(no subject)
The cliffs, on a fairly blustery afternoon. The fitful wind whips long, mousey hair around occasionally, left unbound as it is. Oddly, the figure does not appear to be wearing a top, instead settling for a large amount of heavy white strapping and bandaging. Padraig sits, and stares out at the water, totally lost in a world of his own.
In the act of going outside for a change of scenery, Apu finds two things. First, that the wind will accost him like anyone else, and, second, that the outdoors, beyond the complex itself, are not utterly lonely. Apu is the sort to politely greet and move on, whether someone met is Padraig, Raidha, perhaps even Magneto, but the novelty of bandages makes this impossible. "Padraig?" he calls from a slight distance, his tone less acknowledgement, more inquiry.
Padraig's head snaps around the sound of a voice, unconsciously wincing at the pain inherent in such an act. He nods a greeting. "Apu. Good to see you're still here. How's it going?" Friendly, open, though slightly more subdued than his normal exuberant self.
"Still here? Where would I be?" Apu appears to be interpreting this in quite a broad sense, but he approaches, closing the distance. "I am doing well. You do not appear to be, sir."
"Seems Sab-, Bella left the island last night, and may have taken some recruits with her." Padraig explains, "Possibly for good. I dunno." A hand lifts to gesture for Apu to approach a little, so Padraig isn't forced to strain painful bits. "First, why /do/ you call me sir? I'm just a recruit. Second, I'll be fine as soon as I can catch up with Ellen. Just got in the boss' way when he was in a foul mood."
"What is this?" Apu's head tilts with sudden puzzlement, which sharpens down to annoyance, which sharpens yet further to anger. But as if those mild eyes cannot hold any point for long, all fade quickly. Another few steps forward. "Why? A fit of sudden pique from her? Irrational, foolish." The sir is not addressed at all, but Apu does not repeat it, merely examines the bandages closer. "I see. I can understand a foul mood. Do you know who she took?"
"I know I was invited." Padraig offers, with his shoulders tipping up into a shrug, forcing another wince. "Though I don't really know why she went. Or who with. There are a couple of easy guesses, though." Head shakes slightly, and he returns his eyes to the ocean. "Siddown, man." A hand gestures lightly to one side of him.
Apu does so, carefully, buttocks inclined on the seat with an asocial's wary precision. "I have been too isolated. I wonder if this is why she wanted to have lunch with me. Some form of drawing me in. You liked her, did you not? But you stayed. That says much for your loyalty. Who are your guesses?"
"Brendan and Cain." Padraig admits candidly. "There are other potentials, but I think they're the two I'd expect to be practically certain to leave." He nods as he stares out at the ocean. "I liked... Like her a lot, even if we did crash egos and bounce an awful lot. But I took a vow to serve Magneto and his Cause, and this is my place. This is where I belong." Backtracking, his head shakes. "I doubt she was trying to draw you in, more just get to know you. She does that."
"Loyal to her, or entranced? She could be that sort of woman -- no offense to you. You have a brain in your head. You know where your loyalties lie." Apu draws in a breath and looks back to the complex. "We'll see how they do -- they'll be in the news. Perhaps we can write up comparisons. Perhaps she has her reasons, perhaps they are good ones, even. Perhaps she is a wonderful person. But I am glad I was not asked."
Padraig's head stays levelly staring out to sea. "Could be either. Though most likely to be a bit of both, harsh as it sounds. Then again, it could be pure loyalty. Dunno. My brain is fully my own though. Always was." A few slow, quiet nods meet the last. "They'll be visible, I think. They don't have an island to get the hell out of the way to for a start. That means they'll probably end up getting caught."
"Bella has been on the news enough, widely enough -- I have read enough." Apu grimaces, brief, restrained. "How can she run something as covert as we are? A corporation she has to take care of, two recruits, possibly -- and are either of them the quiet sort?" Apu shakes his head. "But if they but go to prison, I suppose they might get out. Apparently we've done the same. But if they've betrayed Magneto ..."
"She can't." Run something covert, that is. "Brendan's a fairly obvious mutant, and Cain is about as wanted as people get, and he's huge. Assuming they've gone, that is. I wouldn't want to feel like a prick if they're still here. Bella, however, does have her new identity." Padraig's own tone is levelly careful, expression sternly wooden. "Betrayal has a single penalty. A fair one, if you ask me."
"If they are caught, they will all be in one place, laced with metal. If they make a scene, they will attract attention, immediately apprehended or not. And Magneto knows them well, I am sure." Apu's tone is reasonable, cold. "And he is powerful, and has more of an army. He will make certain his rules are enforced."
Padraig nods, a brief twinge of sadness dropping over his features before he becomes wooden again. "Whatever happens, it's probably not going to be very pretty." he observes, with a slow nod. "Magneto has every right to enforce his laws. Everyone here agreed to them before actually coming here." And that's the party line. Which Padraig will rigidly stick by, despite the thought of having to kill the person who brought /him/ here.
"Perhaps they grew overconfident. Considered themselves too strong, or too intelligent for the vows they made. Perhaps they think they can evade what will come, or that Magneto will not bother." Apu draws in a measured breath. "But if Magneto did not bother, more would do what they did. They were foolish not to realize that."
"I have no idea." Padraig admits frankly. "I can't imagine anyone stupid enough to believe that they can escape Magneto's reach. Bella must have some other way, some other reason. She's not that thick." Distracted, thoughts delivered out loud, and Padraig's head turns towards Apu. "So, you didn't actually answer my original question. Why sir?"
"Thick, perhaps not. But reckless. The end is the same." Apu pulls his shoulders up in a dignified shrug, and turns his head toward Padraig. A small smile. "Why sir? It came to mind. I don't mean it seriously."
"Reckless? That's supposed to be me. But you're right. The end is the same." Padraig's head dips for a moment into a slow nod, before obviously wiping that subject from his mind. "You have the audacity to call me sir and don't even /mean/ it? Git." A fist lashes out quickly, slowing well before it makes contact. Playful is Padraig.
"There are levels. Your recklessness is nothing in comparison. Invisible." Apu even makes a vanishing motion with his hand, and the smile widens. "I suppose I am reckless, too, sir." The first, however, stopped short as it is, gets a puzzled look more than a playful, or an angry one, Apu's body held uncertainly stiff. "Is it proper to fake-swat you back?" he asks.
"Why, thank you, sir." Padraig replies dryly, withdrawing his fist with a vaguely apologetic smile. He does chuckle, though. "You can swat if you'd like. I think the painkillers should keep me conscious. Maybe." He delivers a broad grin up to the other mutant, mocking bracing himself.
Apu lowers a rather half-hearted fist. "I will attempt it later when you do not need Ellen. But come see me later, and I will swat you." Apu stands up, all of a piece. "Consider it a date. Something to lighten all this immediate doom. For other people though it may be."
"You've got yourself a date, boyo." Padraig grins, as he holds a hand up to mutely ask for some assistance in gaining his feet. "Immediate doom. I like it. Remind me to use it more often."
"Thank you. I will look forward to it." Apu takes the hand, heaves competently upward. "Try not to get further injured."
Heaved competently to his feet, even without shocking the other man, Padraig breaks into a broad grin. "I'll do my best. And now I walk. Cath you later, bud." And, now steady, Padraig begins to potter off around the island.
Apu waves, equally competently, and returns to the main compound.