Amp, Nate
The Elizabeth Kane who saunters down the sidewalk near the wreckage of what was Times Square last night is perhaps a /tiny/ bit smug. Just a tiny bit. She's wrapped warmly in an expensive grey woollen coat that hits midcalf, complete with a scarf and gloves, and a shopping bag from a reasonably upscale boutique dangles from one hand.
Take the kid off the street, can't take the street out of the kid--etc, etc. Amp keeps half an ear on her ostensible partner wherever he's off doing actual shopping, but otherwise she's concentrating on just that wreckage. Clean-up of the worst of the garbage has already begin, but Amp methodically goes through all the cups wrappers in the corners, kicking them to check if they're empty, bending to examine if they're not. She scores a half-finished package of gummi worms early on and eats from it as she works, with no regard for hygiene.
Nate has a grin on his face as he walks through what was the center of a huge party. His eyes look all around the mass of Times Square. He is dressed rather preppy wearing overcoat and scarf. He has a couple bags in his hands and he has still yet to figure out what it is that Amp is doing. He trails her before he says slowly, "Uh, we do have food other places..."
At something of a distance, Elizabeth halts to squint toward the two teenage figures. She watches with an interest that doesn't quite show on her features, and for the moment she hangs back, observing.
Amp looks down at the package. "This? I was hungry." She shrugs. "I'm looking for useful shit. There--!" She lunges, and comes up with a scarf. She inspects it for suspicious stains, sniffs it experimentally, and then curls it happily around her neck.
Looking down at Amp as though the girl is nuts all Nate can say is, "If you want a fricken scarf I will /buy/ you one. Come on now...you really don't need to go through the trash for something like that. Not even designer..." Nate's eyes continue to stare at Amp with a look of incredulity on them. Clearly looking for leftovers is not something he does.
In the distance, dark brows shoot up. Well. Elizabeth adjusts her trajectory slightly so that it will send her past the two children, although for the moment she looks entirely casual, and what purpose her steps carry is clearly unrelated to Amp or Nate.
"I don't need charity," Amp says with a bit of a hiss. She pats posessively at the fleece around her neck. "Besides. It'll just go to waste out here." She kicks another couple cups. Empty, empty.
Watching Amp with a look that mingles disgust and embarrassment, Nate just watches. He stays within a few feet of her but his eyes shoot upward when he notices the arrival of the other woman. He waits and then offers a shrug and resigned look. He then only mutters a, "Should have gone shopping somewhere else with someone else..."
Amp flips him the bird, having heard every word. "Yeah, fuck you too. You asked me to be your excuse to come out here, I am. I'm not making you glean with me, am I? Go spend your fucking parent's money and leave me alone."
"Yeah, I didn't know I would be going and looking through other people's crap. Had no damn clue this is what I would be doing with you." Nate just continues to watch Amp as she does her thing. He waits another moment before he says, "Fuck, with you doing this I would have guessed your ability would be to turn into a rat or hobo."
From several feet away, Elizabeth finally lifts her voice to wonder with /clear/ and /warm/ concern, "Is everything all right?"
Amp glares Elizabeth back, not taken in by concern, warm or otherwise. "We're fine. Just arguing with my classmate," she says with a duck of her head, flipping off Nate once more behind her back.
Nate looks towards Elizabeth a moment before he says in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Uh, just conferring on the proper...behavior of students. Apologies if we are uh, causing you discomfort." The red creeps into Nate's face after the cold has already darkened his cheeks. He waits another moment before he looks down into his bags, always a safe place to hide his gaze.
Lifted brows show her disbelief as Elizabeth draws closer and comes to a halt. "I'm fairly certain the police look down on scavagening after the celebration," she remarks toward Amp.
Amp takes a couple steps back, ready to bolt. "It'd just get thrown out," she mutters.
Watching Amp as though she was some sort of alien, Nate just has a confused look on his face. He frowns and then looks back to Elizabeth and says cooly, "Uh, please don't call the police...I really don't think they should come out here. I am sure they are busy with other stuff..." Nate waits another instant as he slowly begins to pull a scarf closer to him.
"I wasn't planning to call them," Elizabeth assures, glancing at Amp with mild interest before her gaze moves back to Nate. "But I can't help but wonder why you feel the need. Surely your school provides you with scarves?" This to Amp, with raised brows.
"I--" Amp finds herself at a loss for words to explain such an ingrained instinct. "I'm a charity case. They don't give me /everything/."
Looking towards Elizabeth with a look of gratitude, Nate chims in, "Thank you! I just said I would buy her one!" Of course, that solves it. Nate has a little bit of his boyish look back on his face. He can never stay mad long. His eyes do find Elizabeth's though, giving her a wink.
"Not even a scarf?" There's surprise in Elizabeth's voice as she watches Amp, attention focused there for a long enough moment that she misses Nate's wink. "Good grief."
"Well. I mean. I like to get stuff for myself. Not rely on other people." Amp says it challengingly and rolls her eyes at Nate. "Jesus, stop sucking up. She never was gonna call the cops."
"Don't care if she is going to call the cops or not. I only care that she has sense...something you are seriously lacking." Nate stares back daggers at Amp. He opens his mouth slowly as though he is about to say something else, but stops. He opens the mouth again and then shuts it one last time.
"Self-reliant," Elizabeth says, and although her smile is amused, there's a hint of approval in her tone. Her glance toward Nate is swift. "Although you may want to be careful. There /are/ those who'd call the police, and they'll be about to clean before long."
Amp clutches at the scarf, and then grits her teeth to drop it back on the ground. She holds it there and catches Elizabeth's eyes to see if that's what she'd rather.
Nate just shakes his head as he examines Amp again. He slowly looks down at his bags one more time before he examines Elizabeth more closely and says, "That is a rather nice coat you have on. Where did you get it, if you don't mind me asking?" Oh yes, it is clear that Nate is trying to do the topic change, but figures it has some hope of working.
Elizabeth meets Amp's gaze for a moment, but there's little answer either way to be found in her eyes. Instead, she shifts her glance slowly toward Nate and blinks at him. Eventually she replies politely, "I don't recall."
Amp puts the scarf back around her neck. "Who are you?" she asks more directly.
Nate takes a few steps backwards from the two girls, kind of confused as to what exactly is going on. He remains quiet while Amp asks her question, becoming rather curious as about the answer to Amp's question.
"Elizabeth," she provides without hesitation. "And you are Honor Prentiss and Nathaniel Kinches." There's a brief pause before Elizabeth smiles and explains, "I work in the DA's office, often with mutant affairs." To make it a /tad/ less creepy.
It's creepy enough as it is. Amp jerks as if slapped, and takes several stumbling steps backwards in fear. She sobs out a breath.
Nate looks at the woman with a look of fear, but tries to put on a brave face. He slowly readjusts his bags to they are in one hand, his now free hand slowly going into his pocket to fumble with his phone. He views Amp and mutters towards her, "Get the hell out of her." Then, Nate offers Elizabeth a grin before he says, "Well, ma'am, I do believe that we have broken no laws. Do you have probable cause to do...anything?"
Elizabeth's worried attention is stolen from Amp's reaction in the wake of Nate's mutter, and she blink at him for a moment, clearly baffled. "I'm sorry?" she asks eventually.
"Don't be an ass," Amp hisses at Nate. "/You/ don't have anything to worry about." She steps carefully back a little more. "Where'd you hear that name?" she asks Elizabeth, trying to bluff.
Nate looks at Amp and just shakes his head, "Fine, whatever." The boy just looks at Elizabeth now, clearly preparing for flight if it comes to the fight or flight situation.
"Sorry," Elizabeth apologizes instantly. "That's not what you're going by, is it?"
"It's not--" Amp struggles with the words. "That's not me."
Now Nate is just confused. He simply stands where he is now, trying to figure out what these two women are talking about.
"Of course," Elizabeth answers simply, and she leaves it at that. For the moment. Her gaze moves away from Amp to rest briefly on Nate.
Amp doesn't look convinced, but she settles like she believes that Elizabeth isn't up to anything. "Where else did you want to shop?" she asks Nate, shortly.
Looking towards Amp, Nate offers a shrug before he says in a rather puzzled tone, "Well, was thinking the closest Abercrombie. But at this point I am ready to head back home to my bed. Pretending not to have had this experience. You ready?"
Elizabeth's gaze lingers on Nate for a moment longer - /Nate/ is clearly the interesting one - before she shifts into motion and gives each a nod. That's enough farewell for now, apparently. She turns and makes her way away without further conversation.
"Yeah, just a sec." Amp takes a few steps farther after Elizabeth, impelled by something like the impulse to pick at a scab. It might cause further harm, but she can't not-- "Did you know Honor?"
Nate cringes a bit as Amp speaks. He has look of a defeated general plastered on his face as he waits for another round between the two women. He waits a moment before he mutters to himself, "Maybe this is what my brother was trying to explain to me."
Elizabeth hesitates for a moment as she turns to look at Amp over her shoulder. Her smile is faint. "Personally? No."
"What does your brother have to do with anything?" Amp asides. "But you know what happened to her, right?" she presses.
Nate just simply stands now, watching the two women. He keeps his mouth shut having realized having his mouth shut might have always been better.
"It did cross my attention, yes," Elizabeth confirms, gaze brightly attentive as she watches Amp.
"So why'd you call me that?"
"It's your name," Elizabeth points out, as if this is a clearly simple thing.
Amp stares at Elizabeth with wide, frightened eyes. "Who are you? Are you going to hand me to the government, then?"
Elizabeth's expression reads clear confusion as she studies Amp. "Goodness, child. Why on earth would I do that?"
"Since they might wanna know--" Amp glances at Nate. "Why there's two of us with the same name, huh?"
"I doubt they'd spend much time wondering," Elizabeth points out with a brief smile. "Don't worry. No one has mentioned it yet. I doubt those who know are inclined to do so. I think you're safe enough, if that's worrying you."
Nate waits a moment and then looks towards Amp and says in a cool tone, "I really think the whole idea about leaving here and heading home would be a really good thing..." A few more moments pass before Nate looks more closely towards Elizabeth and then says in a slightly less friendly tone, "Perhaps you should just go back to doing whatever it is that you do. I am sure that we can just walk away from this..."
"Yeah?" Amp checks, and then shoves at Nate's shoulder. "Go ahead, dumbass."
Elizabeth's gaze moves toward Nate, and now she looks clearly baffled. "Good grief, son," she answers. "If I were going to mug you in an alleyway and then beat you do death, I certainly would be more efficient about it."
Nate levels his gaze right at Elizabeth before he says in a brisk tone, "I do not necessarily think that you would do me direct harm. I mean to say that you do represent the government...a government I don't necessarily like or trust much." Nate looks back towards Amp a minute before he says, "I wouldn't trust anyone who just knows my name. And I am not an ass garbage grabber."
"Go!" Amp says, pointing. To Elizabeth the word should seem normal, maybe even a little muted, but with Nate it carries unexpected and perhaps painful force. "You're serious? That I'm safe?"
"I work with Mutant Affairs," Elizabeth answers with a blink, as if this explains something fundementally key that Nate must be purposefully missing. After a moment she adds, as if it's another key point, "As a District Attorney." Amp's question distracts her, and she looks back to her for a moment. "Well," she answers carefully. "As much as any of you are, I would think."
Nate winces a bit at the word that Amp says to him. He growls a bit as he looks at her and then says in a colder tone, "You know we really aren't supposed to be away from each other. Rules and all that..." Nate continues to glare at Amp before he starts to slow down, not wanting to leave Amp.
"Isn't that always the way." Amp narrows her eyes. "But not in danger from you? Mutant affairs, huh?"
"On occasion," Elizabeth confirms. "Among other things. It depends on the case load, obviously."
Nate continues to frown as the two talk, he doesn't walk away but he simply stands about ten feet away from the pair. Clearly he is trying to be as far away as he can without having the chance to run to aid Amp should anything go badly with this. His eyes simple watch the two women.
"Don't tell anyone. You're not going to tell anyone, right?" She stares at Elzabeth's lips as if waiting to watch the answer leave them.
"I have no intention of sharing your existence with the authorities," Elizabeth shares, studying the girl curiously as she confirms it. "Although I doubt I'm the only one who's noticed."
"Fuck," Amp says feelingly. "So it's only a matter of time?"
"How long has it been?" It's more a reminder than actual question.
"I can't hide forever."
"It hasn't been an issue so far." Elizabeth glances briefly over at Nate as she speaks it.
Nate begins to fidgit a bit as the two women talk. Clearly he doesn't like the situation but is not willing to beg Amp to leave anymore than he already has. He grumbles a bit before he makes a soft clicking noise with his tongue, trying to get Amp's attention.
"God," Amp says, of Nate. "I'm not in any more danger from her than I would be if we walked away and she told everyone about me, okay? Jesus." Still, she glances longingly at Elizabeth like she wants to drag more information out of her, she can't seem to think of the right questions.
"Your boyfriend is very twitchy," Elizabeth informs Amp. There is the /faintest/ twitch of her lips, and more clear amusement in her voice.
"I am not her Boyfriend." THough, these words are laced with indignation more than anything else. Nate just glares at Amp before he says, "I would sooner date a dude than HER."
"Ah," Elizabeth notes swiftly, all sympathy. "It appears he's also gay. I'm sorry."
"My /boyfriend/," Amp gives it an acid bite. "Is dead." She makes a little kissy face to Nate as she flips him off at his last comment. "Come on. Let's get you back to your fucking cage, huh?" she starts away, but can't keep from glancing back at Elizabeth.
Nate looks at Elizabeth but says nothing. With his attention returning to Amp, Nate scowls at her as he calls out, "Well, you are the damn animal searching on the ground for scraps. You would be in the cage. I, as a fricken human, sleep in a bed in a /room/."
"Sorry to hear it," Elizabeth answers politely, but there's an undercurrent of amusement that runs through her voice as she nods to the pair of them and turns away, to add quietly under her breath once she's several paces away, "He's bright, too."
"You have no idea," Amp answers, so distracted that she doesn't seem to realize that she shouldn't have been able to answer that comment of Elizabeth's. "You ever talk to Cassy?" she says in an undertone to Nate as they walk away. "Ask her about her ears, huh?"
Nate looks back towards Amp before he says in a very icy tone, "Shut the hell up. Last time I am ever going to talk to such a piece of trash like you. Fucking only piece of shit thing this school has. Lord do I miss a /real/ boarding school that wasn't filled with us freaks." Nate growls a bit as he looks over at Amp. He remains quiet before he says coldly, "Now then, let's just get back to school." And with that, Nate looks back down to his bags and heads back, away from Elizabeth.
Amp stops in her tracks. She draws in a long, shuddering breath, and then screams. Elizabeth might catch the very edge of it, but to Nate it's just a wave of pressure and then stabbing, intense pain as his eardrums burst from the concentrated noise. Then Amp turns and runs, heading for who knows where in the city--she probably doesn't even know herself.
Nate falls to the ground from the pain of the blast and the rupture of his eardrums. He lays flat on his stomach for a few momnents as he bangs his hand on the ground several times as he shouts, "Bitch" to the high heavens. It takes Nate a couple moments before he slowly gets himself back onto his feet, his hands over his ears. He mutters a series of swear words before he kneels back down on the ground, trying to grab his phone to do...something with.
Elizabeth isn't as far as all that - down one street and just around the corner. The scream catches her attention, as does Nate's later shout, and she pauses. For a moment, she stands stock still with a faint smile on her face. And then she moves to continue her way home.
Amp sobs as she runs, and she's soon far away from Nate and any of his sudden problems with deafness, feet pounding as she disappears into the city.
Mystique meets some Xavierites and causes some trouble. Sort of.
Take the kid off the street, can't take the street out of the kid--etc, etc. Amp keeps half an ear on her ostensible partner wherever he's off doing actual shopping, but otherwise she's concentrating on just that wreckage. Clean-up of the worst of the garbage has already begin, but Amp methodically goes through all the cups wrappers in the corners, kicking them to check if they're empty, bending to examine if they're not. She scores a half-finished package of gummi worms early on and eats from it as she works, with no regard for hygiene.
Nate has a grin on his face as he walks through what was the center of a huge party. His eyes look all around the mass of Times Square. He is dressed rather preppy wearing overcoat and scarf. He has a couple bags in his hands and he has still yet to figure out what it is that Amp is doing. He trails her before he says slowly, "Uh, we do have food other places..."
At something of a distance, Elizabeth halts to squint toward the two teenage figures. She watches with an interest that doesn't quite show on her features, and for the moment she hangs back, observing.
Amp looks down at the package. "This? I was hungry." She shrugs. "I'm looking for useful shit. There--!" She lunges, and comes up with a scarf. She inspects it for suspicious stains, sniffs it experimentally, and then curls it happily around her neck.
Looking down at Amp as though the girl is nuts all Nate can say is, "If you want a fricken scarf I will /buy/ you one. Come on now...you really don't need to go through the trash for something like that. Not even designer..." Nate's eyes continue to stare at Amp with a look of incredulity on them. Clearly looking for leftovers is not something he does.
In the distance, dark brows shoot up. Well. Elizabeth adjusts her trajectory slightly so that it will send her past the two children, although for the moment she looks entirely casual, and what purpose her steps carry is clearly unrelated to Amp or Nate.
"I don't need charity," Amp says with a bit of a hiss. She pats posessively at the fleece around her neck. "Besides. It'll just go to waste out here." She kicks another couple cups. Empty, empty.
Watching Amp with a look that mingles disgust and embarrassment, Nate just watches. He stays within a few feet of her but his eyes shoot upward when he notices the arrival of the other woman. He waits and then offers a shrug and resigned look. He then only mutters a, "Should have gone shopping somewhere else with someone else..."
Amp flips him the bird, having heard every word. "Yeah, fuck you too. You asked me to be your excuse to come out here, I am. I'm not making you glean with me, am I? Go spend your fucking parent's money and leave me alone."
"Yeah, I didn't know I would be going and looking through other people's crap. Had no damn clue this is what I would be doing with you." Nate just continues to watch Amp as she does her thing. He waits another moment before he says, "Fuck, with you doing this I would have guessed your ability would be to turn into a rat or hobo."
From several feet away, Elizabeth finally lifts her voice to wonder with /clear/ and /warm/ concern, "Is everything all right?"
Amp glares Elizabeth back, not taken in by concern, warm or otherwise. "We're fine. Just arguing with my classmate," she says with a duck of her head, flipping off Nate once more behind her back.
Nate looks towards Elizabeth a moment before he says in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Uh, just conferring on the proper...behavior of students. Apologies if we are uh, causing you discomfort." The red creeps into Nate's face after the cold has already darkened his cheeks. He waits another moment before he looks down into his bags, always a safe place to hide his gaze.
Lifted brows show her disbelief as Elizabeth draws closer and comes to a halt. "I'm fairly certain the police look down on scavagening after the celebration," she remarks toward Amp.
Amp takes a couple steps back, ready to bolt. "It'd just get thrown out," she mutters.
Watching Amp as though she was some sort of alien, Nate just has a confused look on his face. He frowns and then looks back to Elizabeth and says cooly, "Uh, please don't call the police...I really don't think they should come out here. I am sure they are busy with other stuff..." Nate waits another instant as he slowly begins to pull a scarf closer to him.
"I wasn't planning to call them," Elizabeth assures, glancing at Amp with mild interest before her gaze moves back to Nate. "But I can't help but wonder why you feel the need. Surely your school provides you with scarves?" This to Amp, with raised brows.
"I--" Amp finds herself at a loss for words to explain such an ingrained instinct. "I'm a charity case. They don't give me /everything/."
Looking towards Elizabeth with a look of gratitude, Nate chims in, "Thank you! I just said I would buy her one!" Of course, that solves it. Nate has a little bit of his boyish look back on his face. He can never stay mad long. His eyes do find Elizabeth's though, giving her a wink.
"Not even a scarf?" There's surprise in Elizabeth's voice as she watches Amp, attention focused there for a long enough moment that she misses Nate's wink. "Good grief."
"Well. I mean. I like to get stuff for myself. Not rely on other people." Amp says it challengingly and rolls her eyes at Nate. "Jesus, stop sucking up. She never was gonna call the cops."
"Don't care if she is going to call the cops or not. I only care that she has sense...something you are seriously lacking." Nate stares back daggers at Amp. He opens his mouth slowly as though he is about to say something else, but stops. He opens the mouth again and then shuts it one last time.
"Self-reliant," Elizabeth says, and although her smile is amused, there's a hint of approval in her tone. Her glance toward Nate is swift. "Although you may want to be careful. There /are/ those who'd call the police, and they'll be about to clean before long."
Amp clutches at the scarf, and then grits her teeth to drop it back on the ground. She holds it there and catches Elizabeth's eyes to see if that's what she'd rather.
Nate just shakes his head as he examines Amp again. He slowly looks down at his bags one more time before he examines Elizabeth more closely and says, "That is a rather nice coat you have on. Where did you get it, if you don't mind me asking?" Oh yes, it is clear that Nate is trying to do the topic change, but figures it has some hope of working.
Elizabeth meets Amp's gaze for a moment, but there's little answer either way to be found in her eyes. Instead, she shifts her glance slowly toward Nate and blinks at him. Eventually she replies politely, "I don't recall."
Amp puts the scarf back around her neck. "Who are you?" she asks more directly.
Nate takes a few steps backwards from the two girls, kind of confused as to what exactly is going on. He remains quiet while Amp asks her question, becoming rather curious as about the answer to Amp's question.
"Elizabeth," she provides without hesitation. "And you are Honor Prentiss and Nathaniel Kinches." There's a brief pause before Elizabeth smiles and explains, "I work in the DA's office, often with mutant affairs." To make it a /tad/ less creepy.
It's creepy enough as it is. Amp jerks as if slapped, and takes several stumbling steps backwards in fear. She sobs out a breath.
Nate looks at the woman with a look of fear, but tries to put on a brave face. He slowly readjusts his bags to they are in one hand, his now free hand slowly going into his pocket to fumble with his phone. He views Amp and mutters towards her, "Get the hell out of her." Then, Nate offers Elizabeth a grin before he says, "Well, ma'am, I do believe that we have broken no laws. Do you have probable cause to do...anything?"
Elizabeth's worried attention is stolen from Amp's reaction in the wake of Nate's mutter, and she blink at him for a moment, clearly baffled. "I'm sorry?" she asks eventually.
"Don't be an ass," Amp hisses at Nate. "/You/ don't have anything to worry about." She steps carefully back a little more. "Where'd you hear that name?" she asks Elizabeth, trying to bluff.
Nate looks at Amp and just shakes his head, "Fine, whatever." The boy just looks at Elizabeth now, clearly preparing for flight if it comes to the fight or flight situation.
"Sorry," Elizabeth apologizes instantly. "That's not what you're going by, is it?"
"It's not--" Amp struggles with the words. "That's not me."
Now Nate is just confused. He simply stands where he is now, trying to figure out what these two women are talking about.
"Of course," Elizabeth answers simply, and she leaves it at that. For the moment. Her gaze moves away from Amp to rest briefly on Nate.
Amp doesn't look convinced, but she settles like she believes that Elizabeth isn't up to anything. "Where else did you want to shop?" she asks Nate, shortly.
Looking towards Amp, Nate offers a shrug before he says in a rather puzzled tone, "Well, was thinking the closest Abercrombie. But at this point I am ready to head back home to my bed. Pretending not to have had this experience. You ready?"
Elizabeth's gaze lingers on Nate for a moment longer - /Nate/ is clearly the interesting one - before she shifts into motion and gives each a nod. That's enough farewell for now, apparently. She turns and makes her way away without further conversation.
"Yeah, just a sec." Amp takes a few steps farther after Elizabeth, impelled by something like the impulse to pick at a scab. It might cause further harm, but she can't not-- "Did you know Honor?"
Nate cringes a bit as Amp speaks. He has look of a defeated general plastered on his face as he waits for another round between the two women. He waits a moment before he mutters to himself, "Maybe this is what my brother was trying to explain to me."
Elizabeth hesitates for a moment as she turns to look at Amp over her shoulder. Her smile is faint. "Personally? No."
"What does your brother have to do with anything?" Amp asides. "But you know what happened to her, right?" she presses.
Nate just simply stands now, watching the two women. He keeps his mouth shut having realized having his mouth shut might have always been better.
"It did cross my attention, yes," Elizabeth confirms, gaze brightly attentive as she watches Amp.
"So why'd you call me that?"
"It's your name," Elizabeth points out, as if this is a clearly simple thing.
Amp stares at Elizabeth with wide, frightened eyes. "Who are you? Are you going to hand me to the government, then?"
Elizabeth's expression reads clear confusion as she studies Amp. "Goodness, child. Why on earth would I do that?"
"Since they might wanna know--" Amp glances at Nate. "Why there's two of us with the same name, huh?"
"I doubt they'd spend much time wondering," Elizabeth points out with a brief smile. "Don't worry. No one has mentioned it yet. I doubt those who know are inclined to do so. I think you're safe enough, if that's worrying you."
Nate waits a moment and then looks towards Amp and says in a cool tone, "I really think the whole idea about leaving here and heading home would be a really good thing..." A few more moments pass before Nate looks more closely towards Elizabeth and then says in a slightly less friendly tone, "Perhaps you should just go back to doing whatever it is that you do. I am sure that we can just walk away from this..."
"Yeah?" Amp checks, and then shoves at Nate's shoulder. "Go ahead, dumbass."
Elizabeth's gaze moves toward Nate, and now she looks clearly baffled. "Good grief, son," she answers. "If I were going to mug you in an alleyway and then beat you do death, I certainly would be more efficient about it."
Nate levels his gaze right at Elizabeth before he says in a brisk tone, "I do not necessarily think that you would do me direct harm. I mean to say that you do represent the government...a government I don't necessarily like or trust much." Nate looks back towards Amp a minute before he says, "I wouldn't trust anyone who just knows my name. And I am not an ass garbage grabber."
"Go!" Amp says, pointing. To Elizabeth the word should seem normal, maybe even a little muted, but with Nate it carries unexpected and perhaps painful force. "You're serious? That I'm safe?"
"I work with Mutant Affairs," Elizabeth answers with a blink, as if this explains something fundementally key that Nate must be purposefully missing. After a moment she adds, as if it's another key point, "As a District Attorney." Amp's question distracts her, and she looks back to her for a moment. "Well," she answers carefully. "As much as any of you are, I would think."
Nate winces a bit at the word that Amp says to him. He growls a bit as he looks at her and then says in a colder tone, "You know we really aren't supposed to be away from each other. Rules and all that..." Nate continues to glare at Amp before he starts to slow down, not wanting to leave Amp.
"Isn't that always the way." Amp narrows her eyes. "But not in danger from you? Mutant affairs, huh?"
"On occasion," Elizabeth confirms. "Among other things. It depends on the case load, obviously."
Nate continues to frown as the two talk, he doesn't walk away but he simply stands about ten feet away from the pair. Clearly he is trying to be as far away as he can without having the chance to run to aid Amp should anything go badly with this. His eyes simple watch the two women.
"Don't tell anyone. You're not going to tell anyone, right?" She stares at Elzabeth's lips as if waiting to watch the answer leave them.
"I have no intention of sharing your existence with the authorities," Elizabeth shares, studying the girl curiously as she confirms it. "Although I doubt I'm the only one who's noticed."
"Fuck," Amp says feelingly. "So it's only a matter of time?"
"How long has it been?" It's more a reminder than actual question.
"I can't hide forever."
"It hasn't been an issue so far." Elizabeth glances briefly over at Nate as she speaks it.
Nate begins to fidgit a bit as the two women talk. Clearly he doesn't like the situation but is not willing to beg Amp to leave anymore than he already has. He grumbles a bit before he makes a soft clicking noise with his tongue, trying to get Amp's attention.
"God," Amp says, of Nate. "I'm not in any more danger from her than I would be if we walked away and she told everyone about me, okay? Jesus." Still, she glances longingly at Elizabeth like she wants to drag more information out of her, she can't seem to think of the right questions.
"Your boyfriend is very twitchy," Elizabeth informs Amp. There is the /faintest/ twitch of her lips, and more clear amusement in her voice.
"I am not her Boyfriend." THough, these words are laced with indignation more than anything else. Nate just glares at Amp before he says, "I would sooner date a dude than HER."
"Ah," Elizabeth notes swiftly, all sympathy. "It appears he's also gay. I'm sorry."
"My /boyfriend/," Amp gives it an acid bite. "Is dead." She makes a little kissy face to Nate as she flips him off at his last comment. "Come on. Let's get you back to your fucking cage, huh?" she starts away, but can't keep from glancing back at Elizabeth.
Nate looks at Elizabeth but says nothing. With his attention returning to Amp, Nate scowls at her as he calls out, "Well, you are the damn animal searching on the ground for scraps. You would be in the cage. I, as a fricken human, sleep in a bed in a /room/."
"Sorry to hear it," Elizabeth answers politely, but there's an undercurrent of amusement that runs through her voice as she nods to the pair of them and turns away, to add quietly under her breath once she's several paces away, "He's bright, too."
"You have no idea," Amp answers, so distracted that she doesn't seem to realize that she shouldn't have been able to answer that comment of Elizabeth's. "You ever talk to Cassy?" she says in an undertone to Nate as they walk away. "Ask her about her ears, huh?"
Nate looks back towards Amp before he says in a very icy tone, "Shut the hell up. Last time I am ever going to talk to such a piece of trash like you. Fucking only piece of shit thing this school has. Lord do I miss a /real/ boarding school that wasn't filled with us freaks." Nate growls a bit as he looks over at Amp. He remains quiet before he says coldly, "Now then, let's just get back to school." And with that, Nate looks back down to his bags and heads back, away from Elizabeth.
Amp stops in her tracks. She draws in a long, shuddering breath, and then screams. Elizabeth might catch the very edge of it, but to Nate it's just a wave of pressure and then stabbing, intense pain as his eardrums burst from the concentrated noise. Then Amp turns and runs, heading for who knows where in the city--she probably doesn't even know herself.
Nate falls to the ground from the pain of the blast and the rupture of his eardrums. He lays flat on his stomach for a few momnents as he bangs his hand on the ground several times as he shouts, "Bitch" to the high heavens. It takes Nate a couple moments before he slowly gets himself back onto his feet, his hands over his ears. He mutters a series of swear words before he kneels back down on the ground, trying to grab his phone to do...something with.
Elizabeth isn't as far as all that - down one street and just around the corner. The scream catches her attention, as does Nate's later shout, and she pauses. For a moment, she stands stock still with a faint smile on her face. And then she moves to continue her way home.
Amp sobs as she runs, and she's soon far away from Nate and any of his sudden problems with deafness, feet pounding as she disappears into the city.
Mystique meets some Xavierites and causes some trouble. Sort of.