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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 17:17:48 GMT -5
A couple of days had passed since the fireworks incident, but its effects were still very much visible. The ruins of the factory were still being cleaned up, and it seemed as though a lot of people were still on edge even more so than usual for living in a city that gets leveled nigh-daily. This had been the first major attack by the Dark Legion in a long while, and anyone who had any doubts about the group or their methods was rudely awakened. In fact, quite a few people seemed intent to leave Station Square after this, afraid of a follow-up attack by the Legion at any time.
@hugh@
This, however, was not the case for a certain Dr. Hugh Giatros. In fact, it was quite the opposite: After hearing about the attack, he had come to Station Square as soon as he got an opening in his schedule (which is to say, he announced he was taking a day off and left before his superiors could object). Why was he doing this? Simple: He needed to make sure someone was alright.
Thankfully, he was able to get in touch with him via email not long after the attack. After making sure he was okay for the time being, they had agreed to meet at a cafe to discuss in more detail what had happened. Hugh had always liked this particular cafe; he always made the nearly mile-long treck from the hospital during his lunch hour to get his coffee here while he was interning at Station Square Memorial. Shame they didn't have a place like this in Central City, and even he had to admit that commuting all the way to Station Square for his lunch hour there wasn't particularly worth it.
Soon, the cafe came into view. It was just as he remembered it: Same tacky blue awning over the front door, same set of tables and chairs out front with ugly green umbrellas over them, and, as far as he could make out in the window, same obnoxiously cheerful barista running the shop. It was almost quaint to see that some things didn't change over time, a refershing contrast to the way things in the hospital always shuffled around.
At any rate, none of that mattered at the moment. Looking around the outside patio, Hugh tried to locate his friend and mentor.
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 25, 2009 18:08:14 GMT -5
 Leaning back comfortably with his legs crossed on one of the café's patio chairs was the person he sought; the famed cyborg surgeon known as Dr. Zachary. Staring down over his rosy colored glasses he seemed rather interested in the newspaper gripped in his mechanical hands. Curiously, it appeared as though he had slipped one of his feet out of his shoes, and with all the dexterity normally found in a person's hands managed to hold a teacup with his toes. |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 18:31:19 GMT -5
@hugh@
Ah, there he was. Dr. Zachary, still up to his feet-based antics, so it seemed. To the badger's relief, he certainly looked no worse for wear, considering what the doctor must've been through. Walking towards him, Hugh casually reached out and pushed his newspaper down so that Zack would quickly focus his attention on him.
"You know, I'm pretty sure drinking with your feet is a violation of some sort of hygene code, just a hunch."
Although he said this with his usual amount of sarcasam, there was a hint of warmth in his voice to suggest that Hugh meant it in good humor rather than to be insulting (... for once).
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 25, 2009 18:54:20 GMT -5
Zachary blinked, eyes momentarily following after the paper until its words were reduced to indistinguishable gibberish. Realizing the attempt was futile his focus snapped up, and with recognition of who he was looking at came a smirk and a light shrug. "Hmm, I suppose I could just use my tongue..." he quipped. Setting the cup down on the table beside him, and without budging an inch from his seat, the pangolin's long tongue slid out and took a lap at the foam in his latte. |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 19:23:01 GMT -5
@hugh@
The badger let out a snort as he watched Zack take another approach at drinking his coffee. Pulling up an extra chair from another table, Hugh sat down across from the pangolin.
"It's good to see you alive and well, my friend. I was afraid that the only thing I'd be able to do when I got here was see if your arms survived the fireworks payload."
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 25, 2009 19:46:54 GMT -5
"Mmhmm, not to say it wasn't a close call," Zachary admitted sheepishly, idly rubbing at the back of his head. He held his opposite hand up with his thumb and index finger an inch apart. "This close from losing my head," he groaned. "The hospital wasn't much better. The ER was already short-staffed to begin with, I was beginning to think I'd never get out," he idly took up his latte, with his hand this time, and took a short sip. "As you could imagine I had a rather lengthy discussion with the long-neck bottle when I finally got home..." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 20:10:19 GMT -5
@hugh@
"Yeah, that's what I figured..." Hugh growled, "I wanted to come over as soon as I heard about the attack to lend a hand, but I couldn't get clearance. Should've just told them where to shove it and went anyway..."
Noticing a waiter comming outside, Hugh quickly flagged him down.
"Yeah, I'll just want a cup of coffee. Black, nothing added."
Watching the waiter nod and walk off, he turned back to Zack.
"Still can't believe all these drinks places like this advertise. In my world, there is only two flavors of coffee: black and undrinkable."
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 25, 2009 20:24:53 GMT -5
Zachary chuckled. "Well you can have all the black coffee you want then. I'll be sipping my undrinkable vanilla latte quite contentedly~" he took another draw from his cup in emphasis. And then he huffed. "A competent emergency room staff would certainly be a blessing. Did you know they recently had the gall to page me in for not only the sort of situation I normally only take by appointment, but for a lobster?" |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 20:38:19 GMT -5
@hugh@
"Oh, don't fool yourself. 'Latte' is French for 'you paid too much for that coffee' and you know it."
Hugh paused to look at the small tray sitting on the table. Along with the usual packets of sugar and sugar substitutes, there was a pile of plastic stirring sticks resting in the tray. Picking one up, the badger put it in his mouth and began to chew on it before continuing.
"A lobster? What, did they want to know what kind of wine goes with that?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 25, 2009 21:11:45 GMT -5
"Fluid, antibiotics, rest and a check-in every so often until he's ready to be released. Is that really so hard? But no, they call in the biomechanical specialist, expecting me to have the right size rotator cuff without taking any measurements, for a species that can regenerate." He laughed rather cynically. |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 21:41:47 GMT -5
@hugh@
Hugh simply nodded in agreement as the waiter returned with his coffee. Upon taking the drink, however, he discovered to his dismay that it had been topped with foam.
"I've gone here for Chaos knows how long and that stupid guinea pig still puts foam on my coffee..." Hugh grumbled under his breath as he took a distasteful sip of the foam, "Well, at least you don't have to brown-nose your way around the hospital to get anything done. Apparently, in Central City, the question isn't 'how do we help the patient?' but rather 'how far should we bend over for the next politician to walk in?'."
The badger took another sip, resulting in, somewhat ironically, a white nose for him as some of the foam got stuck to it.
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 25, 2009 21:53:50 GMT -5
"Hmm, not as such. Instead they're either bending over to me because I'm their very own celebrity, or running away because they think I'm a terrorist." he shrugged idly. "Grass is greener, hmm?" |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 22:10:46 GMT -5
@hugh@
"Piff... Oh yeah, you're a terrorist because you help people." Hugh replied, voice dripping with sarcasam, "And that Sonic kid is a mass murderer, too. Those poor, innocent robots..."
He paused for a moment when he realized the foam on his nose and quickly wiped it off. Why was asking for a simple cup of coffee so dang hard sometimes?
"Speaking of terrorists... Did they ever catch the guy who blew up that fireworks factory, or do I now have to live in fear that the confetti factory is going to blow next and that little pieces of paper will flood the streets and kill us all?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 25, 2009 22:44:30 GMT -5
Frowning, the pangolin went silent for a long moment, his nose wrinkling ever so slightly. Taking the newspaper he spread it over the table and pointed to one of the headlines. "He was killed." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 23:16:41 GMT -5
@hugh@
Picking up the newspaper, Hugh began to read over the contents of the article Zack had pointed out to him. He quickly came to a grinding hault when he read the name of the terrorist.
"Alexi Dimitrov? He was a member of the Dark Legion? Didn't you know that guy?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 25, 2009 23:20:05 GMT -5
"We worked together on some projects," Zachary groaned. "It seems I've discovered how my technology has been getting leaked." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 25, 2009 23:49:53 GMT -5
@hugh@
"Yes, but somehow I've got the feeling the media, being such the upholders of truth that they are, will prefer to go with the 'you two were in cahoots' route as opposed to 'he was robbing you blind.' Praise Chaos for fair and balanced reporting."
Taking another sip of his coffee (which was thankfully foam-free at this point), Hugh continued reading down the article.
"Did they ever find Alexi's body?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 26, 2009 0:10:25 GMT -5
"Of course they will; I'm famous. They'll drag my good name through the mud before they're finished because people love it when bad things happen to those 'above' them. Tch," he shook his head in disgust. "In any case, I didn't see any mentions of his body in the article; just that he was dead. Make of that whatever you will, I suppose." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 26, 2009 0:45:58 GMT -5
@hugh@
There was a pause (and a sip) after Zachary mentioned the lack of a corpse.
"The body can survive a lot of things, Zack," Hugh finally stated, "I think both you and I can attest to that. If I can survive losing all my major organs, some idiot caught in an explosion can, too. I don't consider someone dead until I see their remains shoved into a refridgerated drawer."
Another pause. Another sip.
"What's this world comming too, Zack? We've got terrorists running around using the stuff you made to save lives in order to destroy them, and everyone seems determined to make you take the fall."
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 26, 2009 1:15:51 GMT -5
Sighing, Zachary snatched his latte and leaned back in his seat. "Honestly? It's nothing I'm not already used to. I've always had to fight and claw my way; I'll just have to fight and claw some more. But I suppose you have a point with Alexi," his nose wrinkled. "At least I shouldn't have to worry about anymore of my research being stolen - I don't see Alexi's face being welcome at the office anymore," he shook his head and took a sip from his cup. "Although with the damage done already the Dark Legion probably doesn't even need him for that anymore..." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 26, 2009 3:50:37 GMT -5
@hugh@
Hugh quietly nodded in agreement, sipping his coffee. He never liked seeing how much his mentor had to struggle with his reputation.
"Well, enough about those Dark Legion half-wits... How have you been doing otherwise? Surely there must be something you've done I won't feel as guilty mocking you about."
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 26, 2009 4:04:30 GMT -5
"Hmmm..." Zachary rubbed at his chin. "I saw a terrible movie about a werehog, met a fascinating girl from the internet, and I'm considering getting in contact with Miles Prower over collaborating on a side project I've been thinking about starting. Beyond that, eh, not much to speak of beyond the usual workload." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 26, 2009 4:38:17 GMT -5
@hugh@
Hugh drank his coffee while Zack listed off what he had done... and quickly became focused on one specific thing he listed.
"... There's a girl in your life now?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 26, 2009 4:51:14 GMT -5
"Well... not as such, no. Not in that way, anyway. Honestly I didn't actually know she was a girl until I had met her." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 26, 2009 14:26:04 GMT -5
@hugh@
"Yeah, well I'm sure it was quite the pleasant surprise, then," Hugh responded with a smirk, "so tell me, what was the girl like? I'm morbidly curious as to the kind of women you apparently attract."
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 26, 2009 15:35:49 GMT -5
"Hmm... charmingly sarcastic, shares my love of bad movies, apparently very familiar with my blog..." he paused, his nose wrinkling. "And very young. Almost young enough to be my daughter." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 26, 2009 18:30:48 GMT -5
@hugh@
"Hmm... Sounds like my kind of girl, too... Although I'd probably be old enough to be her grandfather."
Hugh was silent for a moment as he drank his coffee.
"... That, and I've given up trying to find someone."
However, before Zack could hear or respond to that remark, Hugh quickly continued the conversation.
"So, did you two go see a movie or something?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 26, 2009 18:39:08 GMT -5
"We saw half a movie," Fini commented. "Then Station Square blew up again." |
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Post by SHM 128 III on May 26, 2009 20:01:51 GMT -5
@hugh@
"Yes, and I'm sure it was the Dark Legion's devious intentions to ruin your movie-going experience... What movie were you watching, anyway?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on May 26, 2009 20:20:48 GMT -5
"Oh, but I'm their illustrious leader, remember? Of course they would want to attack the city and nearly kill me with a giant fireball to the head." he shook his head, growling. "We were watching The Werehog Versus Squidula. It was actually quite hilarious how much the actor playing the werehog resembled a certain teenage vigilante." |
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