, "Well, that's for you to decide. For me it's...well, my Dad I suppose. His lessons made me into the man I am, I can't turn my back on that. For you? Well...what do you believe in?"

Greer: "... Not a whole lot..." she put her chin in her hands, leaning on the table, "Most of my family don't talk to me... don't have a boyfriend.... don't really have much hope of a career now..."

Eddie: "You d-...", Eddie started, shaking his head, "You, you don't have anyone? Really?", he smiled at her, "I always assumed you and Christopher had a...well, a thing. I mean, I know he was-slash-is with Sophia..."

Eddie: "Seriously, nobody wants the Zoanthrope chick?", Eddie shrugged, "Whole world's lost it. For sure."

Greer: "Was... definately was..." she said about Chris and Sophia, "And we're just friends..." she assumed anyway... ugh. Always leaving her to assume! Damn it!

Eddie: "You look uncertain.", Eddie pointed out. "Are we not sure? Or is there some 'want' there?"

Greer: She shook her head, "No, I'm sure..." she frowned, eyeing the coffee. She could handle that.... maybe.

Eddie: Eddie turned, "Oh, right, coffee.", he smirked. "I tell you what, why don't I finish those and we talk some more? You seem...well, more at-ease for the moment."

Greer: Greer nodded, giving him a small smile, "Yeah... thanks... for the hug..."

Eddie: "You're hardly contagious.", Eddie joked, nudging her arm as he stood. "Although I probably shouldn't make a habit of it given the other day...", he mused to himself.

Greer: "Huh? Make a habit of hugging people? Why not?"

Eddie: "...pro-obably better I keep that to myself.", Eddie assured her. "So, sugar?"

Greer: "Um... no sugar... and if you don't want to talk about something that's fine.... but don't think you'll shock me." she held a hand out for the coffee.

Eddie: Eddie handed her cup over, sitting down with his own. "Oh, shocking you isn't all it'd do.", he smirked awkwardly. "But it's alright. Let's get back to you, huh?"

Eddie: "Only the rest of the night to talk.", he sipped some coffee and leaned forward.

Greer: "I'm really not that interesting.... but I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you about me, if you tell me about you."

Eddie: "Ok, the trend of hot girls I've met who want to suddenly know me is awesome.", Eddie laughed, "No, but seriously, it's a long one.", he sighed, "You really want to hear my autobiography?"

Greer: She noded, "Yes. I do. You're an enigma, Edward Brock. It interests me, make the most of it." she smiled over the rim of her coffee cup before taking a sip.

Eddie: Eddie smiled. "Alright, deal.", he nodded. "Now, where to begin?"