2013-01-13 A Taste of Hate

Robinson Park sat a bony tree-fingered thing in winter. A glitter of snow covered either sides of the trails and the lengthening shadows of late afternoon were turning wicked and cold. In those cold shadows the malcontents and neerdowells of Gotham found sanctuary. It was not a good day to hike alone.
.*CLAP**CLAP*    *CLAP*Victor 'Anole' Borkowski was clapping loudly as his body moved to the beat of a lovely uptempo bit of music. He sang along, his voice clear and ringing- a Clarion on the wilderness as he just felt the love and gave it back to the universe. Far from Westchester and prying eyes who knew him. ( http://youtu.be/rWZr2F0qohA Music!)
After last night, Laura new she had to move. If that person is right... If he's doing what he's saying he's doing, then there is a chance, no matter how slim, that the people he's fighting against might have been there, and noticed her. Thus it was a kind restless night as she wove her way through New York, trying to loose any tails or observers, before hopping a freight train to Gotham.Then, upon arrival it was another hour or two of playing 'loose the potential tail' in Gotham, before she ended up in Robinson Park.Thus Laura, clad in her black jeans, slightly torn coat, is here, sitting on a bench, eating a purloined hot dog, and looking a little exhausted.
"We're safe and sound.." Victor sang- his movements energetic, athletic. His eyes closed- he wanted to just feel the music."Safe and sound?" Came a harsh voice, causing Victor to startle, eyes opening to find himself in a tightening circle. "Ain't no one safe and sound in Gotham, Mutie. Specially a weird dancin' one like you." Vic blanched. The sky was fell and panic started to rise in his chest. Choking it down, the teen looked at the bearded man who had spoken. "Well, maybe I am. Got all my fingers and toes.." He took a step, just slightly back- and into another large, leather-jacketed gentleman.Beardface just grinned as LeatherJacket wrapped strong arms around the young man. "He looks like a pretty one, to me. A little light on the loafers, too." Vic reacted. Foot to the instep, elbow to the groin and then a solid dash. The sound of gunfire followed. "Fuckin' mutie!" The music suddenly stopped with a smash.Safe and Sound Indeed. Vic's path was taking him towards the nearest trail- and Laura's bench and purloined hot dog. Heavy panting and the rustle of branches and dead leaves, with the crash of a body against it all was hard to miss.
Between the sound of running, and of course the gunfire, Laura blinks.Then she takes a bite of her hot dog.Then, slowly, she gets up.And for some reason she can't place, she actually starts to walk /towards/ the source of that disturbance.
The trail came into view- Victor thought he might be in the clear- but Laura seemed to very suddenly /be/ there. Victor skidded to a halt.Victor's eyes grow only wider when he notices Laura- the snatch of branches had slowed him- scratches on his face and arms healing as he tries to catch his breath. "Run." he manages. "Men.. With guns. COming this way." As he stood there the scratches and cut began to cover over. "They're behind me. We need to go."
Victor looked at the girl who had, in his mind, just appeared there- urging her in the direction opposite of the crashing bodies that rushed forward- Five men, one with a gun who fired again at Anole- he finds himself standing in front of the girl. Swallowing. Staring back as another bullet wizzed by his head to ring off of a nearby lightpost with a ping. "We're just lucky he's a horrible shot."
And Laura tries to step out of the way of Anole as he tries to protect her. All though as that happens, she does notice the scratches, and more importantly how fast they heal. And well, between that, and how well she knows being chased by people with guns...Yeah. It does remind her of 'home'. Or at least where she came from. In fact, as she tries to casually move past Vic, towards the guys, she looks directly towards them and says a few words in a calm, almost detached way. The fact that they're running doesn't even cause her to pause."Go away. Now."
"What are you doing, are you crazy?!" Anole said as Laura stepped around him and /towards/ the oncoming crowd of men- one armed with a gun, the others with bottles and knives. Swallowing, Vic didn't keep running. "Come on, we can get away.."Well, they could have gotten away- but the men were there, on the pair quickly, a few over shooting to once more surround Vic, and their new victim."Look at the pretty girl.." Beardface said, grinning- his teeth yellowed. His breath stale as he moved closer to the pair. Leatherjacket had a look on his face, pointing at Vic and giving a little kissy face. "Hey!" Vic shouted, "You heard her. Go away, leave us alone!" Vic raised his fists, hesitantly stepping forward.Beardface just grinned and raised his gun towards Laura, "Get out of the way girly. We're after the mutie who hurt my friend there.."
It's almost a casual, non-threatening motion as Laura raises her left hand up, in front of her face. Then she makes a fist. And...*SKNIT!*"No. You go. Leave him alone. Last chance." is said as a pair of metallic claws pop out from that hand.All though as that happens, her gaze does drift from Beardface, to Leatherjacket.And while she doesn't look at Victor, she does keep track of where he is.
"Shit! That's like Wolverine!" Victor said, pointing at claws which appeared- he knew Wolverine. OR, at least, had seen him about the school and knew of him.
"You've got.. I mean, shit!" VIctor's eyes got wide, he turned to face Leather-Jacket who had circled to get closer to the green-skinned young man, in his hand a knife that he tossed from hand to hand- a threatening thing. Beardface looked at the blade appearing from hands and just made an assumption- one that involved him rising a gun and firing at Laura.
Another crack of bullets had Victor taking another step- his back to Laura- eyes on the men who had come to close the circle around them. "You guys should be careful." Victor stated quietly. "Those things look /really/ sharp." he swallowed. He kept his back to Laura's- it was safe, he figured, to turn his back on her at least right now.
It may very well be the safest spot here. At least for the moment. But then again, is any spot near Laura ever actually 'safe'?Oh well. There is no comment on the whole 'like Wolverine' thing. Just a slight scowl. A scowl that doesn't even fade as the girl literally leaps at the guy with the gun as it's fired. In fact, she doesn't even try to dodge. It's almost like she doesn't really care if she's hit or not. Not as she instead tries to slash at the gun with her claw to render it (hopefully) useless."They are sharp."Strangely enough though, she doesn't exactly move to stop the other guy just yet.The crack of gun-fire was loud. With Laura leaping like some devil-child he fired as many times as he could at the girl before his gun was sliced in two. "Shit!" Beardface said. "Get them!" he was shouting as he fell back- a coward without his gun.Crash! The sound of glass shattering against Anole's head was ovious- The top his head was a little harder than the bottle, though. A shout, and tackle- Anole diving forward into LEather-Jacket's gut as bottles and fists began to fall.It was chaos for moments before all realized that their Bearded leader had turned tail and begun to run. They all paused, like sheep might if they weren't quite sure where the herdsman had gone. It was a momentary thing- pieces of gun on the ground. They all began to scatter- Victor just leaned against a tree at that point, holding his side and giving a groan. "Damn, thank, Man. I don't know what I've done without you." he smiled over to Laura. "I'm Vic." he said quietly.What would he have done?Laura offers her own opinion in regards to what he probably would of done, with a shrug, even as those guys take off."Run?" is said as she offers the 'lizard boy' a supportive hand and a slight shrug."Or healed?"All though as that hand is offered, the claws in her hand do retract.Anole took Laura's hand quietly- accepting the support with a little smile. "Thanks." he said again, scratching at the back of his head. "Yeah, I would have done that. Gotten far enough away to hide, maybe." Bruises and cuts were healing quickly on the 'lizard boy'. "What are you doing out here?" he wondered, suddenly curious. "I mean.. why aren't you at Xavier's? Seems like a lot of young mutants are." he offered, with a bit of a smile. "Have you ever been there? It a great school.""I have not." is admitted in regards to the question about Xavier's. Then there's a pause, and a glance away. "And here.... Moving. Running. Searching." is said before there's a simple shrug."Why are you here?" is asked though as Laura does shift her attention back to Anole."I. Uh." Vic gave a smile, "I sort of wanted to like dance and sing and not be judged by anyone at school, you know? Its a weird thing, I guess. We're all mutants there." Victor said, frowning quietly. "So. You're like... homeless." he stated. "Doesn't it get cold out here?" he asked, "Do you have a sweater, at least? A sweatshirt? Something?"
At the mention of 'cold' Laura shrugs, and pulls her coat on tighter. That is before she nods at Vic, as if understanding what he means about wanting to be able to do things without being judged."I was staying with... Friends. Not now."
"Are you staying somewhere now?" Vic asked, as he looked back up the path. His things were probably all smashed and gone. "If not, you could always stop by the school, maybe." Vic offered, it was a friendly offer and nothing but! He just was grinning as if Laura were or is a friend, "You can't stay out here all alone, it be.. lonely." he says, as if that was an absolutely horrible thing!
And that gets an instant, strong, "No." from Laura, as she just glares at Vic."No... Wolverine. Not yet. Not.... Ready.""And not staying here. Will go... Elsewhere. But have to stay moving. For now."
Vic took a bit of a step back, the glare seeming to almost wound the young man. Clear confusion, and concern on his face. He doesn't seem the type to leave someone behind- even a stranger."At least take my phone number, incase you're in Westchester." Vic offered, "I'll be happy to get you a little something to eat or see if I can't find a warmer jacket for you."
There is a slight nod at that. Albeit a reluctant nod. The idea of having too much, and too strong of a connection to Wolverine, even through others, just brings up all sorts of emotions in Laura. Emotions that she rather would not deal with right now.Thus the phone number is accepted. But as for the rest..."Don't worry about it. I know some people. Have some ways to get things."
"Okay. Well." Anole smiles still, a gentle thing. "Thanks again- but I think I'd better get going before I attract any more trouble." His smile grows into a grin. "Really, though, if you need something and you're in town.. Let me know, okay?" he offered a hand to her."I will." is said as Laura slips the number into her pocket. That is before she glances at the offered hand... And tries to shake it?"Stay safe."
Victor held Laura's hand in his for a a moment. Just a warm touch between two kids in a park. Someone who wanted her to be well and safe. "You too."Victor set down the path towards the train, looking back and waving before he was out of sight.
And yet, by the time Victor looks back, Laura is gone.Hey, what did you expect her to do? This is Gotham after all, and that is the traditional way for people to leave after they talk. Right?
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