Angelo and Sue: Cars, Driving and a very Big Dog

[x-invisiblegirl.livejournal.com]

Angelo and Sue meet up at the front of the mansion where Sue is introduced to a big bundle of joy.

It was red, sleek with all the right curves, and Sue couldn't take her eyes off it. She looked around from her position in the doorway, but no-one else was in sight she realized as she made her way down the stairs. Someone had just left the red Mustang standing in the driveway. Sue had never been as interested as her brother in cars, but even she could tell this was a beautiful car.

She had been staring at the car for a while when Angelo appeared around the corner of the building, raising his eyebrows in amusement. "You like her, huh?"

Sue pulled her hand back and span around with a guilty look on her face. "It's beautiful," she replied. "Does it go fast?"

"You can touch", he reassured her.  "Yeah, it does when it gets the chance.  Sometimes I like to go out at night just to get clear roads."

"That's awesome," the blonde exclaimed as she smiled at Angelo, it was probably illegal but sounded like a lot of fun. She was about to mention that to the man when she felt something wet rubbing against her leg. She looked down in alarm, her face melting into a delighted grin as she saw a big dog sniffling up at her. "You've got a dog!" she exclaimed kneeling down to stroke the dog's back. "What's her name?"

"Joyita", he replied with a grin as the dog responded to the petting with great enthusiasm.  "Had her since I was eighteen and she was a puppy, and she behaves like she still is."

"Hi Joyita," the girl said to the exuberant dog as Joyita happily licked at her face. Giggling at the dog's antics Sue beamed up at Angelo, does it mean anything?"

"Little jewel", he told her.  "She's not so little anymore, but she's still pretty precious."

"Definitely not little," Sue agreed, scratching Joyita behind an ear as she stood up. "Has she always been so friendly?"

Angelo shot the dog an affectionate look and nodded.  "Since the day she got here.  My girlfriend at the time got her for my birthday, stashed her in the stables, and she tried to climb the door when she heard us coming.  Only now she can knock people down.  I'm Angelo, by the way."

"Sue" the girl replied with a smile. "Didn't you say she was a puppy when you got her? How'd she managed to get anywhere near the top of the doors?" she asked. "What do you do here Angelo? Are yo a teacher?"

"Jumped and scrabbled.  She didn't actually make it over."  He shook his head.  "I used to teach self-defence but now I work in the offices on site.  Organization called X-Corps."

"Aww, she was excited to meet you," Sue grinned at Angelo. "I'v never heard of X-Corps, what do you do? Is it like," the girl looked around in an exaggerated search for eavesdroppers, "the... teachers?"

"It's new, still getting off the ground", he told her.  "And it's sort of like the... teachers", with a grin back, "but less secret. More of a humanitarian aid and education thing."

"Except you don't get the snazzy uniforms," Sue replied with a laugh. "So you're a charity like the Red Cross then?"

"Sort of, only specialised to mutants and not just focused on health", he said with a shrug.  "And we work in America too."

"So do you enjoy the work?" she asked idly scratching Joyita's head. She'd been to the odd charity event with her father, but that was about it.

"More than anything.  Been doing it for years, it's really worth the time."  He was animated now, the love of the work all over his face. "Used to be with another organization called Elpis but that... didn't work out, so the Professor let me run this one."

There seemed more to the story than what Angelo was letting on, he obviously love his work and she didn't think he would just let it something stop him from working at his passion. He didn't seem to want to go into details so the girl decided not to look into it now. "You run it? So you're basically the boss now?"

"Basically."  He grinned broadly.  "Which means I finally get to order my roomie around with authority."

Sue laughed, "Oh I bet he just loves that," she replied. "Do you live at the mansion?" someone had told her that there were apartments for the graduate students and there seemed to be a lot of people living out of that wing. She hadn't yet met everyone who lived at the mansion so it was possible Angelo had lived there.

"Not any more.  I did when I was a student, and for a while after, but now I live in District X.  You been there yet?"

"That's the mutant area right?" Sue queried. "No I haven't been there yet, I tended to stick near home when I was in the city," she explained.

"Probably for the best", he agreed easily.  "Safer, and all... do you want to?"

"I guess, yeah," Sue replied, it would be a good chance to see what life was like for a lot of the mutants in New York. "Safer? Is it that dangerous?"

"All of New York can be, except up where the rich people live", he explained.  "I just meant, better to stick to where you know and where people know you.  I'll drive you over there and drop you back later, if you want."

"But if you stay where you now then you never get to do anything exciting. Go new places, meet interesting people, learn to turn invisible," Sue teased. "If you think it'd be ok I'd really like to visit District X, I've heard a lot about it. Although we might want to hide that little trip from my father."

He chuckled.  "Hey, I'm all for supporting a bit of harmless teenage rebellion.  I'll take you right now if you want, but you probably should let someone know or at least leave a note first."

Sue pulled out her phone and waved it triumphantly in the air, "Done and done, don;t you just love modern technology. I don't know how you old timers ever did without it," she replied sticking her tongue out at Angelo before bursting out laughing.

"We did actually <I>have</i> cellphones when I was your age, y'know", he said, amused, then opened the passenger door for her as the dog leapt into the back.

"Ah cellphones, how quaint," Sue replied, a grin plastered over her face as she slipped into the passenger seat and nodded her thanks at Angelo. "There's a world of difference between them and a smartphone," she pointed out.

"There is", he agreed, "but somehow we managed just with calls and texts back then."

"Oh my god, that's like back in the dark ages!" Sue replied playing along, "I don't know how anyone could live like that."

"You kids don't know you're born", he said gravely.  "...I can't believe I just said that."

"Feeling old?" Sue asked as the car started down the drive she pulled her hair out o the ponytail she had tied it in and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair back.

"You have no idea.  And I'm only 26."

"Aww. Poor Angelo," Sue sympathized, "Still 26 is pretty old," she continued seriously, "but at least you're still better off than some of the teachers, the Professor is ancient." the blonde replied shooting Angelo a bright grin.

Angelo snorted.  "I don't think even the Professor would argue with that one, except maybe in terminology.  I know Kyle doesn't like being called Mr Gibney, but then he's even younger than me."

"I'll keep that in mind in case he ever gives me a bad grade in English," Sue noted with a grin, "thanks for the tip Mr Angelo sir."

He glanced over at her, struggling not to laugh.  "Mr Angelo sir?  I guess I can live with that."