“Robbie! What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were helping someone move in the next town over.”

A brown pair of eyes flickered in between the small crown of men standing around the pool table in the otherwise dead and dusty midday bar. [color=f6c972]“We got done early, thought I’d stop by.”[/color]

Leaning down to line up a shot, Joe said, “Fixing to play? Well, you can hop in next round. Shouldn’t be too long now.” Tongue slipping to the edge of his mouth in focus, he made his shot, the cue ball clipping the 7 and sending it spinning to rattle around the corner. Mouthing a swear, he stepped back as the next player swooped in.

“We were trading ghost stories. Leo’s son was nosing around with the Acra Manor. Said he heard screaming.”

[color=f6c972]“The place up on the hill?”[/color] Robbie asked, leaning in and pretending to be interested in the pool game.

Joe’s eyes narrowed only to soften after a moment of thought. “Right, you’re newer. Some old money used to live there. He was linked to some missing persons some years ago but the charges were dropped. Shady as all hell. He was always rumored to keep gold in his walls but he died a few years back. The police poke in once in a while but they’ve never found anything weird, and I’ve never heard of someone who broke in and came back. We’re thinking the missing people are still there, in spirit.”

A clatter came from the pool table. Leo slammed his fist on the edge. “Not while I’m lining up my shot!”

“Shit, not like you were making it anyway.” Sliding in to take his turn, Joe continued, “I was gonna mention the bodies they found under the old school when I was a kid-”

“Again?” blurted the third party, a somewhat younger black man looking up from his phone. Daniel got a nasty look before Joe leaned down, the mood sour as he took his shot, sinking the 7 and moving to take the 8.

“Okay, we can change the subject. You heard about the guy rampaging in Huntsville? They keep saying ‘EVO’ whatever the fuck that’s supposed to be. Nanites? Seriously? But they’re not even pretending it’s not really just about mutants. That magnet fucker was all about ‘evolution’.” Danny shook his head. Joe’s nostrils flared. “Hey, I’m not saying all mutants are a problem, I just don’t think those libs in the government care about the truth over whatever political correctness wins at the polls.”

Leo scoffed. “Yeah, what are you going to do, stretch your earlobes at us?”

As Leo and Joe chortled, Robbie stepped over, grabbing Joe as he moved to shoot and banging his head down on the table. Wrestling with the stunned man, he forced open his jaw and clamped in down on the corner, raising his elbow and dropping it. In an instant, there were more teeth on the table then pool balls. It was pure violence, that which was resting behind Joe’s benign words, that so many would gladly evoke if they were beyond recourse.

“You there Robbie?” Joe asked, holding out the usual cue stick. Leo was putting the balls back into position as Danny went off to grab his own stick for a fresh Scotch Doubles.

Snapping back, Robbie reached his hand out, but ultimately pulled back. [color=f6c972]“Nah, I dropped something on my foot earlier and it’s starting to hurt. Next time?”[/color]

Joe gave a hapless shrug. “Alright then, next time it is.”

With one last look at the group, those brown eyes fell onto Robbie, flaring with anger for a moment before he left the bar. Out on the street in the muggy day, he turned a few corners, then into an alleyway before shrinking a few inches and narrowing considerably. His dirty blonde hair became long and brown with a shock of white running through the front. Fishnets over her black top, her face was stiff as she processed her instinct for violence. She didn’t think it was undeserved: this area was full of racist slimeballs. But that was secondary. The doormat laying down and taking it was what really bothered her. The passivity in a place where action was needed instead. But she hadn’t acted either. It wasn’t who she was anymore. She was out for herself. She’d gone Rogue long ago.[hr]Spinning a wad of cash that was pinched between his thumb and finger, Remy gave a light smile as Anne approached. Recognizing an aggression in her step, she slowed her roll, hoping her mood didn’t show too much on her face. He didn’t even seem to notice, she thought, waving the cash before sliding it into his coat pocket. How he wore than thing in this weather was beyond her.

[color=CC66CC]“Ah, Cheri. Won enough at darts for pizza an’ a’ motel. Ol’ idiots never saw the Gambit coming. Wanna drive?”[/color] Snapping the jangling keys out of the air as he tossed them at her, she gave them a look, spotting the old beat up Hello Kitty keychain that had belonged to the original owner. She felt her mood melt away, restraint exchanged for control. He’d give her the wheel, and- god dammit she could never stay mad with him around.

Remy slipped to the other side while Anne moved to the door. She gave a toothy smile, nodding northward. [color=f6c972]“I can do you one better, sugar. Got a score for us, big mansion up the hill. Old money, bad rumors: I got the feeling there’s something hiding there.”[/color]

A whistle blew from Remy’s lips as they slipped into the car. [color=CC66CC]“Fancy part of town, eh?”[/color]

Hands tight on the wheel Anne let them slacken a bit. She spotted a particular parlor a ways up the road, figuring Remy had noted it while he was waiting. [color=f6c972]“We’ll hit it when it gets dark, we’ve got a few hours. In the meantime, pizza sounds mighty fine right about now.”[/color]

[right][color=silver][sup][i]Made in collaboration with [@Hillan][/i][/sup][/color][/right]