cutting_edgex23 | (no subject)

494 loves sprawling. It's a natural, comfortable position that's just not encouraged back at the Manticore facility. What's not to love about going totally boneless in a big, soft armchair?

Lucky for him and his genetically enhanced senses, he can always be on his guard without having to be. That's why when he catches a whiff of X, standing right behind him, he just grins.

"Not so subtle as you usually make it, there. Am I to think that you're losing your--"

He twists around.

And stares.

Oh, that can't be good.

The little girl's head tilts, though her expression remains remarkably wide-eyed and innocent.

She's silent.

Waiting.

But for what?

It's an implacable sort of gaze.

494 swallows, and pulls himself up.

"You're, uh."

Oh wow. Um.

"X-23?"

Please please shake your head or something. This is not his favorite kind of weird.

X tilts her head very slightly in the other direction.

But she does not approach.

She is not supposed to. She is to let other people approach her at the appropriate intervals.

Did they change her schedule without notice?

It is not relevant even if they did.

This is not a mission.

What is he supposed to do here? Let her sniff his hand?

He looks her in the eye and taps his chest. "X5-494. Ringing any bells?"

Maybe she got mysteriously de-aged on the outside. It's Milliways: stranger things by far have happened.

X checks his wrist to see if he has a watch.

Maybe he is another of the Facility's projects.

Could he be on a mission, too?

There is a watch, true, but it's a souvenir from last week's job in Argentina.

He's got to make her trust him, though. Otherwise, what, could she get hurt? (X? Seriously? Even at this age? "Shut up," he tells himself. She might need him now.)

"Okay. Uh. Look. See?" He turns his back on her and lowers the collar of his jacket.

Barcode. He's a project too, okay? 494's building a relationship here.

She tilts her head a little farther, slipping a step forward.

Then two.

Hopefully 494 does not mind if she reaches out to touch.

He holds very still. Last thing he needs is a claw in his throat, you know?

Anyway, not like he isn't used to being poked and prodded.

X's fingers brush against the barcode once. Twice.

And then she lets her arm fall to her side, gaze fixed unerringly on 494's face.

She's waiting again.

Maybe for instructions, this time. Or a file folder.

...why is she looking at him like that?

Why isn't she talking?

He wracks his brain for a solution. Seriously, this is so much easier when they can just, you know, fight or he can make fun of her and she can not get it or they can go wreak some havoc where there's a side profit to be made. But with her just standing there, all tiny and composed and not talking? It jams his brain. He's not received training for managing small children.

"You, uh." He scratches the back of his head. "You want some milk?"

It seems like a pretty reliable route, anyway.

This pulls X a step closer, and with the air of someone to whom this is expected behavior, she slips her hand into his.

Then she looks up at him.

Where do they go now?

494 stares at the tiny hand in his as though he can't quite comprehend what it's doing there.

He takes a moment to surreptitiously scan the floor to see if anyone's watching. Seriously, would he ever hear the end of it if someone he knew saw him like this? No, no he would not.

...still, he doesn't see anyone he knows, and it's not like he couldn't kick the ass of anyone who said something crosswise, so he stands up, holding X's hand, what the hell, and takes a breath.

"Okay, uh, we're gonna go get a booth now. You're really gonna like it, someone's gonna take care of you, everything'll be just." He swallows. "Fine."

Damn it.

Is there someone he can maybe leave her with? He's really not qualified for this.

X follows him obediently, and will sit next to him unless he indicates that she should not.

She follows orders very well.

Pliant is a good word for it.

Or maybe passive.

And she never takes her eyes off him. The Facility does not like when she is distracted from her instructors.

Well, it's making him antsy.

He guides them over to a booth, smiling at nodding at everyone they pass. Really, if you just pretend that it's normal emphatically enough, surely no one's gonna remark on it, right?

Her training doesn't line up with his. At Manticore, they believe in assessing your surroundings.

Does her Facility believe in, say, levity? "I know I'm good-looking, but you don't have to stare," he smirks, eyes roving.

Wow, she's still holding his hand. This is really, really strange and awkward and he really hopes that he'll forget it soon, since he still intends to--

Uh. You never heard that last part.

X continues to look at him for a few seconds longer, then her gaze drops to his collarbone.

From there is shifts left, and she leans against him a little as she turns to regard the rest of the room.

Her expression remains pleasantly blank throughout. Even when people look back.

...or, okay, there's that.

494 sort of squirms a moment.

She's. Is she cuddling?

A horrible thought dawns on him: are passersby going to think that she's... his? How many levels of wrong can we hit here?

X might notice 494's heartbeat speeding up a little. He clears his throat. Or coughs. Or, you know, something.

"So, hey, how about that milk? Or spaghetti? Come on, you like spaghetti. Don't you? You tend to. Or cookies? Who doesn't like cookies? X? You want something?"

Please respond verbally, please respond verbally, please respond verbally...

She can detect the racing of his pulse, which is why her attention is drawn back to him.

X tilts her head slightly, expression bland as she watches him again.

She will eat if he gives her food. And if he doesn't she will not mind.

They take care of her.

And maybe there will be no tests today. Or just training with sensei.

The waitrat comes.

494 gives it a long list. He's trying to cover all his basis.

When it returns, anything 494's ever seen X eat or enjoy is spread out in front of her.

Plus there's a shot of milk that Bar apparently insisted on sending over for him.

This frigging place.

"Well." He gestures at the table. "This is all for you. Anything there tickle your fancy?"

She looks the food over carefully, making note of what dishes are present.

She does not recognize many of them. She eats what they feed her.

And that would be why she looks back at 494, waiting for him to give her the food that is hers.

On a scale of 1 to the X7 bat-kids, she's... climbing.

494 studies the array. Maybe she'll learn by demonstration?

He reaches for the corn chips.

Just, you know. A handful for himself. She's not a freaking bird, she can eat for herself, right? Or is that too much to expect from a five-year-old killing machine?

She watches him, head tilting just a little bit more.

He does not seem to get sick. That is probably good.

She flicks a quick glance at the--whatever they are.

But she does not move to touch them. She gets in trouble for that.

How hard can this be? He's chewing, rather loudly, and keeps looking down at her.

"Look, you want to eat? Eat. Okay? They're good. Tasty. I promise. Especially if you've grown up with crappy food, wow, are they awesome."

He doesn't seem to be making a dent, though.

494 frowns.

And flicks a corn chip at X's head.

What? It's better than playing "airplane" with a spoon.

X reaches up to catch it.

Then she hands it back, hand held palm up so the corn chip can rest in the middle.

Doesn't he want it back?

"Okay, that's freakish." He thins his lips. "Open up."

Beat.

"Your mouth. Open your mouth."

He picks up another couple of chips and holds them at the ready.

X fails to obey.

She just keeps watching him.

His methods are unorthodox.

Is it a test?