Mutants & Masterminds: The Indigo Children - [Prologue 2] Rob & Tess & Isaac

[Telluris]

Continued from [Prologue]Robert and [Prologue] Tess

The barking of a dog woke him with a start and a flail of his arms. The dog in question, a friendly labrador, took advantage of Rob's waking stupor to lick his face. That was more than enough to finish the process the barking had started.

"China! China leave him alone! I'm so sorry!" The middle-aged woman who came rushing up apologised to him as she collared and leashed her outgoing four-legged friend.

"s'alright. No problem." Rob muttered as he squinted up at the sky. The sun was much higher now, and he blinked as the woman dragged China away. Oh shit. What time is it? Fishing his phone from his pocket he glanced at the time. Shit, it's almost noon. Gotta get up, call Ms Romano. Not with a cellphone. Payphone. Can't trace that. Yeah.

Muttering to himself, Rob dug in the pocket of his frayed pants as he got to his feet, leaning for a moment against the tree he had been sitting under. With a groan and a curse he realised that one of his sneakers had come off at some point during his flight.

"Great. Now I know why Apex wears tights. There's got to be a better way..." Adrenaline's aftermath was kicking in now, causing Rob to mumble as he half-walked, half-hopped to the edge of the small park. A pair of joggers stared at the ragged young man as he went past them. Rob gave them a small wave. "Some night, huh?" he called out by way of feeble explanation. They didn't seem to get it - Rob kept on a-hopping.

Payphone... Payphone... Ms Romano said to call her no matter what the problem, right? Hope she doesn't regret that... Where's the damn payphone!? Ah. There. Peeling off some gum some thoughtful person had stuck onto the earpiece, Rob slid a couple of quarters into the phone and dialed the number of his boss. He winced in anticipation of the upcoming conversation.

Sorry, Ms Romano. But you did say to call you...

[z012]

She'd just made it back inside after seeing off her guests when the house communication systems informed her that she was being called from a payphone on Long Island. Odd.... *See if you can trace the call, please.*

She picked up the cordless headset mounted in the front hall and accepted the call with a curious, "Hello?"

[Telluris]

Rob took a deep breath, but when he spoke he still sounded more than a little strained. "Ms Romano? It's Rob."

"Are you alright? You sound....stressed. Has something happened?" Her soft voice with it's Old-World accent seemed unreal to him right now, what with Delta Force and black helicopters chasing him around New York.

"Uh.. Yeah. You could say that. Listen: you know you said that if I had any trouble to call, right? Anything at all?" He held his breath for a long moment before she replied, her tone brisk and businesslike.

"Yes. Can you explain what's happened over the phone or do you need to be picked up and talk to me in person?" Rob sagged in relief, leaning on the phone booth.

"There's guys after me. Guys that look like they're special forces or something. They... They tried to kidnap me. I'm pretty sure I lost them for now, but I don't dare go home and I don't know what else to do." He fought down the rising tide of panic that was starting to show in his voice. Get a grip, tough guy. Yeah, tough guy, right. I'm just a kid with some cool special effects. Ms Romano's voice interrupted his wig-out.

"Why are they- Nevermind. Where exactly are you? I'll come pick you up." Rob looked around at the street signs and gave her the nearest intersection, trying not to sound too pathetically grateful and failing.

"Thank you, Ms Romano. I- I appreciate it." Her reply was efficient and heartening.

"Alright. Sit tight, I'll be there as quickly as I can."

Rob hung up the phone and hop-walked over to the intersection, trying to appear innocuous as he got some of his courage back. This was a public place at nearly midday. Surely they wouldn't try anything dumb here. He clenched a fist in quiet resolve. If they did, he was going to go all-out this time.

[z012]

Tess sighed and set a reminder for herself to call Isaac as soon as she brought Rob back to North Brother. If he was in some sort of trouble, whether it was because of her, her father, or something he'd done himself, she wanted the extra security now. Of course, if it was her father, Isaac might be an interesting conundrum himself.

The speedboat was started and waiting for her by the time she made it back to the pier, and a quick call to a cab company she knew was clean had a car waiting for her once she hit the Long Island shore. The cab waited once they'd pulled up to cross street; Tess stepped out only long enough to wave Rob over. "Nothing right now. We'll talk once we're home."

The trip back was tense and quiet. Tess was usually quiet, but he'd never seen her quite so sharply focused before; the perfectly controlled and maintained house was a welcome relief, even in it's security might only be illusionary. Tess set a pot to boil and motioned him over to a stool at the bar that separated the living room and the kitchen. "Now, what exactly happened? And please, be honest and thorough. I can only help you if I know what's really going on."

[Telluris]

"Well..." Rob hedged for a moment. "I was coming back from my breakfast when these guys jumped me. A van in front of the alley, someone roping down behind me. They had tasers and some kind of solid gel blob for their shotgun. High tech stuff. Hurts like a son of a-" he winced. "They beat the snot out of me and I tried to fight back..." he hesitated, then sighed (which elicited another wince from his painful ribs).

"I, uh, have... powers." he looked down at his semi-shoeless feet and the frayed edges of his dirty sweatpants, then up at her somewhat sheepishly. "Like Apex and that other guy, kinda. But I'm no superhero wearing tights, I swear. I just want to get by, you know that. Go to college, have a life..." He sighed, then looked at her with an old gaze.

"Yeah. So... I can do stuff. With magnetism. Some electromagnetism too. I've spent a few years practicing in junkyards and stuff, and these guys found out about that. They told me so. That's why they're after me."

"So I heaved a dumpster at them a few times and then took off outta there. Uh, I can fly too. Pretty fast, I guess. That's when I lost my sneaker." He glanced down and wiggled his toes, then back at Tess. "So that's the story."

[z012]

Tess listened as he spoke, her expression never wavering even as he explained something that would have earned him a spot in the hospital that used to be on the island. Well, would have before Apex showed up.

"I see." The silence stretched for another several moments as Tess watched him carefully. "Rob, what's your real name?" She held up a hand, "I ran a check on you when I hired you. Rob Lehnsherr did not exist up until around four years ago." She gave him a small smile and a nod, "And I was an X-man fan when I was younger. If you have magnetic-based abilities, well....I get the joke."

She leaned into the bar, pouring them each a cup of mint tea, "I need to know that I can trust you. I've trusted you to a certain point so far, and you've just trusted me with a secret that quite obviously could get us both in a great deal of trouble. So, I ask for one more show of faith in me. What is your real name?"

[Telluris]

"Mitchell." He said after a pause. "Robert Mitchell. I... I killed someone who didn't deserve it. On accident." He looked out of the window, his dark eyes sad as he remembered. "He was my stepdad, and he was a good man who didn't know what to do with a son that could do... what I do. We fought, he hit me... and I killed him on reflex. Just like that."

He looked back at Tess, his handsome features grave, his voice quiet. "I ran. I was a kid, and I was scared. Does that matter? I killed the guy who raised me for the first time he lost his temper and hit me."

"That's one reason I practiced. So I'll never do that again." His lips twitched wryly. "Guess I should have been more careful about that, too."

[z012]

The was another long pause and then Tess took a sip of her tea and nodded. "House, Robert is to be given access to the premises as an Indigo guest. He is allowed in all of the areas save those I have outlined as personal and given grade one access to the systems here. Understood?"

"Understood." The voice was smooth and androgynous.

She watched him blink for a moment, trying to put everything together. "I was raised in England, Robert Mitchell, but I was born not a few miles from here almost twenty years ago," she said in that same soft voice as if they were discussing the weather for the weekend, "Are you in the network yet?"

[Telluris]

"Indigo..." he stared from the speaker to Tess for a moment, then laughed as his quick mind made the connections. "Yeah, I'm on the network. I was raised in Kentucky, but here's where I was born. Again, about 20 years back." He grinned crookedly, his dark eyes studying Tess anew.

"Telluris." he said by way of introduction, offering his hand. "Pleased to meet you... again."

[z012]

There was only a brief hesitation before she took his hand, a lifetime of secrets putting in its bid for silence. "Mordred."

She put the teacup down, "And if there are a paramilitary or government or both agency looking to make a move on us already, then we need to get moving on the last preparations here and decide who else we're going to include."

"Come with me," she motioned him to follow her as she made her to seldom-used elevator off the back hallway. "This isn't the only entrance, but it is the easiest. Most people assume I have the elevator because stairs can be difficult for me when I'm ill, which is also true." The door looked the door to a closet or another room, but opened up on another steel door just inside that slid silently open. The interior was smooth dark wood paneling and had a simply "up-down-call" button panel just off to the right when you stepped in.

"Level 1." The door closed, the steel slid shut again and the elevator descended without fanfare....and kept going far beyond the twelve or fourteen feet to ground level. She smiled ruefully, "I suppose if you're Magneto, I'm something of a Professor X, though neither a paraplegic nor a telepath." She wrinkled her nose, "Nor bald, thankfully."

The door slid open again to reveal another elegantly appointed hallway lit by runners across the top of the walls. "Welcome to Sanctuary, Rob. You're the first other Indigo to ever see it."

[Telluris]

He stepped out into the the hallway, looking curiously around then glancing at Tess with a slight smile. "Professor X, hmm? Well, let's hope this association goes better than that one, 'old friend'." The two Indigos shared a grin, then Rob looked down the hallway.

"Sanctuary, hmm?" he considered that as he scratched his jaw, then smiled back at Tess. "I like the name. But this..." he gestured with a sweep of his arm as he gave Tess a directly searching look. "This all looks like someone has a plan." It wasn't quite a question, and wasn't quite a statement. Despite being bruised, tattered and with one shoe missing, Robert still had a certain level of gravitas. Not so much as his adopted fictional namesake was depicted as possessing... but he was young yet.

His sudden smile broke the image of inquisitorial sobriety, returning the boyish air to his features.

"Care to share while we tour?" He offered Tess his arm.

[z012]

Tess laced her hands behind her back as the walked, taking a circuitous route to show him the labs, the meeting rooms, the spare bedrooms for guests that needed to keep a low profile, the library, the gym...it seemed to go on forever. "Well, something between an idea and a plan. We're going to change the world, one way or another, Robert, and most likely in many ways. Once word of us gets out, and I mean when people learn enough to start stringing everything together, we're going to be loved, hated, feared, and even revered. We're going to need a sanctuary, a place away from all the people that look to us to fix the problems they think are too big for them. All the problems they don't want to deal with."

"And the situation will be even more complicated if it turns out that our traits pass on to our children. There's probably already a few out there, born to teen Indigos. Statistically it's rather likely. If not, then the pressure on us will be even more intense to fix those problems now, before we're gone. Everyone will want use us for their own purposes." She sighed, "And we'll try to use each other. It's just human nature."

"So I built Sanctuary. It's almost complete. As for what it will become, that's very much up to us. The point of Sanctuary is to give us that breathing room, that option to figure ourselves out and then decide what we want to be to the rest of the world." She looked around the room they were in now, an infirmary stocked as well as any highly funded private hospital, her expression pensive. "My mother left me a legacy of a lifetime of illness because she was desperate to abort me and in general a worthless human being. My father leaves me a legacy of organized crime, death and drugs and misery all in the name of Family. Family that will never accept me, not fully, because I am a bastard and because I was pushed off to England to be kept out of mind and out from underfoot of Branden's wife and legitimate children."

She glanced over at him, her eyes still dark from memories, "We Indigos, we're another kind of family; bound together by a tie that is more powerful than blood and more dangerous any weapon yet conceived of the paranoid minds of men. We must look out for one another."

"That's my story, Robert Mitchell. That's why I built Sanctuary."

[Telluris]

He listened to her, measuring her words and the thoughts and principles behind them as she showed him around the complex. The place really was an X-Mansion, though Rob tried to bury that thought. This was Real World stuff, not a comic book. He almost made a quip about them needing a Danger Room when he saw the gym - but stopped short. Besides, the gym was huge and furnished with sparring areas as well as exercise equipment. Now he leaned against a counter in the infirmary and regarded Tess thoughtfully.

He saw immediately where the emotional motivation for this project was derived. Tess had no family, at least none that really counted. She was looking to form one based off the commonality she shared with others.

He could relate, Rob realised. Despite the vast differences in their story, there was a common note: one of being separate and isolated by their gifts, of the fear that was born of others finding out.

"So... What's your gift? I mean, now that we've established you're not a bald telepath." He folded his arms and smiled at her. "What do you do?"

[z012]

She pulled her cellphone out her pocket and tossed it him. It rang immediately, the tinny phone sound breaking the short silence in the room. There was a text message on it, when he pressed the key to display it all it said was Look up.

The room had been quiet, each bed with its attendant machinery powered down, even the lights were dim. Now everything blinked and winked and flashed at Robert, words streaming across the consoles: Mostly, anything I want with electronics.

She grinned, "I can't fly, though. That does seem like it would be....freeing." The computers the in room went quiet again and she took her phone back. "There's several other levels here, as well as a passage to the South Brother island, but I'm afraid I'm going to need to cut the tour a bit short. With what you've brought to my attention, I want to step up the speed of the other security measures I want to put in place. Computers and lasers are all well and fine, but guard dogs tend to scare the bloody hell out of most people. Keeping our new friends in black out of the house in the first place is much more preferable."

So saying, she held the phone up to her ear as it dialed a number. Apparently even several yards below ground, reception wasn't a problem for Little Tess.

[z-Isaac Ward]

Isaac jerked awake on his chair. Raucous, at his feet, jerked upright also, his worried eyes on Isaac's face. Isaac didn't immediately answer his phone; he was too busy wondering why he was in pain. It came back to him slowly; the fight and the long hours he spent shambling around looking for another suitable home. He glanced at the clock - it was morning. He'd sat down at four a.m. to see if getting off his feet would stop the throbbing in his back. He must have fallen asleep.

as he fumbled for the shrill phone. "Yeah?" he rasped, his voice sounding even more rugged than normal.

"Isaac? This is Tess Romano. Are you alright?" Tess usually smooth and clipped voice had a genuine note of concern.

"Rough night." It had to be an award-winning understatement. "Whatcha need?"

"The dogs, if you're up to it. I'd like to start today, if possible. There've been more incursions onto the island, mostly pesky teens and the occasional pesky NYPD, but it's getting bothersome."

Isaac blinked, trying to remember what she was talking about; something told him he should know. "Right, the dogs," he said, more than a little surprised. He'd been sure that Tess would choose another trainer, someone with creditably and history. "Yeah," he said, wincing at how bad he sounded. "I can get them together today. Say... I know you mentioned me staying out there. Do you still want that?"

"If you'd prefer. It would certainly allow the training to go more quickly and smoothly, I'd think. Shall I have a guest room prepared for you?"

Isaac realized this was the chance he needed. He'd have to abandon the territory for a bit, but this would allow them all to recover and recuperate. It would also give him time to find a better home for them in the territory. "Actually... I don't need a room, but I need to bring my p- pets with me," he said, slowly starting to plan out the next step if she agreed. "I have about eighty animals that I'd need to bring. They just need the run of the island and a building to take shelter in. I'll share their space. Besides, training you and your dogs will be easier with my dogs around."

He could hear the blink in her pause, "What kind of animals are we talking about? Eighty dogs?" She barely managed to keep the curiosity as to why a bruiser for her father's mob and underground street fighter would keep eighty animals. That was....expensive, at the least.

"No," Isaac said, standing. The stiffness in his body was clear on the phone as he said, "No, a mix. Birds, rabbits, cats, dogs, some hamsters... three ferrets. They won't be any trouble. They just need somewhere out of the way to be."

"Alright....I'm sure I can make arrangements. I'd still like to get you out here today, if you think that would possible. As soon as possible, really. I'll....I'll have builders contracted by tommorow to build a barn to house the animals, if that would be acceptable, and they can use the garage for the evening. I can hire a moving crew to come pick up your belongings and crate the animals for transportation and have you moved in time for supper. Unless there is a complication with that?" She'd ask him later about all the animals. That was more than just a hobby, it wandered well into the realms of eccentricities, and she wondered if she was making the best choice in her trainer. Still, he was the one that had -felt- right to her, and Tess had learned to trust her instincts.

"I'll be ready." Isaac was almost ready now. "Just have them call me, I'll direct them to the right warehouse."

"Hmn. Alright then, Isaac. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Yeah, see ya then." Isaac hung up and looked around his area. Time to start packing. Limping slightly, he grabbed his duffel bag and headed for the Tupperware box that served as his wardrobe.

[z012]

Tess sighed and hung up the phone. "Rob, I want you to keep an eye on Isaac while he's here. There's...oddity about him, and with your recent experience we have reason to be careful."

She gave the infirmary one last look around and headed for the door. "C'mon, we've got some arrangements to make."

*******************

Several hours later Rob had a quick education on just what money can buy: a crew would be out tomorrow morning to erect a large barn and maintenance shed a ways away from the main house. Movers had been hired, made contact with Isaac, and had called Tess to confirm their ETA to North Brother. Tess had also arranged for her chef student friend to increase the meals prepared for the household, as well as for the groundskeeper to visit more frequently.

She even ordered pizza for everyone.

The boat that brought Isaac and his menagerie was much larger than the lone speedboat that usually occupied the small dock of the island. A ramp lowered down from the deck let the animals and humans onto the island, and Tess smiled at her thoughts. Almost Noah's Ark.

"Welcome, Isaac. Gentlemen." She smiled at the gathered men, including her current shadow, Rob, and gestured back towards the house, "Everything is ready for tonight, the cars have been moved from the garage, and the builders will be out tomorrow. There's also pizza and drinks inside, feel free to grab something to eat while you work and relax a little afterwards. I know this has all moved quite quickly."

[Telluris]

Amongst the many miracles Tess had performed in the last couple of hours was giving him the opportunity to shower and change into clean clothes. Fed, watered and dressed in new sneakers, jeans, and a white tank-top with an open blue shirt thrown on over it, Rob reflected that he felt like a new man. Of course, the fact that under the wardrobe change his torso was still a mass of nicely darkening bruises served to remind him that this morning hadn't been that long ago. Thankfully, his host had a more-than-decent level of medical knowledge, and after feeling his ribs front and back to ascertain that nothing was broken had given him some painkillers for the aches and told him to take it easy for a day or so.

Now, standing beside Tess, he nodded to Isaac by way of greeting before stepping forward and extending a hand. "Hey. I'm Rob." He smiled at the mob of mixed animals, his dark gaze curious as he glanced at Isaac. Instead of a comment or question, though, the young man simply said "Where would you like me to start pitching in?"

[z-Isaac Ward]

The man had stepped off with the first crate and was already opening the door, his back to them. Their first impression was a large man - wide but not very tall. A large dog with mottled brown and black fur darted out, stopping near Isaac to stare with silent intent at Rob and Tess. A sharp murmur from the man broke the dog's stare; his ears dropped and his tail wagged as he bounced to sniff at the two watching Indigos.

"Just a moment," the man said as the second crate was unloaded. The man opened a second crate and began to talk softly. Tess and Rob caught comforting murmurs; then a shaggy Husky-mix with brilliant blue eyes inched out, trembling. After a moment, Isaac stood, turned and said, "Raucous, take Ghandi and patrol."

The big dog lost interest in Tess and Rob and darted over to the Husky mix. Together, the two moved off, noses down, to begin exploring. But Rob and Tess weren't really paying attention to that; the human had all their focus as they became aware of his battered face and body. His face was puffy with bruises and swelling and his knuckles were raw from hitting things. The two blue-eyed kittens poking their heads out of his shirt pockets were an adorable contrast to him.

"Tess. Hi," Isaac said, offering her a hand to shake. "Sorry, Ghandi's a big scaredy-cat, I needed to get him out of there. Thanks for letting us descend on you."

He glanced at Rob when the other man spoke and said, "I'm Isaac. Just start popping doors open. I'll take care of them all." As if to emphasize his words, a robin-sized falcon launched from the rail of the boat, dropping onto his shoulder. From there, it peered at them with predatory fascination.

[z012]

Tess started back at the falcon; it was beautiful but beautiful with wickedly long talons and a sharp looking beak. She studied Isaac curiously for a moment, both his wounds and the man himself. The movers, glad for well paying gig but nonetheless still uneasy around the man with the portable zoo, decided to follow Isaac's instructions to Rob and began opening crates with abandon. Animals streamed off the boat like a small flood, a small and very well trained flood. The milled around, darting here and there to sniff out their new temporary home, but never straying too far and never giving in to the base urges that should have had at least a few of them playing the predator-prey dance. The other few boxes seemed to either be paraphernalia for taking care of the animals, or clothes.

Few personal items, eighty very well behaved mixed pets, and he looks like someone put him through a meat grinder not too long ago. Well, first things first, the movers need to move. It took several hours to get everything squared away; the movers made sure they'd gotten everything off the ship, Tess served dinner (pizza and soda or beer), and tipped them well enough that the impromptu party was still well underway on the boat as she gently shooed them home.

Once they were gone and the three of them were inside, Tess pulled out a very large first aid kit, like the ones you find in hospitals, and motioned Issac to a stool at the kitchen bar. "Isaac, please sit down. Some of those cuts look pretty rough, you don't want them to get infected, and if you'll let I'd like to check you for cracked ribs or a concussion."

He sat down gingerly, surprised at both Tess' change in attitude from gregarious host to somewhat forceful medical student. She pulled out alcohol swabs and scissors, cutting the tops off to get to the moist towelettes, and murmured, "This is going to sting. A lot. I don't suppose you could tell me how you came to be in this state?"

[z-Isaac Ward]

"You wanna start with the bad one first?" Isaac asked her bluntly. Tess and Rob were starting to get that he didn't seem to have a sense of subtly.

"Bad one?" Tess asked, then waved the question away and nodded.

Isaac reached into his shirt pocket and fished out one kitten. He gently passed the kitten to Rob, who took it with only a second's hesitation. Isaac repeated the maneuver, and Rob found himself regulated to kitten caretaker and jungle gym as the black and white one started to climb his shirt. The tortoiseshell was content to lie in the crook of his arm and watch the other kitten attempt mountaineering.

"I had four thugs try to break into my place," Isaac said, unbuttoning the shirt he was wearing. He didn't like button-downs, but it had the pockets he'd needed, and he hadn't been sure he could get his arms to cooperate in pulling on a t-shirt. "Fought them off, with some help. And before that, I got shot by some mafia-types. Probably Shreveson's men, though I doubt the Asian dudes were with them. Looked like a back door deal between Shreveson and the Yaks to me."

As he was talking, he showed Tess his back. A crudely done bandage covered a wound, but it looked like he'd showered since and it was a ruined, bloody mess. Horrified, Tess cut it off him, only to find more cause for alarm. An open bullet wound was exposed as she removed gauze.

[z012]

Tess managed to only arch a brow as Isaac spoke about the possibility of her father having ordered a hit on him. The mention of a possible collusion with the Yakuza was odd to her, and definitely something worth looking into.

She sucked in a breath at the look of the bullet wound, "Rob, go downstairs, where I showed you before, and get the large blue medical kit. It should be just inside the door, hanging on the wall." Her eyes ran over the wound and the mess the half-done bandaging had done, "This is going to take more than a band-aid."

Rob nodded, heading for the back elevator with the kittens still in tow as attempts to dislodge the mountaineer had only earned him warning pricks of claws, some directly over sensitive bruises. Tess began gingerly cleaning around the wound, dabbing at the dried blood and scabs that were starting to form. "Isaac, why would Shreveson or the Yakuza bother to shoot you? Bullets are cheap, but neither group is prone to random murders. It's expensive and attracts attention. Also, would you tell me about the people that tried to break into your home?"

Her tone was curious, but with that sing-song pitch of someone just trying to keep another person talking, occupied, while they did something painful to them; it was more than that for Tess, but she hoped that the sting of the alcohol would distract him enough to keep talking. And that Rob came back with the surgical kit quickly.

[z-Isaac Ward]

A low growl rumbled through Isaac at the sting of antiseptic. As Tess really began to hope for Rob's quick return, he growled, "They were in my territory. That attracts the police. Tried to drive them off, but..." He stopped, trying to work out a way to mention getting shot without talking about Kitsune. "They saw me, and a couple shot at me. Got lucky it wasn't more serious."

Tess sensed the flow of information was slowing, so she prompted, "The four attackers?" As she did so, the swab moved with a little more force, causing a touch more pain.

She got another growl, but that was followed by a gasped, "Four men. Looked alike. All got away. Predators." He felt almost dizzy from the pain; that and the lack of sleep and recovery time was rapidly catching up to him. "Pack. Like me. Wanted my territory. Wanted my Pack."

[z012]

"Your pack? The animals?" She eased up a little on the swab, switching it out for clean one after a moment.

Curiouser and curiouser. Does he have some sort of Wolf-man syndrome or something? And the way the animals have behaved...*House, activate the motion sensors for video on the island, please.* At least the shooting seems to have been opportune rather than a hit. That would be...awkward.

"Well, you and your pack are safe here, you have my word on it. I know how distressing it can be to have uninvited guests show up at your home, especially if they are less than friendly." She'd finished cleaning around the main wound and was checking the rest of his back for scrapes and bruises, pressing gently on the ribcage to test for bruised or broken bones. "Rob will be back up in just a moment, and then I'll have the tools necessary to close this wound. I have a local anesthetic I can give you, and considering that I'll need to check the wound itself for infection and any particles left in it, I'd suggest taking it. But I won't make you."

[z-Isaac Ward]

"What I call my animals," Isaac said, trying to focus on talking rather than on pain. "Only family left... 'sides Becka." He caught himself too late to stop. Becka was the only member of his family who he didn't know how to reach and couldn't protect. She was the one who was exposed. With grim determination, he tried to focus on the here and now, rather than trying to distract himself from the pain.

When she mentioned the local, he paused before asking, "That's the stuff that won't put you out, right?" When she affirmed that was the case, Isaac nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Do that." The relief in his voice was slight but there.

[Telluris]

Black-and-white passenger on his shoulder and the tortoiseshell still less-adventurously riding in the crook of his arm and looking out at the world with the perpetually-surprised look common to kittens, Rob re-entered the room and placed the blue hard-plastic case on the table next to Tess. Without a word he popped the catches and opened the case up, revealing the neatly-packed medical gear inside.

"Thank you." Tess told him absently as she began picking through the supplies for what she needed before filling a syringe from a bottle.

"No problem." Rob said as he leaned against another table out of the way. "My passengers loved the infirmary. Velcro here kept trying to get the courage up to jump off and go exploring." He gently stroked the kitten on his shoulder with a fingertip. 'Velcro' responded by letting go with one set of claws just long enough to try and bat at the offending digit before frantically clinging back onto Rob's shirt and enduring the petting with an 'Oh, if you must' air. He smiled slightly before watching Tess at work on Isaac's back.

Looks nasty. he thought to himself. Out loud he mused "Looks like everyone's getting beaten and shot at lately. Must be a new fad. Or quota time."

[z012]

Click to reveal..

Tess is taking 20 on her medicine roll to patch him up, giving her a final score of 29, unless there's something for equipment bonuses (or negatives for being essentially in a living room while she does this).

Tess shot Rob a warning look; an infirmary wasn't a normal household addition and discretion had been bred into her since she was hustled off to England to die. The look was short, though, as she currently had a patient to look after. "Thank you, Rob. This is going to sting, Isaac, and then feel strange." Without any more ado she stuck Isaac in the back, near the bullet wound, and waited the thirty seconds or so for it to take full effect. She pushed lightly on a clear area of skin an inch or so from the hole, "Can you feel this?"

"Not really. A little." Isaac breathed out, some of his muscles relaxing as the anesthetic tricked his mind into thinking things were better.

"That'll have to be good enough. Hold as still as you can." The next ten minutes were unpleasant; the anesthetic worked, but a bullet wound is still a painful injury and this one had been let to sit without proper medical care for a while. Once she determined that there wasn't any metal left in and that bone hadn't been chipped, she stitched the wound closed with small, efficient knots. "There. The stitches will resolve over the next several weeks, so you don't have to worry about getting them taken out. None of your other injuries seem like they need special medical attention, though you should take it easy for...well, for a while. No heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise, no fights. If you get punched in the wrong spot right now, you're likely to rupture something permanently."

She poked through the medical kit again and pulled out some almost-need-a-prescription strength Ibuprofin. "Here, this is a muscle relaxant. Take them as you need to, and avoid any blood thinners. I'll need to check and change your bandage probably several times a day for next day or so, and then once or twice a day after that until it stops bleeding and the greatest risk of infection has passed." She came around to his front and pressed the large bottle into his hands. She frowned in thought, then ventured, "How old are you, Isaac?"

She waved her hand, "Sorry, I know it sounds like a silly question, but there are some medical issues that I might need to watch for if you're below or over a certain again." She smiled at him, her eyes watching his as she waited for the answer.

[z-Isaac Ward]

The thick muscles in Isaac's body slowly relaxed, like a great monster uncoiling from a threatening strike. The lines in his face eased, taking years off his appearance. He looked very young suddenly. "I'm twenty," he grunted, half-slumping across the bar.

Without realizing he'd given Tess some very interesting information, he added, "I'll do my best, but I will defend myself and my pack as needed. If that means I have to do some heavy lifting or fighting, then I have to do both."

He was trying not to slump too much, but the lack of pain from his back was overwhelming. The rest of him still hurt but he hadn't realized how much pain he'd been in until it was gone.

[z012]

*Well, I know what I'll be doing this evening. Checks on Isaac, on my father....-sigh-....so much for studying for finals.*

"Well, your pack is safe here and getting settled in." She smiled at the kittens, "And those two are simply adorable. I think they're making a new friend," she whispered conspiratorially to him.

"We can wait a bit on starting the training. You could use a couple of days of serious rest and relaxation. Doctor's orders. The TV has a full cable package, as well as Netflix through the gaming consoles. There's a computer terminal in your bedroom, and I have some extra laptops either of you can make use of if you want to be outside or somewhere other than your room. Marie will be out tomorrow to work on the new meal plan, so try to think up a list of things you like to eat. I'll also be making a trip to Manhattan for some other essentials and shopping that needs to be done, so if you need anything, let me know." She grinned at Rob, "I figured you'd have a few things you'd like to pick out yourself. Some new clothes, yes?"

She tapped her lip thoughtfully, "Also, I have a groundskeeper that comes out once or twice a week, will that be an issue with your pack, Isaac?"

[Telluris]

The R. Lehnsherr Mobile Home for Kittens smiled back at Tess. "Some changes of clothes would be great. I'll need replacement textbooks too: I don't really feel like mounting a ninja-raid on my old place to recover my stuff. The guys that jumped me are probably staking the place out so bad that it feels like Dracula after a bad weekend at Van Helsing's place."

He tickled the kitten in the crook of his arm, which *meeped* in less-than-heartfelt protest and tried to chew his fingertip. "Cool news is that I can pull up most of my current essays from Google mail. I bounce copies back and forth so I can work anywhere." He realised he was babbling and shut up with a sheepish grin.

"Anywho, pizza and soda in front of a big screen sounds like a great plan for the here-and-now."

[z-Isaac Ward]

Isaac listened quietly as the other two talked around him. He was starting to realize that Tess had a great deal of 'stuff'. Stuff didn't particularly impress Isaac, and he was a bit disappointed that she was rattling it all off like it mattered. Isaac hadn't had access to a television since his last foster home, and then it had been something that he couldn't watch because his foster mother was always watching the home-shopping network. That had worked for him - it had given him largely unsupervised time to make his minor in-roads with Shreveson.

"Food would be great, but I'm not picky," Isaac said without elaboration. "I should unpack myself, though." He pushed off the bar, tested his feet and found that they were stable under him. "My clothes, my netbook..." He felt awkward suddenly; he knew that he didn't belong here, in this house with this genteel woman. He was an animal in the midst of elegance. "Uh, excuse me." He beat a hasty retreat, heading for his room. Not that it was really his; he felt a little lost at the thought that this was home now. From warehouse to mansion - no wonder he felt disoriented.