[ video ]

[hostage]

[From what's visible behind him, Jesse's seated at the nurse's desk of the Xavier School infirmary. That's not really relevant to anything, just that he's at work and he's bored and out of anything useful to occupy his time. He's currently wrapping a gauze bandage around an empty soda can. An art piece, maybe. Or just keeping his hands busy.]

What's up? Anything exciting going on?

[He's talking to the comm device, but his eyes are on his "work".]

We got new guys coming in, right? How 'bout you? Freaking out about this superhero thing? It's pretty wild...

[That might be touching on sardonic. He knows it's no fun to be new here.]

You guys wanna talk or anything, I got nothing better to do.

[As thrilling as it is to keep winding this bandage around a soda can.]

Comments

[hostage]

That obvious, huh?

[redplainsrider]

'Less if in the world you're from ya show excitement by fiddlin' with a can.

[hostage]

[He snorts.]

Wouldn't that be the most goddamn boring world in the universe. No offense to anybody from a place like that.

[redplainsrider]

Now that we thought up such a world, reckon this world suddenly ain't seem so bad.

[hostage]

What about your world? What's that like?

[redplainsrider]

Pretty dang excitin' half the time. "Wild" even. [Small grin.] But much more free and open. You might know it as Mars.

[hostage]

No shit? You're a Martian? Like, for real?

[redplainsrider]

For real. [Pause, then she clears her throat, and amends quickly:] I mean, I ain't a native, but I was raised by a tribe and everythin', so I reckon that counts.

[hostage]

There's tribes on Mars?

[redplainsrider]

Yeah, of course! Not as many as there used to be after humans brought sickness, but they're regainin' their feet. What were you expectin'?

[hostage]

Back where I come from, scientists lost their shit just finding out there was water on Mars.

[redplainsrider]

Ah, I see. They ain't far off, it is mighty dry there. [Hence her hat and duster coat.] I'm just grateful you ain't mention li'l green men like others have, heh.

[hostage]

Roswell's just a few miles from where I grew up, so I'm probably about as sick of hearing about little green men as you are.

[redplainsrider]

What's Roswell?

[hostage]

Ah, right.

[Of course she wouldn't know.]

It's this town in New Mexico where aliens crashed their flying saucer in the forties. Supposedly. And then there was a big government cover-up. Supposedly. But it was probably just a weather balloon or some shit. Anyway, now you get really weird tourists showing up from all over the place, as if there's anything left to see.

[redplainsrider]

Hm, ya never know, the first Martian invasion of Earth happened in the 21st Century, if'n I remember correct. At least, in my universe.

[hostage]

If they're coming for our water, they probably oughta stop landing in the desert.

[redplainsrider]

Too bad you weren't around to give 'em such sage advice.

[hostage]

Yeah, they'll have to do this one without me.

[redplainsrider]

Too late now, you ain't got nothin' to worry about.

So, I take it the hero thing doesn't thrill ya much?

[hostage]

My power hurts a little more than most people's.

[redplainsrider]

[Quirks an eyebrow.] Got me curious: what's yer power, then?

[hostage]

I heal people by taking whatever's wrong with 'em. So if they got a broken arm, I get a broken arm instead.

[redplainsrider]

[Her stoicism is broken by a deep grimace.] Dang, really?? That's ain't a power, that's a curse!

[hostage]

[It is a curse. He deserves it, though.]

I'm used to it, but I ain't thrilled about it.