Logs:Of Buses and Belonging (Or, Classified Support)

Of Buses and Belonging (Or, Classified Support)
Dramatis Personae Kate, Kavalam, Spencer, Wasp, Zeke
In Absentia	2020-12-04 "But the war's already chosen us, and sometimes you can protect us but -- sometimes you can't."
Location <ME> Across the Rift - Along the Maine State Route #11 Highway
The battered Greyhound is alone on the one lane highway for now, driving well below the speed limit now as Kate scans through endless mixed forest. Her eyes light up when she sees what has to finally be the right turnout. The bus slows, pulls off onto the shoulder (no signal given), grinds to a halt and park in the gravel. Kate pulls the release to open the door before sliding out of the driver’s seat. “We’re here, I think.” The gravel crunches under her heavy boots, currently incredibly solid along with the rest of her outfit - black tactical pants, black leather jacket with a hint of yellow peeking out from the top of the zipper. She brushes a stray curl, escaped from her toque, out of her eyes, eyes narrowed as she scans the treeline for her contact - or anyone. Her hand curls on around the pistol at her belt. Spencer had been napping fitfully, curled up inside his overlarge coat and tucked behind a windfall, nearest to the road of all the kids. The sound of the approaching engine wakes him before the bus even pulls over, and he pushes his hood back, exposing a black kippah with a red Star Wars Rebel Alliance symbol. He breaks into a wide smile when he sees Kate, popping up from his hiding place to wave at her. "Hey!" Though this first greeting is unlikely to draw either her attention or that of her companion. "Thanks so much for coming on short notice, I know y'all got a lot to do. Come meet my new friends!" Spencer's first greeting is likely totally unnoticed, as are the kids themselves; it's only after he greets the arriving adults that their cloak of obscurity falls away. Kavalam is seated with his knees up against his chest, chin propped on them; his eyes have been a little vacant but as the WarBus arrives he's looking at it with a little more alertness creeping into his heavy-lidded exhaustion. "Are you going to shoot us?" He's eying Kate's pistol with a lot less emotion than this question should maybe warrant. Wasp hops out of the back seat and rubs beneath his segmented eyes then puts on his obscuring goggles. When he hits the cold, the buzzing within his body quiets down substantially, but his X-Men outfit appears to at least be insulated enough that he does not seem too bothered. "Hi!" he answers Spence, with a certain forced enthusiasm that comes from just groggily waking up from a sleep in the back of a van, but by the time he sees Kavalam, he is able to be more energetic about his, "Hello! Don't worry, no, we're not going to do any shooting. Or at least, not you kids! We're here to help." Zeke sits near Kavalam, but for the moment no one notices him. The moment Kavalam dropped his powers Zeke activated his own—holding his breath to keep himself imperceptible for the time being. His sketchbook is on his lap and he's drawing quick sketches of the adults as they exit the bus. His eyes flit up and down furtively from the faces of Wasp and Kate to his sketchbook to ensure that he sketches their features correctly. Kate squints, hand curling tighter around her pistol as the children are suddenly - there, have always been there. When she spots Spence, however, her expression relaxes. She’s still on high alert, but her hand leaves the gun. “Might shoot someone else later. We'll see how the day goes.” She gives Wasp a quick look, glances back at the kids, eyes lingering on the physical mutants. Her brows furrow slightly. “Okay. Everyone can have a row to themselves, I think - pile in. Next stop, Clair, Quebec.” A quick head count, then, to Spence - “Is this everyone?” Spence bounces up onto the balls of his feet, chewing on his lower lip as the X-Men speak. "So uh...actually I don't think we're going to Quebec, after all?" He sounds -- only a touch apologetic. His fingers flutter rapidly at the cuffs of his coat for a moment before he shoves his hands deep into his pockets. "You see, like, the other half of their group got captured, so we're gonna go bust 'em out first. We just need transportation." Kavalam just watches Kate's hand tighten on her gun, his expression still mostly an exhausted blank. His arms tighten hard, though, his shoulders stiffening until she moves her hand. It's only then that he looks to Wasp, his eyes growing wider. Blink. Bliiink. If he had anything to add to Spencer's explanation, it's briefly derailed by the staring. Wasp just awkwardly raises both his thumbs up and grins uncomfortably at Kavalam's staring, though it changes nothing about the squirminess of his skin. Hee looks back towards Spencer with raised eyebrows. "Whaaaat. You're saying. We're just a bus service?" He looks upwards and puts a finger on his chin thoughtfully. "What if, and I am just going to do a little spitballing, we drive them up to Quebec and then, instead of sending a whole bunch of you into a child soldier fueled battle against the government. Kate and I bring everyone to safety and then, after that, we head down to where they are being held and see if we can't figure something out? That way, everyone'll have plenty of leg room." << Aaaaand, Done. >> Zeke holds up his sketchbook, comparing his work to their life models. << Good. Here's proof that these people exist. Before they disappear us to Lord knows where and maybe disappear on us after that. >> Satisfied, Zeke stuffs his sketchbook into his backpack, places it on his back, and stands up. For a few moments he watches everyone's interactions and reactions, feeling even less apart of things than he normally does in his imperceptible state. << These aren't my people... >> Zeke thinks back to Marinov's words from the other night << But they could be if I give them a chance. >> Zeke opens his lips slightly, releasing his held breath and allowing fresh air to flood his lungs. In an instant Zeke is perceptible again—his physical presence reasserting itself to the senses and memories of those around him. "You good, Kavalam?" Zeke asks, looking over at his fellow imperceptible teen. Kate’s hand hasn’t actually left the gun - her hand clenches quickly around it when Zeke appears to her for the first time, in the middle of long looks at K.C. and Marinov in particular. The hand relaxes and finally leaves the holster when he addresses Zeke, but her expression is clearly Not Pleased. “Neat trick! Do not do that again to me,” she says. “We keep surprises to a minimum. Understood?” Now her attention, like Wasp’s, is back on Spencer. “Like that. That is a surprise, Spence.” She crosses her arms, the edges of her X-Man protective uniform showing through the sleeves. Eyes narrow as she nods at Wasp’s suggestion. “We can arrange a break, probably, without the kids - where are the rest?” At Zeke's voice, it probably comes as little surprise to the X-Men who know Spence's reflexes well when he disappears -- -- and reappears a second later in almost exactly the same place, with his hair slightly more tousled than it had been before. "Whoa!" he says, staring at the boy. "I forgot you were there. Yeah uh..." He shakes his head, tucking his Padawan braid back behind his ear before returning his attention to the X-Men. "I really don't think you can, actually," he says. "They're in Shippenville. With my pa. I know folks have tried..." He shrugs. "But I got a crew that can do it this time." Kavalam blinks at Wasp's thumps up, bowing his head. "Sorry," he says reflexively, eyes squeezing shut and one hand lifting to dig his knuckles against his eyes. "I -- sorry." He just stiffens all over again when Zeke reappears, but it passes quickly enough. "Sorry, Zack, have you decided to pretend you care now?" His voice is lacking much of its frequent acerbity, dragged down somewhere near hollow in his exhaustion. He looks up at the X-Men uncertainly. Looks at their bus. Back to the adults. "We've already been separated once for -- a bit. I think we'd like to get back to them sooner rather than later. Most of us, at least." His head tips toward Zeke in indication. "He does just want a ride to Canada, though. I cannot really blame him for wanting to stay safe." Some insects fly out from under Wasp's clothes when Zeke re-appears, but quickly return away from the cold when everyone else seems to confirm this is normal behaviour. "What?" He looks towards Kate, and then back at Spence. "Run that by me again? Shippenville? I don't know if this crew-" He gestures towards this motley band of kids, "-is going to be quite the support you need for that operation." To Kavalam and Zeke, "Not that I don't think you're all plenty competent! It's just... Shippenville is serious serious. And... I'm kinda worried that you'll get reunited with your friends, but not in the way you want. We'd need time to come up with a plan, at least." Zeke's posture immediately stiffens at Kate's reproach. The wry smile he had thrown in Kavalam's direction, which had grown even bigger at Spence's reaction to his reappearance, fades from his lips. "Uh, yes ma'am. Didn't mean to spook you. Just didn't wanna show myself right away." Zeke doesn't meet Kate's eyes. For a moment he considers holding his breath and getting out of there, but Kavalam's voice keeps Zeke in place. "Zeke," he corrects Kavalam—his tone sharp. "I might not know everybody's names, but I at least remember the names of people I've officially met. I'd 'preciate the same courtesy." He squares his shoulders, anticipating another verbal lashing. << I'm batting a thousand with these people. Wonder if there's another Mutant school I can transfer to... >> Zeke muses for a moment, then he remembers Marinov's words again; << These could be my people. >> "I'm not much for pretendin'," Zeke says at last. "Your people ain't my people yet and it be phony as hell to say otherwise." Zeke stares hard into Kavalam's eyes—his intention resolute. "But I don't wanna leave anyone behind. Christ, of course I wanna cross the border if it's safer up in Canada, but...listen I don't have a lot of options here. I want a place. I want people. If y'all need me to nut up or shut up in order to accept me into your group than I'm in. I got a feeling that no matter what you say to the contrary, if I bail on y'all now I'm as good as chopped liver from here on out." Zeke quickly turns his head in Wasp's directions. Zeke doesn't meet his eyes—he focuses on his chin instead, obviously avoiding eye contact with the adults, but Zeke's tone is stronger than it had been when facing Kate. "I'm completely imperceptible while I hold my breath. Kavalam is pretty much always imperceptible. If y'all can't make use of powers like those, then I don't know how effective your super secret resistance is. We're in," Zeke's fists and jaw are clenched tight, then quickly he adds; "Sir." Kate’s expression softens just a smidge, though it’s certainly not a smile. Zeke gets a quick nod before her attention loops back to the assembled children in general. “We are not a taxi service - all of you are going to Canada. That can be after we get— what.” Now her eyes just on Spencer. “No.” She is much less kind on this matter than Wasp is. “Absolutely not! What— who gave you the idea—“ Kate presses her knuckles to her lips for a moment. “It’s not the powers — damn you all are really from another dimension, huh?” She shakes her head. “I’m sure you kids are powerful, but Shippenville is on another level from the rest of this world. If we could get people out — we would have a long time ago. Spence —“ Her whole body swivels to him now, voice softening, “— this cannot be your plan. Not with a bunch of random untrained kids. Not Shippenville.” Spence looks back at Zeke, confusion plainly written all over his face. "You don't have to risk your life just cuz other people are doing it," he says, very earnestly. "This is my whole life, and I wouldn't want this for any other kid." There's something just a little wistful in this. "If you wanna come, that's fine, but we'll be okay without you. Just don't think anyone is forcing you cuz we're not." In all this he's disregarding the adults entirely, but now he addresses them again. Straightens himself to him to his full height of -- 5'5". "We have other support," he declares calmly. "It's -- classified. But you know me, I wouldn't be taking them in if I didn't have people who could protect them." There's just the slightest note of pleading in his voice now. "Trust me, we can do this! We just need transport." Zeke's smile only tightens Kavalam's expression further, though his voice just stays flat. "What right do you have to speak to any of us about courtesy, Zane?" His hands spread. "You act like we're forcing you to choose this. Don't come. Go to Canada. Be safe. You're right. You don't know these people. They aren't your people. And you aren't ours. I don't want you dying because we made a decision you don't even want to be part of. That's horrifying. Why would we want that?" He scrubs his hands against his face. Wraps them back against his knees. "We aren't," he adds, for the others' benefit, "completely imperceptible. The robots can see us, which is the biggest problem, really. But this one," with a nod toward Spencer, "says he has someone who can handle that. We aren't going to Canada. Not without our friends." Kate's X-Men Voice seems to have about as much impact on him as Zeke's sharpness, which is to say: very little -- he's not exactly defiant, though. Just steadily listless. Wasp looks towards Zeke blankly through his goggles and confirms, "We have handy powers, too. I can be literally a million places at once, and Kate can get anywhere, but Shippenville is serious serious. I just..." He bites his lip a few moments, the agitating buzzing coming from his body. He shakes his head and looks towards Spence. "This other support is classified? Classified from us? That's..." His eyebrows raise. "Pretty classified! You know I want to get Jax back out of there, and my other friends, and... maybe if you have other contacts, we can help? We can help you, help them, so you and an army of kids don't have to march into battle." His lips press tightly together and he looks between Zeke and Kavalam. "Especially when people are tired and tempers are running hot." "Now you're just bein' rude," Zeke grumbles at Kavalam. "Zeke—not Zach. Not Zane. Zeke." He sighs, rubs a hand over his face, and looks around in exasperation. "This is a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation," he says at last—throwing his hands in the air. He rounds on Kavalam again. "Of course I don't wanna march into the Mutant danger zone. Who does? And like I said, I don't know half of y'all from Adam, so you'll excuse me if I ain't got the same emotional ties that some of y'all do," Zeke pauses and takes a breath—then in a calmer tone; "I'm workin' with the hand I've been dealt. It's a crap hand, but dammit let me at least try to earn my place here." Zeke looks around at the group, taking note that Beau, Nanami, and Tomas—three of the X-Kids he actually got to have conversations with—aren't with them; they had chosen to go to New York. Zeke turns to Spence, hoping to find an ally. "Ain't nobody making me do nothing," he says—raising himself to his full 5'10" height. "So let's stop wastin' time on trying to bench me and let's focus on how the hell we're gonna pull this prison break off." Then as an aside to Wasp; "I don't wanna march into battle anymore than you want us to—probably even less so. Point is, y'all can definitely use my power for something so please let me help. I ain't got much waiting for me back home anyway, so I might as well throw my lot in with y'all." This time, for just a moment, Zeke mets Wasp's eyes. "Please." "You say let you try, but why should we?" Kavalam's head tilts, slightly, as he looks up at Zeke. "Forgive me if I don't think it is a waste of time trying to sort this situation out. You seem very committed to this bizarre line of emotional blackmail -- as if the only option we have left to you is risking your life to earn your place with us. But I'm sorry, you don't know us from Adam, after all. Explain to me clearly and plainly, now, why we should let you die on our behalfs? It isn't for reason of utility -- your powers do nothing more than mine, and do it all considerably less usefully. You might not believe this, but I do think your life has value and don't want to see it lost." His gaze shifts to Kate and Wasp. "And you might not believe this -- you clearly think we're just a bunch of otherworld ignoramuses -- but tired or not I'm pretty clear-eyed about what we're doing. I know we might not live through this. Our friends already in there definitely won't." His shrug is small. "We're not getting home either way. At this point we might as well not-get-home together. That," he's looking back to Zeke now, "doesn't really apply to you, who won't shut up about how you don't know any of us and don't want to go on this mission. Why do you need to earn your place with us? You've known us two weeks. Maybe we're all about to die, and if we survive, we don't have even the smallest idea where we'll be after. Go know somebody else. I don't want your blood on my hands. So I'll turn your question around: Why do you think you have a right to force that potential on us?" Spence is bouncing up and down -- subtly, at first, but more and more obvious as he grows agitated. "No one's saying you gotta have -- emotional ties to care about people's lives and freedom, but like..." He bites his lower lip. Chews on it vigorously as he thinks through his words. "This isn't a game, you don't have to prove yourself, and I'm not your coach, and if that's how you're thinking about it I'm real uncomfortable bringing you along." His hands are flapping visibly inside his pockets even through the heavy fabric of the coat now. "I think it's just a better idea all around if you go to safety with Kate and Wasp -- anyone else who feels wrong about this can, too. There's no shame in it and if you all wanna be reunited later I can help!" To the X-Men, now, though he's looking at the ground between them rather than either of their faces/face regions. "It's -- a matter of security. I think it would be better if you took whoever wants to go to safety north. I can help you get another car real quick or we can drop you off where you can get one. Zeke can keep you hidden." His bouncing stills. "I get it, you know? You don't think kids should be fighting a war and you're right." His huge gray eyes are full of sincerity and defiance. "But the war's already chosen us, and sometimes you can protect us but -- sometimes you can't." He takes a deep breath. Lets it out. "If you won't help us -- I'll just jump them there one by one and steal another bus. It'll be exhausting and it'll take time so I'd rather not but, I'll understand." The agitated buzzing from Wasp only increases, his eyebrows furrowed, but when Spence finishes speaking, it is replaced with silence and a look of weariness. "What am I gonna do?" he says quietly as he fiddles with the buttons on his uniform over his midsection. "Stop you? The end result'll be the same, and you'll just waste a bunch of energy and be all the more likely to get you all killed. Just... note my objection." He then folds his hands together to make them still again and speaks to Zeke and Kavalam. "I don't think you are ignoramuses. It's just... My people are in there too, and I know what it's like to want to throw yourselves into the thick of things for friends or people you love." His shoulders set and he stands a bit straighter, speaking to Zeke, "Come with us. At the very least... it will give Spence a target to jump to if--" A click of his teeth in a barely masked frustration. "If he needs to get the others to safety in a hurry. Sometimes helping looks like just being at the right place." Then again to Spence, still in an uncharacteristically serious tone. "If you need me. I left a lot of my body at the white boxes by the old school." He grins awkwardly, a little more of his usual cheer returning to his voice, however forced it is. "Just don't mess with the honey supplies! I gotta make it through the winter! Maybe in the spring I'll get you some." Zeke looks around the group—desperate for someone, anyone to speak up on his behalf. When no one does, the humiliation hits Zeke like a Mack Truck. "Fine," he says at last to Wasp. "Take me anywhere. Don't matter." The adrenaline leaves Zeke and he deflates a bit—his shoulders sagging as he gives in. Zeke moves away from the decision-making group, not making eye contact with anyone. He tries his best to disappear in a way that doesn't involve his Mutant powers. Zeke returns to the treeline from which their group emerged minutes before, and he leans against a tree, waiting for whatever decision the group makes; hoping that the shade from the trees can mask his shaking and the hot tears pooling in his eyes. Kate, meanwhile, has been silent for a few moments, her expression flickering from concern to exasperation and back over and over, offering only a mumbled “Oy va fucking voy.” Her eyes flit to Wasp several times, expression stopping on something like gratitude as he addresses the imperceptible teens and their spat. “You don’t need to waste your energy, Spence,” she says at last, echoing Wasp’s sentiment. Her chin has to tilt upward slightly to address him. “We’ll drive you halfway, then peel off in another vehicle with - Zeke -“ her eyes flit to the treelike, brows furrowing, “and anyone else who changes their mind somewhere upstate.” One hand moves up to rub at her temples, pinching briefly at the bridge of her nose. “Okay. Everyone get on the bus before I change my mind.”