![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ficwizeTitle: It's Called E.S.P.
Fandom: Psych! and X-men crossover
Warnings: Spoilers for the X-men movies and some general spoilers for Psych!
Rating: Teen - some language, potential violence
Summary: Shawn claims to be a psychic. Some people believe him.
Disclaimer: None of the lovelies are mine. But I have enjoyed playing with them!
A/N: Many thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lostacanthus for the beta!
As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated.
***************
Previous Chapters: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five
***************
***************************
Chapter 6
***************************
“So,” Logan set his empty beer glass down with a thunk. “Let me get this straight.” He looked at Shawn skeptically. “You had a vision about Weymouth.”
Shawn’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he jumped, reaching in and pulling it out with an apologetic look at Logan. “Not at the table, Shawn,” Henry scolded.
Shawn nodded obediently, but ignored the order and flipped open his phone to see a text message blinking at him… from Gus. Dude, it read. Be careful. Did you see that guy eat?! It could be you!
Shawn rolled his eyes, but took the message in the spirit with which it was meant. “Ummm,” he looked up at Logan, making sure to sit uncharacteristically still. “Yes. Vision. About Weymouth.”
The temptation to launch into one of his more dramatic displays of ability was hard to resist, but he managed when Henry shot him a warning look, complete with narrow eyes like he knew what Shawn was thinking. Not to mention, he was kind of tired. It had been a long day- prison really took it out of him.
“And just what did your vision show you?” Henry asked, setting down his own empty beer glass and making Shawn wonder briefly if his father might have some sort of mutant ability to mimic the grumpy Canadian. Henry leaned forward, his eyes bright with the threat to spill Shawn’s secret and Shawn made a face at him.
“Well you see, it was like this.” Gus interrupted before Shawn could say anything and everyone turned to stare at him in surprise. Gus made it a point to let Shawn dig himself out of his own messes – most of the time. “I work for Central Coast Pharmaceuticals, Inc.”
You’d better make this sound good. Shawn texted frantically, hiding the phone in his lap even as he spoke up. “He’s their best salesman,” Shawn added, nodding at Gus and sounding duly impressed. Gus glanced into his own lap, obviously reading Shawn’s text and shot his best friend an unimpressed glare.
“Be quiet, Shawn.” The order came from Gus and Henry at the same time, and Gus sniffed in approval.
Agreeing with my father… not cool.
“Worthington Labs has been planning this benefit for a while now. All of the employees were invited.” He shot Shawn a warning glance. “Shawn insisted on contributing to the cause… for personal reasons and all.”
I know how to do my job, Shawn.
Shawn had to work hard to keep from rolling his eyes at Gus’ comment. Both of them.
You’re a salesman.
“He even bought the tickets for us tonight.” Gus threw out, eyes glittering. “He’s paying me back just after dinner and everything.”
You never believe that when I say it.
“It was the least I could do.” Shawn smiled around his gritted teeth, fingers flying on the text pad.
You never mean it when you say it.
“When we got there, it was all small talk and canapés,” Gus stressed the accent and Shawn saw Bobby stifle a snicker.
“Little shrimps. Cocktail weenies.” Shawn confirmed, making Bobby and Warren both snort in amusement. “All the classics.” At Logan’s warning glance, Bobby ducked his head to hide his laugh.
“Get to the part with the vision,” Logan ordered. He was glancing back and forth between Gus and Shawn who were exchanging heated text insults while the conversation lulled.
Dork.
Fake.
Geek.
Pay attention, Shawn!
“As soon as Weymouth got up there, all I could see were yellow flowers.” Shawn’s head snapped up and he took control of the story again, earning a cautionary glance from Gus and an irritated one from his father.
“Yellow flowers?” Bobby frowned. “What does that mean?”
“At first, I thought the vision was trying to tell me something about spring and that maybe I should take up gardening. ” Shawn paused significantly. “Then I realized it wasn’t yellow flower irises. It was yellow EYE irises!” He sat back and threw his hands out, nearly clipping one of Warren’s wings.
Henry was still frowning in confusion, but the three mutants were looking much less skeptical. “And how did you pinpoint Weymouth?” Warren asked, tensely. “I’ve known him for years. He’s one of my father’s most trusted friends.” He paused and then added, sadly. “Was.”
“Well, I opened myself to the visions,” Shawn leaned forward, getting into his story now and ignoring his father’s snort of disbelief. “And… suddenly, I knew that I had to take the camera from the photographer and see for myself.”
“He did. It was like his hand was possessed!”
Dude! Quit helping me! Shawn forced a smile as the people around the table looked at him with various degrees of amusement.
“And the digital pictures showed that Shawn was right!” Gus continued and Shawn shot him a dirty look for taking the glory shot. “Weymouth’s eyes glowed yellow in the pictures.”
You stole my punchline!
Flowers? Please.
It worked.
“And you’re sure it wasn’t some sort of glare on the camera?” Henry asked, tapping the table in front of Shawn to regain his attention. He didn’t have to know all the details to know that whatever the yellow eyes indicated, it was definitely what the three mutants in his kitchen were after. They’d been looking at each other meaningfully ever since Shawn mentioned yellow eyes. Henry’s eyes were narrowed and Shawn could tell he was just itching to ask how he really knew about Weymouth. Shawn smirked at him, knowing that his father would keep his secret… for now at least.
“Positive.” Shawn answered decisively. “It wasn’t Weymouth. It was Mystique.”
“So,” Logan drawled, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “It was purely a coincidence that you happened to be at the benefit tonight.”
Is he suspicious?
Crap! He knows!
Gus was nodding, eyes wide. Shawn smiled, seizing a sudden chance to steer the conversation where he wanted it to go. “About as much of a coincidence as it was that you were there.”
Logan grunted in response to that and Henry looked between them speculatively. “So, the job is over now.”
“How do you figure that?” Shawn turned to look at his father in surprise. “We still haven’t found Mystique.”
“That’s not true, Shawn. You were hired to find her - not capture her or interview her or anything else. And you did that.” Henry looked back at Logan who was engaged in a silent conversation held in glances with Bobby and Warren. “No one said anything about getting involved in anti-mutant riots or into fights with mutants with fire power and shape shifting and God knows what else.” He frowned, his point made.
“Yeah, about that…” Bobby sounded sheepish and he was actually blushing a little. “I should have warned you about Mystique more from the beginning. And, I… uh… should have probably mentioned that she’d have back up.”
“Pyro?” Gus asked, curiously. Shawn had told him what had happened on the roof and Gus was torn between jealousy that he hadn’t seen it and secret relief for the same reason.
“Yeah.” Bobby was doing his best to avoid Logan’s disapproving glare and he looked over at Warren. “And maybe I should have told you about Worthington Labs from the beginning, too. I just didn’t think you were going to show up there without any warning…”
“You suspected that she’d be going there.” Shawn shrugged. “So what? I knew what I was getting myself into.”
When everyone turned to stare at him in disbelief, he grinned and tapped his head. “Psychic, remember?”
Liar.
I prefer to call it creative license.
“I’m going to clean up the kitchen,” Henry stood up, his tone irritated.
“Popsicle,” Logan barked. “You help him out. I’m gonna have a chat with the headcase here.”
“Okay,” Bobby gave them a sympathetic look, but he obediently left the room, pausing long enough to clip Warren on the back as he passed.
Shawn and Gus looked at each other carefully, even as Warren stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to call my father. He’ll need to know about Weymouth.” Warren followed Bobby into the other room and the silence that filled the dining room grew thick.
“Is there a problem, Mr. Logan?” Gus asked politely.
“Yeah. There is.” Logan leaned forward and met Shawn’s eyes forcefully. “I don’t believe your story at all.”
“Which part?” Shawn asked forcing a strained smile.
“Any of it.” Logan shook his head. “Now, I don’t claim to have known that many psychics in my time, but I’ve known more than my share of mutants. You don’t fit.”
Gus sucked in a breath, but Shawn’s smile relaxed. “You should have seen me when I was working as a foot and hand model. Talk about a job where ‘fit’ was important.” He shook his head ruefully.
Logan eyed him sharply. “I can’t tell if you’re as dumb as you sound or if it’s all a joke to you.”
“I do try and find life funny,” Shawn replied, recoiling a bit at Logan’s scowl.
Gus and Shawn exchanged a cautious glance and Shawn leaned forward, suddenly serious. “Look, if I’m legit then no problem. If I’m not, then I’m still the guy found you the person you’re looking for, so I still don’t see the problem. So… assume I am dumb…” Shawn glared at Gus, who made a noise in the back of his throat, “and tell me what the problem is.”
Logan looked at him, expressionless. “You said you knew what you were getting into earlier. I don’t think you do.”
“I know enough.” Shawn retorted. “I know that no one asked to be born a mutant. I know that I nearly got strung up by anti-mutant protestors. I know that you aren’t a teacher and Bobby and Warren aren’t old high school friends.” He paused. “And I know that you risked more than I did when you stood between Magneto and his minions at Alcatraz Island to save the life of people who told you that you were genetically defunct.”
The silence in the room was thunderously loud now. Slowly, Logan stood up and Shawn was tempted to hold his breath until after Logan hit him. Instead, Logan pulled a cigar from his pocket. “Alright.”
“Alright what?” Gus squeaked, then cleared his voice. “Alright what?” he repeated, forcing his voice to sound deeper.
“Alright. I won’t tell you that you don’t have the right to make your own decisions about being involved.” Logan bit the end of his cigar and shook his head. “Even if I’m still pretty sure you are a headcase.”
“Mr. Spencer is right, though.” Gus pointed out, looking between Logan and Shawn as they continued to stare at each other. “We found Mystique and she got away. She could be anywhere now.”
“But, she’s not anywhere.” Shawn supplied smoothly. “She’s still here in Santa Barbara.”
“How do you know that, Shawn?” Gus demanded.
“Because,” Shawn drawled. “She’s looking for something and whatever it is… she hasn’t found it yet.”
“What’s she looking for?”
“I don’t have the faintest idea,” Shawn shrugged. “We’ll have to wing that part.” He glanced towards the door where Warren had left. “No puns intended.”
Bobby’s voice interrupted them from the kitchen doorway. “I take it that everyone’s still on board?” He looked around and seeing no dissenters, grinned. “Great! Does anyone want any coffee or anything to go with tonight’s helping of truth and justice?”
Logan put the cigar between his teeth and chomped down making Shawn shake his head in disgust. “I don’t want coffee,” Logan sighed. “But I think that I’m gonna need another beer.”
*****************
“I don’t like it, Shawn.” Henry sat across from his son and Gus at the table. Their guests had taken a cab back to wherever it was they were staying half an hour prior. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Nu uh.” Shawn shook his head at his father. “You always told me to finish what I started – at any costs.”
“I didn’t mean at the cost of fighting against maniacs who can blow up houses with cigarette sparks!” Henry barked, slamming his coffee mug down. “You’ll get hurt.”
“I’m touched, Dad. Really.” Shawn forced his voice to sound even keeled. “But you never ran away from a single bad guy before and I’m not running now.”
Gus looked over at Henry. “Besides, we’ll stay out of the front lines from now on out. I don’t want to get arrested again. They took my shoes.”
“Leave the shoes alone, Gus!” Shawn cried out, pushing his hand through his hair.
“I still don’t like it.” Henry ignored the both of them. “You don’t know what Mystique wants.”
Shawn shrugged. “We’ll figure it out.”
“It doesn’t really matter, Shawn. That’s my point. If a terrorist with as much skill as this Mystique woman wants something, even without the benefit of shape shifting powers – it’s a damn good bet she’s going to get it.”
“Then we just have to get it first.”
“We don’t know where or what it is.” Gus pointed out, but Shawn and Henry both shook their heads.
“Whatever it is has to be in Worthington Labs.” Henry scoffed.
“So why make a fuss at the benefit?” Gus challenged and Shawn hesitated, keenly aware that Henry was looking at him and waiting for an answer. Closing his eyes, he replayed the scene in his mind, pausing on the conversation he’d heard from the closet.
“You think he’s a mutant?”
“Nah, he wasn’t on the list of people we were warned about. He’s got to be hiding around here somewhere.”
“Maybe it’s not what it seemed,” Shawn spoke slowly, his mind still whirring as he jumped from the scene in the closet back to the conversation with Worthington.
“If Magneto had just waited, instead of attacking, he’d have gotten his way in the long run…”
“Those people who were crashing the benefit… they were definitely mutant haters.”
“It doesn’t take a psychic to figure that out,” Henry muttered under his breath, but Gus was nodding at Shawn encouragingly.
“That’s right. That’s why it doesn’t make sense that they’d be allied with Mystique.”
“I hear that Worthington Labs is being sued by some of the mutants that are finding themselves suddenly uncured. One of them apparently sucked the electricity out of southern Chicago the other day because he wasn’t aware of the fact that his powers had come back.”
“Maybe they weren’t.” Shawn stood up suddenly and grabbed his jacket. “C’mon Gus. We’ve got to go.”
“Where?” Gus and Henry both stood up.
“Hurry up, Gus! I think I know what Mystique is after.” Shawn waited impatiently for Gus to grab his own coat.
“What is she after?” Henry demanded, following after them both as they dashed out the door.
“I’ll tell you later!” Shawn called back over his shoulder. “Right now… I have to go and fight the good fight. And haste makes speed and all that.” He grinned.
“You’re not superheroes, Shawn!” Henry bellowed after his son as the two friends ran to the car.
Shawn stopped and spun around to grin at his father. “Sure we are. Meet Psych Man and Magic Head.”
“I am not going by that stupid name again!” Gus protested as he climbed into the passenger seat of Shawn’s old car. “I don’t care what you say.”
Henry shook his head. “If the world is depending on you two… we’re doomed.”
Fandom: Psych! and X-men crossover
Warnings: Spoilers for the X-men movies and some general spoilers for Psych!
Rating: Teen - some language, potential violence
Summary: Shawn claims to be a psychic. Some people believe him.
Disclaimer: None of the lovelies are mine. But I have enjoyed playing with them!
A/N: Many thanks to
lostacanthus for the beta! As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated.
***************
Previous Chapters: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five
***************
***************************
Chapter 6
***************************
“So,” Logan set his empty beer glass down with a thunk. “Let me get this straight.” He looked at Shawn skeptically. “You had a vision about Weymouth.”
Shawn’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he jumped, reaching in and pulling it out with an apologetic look at Logan. “Not at the table, Shawn,” Henry scolded.
Shawn nodded obediently, but ignored the order and flipped open his phone to see a text message blinking at him… from Gus. Dude, it read. Be careful. Did you see that guy eat?! It could be you!
Shawn rolled his eyes, but took the message in the spirit with which it was meant. “Ummm,” he looked up at Logan, making sure to sit uncharacteristically still. “Yes. Vision. About Weymouth.”
The temptation to launch into one of his more dramatic displays of ability was hard to resist, but he managed when Henry shot him a warning look, complete with narrow eyes like he knew what Shawn was thinking. Not to mention, he was kind of tired. It had been a long day- prison really took it out of him.
“And just what did your vision show you?” Henry asked, setting down his own empty beer glass and making Shawn wonder briefly if his father might have some sort of mutant ability to mimic the grumpy Canadian. Henry leaned forward, his eyes bright with the threat to spill Shawn’s secret and Shawn made a face at him.
“Well you see, it was like this.” Gus interrupted before Shawn could say anything and everyone turned to stare at him in surprise. Gus made it a point to let Shawn dig himself out of his own messes – most of the time. “I work for Central Coast Pharmaceuticals, Inc.”
You’d better make this sound good. Shawn texted frantically, hiding the phone in his lap even as he spoke up. “He’s their best salesman,” Shawn added, nodding at Gus and sounding duly impressed. Gus glanced into his own lap, obviously reading Shawn’s text and shot his best friend an unimpressed glare.
“Be quiet, Shawn.” The order came from Gus and Henry at the same time, and Gus sniffed in approval.
Agreeing with my father… not cool.
“Worthington Labs has been planning this benefit for a while now. All of the employees were invited.” He shot Shawn a warning glance. “Shawn insisted on contributing to the cause… for personal reasons and all.”
I know how to do my job, Shawn.
Shawn had to work hard to keep from rolling his eyes at Gus’ comment. Both of them.
You’re a salesman.
“He even bought the tickets for us tonight.” Gus threw out, eyes glittering. “He’s paying me back just after dinner and everything.”
You never believe that when I say it.
“It was the least I could do.” Shawn smiled around his gritted teeth, fingers flying on the text pad.
You never mean it when you say it.
“When we got there, it was all small talk and canapés,” Gus stressed the accent and Shawn saw Bobby stifle a snicker.
“Little shrimps. Cocktail weenies.” Shawn confirmed, making Bobby and Warren both snort in amusement. “All the classics.” At Logan’s warning glance, Bobby ducked his head to hide his laugh.
“Get to the part with the vision,” Logan ordered. He was glancing back and forth between Gus and Shawn who were exchanging heated text insults while the conversation lulled.
Dork.
Fake.
Geek.
Pay attention, Shawn!
“As soon as Weymouth got up there, all I could see were yellow flowers.” Shawn’s head snapped up and he took control of the story again, earning a cautionary glance from Gus and an irritated one from his father.
“Yellow flowers?” Bobby frowned. “What does that mean?”
“At first, I thought the vision was trying to tell me something about spring and that maybe I should take up gardening. ” Shawn paused significantly. “Then I realized it wasn’t yellow flower irises. It was yellow EYE irises!” He sat back and threw his hands out, nearly clipping one of Warren’s wings.
Henry was still frowning in confusion, but the three mutants were looking much less skeptical. “And how did you pinpoint Weymouth?” Warren asked, tensely. “I’ve known him for years. He’s one of my father’s most trusted friends.” He paused and then added, sadly. “Was.”
“Well, I opened myself to the visions,” Shawn leaned forward, getting into his story now and ignoring his father’s snort of disbelief. “And… suddenly, I knew that I had to take the camera from the photographer and see for myself.”
“He did. It was like his hand was possessed!”
Dude! Quit helping me! Shawn forced a smile as the people around the table looked at him with various degrees of amusement.
“And the digital pictures showed that Shawn was right!” Gus continued and Shawn shot him a dirty look for taking the glory shot. “Weymouth’s eyes glowed yellow in the pictures.”
You stole my punchline!
Flowers? Please.
It worked.
“And you’re sure it wasn’t some sort of glare on the camera?” Henry asked, tapping the table in front of Shawn to regain his attention. He didn’t have to know all the details to know that whatever the yellow eyes indicated, it was definitely what the three mutants in his kitchen were after. They’d been looking at each other meaningfully ever since Shawn mentioned yellow eyes. Henry’s eyes were narrowed and Shawn could tell he was just itching to ask how he really knew about Weymouth. Shawn smirked at him, knowing that his father would keep his secret… for now at least.
“Positive.” Shawn answered decisively. “It wasn’t Weymouth. It was Mystique.”
“So,” Logan drawled, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “It was purely a coincidence that you happened to be at the benefit tonight.”
Is he suspicious?
Crap! He knows!
Gus was nodding, eyes wide. Shawn smiled, seizing a sudden chance to steer the conversation where he wanted it to go. “About as much of a coincidence as it was that you were there.”
Logan grunted in response to that and Henry looked between them speculatively. “So, the job is over now.”
“How do you figure that?” Shawn turned to look at his father in surprise. “We still haven’t found Mystique.”
“That’s not true, Shawn. You were hired to find her - not capture her or interview her or anything else. And you did that.” Henry looked back at Logan who was engaged in a silent conversation held in glances with Bobby and Warren. “No one said anything about getting involved in anti-mutant riots or into fights with mutants with fire power and shape shifting and God knows what else.” He frowned, his point made.
“Yeah, about that…” Bobby sounded sheepish and he was actually blushing a little. “I should have warned you about Mystique more from the beginning. And, I… uh… should have probably mentioned that she’d have back up.”
“Pyro?” Gus asked, curiously. Shawn had told him what had happened on the roof and Gus was torn between jealousy that he hadn’t seen it and secret relief for the same reason.
“Yeah.” Bobby was doing his best to avoid Logan’s disapproving glare and he looked over at Warren. “And maybe I should have told you about Worthington Labs from the beginning, too. I just didn’t think you were going to show up there without any warning…”
“You suspected that she’d be going there.” Shawn shrugged. “So what? I knew what I was getting myself into.”
When everyone turned to stare at him in disbelief, he grinned and tapped his head. “Psychic, remember?”
Liar.
I prefer to call it creative license.
“I’m going to clean up the kitchen,” Henry stood up, his tone irritated.
“Popsicle,” Logan barked. “You help him out. I’m gonna have a chat with the headcase here.”
“Okay,” Bobby gave them a sympathetic look, but he obediently left the room, pausing long enough to clip Warren on the back as he passed.
Shawn and Gus looked at each other carefully, even as Warren stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to call my father. He’ll need to know about Weymouth.” Warren followed Bobby into the other room and the silence that filled the dining room grew thick.
“Is there a problem, Mr. Logan?” Gus asked politely.
“Yeah. There is.” Logan leaned forward and met Shawn’s eyes forcefully. “I don’t believe your story at all.”
“Which part?” Shawn asked forcing a strained smile.
“Any of it.” Logan shook his head. “Now, I don’t claim to have known that many psychics in my time, but I’ve known more than my share of mutants. You don’t fit.”
Gus sucked in a breath, but Shawn’s smile relaxed. “You should have seen me when I was working as a foot and hand model. Talk about a job where ‘fit’ was important.” He shook his head ruefully.
Logan eyed him sharply. “I can’t tell if you’re as dumb as you sound or if it’s all a joke to you.”
“I do try and find life funny,” Shawn replied, recoiling a bit at Logan’s scowl.
Gus and Shawn exchanged a cautious glance and Shawn leaned forward, suddenly serious. “Look, if I’m legit then no problem. If I’m not, then I’m still the guy found you the person you’re looking for, so I still don’t see the problem. So… assume I am dumb…” Shawn glared at Gus, who made a noise in the back of his throat, “and tell me what the problem is.”
Logan looked at him, expressionless. “You said you knew what you were getting into earlier. I don’t think you do.”
“I know enough.” Shawn retorted. “I know that no one asked to be born a mutant. I know that I nearly got strung up by anti-mutant protestors. I know that you aren’t a teacher and Bobby and Warren aren’t old high school friends.” He paused. “And I know that you risked more than I did when you stood between Magneto and his minions at Alcatraz Island to save the life of people who told you that you were genetically defunct.”
The silence in the room was thunderously loud now. Slowly, Logan stood up and Shawn was tempted to hold his breath until after Logan hit him. Instead, Logan pulled a cigar from his pocket. “Alright.”
“Alright what?” Gus squeaked, then cleared his voice. “Alright what?” he repeated, forcing his voice to sound deeper.
“Alright. I won’t tell you that you don’t have the right to make your own decisions about being involved.” Logan bit the end of his cigar and shook his head. “Even if I’m still pretty sure you are a headcase.”
“Mr. Spencer is right, though.” Gus pointed out, looking between Logan and Shawn as they continued to stare at each other. “We found Mystique and she got away. She could be anywhere now.”
“But, she’s not anywhere.” Shawn supplied smoothly. “She’s still here in Santa Barbara.”
“How do you know that, Shawn?” Gus demanded.
“Because,” Shawn drawled. “She’s looking for something and whatever it is… she hasn’t found it yet.”
“What’s she looking for?”
“I don’t have the faintest idea,” Shawn shrugged. “We’ll have to wing that part.” He glanced towards the door where Warren had left. “No puns intended.”
Bobby’s voice interrupted them from the kitchen doorway. “I take it that everyone’s still on board?” He looked around and seeing no dissenters, grinned. “Great! Does anyone want any coffee or anything to go with tonight’s helping of truth and justice?”
Logan put the cigar between his teeth and chomped down making Shawn shake his head in disgust. “I don’t want coffee,” Logan sighed. “But I think that I’m gonna need another beer.”
*****************
“I don’t like it, Shawn.” Henry sat across from his son and Gus at the table. Their guests had taken a cab back to wherever it was they were staying half an hour prior. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Nu uh.” Shawn shook his head at his father. “You always told me to finish what I started – at any costs.”
“I didn’t mean at the cost of fighting against maniacs who can blow up houses with cigarette sparks!” Henry barked, slamming his coffee mug down. “You’ll get hurt.”
“I’m touched, Dad. Really.” Shawn forced his voice to sound even keeled. “But you never ran away from a single bad guy before and I’m not running now.”
Gus looked over at Henry. “Besides, we’ll stay out of the front lines from now on out. I don’t want to get arrested again. They took my shoes.”
“Leave the shoes alone, Gus!” Shawn cried out, pushing his hand through his hair.
“I still don’t like it.” Henry ignored the both of them. “You don’t know what Mystique wants.”
Shawn shrugged. “We’ll figure it out.”
“It doesn’t really matter, Shawn. That’s my point. If a terrorist with as much skill as this Mystique woman wants something, even without the benefit of shape shifting powers – it’s a damn good bet she’s going to get it.”
“Then we just have to get it first.”
“We don’t know where or what it is.” Gus pointed out, but Shawn and Henry both shook their heads.
“Whatever it is has to be in Worthington Labs.” Henry scoffed.
“So why make a fuss at the benefit?” Gus challenged and Shawn hesitated, keenly aware that Henry was looking at him and waiting for an answer. Closing his eyes, he replayed the scene in his mind, pausing on the conversation he’d heard from the closet.
“You think he’s a mutant?”
“Nah, he wasn’t on the list of people we were warned about. He’s got to be hiding around here somewhere.”
“Maybe it’s not what it seemed,” Shawn spoke slowly, his mind still whirring as he jumped from the scene in the closet back to the conversation with Worthington.
“If Magneto had just waited, instead of attacking, he’d have gotten his way in the long run…”
“Those people who were crashing the benefit… they were definitely mutant haters.”
“It doesn’t take a psychic to figure that out,” Henry muttered under his breath, but Gus was nodding at Shawn encouragingly.
“That’s right. That’s why it doesn’t make sense that they’d be allied with Mystique.”
“I hear that Worthington Labs is being sued by some of the mutants that are finding themselves suddenly uncured. One of them apparently sucked the electricity out of southern Chicago the other day because he wasn’t aware of the fact that his powers had come back.”
“Maybe they weren’t.” Shawn stood up suddenly and grabbed his jacket. “C’mon Gus. We’ve got to go.”
“Where?” Gus and Henry both stood up.
“Hurry up, Gus! I think I know what Mystique is after.” Shawn waited impatiently for Gus to grab his own coat.
“What is she after?” Henry demanded, following after them both as they dashed out the door.
“I’ll tell you later!” Shawn called back over his shoulder. “Right now… I have to go and fight the good fight. And haste makes speed and all that.” He grinned.
“You’re not superheroes, Shawn!” Henry bellowed after his son as the two friends ran to the car.
Shawn stopped and spun around to grin at his father. “Sure we are. Meet Psych Man and Magic Head.”
“I am not going by that stupid name again!” Gus protested as he climbed into the passenger seat of Shawn’s old car. “I don’t care what you say.”
Henry shook his head. “If the world is depending on you two… we’re doomed.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 02:49 am (UTC)If the world is depending on you two...we’re doomed
Was this a Buffy reference or am I just projecting?
no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 02:57 am (UTC)And yes. Yes, it is a Buffy reference. *shamed, but amused* I couldn't help myself. It just seemed to fit to me.
And the idea that Henry Spencer watched Buffy in secret made me laugh out loud.no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 01:18 pm (UTC)and he would go on lj and blog about it afterwards.no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 04:09 am (UTC)This is lovely, as always -- I'm really enjoying it. You've nailed everyone's voices, particularly Shawn's, and the relationship between Shawn and Gus. Logan and Henry getting along is *fantastic* -- and you had Lassiter dead to rights two chapters ago. Thanks so much for sharing this -- it's fantastic, and great fun!
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Date: 2008-03-28 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 07:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 07:47 pm (UTC)Shawn, parading as a psychic, would have come across this before, but I suspect there is something we don't know that motivates him.
Glad you liked the return of Magic Head! :D
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Date: 2008-03-29 12:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 05:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-28 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-30 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-02 08:34 pm (UTC)thanks!
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Date: 2008-04-06 06:40 am (UTC)Text phone message war!
You stole my punchline!
Flowers? Please.
And I loved this bit:
Gus looked over at Henry. “Besides, we’ll stay out of the front lines from now on out. I don’t want to get arrested again. They took my shoes.”
Shawn reminds me of Hawkeye Pierce from MASH, a comedy/drama from 1972to 1981. He really does.
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Date: 2008-04-07 02:54 pm (UTC)And I hadn't thought about it, but I can see the Shawn - Hawkeye connection. *grins*
Thanks for letting me know what you thought!
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Date: 2008-04-07 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-07 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-19 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-07 03:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-21 07:30 am (UTC)this is awesome! i love logan, and i love shawn and gus. i love how shawn is all calling his dad out when he still needs bail money, saying that he's the one who taught him. lassiter irritates me, but then jules had a point i guess, about he's doing all he can. i'm just too activist to settle for "all he can"
i hope you continue to update. i'd love to read more.
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Date: 2008-05-07 03:44 pm (UTC)Thank you so much for the review. Poor Lassiter. He's really stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.
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Date: 2008-05-03 03:34 am (UTC)Anyway, I love your story, and I hope you post the next part soon.
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Date: 2008-05-07 03:56 pm (UTC)My favorite is Shawn not caring about whether people think he's a mutant.
Thanks! Shawn seems like a failry progressive sort of guy, to me. I don't think he would care much, one way or the other.
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Date: 2008-06-11 01:16 am (UTC)Please?
Del
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Date: 2008-10-13 12:38 pm (UTC)Shawn and Gus sound exactly like themselves.