The Way We Are

15

"It's strange, isn't it?" Hank looked to the side at Lola. She had turned and swung her legs over the branch. Hank was a little hesitant to letting her do so. Already she had shown that her balance wasn't exactly the best. He was half expecting to suddenly having to leap and catch her if she fell. But so far, she had proven to stay stable and not see to climbing anymore, which relieved him completely.

"What is?" Hank asked eventually, he had just been staring at her for a few moments. She had been staring back at him, waiting patiently.

"Being here." Lola said plainly, as if that was the most obvious response ever, and that it was one he should've been expecting.

"Oh," Hank dragged the word out quietly. Blinking and looking around, he looked to the vast expanse of green grass which stretched out beyond them. In the distance, the surrounding brickwork which made up the boundary could only just be seen. Beyond that, was the road to the city. Cars were very seldom passing really, so there couldn't be any sounds of busy traffic. The city could be seen, well, the high stretching buildings could be vaguely seen in the distance.

"Where did you come from, before coming here?"

Hank fidgeted on the branch, it was a normal question, he supposed. It wasn't like he didn't know about her past, well, parts of it at least. Well, correction, mainly the nasty parts. "Illinois," he started, Lola smiled happy that he at last responded. "My father, Norton, he worked at a nuclear power plant. He, er, he was exposed to radiation during an accident. Outwardly, he didn't seem any different, apparently...but his genes...his genes were altered, and here I am." Hank said slowly, recalling information he had been told from his parents.

"So, your family is full of geniuses, huh?" She smirked with wide lilac eyes.

Hank smiled, wasn't expecting that was for sure. But, by now, he supposed he should be used to Lola coming out with the opposite to what travelled through his mind. "Yeah, I guess." He said uncertainly.

"What's your mother called?" She nudged her shoulder gently against his.

"Edna."

"Were they nice? I mean, are they! Sorry, sorry for past tense...I presume they're both still alive?" Lola rambled out awkwardly while clapping her hands to her cheeks.

Hank reached up and put an arm around her shoulders when she wobbled slightly. "Yeah, and yeah. I think they struggled a bit, you know? Unlike you, I was born like..." Hank pointed at himself and then shook his head, "Just the feet, I mean." He corrected with a quick shake of his head.

"And hands." Hank frowned and looked at her. Lola tilted her head slowly, reaching out she held onto the hand which wasn't currently around her shoulders. She turned his hand in hers and demonstrated her words by placing her hand against his. Her fingers only just went past the second knuckles on his fingers.

"Right," Hank awkwardly said at last. He didn't quite know what else to say, really. "It wasn't just the physical, though. Like, the other things which came with my mutation; the reflexes, the agility, strength...as well as my intelligence, they struggled all around. But mainly through the actions of others."

"You were bullied?"

Hank couldn't help but bitterly laugh. "Wouldn't you bully...actually, no, I can't ask you that. Because clearly not." He shook his head and looked down, her canvas shoed feet hang lifelessly next to his own feet. He couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh, she just looked small in comparison.

"So...how did you cross Charles's path?" Lola pushed hair over her shoulder and took to plaiting it loosely.

Hank smiled fondly, "That...yeah, you spend years covering up, hiding away, trying to just stay under the radar, and then someone just comes along and..." Hank looked at where her hand had returned to sit in his before tentatively curling his fingers around hers.