Wisdom, Pete Wisdom. (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} bloody_wisdom) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} x_2012,@ 2010-12-22 12:34:00 |
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Who: Wisdom OT Madrox
When: Wednesday, Dec. 22
Where: Haven
What: Et tu, Jamie? - - - Nuh uh! et tu, Pete?
Warnings: Language, language, language. Possible violence? More TBD
It had been four days since Storm was recovered. Four days spent with an overarching feeling of chagrin that she had actually escaped on her own and all Pete Wisdom had been able to provide for her was a ride home. In his orgy of guilt and self-recrimination he was conveniently glossing over the fact that they'd taken out a professional team of five highly trained search and recovery operatives. That did not factor in at this point.
Pete had hovered over Storm that first night, and most of the next day. Since then, he'd been by to check on her, but shame drove him away more often than not. A part of him wanted to stick close, but Storm's easy forgiveness actually made it harder for Pete to be around her, rather than the opposite. Thanks to Pete's twisted and tortured mind, perhaps he would have been drawn subconsciously to her side more often if she had been angry and resentful, therefore "helping" to punish his guilty conscience. On the second night, he told Ororo he'd see her in the morning and went back to his quiet room and a notably empty bed, but he was too exhausted to remark consciously on it. He hadn't slept at all, watching Storm sleep all through that first night.
Halfway through the third day, a notable absence like an annoying buzz in the back of his head finally made it click as to what was missing. Not a what, but a who. Ever since Storm had been captured, the Multiple Man had been a fixture, be it in the Excalibur office or in Pete's room. They had worked together, taken meals together, drank up a storm together. Then they had most often spent their nights together as well. But since that dupe had 'randomly'; or so he thought; yelled at him in the Blackbird the day of Storm's rescue, Jamie had been absent from his life. He had been too focused on getting Ororo healthy and well to become fully aware of it. Still, no calls from Jamie, no Jamie showing up? It was odd. As the afternoon dragged on, he'd called Jamie and gotten voice mail. "Hey, lad. Haven't seen you around. How about a pint before dinner? Call, bish. You know who it is."
The call had gone unreturned, so later that night he called again, several times because he kept getting voice mail, until Jamie finally picked up only to hang up on him. He blinked twice and called again, a scowl on his face.
"WHAT?" Jamie barked.
"Did you just hang up on me?" Pete said. They practically talked on top of each other.
"Yes," came the reply, and Pete was promptly hung up on. Again. Wisdom decided he was too tired to deal with whatever bug was up Jamie's shapely arse, so he tossed his phone aside with a disgusted expression and plopped onto the bed, fully dressed, to fume for a bit. Eventually, he kicked off his shoes and socks and whipped off his tie, draping it over the lampshade on his night table with a practiced flick of the wrist. He was too pissy to get any real sleep, but he eventually passed out from exhaustion.
On the morning of the fourth day, he arrived at the Excalibur office with a sour expression no amount of tea and cigarettes could ever hope to remove. He grumbled a greeting at Shy, but mostly ignored him. The large sheaf of papers he had to transfer to electronic media under his arm scattered every which way on the large conference table the moment he set it down. He cursed under his breath. Pete had meant to do this in his room, but somehow hadn't been in the mood to stay and work from there this morning. Not an hour later, he gave up trying to ignore his annoyance and tapped his communicator. "Madrox," he said into it, to activate a direct line to his operative and friend.
"Madrox. Wisdom here," he said in grim, businesslike tones once the line was open. "Report for duty at the Excalibur office A.S.A.P."
ooc: Jamie NPC'd and quoted from previously agreed on AIM metagaming, all with mun's permission