1963-06-30 - Subway Darwinism
Summary: Poindexter, Darwin, and Logan get into a mixup in the subway.
Related: If there are no related logs, put 'None' — please, don't leave blank!
Theme Song: None
logan poindexter darwin 


*SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!*

The subway car grinds to a halt as Annamena steps off. She was probably the littlest thing to exit the railways, the bustling few pushing past her and causing her to stumble and knock her glasses onto the ground as they rush off to the streets above for the rush home. It was a mess. That rush hour time where some people are just walking up to prepare to board the train to go in another direction, people getting off, some linger by with their feet upon the wall, leaned back all cool like with a stog tucked in between their lips, eyes closed and posed all cool.

Fingers were snapping off into the corner, a group of young black men harmonizing to some song that they just made up. Often times, they'd spot another sweet young thing and sing songs her way, which she would stop with a turn and wave shyly before she's pulled along by her friends.

'Dooooo wop, be bop.. oooooo wop. She's so sweeeeet..' One man would crone out.
'She's so fiiine..' A slightly higher pitch from the taller one.
'I want to make her MIIINNNNE..' The deep voice of the bigger man crones out as they all break out into laughter, high fiving and continuing on with their snapping. New York is a city of discovery so you can't fault them for that.

ATTENTION PASSENGERS: THERE WILL BE A THIRTY MINUTE DELAY. PLEASE HOLD The voice calls out from afar, to which some people groan and stuff thsemelves as best as they could on the standing car.

Annamena manages to snag her glasses from the ground, fixing them upon her face as she lets out a smile.

*CHIGGYCLANGCLANGCLANG*

An old dude with an acoustic guitar plucks tunes in his corner, which draws the attention of the small woman as she stands by and watch. He looks up towards her and smiles, a flash of light hitting his face just right which gives off a reflective hue. Anna surmised that he must be mutant. And he hoped she couldn't tell.

His fingers move at a rapid pace as he plays over the keys, the group of young men slightly making their way over, snapping their fingers to try to keep up, some of them belting out quiet notes as they test their throats against the melody that the older man is cranking out on his acoustic guitar.

'Ain't nobody got a lovin' like minnne..' The leader starts..

To say that it's crowded is nothing. But once they begin to collab it was something else all together.

It was like an afternoon leading to night of wonder..

*

Logan isn't much fond of the subway. Human beings packed in tight. The stink of piss and sweat. The sound of the engines reverbrating off the walls of the tunnels, echoing harshly in his ears.

He takes a drag on his stogie and leans against the walll, getting the feeling there's no rush coming on getting things going on the way. In the meantime, at least, the music ain't so bad.

*

Armando often took the subway, and today was no different. He stood in an area surprisingly vacant of other people- just shaking his head as the announcement came across the speakers in the system. "Just another day in New York City." he says with a chuckle as he approaches the man playing the guitar. The crowd tends to part for him- he couldn't easily hide his mutation, and didn't seem all that bothered by the stares he got. He nods towards Logan when he notices the other man. "Hey there." he offers, before he looks towards the man with the guitar. He's got a smile, taking a dollar out of his pocket to put in the man's guitar case. He's stopped, so, he owes the man a dollar.

*

Ann wasn't too fond of crowds either. But the subway was a necessary evil to get into China Town. She even had her briefcase with her! No.. it was just a bag that hung along her shoulder that fit the sign of the times, which was clinged to with smaller fingers as she bobs her head to the beat. She was all smiles really, her head tilting left and right, the happiness increasingly growi..

Someone gasps right behind her and takes a step back, then turning to push their way away from Darwin. Perhaps it was his appearance that set that person off. A few others begin to slowly turn away, slightly disgusted and take up their own places as they wait for the subway car to shift so that more of them could get on, while a few of them manage to squeeze on, making a few of the current passengers testy.

Ann turns left and right, her fingers pinching the rims of her glasses to adjust, her nose wrinkling and eyes squinting as she stares at Darwin and.. GRINS WIDE.

"Hello!"

She says boisterously, mistaking Amando's greeting towards Logan as him speaking to her.

"Are you in need of medical attention?" The question posed, even though Darwin produces a dollar to the man who plays, fingers slowing to stare towards the taller mutant with obvious shock. But Anna presses on. "Oh, you're not in need of medical attention." She states outloud. "You are just simply giving tender to the older gentleman here for entertainment. Is he homeless?" Anna looks on, where one would frown, she smiles. "Are you homeless sir?"

The man stares towards Anna, a bit baffled. "Do I look homeless?"

"Yes." She answers happily. "You play your instrument in a public place instead of the privacy of your own home or not in a hall in which music like yours is created to be played."

The man looks angry, then slowly stands. "You little bi-.."

"Oh! I offended you! I am very sorry! I just stated my observations and answered your question to the best of my abilities!"

She glances towards Armando, then shrugs her shoulders. "Are you homeless? Are you in need of a meal after you paid this man for his lackluster performance?"

*

Logan watches the girl with the ill manners intercede between Darwin and the busker. He remembers Armando from the barbecue at Xavier's and keeps an eye on the crowd in case anyone feels like going pitchfork anytime soon. Anna's behavior, however, seems to have distracted people a little bit from the man's strange appearance and to react, instead, to her strange behavior.

Barring an outbreak of violence, Logan doesn't see much need for him to jam his sensitive nose in, although the armpits of the guy next to him are certainly making their case for it.

*

"No, no. Just when someone plays in public and I enjoy it, its considered good manners to throw a little bit of money into the pot." Armando begins, putting a hand up when the man stands. "Now, friend." he begins, "I'm sure she meant no harm." he says, "Lets not fall to violence, when you have good music to make." he begins, before he turns to look towards the young woman.

"No, I'm not homeless. I'm just on my way to Chinatown for some dumplings." Armando explains, as he straightens his suit. "Not everyone can play in a hall -and even those who can sometimes play on the street. Its nice to share the music, you know?" he says with a quiet smile. Even here he seems cool as a cucumber- not a bead of sweat on him as he stands among the crowd. "I'm Armando." he offers to the young woman, "A pleasure to meet you."

*

"You got that right you little wench.." The man says in replies to Armando's words. He was already packing up, the doo-wop boys rolling their eyes at the young woman and moving along themselves. A few people seemingly linger, a few of them goating on the man with the guitar in quiet, hushed tones as Anna.. who was particularly done with the conversation, focuses on the mutant.

"Fascinating.." Anna murmurs quietly, her voice a bit thoughtful as well with her gaze unfocuses and refocuses. A few people were still talking, while the man with the guitar nods his head angrily in the direction of the two. The tension? It was picking up. And they remained oblivious…

"But that means his music is indeed lackluster and that he does not deserve a spot in the hall." One minded, right? "Thank you for proving me right.."

Darwin may have been cool as a cucumber, but one of the denizens wasn't. They used the all to typical trick, taking their path directly towards Darwin to give him a hard bump against the back in attempts to send him stumbling..

'Move out the damn way, -weirdo-..'

Anna looks towards the man, then back towards Armando. "I really wanted to take you to work with me. I think you would enjoy it for the most part. I am a great conversationalist. And I can cook to specifications. I would also like to run a few tests, since you are obviously the first mutant that I have seen."

*

Logan sighs as he feels the uptick in energy in the place. He can smell it on the people, the tension, the anxiety, the misplaced anger. He sees Darwin getting bumped and moves in quickly, interposing himself enough so that he throws a hard shoulder into the jostling man, trying to knock him on his ass.

"Watch it, bub. You better start learnin' t'watch yer bleedin' step or somebody's gonna make sure you have to learn how to walk all over 'gain," he says, looking up coolly to see if anybody is following the guy's lead, ready to stare them down.

"Mind yer business," he snarls.

*

Armando is almost pushed. He begins to stumble before his mutation takes over, and he leans forward at an odd angle- his balance settling out in a most unusual way. He's leaned forward as he begins to right himself, like some kind of bobbing-children's toy that just won't fall over. He straightens his suit, and turns those featureless eyes onto the man who's bumped him- before Logan steps in. Armando smiles towards Logan. "Thanks, brother." he offers simply to the rough man, before looking back towards Anna. "I'm afraid I'm quite finished with being poked and prodded by scientists- I've done that song and dance before." he says, even as he keeps his eye on the man who Logan has stepped in again. "Logan, he can hit me all he wants. He can't hurt me. No one on this train can hurt me." he states simply.

Armando's attention turns back to Anna. "If you have questions, however, I'm all too happy to answer. I consider it part of outreach. To explain.
"

*

"Hey!" A woman shouts out, older, possibly in her fifties leans down towards the fallen man to try to help him up. "He didn't do anything! That bastard was in the way!" She hooks her arm underneath the mans, who positively glares at Logan. People were starting to talk now, even a little bit louder. Anna was oblivious to it all, but she does keep a smile upon her face.

"Is that your bodyguard? I have one of those. I am supposed to meet him. I believe he would be pleased to know that I've finally met a mutant."

Anna looks over Logan once, twice.. and where most who back away feel the chill of the glare of the man, Anna takes a step -into- that chill. Fear replaces happiness.

All work and no play means everyone lives today..

"Are you his bodyguard? Shall I ask you permission for him to come with me to my work?"

Armando's words catch her, her brows lowering slightly. "I see. So someone else has done their research upon your person." Everything he said? Nearly ignored. Until he mentions that he was unable to be hurt.. in fact.. the odd way that he bent was missed completely in favor of the anger that Logan displays.

"So you are impervious to damage!" Annamena happily chirps out. "Tell me, who are these scientists that you've submitted yourself to. I often times feel sad speaking to live subjects. I do not like speaking to live subjects. But.." One hand lifts, then soon drops to shift into her pocket, retrieving a card…

"..and that crazy little bitch too.." The guitar man said.. "..fucking mutie lovers.."
"Yeah.. it's just us.. we should do something about this.." One woman whispers to her friend.
"I'd rather just go.."
"No, you hear what they've done to the cop!"

Annamena pulls out a card, which is soon offered to Logan to take. "Um.. is this the proper directive? Shall I hand things to your small bodyguard?"

*

Logan shakes his head to Armando, "I ain't his bodyguard. Just someone doesn't like bullies," he says. "An' it ain't just about you, bub. Yeah, you can take it, but that don't mean they won't just take it out on the next person they come across looks different - or that folks like the little missy won't get caught in the crossfire. Keep 'er busy and back while I deal with this rabble," he says.

Logan steps forward, his stocky frame stalking as he rolls his neck, popping a few metallic vertebrae with a rather sinister clicking. "We all gotta stay in this place until they get things fixed up. Now, we can all learn t'live with it or we can make a big, ugly mess. An' if it comes t'that, I can guarantee ya some o' you punks gonna get broken real hard. You don't believe it, c'mon and test me."

*

"No. I evolve." Armando says, as the tone of the box-car changes. It seems to make Armando a bit nervous- and that nervousness spurred on evolution. This crowd was ruled by emotion. Dangerous emotion. He does take Anna's card, quietly sliding it into a pocket. "No, I'll take the card, Ma'am." he says before he turns to look at the crowd that gathers. "Friends, please. Lets not make a scene. Live and let live." he begins..

However, Armando is changing- even as people look at him. Already standing 6'4" tall he somehow seems taller. He somehow seems more intimidating as he looks them down on the crowd, already a head and shoulders above them. He stands somewhat protectively over Anna. His hands begin to change as fists clench- they become rocky, hard. It looks like he could punch through steel.
"

*

"Oh. My apologies. Though it seems that you are feeding into the environment that the others put out. Are you a mutant lover as they say? Or a mutant as well? You exhibit no clear signs of mutation that I could see by thine eye.." If Anna could, she'd take a step closer..

'Fuck off!' One lady cries out.
'Mutant lover!' Another.
'Shut up!' Some ol' man says, to the crowd at least. He was attempting to sleep standing up.
'I want to go home..' A teen girl cried softly.
'Let her off the car, she needs to get out!'

The rabble was heating up, all the while Anna watched with a happy gaze, her brows lifting higher and higher, her smile softening as the card was plucked from her fingers and..

"Evolution! It makes sense! You also react to your environs, This is simply faci.."

'Shut up you litt—'

A tomato from another woman's bag goes flying through the air, pelting Anna upon the back of her head. A few men take cue to step up, angry, mumbling beneath their breaths towards Logan. Anna was a little shocked, her hair a bit messed, but what was even more shocking was how Darwin himself grew and rose to the challenge of the angry crowd.

In which a shoe actually flies.. and another piece of fruit.. and soon a fist..

*

Logan has been at the center of such mobs before. Usually gets ugly fast. Usually ends up with someone getting dead fast, "Big guy, why don't you grab the girly and exit, stage left? Don't you worry none about me…the locals an' I are just gonna have a friendly little chat," he says.

Logan wades in then and drives his metal-coated skull into one guy's nose, popping the bone, while throwing a hard punch into another guy's guts, doubling him over.

"You wanna fight, assholes? Lucky fer you, the ol' canuck's in town then! YOU WANNA FIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA GET ALL THE FIGHT YOU CAN GET!" he snarls, grabbing a third guy and hiptossing him into the wall of the train with a hard thump.

*

Any fist that meets Armando's skin would meet a steel hard end- crushing against flesh that wouldn't yield. He moves with surprising grace, agility and speed as his reaction speed grows. The Shoe and fruit are batted away and he nods towards Logan. Both hands crash into the side of the subway car, slicing through as if it were butter. He gives a quiet little grunt as he tears a huge hole into the side of the car, "Alright, lets make a quick exit." he says to Anna, "Before things get rough- Logan can take care of himself." he says- absolutely certain of that fact. When one man comes close to try and punch at Armando, he pushes back- sending the large man flying back. "Come on." As Fight changes to Flight, Armando's body continues to evolve. He seems sleeker, as he takes Anna's hand and attempts to pick her up- almost as if cradling her. Should she allow the motion the two would run- and fast. Like the wind through the subway-tubes, towards the station in question.

*

Ugly fast was an understatement. With the rioting of the mutants towards the police officers, among other incidents that the people were already angry about, it is a wonder how the situation itself didn't escalate upon Darwin's first appearance.

"I think I need to stay.." Anna mumbles, her hand touching upon the back of her head, attempting to slop the tomato down upon the ground with a forlorn expression.

But before she could get another word out, the melee was on. Logan taking out three of the attackers with relative ease, as a few stander-bys immediately begin to climb over others to run in the other direction. A few bigger men rise to the occasion, engaging in a full on melee…

Anna screams as someone grabs her shoulders, attempting to pull her back and into the crowd behind her, her hand striking out to reach for Darwin, the epitome of cool who begins to change. His slicing of the railway car draws a shock from a few, a cacaphony of cries joining in with Anna's as she was scooped up into the arms of the taller man.

"Wai" She cries out, the snatch and cradle of her person sending her glasses a tumble, Anna attempting to writhe but thinking better of it. Logic dictates that she stays still, and use her arms to cover herself.. which is what she did. "But what abo.."

Yeah, there were a few who managed to find debris and their own bags to attempt to hurl towards Darwin, hoping to stop him. To drop the girl as he attempts to flee.

'He's kidnapping her!'
'Get him!'
'KILL THEM BOTH!'

Yeah, it was a mess.

*

Logan doesn't take much time to worry about the other two now. He's thrown himself headlong into the mess. For now, he keeps his claws away, just brawling. His fists are heavy, propelled by strong arms and weighed down by his impossible skeleton, so that every punch is like a knockout blow with brass knuckles.

He gets stuck a couple of minutes in, a switchblade jabbing up and snapping off on his ribs, soaking some blood into his shirt. He barely notices, but he does, long enough to grab the punk responsible and drive a punch into his sternum.

Logan can't help but grin. This is getting fun.

*

"From all reports, Logan is a certified bruiser." Armando is quick to say, before shouting back. "Logan, come on! We don't need to be in the middle of this!" he says, as he extracts Anna from the sticky situation. Armando's movements begin to grow all the faster- he takes Anna for a quick run. "Tuck in close." he says- "We're going to go fast…. Logan, I'll be back in a minute- have your fun, and then we run!" he calls out.

Again, Armando is evolving- changing even as he holds Anna close. His form grows more aerodynamic, and he begins to generate a field that changes how air-pressure flows around the pair- making them able to shoot down that subway tunnel at truly fantastic speed. Fast enough to climb the walls when a still functioning Subway car comes straight at them- on the roof, all towards the Chinatown stop.

*

Blood spatters against the railway car, it was suspect of who it actually would have belonged to. But the windows within were getting messier by the moment as people begin to spill out. Those that think they could stand up against Logan were quickly taught wrong; his hard-steel skull knocking few out. The punches cracking bones. Internal bleeding and a few vomitting, even a man lost his lunch and he was no where involved in the fight to begin with.

Women were being ushered off even though they attempted to draw into the fight. Few collapsed to their knees and cried.

Anna? Well? She retained that little spot of sunshine even though she remained curled in Armando's arms.

This was science! YAY!

She tucked in close at his order, keeping her face shielded for those few seconds as the speed picks up. She had to peek, just to see a little, the wind knocked out of her sails with how fast he was running, her arms shooting up again so that she could safely take those few gasps of air. Every calculation of this moment was ran through twice, but it was a race of the mind that she not dare keep up with. In such a frenzy? She needed a quiet room to pick her memory..

..and she was about to throw up.

*

Logan would give them all they came for and more. The scraped knuckles, the bruises on his face, the knife that cuts, all of it just gets his blood up for more. He spears a shoulder into one guy, driving him into one of the support poles hard enough to bend it. One leaps on his back and tries to choke him, only to get dumped overhead to land like a sack of potatoes.

"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT, YOU LOUSY SUMBITCHES? C'MON!" he howls. At this point, they've just started to run from the compact berzerker, fleeing as fast as they can out of the holes opened up. One at least gets guts enough to draw his revolver and fire, shooting Logan straight in the forehead.

It just jerks his head back and, as blood drips down his face, he snarls and laughs, the wound sealing up in the wake of the bullet, "Now we're gettin' nasty."

*SNIKT*

*

The pair stop at the Canal Street station. Armando sets Anna to her feet, with a little smile. "I'm going to have to get back there. It could get bloody." he says, "Are you okay?" he says, checking on her. "Seems you lost your glasses, I'll pick those up, too." he states- with a nod of his head. "I'll be back shortly." he assures Anna, as he looks over his shoulder.

"I've got to stop a murder." Armando explains, before he turns and rushes back- still fast, still quick. He'll reach the torn open subway car in short order. "Logan!" he shouts. "Time to go! Lets not make any more a mess of this than it already is!" He reaches out towards Logan. "Come on!"

*

At least Darwin was gentle; Anna lands upon her feet without a muss save for a ruined hairdo, her glasses missing and yet, she still could see with her own eyes. If he were to pick them up when he found them? He'd only notice that there was just a tiny change to the lenses..

But that was neither here nor there, her hand smacked against her mouth as she nods doe-eyed towards Darwin, barely even getting a word out until the sound of.. 'URP' was heard at his backside..

And he arrives upon the nastiest scene that.. well.. the riots were bad. But so much blood and non-lethal carnage in a space like this equally so. Few people attempt to crawl through the hole that Darwin had made, broken and blooded, a man had his arm two notches lower, due to it being dislocated and elbow shattered. A woman lost a shoe, her stockings were ripped and there was a little teddy bear that a man wanted to bring home to his daughter.. head lopped off.

The man with the gun stares.. wide eyed and in shock towards Logan. His hand was already trembling.. but even moreso once the claws come out. People were still attempting to leave, attempting to go.. their rush nearly frantic as the sound of the shot blast rings out.

'Oh fuck.. oh shit..' He stammers out.. and then Darwin appears which makes him even more frightened.

He could barely keep the grip upon the gun as he begins to fire, aim wild.. random.

(NOTE: No people will be harmed from this!)

*

Logan closes the distance between himself and the gunman quickly. He lashes out, his claws slicing through the gun itself, making it break apart into pieces, neatly slashed and clattering onto the ground.

He's about to gut the bastard when he hears Darwin's words and, while he isn't particularly interested in mercy, he figures maybe he's done enough damage.

"Run," he snarls at the disarmed man, flicking once to leave a cut on his cheek to remember him by before putting away his claws and stalking out past Darwin.

"C'mon, stringbean, we're blowin' this joint."

*

"Come on." Armando says, nodding to Logan- he does, however, grab a pair of glasses that have miraculously not been damaged- tucking them into a pocket. "Alright, lets get out of this shit-show." he shakes his head and hurries down the tunnel- his eyes have gotten odd- reflecting all light. He's obviously not bothered by the darkness. "This way." he states.

And again into the darkness Armando runs- not nearly as fast as before. Keeping a pace where Logan can keep up.

*

The sound of sirens could be heard from afar. Even the sound of weeping. People gathered the broken and helped them to their feet. Some were already up top waiting for the authorities to arrive, and a few ambulance to cart away those who were hurt and patch up those who had scrapes and scars.

One lady picked along the pockets of the unconscious, she might as well monopolize upon the situation. Free money is good money, as she saw it.

But once they reach the top, they would find the little scientist gone. Besides, it would be hard to pick her up out from a crowd. But everyone stood by and watched, gossiped among themselves as suits in hats with pads of paper began to write as they questioned the onlookers.

This story? It was going to make a -ton- of money in the tabloids. That was for certain…

*

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