Forge and Angel (Posting a wee bit early because I have to work.)

[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

Day two and Angel is determined to make the mansion a home, at least in some ways. On her way down in the labs to set up a potential dark room, she runs into Forge and finds out that her powers can affect others in interesting ways. She always continues on the train of thought that everyone elses powers are cooler than hers.



The two boxes had to be mutant boxes, Angel decided, straining to see over them as she made her way down the hall. They hadn't felt that heavy when she'd started the trek but they certainly were getting larger. Expanding camera supplies would be the death of her. When she'd inquired about a dark room for her pictures, she'd been told there really wasn't one but to feel free in setting one up in an empty lab room.

Not a problem...except for all the stuff she needed to haul to get down there.

Pausing, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath...only to yelp as the "wall" revealed itself to be a "door" that hadn't been fully closed and she fell sideways into the room.

Forge looked up from his inventory of the latest electronics shipment. That had definitely been a yelp. Craning his neck to look down the hall, he saw a pair of sneakers sticking out into the hall, a stack of boxes strewn around haphazardly.

Hanging his clipboard on a hook, he wandered over to the mess. "Usually deliveries get dropped off before you get to the stairs," he said, addressing the pair of bright green sneakers. "You didn't, um, knock yourself out or anything, did you?"

Angel blinked once and sat up slowly. "No, unless you happen to be a head injury induced image." She squinted up at him. "Sadly, the last time I knock myself out I dreamed that Brad Pitt came to my rescue."

She blinked again.

"Er. Not saying that you're not Brad Pitt material or...um. Er, hi, I'm Angelica Jones, though it's easier to call me Angel?"

Forge extended his left hand to Angel, who thankfully didn't seem to be concussed. "I'm Forge. Though it's easier to call me... um, Forge. You're new here, yeah?"

"Fresh from the wilds of Seattle," she responded. "I kinda set the front of my mom's car on fire and that's why I'm here." Reaching up, Angel grabbed the offered hand and then stared at it. "....ohhh. Shiny..."


"Awesome," Forge quipped before he could engage the rarely-used "Tact" gear of his brain. "I mean... you're a pyrokinetic, then? Or something else? Neem, Fwackoom, or Whoop Whoop?"

Still in some slight shock at the very metal, very shiny hand, it took her a second to focus in on his words. "I...huh?" Now that was very well said all things considering. She'd ask about the shiny hand in a second.

"Your powers," Forge said, noting that Angel still hadn't let go of his hand. "Most energy projectors either go Neem - you know, like shooting a laser out of their eye or stuff. Or Fwackoom - the ones who make the big huge explosions and stuff like Alex or Shiro. Or then you get folks like Terry and Lorna who mess with sonics and magnetism and they make all my instruments go whoop-whoop, hence the name. Whoop Whoops."

Coughing slightly, he gingerly removed his hand from Angel's, then indicated the boxes. "You, uh, you need some help with those?"

"Um. I...think...probably fwackoom? I was told I need to talk to Shiro since we pretty much have very similar powers." Angel perked. "Only mine are powered by microwaves! Ohh, and yes, if you don't mind. I need to make a dark room and these are some of the material I'll be storing in it."

Bending down to pick up the other box, she tilted her head up at him. "So, do you mind if I ask about the shiny hand? If you do mind, then I won't but if you don't than I will because that is a really shiny hand and while shiny is good that is..." She took a breath. "Unusual but nifty."

Forge smiled, rolling up his sleeve to where the metal merged with the flesh of his shoulder. "Myomer prosthetic. Designed it myself," he explained. "Got a matching leg. Price of being young and stupid. You said, wait, microwaves?"

Suddenly basic electromagnetic theory rushed to the front of Forge's brain with a sound not unlike a warning klaxon as he began to feel an odd tingling in his arm. "Hold on a moment..." he said as he reached out carefully for the stainless steel wall of the corridor.

With a crack, a large blue spark jumped from his fingertip to the wall, eliciting a surprised yelp. "Microwaves indeed. Wow, that tingles."

When the spark jumped out, Angel squeaked at the same time he did and jumped backwards. She looked horrified. "I just got my powers and I know I don't have any control and I'm really, really really sorry." Oh, no, wait, getting upset might make it worse and then her shoes would melt and she really liked these shoes.

"Did that hurt? And while you're arm, and leg probably, are very shiny I'll refrain from poking at the shiny bits for right now."

"Yeah, but..." Forge shook his head, wiggling his fingers. "No damage. I zap myself worse than that regularly on the arc welder. No harm, no foul." He flexed his arm, the cramp already fading. "So, um, yeah. You're going to like the powers class, I can tell. And Paige is going to have a field day with you, I'll bet."

Backing away a step, Forge knelt down and righted one of the boxes Angel had been carrying. Curious, he glanced inside. "Hey, is this stuff yours?"

No damage, oh good. Shoulders relaxed and she sighed in relief. "Oh, yep. Just a few camera supplies that I bought. One of the teachers said I could make up a dark room for developing all my film--" Angel gestured to the box she was about to pick up. "--since I take enough to bankrupt myself if I go to someone else."

The tone of her voice suggested there was no way she'd be doing that any time soon.

Forge nodded, then indicated the room Angel had accidentally stumbled into. "This is the old metalworking lab. No one uses it since I set up the workshop off the garage. I bet I could rig up some lights in here for you - red bulb, right?"

"There's another type of bulb?" she asked, laughing as she scooted into the room and took a good look around. "Spacious enough but not huge, perfect." With a critical eye, the room molded itself in her mind. Sight was the most important sense to Angel and it helped when trying to figure out where things were supposed to go.

Turning back she nodded at his arm. "You made that? What's your power?"

"Intuitive mechanical comprehension," Forge rattled off automatically. "I build things. I know it's not flashy, but it's more of who I am than what I do, I guess. Not like I can just turn it on or off. It's more of how I think, not like everyone else as I understand it." He shrugged expressively, then flipped on the bank of lights in the small laboratory. "Oh yeah," he said with a nod. "There's enough space for your chemicals, tanks, whatever you need. For film, anyway. You know they invented digital cameras a while back, right?"

"It may not be flashy but that is so awesome." And Angel meant that. "That's so much better than my power...I just set stuff on fire." Wiping off some dust off a table, she huffed at him. "Digital smidgital. I mean, okay so yeah, I've got two digital cameras but I like how the film develops. I think it looks better. Different situations call for different kinds of shots so I tend to take both cameras with me."


"Huh," Forge said, mulling that over. "Must be an art thing. Anyway, I assume you already got the initial checkup from Dr. Voght?" Judging from the immediate expression on Angel's face, Forge laughed as his rhetorical question was answered. "So I figure since no one's asked me to whip up some kind of microwave containment unit for you, you're not bleeding off radiation or anything. But if you have any problems with your computer or anything, give me a holler and I can rig something up for you. We've got a lot of folks here who need some alterations to stuff while they're getting their abilities under control.

"Well, nothing's seemed off but then I haven't tried to actually use my powers yet." She grimaced. "It flares up, though. And when I manifested, my powers ruined my favoritate pair of jeans." There was a sulky tone in Angel's voice now. "I think I need to find fire proof clothes or...something. Yeah, that's going to make shopping any more fun."


A series of mental images flashed through Forge's brain as he tried not to blush. "Well, uh, I'm sure we can get something set up for you there. So! Set up, yes." He rapped on one of the counters with his knuckles, glancing around the soon-to-be darkroom. "I'll, uh, I'm usually down the hall here in one of the labs, or or you can page me from any of the phones here. They'll get you a mobile phone when... oh, wait. I suppose that's me now. I'll set you up with one of the phones and stuff."

He smiled as he headed back into the hall. "And don't worry about shopping. The moment Clarice or Lorna find out you need new clothes, they'll be on you like white on rice. If you see any purple or green blurs headed your way holding a credit card, just brace yourself."

"Purple or green?" Angel blinked but then shrugged, waving at him. "Nice meeting you!"

Okay, he was certainly an odd one but Forge seemed nice. Beaming, she cheerfully added him to her mental list of "cool people". So far, there really wasn't anyone on the "uncool people" list which made her feel a lot better.

And now, to get down to work.

Comments

[xp_daytripper]

*grins* Have I mentioned how adorable Angel is? Because she is. Lots of fun, and a refreshingly enthusiastic perspective on being a mutant and going to the school.

[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Aww, thank you! She's a blast so far. She's such a spaz. *grin*