------The Interview (Part Two)------
"What's that?"
"It appears to be a feather," Worthington replied, as Mark leaned down to pick it up.
"But where'd it come from?" Mark asks, putting it on the desk. He doesn't see anything particularly feathery about...but there's another feather lingering under the desk. "There's another one!"
Worthington picked the first feather up, twirled it between his fingers, mild amusement the only emotion registering on his features.
"How bizarre," he muses, looking at the feather quizzically. "I have no idea where it came from."
Mark's not buying it. He starts on another edgy road for the interview. "It's been said that you have wings..."
Worthington laughs whole-heartedly. "Yes, and I've heard the president is concealing a long, curly tail."
"Really?" Mark is suddenly very glad he kept the camera on.
Worthington is smiling genuinely now, and it offsets Mark again. "Not to mention the Governor of California can transform himself into a little moth at every new moon, and the Defense Minister is an alien." Worthington clearly knows how to divert attention, and the genuine smile is turning a little smug.
As amusing as this is, Mark is once again frustrated and starts over, trying to get the interview back on track.
"What do you think about recent speculations that AIDS was the first sign of the Mutant Epidemic."
"I think it's a ridiculous claim, that people made in order to try and rationalize mutation into being the result of a disease that they've had time to start accepting as part of the world." Worthington jumps right back in to his diplomatic skin as quickly as Mark can come up with questions, but Mark has to snort.
"No one accepts AIDS as part of their world."
"Maybe not personally, but as a society we have dismissed AIDS as an unfortunate disease that sometimes strikes, much like cancer. Mutation is still new, shocking, and people aren't able to cope with that." Mark has to admit, he might be right.
"So, you think that the hype about Mutation will go away when something new and scary comes along."
"Yes."
"So I guess what you really want to be researching is what is the next big scary thing."
Warren smiles softly, and it's clear why he's the face of Worthington Industries as he manages to look charming even through his sarcasm.
"If we did that, we'd have time to do nothing else."
Mark's smile is bitter.
"Yeah, but it's nice not to have the big scary in your backyard." He leans over and turns off the camera, satisfied. "So tell me really, why did you get involved in Mutant Rights, entirely off camera."
"Because I find their mistreatment appalling."
Mark gives him a look. "No one is as active as you are for Mutant Rights without having a personal reason. Trust me, I speak from experience."
"I imagine you do," Worthington concedes. "Truthfully, and entirely off-camera," he pauses, but has apparently already made his personal judgment about Mark and continues. "I have personal connections to the mutant community I will not disclose."
Mark stops himself just short of rolling his eyes. "Yeah, Jean Grey and her husband-- I just meant---" Mark pauses in the same way, and decides to return the trust. "Look, can I tell you something?"
"Of course." Warren unclasps his hands as a sign of secrecy.
"Someone dropped off anonymous photos of someone who looks like you with wings. Personally, I think its photoshopped, but there are people who say that its just too realistic looking." Worthington looks slightly uncomfortable, but his corporate mask is still firmly in place.
"Do you have them?"
"In my bag. My friend's a computer genius and said he'd look at them. He swears that it's the real thing too, something about pixel variants."
"May I see them?"
"They're just the photocopies. Alexi has the originals hidden somewhere. Probably in a vault," he jokes, but Worthington looks displeased.
"Hm." He ponders for a second, then cocks his head at Mark. "Is it possible for me to obtain all the copies?"
Mark looks nervous. "I don't know how many are in circulation. I mean from what I've heard they've sent it everywhere. I know 20/20 has a copy. Alexi was fighting with them for rights to your exclusive interview."
Worthington shifts again, looking a little queasy. Mark's starting to feel guilty for bringing it up. He started off the interview with a great dislike for the man, but something about Worthington's answers hinted at political beliefs a little too much like Mark's...And the worried look in his face made Worthington look like a five year old caught with something he shouldn't have.
"Do you have a list of who else they were sent to?"
"No-- but I'd guess every major New York news source." For a second, Mark recognizes a sinking nauseous feeling in Worthington's expression, before it is quickly covered.
"Hm." Warren repeats, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Excuse me for a moment?" He asks, and without waiting for an answer picks up the phone and dials something. Mark just shifts uncomfortably and fiddles with the camera, which Worthington eyes suspiciously as if he's about to turn it back on.
"Hello? Yes. Have you heard? No. I'm here with an interviewer, and he's...told me of a few unfortunate things. No, pictures. I'm not sure. No, but we need to find out. Yes. I'll try- Thank you Hank." He hangs up and looks at Mark again, fingers folded under his chin.
"Hank McCoy?" Mark asks, glad for a change of topic. Worthington nods curtly.
"He's been helping me with my research." He says as means of explanation. "May I see the copies you have?" He demands politely.
"Sure." Mark says, reaching for the copies in his bag. The first is a picture of Warren, standing slightly turned away from the camera with Scott and Jean. He's clearly enjoying himself, dressed in swim trunks. His wings are extended at strange angles, which mirror his hand motions. The second photo is one of him in a relaxed suit and tie affair with his wings wrapped around Hank and Jean. He looks to be just out of high school.
Worthington sighs, examining the pictures, then grabbing the phone again, this time he covers the mouthpiece slightly and turns his chair away. Mark falls silent to listen.
"Rebecca- It's me. Yes. I need you to call all the major news stations. No, I don't care. Tell them if they run the pieces, we'll cut funding to- No. What? All right, then tell them we'll run the government piece. Yes, that one. It's supposed to be a threat, Becky. Yes, under my authorization. Yes. Call me back." He hangs up and looks at Mark with an alarmingly sinister look.
---------