2007-08-11: DF: A Long Way From His Civics Class

Starring:

Lee_icon.gif DFPortia_icon.gif DFJane_icon.gif Bekah_icon.gif

Summary: An incident is discussed and assistance given.

Dark Future Date: August 11th, 2009

A Long Way From His Civics Class


Somewhere in NYC


Lee is a long way from his civics class at John Philip Sousa Junior High where he first met Portia, and even further away from the passive-aggressive, touchy and sneer-dispensing teacher he was when they first met. She saw him change that year, but then the world changed, and fast. Still, it's easy to see that he hasn't regressed. 'Mr. Jones' has confidence and poise, even in an abandoned building, the roof half-collapsed, the soft glow of the city above pouring down on him, a down-hooded battery lantern the only other illumination, an aluminum baseball bat, which Portia has seen in other, more innocent contexts, stowed in his messenger bag his only weapon.

The great thing about being invisible is the entrances. So long as you've taught yourself to be quiet enough, you can 'appear' almost anywhere. So it's no surprise when Portia blinks into view, suddenly just /there/. But she's not alone. Jane's with her. The teenager, however, doesn't look the best. Most of the swelling on the side of her head is gone, but the bruises and cuts on the side of her face are still visible, and her arm's in a sling. "Hello." She calls the greeting, her expression mostly somber.

The woman appearing with Portia is ten years older, perhaps half a foot taller at five feet and eight inches, and wary. Jane Forrest's eyes are alert and searching, her lips are pursed as her head turns slowly across a 180 degree plane. BatSonar is used to determine objects and possibly people inside the building, to check out dark corners without physically approaching them. She's clad all in black, with a backpack over one shoulder and a guitar case held under her right arm.

Her features, a bit gaunt in the face and leaner than the woman who came to occasionally buy Black Canary issues in better days, may be familiar to Lee. She herself has a faint recollection of him being there, when her haunted and angry eyes settle upon the man. No words mark her greeting, it's a simple nod to acknowledge the presence.

Lee didn't know what her ability was, and didn't know how bad the injuries were, so he's surprised on both counts. "I thought I heard something." he blurts out, then composes himself: "Hi, Portia. It's been a while. How are you doing?" He says it respectfully, he really wants to know. He also nods to Jane - he doesn't quite recognize her from their momentary meetings in the distant, far-gone ancient past of 2007.

Indeed, most people who have seen what the girl's sustained are a bit surprised, but Portia nods, not much of a smile on her features. "I've been better." It's an honest answer. She isn't about to break down and whine about how bad things really are for her, but she can afford a bit of honesty.

"I think I've seen you before," the older and taller one states neutrally, after using the time the other two took for greetings to study the man's face and locate it in her memory. "There was a place that sold magazines, not far from Enlightenment Books." Jane remains by Portia's side, the guitar case under her arm pointing in Lee's direction. But when she seems satisfied he isn't a threat, this isn't an ambush of some sort, it's moved. She slings it over the shoulder opposite the backpack.

Lee nods, admitting somewhat painedly, "I feel responsible. The man who accosted you in Central Park was one of my informants." He explains: "You saw him at one of the drop points we arranged to communicate information. Basically, you accidentally saw something that could get him killed if the government found out, and he overreacted. He's being pulled from circulation and he sends his apologies. I apologize, too. I have a healer from the Alliance available to get you completely patched up immediately, whenever you like. She's very good with her ability." He nods to Jane, "I kinda remember…yeah, the shop was destroyed. My sister was in it at the time."

"Felix." Portia's eyes narrow. "Yeah, I found that out the hard way when I went to go visit the orphanage and found him right in the middle of it. He sure didn't seem too sorry that he almost put a bullet into my skull. Though I suppose it means little. Another casualty in this big fight, right?"

"Did she make it out?" the other one inquires with her features darkening further. Jane doesn't comment on the incident between Portia and Felix. But the offer of a healer does get a reply. "Where do we find the woman with medical fingers?" She looks Portia over, and the remaining evidence of her crossing paths with Felix in the park.

Lee replies, thoughtfully. "It means a lot to /me/ that we try to make things right. We can't be like the people we're fighting, we're not going to win by being more ruthless, we're going to win by being better than them, and that means I have a high expectation of the people I work with. He didn't live up to it and that means I want to set things right. As for the healer, she's mobile at the moment, since the government raided our main medical facility and we had to close down everything our top medical person was aware of, but I can arrange an appointment. Don't even need an insurance card. It can be tonight if you want. At your convenience."

There's a slow nod. "That would be good, I guess." Portia's gaze remains on Lee. "If you really want things right.. then give me an opportunity to make a difference. If I'm going to get shot in the head by someone, I'd like it to at least be a consequence for doing something useful, you know?"
Protective of Portia? Yes, she is. But the teen's wishes are also respected, as if Jane realizes stopping her would be pointless anyway. Her words are quietly spoken to the younger one. "Remember rule number one, Portia. No gun is held at your head, you won't get shot if you don't get caught."

Then she addresses Lee. "Your disciplinary measures are appreciated, sir."

Lee's face breaks into an almost relieved smile. "I'm proud of you." he tells Portia. "You really caught on to what I was saying back at JPS." He thinks about it. "Three things. One. How large an object can you turn invisible? Two. How long does it last? Three. Can you see when you're invisible?…"

"I know, Jane. But I told someone once that.. if you can't see me, you can't catch me. And I don't plan on being seen, or getting caught." Portia looks back to Lee. "I haven't tried with something huge, but I can easily keep anything invisible I can carry. I suppose if I tried, I might be able to get an entire vehicle to be invisible. Just never had the need. It lasts for as long as I want it to last.. that or if I really, really lose concentration. And yeah, I can see. I see everything just fine, and I can even spot anything else invisible when I'm invisible. It's how I met Peter Petrelli, once upon a time."

She just watches and listens to the pair as they discuss Portia's abilities, waiting for an opportune moment to suggest contacting the healer Lee mentioned before continuing onward. Jane, in being silent, is also perhaps thinking of speaking with the man by herself at some point in the near future.


Time passes with Lee making arrangements for the healer he spoke about to join them in this abandoned building, somewhere in the city of New York. He's then kept occupied with some matter or other, leaving the others to their devices for that duration.


When Bekah arrives, she finds a girl of about sixteen with evidence of injuries to her head from a few days before and an arm in a sling. With the girl is a taller and older woman - perhaps five feet, eight inches. That one is dressed all in black, has a backpack over one shoulder, and a guitar case under her right arm. Her eyes are wary, angry, and haunted.

Bekah was probably thrilled to talk to her ex. But either way, she's here. Bekah is dressed in ratty jeans and a t-shirt with tennis shoes. Coupled with the dark circles under her eyes and hair pulled back in a ponytail she doesn't exactly look like a respectable doctor. Who she is here to see is obvious, and Bekah heads right over. "What the hell happened?" She asks a bit roughly as she pauses to get a good look at Portia.

"Someone decided I was on a side that I wasn't on." Portia moves forward, looking over at Bekah. "My wrist got twisted when I ran in front of me and grabbed me.. the head is all from being slammed into the pavement. Repeatedly."

The other one lurks as Bekah looks over Portia and the two speak, returning the guitar case to rest over her shoulder. "Thank you for coming," Jane offers dispassionately. Her eyes are observant of the two.

"Sounds like a whole lotta fun." Bekah says, as she looks Portia over. Then she reaches out to put her hand along Portia's cheek. "Hold still." She says as she concentrates. Her eyes close as she answers the other woman. "Well, I could hardly say no to Lee. However much I may want to sometimes tell him to go screw himself." That might be a joke.

"Okay." Portia holds still as Bekah starts the healing process, though she stays silent. She really doesn't want to interrupt, nor does she want to really ask what the heck she means by that. Instead, she just relaxes, letting the healing occur.

"It sounds as if you and he were or are together, Miss," Jane remarks dryly. "The way you speak of him, it can say volumes." She continues to watch as Bekah's talents remove Portia's injuries. "Your skills are beyond valuable. I know someone else who does this. He actually picked it up off someone else, but he wasn't available."

"Were." Bekah says as she pulls her hand away. She moves to take a seat on the ground, before she falls over. It's supposed to be smooth, and hopefully work since Jane and Portia don't know her. "Better to use the original than a copycat." Bekah states looking to Portia. "Let me know if anything still hurts. I think I got it all." In fact, Portia should be feeling pretty well good as new.

"Actually I think that's it." Smiling warmly now, Portia looks back over. "Perfect. It really does feel a lot better." She rubs her arms. "Now I don't have to explain to Manny and Ramon why I looked like hell."

Her voice is quiet. "You think I like the idea of them not being told, and finding out I knew, but didn't tell them?" Jane doesn't use the younger one's name, she not knowing the healer or even what she calls herself. "I think you've made the choices you've made, and you should defend those choices like a grown woman. Stand up and tell them." Then she turns toward Bekah, scanning the healer for some moments before speaking. "Jane," she offers simply. "The one who absorbed it did have his issues using things. It wasn't always easy on him, once upon a time. Does it take a toll on you too?"

Bekah looks over to Jane. "Bekah. And yeah, it does." Which is likely why she looks like she hasn't slept in a week. "I just need a minute." She'd be fine with this level of healing if she wasn't already exhausted. "Keeping secrets makes them even madder if they find out later."

"I'm not implying that I won't tell them. It's just a lot easier to downplay it when I don't look like hell." Portia murmurs, then glances back to Bekah. "He was a good teacher. Before all this. I took him for a class."

Nothing more is said regarding what's shared with Ramon. Jane doesn't feel the need, she knows secrets can't be kept from the Gomez Patriarch. Her eyes rest calmly on Portia just a few moments before diverting toward Bekah. The backpack is taken from her shoulders, placed on the floor, and rummaged in. She comes up with a small amount of chocolate in a box. A pistol is also briefly visible while she moves the contents around. One hand returns it to the shoulder which held the item, and the chocolate is held out toward Bekah. "My talent is far more vocal. It has a pitched effect, you could say."

Bekah takes piece of the chocolate with a nod and a smile. "Thank you. I've seen sound talents before." Not to mention having a current roommate with one. She takes a bite, savoring the taste. And the sugar to give her a burst of energy to get home. "Oh, that's true. At least now you can push it off as not being anything big. Because you'll look alright. You were in Lee's class in jr. high?"

Glancing between Jane and Bekah, Portia nods. "He was a good teacher. I always liked that class." She lets out a breath. "Wish that was the kind of thing I had to worry about now."

"What did he teach?" Jane takes a few steps back, leaving the chocolate with Bekah to be consumed. Her hand rests gently on Portia's shoulder if she'll allow it, giving a soft squeeze. Her eyes, still showing the haunt and anger, take on a measure of sadness as well.

"He taught Civics." Bekah says as she slowly eats the chocolate. "We all have different things to worry about now, unfortunately. You never quite realize how good life is until it starts to suck."

The teen rubs her arms a little, sort of amazed at how well the healing worked. "Yeah. Well, it can't get any worse." Portia laughs. "That's the funny part about all of it. At least.. at least, it can't get worse." She murmurs.

"Civics. One of my three degrees is Political Science," she quietly states. "I learned it, but the real passion was always music." Jane's eyes roam about the room again, and she takes up a portion of wall to lean against. "I have to hope someday, somehow, those intricate checks and balances, the Constitution, can be restored. And amended to close the loophole about Habeas Corpus. Even though the tides of humanity will likely never forgive us, we still have to try."

Bekah nods. "I don't think any of us would be here if we didn't believe that." She says to Jane before Portia gets a raise of eyebrows. "Don't chance fate. It can always get worse." She finishes the chocolate and pushes up to stand, still a bit shaky. "And that's my cue to run out and off towards where I crash." She grabs a scrap of paper and pen from her back pocket, scrawling down a number. "If you need me again. I do regular doctoring as well." She offers it towards the more adult Jane before she's on her way with a last, "Thanks for the chocolate."

The teen watches Bekah before turning back to Jane. "Thanks for tagging along. Just let me know if I can ever return the favor for you." Portia murmurs, glancing back over.

"You're welcome," she offers in reply to the departing doctor. Bekah's watched for a time before Jane turns back toward Portia. "No need to thank me. I'll come along and be backup any time I can, for you." And a pause happens, a time for thinking. "So the man's name is Felix, you ran into him again at Cat's orphanage." She seems curious how that went. And the anger flares up in her eyes again.

"He didn't care." Portia murmurs. "Kitty was pissed. He seemed to think it wasn't as big a deal as it was." She shakes her head a little. "Don't know what to think of him."

"I'd have to meet him myself," she replies, "to really say." Jane still leans against that wall, watching the opposite wall. Does she still plan on having such a conversation? Only she knows the answer.

"Yeah." Portia shakes her head. "Either way we can't change things now.. and I've got a better opportunity to do things. I just hope that he doesn't get anyone else hurt."

"How'd he spot you, again, Portia?" Jane quietly asks. "You said your phone rang and gave you away?" While listening for the answer, she keeps her eyes trained on that wall, seemingly adrift in thought. One hand slowly rakes through her hair.

"I was behind him. Phone rang. He didn't really spot me after that, but he had his gun out, so I needed to find out where he was once he darted off. I couldn't be sure he wouldn't just shoot me if I couldn't even see where he was." Portia glances back over. "Eventually, he just figured out where I was about the same time I did. I tried to make a run for it, but he got in the way. Couldn't keep the invisibility up after that. Wasn't focused."

She nods slowly. "He could've. If he had a military style weapon, capable of automatic fire, he might've decided to pick a spot and start firing in a semi-circle, hoping to hit you. People who feel their lives are in danger get resourceful fast." Jane's eyes come back to rest on Portia. They're calm, calm as they get in these times, that is. "So you know what you need to do before undertaking such an activity again, I presume."

"Yeah. Really, it wasn't expected. I'll take more care next time." Portia glances back over. "I won't get caught again. Trust me on that."

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