Participants:
Scene Title | Said the spider to the fly |
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Synopsis | Felix, Elisabeth and Abby enjoy coffees at the walking wounded table till Helena and Brian come in. at which point, Felix finds himself once more on the fist end of an evolved. |
Date | November 27, 1998 |
The Nite Owl is a survivor from ages past - one of those ancient diners with huge plate glass windows, checkerboard linoleum floor, and a neon owl over the entrance that blinks at those entering. Inside, there's an L-shaped main counter, complete with vintage soda fountain and worn steel stools. All of the cooking is done on the ranges ranked against the rear wall. The outer wall is lined with booths upholstered in cracked scarlet vinyl, tables trimmed with polished chrome. Despite its age, it's been lovingly maintained. The air is redolent with the scent of fresh coffee, vanilla, and frying food..
Fel's not even making an attempt at paperwork. He's stowed in a booth, drooping over a cup of coffee and the very end of a piece of pie. He looks utterly weary, eyes sunken, overcoat draped over his shoulders, though it's warm enough in the dinner. And at the moment, he's gazing off into the middle distance, as if lost in a daydream.
When she steps into the Nite Owl, Elisabeth probably has a similar exhausted expression on her face. This is the first time since it happened that she's come near the school. With her left arm in a cast and sling, her face and arms cut up on all visible skin, and a slew of bruises including one massive one on the right side of her forehead that has a stitched gash in the middle of it, she looks like…. well, probably not in as good a shape as Abby and Felix were the last time she ran into them. She doesn't initially note Fel's presence, her eyes downcast as she heads for the counter and struggles to get the fleece jacket she has slung around her shoulders off without jostling her arm. "Coffee, please?" she asks as she slides onto a stool.
Dingle, dingle, dingle, the door goes, admitting that same blue and purple faced redhead bundled up for winter after Elisabeth enters. No work, she just had a short shift. 'natasha! Coffee, please. Red bull as well" Weary. Her feet don't pick up with each step. Fwump, down onto the stool not far from felix and adjacent to Elisabeth. She blows into her hands to warm them up. Scooters aren't warm to drive.
"Hey, join me," Fel urges, voice quiet, as he notes Elisabeth come in. He waves at her, as if that greeting might not be enough to get her attention. He's pretty much recovered from what Peter did to him, at least at first glance. Nothing left by the scars.
Felix's voice brings the blonde's eyes up, and she offers him a tired half-smile. "Love to." And then Abby's voice, now familiar to her as well, has her turning back to the redhead. "Well, hi….. shit, girl. Aren't we a pair?" She shakes her head slightly. "The whole place is catering to the walking wounded."
Elisabeth. One of her former customers. Abby's eyes widen at the state of the other woman. "Oh blessed jesus…" A flicker to Felix as he speaks. but the blue eyes go back to Elisabeth. "I can't remember mine, and I pray you can't remember yours. You should go sit. Before he comes over and drags you" There's a motion to Felix. "Nice to see you again. Alive. One piece. Sorta"
"The bombing did that to you?" It's not really a question, in all honesty. Felix looks…just guilty, really. No, it's not his fault, but guilt, nonetheless.
Elisabeth shrugs her good shoulder and says, "Oh, I'm not that lucky, thanks." She jerks her head toward the front of the building — or more accurately, the school just down the block. "I was in there when the motherfuckers blew the place. C'mon, feel free to join." May as well all be in pain together, right? She slides off the stool painfully and nods to Felix. "Yeah."
Natasha dumps the cup of coffee in front of abby, then a can of redbull with a wink before veering off to tend to others. "Don't know whether Felix would like his bartender joining him" Abby speaks quietly, but gathers her drinks none the less and follows behind elisabeth, dipping her head to the older man. "Hello again"
"By all means," Felix says, quietly. He pulls his glasses off, the better to rub at his eyes, and doesn't replace them - they're set gently beside him on the formica. "I don't recall your name, if indeed ever I knew it," he confesses.
Elisabeth smiles toward Natasha gratefully when the woman leaves her coffee at Felix's table. Sliding into a seat, she says, "Abby." She does remember that. "And you look in worse shape than the last time I saw you too." She looks at Felix. "What's up, g-man?"
"Abby, Abigail, take your pick. I know I do. But i'll get better. I always get better" Abby starts nursing her coffee, black as sin. A glance to Felix. "G-Man?"
Felix smiles at that, slowly, as he glances down to his coffee. "I'm an FBI agent. She likes that as a nickname because of it. And well, lots of crazy terrorism, as you've noted," he says, gesturing with his free hand, lazily. He's watching Abby as he says this, as if anticipating her reaction.
Elisabeth looks puzzledly between the two, uncertain of the vibes here. "Crazy terrorism? That's what we're calling this massacre? Nice, Fel." She drops her eyes to the coffee, wrapping her good hand around the mug after she awkwardly doctors it.
"That's why you were Interrogating me at the bar" Maybe a tightening of her hands around the mug of coffee and her eyes just can't quite meet his before they turn back to Elisabeth "Still don't understand the G part of it" Abby eye's her up and down. "need me to get Natasha to bring you an ice pack?"
"The G stands for government," Felix says, calmly. "I don't know that I was interrogating you," His voice is utterly bland, but there's that betraying keenness in his gaze, and his attention is very firmly on Abby now. Elisabeth get a grave nod. "It's worse than anything I've ever seen, and I remember September 11th, in terms of reaction. Another little step along the road to the smoking chimneys and the yellow stars. I don't know what they really think they're going to accomplish, other than the start of a race war."
Elisabeth shakes her head negatively. "Nah," she says to Abby, offering a faint grimace. "Ibuprofen's enough for now. I have the good drugs at home, but I didn't want to be impaired when I came back to see the school." She grimaces a bit. She needed to see the place. And then she narrows her eyes just slightly. "Felix…. stop it." She knows that look on his face, and … well, no. She's just not going to allow him to look at Abby like that. Not today.
"Oh, G-man. I understand now" It's an uncomfortable look, and she's not used to someone looking at her like that. "Whatever it was, it wasn't me, I didn't do a thing. I'm too busy working my rear off and trying to make my rent, thank you very much" Finally she looks over at him.
The Fed makes a little moue of apology, but it's utterly insincere. Abby's registered on that particular radar, and while it'll likely come to naught, he can't entirely disguise the predatory glint in his gaze. He spoons a little more sugar into his coffee and nods affably at Elisabeth.
Elisabeth just rolls her eyes. "Don't mind him," she tells Abby. "He's incorrigible. He thinks everyone has something to hide, and he sees too much of the dark side of life to remember things like how to be a normal person and not a suspicious dork." She sips her coffee.
"I'm getting that idea. But then, most people say i'm too darned nice and that means i'm hiding something. Not that, you know, I could just be nice" Abby looks away and down into her purse, digging for a pen and paper to write her number down. She folds it in half and slides it to elisabeth. "Like to meet you, for coffee some time, if you don't mind" She looks to felix now, full on. "So, whats your excuse for looking like your ready to keel, or at least curl up for sleep"
"I had a telekinetic smash me into a wall. And when I was getting over that, some crazy assholes launched a terror campaign," Felix explains, wrapping long fingers around that mug again. "And she's right. So don't mind me, please. I'm so used to thinking of everyone as a suspect it's just ruined my manners."
Elisabeth looks surprised, and offers a weary smile to Abby. "Sure. I'd like that." She takes the paper and tucks it into her pocket with her good hand. And then she grins slightly at Felix, she can't help it. "Been a long week for all of us, I think." She sighs heavily, slanting a glance toward the door. There's sadness in her expression for just a moment, which she forcibly hides behind the calm cultivated during 9/11 and the Bomb. "So, uhm… anyone had anything GOOD happen this week? I could really use some good news."
"I got a new job and have a new apartment" Abby offers up. "That's good" Though Felix's ordeal leads to a raise of brows. "I'm very sorry officer.. agent felix? Seems this is the hydrocodone table isn't it" The red bull tab is popped with a wince at the sound.
"Not any more for me, happily. I've downgraded to plain old tylenol," Fel says, sipping from his coffee. "Agent Ivanov. But just Felix will do, I don't stand on ceremony," he says, with a mock attempt at graciousness. "And I don't, at the moment, honestly."
Elisabeth nods a bit. "That's great news, Abby," she offers. "I wondered what had happened with you when you left here." And then she hehs softly at Felix. "Plain old Tylenol ain't cutting it for me just yet." She shakes her head. "I'm actually kind of grateful for the good drugs. It's the only sleep I get right now." Not surprisingly, probably.
Helena has arrived.
Brian has arrived.
'Do you?" Surprise registers on abby's face. "That guy you were with, he did too. and plain old tylenol is good, always good, better than giggling at walls or falling asleep five minutes after you take them" Abby's parked at a booth with Elisabeth and Felix, each having their drinks before them, Abby replete with coffee and red bull.
"She might be here. I think Teo called ahead." Helena is telling Brian as the pair walk into the Nite Owl. "If not, some pie won't kill me. Or you." The black leather jacket she loves so much is fortunately big enough to fit her arm even with a swollen wrist; said right arm is bandaged up to keep said wrist secure. She looks a lot better having slept, but dark shadows under her eyes reflect restlessness from the pain. Even with Jennifer around, drugs are a commodity, and Helena's kind of dumb that way.
Felix is being his usual spookish self, in that he's in suit and tie, overcoat draped loosely over his shoulders to ward off the chill from the door. He's got his glasses off, and is currently nursing a cup of coffee like he's terribly reluctant to head out into the dark and the cold again. "I sympathize. I don't sleep well myself," he says, in that dry voice, before adding, offhandedly, "A pleasure to meet you, Abby." Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly.
Elisabeth looks puzzled for a moment, and then her expression clears. "Norton checked up on you?" She smiles slightly at that. It doesn't surprise her much, though not for the reasons that it actually happened. Liz just thinks of Trask as a nice man, a good guy and a good cop. "He's a sweetheart. Been a real good friend to me for a long time now." The table we're at looks like the Land of the Walking Wounded — Abby's face, Felix's remainders of his encounter, Elisabeth's broken arm and assorted black and blue marks and lacerations. She eyes Felix thoughtfully. Something's set him off, but she hasn't a clue what. She'll have to ask him later. "Well, it's what happens when you watch the ceiling crush a dozen kids," she grimaces.
Brian is support for Helena tonight and he is dressed and is acting appropriately. He follows Helena like a shadow. A much bigger, more facially haried, muscley shadow. He wears a coat, with a black beanie tugged low. "It's not my shift here or I coulda told you." Brian says softly and somewhat apologetically.
"Mr. Trask, yes, Came here, he was here. Man of very few words" Abby glances over at Helena and Brian's entrance, her breath sucking in. "Sweet jesus" Surprise on Abby's face. She hadn't been expecting Helena to look like she got run over as well. "My friends are here, I should leave you two be. Was a pleasure to meet you finally Elisabeth. Felix. See you at the bar again. Try not to.. get hurt anymore?" Abby's gathering her red bull and the remains of her coffee, acting as if she's ready to go to wherever the other two settle
"Trask?" Now there's a name Fel knows, and it takes some of that predatory look from his face, replacing it with mild bemusement. "I know him. Used to know him when I was NYPD," he says, finishing that coffee, and setting aside the mug so that it might be refilled. And then Elisabeth's comment makes him wince, and he puts a hand over hers - whether to comfort her or just stop that line of discussion isn't clear.
Helena slides into one of the booths. "It's no problem, Bri." she says, smiling to him gently, and then softer, "Thank you for helping Peter." At Abby's approach, she looks up, and almost as if embarrassed, starts to tuck her arm under the table like she has something to hide.
Elisabeth grins slightly at Abby. "Yes… yes, he is." And then the other girl's friends arrive and at least one looks about as worse for wear as Liz herself. "Go on," she encourages the now-redhead. "I'll call ya," she promises. And then she nods, squeezing Felix's hand gently. "Yeah, he mentioned knowing you when I mentioned I'd run into you a while back." She shrugs a bit. "Small world, hmm?"
Brian quietly slides in right next to Helena. He leans in to whisper to the young woman a little bit. "He just found me. He's a dick." Then he straightens as Abby comes. A broad smile is given to her. "Hey Abby." He says cheerily in greeting.
"Call me tomorrow" Abby murmurs to Elisabeth, then she's gone. Her steps quick to bring her over to Brian and Helena with a nod. 'I got a call? Said you needed to talk? Hey brian. Hows the two jobs working out? Ben said you were working at Alley cat now" Thunk, thunk go the bull and coffee onto the table.
"Just so long as I don't run into the lost Petrelli again, I don't imagine I will," Fel says, dryly, more of a mutter to himself than anyone else, as Abby departs. "Yeah. I saw him after he got shot in that mess at the library," he notes to Elisabeth, nodding, lips thinned out.
Elisabeth grimaces a little. "Honestly, he didn't really tell me what happened with that until pretty recently." She shakes her head, slanting him a look. "No luck in tracking him down, hmm?"
Helena shakes her head a little bit, and then with a reluctant sigh, Helena presents her bandaged up arm. She says one word, but keeps it low, and not meant to pass beyond the booth. "Sylar." she says frankly. "Teo said I should come to you, but you don't have to do anything, Abby." She sounds firm about it. It's not that she doesn't want to be healed, but not so publicly, and she doesn't want there to be any issues of begrudging between them.
"Ugh, I gotta go to the bathroom" It's not spoken loud, but, hey, herd thing. "Come with? Cause, you never know when you might fall in the toilet" Abby offers to Helena. "Back quick Brian. Before you can finish my coffee even I bet" The redhead smiles, getting out of her seat. The red bull however, is taken with her.
Brian frowns quietly as Helena shows Abby her boo boo. Brian double frowns when Abby says it's bathroom time with Helena. And so the young man is left all alone.. Kinda. In the booth.
With her good hand, Helena reaches out and gives Brian one of those ruffles she has a habit of doing to his hair before she slides out of the booth. "We'll be right back." she promises, and goes with Abby in accordance to Girl Law. Must travel in groups, pairs at minimum.
"Petrelli? No," Fel says, discontentedly, the line around his eyes deepening. It's infuriating - not being able to get at your prey.
Abby's careful as they walk, don't jostle the woman. "Why didn't you call me sooner?" her voice is low, for all intent purposes they're two girls, heading to the bathroom. The can of caffeine is tilted, and Abby swallows down a few mouthfuls. "I swear everyone is walking wounded these days. God is keeping me busy" There's the bathroom and Abby's free palm slides the door open for Helena. Then she gestures to the handicap stall in the small bathroom.
With a brief squeeze of Felix's hand, Elisabeth says mildly, "I'm kind of glad to hear that. I'd rather you stayed in one piece." Then she smiles just a little. "I hate to be a party pooper, Fel… but I need to get home. It's getting close to time for a hi-test painkiller." She moves to slide her good arm into her fleece, pulling it around her bad arm, and then she moves to stand. "Be careful out there, okay?" And with one last pat on his shoulder, she heads out the door.
A warm smile is given to Helena as she plays with his curly hair, and then Brian simply settles in his booth. Stretching his legs out he doesn't mind making himself completely comfortable. He works here after all, he can do what he wants!
Helena heads into the stall. "I didn't want to bother you." she says. "But it hurts more then I expected, and I really need to be mobile." She eases out of the jacket, and begins to tug at the bandage wrapped around her arm. What flesh can be seen is a spectacular shade of blackenblue.
Elisabeth's gone, and Fel is frankly brooding again. Not that fluorescent light is kind to anyone, but the lines at mouth and brow are deeper than ever, and the Russian looks positively grim, as he gazes out the plate glass at the city beyond.
There's a big of an exasperated sound from abby at that comment. "Right. So, what part of, while I can't still be with you, I'll still come when called was not understood?" Abby's voice isn't sharp, just confused, and that soon ends as Helena is helped out of the sling. 'Sweet heavens, he did this? It's not broken?" Her hands are gentle, careful as they can be as she takes over the job of unwrapping. "Bless us O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord. Amen." yes, it's something spoken at meal time, but Abby doesn't much care, it still works and as the words spill out from her, so does the warmth and tingle, seeking out rent flesh to mend. The wrist and arm held in one palm, the other not pressing down but flesh to flesh on top, the redhead studying it.
"I just didn't want to bother you…it's a sprain." Helena's voice trails off as her eyes go wide and the pain leeches away. Now her tone reflects relief. "Thank you, Abby. You don't really appreciate not being in pain until you're in it."
"Or what I do, until you need it" It's not meant as a job or a poke, it's a simple statement. She knows the paint hing, she's still walking around with the purple and blue face. "Give me a minute more, Trying to do this fast so that you can get out of here. Teo picked well for the little girl. Wish I could have gotten her her hand back, but.. well, I did all I could and I don't dare walk back in there and finish the rest" the blue eyes close and there's a surge in the repairs to Helena's arms, the bruises fading, and wrist mending. "And just a sprain or not, they need you whole"
Abby will find herself given a hug if she doesn't pitch a fit about it. "God, thank you. I better at least put the splint back on though, or else people are going to be wigged out." She starts velcro-ing the splint part back in place, but abandons the bandaging this time.
The bandaging is stuffed into Abby's pockets, the hug stiffly taken. For all that she's nice, being touched is not something she enjoys. "Serious Hel. Call. I'm working Greenwich and evenings, I can come over whenever shifts en, or Isabelle i'm sure won't have qualms with letting me go. She knows what I can do"
At the stiffening Helena steps quickly back. "Sorry." she says sheepishly. "Let me buy you pie. It's little repayment, but it's at least something." With that, she starts to head for the ladies room door.
"Hel!" Brian practically shouts at the ladies room. The young man is on his feet and looks very, very panicked. If one were to look close enough, his hands are shaking. To everyone else in the diner it would be an odd sight. One minute Brian is sitting in the booth all relaxed, the next he's the spitting image of fear and pain. "Hel! We gotta go!" Brian yells passionately.
Not particularly wise to do that in front of someone as jumpy as Felix. Because he's on his feet, too, already out of the booth, lips thinned out. "What's wrong?" he asks, keeping his voice calm, though his gaze is sharp.
Abby's trailing out behind Helena. Red bull hasn't kicked in yet, so she's looking alot more tired than when she went in. At Brian's yell though, there's a look to Helena and a question in her eyes as to whether she needs to join them or not. Regardless, the last of the red bull is chugged down.
Helena's pleasant expression goes into worry mode. "I'm sorry Abby, raincheck on the pie. Something's wrong." She's a little embarrassed about the heal-and-run, but Brian sounds really freaked out. She moves swiftly to his side. "What is it?" she asks him, waiting for him to rise so he can book. She looks over her shoulder at Abby, bites her lip. She's tempted to ask the woman to come with, in case it's what she thinks it may be.
"I got more" Is all Abby says whether Felix hears it or not. Abby's digging into her purse at the table and slapping down money for her two drinks and gathering her stuff. She's not part of them anymore, but she's still on call and if every there's a signal from god, this is one.
Felix is ignored. What is random guy going to do to help him. Brian leans in close to whisper to Helena. Though, he is in all honest to goodness freaked out. And his voice maybe a little louder than he intends. "Peter's trying to kill me." He practically hisses through his teeth. "We have to help me!" He says quickly, loping quickly towards the door. His hand latches instinctively to Helena's, making sure she is keeping up with his fast exit.
Only, there's a blur of motion, like film skipping, and Felix is suddenly right up with Brian, grabbing him by the arm. "Peter Petrelli?" he demands, tone low, but not pitched as a whisper. He's deliberately blocking the door.
"We don't have time for this." Helena steps forward toward Felix and Brian, and does what perhaps neither expects - using the arm that's splinted, she sucker punches Felix right in the ribs. Then she grabs Brian, and moves for the door, hopefully with Abby in tow. If Abby stops to heal Felix, Helena will understand - but she won't stop.
Not stopping. Likely, she'll have a visitor at the bar, with a badge in her face. She'll deal with that tomorrow. There is a however very meaningful "sorry, oh Jesus I'm sorry, Natasha! Take care of him!" And Abby's out the door with the other two.
Great minds think alike. As soon as that blur flashes in front of him, and words are spoken, Brian is in motion. "Get the FUCK out of my way!" Comes a feral cry that does not normally come from the sweet young preacher boy. But while Helena goes for Felix's ribs, Brian also makes a move. It isn't his ability, but Brian is a strong young man. And, he brings all his strength up into a powerful shove directed at Felix's shoulders. Knock him into the glass, knock him into the tables, knock him anywhere BUT here! And with that Brian takes Helena's hand and is rushing out.
Right in the ribs left tender by Peter's little adventure. The wind is abruptly knocked right out of Felix, before Brian's shove bumps him right into the door frame. It's a stunner, and he drops like a stone - not unconscious, but close to. Enough time for the others to bolt.
Any additional notes fall to the bottom.
November 27th: For The Children |
Previously in this storyline… Next in this storyline… |
November 27th: Descent |