Sometimes I fear this story is turning into a comedy...
*************************************************
Emma was laughing uncontrollably. Shalimar was glad to see her in a better mood, but this was too much.
"Aw, come on Em, it's not that funny." She said, regretting telling her what happened last night.
"Shal, only you'd do something like that." Emma told her between giggles.
"Seriously now, don't tell the guys. It was embarrassing enough."
"Oh I don't know." She said, smiling mischievously.
"Emma." She looked at her seriously.
"'Course I won't."
***
Mason woke up late that morning. The events of last night had put him to sleep like no pill could. He smiled excruciatingly at the memory. But he told himself not to worry, Miss Fox would probably be as humiliated as he was.
He sighed. Somehow it was worse not to be in any serious physical pain.
For the first time in a long time, he worried about his children. He wondered where they were, and what kind of people they had turned out to be. He had tried everything to contact them, but had no luck. Everything save for calling Jacqueline. He swore never to talk to her again after she walked out on him.
Memories from various points in his life plagued him. Miss DeLauro's visions, whether accidental or not, brought back a lot of things that he had all but forgotten. He had lived all his life with them, but they still bothered him.
Now he had the added worry of his new mutancy. He had always despised those terrible abominations, and in the past he could not have even begun to comprehend becoming one himself. Perhaps the powers he had would come in useful, he thought in a desperate attempt to cheer himself up. But useful in what? He could never be officially re-instated at Genomex. And if he returned there of his own free will, he would have no income, no employees, no goal.
He sat up and stared at the wall. Worrying was useless. He turned his attention to his appearance. His hair was probably even messier than it was when he checked it after he emerged from stasis. He was right. It was hopelessly tangled and knotted. He tried to carefully separate the largest knots, but succeeded in pulling more fibres out than doing any de-tangling.
"Want me to get you a brush?" Mason looked up. Adam was leaning on the doorframe, almost laughing at his desperate attempts to straighten his hair.
"Please." He answered, trying to keep the note of vulnerability out of his voice.
Adam came back a few minutes later, and handed him a brush. He took it thankfully and began to work out the tangles. Realising he was covered in white fibres he stopped, not wanting to lose any more.
He held the brush in his hand, and concentrated hard. It levitated and floated slowly in the air, but only for a second. Adam stepped forward and caught it before it hit the floor.
"I see you're getting the hang of your powers." He remarked.
"So it seems."
"Well, as it is, I see no reason to keep you under observation in the lab any longer. Of course I can't stop you from leaving, but I would prefer if you stayed."
"I will stay if you think it is for the best. As long as it isn't for the long term, Adam."
"Of course not. Now, you can stay in one of the guest rooms." He turned around and indicated to him to follow. Mason stood up and did the best he could to brush the wig fibres from his clothes.
As Adam led him to the room, he felt that strange familiarity again. No, he told himself, he'd never been there before.
He stopped at the end of the corridor and opened a door. "I'm sure you'll find everything you need in here." Then he added. "Oh, and Mason, how long have you been wearing those clothes?"
Mason looked down at himself, seeing nothing wrong. His attire was exemplary as usual, except for maybe a couple of hairs and pieces of lint stuck to his jacket. "It isn't important." He said at last.
Adam shook his head. "Well, you'll need a change of clothes anyway. I'll ask the girls to take you shopping." He said offhandly. Mason began to make an objection, but he had already gone. Shopping with Miss Fox and Miss DeLauro, how utterly delectable. Just what was Adam thinking?
He walked into the room, finding it quite large and spacious. It contained a wardrobe and several cupboards, and a door that more than likely led to a bathroom. Adam always had been the extravagant type, he found himself thinking. He sat down on the bed, finding it much more comfortable than the one in the lab. Forgetting about his worries, he allowed himself to relax for a while.
***
"Hey Adam." Shalimar yelled cheerfully as he walked up the steps of the dojo, where she was sitting with Emma. Adam smiled and sat down with them.
"Are you okay now, Emma?" He asked.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" She snapped back defensively.
"Good." He said unfazed. "Now, I have a favor to ask of you two."
"Sure, anything, go ahead." Shalimar said, she was waiting for a bit of excitement. He hadn't had a mission for them in ages, and she was feeling antsy being cooped up inside.
Adam was quiet for a minute as he stopped to think of a way to word it so they couldn't refuse. In the end he gave up and just said. "I want you to take Mason shopping."
"What?" Shalimar said, apalled. "I must be hearing things 'cause I thought you said..."
"Shalimar," He cut her off, "I know it's a lot to ask of you, but I am really busy right now, and you know how Brennan and Jesse are with shopping."
"Adam, please don't make us do this. I really don't feel up to it." Emma pleaded, putting on her best poor, downtrodden look.
"Emma, I'm sorry, I know this will be hard for you. But please, just do this. For me."
"Oh Adam..."
"You're not making us do this. You know how Emma feels, and I just flat out refuse." Shalimar said, crossing her arms.
"Please." He was running out of arguments. "If you just do this for me, I'll make it up to. Anything you want."
Shalimar regarded him suspiciously, then her eyes lit up. "A new car?"
"We'll see." Adam said.
"Well, okay then." She was convinced. "I suppose it is a shopping trip after all."
"Shal, you're so easily bought." Emma said.
She grinned. "Nothing wrong with that. Come on, you never know, it might be fun." She said, heavily putting the emphasis on might.
"Fine." She said. She wasn't going to win, so she thought she might as well give in, even though she'd rather do anything else.
With that, Shalimar was off to her room to get ready, visions of cars she might like in her head.
Emma looked at Adam, and he smiled warmly at her. "Thanks." He said.
***
Shalimar just threw on the first outfit that looked decent, and combed her hair. Emma, on the other hand decided to take as long as she possibly could, as if to try and postpone the inevitable.
"Emma, are you ready yet?" Shalimar said, banging on her door. "We wanna get there before the crowds, especially considering."
"Just a minute." She said, quickly putting some mascara on. Then she joined Shalimar, and they walked down the hall.
Shalimar looked at Emma, then knocked on the door hesitantly. When there was no answer, she pushed it open.
"Mason?" She said unsurely. She felt silly calling him by his first name, but she didn't know what else to call him.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed looking pensive. "Ah, Miss Fox, Miss DeLauro. I assume you are here to take me...shopping."
"Yeah. You ready to go?"
"I shall just be a moment." He retreated into the bathroom, and for the first time in a long while, caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He tried to flatten his hair, but the brushing had made it rather fluffy at the ends. Giving up, he straightened his glasses and tightened his scarf. Then he left the room, to go on a trip that he knew none of them would enjoy.
Shalimar grabbed his arm, and had to almost drag him out of the room. The three of them walked to the garage.
*************************************************
Emma was laughing uncontrollably. Shalimar was glad to see her in a better mood, but this was too much.
"Aw, come on Em, it's not that funny." She said, regretting telling her what happened last night.
"Shal, only you'd do something like that." Emma told her between giggles.
"Seriously now, don't tell the guys. It was embarrassing enough."
"Oh I don't know." She said, smiling mischievously.
"Emma." She looked at her seriously.
"'Course I won't."
***
Mason woke up late that morning. The events of last night had put him to sleep like no pill could. He smiled excruciatingly at the memory. But he told himself not to worry, Miss Fox would probably be as humiliated as he was.
He sighed. Somehow it was worse not to be in any serious physical pain.
For the first time in a long time, he worried about his children. He wondered where they were, and what kind of people they had turned out to be. He had tried everything to contact them, but had no luck. Everything save for calling Jacqueline. He swore never to talk to her again after she walked out on him.
Memories from various points in his life plagued him. Miss DeLauro's visions, whether accidental or not, brought back a lot of things that he had all but forgotten. He had lived all his life with them, but they still bothered him.
Now he had the added worry of his new mutancy. He had always despised those terrible abominations, and in the past he could not have even begun to comprehend becoming one himself. Perhaps the powers he had would come in useful, he thought in a desperate attempt to cheer himself up. But useful in what? He could never be officially re-instated at Genomex. And if he returned there of his own free will, he would have no income, no employees, no goal.
He sat up and stared at the wall. Worrying was useless. He turned his attention to his appearance. His hair was probably even messier than it was when he checked it after he emerged from stasis. He was right. It was hopelessly tangled and knotted. He tried to carefully separate the largest knots, but succeeded in pulling more fibres out than doing any de-tangling.
"Want me to get you a brush?" Mason looked up. Adam was leaning on the doorframe, almost laughing at his desperate attempts to straighten his hair.
"Please." He answered, trying to keep the note of vulnerability out of his voice.
Adam came back a few minutes later, and handed him a brush. He took it thankfully and began to work out the tangles. Realising he was covered in white fibres he stopped, not wanting to lose any more.
He held the brush in his hand, and concentrated hard. It levitated and floated slowly in the air, but only for a second. Adam stepped forward and caught it before it hit the floor.
"I see you're getting the hang of your powers." He remarked.
"So it seems."
"Well, as it is, I see no reason to keep you under observation in the lab any longer. Of course I can't stop you from leaving, but I would prefer if you stayed."
"I will stay if you think it is for the best. As long as it isn't for the long term, Adam."
"Of course not. Now, you can stay in one of the guest rooms." He turned around and indicated to him to follow. Mason stood up and did the best he could to brush the wig fibres from his clothes.
As Adam led him to the room, he felt that strange familiarity again. No, he told himself, he'd never been there before.
He stopped at the end of the corridor and opened a door. "I'm sure you'll find everything you need in here." Then he added. "Oh, and Mason, how long have you been wearing those clothes?"
Mason looked down at himself, seeing nothing wrong. His attire was exemplary as usual, except for maybe a couple of hairs and pieces of lint stuck to his jacket. "It isn't important." He said at last.
Adam shook his head. "Well, you'll need a change of clothes anyway. I'll ask the girls to take you shopping." He said offhandly. Mason began to make an objection, but he had already gone. Shopping with Miss Fox and Miss DeLauro, how utterly delectable. Just what was Adam thinking?
He walked into the room, finding it quite large and spacious. It contained a wardrobe and several cupboards, and a door that more than likely led to a bathroom. Adam always had been the extravagant type, he found himself thinking. He sat down on the bed, finding it much more comfortable than the one in the lab. Forgetting about his worries, he allowed himself to relax for a while.
***
"Hey Adam." Shalimar yelled cheerfully as he walked up the steps of the dojo, where she was sitting with Emma. Adam smiled and sat down with them.
"Are you okay now, Emma?" He asked.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" She snapped back defensively.
"Good." He said unfazed. "Now, I have a favor to ask of you two."
"Sure, anything, go ahead." Shalimar said, she was waiting for a bit of excitement. He hadn't had a mission for them in ages, and she was feeling antsy being cooped up inside.
Adam was quiet for a minute as he stopped to think of a way to word it so they couldn't refuse. In the end he gave up and just said. "I want you to take Mason shopping."
"What?" Shalimar said, apalled. "I must be hearing things 'cause I thought you said..."
"Shalimar," He cut her off, "I know it's a lot to ask of you, but I am really busy right now, and you know how Brennan and Jesse are with shopping."
"Adam, please don't make us do this. I really don't feel up to it." Emma pleaded, putting on her best poor, downtrodden look.
"Emma, I'm sorry, I know this will be hard for you. But please, just do this. For me."
"Oh Adam..."
"You're not making us do this. You know how Emma feels, and I just flat out refuse." Shalimar said, crossing her arms.
"Please." He was running out of arguments. "If you just do this for me, I'll make it up to. Anything you want."
Shalimar regarded him suspiciously, then her eyes lit up. "A new car?"
"We'll see." Adam said.
"Well, okay then." She was convinced. "I suppose it is a shopping trip after all."
"Shal, you're so easily bought." Emma said.
She grinned. "Nothing wrong with that. Come on, you never know, it might be fun." She said, heavily putting the emphasis on might.
"Fine." She said. She wasn't going to win, so she thought she might as well give in, even though she'd rather do anything else.
With that, Shalimar was off to her room to get ready, visions of cars she might like in her head.
Emma looked at Adam, and he smiled warmly at her. "Thanks." He said.
***
Shalimar just threw on the first outfit that looked decent, and combed her hair. Emma, on the other hand decided to take as long as she possibly could, as if to try and postpone the inevitable.
"Emma, are you ready yet?" Shalimar said, banging on her door. "We wanna get there before the crowds, especially considering."
"Just a minute." She said, quickly putting some mascara on. Then she joined Shalimar, and they walked down the hall.
Shalimar looked at Emma, then knocked on the door hesitantly. When there was no answer, she pushed it open.
"Mason?" She said unsurely. She felt silly calling him by his first name, but she didn't know what else to call him.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed looking pensive. "Ah, Miss Fox, Miss DeLauro. I assume you are here to take me...shopping."
"Yeah. You ready to go?"
"I shall just be a moment." He retreated into the bathroom, and for the first time in a long while, caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He tried to flatten his hair, but the brushing had made it rather fluffy at the ends. Giving up, he straightened his glasses and tightened his scarf. Then he left the room, to go on a trip that he knew none of them would enjoy.
Shalimar grabbed his arm, and had to almost drag him out of the room. The three of them walked to the garage.
