by P. S. Power
"Ha ha! Now I can run and get something to eat myself, leaving my minions chained to their fiery slave stations." She was kidding though and seemed happy about it all, ready to move back in.
Tobin smiled in return, feeling decently happy, since all his attention was in front of him, not on the crowd. It made things a lot easier.
"Go. We've got this. We can call you if things start to go horribly wrong?" He didn't let his focus shift from the work he was doing, which left him sounding distracted, but actually competent.
There was a pause from behind him.
"Are you sure? I can wait..."
"Nah. I don't really need to eat that much. It all seems great, but I might have to skip out when you get back, to set up the music for later. That's part of my job for the evening."
She didn't wait too long, and didn't try to hug him or anything, but managed a pat on the back that didn't set the world on fire.
There were still a few people coming through the line, like Bridget, who had ten burgers by herself, and emptied a good section of the chicken that was in the silver tray, having been made in the kitchen. Warren didn't approve of it being made outdoors by amateurs, it seemed. The man could be picky like that. Proxy finally came through as well, with a nice looking lady in tow that seemed a bit familiar for some reason. He didn't actually know her though, he didn't think.
"Two please." Brian sounded happy and waved to both of the men. "Mary, this is Tobin. He's a friend of mine. Jason you've met?"
Slipping a patty onto the bun presented, Tobin worried that Mary might not want one from him, seeming very normal, but she held out her plate as well, seeming content enough with the idea. When she spoke she sounded slightly odd, like a hippie or a person pretending to be one, with a slightly drugged tone to her words. That didn't mean anything, since a lot of people at the base did things like that. Mark did, all the time, for instance, and Hobbs always seemed like he was on some kind of drug that made him incredibly happy.
"I have indeed. Mr. Peterson is familiar to me as well, from the radio? Brian mentioned knowing you, but I thought perhaps he was attempting to raise his value to me? I see that I shouldn't have doubted him. Well, don't tell Advocate Hobbs, or I'll never hear the end of it." She had pretty blue eyes, when Tobin glanced at her, and three people standing behind her. Since one of them was Hobbs, she was clearly joking about not telling him.
Tobin nodded.
"Mum's the word. I promise, I won't tell him anything about it at all."
That got a laugh from the young boy that was behind Mary and Brian, who held his own plate, ready to go. The others moved out of the way, and he didn't need to be told to move forward, but he waited, letting a dark haired girl that looked to be about fifteen and very normal, except for her long and too warm looking light blue dress that covered most of her body except for her face. She wasn't stunning looking, but had that nice appearance that most people did. What with her average height and normal skin color.
She looked a bit red at the moment, but with a little urging from the younger boy stepped forward. She seemed to be shaking, just a little.
"Are you to be singing today, sir?" There was a deferential tone to the words, but Tobin could work with that, being shy himself.
"Yep. In a few hours. Before the fireworks. Mainly patriotic songs. Would you like a burger?" She had a bun ready to go, loaded with veggies. They had cooked onion too, but everything she had was fresh.
"As is the custom of the day." This came from Mary, who looked like she was worried that the girl might refuse. It was Hobbs though that cleared his throat.
"I don't believe that the food is that important to the celebration, Mary. If Dari doesn't wish to consume flesh, no one here will think ill of her for it."
It was a strange way of putting it, but Tobin agreed, not really looking up.
"Lots of people don't. We have other things. The potato salad looks good. It has egg, but I think there is one without too. I haven't really checked yet."
The girl turned very red, but didn't hold her plate out, backing away so the boy could move into place.
"She loves your music. In our world you would be one of the elite, not made to provide food for the rest of us, while we enjoy a party." He sounded almost bitter about that fact. Then, he was pretty much announcing he was also from another world. It was hard to pretend to be normal if you kept doing things like that.
Tobin knew that Hobbs was. Or at least that he claimed to be and that there was no reason to think he was a liar. The red bearded man seemed to be a little subdued, and his gaze was on the back of the boy's head.
"Ed, we aren't at home, and the ways of these people are different. Master Tobin serves out of kindness, not requirement. In fact it might do you well to help with the proceedings too?"
That got the boy to make a face that seemed hard and annoyed, but after a bit he sighed and got his beef patty.
"Thank you for the correction, Advocate Hobbs. I forgot my place. Should I forgo the meal in penance?"
Jason shook his head, going a little faster than a normal person would. It really did remind Tobin of what Bridget did all the time.
"You should eat first. It's a celebration after all. You can help me clean things up after that? Once I'm done here."
That seemed to be a good enough idea and the rest of them left, except Brian who moved a bit closer to Tobin and spoke gently.
"You need to see Burrows in medical as soon as you can. It's nothing dangerous. She just needs a skin sample, maybe a little blood. You aren't sick or anything, but it might end up being important to you anyway. Now, I better get over to Mary before she thinks that I don't like her." He was chipper about it all, but also seemed to be making sure that Tobin didn't have a chance to chat about why on Earth the doctor wanted to see him.
It gave him things to worry about while he tended the food and Bridget came back to relieve Jason after a bit, having eaten quickly. She didn't say a lot, but seemed more balanced and relaxed now. It was clear that she'd been really hungry, even though she hadn't mentioned it to him or Kerry.
After a bit the lines started to slow down, everyone having enough to eat, including the reporters who were all walking around and asking questions, mainly of the Team One members, but hitting up some of the Team Two people as well. Team Three... They got left alone really. It was nearly like someone had stuck signs on their backs. The reporters would start to walk toward Denis, Brian or Mark and then they'd get side tracked, moving away.
At first Tobin suspected that it was Denis doing it, making the news hounds feel uneasy or unwelcome using his power, but then he picked up on what was really happening. Their team leader, Christian, was sitting by Mark, and really didn't like to be disturbed. He hadn't known that she could do that though, putting thoughts into other people's minds like that. It was a bit jarring to learn about, but the woman smiled and nodded at him a few times, suggesting he'd gotten it right, and then went back to her conversation, sitting at the long picnic table with only Stasis there next to her.
That was a bit freaky, but also kind of neat. For a few seconds he wished that he could do that with his powers. Still, Kerry sent him and Bridget away then, which meant that he was able to go off and get a small plate of food before it was all consumed, and then go inside to use one of the computer stations. They had a library of songs and even though he might be bending some copyrights, performing for his friends, without pay, might just get a pass from the music industry. As long as the reporters didn't put too much of any given thing on the air.
Since he already had what he was interested in lined up in his head, he was able to put it all on a thumb drive, and make certain that it would work with the sound system that Crandall had help put up. The man might be a jerk part of the time, but he clearly could put electronics together. That and explosives. At any rate he seemed to be having fun off doing that at the moment.
Then, because such things always worked that way, Tobin had a whole half of
an hour to go and get into a costume. It wasn't strictly needed, but that girl Dari seemed interested in him performing, and if even one person in the audience was, it meant he needed to do a good show. He probably should have gotten Lauren and Peggy in it with him, but he didn't have time to teach them the backup parts for everything.
It didn't take long, since makeup wasn't needed, so about ten minutes until he was supposed to start, the Director went up and began making a speech. He was, mercifully, brief about the whole thing.
"Thank you all for coming out to join us today. Everyone that works here, the press and even you protestors." He waved a bit, and the people holding their white signs booed. It was funny and got a laugh from everyone else, but they didn't chant or throw rotten eggs yet. They were probably saving them for him. That would make them look good, doing that while he sang about how much he loved their country. The idea got him to feel almost happy for a second, even if the cleaning bill was going to be high later.
"I'd like to give a very special thank you to all of you that helped out today, making this the most successful IPB Fourth of July ever. Let's give them a big round of applause!"
Then, as if he didn't need to introduce her, he waved for Marcia to take his place. She looked very patriotic, wearing nice but summery clothing, in the colors of the day. All she did though was wave and said his name.
"Tobin Peterson." Then left the stage.
He got the idea and ran on, to actual clapping, which was nice. No one even threw anything. Not that they had on the tour either, except for those six times, but once he started singing, everyone was just attentive, and clapped along in the right places. He ended with "God Bless America" and everyone sang along. Even the people outside the fence that had been glaring at him. At least he saw their lips moving.
So did the cameras, he bet. Some were pointed that way at any rate.
Then, just as he got to the last word and the music died, after only a brief pause, the sky lit up. Real fireworks played in the sky, with everyone making the appropriate "ooohhh" sounds when they did. It was really impressive, he thought. The nicest thing like that he'd ever gotten to see in person. Most years they just set off a few sparklers and ground fountains, but it seemed like Proxy and Lady Glory hadn't been kidding about their endeavors in collecting things.
They needed music for it, but no one had planned that out, but it was the only real down side to it. When it ended everyone clapped and hollered, which was special too. It left him feeling warm inside, like they were really part of things. True, they'd done it all themselves, but it was good and had all worked. No one was crying, or left out, sitting alone.
Or almost no one was. Deb from Team One smiled, her white fur trimmed outfit looking out of place, as she sat far away from everyone else. That was because they'd all get too cold if she was closer. Except Mongo, from his old team, who didn't feel cold at all. He was short and stocky, with superhuman strength and agility. Other than that, he was normal looking, though he had a beard, which was a light brown.
Looking around he found the man and waved to him, getting a slightly strange look in return.
"Tobin? Do you have work for me to do?" He didn't sound bitter about the idea, just assuming that would be the case.
It was a good enough excuse, really.
"Sorta. Here." He didn't try to explain, but it made sense for the two to meet, if nothing else. They might not like each other, but they were both nice. Mongo had a girlfriend, but Tobin didn't think that would be too important in the short run. He wasn't match making after all.
"Deb?" He approached and felt a wave of cold that was like walking into a freezer as he did it. He was ten feet away and the woman practically battered him with it. Then, he was small and didn't like the cold that much, as a rule. His body mass was too low to really handle it for long.
The woman smiled, a bit sadly, looking away from everyone else, many of whom were close to other people and seemed to be friendly, if nothing else. She was icy looking, and slightly distant, the sense of freezing intensifying as she turned her regard on him.
"Tobin. May I help you?"
It was hard to come up with an explanation, so he didn't really bother, just lying. It had worked for Bridget after all.
"New partner. Mongo is immune to cold, so it makes sense. Get with your team leaders for the schedule, please." He walked away, as if it were just a thing that he could do, and turned in time to find Christian Poures looking at him, her face seeming focused, and a bit odd.
Because he realized, she'd been controlling his mind.
He wasn't really up to marching over and giving her a piece of it, but did think at her, wondering if it would make any difference. Basically he let her know that he wasn't wild about that and would appreciate her asking, the next time she wanted to do something along those lines. The woman had the good grace to seem ashamed at least and turned away. Then back again after a bit. He wasn't staring, but he was used to keeping tabs on people without looking at them directly.
The woman let her gaze linger, but finally went back to Mark, who it seemed she was dating. Or at least intending to spend some time with that evening, since they were holding hands.
Tobin remembered what Brian had said, and tried to find Doctor Burrows, which took a bit, since the crowd hadn't really broken up yet. When he did she was standing next to Jason, her hand on his arm. It didn't look overly professional either. It was a party though, not a clinic visit.
When she saw him standing there the woman changed what she was doing and ran off, coming back after a few minutes with a red bag made of sturdy luggage material. It was a medical thing, since it had a white cross on it.
"Mr. Peterson! Here, I need to get some things from you. No need to fill any cups, so this won't take long." She stabbed him three times in less than a minute, not explaining anything at all. Then packed the bits of him that she'd rather ruthlessly stolen back in the bag, each in a little container.
"I can't explain yet. I should have news for you tomorrow?"
That wasn't helpful, but she turned back to Jason, to find him gone, off helping the boy from earlier, Ed, fill black plastic bags with trash. The IPB wasn't a messy organization, but they were people, and that meant trash happened when they got together. Jogging to the box of the things he grabbed a sack too and started to try and do his part. It nearly wasn't needed since Jason did it all so fast, but it was, in part, the thought that counted. After all, just because the man was fast, that didn't mean he liked doing that kind of work any more than the rest of them did.
Between the five people working, one of whom was Rachel, and the other a reporter that he decided was going to be his new favorite of that sub-species of humanity, they had the place decently tidy about five minutes later. The area was large, and they filled a bunch of sacks, but two of them were really quick, and Tobin wasn't doing too poorly that way himself. Ed and the male reporter weren't in that league, but they didn't slack off. It was helpful.
Then, slowly, things got packed away. The stage and equipment, all the things for food. By midnight there was nothing left to do, except go to bed. Kerry came and kissed him, but shrugged.
"I'm going to my room tonight. I need to actually get a bit of sleep. Tomorrow we have to make plans for the show, and then we travel the next day. I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun. I mean... is that okay? I could stop by your room really quick, if you need?" She didn't seem to want to, but he yawned and that was answered enough.
"I'm going to sleep pretty soon too. Tomorrow though? Even if we have to sneak away?" He meant it, but sounded shy again.
"That sounds good."
They parted ways and he was tucked in bed, in the dark, not a half hour later. It was hours past when he normally got to bed, and when the pounding came on his door he felt blurry, and like he wanted to be physically ill from lack of sleep. Stumbling up, almost silently, he worked his way to the door and missed totally, not having turned a light on at all. It took two more t
ries to get the thing opened.
He sort of expected it to be Prime, but this time Mark stood there, his face bright and well rested.
"Um... can I help you?" He didn't have a clue why the man would be there at all, not at five in the morning like this. Especially looking so well rested. "Don't you sleep?"
He sort of thought that Prime might not, or at least didn't do a lot of it, but Mark cleared his throat, and chuckled a bit.
"I do, but in Stasis time, which means that it doesn't really show in my waking life. I generally try not to be a vast pain about it, but right now I need to be. We seem to have a bit of a problem, and I was wondering if Bridget was with you?" He didn't sound accusing, but Tobin fought for the light switch and gestured for the man to come in.
"No, but I know the drill. Look around." He was going to get a little tired of having to do that, he thought. It was flattering in a way, since so many people clearly thought that he, the Goblin, was able to lure young women to his room that easily, but Mark didn't hesitate at all, just shifting a bit and looking bland.
"I didn't think so. Clark Clarkson is missing from lockup, and it seems that Bridget has gone with him. We're checking the recording logs right now and doing a physical check of the building. This is in her normal set of places to go, so I had to ask. Scott suggested it, since he feels that she might want to spend as much time with you as possible. If it's any comfort, he did say that he didn't believe you'd be abusing her. Charlot agreed. I think she likes you."
He blinked, feeling like crud and then yawned again.
"Right. Le'me get dressed. I'll help." She was his partner after all, so if she were running away with a pedophile she should have told him first. Not that he'd have let her do it, which was her point in keeping him out of things, no doubt. In fact she'd probably set the whole thing with him up just so that Marcia would let her guard down.