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Peter looked over his shoulder to find the reason for ongoing mayhem. The one that was loud enough to reach him over his headphones and disturb the relaxed atmosphere of the half empty bar. Unlike some places that were bounded by the idea of hosting at least one drunken brawl before midnight, Kraoka wasn’t known to be a vibrant place. The only reason he, an individual who avoided crowds at all costs would occasionally go there was the peacefulness that had rooted inside the wooden walls. Peter didn’t know the source of calmness which was trapped inside the low ceilinged cozy bar but he really liked the vibe the whole place radiated. the food was cheap and relatively eatable. the owner didn't ask him to leave as soon as he was able too and Mostly vacant seats meant the less chance of meeting new people and less eyes staring at his seemingly unusual hair. But they were other times like that on going situation at the moment which bursted his fragile bubble of tranquility. Peter wasn’t able to see the exact deal but as far as he could make it out from the scene in the corner behind where seats were settled there was an argue between a man and a much smaller girl in compression. about a bet which he knew nothing of. Although mixture of spitting words with a furious tone suggested the bulky man thought the girl had cheated. She was insisting on being really good at it by practice, calling the man an idiot for thinking throwing knives was a game that someone could cheat at and people seemed to be in line with her ideas because, well.. how could you make a divergent in a game like that. Unless… Peter rose from where he was sitting and went closer to the center of argue; which was now shutting down as the man that had been convinced of his hopelessness was leaving. The gathered crowd were separated; back to their own conversations. Words which were competing with shallow lounge music coming from the shabby speakers on the back of the counter. He stood a few meters away from the girl that which was now tampering with what seemed to be the throwing knife and observed her to find a clue, matching his suspicions. She seemed around his age and was wearing a black studded jacket over, an also back top that was completed with dark denim pants. A silver chain was hanging from both sides of her grommet belt and many different types of rings were visible on her long fingers. Punk; but nothing special. Her hair though..was something that caught peters interest. It was short and the edges had reached her shoulder; but the style of her hair cut wasn’t as much intriguing as her hair color, which was giving a dark green shine under the dim lights of the bar. Peter considered the possibility that the color might had been a dye as teenagers were getting crazy about exotic hair colors those days. The style of her clothes could back up the idea but there was something in her eyes telling peter, that his first assumption was wrong. And well...he needed to test his other theory. He wouldn’t usually pay attention to those small inconveniences. Even though they could actually lead to somewhere. Peter didn’t have the desire to find others like him. But that time..well that time he couldn’t resist the temptation.His chain of thoughts however were cut short by suddenness of girl’s next statement.
-take a picture. It will last longer.
Peter blinked a few times in confusion and rose his brows as the realization hit.
-oh..sorry…I was just you know…I was just ...
Words started to take shape when he finally shook off the fluster from being caught off guard.
-I was just fascinated by your skills. Winning a bet against that guy must have been hard ha?
A half way smile formed on her lips. her head tilting slightly back in a sign of pride. She gave a shrug before continuing in a much more passive tone.
-well..yeah..I’m pretty good with these stuff.
She rose the hand that was holding her black knife and shook it before giving it a flip. Peter nodded a few times; pressing his lips together and took out one of his hands from the pockets of his silver jacket to offer. Moving his eyes from the sharp object to the one holding it at the same time.
-hi…I’m Peter…I really like your knife…. wanna bet?
The girls glance shifted between boys raised palm and his dark waiting eyes. She shook the hand with hers that wasn’t occupied.
-I’m Lorna…nice to meet you..and yeah it’s a really cool knife isn’t it.
She brought up the knife high enough to give the boy a full view. Peter observed the whole blade for the last time before turning his head up to face her once more. The knife was something Peter hadn’t seen its likeness before. The hole on the back of its handle specially captured his attention.
-totally
He nodded in agreement and stuffed his hand in the pocket of his silver jacket after the girl who claimed to be Lorna let go of it.
-sooo..how about my offer.
Lorna rose a brow before placing her palm on her hip and tiled her head to the left.
-are you serious? You just saw that big jerk being defeated and think the best plan is to come and gamble with me? How old are you…. Haven’t you passed your stupidity era?
Peter came closer while pointing at the knife that was now motionless in the grip of her owner. Ignoring Lorna’s mockeries completely as he continued with the same expression of interest.
-If I win I’ll take that knife.
She shared a derisive look with the enthused boy in front of her and sneered. The confident that was visible in her eyes reflected into her tone.
-And if I win?
Peters lips widened into a vast grin before taking out his hand from his left pocket once more. This time occupied with something new that caught Lorna’s eyes. The arrogance was replaced by pure astonishment and disbelief. The mixture of the half opened mouth and rounded eyes that were fixed on his Walkman was something peter had to press his lips together to prevent bursting in laughter. Instead, he gave a half shrug accompanied with a broad smile as a sign of acknowledgment. Lorna took her eyes off from the device to share a glance with the boy in front of her.
-your father must be pretty rich.ha?
Peters smile faded for a second with the observation before shaking his head in disagreement. He tried to get control over the wave of feeling which hit his body and ignored the sudden stab of anxiety in his stomach. It took him a few seconds to relax the hidden curled toes inside his silver converse shoes.
-not exactly…so..do we have a deal or doo we have a dealll.
Lorna took off her eyes from Peters new model Walkman to perceive the boy standing ready and tall in front of her. The targets of her schemes were usually wealthy individuals, often mature to middle aged men, with an arrogant attitude but she could make exceptions once in a while..ha? And that Walkman was screaming prosperity. The boy was asking for it. The corner of her lips went upwards to form a smug smile before raising up her knife in front of peter. Offering it with a glimpse which Peter refused.
-ladies first.
Lorna smirked before turning away to face the board. She raised her hand in front of her while darting her eyes between the board that was known as target and the determined boy standing a few steps away. she relaxed her body and straightened her posture. Putting her right foot slightly more forward than the other while taking a breath and she was ready to go for the throw. The knife was taken by blade and as the hand swung the target got hit with half of a spin. Peter gave a round of applause. starring at the knife that was stuck inside middle of the wooden board. Lorna shrugged; giving a little to no try to hide the ego in her features and went to take out the knife, offering it to Peter as she walked a few steps behind her original place. This time, Peter accepted the offer and stood in front of the target; exchanging a look with the crossed arms girl besides him. He shifted his glance between her hair and the front board.
-your hair color seems so natural, what’s the brand.
-what’s yours
Peter barely held back a chuckle, instead settling on a wide grin while regarding the edges of the black knife. He handed the knife to his left palm before cracking his other hands knuckles with the press of the thumb and reclaimed the knife once more. He gave it a flip before raising the grip and the only thing Lorna felt after was a blow of air that flickered her hair before facing the hit target. she stared at the board a few seconds before turning to the boy with sheer skepticism; closing her dropped open mouth before swallowing. Questions racing each other waiting to be asked.
-how long you've been doing this?
Boy answered with a normal tone. Not seeming to be amazed with his actions. Although his words contradicted with the causal form they were spoken.
-it’s my first time
Now, she couldn’t just let go of it. There was something sketchy. Apparently his egotism like hers wasn’t just fed on nothing and she needed to find out what. If her guesses were turned out to be true..at least she wasn’t as alone as she had previously thought.
-so...another round ha?
-another round
Peter said with the same tone before handing back the knife, stepping backwards to make room for the girl who was still in confusion. She rose her hand like many other times and threw the knife; which on her pure shock, didn't land where it supposed to. She didn’t know what happened. All she could remember was a rush of air like the time before and her knife missing was the target. Even though she knew it shouldn't had as its rotation was directed with extra something from Lorna’s other hand in the pocket of her coat. She studied the blade before turning away to the boy that was now slowly shaking his head. The exaggerated sorry look masking his utter glee didn’t fool her. She knew something was up with him. She passed the distance between them and got close enough to ask with a volume only he could hear.
-how are you doing this
Peter leaned forward towards her and murmured with a similar sound.
-how am I doing what.
Lorna didn’t buy his believable innocence expression which was topped with an arguably convincing bewilderment. She just knew underneath that question mark in his eyes there was a mischief lurking. She knew…because she had used that trick too many times to now be missing it on someone else’s. And there was something in the way he was gazing that reminded Lorna of herself.
-I know you know what I mean…what is it you’re tempering with.
Lorna crossed out her first suspicion as she wasn’t able to feel the boys powers..what next...
-do you control the wind? Is that it? Do you change the airflow of the moving knife? I feel a slight wind and then everything goes in your favour.
Peter shook his head a few times and shrugged while narrowing his confused eyes.
-I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Are you suggesting witchcraft? Too many beers or something stronger? Apparently I’m just naturally good with knives.
Nope…not persuaded. Not persuaded at all. Lorna knew how important it was for people like him to not blow up their covers..specially the venerable ones who had suffered enough from hostile anti mutants to know the price of acceptance. But he didn’t seem like a damaged soul.. but if she wanted to be honest..neither did she.
-look…I know you’re afraid to admit who you are. These days we can’t even trust our own kind to not betray us but I’m not who you suspect I am.
-Beats me to it.
she felt the anger tapping behind her calm attitude from desperation. The aggression which was starting to show in her voice didn’t seem to affect her target in anyways.
-why are you being an asshole. You know what I am capable of as much as I know what you can do.
-are you sure?
The boy commented while lifting his head.
-What do you mean.
-Nothing
Lorna felt the rage and the lights around them started to flicker. Her tense hands glowed as greenish flairs took shape around her pale fingers and casted an emerald shadow on her back nails. She wanted to stop but her wrath had taken control over her powers. The boy’s eyes went round and as Lorna thought she was going to erupt with a blink her hands were pressed together with two palms; clutching around them in a way to cover them up.
-I knew you were lying about your powers.
The boys head turned around for reassurance of their privacy and muttered as his eyes targeted hers with a rather passive aggressive glare.
-And I wish you could mention you can’t control yours.
Lorna’s smile vanished. Her sense of pride got replaced by momentary shame. He was right..She was capable of doing great stuff with her mutation but the effect of emotions was something she was far away from mastering. She shook the guilt away and narrowed her eyes on the boy. taking the upper hand of conversation.
-who are you and what can you do...and don’t give me bullshit this time
She uttered with a fierce voice before forcing her hand out of the firm grip around them.
-I’m Peter..like I said before
Lorna opened her mouth for objection but was interrupted before even starting.
-and I’m a speedster…you?
Speedster....she had never met one of those before.
-I’m Lorna ..metallokinatic...but you already knew that. Didn’t you.
-well I had my doubts.
There was an awkward silence lingering as both of them were eager to start but none of them knew how to put their questions into words. Peter however, was finally able to make the first move after clearing his throat. were the songs always this loud and his mind have been ignored it or his shifted focus made them more audible.
-sooo….can I ask you something?
Lorna tilted her head as an unspoken approval and leaned on the wooden wall behind her while crossing her arms. hoping to not hear the same questions she usually got after showing her mutation. buckling up to deny. the question however..was'nt the one she expected.
-what did you mean by I’m not who you think I am.
Peter’s heart sank for a second; remembering her previous remarks. Could she had been related to the man he helped to escape from the prison? Who had been hunting his darkest dreams till that day about what could had happened if he wasn’t stopped and how all of those outcomes would had been possible because of Peter’s interfering in the first place. Or to put it better, because he wanted to feel the excitement of a prison break before thinking about the consequences of releasing a dangerous criminal in the world? Peter had impulsive moments in his life but even comparing to his standards that was vivid stupidity. Of course getting out a man who had caused enough damage to the point that had been imprisoned in the freaking pentagon wasn’t a good idea. Had she rebelled against the will of her relative and was attempting to convince others she didn’t inherit the same hatred and fury against humans. Or maybe she was just tired of being misjudged by people all the time for the similarity of her powers to him. Although his speculations failed him as she explained.
-I’m not like those mutants working for the government. The ones captured by the purifiers. I give you every right to fear but please don’t associate me with them.
The name she mentioned was something he couldn’t recognize but a feeling told him it was going to be more than a voluntarily cleaning community.
-purifiers? What are you talking about.
Lorna stopped biting the inside of her lip; peering intently at boys questioned stare. disbelief rising up into her mind. she felt somehow jealous of boys ignorance. it meant he hadn't have to face one before. she thought of the unfairness of world. how some had the privilege of not knowing horrible things in the same place where others couldn't sleep at night from their menace. she remembered the appalling actions that had ripped apart many of groups she came to known as friends. the massacres of the same friends she once recognized as the family she didn't have. the family that she had learnt to live without in a hard way.
-you don’t know them? What? Those bastards are an anti-mutant hate group, brutal to the core…they're willing to do anything to wipe us out. Intimidation, arson, mass murdering, lynching…you name it. They think we are children of the evil and killing us is an act of mercy.
Lorna counted one finger with every crime she described and bit down her upper lip. A mixture of rage and fear had reflected into her features which Peter hadn’t seen before. She didn’t seem like a dramatic girl who would exaggerate everything. She literally stood in front of a man who wanted revenge and smiled the whole time in his face. So the thought of something alarming her like that left him with hairs standing on back of his neck. Was he imagining it or the place got colder. Peter had heard rumours of mutant haters who treated people of his kind like garbage. he wasn’t unfamiliar with them himself. They were rising more and more ever since Washington attack but never in that extent that she was describing. He turned his head towards the ground and zoned out on the bleak rotting panel. Maybe cause he couldn’t face the unnerving shadow of dread in the girls eyes.
-no I didn’t…well the fact that I don’t go out a lot could be the reason but even so..I’m sure something as edgy as those guys you’re talking about would alarm Wanda.
-who’s Wanda.
-my sister…doesn’t matter.
He knew she wasn’t lying. Or she must had been a terrific liar to fake that expression. Which Peter, although bearing in mind her previous shenanigans, couldn’t accept as a possibility.
-tell me more about them.
Her face was screaming she didn’t want to. Her whole body seemed tenser; her shoulders tightening to get her out of her confident straight posture. Peter didn’t want to bring back any unsettling memory but before informing her, she started to continue.
-I myself don’t know a lot about them..I just know they have an oath to wipe us out. After their last attack to our near sanctuary I Was among a few who decided to leave the state so I came here. I knew there weren’t as much spread as they were in Georgia but I had no idea about how hidden they were. I could be followed even out of state. They seem to have an unhealthy obsession with catching me for god knows what reason.
Although..Lorna didn’t want to say it out loud to a stranger but she knew the exact reason behind her importance. Thoughts and feelings were storming Peters mind. The hopelessness in her tone clung deeply into his stomach and the darkness of her words felt heavy on his heart. He could sense the loud desperation and anguish behind her low voice. All Peter could think at that moment was finding a solution for her pain. He didn’t know why all of the sudden the well being of a stranger had become his only priority. Maybe cause he could sympathize with her experiences as a fellow mutant? He had been the victim of actions fueled by hatred through his life. He knew how frightening it was even in smaller scales. Peter couldn’t even imagine how horrible she must have felt. Or maybe...maybe it was emanated of guilt. Of feeling party responsible for all the rage and enmity she and their kind suffered from. He had tried many times to shake off the blame; convincing himself that they, the mans he went along with, not asking any questions, could had done those things without his help anyway. That he wasn’t the reason the whole world came to know about mutants in a horrible manner. That his one wrong step hadn’t started a whole hurricane. But he failed every time. They could eventually release their friend..but had they been able to do it in time? He avoided people not only because he was fed up with the hate from normal; but because most of times he couldn’t bring himself to face the ones with power out of shame too. Wanda knew it. She had tried to console him many times. But even her mind reading powers weren’t enough to heal his remorse. He remembered the three man that were his partners in dooming their kind and the realization illuminated like a light bulb in the mess of ideas. His head turned to face Lorna quicker than the speed of sound. Beaming with excitements rays.
-there used to be a place for people like us that was under the management of a mutant I helped a long time ago. He didn’t exactly say it but from his words I figured the place is closed now....but I can give you the address. I have a card. Maybe you could find him. He seemed like a nice person so…. maybe he can help you settle in.
Lorna’s features turned to a warmer one as a faint smile found its way on her lips. although trying, the dark shadow of memories couldn't be hidden away fully under the new expression.
-I really appreciate your affords but I have to move tomorrow. There’s someone I need to find. I think he can help me to hide…I hope.
Peter nodded in understanding. Feeling somehow a lot better after knowing that her only hope wasn’t going to be some drunk unstable guy with shit tone of shady money and Peter wasn’t even sure his address was still reliable or not. Although..the doubt lingering in her voice was still an inconvenient he couldn’t ignore. He could propose another option. He could ask her to stay with them. He could hide her in their basement till dusts settled down and things got calmer a bit but...if he wanted to take her own words into account; these purifiers seemed nothing but pure menace to mutant society. He couldn't imagine leading them straight to his house, where Wanda was also living would be the best idea. Peter really… really wanted to help her but...his family was the priority..right? He had promised to never again lead anything dangerous to them the day they watched the news together. The news about the mess he had started. He had to protect his sisters first no matter what.
-if the plan didn’t work you can always find me around here. Our name stands out pretty well. Just ask for Maximoff household.
He meant it. Even if he couldn't shelter her in their house, he would find somewhere else no matter what. Lorna stared at him with a new light glowing in her eyes. Peter wasn't sure but for a second he saw a shimmer of what seemed to be the forming tears before forcedly closing his eyes to hear Wanda’s calls. Her voice echoed inside his mind space like a dreamish thought.
-Wanda’s summoning me..I have to go.
He opened his eyelids to witness the forming confusion on Lorna’s face.
-wait…how
-she’s a telepath…you figure out the rest.
Peter turned towards the direction of the black door but before leaving, he shared another glance with the girl he was about to abandon.
-Maybe one day we see each other again ha? And Wanda can show you all the cool things she can do.
-yeah…but I really hope it isn’t because of that address we’ve talked about.
Lorna’s left wrist twisted in a green glow and before peter could find the chance to ask; something heavy, hidden in the lack of bright lights, fell into his jackets pocket.
-you won.
Peter brushed his finger on the cold metal. Feeling a shallow smile taking from as a response to hers.
-you know…I once knew a guy who could do that.
Lorna crossed her arms. Showing the arrogant expressions she carried around to cover the damage.
-me too. I guess it’s more common than we think.
She answered back with a teasing tone and watched the boy as he stopped for the last time at the door to wave before leaving. Her smirk faded when a cold sense rushed through her body. once again feeling the creeping loneliness that had got numb for a few minuets in the presence of someone else. someone who somehow felt familiar even though they had just meet.
-he’s the one I'm looking for…he’s my father.