Year Two

Dalia continued walking home, considering what it would be like to dispose of criminals through Alternate Space.

Jin looked around for a second, then leaned towards Eve a bit, "Who do you think could be a Mutant? Guess!"

Azuma watches as Inquiry leaves before leaving himself, heading for main street.

===========================

Raferty: "Okay, then. If I can get a phone number or way of contacting any of you in case we have other questions, we can wrap this up."

*The girls all give her their phone numbers.*

*Eve stares at Jin or a second*

<You obviously. It's impossible for anyone to be good at P.E.>

*Eve bits her lip, trying not to smile*

Jin's cheeks turned pink and she took another glance around for eavesdroppers. She turned back to Eve with a sheepish grin.
"Uh... maybe..." She replied. "You won't tell anybody, right? My Dad would kill me if anybody found out. Plus, you know, Mutant Busters..."
She had started looking pointedly at her lunch as she talked, but now her eyes widened and she looked up suddenly, "Wait! If that's what gave me away, won't everybody know? Oh no."

What the hell am I doing?

Azuma looks at the basket of miscellaneous clothing in his hand.

I look like I'm shopping for the Crips.

=====================================

Raferty: "Thank you for your time."

Detective Raferty walks off, joining the Comissioner and Millar.

Millar: "Learn anything?"

Raferty: "Afraid not, Lieutenant. No one knows anything about the vigilante."

Morrison: "Then I guess it can't be helped. The mayor won't like it, but we can't keep tabs on all of them. Especially the way they just come out of nowhere."

*Eve stares at Jin, shocked*

<(I...I was joking...Because you know I'm terrible at P.E.....Are you really a mutant?)>

Jin turned even more red.
"T-that, uh, huh?" She struggled to find words. "I mean, that was a mean trick... you won't hate me, right? I don't feel like you would, but..."
She turned back to staring at her lunch.

*Since they still haven't eaten, Aroma, Thiera, & Ven walk up to the counter.*

V"Sorry hanging out with me wasn't very fun, but I won't be able to stay after all of that. I'll need to take my lunch with me, so I can get to work on time."

T"No, don't be sorry. We understand."

*Aroma nods her head.*

A female cashier not much older than Aroma steps up to the counter.

Cashier: "Sorry, but I'm afraid we're shutting down for the day and however long it takes the police to finish their investigation and the mess to be cleaned up and repairs made."

Fastforward to the end of the school day. Taiyo and Mimiru leave not really heading anywhere in particular.

Taiyo: "Azuma isn't here to pick you up?"

Mimiru: "He's probably at work."

====================================

As predicted, Azuma is at work, orginizing some bookshelves. The boss, a short germaphobe is in the back office doing whatever he does. Azuma theorized it had something to do with the locked cabinent of rare and limited edition novels that only other weirdos would dare purchase.

*Luna enters her home & heads off to take a shower.*
=======================================
*Venezuela gets out of work soon afterwards & heads off in search of a sandwich place or something, because she didn't get to eat lunch.
=======================================
*Aroma & Thiera are in their dorm, Aroma on the bed reading a book, & Thiera working at a laptop.*

T"So...what do you think about that vigilante, from today?"

A"I barely know anything about him. Or her, I guess."

T"Just tell me your first impression, then."

A"Well...I think that person probably saved our lives."

*Eve stands outside the school's front gate, waiting for Jin*
---
*Cameron was awakened by the returning of Kylie and their mother, informing him Kylie's Girl Scout troop was coming over, and thus he should probably make himself scare for the next hours. To that end, Cameron dons a long, dark coat and exits the house*

Jin soon came out to meet Eve, still looking sheepish and worried, "Hey."

"Mother," Dalia spoke to her mother from the couch. Her mother had come home from work earlier than usual due to a persistent headache. "What do you think of people with mutations? Powers?"
"I don't mind them as long as they are no where near me," She replied, hardly paying attention to her daughter as she flicked through a magazine and tipped tea. "I don't think they should be out in public, though. Nothing but trouble waiting to happen."
Dalia said nothing more.

Hitomi enters the bookstore, heading to the staff area in the back, passing Azuma.

Azuma: "Hey."

Hitomi: "Hello."

===================================

People who drive or walk past Cameron give him some strange looks fitting for someone in private eye wear during a heatwave.

*Luna sits on her porch, reading a book. It is crucial that she is seen taking part in leisure time while there's still light out.*
==========================================
A"Why do you ask?"

T"Oh, no reason."

A"Hmm...what do you think?"

T"Oh, I don't know...isn't vigilanteism probably illegal for a reason? What if someone was allergic to the pollen, or someone from outside shot into the smoke? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we're okay, but...maybe we just got lucky?"

*Aroma frowns.*

A"Well, when you put it like that...but how can I look down on someone who saved me?"
=====================================
*Venezuela leaves the sandwich place with a chicken teriyaki with spinach, tomato, & mustard, because of author appeal. She munches on half of it as she heads home--she got a foot long, so she could eat the other half for dinner.*

*Eve smiles*

<Ready?>

*Eve looks around to see if anyone is near by*

<(We'll talk in the car.)>

*Eve gestures at where her mother is parked, waiting, and heads over there*
---
*Cameron's used to stares, so he gives them no mind. He heads over iin the direction of the park*

"Okay," Jin nodded earnestly and followed.

The two are in the back, rearranging stock. Despite not getting a whole lot in the way of business, there manages to be enough profits to get new shipments every other week, pay the lease, and two employees as well as other expenses.

Azuma: "How's your day been?"

Hitomi: "Fine."

Hitomi attempts to lift a box that shows to be rather heavy. Azuma goes to pick it up from the other side, their hands briefly make contact, both let go of the box, Hitomi backing away.

Azuma & Hitomi: "You're-"

Azuma: "Afraid so. Hell of a way to find out. For both of us."

Hitomi: "Y-yes."

Azuma: "Let this be our little secret."

=====================================================

For anyone with a television set on, a talk show returns from a commercial break on channel thirty-two. The host is a bald man wearing bifocals in his mid to late thirties in a grey suit.

Host: "Welcome back, for those just tuning in I'm Scott June and this is I Say, You Say. Our topic for tonight and what seems to be longer is Mutants: Friend Or For?"

The camera pans to a large red-headed female in a charcoal grey pantsuit a title card saying Charlotte Wright Editior for the Manderlay Times then switches to a middle aged white male with dark hair in a dark purple suit with a title card saying William Monroe Defense Attorney.

William: "I've been involved with enough cases to know Mutants are an issue. The Tyranno Boys being led by one should be enough to show Mutants are a danger to our city."

Charlotte: "That is one Mutant. One Mutant out of however many are in the city and that gulag refered to as a rehabilitation center located somewhere outside of the city. Has anyone who has been sent there ever been released?"

William: "There's also that Dark Shot mess from last summer resulting in four deaths. Help me out here, being apart of the media you should have a better idea at how many Mutant related crimes occur."

Charlotte: "Let's not generalize, okay? Yes, there are Mutant criminals, but there are also human criminals. There are also Mutants among the costumed heroes presently active in the city."

William: "I'd hardly consider a vigilante a hero. And human criminals aren't walking flamethrowers or what about that Alchemist. Was it three people or so turned into tungsten? Who ever heard of such a thing? You know how much hassle I have to put up with dealing with families suing insurance companies because Mutant related death isn't viewed as an unforseen tragedy?"

Charlotte: "I'm sure your hearts go out to all those families being charged...how much were your rates again?"

William: "Let's not try and drag my practice down with your ship. Henry Philips has the right idea. Mutants are a ticking time bomb that when it detonates, could easily put an end to human beings as the dominant species."

Charlotte: "Oh, please. His whole campaign was built on fearmongering and pandering to the easily frightened. And rather than deal with real issues such as organized crime being rampant throughout the city like it has been for several decades, he goes on a witch hunt for the newest acceptable target. The Tyranno Boys are gunning down our police with military grade firearms and rather than put a stop to that he funds his own gestapo."

William: "Easy on the rhetoric, Charlotte. The police have their own issues if they can't handle a group of noisy kids with their toys and empty threats. The Tyranno Boys wouldn't even exist if it weren't for their leader. A Mutant."

Scott: "And we're out of time, but this discussion is far far from over. I'm Scott June, and thanks for tuning to this weeks I Say, You Say."

*Eve opens the door of the car, and slides over to the far seat. Mrs. Tantus looks up from a paper she had been reading, and nods*

Mrs. Tantus:<Good afternoon, girls.>

Eve:<Hey.>
---
*When he arrives at the park, Cameron heads deeper in, trying to find an unoccupied area*

*Aroma & Thiera, both watching the show, are now quite surly.*

A"That was horrible reporting, they didn't even mention the vigilante who saved us today!"

T"I know, & what was with that guy's absurd argument about the Tyranno Boys. 'They wouldn't exist if their leader wasn't a mutant.' Why? Is his power making degenerate, 80's reject clones of himself?"

A"Ambulance-chaser."

T"I don't know why we're expecting competence from the guy who doesn't even know the statistics of the cases he works on."

A"I like how even the 'pro-mutant' commentator kept implying that they aren't humans."

*They glare at each other, cross-armed & clenched-jawed for a few moment of sympathetic righteous fury. Then a look of comprehension slowly dawns on their faces.*

""Wait, you're a Mutant, aren't you?"
===================================
*Venezuela presumably arrives home without incident. She checks to see what day it is, because why not.*
===================================
*Luna continues reading her book, & will do so until the sun starts to set.*

Dalia glowered at the television and took a sip of tea.

"Hey," Jin replied, climbing in.

The two stand in the front of the store, Hitomi ensuring her sleeves cover her hands.

Hitomi: "Did...did it hurt?"

Azuma: "Not really, no. Should it have?"

Hitomi: "I don't know. I've never maintained contacted for longer than a few seconds."

Azuma: "Probably not something to experiment with."

===================================

The only part of the park without a lot of traffic is near the old chemical plant. Not hard to see why as at the bottom of the side of the hill closest to it, no life grows.

T"So what can you do?"

*She points to one of her opera gloves.*

A"I made them."

T"You make clothes?"

A"I...secrete silk. From my hands, of course! I...I don't really...like to talk about it...."

T"Oh, I'm so sorry I pried."

A"No, it's not your fault. So...what's your power?"

*Thiera produces a grass seed from her pocket, which grows into a snapdragon in her hand.

A"That's amazing! Are you...from earlier?"

*Thiera nods.*
=====================================
*Ven bathes.*

*Mrs. Tantus pulls out of her parking spot and starts to head out of the school parking lot*

Mrs. Tantus:<The mall, right?>

Eve:<Yes, please and thank you.>

*Mrs. Tantus heads that way after leaving the school parking lot. She allow turns the radio on to the local news. Once Eve thinks it's safe, she leans over to Jin and whispers in her ear*

<(I could never hate someone for being a mutant, especially because....>

*Eve looks down for a second*

<(I'd be a hypocrite, which I would despise.)>
---
[Probably shouldn't be here...but I don't really care.]

*Cameron sits down, staring at the old plant*

"Awesome," Jin said without whispering. She looked relieved and overjoyed, but decided that she should lower her voice too. She whispered back, "Should we wait until we get to the mall to talk about it? Whispering in the back of your car is a little silly."