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Tweak says, "flava flavvvvvvvvvv!"

Matthew Howard [Pietro Maximoff] (highspeed) wrote in crossover,
@ 2008-11-22 08:38:00

Entry tags:

gilda dent, quicksilver

Who: Gabrielle (Gilda Dent) and Matthew (Quicksilver)
What: Finding someone to ~~hide with~~ turn to
When: After this
Where: Gabrielle's pad
Rating: PG-13 for mentions of violence

Standing outside her door, more than a little shell-shocked, Matthew noted absently that the power was out not just in Queens but in parts of the city as well. It struck him as a little odd that he and Magneto could cause such destruction in this world. Some things never changed.

He knocked on Gabrielle's door with his good arm. The one that had been clipped by Wally's weapon was hanging limply, some blood trickling down to his fingers. It hurt. With all the little cuts that decorated his body, just standing there hurt. He knocked again stiffly and loudly, almost shaking the door on its hinge.

"Please be home." Matthew's voice was thin. "Please."

He swayed on his feet. The use of his power and having watched Magneto tear down half of a power plant was starting to get to him. When the door finally opened, Matthew exhaled in relief. Before he even caught full sight of her, he was speaking. "Sorry," was the first thing he said. "Wasn't fast enough. Need..." he stumbled forward, almost falling into her arms. He righted himself at the very last minute and caught her eye. He knew he looked pathetic. Gone was the normal, arrogant man that Matthew always strove to be. Standing in his place was a broken boy. He had the shame to glance down at his feet. Part of him expected she'd turn him away.

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ibelieveinhim
2008-11-24 09:49 pm UTC (link)

She was silent, again, as she let that particular thought sink in. Gabrielle had no experience with death (aside from her uncle's funeral, which really didn't count). Gilda, on the other hand, did -- and a small stirring of frustration started churning in her gut. Quicksilver and Magneto duking it out in NYC wasn't exactly the same as Gotham's dark and sordid crime belly. But it made her angry anyway. It was unfair. It was all unfair and stupid.

"I'd rather if you didn't," Gaby said simply. "It might sound the most obvious thing ever, but -- there must be a way, and it doesn't have to happen. That history doesn't have to occur again, you know? We're not alone in this. There are people, heads, we can go to. Xavier's out there. Wonderwoman's out there. I'm not--"

Frustration. Gilda's anger swooping in, old and tired. She hated this; Matthew didn't have to kill anyone and Magneto didn't have to go evil and she didn't have to lose her husband yet again, for fuck's sake!

"I'm not letting it happen. Okay? One power plant is quite enough."

She almost said 'I won't let you'.

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highspeed
2008-11-24 10:03 pm UTC (link)

He smiled a tired smile. Had he had a similar conversation before? He wasn't quite sure. Pietro's memories came and went. But her words felt familiar. "And what should I do? Tell on him?" The thought of snitching on Magneto made Matthew feel more than a little sick. "He said I was cowardly. That would be cowardly." He sighed, kicking himself that he hadn't killed the old man and finished things. It would have made his life easier. "And anyway, there are no prisons that will contain him."

Matthew didn't say that he felt Magneto was his cross to bear. This was his baggage and he should have been the one to deal with it. He grimaced. If Wanda were here, he'd have more direction. She could help him somehow.

"You..." Matthew looked at her for a long moment. He caught the stubborn look in her eyes and the prettiness of her set jaw. "I am not your responsibility. You shouldn't worry over me." He felt guilty suddenly for having brought his trouble to her. Hanging his head a little, he asked, "Do you have aspirin?" Anything would do if it could dull the pain a little.

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ibelieveinhim
2008-11-24 10:35 pm UTC (link)

"I might as well have some responsibility in my life," Gabrielle admitted, staring out into the shadows pooling around the room. It was an almost painfully small apartment; one bedroom, one bathroom, and one main room. A third of the area by the tall windows was blocked off and taken up by easels and large, empty canvases. That was her life at the moment: awfully empty. She shared her space with paintings and art. Other people rarely nudged their way into her concerns like this.

"I'll see what I can do."

Whether she was referring to Magneto or aspirin, it was hard to tell. Rising from the couch and letting go of his hand, Gabrielle paused, long enough to lean over and kiss her patient's forehead. Unconsciously, small gears in Gabrielle's mind had started ticking. Matthew might not have known it yet, but he had given her an idea.

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