nextgenerationmarvel | And Athos Makes Four!

Rachel had warned her that the fourth of the turtles would be the hardest of all of them. That was precisely why she hadn't set to track him down. He was, after all, a ninja. He'd be good at hiding from her. So, instead, she had decided to draw him out. She had holed herself up in the library, wearing one of her simplest outfits, with a full afternoon tea spread out in front of her. It wasn't a whole Japanese tea thing, no. Brooke didn't know too much about that, and the last thing she wanted was to insult the turtle any. So, she'd kept it simple, and done tea the way she knew how.

A well-worn copy of The Tale of Genji sat next to her, untouched. Was it there for decorative reasons? No. Brooke was honestly intrigued by the idea of a Japanese noblewoman from way back when having written such a large, classic tomb. But she didn't want to seem too occupied. She wanted - she needed - to seem welcoming.

Gingerly, Brooke scooped some sugar into a delicate china cup and mixed it in with the tea and milk. The delicate scent of the Assam tea wafted up and Brooke sighed a small sigh of contentment. She really did enjoy this process of afternoon tea, but she usually took it in her room, where no one could disturb her.

Today, though, she fully expected to be disturbed.

She took a delicate, dainty sip, and she waited.

Please, let this work.

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He started walking his two fingers of his left hand along the edge of the table.

"Graybeard's his teacher and supportive. 'Course he'd see him. Funny speaking sod's just been lucky." The turtle shrugged and kept his fingers walking. He glanced sideways at Brooke.

"You consider the cony a peer? Figured you were more of a biter."

"I'm not quite sure what you mean by that turn of phrase," Brooke said. "About me being a biter. I'm a lady. Ladies never bite, unless under extreme duress."

"Which phrase? You get lost in the mazes a lot." He started walking his fingers backward.

"And I rattled nothin' about chewin'."

"I fare better with GPS and a chauffeur," Brooke replied. "And you called me a biter. I mean, what else does that mean?"

Athos chuckled. It sounded like a dry, rusty thing.

"Show your teeth with your words." He stopped walking his fingers backwards. He tilted his head as he looked at them.

Brooke took his words at face value.

She smiled and showed her teeth.

Athos blinked at her. Then he stared. The steady stream of simmering anger was replaced by bafflement. With a side of someone else finding that hilarious.

He rubbed a hand over his scaly pate. "Not wonderin' anymore why the sod don't take over."

That smile faltered. She felt the bafflement and the...was he amused by her?

"What's...what? I don't understand."

He nodded slowly. "I'm getting you aren't tumbling to."

His bafflement slowly faded back to his normal state of ire. Though the other feeling of amusement stayed the same.

"We're clearly having some miscommunication issues, you and I," Brooke said as she tried separating that mix of emotions she was getting from Athos and...Pete?

Brooke raised an eyebrow.

Was that Pete?

She sat back a little bit and sipped her tea, concentrating.

"This would go easier if Pete could trust me. And he really has nothing to fear. I know it feels as though he might, given everything the poor kid's tried to endure, but...okay. If I meant harm, would I really be this futile at trying to converse with you?"

"Why should the sod trust a biter who wouldn't be doing this unless the headmaster told her to?" The secondary amusement settled down into a light chuckle's worth. Though with an underpinning of worry. Athos himself didn't feel any different.

"You meant harm the celestial in the big office would fry you."

"Just because I'm doing this at someone's behest doesn't mean I don't have Pete's best interests at heart," Brooke said simply. "Would it be any different if she'd sent Franklin Richards to do this? Brianna LeBeau? Topher Summers? Athos, Rachel chose me because she felt, for whatever reason, that I was the best mutant for the job. If you can't trust Rachel and her judgement, then whose judgement can you trust?"

Athos raised his scaly eyebrows. "It would be different. Except LeBeau. She'd get me, too."

For reasons best not mentioned. Or Athos would lose his grip on prominence, and someone else would get body time.

"Or the celestial wanted to test you. You wigwagged with the nice ones. Now, you got me."

"Well, the two of you do have that ninja thing in common somewhat, I suppose," Brooke replied. "You're nice," she said after a moment. "There's an anger there, but there are reasons for that anger - reasons connected to Pete. But you do care for him." She raised her chin. "Maybe she wanted to see what I'd do when faced with a less than agreeable situation, it's true. Maybe she wanted to see if I defaulted to using my natural gifts." She shook her head. "But no. That would only scare Pete away further, and that's not my aim. Test or no, more and more I'm seeing how desperately Pete does need to come out of his shell and get help. You're only blocking him from that, Athos."

He was not going to change the ninja line of reasoning. Even if he was sure Brianna did not like him one bit. Because the girl did not understand the things he said either.

Athos snorted at being called nice. Though...

"Be sure to tell all the berks around this burg you think I'm nice." That might solidify the reputation he wanted. If the bitch queen of the campus said he was nice, the rest of them might not think so.

"I don't block a thing. The sod can come out to play if he wants." It had happened with Professor Franklin. The turtle squinted a bit. "He just don't want to now."

"And have them avoid you even more?" Brooke asked. "Please. They'd steer clear of you and that's exactly what you want. I wouldn't give you that satisfaction." She stood up, then, and smoothed down her pleated wool skirt. "It's been a pleasant, if trying, afternoon Athos. We really should do this again sometime." She bent down to retrieve her Moleskine notebook and paused, looking directly into Athos' eyes. "And Pete? My door's always open. You know, for whenever you're ready to come out to play, to use your friend's delightful verbage." She smiled at Athos, then, and straightened up. "Good afternoon," she said before she swept out of the library.

"Huh," he said after she swept out. "Didn't even have to burn her."

He places a finger against the table. When he lifted it, there was a scorch mark. He smacked his lips together and then finished up all the tea and food left on the table. He left crumbs everywhere rather than let his mask catch it all.

When the foodstuffs was gone, Athos disappeared into the back of the library.

And Athos Makes Four!

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