Log: [Julio and Forge] - Tuesday Morning

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Julio encounters another one of Magneto's victims, and Forge makes an unpleasant discovery.



Julio just couldn't get comfortable. Every time he moved he discovered another bruise or scrape or ache previously unknown. But he was sick of lying on his back. He maneuvered himself into a sitting position and turned to mess with his pillows. The medstaff had lent him a t-shirt and sweats to wear, because if he ever had to wear another hospital gown it would be too soon. He was also quite grateful that the medstaff had decided to remove the i.v. from his wrist, seeing as how the gash from his previous one prevented proper placement.

Forge walked backwards into the infirmary, headphones on with barely-audible power chords sounding as he rocked his head back and forth. Setting down the large plastic case on one of the counters, he swung his hips rhythmically, dancing in a rather horrible Elvis impression across the floor to fill out his delivery report on the clipboard. Replacing it on its hook, he leaped into the air, one arm windmilling in an air guitar solo worthy of Pete Townshend's greatest.

Julio dropped his pillow, absolutely stunned. "~I have woken up in a crazy house,~" he muttered to himself in Spanish, eyes never leaving the dancing boy.

The small bit of motion made Forge freeze in place, arm frozen in midair. Slowly and without turning around, he pulled his headphones down around his neck, the ending strains of "Baba O'Riley" fading into the air. "I... have an audience, don't I?" he asked blindly.

Julio eased his legs back until he was sitting cross-legged. "Do not let me stop you," he replied. "It is much better than counting the eeeps from the machine." He smiled, and then winced, the cut near his mouth still hurt.

Forge pondered for a moment. He didn't recognize the younger boy, definite Mexican accent, and in the infirmary, which meant...

"Earthquake Lad!" he exclaimed, walking over to Julio's bedside and leaning over to check out his medical chart before putting it down again. "Julio, rather. I'm Forge. How ya doin'?" he said cheerfully, sticking his hand out.

Well, that answered the question of who knew. Julio stomped on the bubble of anger that rose up in him. The other boy was American, and Americans had no tact. Julio stared at Forge's offered hand for a moment, and then shook it. "Mucho gusto," he said, wryly. Then he paused, catching sight of Forge's other arm.

Forge followed Julio's gaze and held up his prosthetic. "And the leg matches, too," he said by way of explanation. "Trust me, you'll see weirder than me here. I suppose someone's already given you the 'Welcome to the madhouse' speech, and I'm not about to horn in on Lorna's turf. Magnetopaths can be really temperamental, you see, and..."

As soon as the quip left his mouth, Forge realized the utter tactlessness of what he'd said. "But I'm gathering you already know that, yeah?"

It took Julio a moment to process everything that Forge said. The boy spoke fast. Julio's spoken English was quite good, his father had made sure of it, but sometimes he still had trouble keeping up. He did catch the word 'Magnetopath,' however, and he visibly paled. "Right. Si. Yes," Julio said weakly, "not very nice." His hands began to shake, so he quickly clenched them into fists.

Unsure of what to do, Forge reached out and put a hand on Julio's shoulder. "It's okay, amigo," he said slowly. "You're safe here. He can't get us here."

Julio tensed under Forge's hand, and then shrugged it off, wincing as he did so. "So people say," Julio replied. He met Forge's eyes. "I will believe it when he does not come tearing a hole through the wall."

"Hey!" Forge snapped his fingers, the metallic click echoing off the walls. "Trust me on this, you're not the only one he's tried to use as a weapon, okay? I spent three weeks with that madman. Until they came, and they rescued me, and so listen to me when I tell you that you're safe. I know."

"Three weeks? You spent three weeks with that..that...pinche?" Julio hated to say it, but he was shocked. This skinny tactless American was used as a weapon?

"Him and his pack of cabrones," Forge answered with a grin, amused at the ease with which the Mexican slang came to him, memories from his early high school years in a predominantly Hispanic school. "So I know what you're going through. Feeling out of control, helpless, like there was nothing you can do. And trust me, this I can promise you, this is a place where you'll never have to feel like that again."

Because he knew from experience.

Julio wanted to say he was feeling none of those things, but he was, so he merely grunted. His head was spinning, how many people had that helmeted psycopath hurt? "Did you destroy a city too?" He asked after a moment.

Forge had to laugh slightly at the absurdity of the question. "No, I build things," he explained. "He wanted a weapon, and he..." He paused, taking a deep breath. Even after all this time, even talking about it gave him chills. "He has a belief, and he'll do anything to make it a reality. No matter who becomes collateral damage along the way." He looked down at Julio. This kid - not much younger than you, you know - he was nothing more than a tool to Magneto.

"You'll be safe here," Forge repeated slowly. "The Professor, he can teach you about your power, to learn to control it and use it. The people here, they can be your friends if you let them. We protect each other here. That's a promise, Julio."

Julio nodded. "I know. 'Live on your feet or die on your knees' He kept repeating that. He..." Julio trailed off, "I watched him murder people without even really caring. They were nothing to him. They were human." Magneto's words came back to him, "You weep for her like a child weeps for a lost pet..." He paused, wondering if he should even ask this. "I do not know any mutants, back home. Are...they, we," he corrected himself, "Are we not all like him? This school, this place, is different?"

"Very different," Forge assured Julio. "And we? We are anything we want to be."

Different. Anything different from that man was good. Julio flexed his fingers carefully. Control was what the professor had promised him. He would learn control, and he would be safe. And people would be safe from him. Julio looked back up at Forge. "It is nice here, yes?"

That got a definite conspiratorial smile out of Forge. "Oh yeah," he said with a wink. "Wait until you're up and moving and meet the girls. Trust me, showing up via the medical beds? Goes a long way, apparently. Speaking of which, let me check up on my reprobate of a suitemate. He's been laid up in here for a bit now."

Walking across the infirmary, Forge peered into the room that he'd last seen Marius in. After a second, he looked out, a confused expression on his face. "Did, uh, did you see where they moved the guy in here to?"

Julio shook his head. "No, the room has been empty since I woke up yesterday." At least he thought it was yesterday.

"Yesterday? But I... what was I doing yesterday?" Forge mumbled. Oh, right. Fixing Mr. D's broken crap. The ingrate. "He's probably just around and..."

"I'm leavin'."

Marius' last words to Forge echoed in his ears and his entire body felt cold suddenly. "Shit. Julio, I'll be back around sometime. Um, if you need anything, just tell one of the medical folks to give me a ring, all right?"

The younger boy nodded, confused. "Is everything all right?" Julio asked cautiously. He didn't think he could handle any more trauma. At least not today.

"Oh yeah," Forge said quickly, "I'm sure he's just chilling in the rec room. Big party guy, that Marius. Catch you later, Julio."

Julio raised one hand. "Bye." The shorter boy exited out of the infirmary with a speed that one did not use when just checking to see if a friend was in the "rec room." He could hear what he presumed where the doors "out" banging open. Julio sighed and rubbed his face with his hands, suddenly very tired. Whatever this place was, he was sure it was going to be very interesting.