xp_logs | Angelo, Amanda - Sunday afternoon

Whilst out shopping for Angelo's mother, the kids are intercepted by a familiar face who has a message for Amanda from the last person she expected to hear from. Desperate plans are made.

"I like your Mum," Amanda said as she and Angelo walked back from the small strip mall near his mother's house. She'd sent them to get some supplies for the evening meal, insisting Amanda had to taste traditional Mexican food cooked properly.

Angelo grinned. "Yeah, I think she likes you too. Wouldn't be so keen on feedin' you if she didn't."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "What is it with people an' feedin' me? Ain't like I try an' be skinny. Still, can't say I mind." She tilted her face up into the sunshine. "It always this warm here?"

"Almost always", he answered. "Which is why I never went out in the snow without bein' dragged. 'S not natural, it bein' that cold."

"Too bloody right it ain't." Amanda pulled a face, remembering the cold of the previous winter. "Think we could convince the X geezer he needs t' open a branch of the school over here? I could definitely get used t' this."

Angelo chuckled. "Well, you suggest it to him an' I'm right behind you. 's the one thing I miss about California. Thing, meanin' not person."

"Glad I asked you t' come with me then?" Amanda asked, teasing. She smiled, a little wistfully. "Yer mum misses you somethin' dreadful - must be nice, havin' family like that."

"Oh, totally", he answered seriously. "An', yeah, it is. Hardest thing I ever did was leavin' without a word, but I didn't exactly have a whole lot of choice at the time."

"Still, yer sortin' that out now. How long's it lookin' til she moves over t' New York?"

He shrugged. "Not sure yet. She's gotta sort out the lease here, an' then find a place there, although the faculty at the mansion are helpin' with that. It'll probably take a while to arrange it all, anyway."

Amanda nodded. "Be good t' have her close, when she does get over there." He relaxed somewhat: Amanda's chatter distracted him from the events of that morning, and kept him focussed on the future, not what had happened here in the past.

There was a man at the bus stop ahead of them, oddly bundled up against the non-existent cold in a long, heavy coat, stained and patched. A tweed trilby hat was pulled low over his eyes, obscuring his face. Both teens gave him a curious look as they passed and, as if feeling their eyes on him, he spoke:

"Afternoon, darlin'."

Amanda stopped dead, colour draining from her face. "Patches," she said, her voice flat. "What the fuck are you doin' here?"

"Business, lovey, always business," the Irishman said, raising his head and tipping the hat back. "We got business, you an' me."

"I don't…" Amanda began, but was interrupted by Angelo.

"What kind of business exactly?" he demanded, eyes hard. He remembered this guy from the 'errand' he and Shinobi had run for Amanda after the potion incident when she was withdrawing badly. The man was her supplier of mystic items.

"That's between me an' th' lady, me boyo," Patches said, standing. Upright, he was shorter than Angelo, but still managed to radiate menace. Angelo unconsciously tensed, balling his fists.

"It isn't if you're supplyin' her with crap - she doesn't need that stuff any more, she's clean."

"Clean, is she? That is news," Patches said, nastily. Angelo glowered and made to step forward.

"'She' is standin' right here, you fuckwits," Amanda growled, putting herself between the two men. "Ange, let me handle this."

"So you can take what he's offerin'" he asked challengingly. "I thought you weren't gonna do that any more."

"I'm not acceptin' anythin' from him. I didn't even ask him for anythin'. I ain't seen him since last month!" she retorted angrily. "I am clean, an' I'm stayin' that way, an' even if I wasn't, I wouldn't be so stupid as t' ask him t' meet me here, would I?"

"No," Angelo admitted reluctantly. "Look, Amanda, I didn't mean…"

"Later," she said, cutting him off. His face hardened, and she reached out to squeeze his arm briefly. "It's not a good time, mate. It can wait." She inclined her head in the direction of Patches, who had perched on the back rest of the bench, his feet on the seat.

"Don't mind me, darlin'," he said cheerfully. "Young love, it does me heart good t' see it."

Amanda felt Angelo's arm tense under her hand, and she turned to face the occult dealer and hopefully head off another display of testosterone. "What do you want, Patches?" she asked without preamble.

"Ah, there's me girl! Thought this fancy school of yours had softened you up."

A look of alarm crossed Amanda's face - she'd never told him where she lived, and had used pay phones and a Yahoo email account to contact him. "I ain't gone soft, an' if you don't stop dickin' me around, yer liable t' see just how hard I can be," she said evenly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Now is that any way t' treat an' ol' friend. Ye've hurt me feelin's, darlin, make no mistake."

"Patches," Amanda growled again, and Romany's pendant glowed slightly as she readied herself for a spell.

"All right, no need t' be hasty. I can see yer eager t' get back t' what you were doin'--" and here he winked at Angelo, who glared -- "but I'm just the messenger."

"For who?" Angelo asked. "An' why get you to deliver it? It's a long way from New York."

"This particular gentleman isn't exactly welcome in certain circles, so he thought it best to act through a third party. An' as this fine gel knows, I am a businessman. No job too small, provided there's enough in it for me. An' I go where the business goes." He reached into his coat, pulled an envelope from an inside pocket. It was made of heavy paper, almost parchment-like. He held it out to Amanda, who took it, her fingers trembling as she touched it.

"How did he know where to send you?" she asked quietly.

Patches smiled, and it wasn't a pleasant expression. "'S all in the blood, ain't it, darlin'? An' it doesn't take much for a trackin' spell, not if there's already something to work on. Like a binding spell."

Amanda's hand moved to her left forearm, where two parallel scars marked the pale skin. "Blood…" she whispered, going, if possible, even whiter. "You sold the blood I gave you… to him?"

"Business is business, isn't it darlin'? An' he offered me a very nice price for it, so who was I t' turn it down?" Patches leapt down from the bench, dusting his hands off. "An' now I've done me part, I'll be lettin' ye two lovebirds get back to it now. Ye better make worth your while - could be your last night. Give me best to ye mam, boyo - lovely woman she is." And with a jaunty salute he was off, striding down the road, whistling.

"Asshole," Angelo muttered under his breath, and then turned to Amanda. "What the fuck was that all about? An' what was that about my mom?"

"I thought I was free of him. All this time, an' never a word…" she murmured, looking down at the envelope in her hands.

"Amanda, stop freakin' out on me. What's goin' on?" Angelo took her by the shoulders, gently shook her. "What is that?"

She held out the envelope. "'S a letter," she said faintly. "For me."

"Yeah, I get that. C'mon, Amanda, you're startin' t' scare me here. Who's it from?"

Amanda shuddered, closing her eyes. A single word was forced past numb lips:

"Rack."

Angelo froze at the sound of that name, then scowled viciously. "How'd you know that for sure?" He relented, seeing her distress, and put an arm carefully around her shoulders. "C'mon, we've gotta get you back to the house. We can see about what to do with that when we get there."

***

When they arrived back, she was still pale and shaky, so he made her sit down in the living room. He tried to take the envelope from her hands to look at it, but she wouldn't let go, so he gave up and just sat with her until she was ready to read it.

There was no avoiding it - the envelope was in her hands, weighty and solid with reality. She could feel Rack's touch all over it, like an invisible oil slick, and the longer she held it, the more she felt that presence seeping into her skin. Eventually, with hands that were still shaking, she ripped open the seal and pulled out several thick sheets of paper, and two tickets, one for a plane, one for a bus. The handwriting on the letter was bold, strong, supremely confident. Reaching out blindly for Angelo's hand to ground herself with, Amanda began to read.

My dear little girl,

Well, this is a turn-up for the books and make no mistake. I bet you weren't expecting to hear from me ever again. And yet here we are, in the same part of the world and only one border between us.

I suppose you're wondering how I found you, and why now, after all these years. Well, that's your doing, blossom - I would never had a clue you were in that school if it hadn't been for that teleport you did back in February. Spell like that takes power - I think every magical adept on this continent felt it - and as you'd well know, I'm not one to go leaving things to their own devices, not things that powerful, at any rate. I did some poking around, got word to some associates in the States and back Home, and then our mutual Irish friend came calling, saying he'd had word I was looking for a power source near New York, and what was it worth? Quite a bit, it turned out, but worth every penny. You're becoming quite the long-term investment, girl.

I got my money's worth from Patches. Name - interesting choice, 'Amanda' - description, and the buying habits of a mutant witchgirl having something of a control problem. And, as a special one-time-only bonus, a vial of blood from that very same witch. Fucking sloppy, girl, I thought I'd taught you better than that. Shame to see you driven to that - oh yes, Patches told me just why you needed what he had so badly. Addiction's an ugly, ugly thing, but I can't say I'm surprised you'd turn out a junkie. No self-control. It's a good thing I found you when I did - we'll get you cleaned up, make no mistake.

So, that's the how. Now the why, although that's probably obvious. I want my property back, poppet. Plain and simple. You were bought and paid for, and I'm not done with you yet. There's no choice in this, 'Amanda', you're coming back to me, sooner or later. Preferably sooner. The address is at the bottom of this letter, and there's a plane ticket from LA to Mexico City. There's a bus to catch from there to Catemaco. Say your goodbyes, organise your effects, and be on it - I'll be expecting to see you by day after tomorrow at the latest.

And don't insult your own intelligence by running away. Now I've got your blood, I can find you any time I like, no matter where you go. That school, or that bitch in England might be able to keep you from me for a short time, but the second you let your guard down, I'll be there, and I'll be very unhappy if you fuck me around. And if I can't get at you, well, there's always other ways. You've gone soft, girl - didn't I always tell you friends made you vulnerable? So many to choose from - that little skater girl, for instance. Oh, I could have fun with her… Or maybe one of your room mates? Or perhaps your clubbing friend, the one with the horns? So much lovely leverage…

Don't make me come after you, Gemile. Things are liable to get violent if I do.

Your loving dad,

Rack.

Amanda took a deep shuddering breath, willing herself not to be sick. She passed the letter onto Angelo, letting go of his hand and laying her head on her knees, trying to hold herself together.

When he'd finished reading, Angelo very deliberately crumpled the letter and dropped it to the ground, a distinctly ugly look on his face. "You're not goin'", he said flatly, no room for argument in his tone. "We know where he is now. So we tell Strange."

"How?" Amanda said, raising her head. "I tried t' call him before - he's checked out of the hotel an' his phone's switched off. Maybe Rack got t' him already." She wrapped her arms around herself, nails digging into her forearms. "An' you read what that bastard said, if I don't go now, he'll follow me t' the school an' wait. I ain't lettin' him hurt anyone on my account. He's got me blood now, he can find me whenever he likes."

Angelo's expression didn't lift. "Let him come. He gets within a mile of the school with bad intentions, Lee an' Xavier between them'll deal with him."

"Okay, say I do that. What then? I stay locked up in the mansion for the rest of me life? Because the minute me guard is down, there he'll be. An' if he gets impatient, he'll just go after one of you lot. Or Bethany. Or even your mum here. There's a reason why Rom an' the rest of 'em ain't found him yet. He ain't some sideshow conjurer, he's a fuckin' black magician an' what he wants, he takes."

Angelo's expression hardened further at the mentioned threat to his mother. "So what d'you want to do? An' don't say go to Mexico alone, 'cause I won't let you. No fuckin' way."

"Strange gave me a spell. An unbindin'. Something to undo what he done t' me - I've been studyin' it ever since I got here, an' Doc Strange was helpin' me. I really wish I knew what had happened to him. An' last I heard Rom was off on retreat somewhere in the middle of nowhere." Amanda sighed, scrubbed at her face, trying to think. "Thing is, I need t' be there - it won't work from here. An' I'm gunna need power. More 'n I got now. If I know Rack, this place he's in will be oozin' with it, so that ain't a problem, but... I'm gunna have to take this off." She indicated Romany's pendant. "

Angelo nodded. "If it'll free you from that bastard, you do what you gotta do. But not alone." His jaw was set, and he clearly would not be shaken on this.

"Ange..." Amanda began, preparing to argue. The thought of him going was insane, he wasn't magically talented, nor did his mutation give him any kind of protection. But he was right, she couldn't do this alone. "I can't promise I'll be able t' protect you," she said at last.

Angelo glanced up at her. "You think I care? I am not lettin' you go it alone to let him get ahold of you again. No argument. You take me along, or you find someone else better to go. Or you don't go at all."

His words struck home. "Okay, you can come with me," she said, sighing. "If we're gunna do this, it'll have t' be now - he won't be expectin' me t' drop everythin' an' come runnin', no matter what he said in that letter. But we should tell someone where we're goin', just in case. I'll try Pete, but I dunno if I'll be able t' get hold of him, he weren't answerin' before."

Angelo nodded. "Yeah, we have to. If Pete's not around, we can leave him a message. Or we could call the mansion an' talk to whoever's there..."

"Not the team. You know the first thing they'd do is come stormin' in, and Rack'll either kill someone, or he'll scarper, an' this starts all over again." Amanda realised she was twisting the hem of her shirt in her hands, and stopped herself. "Is there anyone you trust t' help without callin' in the leather suits?"

Angelo shrugged. "I would say Marie, but she's on the team - she might feel like she has to tell them. I'm not havin' Paige gettin' mixed up in this."

"No way," Amanda agreed immediately. She thought. "What about Frost? She believes in magic, at least - she knows that Selene. So she'll know what we're lookin' at here."

Angelo paused to consider the idea. "That could work, actually. An' I don't get the impression she's bought too much into the team thing."

"An' she might know how t' get hold of Pete if I can't." Hope was kindling in Amanda's face, although naked fear was still the dominant emotion. "Can you call her?"

Angelo nodded. "Sure thing. But we need to work out what we're gonna do if I can't get hold of her."

"We can email people. From the airport," Amanda said, sounding more determined than she felt. Inside she was five years old again, crying and begging for Rack not to hurt her, not again. "'M serious 'bout not gettin' the team involved in this, Ange, an' I don't want 'em findin' out 'til it's too late t' do anythin'. I'll probably have t' take an arse kickin' later, but at least no-one'll be dead on my account." She refused to add the thought 'Except maybe you,' to that.

Angelo nodded. "If that's the way you want it. But tell me... what'd you do if I said I wasn't goin' for it? If I tried to make you get the team in?"

"Then I'd ditch you the first opportunity an' do it on me own," she said. "This ain't some mutant menace or natural disaster, Ange. This is my world. They ain't equipped t' deal with it. An' maybe I ain't either, but at least I've got a chance. They wouldn't."

Angelo nodded. "That's what I thought. An' that settles it - whatever it takes, you are not doin' this on your own."

"I... Thanks, Ange. I'm scared shitless, but at least I got someone watchin' me back, eh?" Reaching up, Amanda undid the clasp of Romany's pendant. "You take care of this more me. When this is over, make sure I put this back on. Even if you have t' knock me silly t' do it," she said with a weak smile, taking his hand and putting the charm in his open palm.

Angelo closed his hand around the charm, and tucked it securely in his pocket. "You think I'll have to?"

"I dunno," she said honestly. "I hope not. But I'm still an addict, Ange. What Rack said was right, least that part. An' if this place has the power I think it does, it's gunna be hard givin' it up again."

Angelo nodded, and answered bluntly. "You always will be. You gotta know that. But we will get you through it."

"I know." Amanda bent down, picking up the letter and the tickets. "Right. Let's get this done. Sooner we go, the sooner we get back."