Town Hall, Sunday Morning

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

Parents' Weekend.

To be honest, Cable had spent most of it indoors, checking the radio broadcasts to ensure that no one with any designs on Jan had shown up. It took till Sunday for him to be satisfied, and judge everything safe.

So he'd taken the child with him to the office. Jan was currently in the process of attempting to fold swans out of left-over paperwork, which was a lot more complicated than you'd think. (At least, that's what could be read out of her very concentrated expression.)

Nathan, on the other hand, was more busy keeping up with his own paperwork, especially the forms pertaining to the island's population. That didn't mean he hadn't instructed his secretary to make sure anyone looking for a chat (and not bearing obvious weapons) knew it was fine to make housecalls.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

Between Kitty and Bobby, Scott figured he pretty much had to go to the town hall today and see if he could meet his alternate reality future son. That was still bizarre. And he didn't know the half of it... Well, really, three quarters of it... Actually, this being Cable, he didn't really know the sixty-three sixty-fourths of it.

Look, it was a lot more complicated than he could POSSSIBLY imagine, okay? So he checked in with the secretary before knocking on Nathan's door.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

Really, everyone involved was lucky that, beyond experiencing this in various configurations on the island before, Cable also had years of experience with situations not entirely unlike this.

It was almost starting to get routine.

He looked up at the door, and gestured Jan to get back into a defensible position as they'd practiced-- then sat up. "Come in."

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

Scott opened the door and stepped inside to see a guy who kind of looked like him, if he were an old weightlifter or something. "Huh," Scott said. "Sorry, I mean, you're Nate Summers?"

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"In the flesh," Cable deadpanned. Several iterations in, teenage versions of his father were no longer that flummoxing. "And I'm taking it you didn't know about me until this weekend."

Educated guess.

"Please, take a seat, Scott."

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"Good guess," Scott said. "But then Rachel mentioned you to me the first time I found out about her... It kind of went on from there."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

Ah. Yes. Rachel. That was... almost a new one.

"It usually does," Cable said, dryly. "You get used to it."

Scott would... probably have to.

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"How quickly do people usually adjust to finding out about weird family things like this?" Scott asked.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"Six to eight weeks," Cable deadpanned. "Or a lifetime. There's no manual for this... just dealing with it." Vague like a vague thing that vagued.

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"We're not related to anyone else around here, are we?" Scott asked.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"Not at the moment," Cable said, thoughtfully.

Because that was so reassuring.

"Planning for a return trip?"

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"No, I just wanted to know if there was anyone else I needed to visit before I left to make sure I got the whole experience," Scott replied.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"Not, as I said, at the moment," Nate said, "But hang around here long enough, and someone will turn up. You're Kitty's, right?" He would have said Shadowcat's, but...

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"I am. And I heard there were other me's before?" Scott said.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"One or two," he said. "You're a popular guy in the multiverse... for better or for worse."

A beat. "...My secretary did offer you tea or coffee, right?"

What years of bureaucracy interspersed with short windows of extreme violence wouldn't do to a man.

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"I am? I'm not sure how to feel about that," Scott said. "And no thanks, I'm okay."

"When you say I'm a popular guy, does that mean that I just keep popping up everywhere, or am i actually doing something important?"

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

Nathan smiled. A little.

"Wouldn't want to spoil you," he said, though going by the Jean he'd met last year...

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"Can I ground you if you don't tell me, or does that not really work in this situation?" Scott asked.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"'Fraid not," Nate said, easily. "Though you're welcome to try, if it'll make you feel better."

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"I'll just have to remember to send my Nate to the corner someday if that future happens," Scott said. "That should show you."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"I'm feeling chastened already," he deadpanned. "Any other questions that I can't guarantee you I'll be able to answer?"

Way to cryptic, Nate.

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"I think I'll leave more questions to any version of me that might visit in the future," Scott said. "Thanks for putting up with this. I just couldn't leave until I checked in."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"For what it's worth," Nathan said, with a twitch of a smile, "It's always good to see you, Scott. In whatever incarnation. Family is important... especially ours."

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"It kind of feels like you're being cryptic and hinting at something again," Scott mused as he stood up. He knew that was exactly what Nate was doing, he just wanted to call attention to the fact that he realized it. It wasn't exactly a game of chess being played there. Maybe a nice, fun game of Connect 4.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

It wasn't like this Scott's universe was liable to cross into his.

It was also entirely possible Cable was just doing it to amuse himself. Or maybe it was a multiversal game of Connect 4, and it sort of gleaned different dimensions if you looked at it from just the right angle...

...but probably not.

"I'm told that's my best quality," he said. "Good luck."

[eyedocsfearme.livejournal.com]

"You too, Nate," Scott said.

Well, that went a lot better than it might have. Scott was pleased.

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

"Naaaate." Yeah, he had another guest in his office. "How come you got visitors this year and I didn't? I mean, it's not like I want someone like that dickweed Hayden to show up, but still."

[notsomerry.livejournal.com]

"Nice to see you too, Wade." Irene was starting to think this yearly visit was just an exercise in masochism. If only because of course it was Deadpool she ran into first.

Of course.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"Pure chance. Maybe next year," Nate said, eyes sliding to Wade first, then back to Irene. "And welcome back, Irene. It's good to see you."

[notsomerry.livejournal.com]

Oh, Irene. Don't give Jan those looks like your heart is melting. It can only end in Nate getting you to do something for him. "Is that a play pen?"

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

Nate followed her look. "It's a defensible structure," he said. In multiple ways. "How was your trip...?"

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

"Wait, that's defensible? Seriously?"

Yeah, Deadpool wasn't helping at all with having a kid try to climb him, babbling excitedly about swans. Paper swans!

[notsomerry.livejournal.com]

Ignore it, Irene. Ignooore it.

"It was fine." Fine, damn it. "And how are...you?"

Planning anymore world altering events? Something? Anything?

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"It is," Nate assured Wade. "I built it up to spec."

... What spec, he wasn't going to elaborate on. "I'm good, thank you," he added. "It's been nice and peaceful here."

The world altering events would happen when he chose to rejoin their timeline. Preferably around the time where Jan would know how to fire a weapon.

[notsomerry.livejournal.com]

"Peaceful?" She really couldn't help but glance over at where Deadpool seemed to have acquired a small child on his shoulders.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"Peaceful," Nate echoed. "We only get limited invasions, and so far, we've managed to keep off of Bishop's grid. The multiversal nature of the island makes it hard for him to pick up our trail a second time, especially now that the island's moved a few times."

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

"Plus, getting his ass kicked by teenage girls helped!" Deadpool added helpfully.

[makingmomproud.livejournal.com]

"Who got his ass kicked by teenage girls?" asked a voice.

The voice was attached to a redhead.

The redhead was attached to a pair of eyes that gave Deadpool a vaguely difficult look.

[notsomerry.livejournal.com]

"How many other people are here?" Irene asked, giving Nate a plaintive look. What exactly did she do to put up with all this?

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

"Say hi to your fake aunt, Jan!" Deadpool said, not helping the situation at aaaall.

"HI, FAKE AUNT!"

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"Rachel," Nathan said. He was gifted with the mutant ability of cutting through a whole chorus of people speaking at the same time. "I heard you were on the island."

[makingmomproud.livejournal.com]

"Just popping by to say hello," she said (dubiously). "Please tell me you've burnt my underwear? Please?"

She was definitely not looking at Deadpool now.

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

"I don't think she likes me," Deadpool whispered in a way that was not a whisper in the slightest.

[makingmomproud.livejournal.com]

"Maybe if you hadn't stolen my uniform," Rachel said, shooting him a Look worthy of Irene. "But I'm not here to start trouble, Nathan."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"I know," he said, with a faint smile. "Though I'd appreciate it if the two of you buried the hatchet, just for the weekend."

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

"I looked better in it."

[notsomerry.livejournal.com]

Oh god, why was she here?

"I need so many drinks right now."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps," Nate volunteered, "It's better if we take this to the apartment...?"

Plenty of drinks there.