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Quin winced when Will pointed out that he was going to be picking gravel out of his back for a month. Quin was probably in the same boat, though she’d taken most of the rock shrapnel in her shoulder and leg.

A stroll through the car wash? The redhead laughed and shook her head, ”I think the hot wax is a no from me.”

As they made it back to the truck, Quin noticed that both she and Will were doing their damndest to downplay their part in the apprehension of the metal man. Truth be told, Michael had really done all the heavy lifting…both literally and figuratively. Michael seemed to see Quin’s inability with the rifle to be acceptable and even seemed impressed that she had been willing to admit her ineptitude and pass the weapon off to a professional. As funny as the idea of shooting the wrong person in the ass seemed, in this case it would have resulted in an absolute disaster for everyone involved.

But…better than most men? That was a rich comment for Michael to make in his current form.

Michael did offer to show her the leg thing and then said she could practice it on Lee and in a roundabout way asked how the sparring session had gone.

”She kicked my ass all over the gym, like I’m pretty sure you knew she would…but we’re going to meet up again. I managed to get away with her only punching me in the face once. You could have let me know that she was some kind of tiny Rambo.”

Will asked a question then and Quin frowned a bit at Michael’s description. A government agency that had agents trained specifically to apprehend mutants and contain them based on powers?

That definitely rubbed Quin the wrong way. Sure, being a mutant didn’t automatically mean you were a good person…but the government having containment specifically to negate powers seemed…not cool to say the least.

Michael moved to the back of the truck to do something and Quin looked over at Will, ”Dunno how much I like the sound of that…” she said, but this probably wasn’t the best time for that conversation. ”Michael works for the place where I live…he was doing classes and he recognized me…apparently we’d worked together? Against each other? I don’t know…but I asked him for help to learn how to fight better…”

Michael was climbing back into the front of the enormous truck now though, dressed in clothing that seemed to actually fit and using the radio to call in the capture of metal man. That meant this whole shifting thing was a regular occurrence.

”Must be inconvenient having to drag extra clothes everywhere you go.” she said as they got on their way.

Gallons to the mile huh? Quin saved her admonishments on the effect that vehicles like this tended to have on cities. Practicality was not their friend right now, and Quin was immensely grateful that she was going to be able to ride home in this beast.

Yards yadda, rolling arsenal, command station, et cetera. Quin was still stuck on the fact that all of this had apparently happened at the behest of an Ancient Egyptian sorceress. There were going to be more questions on that later…when they were driving and there was time to think.

In the meantime even Quin had to admit that it was probably a good thing that the Fordasaurus was equipped to take out a sphinx because the way things were going they’d run into one.

Almost exactly as she had the thought, Quin caught the commotion outside the car. Even through the windshield the redhead could see that the cops were having trouble with metal man. In fact, one of the cops that had helped them get to the hospital was stumbling back with a spike sticking out of his abdomen.

Michael moved then…Michael moved fast and as he moved he changed. Quin’s eyes widened slightly as a female Michael skidded to a stop in front of metal man, burnt rubber and smoke included.

”Holy shit…” Quin breathed as Michael leaped into the air and wrapped Mental man’s neck in her legs. Quin absolutely needed to learn that trick, she thought as the mutant was brought to the ground.

Michael called for tranqs and none of the cops moved. A moment later Michael called out again and Quin realized that he….she was talking to the truck.

A dart rifle? What the hell did a dart rifle look like? Quin immediately started digging around in the potentially dangerous materials to try and find the rifle in question.

It took a moment, but she found it partially slid up under the seat. Pulling the rifle free, the redhead looked over at Will with slightly wide eyes, ”I have no idea what I’m doing.” she said, before scrambling out of the truck and stumbling her way over towards the commotion, rifle bouncing awkwardly in her hands.

There was a still an uninjured cop over there and Quin thrust the rifle at the man. ”Here.” she said before jogging a few steps back.

Introductions went as introductions tended to go and Quin noted that both of the men seemed to be in worse shape than she did. Kudos to having powers to that didn’t require close contact to be efffective. Still, Quin felt like a rung out dish rag and kind of wanted to just lay back on the ground.

Michael inquired as to how they were holding up and the redhead shrugged a bit.

”Been better…” Quin said, shaking her head as Michael was handed a rag for his head. Quin knew Michael was a mutant, but she didn’t think they’d ever addressed the particulars of his mutation. Clearly it involved being ridiculously strong and growing in some way. ”I’ve got some bruised ribs and Will took a knife to the arm…apparently just another Wednesday in New York.”

It was Michael’s truck idling out in the street, and Quin had to grin when he admitted it. That was excellent news.

Heaving a sigh and climbing a bit unsteadily to her feet, quite the feat when all of your limbs feel like they weigh a couple hundred pounds, Quin nodded towards the truck.

”Good,” she said, ”Then you can give us a ride.”

Quin was dizzy…so dizzy, and as the world spun it looked like Will was even moving. Moving towards the metal man that Quin had wrapped in plastic. That couldn’t be a thing though, right? Quin had told Will to stay out of Michael’s way…Will had said that until earlier today he hadn’t even used his powers in years…Will was moving.

Will was on the metal man.

Quin took a deep breath as the world started to right itself and took a step forward instead of back as Michael re-entered the fight. How had he taken that hit and stayed standing?

Will was holding on for dear life, asking Michael to make a hole and Quin honest to god didn’t have a clue what to do.

Quin could feel the plastic starting to crack though. There was only so much it could withstand. She hadn’t had access to anything that was super strong, only the generic, cheap plastic that had made the chairs and cots and other junk in the tent. Quin’s head was pounding, but she reached out for more, starting to gather as much as she could again to try and reinforce what she’d made previously.

This time, she was only able to pull about 10 lbs before she thought she might fall over. Pushing it out, Quin did her best to reinforce the spots she thought were cracking. By the time she stopped and released the synthetic materials so they could could harden, Quin realized she was sitting on the ground.

Hopefully Michael and Will had it from here…she needed a minute.

Quin just smirked a little smirk when Will expressed what appeared to be mild skepticism about her name. Oh well, he was going to have to live with it.

Unsurprisingly, Will didn’t have anything to add to Quin’s input about what happened when this was all over and they could go home. She honestly didn’t have any idea beyond what she’d said so they were just going to have to leave it at that.

At her suggestion, Will pulled his phone to call his Mom. His Dad sounded like a pretty typical New York businessman, deeply committed to the company and all that. Again, Quin found it interesting that Will was so shut down about his powers. It seemed counterintuitive that he’d be close with his parents if they were the cause. It was a bit of a puzzle to solve.

As Will made his call Quin idly fiddled with her own phone, she’d talk to her parents later. Even five years later things were a bit weird there. Not on her parents' side, of course, but it was hard to be in a room with them or talk to them for very long without one or both of them slipping up on something and everything coming up. They’d never been anything but the parents she’d known and loved her whole life…but sometimes it was hard.

On impulse she sent off a quick text telling them essentially the same thing Will had said in his voicemail and that she’d call them later.

Hopefully the voicemail didn’t bode poorly for Will. Quin didn’t know what his parents did, but hopefully they hadn’t gotten caught up in any of the mess. Will got a text a few moments later that appeared to clear things up though and he explained that his Mom was really active in volunteering and clubs and things. Again, typical New York stuff…

Quin was just getting ready to speak again when the roar of an engine and squealing brakes cut through the relative silence of the triage tent.

”You’ve got to be kidding me…” she said, rising quickly and grabbing Will by the good arm to attempt to pull him with her as she moved away from the sound. It was just in time too, because almost as soon as they’d left the seats a man flew into the tent from the nearby side and skidded to a halt not far at all from where they’d been sitting.

”Hopefully you didn’t just lie to your Mom…” Quin said, noting that the man appeared to have metal skin.

”Get your powers ready…just in case….” she said as the man started to stir and another figure made his way through the new opening in the tent.

”Michael” Quin said as recognition dawned. Over she looked at Will, ”New plan…stay completely out of his way.”

That said, she started to pull as much of the plastic towards her as possible, intending to wrap the metal man in as much as she possibly could. It might not end up doing much, but maybe it would slow the guy down until Michael could subdue him.

Maybe it would be her turn soon, maybe it wouldn’t. Quin honestly didn’t think she needed to be seen beyond what had already transpired. Sure she had some scrapes and bruises, and her ribs were probably going to be sore for a few days…

She hadn’t gotten stabbed or sliced though.

She just needed a little rest.

It had been so easy to just lean back in the chair and close her eyes. The sounds in the tent weren’t necessarily what could be considered serene or comforting, but they were safe sounds. People were being helped, people were doing better than they had been. Soon, Quin had dozed off, completely oblivious to what was going on around her.

Until someone sat down next to her. Keeping her eyes shut, but assuming that nobody would sit this close to a stranger, Quin cracked a smile, ”They get you all fixed up?” she asked before opening her eyes and turning her head to the side to see a stark white bandage covering the wound on Will’s arm. ”Did they sing the praises of your field medic? Will you have the super cool scar?” she asked.

That said, Quin paused for a minute, ”Also, it’s nice to meet you properly Will Christensen.”

Will seemed to like the idea of the Morgan Library and even suggested checking it out when they got tea. That was a good idea, the two places were actually relatively close together. They were both at least in midtown.

Assuming they could avoid disaster.

”Surely after enough destruction, the Universe will understand my desperate need for caffeinated beverages. Maybe it just took offense to the fact that I slummed it with coffee today.” she teased, ”But yeah, I’d like that…assuming the Senator doesn’t have us working dusk ‘til dawn once the dust settles.”

Will would likely have some time off, if the condition of the shop when they’d left it was any indication of how things had continued to go. That was a bummer, the place had been really nice.

The more they talked, the more squished the bottle. It was something to do with her hands while they waited and helped relieve some of the nervous tension that was still built up inside of her. Will spoke after a moment though, and Quin looked up at him and tilted her head slightly. He didn’t use his powers much? Hadn’t in years? He didn’t tell people?

That was a bit of a shock and for a minute, Quin’s hands stopped molding the plastic. So far, everything about Will had suggested that things for him had been far more normal than they had been for her. But maybe that was because he’d kept a low profile over the years. Quin wanted to ask more about that, but maybe that’d be better over tea rather than in the middle of a triage tent during a city-wide emergency.

”Well, I’m grateful you made an exception.” she settled on saying, and really she was. If he was that uncomfortable and he’d still offered to help her feel better, that was just really nice.

At the mention of her classes and schoolwork, Quin audibly groaned, everything she had was still at the coffee shop. ”What are the chances that any of it is still there? Those books cost a fortune.” Contrary to popular belief, Senatorial internships did not pay well and while she didn’t exactly pay rent or utilities for her apartment…ugh.

”I think the literal apocalypse could be happening and my contract law professor would still be sitting at her laptop at 11:59 PM ready to close the assignment and cackle as people failed to submit.”

As Quin spoke a young’ish looking man in scrubs approached, “Name” he said, and Quin nodded to Will. He was in much worse shape. Maybe once someone with actual medical training had looked at is arm it would hurt less.