Logs:Boom-Boom Rescue: Part II

Boom-Boom Rescue: Part II
TW: drug use
Dramatis Personae Tabitha, Kitty
In Absentia	2020-10-05 “I’m not some, some... some attention seeking whore... I’m not that.”
Location <NYC>
<NYC> NYU Astrophysics Lab - Greenwich Village This lab is rather unimpressive at first glance: a smallish, poorly-lit space with two standing modular work stations usually neglected in favor of several conference tables pushed together in the center. The truly heavy duty image processing doesn't even happen here, but there is still computing power to spare with the massive networked cluster of cases lining one wall. A high-powered projector is mounted to the ceiling and the projection screen mounted on the wall it points at is more often pulled down than not. It's, needless to say, a popular spot for department movie nights. No such movie night this evening though. Kitty is back at work, the remains of some Chinese takeout sitting next to a particularly sad etrog on the edges of her sprawl. Her laptop's fan is buzzing unhappily as she runs her analysis over and over again, squinting at the program manual in between. She jumps, startled, out of her chair when the phone rings. Kitty looks at the caller ID (none) skeptically, letting it ring a few times before picking up. "Hello?" "Hi, uh," the voice was deep, and unamused. "you need to come pick up your friend here." They shuffle around in the background, and the voice of a second person. However, it was too muffled to distinguish who. "Her name is... Ta-... Tabitha? Tabitha Smith?" He shifts the phone. "I think she took some dope, but she's definitely wasted." He sighs. "I gotta close and I don't wanna throw her out to the curb. We're on 12th Ave, The Tunnel Club. Can you come or what?" Kitty's eyes go wide. "Shit," she says, then, after a beat, "shit." Her hand flies for a pen. "Tunnel Club on 12th? I'll be there in 30 or less." She hasn't even hung up the phone before her stuff is being shoved unceremoniously into her bag, trash left on the table. <NYC> The Tunnel Club - Chelsea The Tunnel Club is a lesser-known but popular underground spot in the club scene. From the outside, it has an old-fashioned brick facade, but the large windows peering inside reveal bright lights flashing with the music. The patrons are beginning to bleed out as they close. Tabitha is not one of them. Instead, she is sitting on the floor against the wall outside, clutching onto a crumpled bottle of water with all her strength. She's wearing a tight black mini dress with a neon pink mesh top with matching neon lighting earrings (one of which was missing), and neon pumps. Aside from her colorful attire, she's anything but. Her skin is pale -- with redness making her look sickly. Her blonde waves bond to her face from sweat as she takes another swig of her bottle. From the corner of her eye, she recognizes someone, craning her neck up to look at Kitty with a grin. "Looks like y'er always there t' save me, huh?" Her speech is slurred as her eyelids stay barely open. "Like a superhero." She giggles. Kitty's backpack is pulling at her shirt, a grey graphic tee with a blue bird wearing a kippah on the front, tucked into black leggings and chelsea boots. Her hair is curlier than usual, from either the humidity or the stress. "Jesus, Tabby," she says, holding a hand out, then thinking better of it and sitting down on the sidewalk next to her. "It's Monday." A beat, then she reaches into her bag for a granola bar. "How's your stomach? What did you take?" Tabitha stares at the hand for a moment before taking it, using what strength she has to pull herself up with Kitty’s aid. Standing isn’t much better. Her legs are shaking trying to support her weight so instead she puts most of it on Kitty. “Uhh...” She pauses to think. “... I-I did some coke, uhh...” Her brows furrow in intense concentration. “Maybe some molly? I-I think? I think that was Saturday...” She groans, and notices the granola bar. With a swift movement, Tabitha snatches it, biting through the wrapping to eat it. She doesn’t continue her thought and falls quiet. “'WOO!!'” She screams out suddenly, raising her bottled water triumphantly. “'LOVE YOU GUYS!'" Kitty grunts when Tabitha's weight falls on her, wraps an arm around the other woman's shoulders. "Well, you seem to be okay," Kitty says, doubt in her tone, "mostly." She winces when Tabitha screams, her face taking on a determined expression. "Okay. We're leaving." As best she can Kitty drags both of them to the curb, flagging down a cab. Tabitha chews on the plastic wrapper of the granola bar helplessly in an attempt to eat the granola bar. Her steps stumble and occasionally her ankles give, but she tries to keep up. She’s ranting about something but what that is cannot be determined with her current state. She slumps in the cab seat, resting her head against the car door. Uncharacteristically, she is quiet. Completely quiet. No witty remarks, no insults, nothing. She’s not asleep — blue dazed eyes staring blankly out the window while the rest of her body stays limp. On the insides of her elbows are track marks, some old and healed while a few are clearly fresh. Kitty leans forward, gives the driver an address in Inwood. As they move, she looks back at Tabitha with concern, gently taking the granola bar out of her hand and opening up the wrapper. Her eyes flicker over the track marks, and she bites her lip. "Hey," she says, hesitantly. "Have a good time tonight?" She tries to keep her tone light, but there is worry plastered across her expression. Tabitha sniffles and rubs her nose. “I hate my fucking life, man.” Her voice is low, raw. “I can’t even — I can’t fuckin... do anything myself... you’re here, again, saving my ass.... again...” She trails off, a hand moving to itch her inner elbow. “I just—“ A defeated sigh. “... I want to eat something big and — and really meaty like — like a, a burger, you know?” Kitty nods, eyes narrowing as Tabby scratches but doesn’t say anything. “I am curious why I’m your emergency contact,” she says, cracking a wry smile. “But you can tell me when your sober.” A beat, then her smile grows wider. She leans forward, gives the driver a new address, and they pull over well before Inwood at a 24 hour diner. “Fuck it. If you eat you’ll sober up. Come on.” She gets out her side of the cab, loops around to help Tabitha out of the cab and through the doors into a vinyl booth. “‘Cause you’re... good.” She mumbles, before closing her eyes and dozing off. Tabitha doesn’t get far in this venture as the cab stops. With a blink of her eye, she’s in the booth, and for a moment she ponders of she time travelled. Once situated, she rests her head on the table coddled in her arms. “... y’know,” she begins, fingers absently dancing on the table, “I hated you... fuckin’... hated you. Y’er smart... pretty...” Kitty stares at Tabitha a moment, makes a mental calculation. “Two waters, large basket of fries, cheeseburger,” she says to the server, then after a beat- “A jug of water, actually.” There are sounds from the direction of Tabitha’s head, and Kitty puts her head down on the table too, trying to get on the same level. “Yeah?” She asks. “I was pretty frustrated with you too. Cool, rule breaker, while I was over here being a nerd and a square.” The water jug lands on the table with two cups. Kitty pours out a glass and pushes it into Tabitha’s reach. “Was a little surprised you joined up, really. Thought you were too cool for the team.” Tabitha chuckles lowly at Kitty’s response, the tips of her fingers letting off a warm and soft glow. “I joined ‘cause I thought people would take me seriously... Tried being like you n’ Flicker n’ Daiki n’ all of ‘em.” She trails off and the glow fades. “Y’er power is bodacious. Mine’s is just...” She scowls at the thought. "Really? Bodacious?" Kitty grins, but it faded quickly. "I wouldn't say that. Multipurpose, maybe." Her own fingers drum on the table now, shrugs. "There are more ways to be taken seriously than being on the team, I think." She watches the glow fade from Tabitha's fingers. "In a different world, I think you would be a better asset to the team than I am, though." Her face falls a little. "I really wish it had worked out better, Tabby." Tabitha raises her head from the table, neck stretched as she stares right into Kitty’s eyes with intensity. “I am going to be an X-Man.” This is said with clarity. “I’ll join the team again.” Her lips curl into a grin, but this leaves. “They all hate me.” She drops her head abruptly back to the table with a THUMP. Kitty chews the inside of her lip, taking a sip of her water. “I think,” she says mildly, after a moment, “that you should think that through with the Professor when your sober.” Another glance at the other woman’s arm. “I don’t think everyone hates you. But there is.” She pauses. “I don’t know, frustrations?” “Well, yeah. I’m an asshole.” Tabitha scoffs. She kicks off her pumps and slouches further in the booth. “... I think... it’s easier, to make people hate you. ‘Cause... cause when they leave, it don’t hurt as bad. They already hated you, so no hard feelings.” Service is fast here. The basket of fries and the burger arrive. Kitty grabs one fry, but pushes the rest in front of Tabitha. “Do you want people to leave, though?” She doesn’t say it unkindly, but it’s straightforward. Tabitha immediately raises her head, eyes widening at the plate of greasy delight in front of her. She grabs the burger with both hands and takes the largest bite she can, moaning at the taste. She sets the burger down and chews for a while before swallowing. “I dunno...” She takes another bite, contemplating as she chews. “I don’t want people to leave, I don’t... but they do, and it hurts.” “I’m not a therapist,” Kitty starts, chewing on a fry slowly. “But.” She swallows, sips some more water, frowns. “We thought- I thought you didn’t want us in your life. You know?” She sighs, brushes some hair out of her face. “So. I don’t know. Two way streets and shit.” “I’m just — tired of the bullshit!” Tabitha raises her voice as she takes another bite. “People act like they care about you, and you — you let your walls down, right? You think that MAYBE you finally did something good. But then she — she takes that and fuckin’—“ the unfortunate burger gets twisted in her hands. She groans in disgust and drops the burger on the plate. “... I had a therapist.” A hand grabs a fry, popping it in her mouth. “Y’know what she said?” Kitty nods, once, twice, then her frown deepens. “Oh. This is specific.” A beat. “Do you want another?” Kitty asks, looking at the burger, now strangled to a second death. “What did she say?” Tabitha throws another fry back, licking off her fingertips. “Borderline Personality Disorder.” She scoffs at the thought. “Yeah, I know. I don’t have a fuckin’ disorder. I only went to her ‘cause Sylvie... Fuck... BOTH of them.” A pause. “Nah. Fries ‘r good.” “Go for em,” Kitty says, pushing the basket forward. Then, slowly: “There isn’t any shame in not having a typical brain, Tabitha.” She puts air quotes around typical, shrugs. “Not that you have to be defined by your diagnosis or anything.” A beat. “We can table that for the morning. You got a place to stay? We have a pullout.” “I’m NOT !” She snaps back defensively, itching at her neck. “I’m not some, some... some attention seeking whore... I’m not that.” Another fry. “Pullout?” She chuckles dumbly. “Sure! Just... after I finish these fries, yeah?” Kitty's lips press together, a tension playing across her forehead. "I don't know that is an accurate way of looking at it," she says, her tone mild still. She nods slowly. "I'd give you Anya's room, but I don't know when she's getting back to town." She holds up a finger - "You can stay for a bit, but in the morning we need to talk about what that looks like. When you're feeling better." She doesn't seem in a rush to leave, though. Tabitha smiles weakly, giving Kitty another intense stare. "Can't believe I used to hate you..." She shakes her head to break the gaze, grabbing another fry. "You're like, SO awesome." She squints her eyes, pointing at Kitty with a fry. "Did we ever sleep together? I don't remember..." "I dunno, I was a try-hard. Still am." Kitty smiles more warmly, then bursts out into a laugh. "Jesus, Tabby. No, I am pretty sure we didn't." She goes for another fry, still chuckling. "I wasn't even out until like. Sophomore year of college." Tabitha pops that fry into her mouth with a mischevious grin now. "Maybe we should? Just to, y'know, get it out of the way." She leans forward now, looking intently into Kitty's eyes with her own bright blue. Her pupils were pinpoints, almost nonexistent, with redness around her eyelids along with the remnants of makeup. "We can have... a really good time, yeah?" Kitty's laugh slows to a stop, now looking at Tabitha with a muddled expression - one part concern, one part confusion. "I don't think that's a good idea," she says, going for gentle but a harsh edge creeping into her tone. "Not now, anyway. Pretty sure you're still wasted." Her brown eyes glance at Tabitha's pupils, bites her lip. "I think just general sleep is a good start." Tabitha dramatically leans back in her seat, crossing her arms. "Fine, whatever." Angrily, she grabs another fry. "I'm fine." She gives Kitty a side glare, where she notices her expression. "I'm FINE." She turns her body towards her. "God -- why does EVERYONE think I'm some -- some idiot! I'm NOT! If you think, that -- that, I-I'm just gonna let you, fuckin', let you treat me like an idiot, then you just, you should just leave." "I'm not going to leave." Kitty sighs. "And I don't think you're an idiot. I just think you're not sober." She kicks at her backpack, nestled under the table. "I'm not gonna make you stay. But I think you should." The bill comes - Kitty quickly pulls out a card, looks at Tabitha. "Want anything else?" Tabitha scoffs, shooting a hot glare at Kitty before relaxing her shoulders, arms falling to her side. "No, no, I'm fine," there's apprehention in her voice, "let's just go." A thin hand moves bangs from her eyes. She looks at the waiter, then at the leftover tray, then at the waiter. "I'll leave a tip." She chuckles and cups her hands together as white lines of light escape from the gaps of her fingers. After a second, she opens them, revealing a small marble-sized timebomb which she swiftly drops in the tray. In one swift motion, she stands up and grabs Kitty's wrist, yanking her out of her seat. "THANKS FOR THE FOOD, FUCKERS!" "Oh for fuck's sake." Kitty is briefly pulled up by Tabitha, trips over her bag below her feet, and goes intangible, wrist slipping out of the other woman's grip as she falls back into the booth. Her other arm reaches out for the bomb, wrapping it in her fist and phasing it with her hand into the booth seat. Sweat forms on her brow - it is taking more effort than she thought to keep the bomb incorporeal. "I like this diner. And I'm paying!" Any attempt to be gentle is gone now. "This is not necessary!" "Wh-" she cocks her head back, arm still outstretched with her hand open. Her eyes are wide, very wide, about to fall out of her face wide. Time, to Tabitha, has seemingly stopped, but in reality -- the small bomb was pulsating as it continued to it's detonation. One, two, three-- BOOM! To the casual observer, something strange is happening over at the window booth. There is a pop, a crack in the air, and several heads turn to the kitchen as if a plate has broken. Kitty, on the other hand, is knocked out of the booth, her shoulder hitting vinyl as she falls to the ground. She opens her hand, winces, before brushing herself off. Her credit card goes back in her wallet, cash comes out - easily a 30% tip on the actual bill. She gives the server, staring at them from the corner, an embarrassed smile, before grabbing her bag and her companion and pulling them out the door. When they are outside, she stops, looks at Tabitha. "That was not cool." She rubs her shoulder, rubs her palm. Tabitha stands there, bewildered and unblinking. Even when brought outside. "... y-you," she stutters out, "you were supposed to come with me, not... y-you weren't -- you weren't supposed to get hurt..." She falls onto her knees, scraping them on the floor as her hands catch her. At that moment, she throws up, her body shaking. After, she sits, holding her head in her hands. "Go, Katherine." Her voice is low, gravely. "Just, j-just go." "And other people were?" Kitty's eyes are wide, and her question comes out angry. A beat. "You don't have to answer that." She steps out of the line of vomit, moving to Tabitha's side. She takes a deep breath, squeezing her fists briefly. "No," she says. "I don't think you should be alone right now. Even if you want to be alone, that can happen. In my living room." A glance at the vomit - "With a bottle of Gatorade." She steps into the street, trying to wave down another cab. "NO!" Tabitha shouts back, facing Kitty. "No one is SUPPOSED to get hurt! It was a small guy! I-if we ran, it woulda just blown the table!" She stands up now, standing over Kitty while poking her chest with her finger. "I don't NEED you! I don't NEED anyone! Fuck you!" Now, she shoves. "Ohh, and Daiki? Tell him he did a pretty LOUSY job being a friend. Both of you can suck my massive fuckin' DICK." Another shove, an aggressive flip of the bird, and Tabitha pivots her heel and walks the other way. Kitty rocks backward with the shove in the chest, her face flipping between surprise and anger. "What the hell are you trying to prove?" she yells back. "That you're stronger because you're alone all the time?" A cab pulls up - Kitty yanks the door open, hollering down the street still. "You are DRUNK and HIGH and probably DEHYDRATED so just chill the FUCK out and let someone ELSE look out for you for once!" Tabitha pauses, shifting her jaw. With another pivot, she's facing Kitty. "What, are you my mom?" Her brows furrow. "You -- you don't know ANYTHING about me!" She slowly begins walking towards the other as her hands wave dramatically as she speaks. "The last time I let someone look after me, they -- they, they fuckin' -- they LIED to me, and USED me." Her eyes begin to water. "I was sober, I was -- I was doing everything I was SUPPOSED to be doing but that shit doesn't matter! None of this matters!" Now she's back in Kitty's face. "People lie to you, people break your fuckin' heart, people..." Tabitha looks down at the shorter woman and again, an intense glare. Her face shifts from anger to remorse, putting her hands on Kitty's shoulders. "... you're, you're good..." Tabitha pulls Kitty into a tight embrace, resting her head on top of her's. "I-I'm sorry," she reaches up to pet her hair, "I-I'm so sorry." She begins to sob. Kitty lets the words wash over her, not moving from her spot at all (to the cabbie's annoyance, with the door still open) until Tabitha hugs her. Her own arm wraps around Tabitha's torso, patting the other woman gently on the back. "I'm really sorry whatever happened to you, happened." Kitty pulls away, tilts her head up to meet Tabitha's eyes. "Let's get home, okay?" She swivels, trying to guide Tabitha into the cab. "We can talk about this more in the morning." Tabitha nods and wipes her eyes, stumbling into the cab as she scrunches in the corner. She closes her eyes, and for once -- she looks relaxed. "Morning... yeah... let's talk then."