We're hanging out in the loft, watching a movie and enjoying our latest victory. I'm sitting between Lisa and Brian on one couch, Alec is using a chair, and Rachel is on the other couch with her dogs. Suddenly, Rachel's phone starts ringing. Her phone never rings.
Brows furrowed, Rachel answers her phone, not bothering to leave the room. "Yeah?" We can't hear what's on the other end, but judging by Rachel's reactions...it's weird. "You sure?" She listens to the answer and considers it for a bit. She stands.
"I'll meet him first. Keep him there." She hangs up and signals her dogs to get up. Brian is the first to speak "Something wrong?" She hesitates but looks at us "Someone wants to adopt one of the dogs in my shelter." I've been helping her out so I know how much work they are.
Lisa and I join her. Never hurts to bring backup. Rachel doesn't comment. We don't know who this guy is and Rachel might have to take him to her shelter. Lisa should be able to tell if he's safe to bring there or not. Rachel leads us to the city shelter and we enter.
A tall, athletic boy with sandy hair points us to the back. "He's back there." We head into the back. Judas, Brutus, and Angelica are smelling around and enjoying themselves. With a quick command though, they fall into place around Rachel. It doesn't take long to find him.
The man in the play area has (s/c) skin and short, copper hair. He's wrestling on the floor with a large white bulldog. He manages to wrench the toy out of the dog's mouth, roll away, and stand. At his full height, I'd estimate he's somewhere around 6'2"-6'4".
He does a little jump in place, in which he widens his stance to the kind of pose football players take when lining up before hiking the ball. We watch him play with the dog, training the dog to drop the toy when bringing it back. Rachel yells "Hey! You the one looking to adopt?"
He look at us and smiles, his green eyes almost seem to flash in the light as he does. He tosses the toy for the dog before leaving the play area, making sure it's closed behind him so the bulldog doesn't get out. He nods "I am. Are you Rachel?" She nods and he smiles, extending a hand.
"I'm Gideon." Lisa takes his hand. "I'm Lisa and this is Taylor. Rachel doesn't really shake hands." He nods "Nice to meet you all." There's a sadness to his eyes as he looks at us. I wonder why. He turns to Rachel as she speaks "What kind of dog?" He thinks on it for a moment before answering.
"Not sure yet. I know I need a guard or working dog. Nothing else would be able to keep up with me physically or mentally." It doesn't look like Rachel believes him. He looks down at Rachel's dogs and then at her, motioning to Brutus. "He's a handsome one. You train him?"
She nods and he smiles "He kinda reminds me of my first dog, Tex. She was a Boucheron, Bernese Mountain Dog mix." Rachel crosses her arms, judgment written all over her face "What happened to Tex?" He sighs, his eyes shutting like it's a painful memory to relive.
"Bomb, 1994. She was in the military with me. Saved my entire squad. Got her own funeral service for it." He smiles sadly "Tex was my first dog. Trained her myself." I can't help but ask "What branch?" He chuckles bitterly "Army." I nod. It's a standard question that almost everyone asks.
Rachel looks at him. "Is Tex the only dog you've ever owned?" He shakes his head. "No. I got Bellona the Siberian Husky, Pitbull mix in '97. She was missing a leg and she died in '03." She nods, opening her mouth to speak, only for him to continue.
"Then I got Diablo in 2005. He was a Doberman, Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. Ex-fighting dog actually. His heart was weak from all those fights so it gave out on him about a year ago." I don't know much about dogs, but just from this list...I'd say this guy knows what he's doing.
Rachel nods and whistles for her dogs to follow as she starts to head for the door "I'll show you the dogs." We walk down the road together towards Rachel's shelter. It's silent for a bit as we walk. Just when I decide that I can't handle the silence, I open my mouth to speak, but Lisa beats me to it.
"So, how long have you been in Brockton Bay?" He gives her a questioning look "I got in yesterday. Why?" Rachel's voice is flat, almost like it's a chore. "You need a place to keep the dog." He chuckles "They allow dogs where I'm staying. I wouldn't just get a dog without having a place."
We arrive at the shelter and it is clear that he is almost as much a dog person as Rachel. He gets along with these dogs just as well as he did with the big bulldog from the shelter. While he plays with the dogs, Rachel watches him suspiciously while Lisa leans against the wall nearby.
After Rachel watches Gideon for a bit, she seems to understand that he's good with dogs, but unwilling to let him take one. So, Lisa and I step in to try to convince her that she can't take care of all of them on her own. Granted, she's doing a better job with over a dozen dogs than most shelters, but still.
They all deserve to have someone who can take care of them properly. We eventually get her to agree to let him adopt the Karelian Bear Dog mix. He even gives Rachel $50 as she gives him a spare leash and collar. He smiles as he plays with the puppy who is far from done growing.
He looks over at Rachel, his voice soft but confident. "Thank you Rachel. You're doing a great job here. I wish I could do more to help." He looks at us over his shoulder. "It was nice meeting you all." With that, he turns and leaves the shelter with the dog who is looking happy as can be.
We head back to the loft and tell Alec and Brain what happened. We hang out in a comfortable silence, watching whatever came on tv until dinner. We all voted on what to eat, deciding on Mexican, and then Brian and I take his car to pick up the food.
About 20 minutes later we are walking back into the loft and Brian is tossing burritos at each member. We put on the evening news in case anything's changed and relax with our food. About halfway through our meal, Alec looks at Rachel. "I'm kinda amazed you let someone adopt one."
Lisa chuckles "It wasn't easy to get her to agree." Rachel looks away. I speak up. "He looked like he knew what he was doing." She gives me the slightest nod. "He does. But something was off about him." I have no idea what she's talking about, and I'm pretty good at reading people.
Lisa is nodding though "There is." Rachel tenses. Lisa immediately clarifies "It's nothing bad for the dog." She relaxes a bit but Brian tenses "Does that mean its bad for us." She chews on her inner cheek nervously. Alec speaks hesitantly "Lisa, what's going on? What's up with the guy?"
She sighs "I don't know." "Huh?" Not the most intelligent answer, but it gets my point across. She avoids eye contact and mumbles something. Brian sighs "Lisa please." She pouts but concedes "He's a cape." This makes all of our muscles contract and freeze simultaneously.
Everyone is holding their breaths for a moment before Brian clears his throat. "Really?" Lisa nods and I speak up "What's his power?" Lisa shakes her head. "My power won't tell me." My forehead scrunches in confusion as Alec asks the question on my mind.
"Then how do you know he's a cape?" I'm kinda scared to hear her answer. "Firstly, the name he gave us was completely fake. Plus, my power just, stopped talking to me after awhile." She says. Rachel states "He recognized me." Our heads snap to look at our quietest member.
She continues "He asked if the transformation hurts the dogs and if Chopper [Buck] had ever been transformed." Silence ensues and Brian looks at Lisa "You said your power told you nothing?" She nods slowly, picking out each word she wants to use just before it leaves her mouth.
"The only reason that might happen is in the presence of other Thinker or Trump powers." Brian thinks on this for a bit "Think we should call the boss? Let him know there might be a new cape in town?" Lisa shrugs "We can." "But if you're right, that could really screw with things." Alec adds.
"Whatever happens...whatever is true...we need to be careful. If there is a Thinker or Trump cape in town, there's no telling what he could do, who he could screw, or who he could hurt. Call the boss. He'll want to know about this."
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आप पढ़ रहे हैं
All the Time to Lose (Wormverse)
फैनफिक्शनAn ex-soldier clutching at straws after losing everything. One amnesiac girl with far too much power at her disposal. Three teenagers with superpowers making a living as vigilantes. One doomed city to test their limits...and push past them. I don't...
