edge of downtown. three blocks down from the shitty place i found you.
5pm.
[The location is not, in fact, a place to get a drink. It's one of the derelict parks, Cable is on a bench. Anticipating that Scott might make him wait.]
[ Upon receiving the time and place, Scott only sends a brief Got it before stowing away his phone. True enough, he does make Cable wait. Ever since spiraling down once he heard his and Jean's terrible fate back home, Scott has never been early for anything. Meetups, replying to messages, etc. This one's no different.
Arriving at the location, however, Scott's surprised it's not a bar, as he dismounts from his bike to look around. He easily spots Cable on one of the benches, though, approaching him with hands inside his pockets. It's becoming increasingly cold in Panorama over the past few weeks. ]
Thought we're meeting for a drink. [ He doesn't sit beside the man, averting his gaze to wander through the surrounding area. ]
You'll want one when we're done. [Cryptically. He doesn't love sitting while his father is standing, doesn't sit well with the orderly part of his brain. But he's also stubborn like his father, so he rests his elbows on his knees like he's comfortable here.
He looks up at Scott, searching his expression for a moment. His mouth is going dry, so he better start talking.]
Listen-- I was harder on you than I should have been when I found you at the bar. [He pauses briefly, but he's obviously searching for words.]
[ Okay yeah, that's a bit cryptic, but it only earns a semi-raised brow from Scott as his gaze returns to Cable. At this point, nothing surprises him anymore. What could possibly be worse than the things he experienced here + knowing he and Jean are dead (or going to die) back home? Is there another apocalypse? Did they get all wiped out in an alternate reality? He doubts anything could be worse than those things.
What probably actually surprises him was that admission. He didn't anticipate Cable, who is nothing but gruff and grumpy, to backtrack on his treatment of him that night. ]
Is that an apology? [ Probably this man's way of doing it? He's been around taciturn individuals (see Logan) so he has an idea. ] Why were you surprised?
It's an acknowledgement. [Firmly, because Scott vomited on his boots so he considers this to be a balanced approach.
He shifts back just a little, jaw tightening while he thinks of how to approach this. In his mind, it's only for Scott's benefit that he's trying to gentle it instead of just saying it. Absolutely not because he feels deeply nervous.]
I've told you I'm from further along than you, right? [He gives Scott a questioning look, checking his understanding.]
I knew about you before you knew me-- from stories. Legacy. [Not just Scott, in fairness. But he's always had a particular fondness for stories about Cyclops.]
You, Jean.. You didn't die like that. Not in my world.
[ Acknowledgment. He can work with that, so he doesn't comment on it. Scott also only nods when Cable asks if he knows the other man's from further ahead. He and Wade, from what he can recall. Laura, too, of course. He mostly confirmed these from either Logan or Charles really.
Stories. Legacy. Almost akin to the comic books Laura mentioned before. What catches his full attention, though, as both his brows shoot up in surprise is that he and Jean didn't die like that. ]
Huh. But we still died, right? [ There's no pain in his tone when he asks. He's been wallowing in his own misery for more than a month now. Emotional exhaustion doesn't come close some days. Hands falling to his hips, Scott just sighs. ]
If you're gonna tell me another version of how we died, I think I get the picture. [ That he and Jean would never live in any version of the future. That they're always doomed somehow in any alternate timeline. His tone's a bit dismissive when he says this as he looks away again. ]
Everybody dies. [He can't help pointing out, only partially because he doesn't want Scott to spiral again.]
There was more ground to cover, as far as I know. [He's visibly picking his words carefully, but he seems decided and he straightens up when he looks at Scott.]
And I know that, because you didn't die before you had a kid. [A beat.]
[ That right there? That makes Scott turn sharply towards Cable, brows furrowing in clear confusion and inevitable surprise. What the heck did he just hear the man say? And here he thought nothing could be stranger, or worse, than knowing about their deaths back home. Somehow, this is even weirder. Maybe not worse, but definitely more bizarre. ]
What? [ Yeah, he's absolutely surprised by this. ] Jean and I- [ Because there's no other woman he'd have a son with, right? But god, he can't even complete that sentence knowing what he knows back home. ]
Okay, how's this possible? How do you even know this?
[Cable keeps his wince from reaching his face when Scott mentions Jean. They can cross that bridge when they get to it-- and he's not entirely wrong, anyway.
Cable fixes his eyes on Scott. His stare is hard, and it's like he's not really looking at Scott. More like he's looking through him.]
It's possible the way it's usually possible to have a kid. [He's not sure why he's getting frustrated that Scott hasn't guessed the answer to something he's deliberately given him no information about. But he is.]
[ The revelation understandably stuns Scott speechless for a moment. Beneath ruby quartz glasses, he studies Cable for a good while, trying to make sense of what he just said because it's so out of left field. How can this old man be his son? Some timeline shenanigans?
So, of course, justifiably, Scott results to the first thing one does when met with something this bizarre: denial. ]
Sure. [ He replies, flat and a little bit sarcastic. He just stares at Cable for a good second or two, expression almost unreadable. ] And I'm the Tooth Fairy.
[ A beat. ] You know, I kind of get why you and Wade are friends. You're both outrageous. [ He's still leveling Cable with a stare. Sorry son, your father's a stubborn bitch. ] Having a kid is one thing, but a fifty year-old man? Get out of here.
[ Scott almost answers that question with another snarky quip, but he bites his tongue about it. They'd most likely go on and on about how ridiculous this all sounds, which won't allow them to get to the bottom of things. And Scott's a man who wants to solve problems, not further create them. This doesn't mean he doesn't find this outrageous still.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he raises an eyebrow. This might feel more like an interrogation as the conversation goes on. ]
Why would I send you away?
[ Is it because of the sentient robots? While Scott doesn't think he'd send his own child away for something like that, he could see it. Even understand it, to some extent. If it's for the good of everyone, he most likely will.
If he believes all this, of course, because he's still not one hundred percent sure Cable's not pulling his leg here. ]
[Through this conversation, Cable is still deciding how much he wants to say. The deeper he gets into it, the more he feels that obscuring the truth isn't the honourable thing to do. It's not really protecting Scott from anything, it's just shirking responsibility.]
This isn't my mutation. [He gestures vaguely to his left side. The most visibly ravaged side.]
It's a disease without a cure. Must've figured the future was the safer option.
[It's absolutely more complicated than that, but if he gets too granular they'll be here all day.]
I'm assuming you'd find this more convincing if I had your powers.
[And he cannot give Scott that certainty, but he can make a discarded beer can float idly between them. Hopefully that paints a picture for him.]
[ Scott's still skeptical, and it's evident by the way his expression doesn't change much. He frowns a bit more when Cable tells him he'd be more convinced if the man have his powers. Look, that's how one knows they're a Summers. Alex has a similar powerset as him, even though the blasts shoot from elsewhere.
This skepticism nearly vanishes from his features when Cable levitates a discarded beer can. His eyebrows shoot up and he's not only emotionally taken aback, but also physically.
He watches that can float for a good moment or two before he turns back to Cable. ] How could this...?
[ Be possible, are the words he's not able to say. Normally, he can form words. But this is just beyond his imagination now. Learning he and Jean died (or will die) back home is one thing, but learning they had a son in some alternate timeline? And here he thought he can't be shocked anymore. ]
[ Scott takes in everything Cable has to say with an increasing shock. He still hasn't fully processed the fact that Cable here might actually be his son, but to know more of its details is truly outlandish to him. ]
What? Jean has a clone?
[ Now that's something he'd have to fully sit on because that's just outrageous and something he'd never thought possible. It's not even about the science of cloning, but Jean? Of all people? ]
Look, these are all sounding very damn weird. I- [ He swears he can form better words than this. ] How?
[ He's not glossing over the fact Cable mentions he always makes it out, but his brain is still on the I'm Your Son Train. ]
[Sometimes the best response is no response. It's Cable's usual default. Unfortunately, there are times in a man's life when he needs to continue plowing through an uncomfortable conversation.
Cable's hands are fastened on his lap, nervous.]
Jean has a clone. [Jean. Not mom. Not his mother.]
She died another time, as far as I know. Too soon then, too. Someone wanted her to pass on her DNA, so they made it happen.
[He leans back against the bench, his head cocks lazily to the side when he answers.]
There was a theory that you and her would make a mutant powerful enough to end Apocalypse.
[ All of this is genuinely hard to accept. Even with that display if telekinesis, it's still Cable's word against his own doubts. It's like being confronted by overwhelming evidence that counters everything you've believed in.
To be fair, though, people wanting their DNA isn't new. Laura acquiring Logan's comes to mind. And while he doesn't like what Logan has gone through, the guy has been a test subject for as long as he can remember. For this to happen to Jean, as well... Scott has no words.
What he has words for, though, are to those last few things Cable mentioned. ]
Apocalypse? [ First time he's heard of whatever this is. Doesn't like the sound of it one bit. ] So that mutant... that's you? [ Who will end whatever this is. ]
[ Scott watches Cable stand while speaking, gaze turning to the offered hand before him. A minute ago he's still reeling from finding out he and Jean are dead back home, having spent more than a month wallowing in his own sorrow, and now, before him, is a son he never got to know. Never even thought of conceiving. It stings to remember that he and Jean talked about possibly settling down once, after a particularly passionate night, just to have that get taken away from both of them, only to manifest in a way he never even imagined.
Yes, this is a lot to take in. A lot of things he can't quite fix. And for a man who thrives in putting things in order, he feels out of depth here. Like a fever dream he'd probably wake up from anytime soon. But it's not. This is his reality now, and as stubborn as he is, Scott firmly knows this same hardheadedness will help him process this in due time.
For now, he takes that hand with his own, firm and yet also fond. His other hand lifts up to rest on Cable's shoulder, touching his own flesh and blood. It feels surreal, and yet somehow, he can feel it. For a brief ten seconds of time, Scott just takes this in, staring at this fifty year old man who's actually his son, trying to find the blueprint of the boy he never got to raise.
A sharp breath he lets go, a small smile, and a soft nod. ] I'd like to get to know you more, too.
[ Because that's what a good father should aim to do, no matter their discrepancy in age.
You're not done yet. What a good sentiment. What a good reason for his son to tell him about all this. He's grateful. And while this place might be far from ideal, it's home for now. ]
You okay with that? This is still a lot to take in, but. I'm trying.
[The moment Scott's hand touches his shoulder, he feels like a little boy instead of the grown-ass man that he is. He shifts uncomfortably, which he thinks is unbecoming of a man his age. Still, there's a hopeful little flutter in his chest because the idea of working alongside Scott is exciting for him. Something he wanted for a long time.
It's enough to allow himself to be optimistic instead of cynical about their circumstances. If he's being lured into a trap, the bait is pretty effective. But he's stuck in this place anyway, so he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.
He nods, looking down and away before back up at Scott's face.]
[ Retracting his hand from Cable's shoulder, Scott can't help the small chuckle that leaves his lips. This is still so surreal to him, but at least, he can take this one day at a time. Process this when he gets back home even if he had to stare at his ceiling for a bit. ]
That's fair. We can do it some other time.
[ He smiles, one of the rare ones he can give right now, as his gaze never leaves his son's face. ] Whenever you're ready, you have my number.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Name your time and place and I'll be there.
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5pm.
[The location is not, in fact, a place to get a drink. It's one of the derelict parks, Cable is on a bench. Anticipating that Scott might make him wait.]
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Arriving at the location, however, Scott's surprised it's not a bar, as he dismounts from his bike to look around. He easily spots Cable on one of the benches, though, approaching him with hands inside his pockets. It's becoming increasingly cold in Panorama over the past few weeks. ]
Thought we're meeting for a drink. [ He doesn't sit beside the man, averting his gaze to wander through the surrounding area. ]
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He looks up at Scott, searching his expression for a moment. His mouth is going dry, so he better start talking.]
Listen-- I was harder on you than I should have been when I found you at the bar. [He pauses briefly, but he's obviously searching for words.]
I was surprised.
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What probably actually surprises him was that admission. He didn't anticipate Cable, who is nothing but gruff and grumpy, to backtrack on his treatment of him that night. ]
Is that an apology? [ Probably this man's way of doing it? He's been around taciturn individuals (see Logan) so he has an idea. ] Why were you surprised?
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He shifts back just a little, jaw tightening while he thinks of how to approach this. In his mind, it's only for Scott's benefit that he's trying to gentle it instead of just saying it. Absolutely not because he feels deeply nervous.]
I've told you I'm from further along than you, right? [He gives Scott a questioning look, checking his understanding.]
I knew about you before you knew me-- from stories. Legacy. [Not just Scott, in fairness. But he's always had a particular fondness for stories about Cyclops.]
You, Jean.. You didn't die like that. Not in my world.
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Stories. Legacy. Almost akin to the comic books Laura mentioned before. What catches his full attention, though, as both his brows shoot up in surprise is that he and Jean didn't die like that. ]
Huh. But we still died, right? [ There's no pain in his tone when he asks. He's been wallowing in his own misery for more than a month now. Emotional exhaustion doesn't come close some days. Hands falling to his hips, Scott just sighs. ]
If you're gonna tell me another version of how we died, I think I get the picture. [ That he and Jean would never live in any version of the future. That they're always doomed somehow in any alternate timeline. His tone's a bit dismissive when he says this as he looks away again. ]
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There was more ground to cover, as far as I know. [He's visibly picking his words carefully, but he seems decided and he straightens up when he looks at Scott.]
And I know that, because you didn't die before you had a kid. [A beat.]
A son.
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What? [ Yeah, he's absolutely surprised by this. ] Jean and I- [ Because there's no other woman he'd have a son with, right? But god, he can't even complete that sentence knowing what he knows back home. ]
Okay, how's this possible? How do you even know this?
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Cable fixes his eyes on Scott. His stare is hard, and it's like he's not really looking at Scott. More like he's looking through him.]
It's possible the way it's usually possible to have a kid. [He's not sure why he's getting frustrated that Scott hasn't guessed the answer to something he's deliberately given him no information about. But he is.]
I'm your son, Scott.
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So, of course, justifiably, Scott results to the first thing one does when met with something this bizarre: denial. ]
Sure. [ He replies, flat and a little bit sarcastic. He just stares at Cable for a good second or two, expression almost unreadable. ] And I'm the Tooth Fairy.
[ A beat. ] You know, I kind of get why you and Wade are friends. You're both outrageous. [ He's still leveling Cable with a stare. Sorry son, your father's a stubborn bitch. ] Having a kid is one thing, but a fifty year-old man? Get out of here.
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[The sound Cable makes is pained and exasperated. Like the last little bit of air leaving a sad, old balloon.]
Fifty-two years ago, in my timeline, you had me. You had to send me away.
[He is dead serious in his tone. Maybe even a little resentful, don't pay any mind to that.]
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Crossing his arms over his chest, he raises an eyebrow. This might feel more like an interrogation as the conversation goes on. ]
Why would I send you away?
[ Is it because of the sentient robots? While Scott doesn't think he'd send his own child away for something like that, he could see it. Even understand it, to some extent. If it's for the good of everyone, he most likely will.
If he believes all this, of course, because he's still not one hundred percent sure Cable's not pulling his leg here. ]
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This isn't my mutation. [He gestures vaguely to his left side. The most visibly ravaged side.]
It's a disease without a cure. Must've figured the future was the safer option.
[It's absolutely more complicated than that, but if he gets too granular they'll be here all day.]
I'm assuming you'd find this more convincing if I had your powers.
[And he cannot give Scott that certainty, but he can make a discarded beer can float idly between them. Hopefully that paints a picture for him.]
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This skepticism nearly vanishes from his features when Cable levitates a discarded beer can. His eyebrows shoot up and he's not only emotionally taken aback, but also physically.
He watches that can float for a good moment or two before he turns back to Cable. ] How could this...?
[ Be possible, are the words he's not able to say. Normally, he can form words. But this is just beyond his imagination now. Learning he and Jean died (or will die) back home is one thing, but learning they had a son in some alternate timeline? And here he thought he can't be shocked anymore. ]
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You've got good genetics. So does Jean.
[And if he were a more jovial person, maybe it would sound like he's making a joke about being attractive. Instead he sounds clinical.]
My mother isn't Jean. She's a clone of hers. [It brings him absolutely no relief to rip the rest of the bandaid off. It all feels a little surreal.
He's careful to meet Scott's eyes, sincere.]
All I heard when I grew up were stories about both of you. All of you. [Charles. Logan. Storm.]
Plenty of them sounded like you didn't make it out. But you always did. That's what you do.
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What? Jean has a clone?
[ Now that's something he'd have to fully sit on because that's just outrageous and something he'd never thought possible. It's not even about the science of cloning, but Jean? Of all people? ]
Look, these are all sounding very damn weird. I- [ He swears he can form better words than this. ] How?
[ He's not glossing over the fact Cable mentions he always makes it out, but his brain is still on the I'm Your Son Train. ]
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Cable's hands are fastened on his lap, nervous.]
Jean has a clone. [Jean. Not mom. Not his mother.]
She died another time, as far as I know. Too soon then, too. Someone wanted her to pass on her DNA, so they made it happen.
[He leans back against the bench, his head cocks lazily to the side when he answers.]
There was a theory that you and her would make a mutant powerful enough to end Apocalypse.
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To be fair, though, people wanting their DNA isn't new. Laura acquiring Logan's comes to mind. And while he doesn't like what Logan has gone through, the guy has been a test subject for as long as he can remember. For this to happen to Jean, as well... Scott has no words.
What he has words for, though, are to those last few things Cable mentioned. ]
Apocalypse? [ First time he's heard of whatever this is. Doesn't like the sound of it one bit. ] So that mutant... that's you? [ Who will end whatever this is. ]
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He just nods.]
I'm aware that this is a lot to take in. [It's kind of like he's trying to be conciliatory but he's not actually sure how.]
I was in a mind to keep it from you, thought it wouldn't do you much good to know. [He shrugs, pushing himself up to stand finally.]
Now I think it's better for you if you know, you're not done yet.
[He offers his flesh hand forward, Scott can shake it if he wants.]
And if we have to be here. [He sort of starts and stops himself before pushing himself through it.]
I'd like it if we could work together.
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Yes, this is a lot to take in. A lot of things he can't quite fix. And for a man who thrives in putting things in order, he feels out of depth here. Like a fever dream he'd probably wake up from anytime soon. But it's not. This is his reality now, and as stubborn as he is, Scott firmly knows this same hardheadedness will help him process this in due time.
For now, he takes that hand with his own, firm and yet also fond. His other hand lifts up to rest on Cable's shoulder, touching his own flesh and blood. It feels surreal, and yet somehow, he can feel it. For a brief ten seconds of time, Scott just takes this in, staring at this fifty year old man who's actually his son, trying to find the blueprint of the boy he never got to raise.
A sharp breath he lets go, a small smile, and a soft nod. ] I'd like to get to know you more, too.
[ Because that's what a good father should aim to do, no matter their discrepancy in age.
You're not done yet. What a good sentiment. What a good reason for his son to tell him about all this. He's grateful. And while this place might be far from ideal, it's home for now. ]
You okay with that? This is still a lot to take in, but. I'm trying.
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It's enough to allow himself to be optimistic instead of cynical about their circumstances. If he's being lured into a trap, the bait is pretty effective. But he's stuck in this place anyway, so he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.
He nods, looking down and away before back up at Scott's face.]
Yeah, I'm okay with it.
[He pauses, adding:]
Now's not a good time. [He's talked out.]
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That's fair. We can do it some other time.
[ He smiles, one of the rare ones he can give right now, as his gaze never leaves his son's face. ] Whenever you're ready, you have my number.