(Untitled)
This was a bad idea.
Of all the bad ideas he'd had recently, Reilly knew this was -- okay, not the worst. Still, it was in the top ten somewhere. Agreeing to meet the creep who'd stalked him back to his office (even if Saberclaw had a good reason) again? Still considering letting the guy mentor his still criminally-inclined client? Agreeing to let ( Read more... )
Of all the bad ideas he'd had recently, Reilly knew this was -- okay, not the worst. Still, it was in the top ten somewhere. Agreeing to meet the creep who'd stalked him back to his office (even if Saberclaw had a good reason) again? Still considering letting the guy mentor his still criminally-inclined client? Agreeing to let ( Read more... )
Comments 58
You never knew, and a guy didn't like as long as Hudson had in his line of work without a healthy sense of paranoia.
He gave the secretary a closed lipped smile, and she scooted her chair a little bit away from him, but said that Tyne was in his office, so Hudson went on in.
The place still smelled like rotten eggs.
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"Thanks for not wearing the uniform, I think that would have intimidated her," he said, gesturing to one of the empty chairs. "Speaking of the girl - Allison, by the way, I can't remember if I mentioned that? - she should be here in about half an hour."
Reilly would have to check his watch later. "I was hoping we could talk about this arrangement a bit before she shows up, tho... is something wrong?"
If only he knew how he smelt.
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He looked around the office, stretching his long legs out in front of him before settling on watching Reilly. "So, talk."
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"Yes. I'm regularly paid in chickens. They're delicious." Sitting on his desk, he finally got to the heart of the matter. "I want to know how you'd handle my client. Kid with powers, still kind of into the idea of a life of crime. And - this is more personal, but I'm curious - why did you come back? Since I'm assuming your team thinks I'm some sort of supervillain."
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Allison stood still, refusing to even look at her father. Max Dillon placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder. Allison shuddered for a second, in memory of the past pain, before leaning into his touch. Her dad was here for her and she wouldn't let anyone take that away from her.
"Look, I know it's difficult. But I need you to at least try and cooperate. And if he does anything that hurts you, 'I' will fry him, is that understood?"
Allison hesitated a bit and then gave a quick nod.
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Not that he actually had anything better to do; working with the Avengers seemed to consist of long periods of inactivity punctuated all too short moments of action.
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That was supposed to be a joke. "All right, I'll be quick. My idea is that he-" Reilly pointed to Hudson, mid-pace-around-the-office. "Will be acting as a mentor to you-" Pointing at Allison.
"Not to teach you to join the hero game, Ms. Dillion, but to show there are-- more constructive things to do with your powers. And the consequences of continuing to them otherwise."
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Something Hudson was actually pretty good at.
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She wished she could ask him, but she wasn't sure if she'd get an honest answer with Reilly and her dad in the room. Not with their hovering.
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He had a few questions to ask Mr. Dillion, anyway.
"Mr. Dillion, if it's all right with you, I was thinking that perhaps we should leave them alone for a while? Give them a chance to get acquainted? I assure you, Saberc- Hudson won't hurt your daughter. Besides, we have security for a reason. And I had some questions to ask you as well. Preferably in private."
With that, Reilly turned and walked out.
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"I'll be right outside," he said, shooting the super-hero a dark look before he left.
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It was crazy. If Mr. Dillion hadn't noticed that his lawyer sounded like Spider-Man when they were in his office, why would he do so now? Yet Reilly found himself struggling to speak. "Mister, um. Mister. Mr. Dillion, I just want to know..."
If I'm being paranoid. "I just want to know what you think of this arrangement. You are Allison's father, after all. Ultimately, whether or not she will go along with this is up to you."
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He leaned against the wall and stared at the door they'd just come out of .
"Can he be trusted?"
Max had seen villains try the hero path before. They either dropped it soon, like the hot potato it was, or they became zealots on a crusade to convert others. He wasn't sure which of the two the Avenger fell into. And which of the two he wanted him to fit in with.
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Then it was back to business. Trying to give the Mr. Dillion his most reassuring smile, Reilly said, "I don't like the guy. At all. Still, I think his heart's in the right place. I think he understands what your daughter's going through and wants to help. He... isn't quite what I had in mind, when I was thinking of getting someone to help her out, but... I think she may listen to him. And I don't think he's going to lead her back to a life of crime."
I really, really hope he won't, anyway.
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"That's all I want. For her to get ... something, some kind of chance not to mess up her life the way I did mine. She deserves better than heading from prison term to prison term. God, I wasted so much time that I could have spent with her in between those walls."
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