Log: David, Sam, and Wanda

[x-cannonball.livejournal.com]

Sam Flies down to the brownstone and exchanges some harsh words with the staff.

Sam wanted to beat Morgan back to her apartment, if that's where she was headed. He streaked over the city at mach speed, apparently not caring about any attention he'd cause or the sonic boom that would follow him to the building when he landed out front. "Now it's happening, you very proud badasses. I've heard that plenty of you whispered in a very pretty blue set of ears that I'm weak. This is an open invitation by a Southern gentleman to not just talk about it but to be about it. I even came to you." He didn't know who was in and he didn't care. The entire organization was founded on the idea of superiority as far as he saw, despite any illusions they cast about seeking redemption.

Wanda paused in the middle of flipping through one of the few fiction book she actually owned - when she wasn't going high brow, she went incredibly low brow. It was the reason she was rather enjoying 'Twilight' despite how awful it really, really was. But someone was yelling outside on the street and it sounded like it was directed at someone in the building.

Sighing, she tossed the book down on her way to the window. It was already open so she ducked through it and onto the fire escape where she stared down at the person on the sidewalk.

"Sam?" she called down, leaning over the side. "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm issuing my challenges in the light... metaphorically speaking... because it's night time." Sam ran his fingers through his hair; it was clearly untrimmed. "But I think everyone here gets my point that they should come down now if they want to test what I'm made of. Otherwise they should kindly keep their opinions out of the ears of me and mine." His voice trailed off a few times when he lost his steam, then strengthened again when he issued his challenges.

"Has your sister taken your brains back in some bizarre experiment gone wrong?" He wanted to ... fight the entire Snow Valley crew? "Why on earth would I want to 'test' you?" Wanda narrowed her eyes suddenly. "Did you suddenly develop a fetish? Is that what this is? I'm sorry, my dear, but I do not pull out the naughty professor routine for just anyone and certainly not in front of my building."

A ground-floor window slid open and North stuck his head out to give Sam a quick look before craning his neck to yell up the fire escape at the apartment above his.


"Wanda, I respect you as a teammate, a co-worker, and a woman. And disregarding whatever this poor hillbilly is on about - do you actually own a naughty professor outfit?"

"Would you want to test me, Wanda?" Sam glared into North's window. "Are you one of the ones that calls me a puppy dog behind my back? That I'm less than you? Am I just a hillbilly around here? If that ain't you then I'm sorry for waking you. If it is then I'm here to show my face so that everyone can put those words where they belong."

North scratched at his beard and kicked his legs out the window, sitting on the sill with a cigarette in one hand. "Boy," he began, gesturing with the glowing end of his smoke, "if I had the first clue who you were beyond an obnoxious American outside my window at this hour, perhaps I could slander you more effectively. Now, given that Wanda knows you, I'm assuming you're one of Xavier's brood. That being the case - wait, blue ears?"

David paused for a moment, then doubled over in laughter. "You're this secret beau of Morgan's? Now that is the best thing I have heard tonight." He glanced back up the fire escape. "Second best! Don't think I forgot about the naughty professor, Wanda!"

Wanda laughed at that and further leaned over the railing, almost dangerously so. "What can I say, David, you happen to be living under quite the naughty professor. And Sam, you're the one Morgan's been seeing? No one ever gives me the good gossip! I lost the betting pool, I thought she had hooked up with Charles." She pointed at Sam. "And for the record, young man, I do not want to test you because there is nothing to test. Now, are you going to tell me why you have your girly panties in bunch and stop yelling on the sidewalk or am I going to have to resort to siege tactics and pour hot oil out my window?"

She sniffed. "I can put that in my expense report, you know."

"Yeah, I was!" Past tense was very intentional. "But some folk can't let something happen without pushing their judgments on it and it sounds by y'all's tone that you ain't helping even if you ain't trying to hurt. I'm here to put a stop to it. If you think I'm a boy or some other term that you 'big folk' use to put down the rest of us you don't think are nothing, I again invite you to come prove you're more than me; cause if you keep hiding behind your windows and throwing insults I'll tear that damn building down brick by brick if I have to."

"Samuel Guthrie, are you listening to yourself?" The teasing and jovial tone dropped like bricks from Wanda's voice and she replaced it with anger and steel. "None of us even knew you were dating Morgan. And you dare come and blame us? You drop this on my doorstep? I am not about to brawl with you in front of my home! Now stop being childish or I swear to God, I will end this before you can take another breath."

Cigarette in mouth, David looked up the fire escape again. "Technically he brought it to your fire escape," he called before looking back at Sam. "Now then, Sam, is it? I am David. There, we are introduced. Note how civil this conversation has become. So let me see if I understand you. Morgan has recently, I would guess this evening
by your demeanor, ended your romantic relationship. And you're looking for a reason. Perhaps the perceived incompatibility between your lifestyle and her work?"

He took a long drag off his cigarette, the red glow throwing his features into sharp relief for a second. "Sam, if I may offer a word of advice. Morgan is a headstrong, stubborn, absolutely obstinate young woman. She is also a consummate professional at what she does, and she is someone I trust and respect. But I do not think for a

moment that my opinion, or Wanda's opinion, or anyone's opinion but her own would sway her choice of companions."

A short chuckle, and another drag on the cigarette. "In other words, Sam, it's not us. It's you."

Sam glared between the pair then he laughed and in honest. "That's exactly how I expected this to go. Plenty of denying for everyone, and the most hypocritical mix of threats, patronizing responses, and inaction. You think I'm out of line? When's the last time any single one of you didn't think you were better then other folk because you see yourselves as tougher? When's the last time that you didn't solve your problems by threatening or manipulating? Y'all two might not be guilty of this one but you're sure as shit ain't innocent!"

With a swipe of his hand through his hair, Sam sighed. "Good luck trying to talk about this tomorrow without thinking about how you live, looking down from your mountain on all us little ants that ain't bullies to get our way. All y'all had to do was go back inside or show some genuine concern but it ain't in you, is it? All that's in you is your 'worldly' cynicism but that ain't strength and y'all ought to know that. Fighting don't make you strong and hiding now behind your walls, 'innocence,' and threats don't make you benevolent. I hope none of y'all ever ask this 'hillbilly boy' for anything... ever." Three invitations was more than enough. Sam turned to walk off; he didn't feel like flying for the moment.

Wanda stared at him, jaw slightly open for a moment. "Apparently Mr. Guthrie went crazy between the last time I saw him and now. David, I am not sure about you but after that I could use a drink. If you bring me up a nightcap, I might show you where I keep the naughty professor outfits."

David smiled and produced a bottle of bourbon from his apartment, shut the window, and scaled the fire escape. "I swear it's something in the water." He folded his arms and rested on the platform level with Wanda's window. "You really thought Charles? I'd almost have put money
on Logan. I've never been so happy to be wrong."

He looked back over his shoulder at Sam, stalking out into the New York night. "Or not."