Snakes on a Plane

[Bobby Drake]

Bobby had been distracted by Warren's little speech about military readiness and threat assessment, wondering where his abilities rank on the strategic vs. tactical scale. Almost everything they do is tactical, really, but... well, he could probably neutralize a small naval fleet if he put his mind to it... and if he didn't get shot into ice-cubes first. It was one thing to stop small-arms fire with an ice-sheath, but torpedos and boat-mounted launchers were another thing altogether.

But Danny freaking out next to him grabbed his attention. What's wrong with this guy?

> "Oh...uh...never mind...It's nothing..."

Which is so totally a lie it's not even worth calling him on, but that doesn't help establish what they're supposed to do. He shrugs, finally, and decides that the least he can do is let Josh and Warren have their non-date in peace... he can tease Josh about it later.

He stands up and puts a hand gently on Danny's shoulder. "You want we should go get some fresh air, or something?" The screen has started showing the standard no-smoking-no-cellphones-no-making-out-in-the-back-row (well, OK, not that last part, but Bobby's sure they'll start one of these days) spiel, so he figures it's best to put an end to this before people start shushing them.

[Tempero]

Danny jumps at the opportunity given almost too energetically, but manages to keep his composure. Somewhat, at least.

"Yes, that would be great!" he says, rather loudly considering the vicinity of Bobby's ears. He gets up from his seat and walks out of the row, again, almost too energetically.

"Um...we going to catch up on them, or just separate now?" he asks Bobby, already getting sever shush's from the people who find the no-cell-phones warning very climactic in regards to the movie, obviously. Before even hearing the answer, he proceeds to the door of the hall, and exits, rushing out of the theatre to the street once he is out of Bobby's sight. He will catch up, right? At least if he wanted to.

Once out, Danny takes a deep breath, gulping air as if he was submerged in water for a very long while without an oxygen tank. He doesn't notice anyone around him as small black dots appear from the irregular breathing in front of his eyes, but finally he stabilizes slowly, regaining composure. I HATED THAT! he yells mentally, deciding to scratch that doctor off his list.

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

>"Yes, that would be great!"

Josh's eyes widen. Um. The movie is about to start... what's the deal here? He's on the verge of saying something vaguely soothing as Danny interrupts his mental train of thought.

He flicks his eyes up at Bobby, who's moving for the end of the row. <Give me a jingle if you need anything. It's just a movie.>

And then looks over awkwardly at Warren. Josh pats him on the shoulder and gives a little smile. "Looks like it's you and me, buddy." Please don't make me say anything stupid. Augh.

[Warren Worthington III]

> "when I borrow someone's mutation, I use my own power and my mind to control it, and I also receive some of the amount of control the target has, so don't worry..."

Warren nods, not really sure how that works in his case... would Danny receive his skill at flight? It doesn't seem like it ought to work that way, it would be like lifting the ability to ski or do a backflip. Then again, maybe Danny can do that, too. That would be a useful talent, especially if he could retain it. Especially if it worked with nonphysical skills, like languages or engineering or military strategy. Something to keep in mind as the kid trained.

That's the thing about mutant powers, Warren reminds himself for the seventeenth time today. Sometimes it's the fringe effects that nobody notices that turn everything on its ear. Which is probably why Dr. McCoy is so twitchy about how Bobby seems to destroy energy, for example, though that's way out of Warren's league. The first scientist to figure out the mechanisms and artificially duplicate, say, telekinesis or telepathy or -- ...and I'm working on that paper in the back of my head now, instead of taking a break. Stop it, Warren, it'll wait. These guys are going out of their way to include you in their fun, the least you can do is get out of your own head long enough to join them.

> "Um...thanks guys, you have no idea how much you're helping."

Helping with what? Warren isn't exactly sure, but it's clear from the sudden spike in Danny's breathing and heartbeat that he's having some kind of anxiety reaction.

> <Um. Warren. Any idea as to what's up? I'm catching anxiety getting through his shields, but not much else.>

For just a second, Warren tries to concentrate on sending his thoughts just to Josh, before it occurs to him that he isn't the telepath here, it's not like he actually can broadcast them. He "thinks out loud" in response: <It doesn't take a telepath to pick up that much, but I'm not sure what's going on. If I had to guess I'd say my whole 'mutants as military assets' polemic probably set him off... sorry. I don't know when to shut up, sometimes.>

Then Danny and Bobby both leave, the former clearly having some kind of episode, the latter following to keep an eye on him, and Josh staying behind awkwardly.

> "Looks like it's you and me, buddy."

Warren nods uncertainly... what started out as a friendly social gathering seems to have become more complicated, and he can't help but wonder whether it has something to do with him. "Should we go with them, see what's going on? Or... well, if I'm what he's trying to get away from in the first place, maybe that's a bad idea?"

[Bobby Drake]

> "Yes, that would be great!"
Bobby follows Danny into the aisle, completely bewildered, apologizing to the other moviegoers they interrupt.

> <Give me a jingle if you need anything. It's just a movie.>

He pauses for a moment to nod to Josh in the semidarkness. <Don't sweat it, I'll find out what's up, you go back to feeling up your not-a-date... I'll buzz you at a completely inappropriate moment if I find an excuse.>
Then he follows Danny into the lobby, but when he gets there, Danny is gone. Bobby looks around bewildered... was he kidnapped? Did he run off? Teleport away? Is he still sitting in the lobby somewhere, invisible?

Bobby doesn't even know what Danny's powers are, beyond that "supercharger" thing they were talking about and something about borrowing Warren's wings... sounded like his powers were a little bit like Marie's, that way. Was that it? Bobby'd thought they were talking about doing it some other time, under more controlled circumstances... but maybe Danny'd gotten too excited and lost control, then took off before anybody saw the wings come in?

I'd probably freak out if I started growing wings in public, too.

Well, if that was it, Danny would presumably be outside. Bobby heads out to the street, and sees the other boy, wingless, looking like he'd just run a marathon. Jeez, he thinks, and I thought I was messed up today.

OK, scratch the wing theory. And Danny's body temperature isn't unusual, so he hasn't accidentally borrowed Bobby's own powers... and nothing seems to be moving that shouldn't, and Josh would've picked up on a TP overload, so either there's some other mutant in the area or Bobby's whole "accidental powerup" theory is bullshit. Most likely the latter.

So, what is going on? Is he just having some kind of nervous breakdown? Is he off his meds? Allergic to something? Is some evil psychic force messing with his head? Bobby has no clue.

He approaches Danny slowly, cautiously. "Um... hey. Is this another one of those things where I end up in the infirmary for two days if I get too close while it's going on?" He tries to keep his tone light, but it already happened once with Marie and he'd really rather not go through that again.

[Tempero]

Danny laughs a bit at Bobby's question, and then feels very bad for dragging the guy out of the movie. Well, he asked me. he thinks, but then discards that as a cheap excuse. Everyone knows that he was the one who dragged Bobby out of the movie. Everyone in Danny's opinion, that is.

"Oh, no it's just that...well...I'm...claustrophobic...very claustrophobic. Look, sorry for dragging you out of the movie. It's probably best if I just go off and let you guys do what you were doing in the first place." he says, his tone of voice almost materially spelling "sorry" in the air.

God, you're pathetic... he scolds himself, and then sends a thought in a different direction. shut up., and then great, now I'm gonna have multiple personalities.

Immediately, he stops having this internal commission, and goes back to reality, to hear any possible answer from Bobby. It would probably seem strange to him that Danny's that uncomfortable in as large a room as the theatre.

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

Josh can tell that Warren's bothered by what just happened, more that he really should be.

>Or... well, if I'm what he's trying to get away from in the first place, maybe that's a bad idea?"

<Mmm.> The pre-movie warnings are winding down, so he keeps sending telepathically to avoid glares. <I don't think it was you, man. He was freaking out. His breathing got faster, and he was eying the walls like they were about to collapse. It didn't seem to be a TP wig-out, either, believe me... if I had to take a stab at it, I would say he's claustrophobic. I've been with Storm before when she's had an attack - it's pretty scary.> He considers a moment. <But she's older. She's had time to move past it a bit. Danny hasn't...>

<Sooo. Yeah. I wouldn't worry, okay?> He pats Warren's hand briefly. <I told Bobby to give me a call if he needs us.> Josh gazes into the other's eyes for a moment with a bit of a smile, and then settles into his seat. Jesus Josh. Why don't you try playing footsie with him, too?

[Bobby Drake]

>"Oh, no it's just that...well...I'm...claustrophobic...very claustrophobic. "
"Oh. Well, that sucks. No wonder you want wings, huh? Lots of open space up there." Bobby's a little puzzled by why a claustrophobe would be bothered by as large a room as the theatre, but getting Danny thinking about it seems like a bad idea... it might set off another anxiety attack.
> "Look, sorry for dragging you out of the movie. It's probably best if I just go off and let you guys do what you were doing in the first place"
Bobby laughs and looks back towards the theatre. "Yeah, that's just what I was thinking when I left," he adds with a smirk. "Anyway, don't sweat it. Long as you aren't playing pinball with cops or bringing home stray sociopaths, I figure we're ahead of the game, and it isn't that great a movie anyway. You wanna grab some ice cream or something while we're waiting? I'd offer a snowball fight but you'd be kinda short on ammo." He brings his hand forward from behind his back with a snowball in it, tossing it lightly in the air and catching it.

[Tempero]

Danny laughs a bit, and then looks around the street, obviously more relaxed. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're wondering why I freaked out in the large room, right?" he asks, and then smiles as Bobby makes the comment about the snowball fight. "Actually, I wouldn't if you let me borrow..." he says, but then shrugs. "Ice cream sounds great." he replies, his eyes scanning the area for potential shops. He has no problems in staying in a room under five minutes. It's that time after the five minutes that imposes big problems.

"Hey, there's a shop over there." finally he says, pointing in the direction of a shop with some tables in front- a perfect place considering his last episode, so to call it. "Oh, and just so you know the reason for the claustrophobia, since everyone seems to want to know the reason, I was shoved in a locker and kept there for a few hours a couple of years ago." he adds, saying it out remarkably well, but it obvious that there's some bitterness in his voice still.

[Bobby Drake]

> "Actually, I wouldn't if you let me borrow..."

Bobby finishes the sentence in his own mind, and thinks about it as they go icecreamshop hunting. Finally, he shrugs -- can't possibly be worse than his last encounter with Marie. "You can, if you want to... copy my powers, I mean. 'slong as you aren't gonna fill the parking lot with ice or anything... I can freeze the stuff, but I can't unfreeze it."

> " I was shoved in a locker and kept there for a few hours a couple of years ago."

Bobby blinks. "Well... that sucks." He's still a little hesitant about raising old issues, but he figures Danny wouldn't have brought it up if he didn't want to talk about it. "By who?"

[Tempero]

"Don't worry, I would have the same amount of control over them as you do. Literally- copying them." Danny laughs as they approach the shop and he tells the seller that he will have the usual. If there is something Danny knows about this city, it's all the info on sugar-containing goods you can find, including the shops and their employees. <Major sweet tooth person standing beside you, Bobby.> Danny sends him a telepathic message, and then laughs eternally. For some reason, he never wanted to confess to his sin out loud.

As the man is putting very generous amounts of every flavor with chocolate in its name or composition, Bobby asks a question about the locker thing. Danny keeps on smiling and keeps up with the casual tone, but his eyes betray him, showing the bitterness and pain still lingering on that memory.

"Well, two of 'em were mutant-hater humans, and the one who did it was a TK mutant who was supposed to have "proven their worthiness as an equal to a human". He was the one who actually showed me into the locker and closed it. And then changed the combination. It took a long time until someone noticed, and then another half hour for the janitor to actually get me out of there. I remember seeing the huge amount of sudden light, and then nothing more. My uncle was the first thing I saw next, in a hospital, where I woke up from being unconscious for several days..." he trails off after telling the whole story, shuddering at the oncoming memories. Once more, for the n^th time, he suppresses them, trapping them in an imaginary box, hoping for some more time before he has to face the demons.

[Bobby Drake]

> "Don't worry, I would have the same amount of control over them as you do."
Bobby chuckles. "You're assuming I meant accidentally. I'm just sayin', try to avoid property damage I'll get blamed for. Other than that, sure, knock yourself out... mi powers es su powers."

> <Major sweet tooth person standing beside you, Bobby.>
Bobby jumps a bit at the unexpected mindspeech. "Oh! Didn't know you were a teep... or did you borrow that from Josh? Anyway, yeah, I see what you mean about sweet tooth, that's some scary-looking chocolate thing."

He orders a small cup of lemon sorbet and watches the chocolate monstrosity being constructed as he listens to Danny's locker story. Privately, he suspects there's more to it... it sounds unpleasant as all hell but not enough to traumatize someone for years afterwards. But then, what does he know? Personal experience aside, he's hardly an expert on people having their heads messed with.

He nods sympathetically. "Yeah... people can be jerks. Though I meant more, did you ever find out who they were, where they lived, that sort of thing?." He shrugs off the question after a second, figuring Danny would've mentioned it if there'd been a second encounter. Somewhat curious, he adds: "Uncle? Your folks weren't around, then?"

[Tempero]

"No, I never tried finding out who they were. By the time I got back to school, everyone forgot about it. Oh, I have my own TP, that's how I link to other's mutation. And yes, I do love sweet. And, um, my parents died when I was four. A drunk driver hit their car..." he trails off once more, getting pleasure and comfort from the mounds of chocolate ice cream.

After a few seconds, he snaps out of it, a smile reappearing on his face. "Now, how about that snowball fight once we're done with this?" he asks cheerily, suppressing bad memories once more.

[Bobby Drake]

> "And, um, my parents died when I was four. A drunk driver hit their car..."

Bobby nods sympathetically. Disenchanted as he is with his own parents lately, seeing them die would be a whole different thing... and to have it happen when you're just a kid has to really suck. "I'm sorry... that's gotta be hard."

> "Now, how about that snowball fight once we're done with this?"

Danny's sudden mood-swing startles even Bobby, who has become somewhat accustomed to moodiness of various sorts lately. But, whatever... if the whole fake-cheery thing works for Danny, Bobby's the last one with any right to give him crap about it. He nods. "Sure, sounds great..." and starts tossing small, perfectly spherical snowballs onto the table, forming a little pyramid out of them as Danny finishes his ice-cream monstrosity.

[Tempero]

Danny smiles, albeit weakly, and looks at the snowballs piling up. Even though he keeps suppressing this demons and refuses to think of them and settle, they gnaw at him incessantly. "I should probably start borrowing soon." he says shortly, then looks down to the last remains of his decadent chocolate monster.

Each time...it gets harder. I wonder how long will this all hold up? A strong outside, a decaying inside... STOP THAT! he yells at himself mentally, trying to make this train of thought stop. Unfortunately, the whole yell is sent as a general TP message, which he doesn't notice. If he did, he would probably be thinking of a direct way straight out of the situation.