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The Color of Confession
Topic Started: Aug 16 2009, 09:51 PM (397 Views)
Doc Samson
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Gamma radiated strength, stamina
August 13th
afternoon



There was a bubble of spring on the roof of the X-Factor building, which was a welcomed relief from the August heat that had settled over the bulk of the eastern seaboard. It was apparently a creation of Wanda Maximoff's as was the wild arrangement of foliage that put in mind Samson's ideas of where the twins had come from. There was a bench, made of twisting tree limbs 'magicked" into a seat, impossibly fragile looking, but undoubtedly enough to hold him in some improbable way that he had come to accept when the world turned itself upside down and the impossible had become not only possible, but commonplace. He sat in the seat, finding it surprisingly comfortable, the surroundings pleasant, even the city sounds strangely dimmed.

He was going to meet Lorna Dane, today, the magnetrix known as Polaris, the daughter of Magneto, half sister to Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, reportedly the wife to be of Alex Summers, though that information was new enough to need verification. The life of a mutant seemed very soap opera-esque, so gossip and rumor ran quite rampant. He had to admit he was eager for this session, because of a couple reasons, her power and personality having been well documented by her teammates, but also, quite humorously, he was interested in this supposed resemblance between them, which he understood was based solely on their hair color. Interesting how members of a race that so desperately did not want to be judged were still so quick to make assumptions based on superficial appearances. Guess they weren't that far removed from humanity as people supposed.

For now though, as he waited, he closed his eyes, listened to a bird singing in the trees, and enjoyed the kiss of spring on his face.
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Lorna Dane
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Lorna did not usually feeling reluctance dragging at her steps when she walked up the stairs towards the roof, where Wanda and Pietro had made their home and the small bubble of spring was still maintained. Usually it was a relief for her, to step into that place, frozen perfectly out of time or to visit her brother and sister whom she felt that she never managed to spend as much time with as she wished to. It was a source of a continuing low level guilt and frustration for the green haired woman.

At the moment however, she was not going up the stairs to see Pietro and Wanda, she was going to see the therapist SHIELD had sent to the headquarters. A feeling of nausea had settled into her stomach in the morning and had not abated and she wanted nothing more than to be actually sick so that she could have a good reason to not go today. She was doing it only because Alex had asked her to co-operate as much as possible with SHEILD and she knew that this all stemmed from his doubts as a leader, so Lorna was making the effort to at least attend the sessions. Whether she would actually say anything was another matter entirely and wasn’t something she had yet made a decision about.

She stepped out onto the roof and then crossed slowly to the bubble of springtime which waited, normally so enticingly, but now merely a physical manifestation of the dread she was feeling. Lorna had seen enough therapists when she was a teenager to last a life time, and it wasn’t something she had ever enjoyed. Her head had been messed with enough by therapists and external forces that the very thought of having to spend a session with someone else trying to get into her mind made her extremely unwilling.

Her thumb moved to touch the engagement ring circling her finger, the diamond turned inwards to her palm today, to conceal it from the prying eyes of the therapist. She acknowledged that she probably should take it off, but right now it was serving as a touchstone, something to give her strength and remind her exactly why she was doing this.

As summer turned to spring, Lorna’s green eyes immediately moved to search for the man she was supposed to meet, landing on a large good looking man with hair almost the exact shade of hers, confirming the teasing of her team mates who had already met with the man. A small smile touched her lips at that and she shook her head slightly as she walked towards him. “Doctor Samson, I assume?” Lorna said, extending her hand towards the man to shake, determinedly neutral and almost business like now. “The hair gives you away.” She commented lightly, trying to find a tone that would best keep him at arms length.
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Doc Samson
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“Doctor Samson, I assume?” Lorna said, extending her hand towards the man to shake, determinedly neutral and almost business like now. “The hair gives you away.”

His eyes opened and he smiled. The girl in front of him could only be Lorna Dane, and he understood now why they were being compared. Her hair was an almost identical shade as his. Rising he took her hand in his in a grip that was almost dainty, until it became clear that he was making every effort not to crush her fingers. "Miss Dane, yes, your team mates have found it quite amusing to tease me about it. Please, have a seat if you wish. I must admit I am curious as to what connection your hair has to your ability. My hair is green because it's a side effect of the gamma poisoning that altered my physiology, but yours? It doesn't seem to correlate with your mutation, does it?"

He took a seat after she did and laughed, "But then I am expecting logic and science in something so miraculous and unpredictable. I forget sometimes that the world is changing faster than I have. You know a little about that though, don't you? Things have changed dramatically for you recently. Your brother, your sister, your lover, your father. These are all relatively new developments, within the past couple of years according to what I know. Not to mention Apocalypse, X-Factor, Mutant Town, quite a tumultuous time this has been for you. How are you holding up? I imagine you get a lot of questions about how Alex is doing, considering recent events, but what about you? "
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Lorna Dane
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The Doctor shook her hand, taking it in a careful grip, one she was familiar with having spent so much time around people who could accidentally rip the door off a car when they went to open it. “They like to take any opportunity to tease.” Lorna agreed with a smile, thinking affectionately, protectively, of her team mates. He offered a seat and began explaining why his hair was green, questioning her on the reason for her own unusual shade, and Lorna gave a shrug of her shoulders as she moved to take a seat. Her hair colour had always been something of a mystery.

“There are various theories going around, but I personally have no idea. It is what it is, and I’ve learnt some things are better to accept than keep questioning when the answer is going to do little.” Lorna said, immediately wishing she hadn’t spoken, as she was trying hard not to give him anything to pick up on. She shifted uncomfortably as he began to speak about the changes in her life, not liking one bit that he knew about her personal life. In truth she hated the whole idea of X-Factor being placed in the lap of SHIELD, and wished desperately that she had been able to change Alex’s mind about it. Unfortunately he had been set on the idea, and now they were all having to register, giving up their details to people whom motives she didn’t trust in the slightest.

“I am holding up fine. I have very little to complain about, I have wonderful team mates, my brother and sister are close by and my boyfriend is no longer trying to destroy the world. I think it would be rather ungrateful to be unhappy at this point. Things aren’t perfect, not by a long shot, and this newest development with SHIELD isn’t particularly welcome, but as mutants we have all learnt to cherish any form of peace and happiness we can get.”
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Doc Samson
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“There are various theories going around, but I personally have no idea. It is what it is, and I’ve learnt some things are better to accept than keep questioning when the answer is going to do little.” Lorna said regarding her hair color.

"That's true," Samson said, "When I was exposed to the radiation that made me what I am now, my strength at first was tied to the length of my hair, as if I was now a hulked out version of the biblical story. Eventually, it stabilized though, leaving absolutely no explanation for why it was so in the first place. I imagine if I cared more, I could study and research and blah blah, but really, I agree with you. If the answer isn't going to matter, why torture yourself with questions?"

She was very sparse with her information, answering his questions with carefully guarded words, but one phrase stood out. "...my boyfriend is no longer trying to destroy the world..." said bluntly, matter of factly, in the same breath as the casual presence of her siblings and the fond mention of her team mates. Samson made a note of it, but didn't press her on it, not yet. Instead he focused on "...as mutants we have all learnt to cherish any form of peace and happiness we can get.”

"You don't think it's the same for humankind?" Samson said, "That mutants have it much tougher than other minorities? You are an attractive woman, Miss Dane, and even with the unusual hair color you sport, it's not an impossibility that one might not be able to tell you're a mutant. Perhaps you're simply an average human with a bold sense of color. You've chosen to present yourself to the world as a mutant, maybe not at first I don't know, but certainly at this point in your life. You allied yourself with an organization that has chosen to take on a public role in the mutant community and now in the delicate politics of mutant - human relations. Alex Summers, from his first intentions with this organization has not been subtle or quiet, though I have the suspicion, that he rarely is either of those things."
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Lorna Dane
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"I never said that we have it harder than any other minority, but we do we do suffer for a simple accident of birth that gave us powers." Lorna replied, pausing as he kept talking, pointing out how she could easily hide the fact that she was a mutant. She felt a flare of indignation and annoyance. At one time she was glad that her physical appearance didn't instantly mark her out as a mutant, but now she had learned to accept that part of herself, and she was proud of it. As much as she would deny it or perhaps not realise it, Lorna was her father's daughter in more ways than one, and the Doctor's words caused her pride in herself and the mutant community flare immediately.

"I haven't 'chosen' to present to myself to the world as a mutant. I am a mutant. There is no choice in that. If I hid that, I would be denying who and what I am. Do you think we should hide? Cower away in fear and deny who we are in hope of some kind of acceptance?" She took a breath and ran a hand through her green hair, in an attempt to take a moment to calm herself. It was something she felt passionate about, but had no realised how much, until he asked. Lorna felt a surge of irritation that he had managed to coax such a reaction out of her, he would likely glean more than she was comfortable from that.

"If you are interested in Alex's intentions, you should probably talk to him." Lorna replied, wondering if his mentions of Alex were a not so subtle way of trying to get her to talk about him, or their relationship, trying to push her buttons. She was not going to let him do that. Her relationship with Alex was between the two of them, it had nothing to do with the man now seated near her.
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Doc Samson
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It was a shame that so many people who Samson sat down with felt the need to fight him, to put up a shell around themselves to try and hide their emotions from him. He wondered if it would be any different if they knew that the very act of avoiding his questions was in and of itself answering them. Lorna was very proud of her mutant heritage though it was clearly because of his suggestions that she was not. It was more than plain contrariness though.

"I would never suggest anyone hide who they are," Samson, "After all, that's counter intuitive to everything I stand for." He tapped his pen against his chin, "I envy mutants in many ways. Even the most unstable of your people are what nature intended, an evolutionary leap forward that was dictated by genetics and necessity. My abilities are, at best, forced, accidentally but entirely artificial and therefore, oddly enough acceptable to humanity. I am looked upon as a tragedy or perhaps an object lesson about the dangers of tampering with science, but I am not considered a betrayal, and that's what humans think mutants are. If you were not up to something nefarious, why wouldn't it be obvious from birth, so that we knew who you were and could be prepared. It's a narrow minded view point, but it is what it is."

Her angry retort about Alex brought a smile to his lips. Defending her fiancee, for yes indeed he caught sight of her engagement ring that she tried to conceal by turning the stone into her palm, she was clearly one to contend with. He cocked an eyebrow, feigning innocence, "I don't recall asking you about Alex's intentions, only about his subtlety, of which, I've seen none. But, I will be talking to him at some point. I look forward to it. He's definitely going to be interesting, I think. A man like that who's suffered as he has. But, as we've decided, Mutants do have it in their lot to suffer. SHIELD and X-Factor working together on the scale that Hodge is proposing can maybe alleviate that suffering a little bit. There is some hesitancy, though, it seems, from X-Factor regarding this sponsorship. I imagine that you wouldn't want to trust the people who put giant robots on your doorsteps, but mistakes are often made by frightened people."

Looking at her closely, he said, "Are you frightened, Miss Dane? Of SHIELD? Of Humanity? Or is the only thing that fills you with dread is the thought that you may slip up and reveal a little more to me than you think I deserve to know?"
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Lorna Dane
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The psychologist spoke once more about Alex, a forced innocence about his words and expression, and Lorna felt the sparks of anger settle deeper into her heart. If this was supposed to make her more amiable to SHIELD by presenting the non-threatening ‘understanding’ face of their operation to her, it had failed entirely. Lorna knew she had to be clever though, and stop reaction on emotion, stop revealing things to him. Of course, anything she did would probably result in him assuming things, but at least she could keep her emotions under control to keep her replies measured. She was a scientist, after all.

He questioned her about whether she feared SHIELD and humans, a brief, cold smile touching her lips as she looked back at him. “I’m not frightened of SHIELD. I don’t trust them and I particularly don’t trust their involvement with X-Factor, but I’m sure you knew that already. It doesn’t take a PhD to realize that SHIELD are never going to be trusted by the mutant community.” Lorna replied, as she considered the man in front of her and his last question. She wasn’t the type to openly criticize someone to their face, preferring to keep any bad opinions to herself rather than hurt another’s feelings. However, something about the Doctor made her feel harder, colder, partly because he was a psychologist and partly because he became a focus for her dislike of SHIELD and their control over X-Factor, their manipulation of Alex’s vulnerable position.

“I don’t think you deserve to know anything about me.” She stated. “But I’m almost completely certain there are things you know about me that I try to keep from the majority of people. You know the facts any way, you can use them against me, to push whatever buttons you feel like pushing for whatever reaction you need to relay to your superiors. Whatever I do, you will glean some assumption from it. So, no, I may not fear you, but I don’t like and I don’t trust you." She crossed one leg over the other and smoothed the knee of her jeans, dropping eye contact for a moment as she did so, letting a moment of silence form before moving onto a slightly different path.

"I am, however, curious as to what you gain from this though, and what SHIELD think they’re going to achieve through these discussions.” She paused, judging whether to go on, to simply walk away or let him reply, if that was what he wanted to do, opting finally for the last one, after a final question. “What else would you like me to admit to fearing, Doctor Samson?”
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Doc Samson
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Lorna Dane... She might not have been raised by the man, but there was a great deal of her blood father in her. He'd studied file footage of Magneto, of which there was ample, in an attempt to make some sort of profile on him, to understand what drove a man to the extremes he went to in pursuit of what he thought was right. Lorna had that same fervor in her eyes, that same passion, though hers was lead a different direction. Samson wondered if Alex Summers knew what sort of woman she was, a lioness defending her mate.

"Liking me is not required, Miss Dane," Samson said, turning his face to the warmth of the sun, and the cool spring breeze that was only in this place at this time, thanks to the magic of this lovely woman's equally lovely sister. "Nor is trusting me. Simply being honest is enough, and honest you have been. Contrary to what you think of me, I'm not the enemy and I'm not a governmental stooge."

He closed his eyes, carelessly and casually, spreading his hands, "I am a working man, whose job is to delve into the minds of superheroes and supervillains alike. What you tell me here is not being recorded. You see no recorder, or cameras. I am not even morally allowed to reveal a think you say to me, even if you revealed that you've a plot to assassinate Hodge himself. I'll write an evaluation for your file, and if you don't wish to continue with a follow up... well, so far, I see nothing that makes me think you'll need one."

Folding his hands, he opened his eyes and said, "But if you don't wish to talk about Alex, and you clearly don't wish to talk about yourself, let's talk about your teammate, or perhaps your brother and sister. I haven't spoken to Pietro yet, but I had a very interesting visit with Wanda. She's an amazing young woman, powers unlike any I have ever seen. Honestly, I'm surprised your brother didn't come along with us during the meeting. He rarely lets her out of his sight, from my understanding. Is he as overprotective with you or is that reserved for his twin? How is your relationship? I imagine it was a shock to suddenly have a new brother and sister after so long."
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Lorna Dane
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Samson explained that he was not allowed to reveal any of the information, and although Lorna was aware of the patient-doctor confidentiality, she still didn’t truly believe him. SHIELD had presented their benevolent face before, with the ‘protection’ of the Sentinels, and how that had ended was still a painful memory. She had no desire to become caught in their games or jump through anymore hoops.

“I love Pietro and Wanda very much, but I don’t really feel comfortable discussing them with you.” Lorna stated, though that wasn’t entirely true, she was using that as a reason to end this meeting as quickly as possible, and with all available routes shut down, she could easily extract herself. On another level though, she was being honest, and would rather not comment on her brother and sister or their relationship, feeling that he really had no business with that knowledge. It would feel like a betrayal and at the same time, she wouldn’t want to say anything that could be misconstrued or altered to impact negatively on Wanda and Pietro.

“As you have said, you don’t believe there will be a need for a follow up appointment? Perhaps it would be best to end this conversation here, then.” Lorna suggested as she rose to her feet. eager to leave now, and with a polite, neutral smile, extended her hand towards the Doctor, shaking it in parting this time. “It was nice meeting you, Doctor Samson.” She said, releasing his hand and taking a step back. “Have a good afternoon. I hope your meetings with the rest of my team mates go well. Please don’t upset them.” With that, Lorna turned and walked back into the almost stifling warmth of summer and made her way down towards her bedroom, wondering whether the meeting had been to her advantage or his.
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Doc Samson
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Samson rose when she did and took her hand with the same polite neutrality as she offered him, "I suppose you're right," he said, with a smile, and a shine of amusement in his eyes. Clearly the young woman had given him more than she wanted, though admittedly it was less than he had hoped. A balancing act, of course, and they were on even footing not that they were parting. As he shook her hand, he used his thumb to turn the ring on her finger, so that the diamond shone in the sunlight, "Congratulations on your engagement," he told her, "I hope I'll be invited to the wedding."

She pulled away, asking him not to upset her team mates and he laughed, lightly, "Well, there go my afternoon plans. I was hoping to cause turmoil and strife wherever I went." He smiled and said, "It was very nice to meet you, Miss Dane. Hopefully we can do this again sometime in a less defensive posture."

He remained standing as she left, and then took his seat again, taking his cell from his pocket. Wanda's bubble of spring might block signals somehow, perhaps, but this was not a cell phone like most. It was SHIELD issued, only one number programmed into it. He hit the send button, and in the temporary headquarters of SHIELD that they were using until the Helicarriers could be repaired. The abrupt voice of Hodge sounded in his ear.

"Done with Lorna Dane's interview, sir, I found nothing to be concern with regarding her continued participation with X-Factor... no, sir... no, sir... No, sir, she was very co-operative... yes, sir. All right. Thank you." He folded the phone up, and stretched in the sweet spring breeze.

He wondered if he could get a bubble of spring for his apartment.

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