Billy and Goodnight | backdated June 25th
Jun. 25th, 2018 06:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ax_mainGoodnight finds out about Fatale's altercation with Cal via Billy's text chat. But his main concern is for Billy's future.
"Pam's gone." Billy's words were quiet and fast, tinged with urgency. He barely looked up from his phone after informing Goodnight, just kept texting, a tiny frown of consternation creasing his brow. "She went off with Scott, his girlfriend, and Alex. She thinks they're going to kick her out of the school."
"No shit?" Goody frowned and set his book down on his belly, open to his place so he wouldn't lose it. He remained stretched out on his back, but turned his head to the side to watch Billy. "What happened?"
Silence from Billy's side of the bed as more texts were exchanged. "There was a fight," he said at last. "She told Cal to drop her powers and he wouldn't. So she hit him in the neck. I don't...Oh."
"What? Shit, she didn't collapse his windpipe or something, did she?" As it came out of Goody's mouth, he realized... Pam would. "Is he okay?"
"She stabbed him the the throat," Billy murmured. "She says he healed up. I guess he had someone's healing factor. Laura's maybe."
"Goddammit, you're kidding?" But Goody knew he wasn't. He sat up and set aside his book carefully, then scooted nearer to look over Billy's shoulder. "What the fuck, Fatale..." But he knew what the fuck. And it was exactly what he didn't want Billy to think was okay.
Billy handed his phone over, letting Goodnight read the whole exchange. "Stupid. He should have dropped it when she told him to."
Goody read the exchange with increasing exasperation and concern. This was exactly what he feared: that Billy, not understanding the concept of proportionate response and/or the sanctity of life, would do something to this effect. And then be taken away, somewhere Goody couldn't reach him. His face paled as he finished reading, then handed the phone back. "Maybe so, but that don't mean murder was justified. It definitely was not. Billy, I need you to understand that." He put a hand on Billy's arm.
Billy's gaze was on Goodnight's pale face and desperate expression. "Hey. You OK, Goody?"
Goody nodded, though he wasn't. "This is important, Billy." Maybe repeating his name would drill that into Billy's head? Somehow? "Pam was wrong."
"Cal wronged her first," Billy insisted. "Those powers weren't his to keep, and he wasn't listening to her."
For one thing, Goodnight wasn't even sure about that; Cal's powers meant he mimicked, not stole. But that was beside the point Goody needed to make. "Even so, it ain't a proportionate response to kill him. Just 'cause someone's being a dick, that don't mean he deserves to die. The harm he's doing ain't nowhere near the harm she caused him."
"He healed," Billy pointed out. "And he gets to keep her powers still. And Pam's going to be in trouble for it. Sounds to me like he still comes out on top."
"He most certainly does not," Goody said. "Billy... when a body is murdered, that's it. All that potential, all their dreams, all their skills and memories and thoughts; it's all wiped out forever. When I saw you in that simulation, when I knew you were flesh and blood with all those things in you, just like me--that is why I'd rather talk first, shoot later. Only valid reason to kill you then would've been if you was trying to kill someone else, to keep you from that.
"Killing ain't the go-to. It's the last resort. It has to be."
Billy looked away, frustrated. He knew dead was forever. And that some people deserved to die more than others. He didn't think Goody understood just how much what Cal had done would have hurt and scared Pam. It went beyond "being a dick" - he hadn't cared that her powers were a part of her that he had no right to. Or that she'd had so much taken already, just like they all had. And he didn't know how to make Goodnight understand that.
"I was trying to kill you," Billy pointed out. There were exceptions to the rules.
"You were supposed to be trying to kill me," Goody said. "You never came at me."
"I didn't think I needed to get that close..." But he didn't like thinking about that. How close he'd come to snuffing out the brightest star in his whole life. Billy sighed between his teeth. "I don't just go around killing people anymore. Even when they stare. I didn't try to fight Cal before."
"I know it, and I'm proud of you," Goody said, all earnestness. "But even if you don't feel it, I need you to understand it. Because if a time comes when it seems like a good idea anyhow--it probably ain't. And that's the kind of thing that could get you... in trouble. Trouble I can't save you from.
"So if they's something you can't understand about it, I need to know, so I can explain."
"When do I get to protect myself?" Billy asked, more edge to the question than he'd meant there to be. "Or you? Because it seems like everyone else gets to take a shot, or point weapons, and we just have to take it."
"They's other ways of protecting yourself that don't involve stabbing someone in a vital organ," Goody said. "I ain't saying Pam should just take the insult. I'm saying murder ain't an appropriate response to it, is all."
"I'm not talking abut that now," Billy said. "I'm talking about when it's not just words. Like with cops. I'm not supposed to fight back against them, but they can kill me if they think I'm a mutant."
"Cops, well, that's a complicated situation," Goody admitted. "I don't trust them myself. If they come for you or me, I sure as hell wouldn't sit and take it, uniform or no.
"But it's a question of proportionate response, is what I'm trying to explain. Violence isn't the only reaction. It generally shouldn't be the first one, unless we're threatened with violence ourselves."
"I'm not stupid. I haven't tried to kill anyone since the prison." Billy looked away. "What Cal was doing wasn't just being a dick. He was hurting her and he didn't care. And fine, maybe she shouldn't have stabbed him. But she shouldn't have to leave over it."
"Ain't no maybe. She shouldn't have stabbed him. They's other ways to deal with hurt--ways we all gotta learn if we want to live free," Goody pressed, squeezing Billy's arm. "And I agree--she shouldn't. Xavier of all people should understand why that was her reaction. Lord knows I do."
Billy was tense under Goodnight's hand, but finally leaned into him. "What if they do make her leave? She won't have anywhere to go."
“I don’t know,” Goody admitted. In truth, that seemed like Alex’s lookout, but he was glad to see Billy’s compassion all the same. “If he kicks her out with nowhere else to live, he’s not the man they all say he is.” Scott says he is, was what Goody was thinking. Clearly.
"Maybe it's something we should think about," Billy murmured. "Because if anyone lays a hand on you, they will lose it. And I don't care if they do kick me out."
“Same goes for me,” Goody said. “And how they deal with this will definitely factor into our decisions. About this place. It has to.
“But... that’s something for later. Right now, I just—I need to know you understand me. That they’s better ways to deal with problems and people. And problem people.
“Cal ain’t exactly all right either. But he ain’t stupid. They could’ve talked it through. Taken it up higher. Something. Anything.”
Billy looked away. "I don't know other people's dreams and potential..." An admission of defeat. "It's words, Goody. I don't understand it. I don't even dream. But I won't do anything to get me put back anyplace like where we came from, OK? I won't do that to you."
Goody put an arm around Billy and buried his face in Billy’s neck. He rested his far hand on Billy’s near thigh. “That’s all that matters,” he muttered after a few moments of clinging.
"Pam's gone." Billy's words were quiet and fast, tinged with urgency. He barely looked up from his phone after informing Goodnight, just kept texting, a tiny frown of consternation creasing his brow. "She went off with Scott, his girlfriend, and Alex. She thinks they're going to kick her out of the school."
"No shit?" Goody frowned and set his book down on his belly, open to his place so he wouldn't lose it. He remained stretched out on his back, but turned his head to the side to watch Billy. "What happened?"
Silence from Billy's side of the bed as more texts were exchanged. "There was a fight," he said at last. "She told Cal to drop her powers and he wouldn't. So she hit him in the neck. I don't...Oh."
"What? Shit, she didn't collapse his windpipe or something, did she?" As it came out of Goody's mouth, he realized... Pam would. "Is he okay?"
"She stabbed him the the throat," Billy murmured. "She says he healed up. I guess he had someone's healing factor. Laura's maybe."
"Goddammit, you're kidding?" But Goody knew he wasn't. He sat up and set aside his book carefully, then scooted nearer to look over Billy's shoulder. "What the fuck, Fatale..." But he knew what the fuck. And it was exactly what he didn't want Billy to think was okay.
Billy handed his phone over, letting Goodnight read the whole exchange. "Stupid. He should have dropped it when she told him to."
Goody read the exchange with increasing exasperation and concern. This was exactly what he feared: that Billy, not understanding the concept of proportionate response and/or the sanctity of life, would do something to this effect. And then be taken away, somewhere Goody couldn't reach him. His face paled as he finished reading, then handed the phone back. "Maybe so, but that don't mean murder was justified. It definitely was not. Billy, I need you to understand that." He put a hand on Billy's arm.
Billy's gaze was on Goodnight's pale face and desperate expression. "Hey. You OK, Goody?"
Goody nodded, though he wasn't. "This is important, Billy." Maybe repeating his name would drill that into Billy's head? Somehow? "Pam was wrong."
"Cal wronged her first," Billy insisted. "Those powers weren't his to keep, and he wasn't listening to her."
For one thing, Goodnight wasn't even sure about that; Cal's powers meant he mimicked, not stole. But that was beside the point Goody needed to make. "Even so, it ain't a proportionate response to kill him. Just 'cause someone's being a dick, that don't mean he deserves to die. The harm he's doing ain't nowhere near the harm she caused him."
"He healed," Billy pointed out. "And he gets to keep her powers still. And Pam's going to be in trouble for it. Sounds to me like he still comes out on top."
"He most certainly does not," Goody said. "Billy... when a body is murdered, that's it. All that potential, all their dreams, all their skills and memories and thoughts; it's all wiped out forever. When I saw you in that simulation, when I knew you were flesh and blood with all those things in you, just like me--that is why I'd rather talk first, shoot later. Only valid reason to kill you then would've been if you was trying to kill someone else, to keep you from that.
"Killing ain't the go-to. It's the last resort. It has to be."
Billy looked away, frustrated. He knew dead was forever. And that some people deserved to die more than others. He didn't think Goody understood just how much what Cal had done would have hurt and scared Pam. It went beyond "being a dick" - he hadn't cared that her powers were a part of her that he had no right to. Or that she'd had so much taken already, just like they all had. And he didn't know how to make Goodnight understand that.
"I was trying to kill you," Billy pointed out. There were exceptions to the rules.
"You were supposed to be trying to kill me," Goody said. "You never came at me."
"I didn't think I needed to get that close..." But he didn't like thinking about that. How close he'd come to snuffing out the brightest star in his whole life. Billy sighed between his teeth. "I don't just go around killing people anymore. Even when they stare. I didn't try to fight Cal before."
"I know it, and I'm proud of you," Goody said, all earnestness. "But even if you don't feel it, I need you to understand it. Because if a time comes when it seems like a good idea anyhow--it probably ain't. And that's the kind of thing that could get you... in trouble. Trouble I can't save you from.
"So if they's something you can't understand about it, I need to know, so I can explain."
"When do I get to protect myself?" Billy asked, more edge to the question than he'd meant there to be. "Or you? Because it seems like everyone else gets to take a shot, or point weapons, and we just have to take it."
"They's other ways of protecting yourself that don't involve stabbing someone in a vital organ," Goody said. "I ain't saying Pam should just take the insult. I'm saying murder ain't an appropriate response to it, is all."
"I'm not talking abut that now," Billy said. "I'm talking about when it's not just words. Like with cops. I'm not supposed to fight back against them, but they can kill me if they think I'm a mutant."
"Cops, well, that's a complicated situation," Goody admitted. "I don't trust them myself. If they come for you or me, I sure as hell wouldn't sit and take it, uniform or no.
"But it's a question of proportionate response, is what I'm trying to explain. Violence isn't the only reaction. It generally shouldn't be the first one, unless we're threatened with violence ourselves."
"I'm not stupid. I haven't tried to kill anyone since the prison." Billy looked away. "What Cal was doing wasn't just being a dick. He was hurting her and he didn't care. And fine, maybe she shouldn't have stabbed him. But she shouldn't have to leave over it."
"Ain't no maybe. She shouldn't have stabbed him. They's other ways to deal with hurt--ways we all gotta learn if we want to live free," Goody pressed, squeezing Billy's arm. "And I agree--she shouldn't. Xavier of all people should understand why that was her reaction. Lord knows I do."
Billy was tense under Goodnight's hand, but finally leaned into him. "What if they do make her leave? She won't have anywhere to go."
“I don’t know,” Goody admitted. In truth, that seemed like Alex’s lookout, but he was glad to see Billy’s compassion all the same. “If he kicks her out with nowhere else to live, he’s not the man they all say he is.” Scott says he is, was what Goody was thinking. Clearly.
"Maybe it's something we should think about," Billy murmured. "Because if anyone lays a hand on you, they will lose it. And I don't care if they do kick me out."
“Same goes for me,” Goody said. “And how they deal with this will definitely factor into our decisions. About this place. It has to.
“But... that’s something for later. Right now, I just—I need to know you understand me. That they’s better ways to deal with problems and people. And problem people.
“Cal ain’t exactly all right either. But he ain’t stupid. They could’ve talked it through. Taken it up higher. Something. Anything.”
Billy looked away. "I don't know other people's dreams and potential..." An admission of defeat. "It's words, Goody. I don't understand it. I don't even dream. But I won't do anything to get me put back anyplace like where we came from, OK? I won't do that to you."
Goody put an arm around Billy and buried his face in Billy’s neck. He rested his far hand on Billy’s near thigh. “That’s all that matters,” he muttered after a few moments of clinging.
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Date: 2018-07-13 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-13 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-14 04:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-15 01:43 pm (UTC)2) That "if" is giving Billy a mild panic attack.
3) That "you'll be such a good dad" is giving Goody a panic attack all his own. XD
no subject
Date: 2018-07-15 02:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-16 05:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-16 08:54 pm (UTC)