closed;

[crotcharrow]

Date: After this thread.
Location: Edge of the Metal Sector, then the mines.
Situation: After Brandon finds out about Kate's disappearance, he offers to join Tommy in blowing things up to get rid of unwanted feels. Shenanigans ensue.
Warnings/Rating: Violence, explosions and a whole lotta man feels. UPDATED: Mentions of torture and experimentation.

[Part of him doesn't know why he agreed to this. He's always dealt with this stuff alone. Letting people in isn't something Tommy is very well practised at doing and he had no plans on starting now. And going up into the mountains to go smash some stuff until he stops feeling like the grounds about to swallow him whole? Not exactly a time he wants someone else around.

But for some reason, here he is, a backpack filled with food, waiting impatiently on the edge of the Metal Sector for Brandon, of all people, so they could go find somewhere up in the mountains to expend all this unwanted negative energy. Because somehow that seemed like a good idea to agree to at the time. He's having his doubts now--he's been having them since he shut the console off--and even though he's turned up, he's not even sure if he's going to let Brandon actually tag along yet. It's not like he needs a babysitter right now.]

--Ugh, c'mon Sparky. I ain't got all day.

Comments

[crotcharrow]

[He blinks at Brandon.]

Wow, remind me not to piss you off. [It's said as lighthearted as he can manage. He scuffs his feet along the floor a little, pulling the backpack back up onto his shoulders so it's resting more comfortably.]

No. I didn't even know. I mean, it's not like the Scarlet Witch raised me. [he pauses, stretching his fingers.] And besides, it wasn't the speed they were interested in. It was the whole, I can destabilize atomic matter from a distance and cause things--like my school and people--to explode from the inside out thing that really got them wet in their lab coats.

[sharpes]

[His answering smile is a little tight.]

I don't-- I wouldn't do it to a friend.

[Fffffffuck he used the 'f' word. what the hell. Change topics.]

Yeah, I'll bet. Guess they missed Ethics 101 back in their little School of Mengele.

[crotcharrow]

[That actually gets a small smile out of Tommy.]

For the record, I wouldn't explode your atoms either. I really don't want to clean your goop outta my hair.

[He gives a sigh and rolls his eyes.] Ethics doesn't count with mutants, didn't you get the memo?

[sharpes]

[It's a good thing he wasn't drinking on it because he'd be choking right about now.

Stupid, sexy Tommy.]

Glad we got that out of the way. It's like a mutual 'hey let's not kill each other' clause.

[There are so many more things he'd like to do with your hair anyway do you have any idea how pullable it is.]

Yeah, well, it's not like it's much different with mutates. So we're pretty much all in the same superpowered boat of 'hey those flatscans suck'. Not all of them. But damn, it's hard to shake a bad impression.

[crotcharrow]

[Yeah, Kate seemed to love to pull it whenever he went down on her. And damn, he liked it.]

Do we need to shake on it?

[He glances up at the fast approaching mountains, and snorts at Brandon's comment.] Yeah. Pretty much.

[sharpes]

I'm pretty sure that would end up with us just punching the shit out of each other. Pass.

[It's weird how much of this terrain seems familiar.

After six months, why the hell not, right?]

[crotcharrow]

[He grins.]

Nah, it would end with me punching the shit out of you.

[sharpes]

Oh don't even get me started, boy wonder.

[BITCH PLS.]

[crotcharrow]

I'm too fast for you to hit. [He gives a matter of fact shrug.] Sorry Sparky.

[sharpes]

Okay, electronic impulses in the brain aside, I'm still about ninety-nine point nine percent sure you can't out-manoeuvre lightning.

[ROLLING HIS EYES NOW.]

[crotcharrow]

Yeah, and you said you know that because of Pietro. Who I'm faster than.

[sharpes]

[Well, they're friends now, right? Right.

Whatever.]

You just about got smoked by a bolt back in-- dunno, October or whenever the hell that was.

[crotcharrow]

[He has to pause to think about that, frowning.]

--Wait what? No I didn't.

[sharpes]

[He hunches his shoulders a little.]

You sure about that?

[crotcharrow]

Uh, yeah, that was you who got hit.

[sharpes]

[oh my god tommy you are so hot but so dumb sometimes.]

Okay. Do you know what lightning rods are for?

[crotcharrow]

[If you look carefully, you can actually see the cogs turning in his brain.]

I'm not a idiot, Brandon.

[sharpes]

[s q u i n t.]

Okay then. Look-- you were near a couple of people and it was a huge charge and I was there and you weren't paying attention. It's not like it was a big deal or anything, it's just. A thing.

[crotcharrow]

[...Oh. Oh.]

--Wait, you. [He actually has to stop.] What?

[less of I don't understand, more of you did what and didn't tell me about it why??]

[sharpes]

Yeah.

[HE IS NOT GIVING YOU ANY MORE INFORMATION THAN NECESSARY, SHEPHERD.]

[crotcharrow]

[HE THINKS IT'S NECESSARY.]

Why the hell didn't you tell me? It's kinda a bigger deal than just a thing.

[sharpes]

Because it didn't matter. It's just. Look, we watch each other's backs, all right? That's what this whole teamwork thing is about. I've seen what a charge that big does to people, Tommy, I've done it. I didn't really give a shit about you back then but I didn't-- do you have any idea what a body smells like after it's been fried?

[His tone is completely on the verge of 'please just drop it'.]

[crotcharrow]

[Tommy opens his mouth to say something and then shut it again, frowning as he processes these thoughts. Brandon had probably straight up saved his life. For all his boasting, he really didn't want to test the speed of lightning and well. Sounds like he came pretty close to. He just didn't know why Brandon didn't say anything.

He goes quiet instead. And almost retorts Brandon's comment about the smell with 'Pork?' After a short few moments he clears his throat.]


...Thanks. I mean I probably coulda dodged it anyways, but if I was busy...

[sharpes]

[He just rolls his eyes.]

And that's exactly why I didn't tell you.

[crotcharrow]

[Tommy gives a small nod, and pulls his backpack up onto his shoulder again before he starts walking up the path. A silence falls over them for a few brief seconds, almost like he's looking for something to say but can't find the words. He's not sure when he and Brandon suddenly became sort of friends, but it was kind of nice? It seemed like he would know part of what Tommy's been through--something that nobody on his own team really every spoke about or mentioned. Everyone just assumed Tommy was okay because he always was.

After a short while he snorts.]

Goddamnit, now I owe you one.