Participants:
| Scene Title | The Last Of His Kind |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Magnes discovers that the kids are hiding something from the grown ups. With good reason. |
| Date | November 9, 2011 |
The Hub: Unusued Corridors
It started with Mala. She found Magnes in the hallway and tugged on his arm, the crutch helping her move, even if it didn’t allow her to move very efficiently. It kept her upright when she might not have had the strength to carry herself, though. “Super Magnes, Super Magnes— we— can you come with me really quick? It’s a secret, important one!”
And he followed, as she led him down windy corridors that he could possibly get lost down, until she tapped the end of the crutch against a metal door. It opens, and there’s Denisa. The extra years of life have helped her fill out, her cheeks less round, her body taller— she looks like she’ll grown up to be a fairly attractive teenager.
She looks surprised, but not entirely, as she knows Mala seems to trust her Super Magnes. Even then, her eyes flash back to the little Indian girl. “Are you sure he won’t just want to eat him?”
Eat who?
"Huh, what's going on?" Magnes asks, carefully running along with her. He's getting more and more used to being mobile without his ability, especially since he's been trying to do a bit of physical training.
When he spots Denisa, he tilts his head, staring down at her. "Eat? I won't eat anyone!" he states in a bit of shock. He perhaps has assumed that this is most definitely a person. This is an apocalypse, after all.
“Super Magnes wouldn’t!” Mala responds quickly, even as she nods when her hero says he won’t eat anyone. She doesn’t even jump to the conclusion that he thinks they are talking about an actual person. While they live in the apocalypse, things aren’t that bad. After a moment, Denisa seems to accept this and waves them both inside.
Once they are in, she pulls the door shut. There’s no powered lightning in this small room, just a electrical battery operated lantern hanging from the ceiling that the girls probably brought with them. A small crate sits in the corner of the room, and it looks as if they have snuck some of their rations from lunch in as well, from the wrapped up napkins.
“Denisa found him,” Mala explains, with a bright smile on her face. “But if anyone finds out…” That bright smile becomes distressed, as she looks toward the crate.
A crate which holds a scrawny looking gray cat.
Magnes walks over to the crate, crouching down with a concerned furrow of his brow. Then when he realizes what it is, he rubs his chin. "I can see why you're worried. It might be tricky hiding a cat in here forever, and eventually it's going to meow. So we have to think, where will no one ever check? Or… is it possible for people to keep pets here?" he asks, crossing his arms now. "Maybe I can work something out."
“Originally, a few people had pets,” Mala responded quietly, looking more solemn with each word. Originally. As times grew more desperate, though, apparently that didn’t last. “They did have chickens for a while, they laid eggs. But they’re not really pets. And we had a dog or two— but…”
Yeah. Mala doesn’t really want to think about the rest of that. Or anything further. Denisa just outright says it though, “We ate them. When rations got low. We ate most the rats we found too. If K-Mart had found this guy he’d already be on the menu tomorrow.”
And a delicacy no less! Meat’s a rarity sometimes.
“He won’t meow! We can hide him! Won’t you be quiet! He’ll be quiet as a mouse!”
“A mouse we probably already ate.”
“Oh stop it, Denisa!” Mala sounds like she’s about to start crying already at the very idea.
"I won't let anyone eat him. I don't care what they say. I'll take him and talk to Edward Ray, I'll work something out." Magnes reaches down to gently run a finger over the cat's head. "I told you, I won't let us stay here forever. I'll find a way out." He holds his pinkies out to the two of them. "I'll fight for this cat's life, I promise. And then when we get out of here… when we get out of this world, you girls and this cat will be able to have a better life. Pinky swear."
The words of ‘Super Magnes’ seem to calm Mala’s upset down, so she nods at what he says. If anyone can make a promise to keep a innocent cat alive, it would be Edward Ray. The adults all seem to listen to him, after all. Mala’s noticed that. At the offered pinky, she hesitates a moment, as if pinky swears of the past have been broken, but then she takes it, giving his hand an up down motion. “I believe in you.”
Denisa puts her hand on the cat, as if still afraid it will be the last time that they’ll be able to touch the poor thing, before she looks at the joined fingers. “And make sure we can visit him, too.”
“Now we can name him!”
“No. We’ll name him after the Professor says yes.” Denisa might be young, but she’s a pragmatist. Life made her that way.
“But if we name him maybe people won’t want to eat him. He’ll have a name!” Mala tries to say, as if names would stop hungry people.
"We should name him. If he has a name I bet Edward will feel more willing to let you keep him too. And, well, we have some plans, you know? So I think Edward will be willing to listen to me. I'm about to do him a very big favor." Magnes explains, reaching to very gently take the cat into his arms. "He's the last cat here. So, maybe Kal El, the Last Cat of the Bunker."
Both Denisa and Mala had been afraid to name him, so they hadn’t thought much on names. Which means they didn’t already have a bunch in mind, at least, so the young Indian girl brightens when he mentions the name. “That’s Superman’s name!” Yes, apparently she read comics. Or saw the movie. One of the two. She got the reference.
Denisa may not have, from the way her nose wrinkles, but she nods. “Maybe the name will work. It’s hard to eat something that has a name.”
Or so she would hope. They didn’t eat people, after all.
Not those down here.
The kids had heard horror stories of the world above, though.
Leaning down, the young hispanic girl looks at the kitty, who’s probably wanting more of their rations, but willing to accept a pay on the head, “You are now Kal El. But you should still be quiet and try not to scratch anyone.” Don’t get the adults any reason at all to throw him out. Or eat him.
"I'll go talk to Edward, okay?" Magnes gently pets the cat on the head, smiling. "I'll tell you about the time I had a penguin later." he promises, standing up straight to turn to the door. "This cat represents a lot of the hope down here. If we can spread that, maybe someone will take pity on our cat!"
The kids watch him for a moment, but Mala, at least, is nodding enthusiastically. Together, the three of them will keep this poor cat fed, alive and whatever else they need to do!