A Wayward Groom

[gointothechapel]

 It'd happened in the blink of an eye, one moment he was on the trail of his darling bride to be, the next he'd stepped through a door and was faced not with the bitter winter cold of the Colorado mountains or the vision of concrete, wire fences and barbed wire. It was bright, there were people. And these people were not the same people he was used to seeing. No lab coats and cold stares. No mutilated Variants skittering around and attacking anything that moved out of some panicked sense of self-preservation. He hadn't seen anything quite so inviting in what felt like years. Even before the fall of Mt Massive to Billy Hope.  

Eddie could smell the coffee in the air. His stomach knotted. This wasn't right. No matter how his delusions tried to wrap it, there was a gap in logic that even it couldn't grasp at. He had nothing.

What had meant to come out as calling to his Bride to be through the crowd came out sounding somewhat strangled and muted.

"Darling? Where are you?" 

Comments

[chiron_survivor]

Concentrating on not spilling her coffee as she looks for an available computer terminal, she doesn't see Eddie. But his question certainly catches her attention. Most newcomers ask where they are, or why they're here. They don't often call out for loved ones, and so plaintively besides.

She looks around until she can match a face with a voice. The poor man looks like he's been dragged through Tartarus. "Who are you looking for?" she asks in concern. "And do you need any help?"

[gointothechapel]

This couldn't have been the work of Murkoff, there were too many women walking around. The experiments at Mt. Massive had affected even the female staff who hadn't come into contact with the engine. So where in the hell was this?

Look at her, she's so beautiful- Eddie quickly quashed the thought. He needed to keep the Groom fixated upon Waylon, keep him away from any and all unsuspecting women. He needed to keep himself away.

"-I shouldn't be here." He spluttered, finally managing to get out of his own head long enough to speak. His voice was softer than a man his size should have possessed. "It's not safe-- It's not safe there either."

[chiron_survivor]

Anywhere else, a man in that state of shambles would have her backing away in fear. But this is the Nexus, the land of second chances. Things on her own world are far scarier, at times. She can handle this.

"There's an anti-violence field," she says kindly, pushing down her anxiety in an effort to settle his. "You're safe here. No one can hurt you."

And, presumably, he can't hurt anyone else, which is probably more of a comfort.

[gointothechapel]

Anti-violence field? If Eddie hadn't looked confused before he sure did now. He had to be dreaming. Such things didn't exist. Had he finally lost it completely and this was what he was seeing now? Though, to be honest that might not be an entirely unwelcome thought. He'd had far worse delusions he'd been trapped in before.

"If I can find my way here, then Murkoff can..." He muttered, brows dipped. "But if they can't hurt anyone... and I can't hurt anyone. That may be for the best."

He swallowed thickly and looked to the woman, he could see how tense she was, not that he could blame her.
"I'm sorry-- I haven't come from the best of places."

[chiron_survivor]

That's at least one thing Adia and Eddie can agree on; when she first arrived in the Nexus, she also thought the anti-violence field was so ludicrous that she was dreaming or had gone mad. "I know, it sounds unbelievable," she says, reading the confusion on his face. "There are a lot of things here that are unbelievable..."

At least he's not pretending that he isn't dangerous. That's a point in his favor. "I'm not from the best of places, either," she says with a tentative smile. Slowly, more for his sake than hers, she approaches. Close enough to be conversational, without violating his personal space. "This is a great place to make a fresh start, if that's what you want."

[gointothechapel]

"I don't know if it'll be so easy." He rubbed at the nape of his neck, now very aware that she was closer.

People didn't know who he was. He was supposed to be elated at that, he could pretend everything was fine, but that was how he got to where he was in the first place. If he'd tried to get help more after he was put into the system as a child maybe he wouldn't have become what he was now. Murkoff wouldn't have sought him out for their experiments.

"I'm not always in control. If this field works, like you say it does, then everyone will be much safer." He rubbed at his face, the open wounds stung from the sweat on his palms. He grimaced. "It's... difficult to talk about. Where I'm from, they were conducting experiments on people like myself... it didn't go well. The facility's half destroyed and the 'patients' rule the roost. There was so much suffering."

[chiron_survivor]

"Oh... I'm so sorry." Genuine sympathy fills her eyes. "That sounds like a nightmare. You... you certainly don't have to talk about it with me. But I promise that you're safe here. The people who live and work in the Nexus would never tolerate that sort of thing."

She wishes she could do more. No matter his past, no one deserves to be treated like that. "You might want to stay in the Plaza for now, then. The anti-violence field works best here." She pauses a moment before adding, "My name's Adia, by the way. I don't live here, but I try to visit as often as I can."

[gointothechapel]

He nodded slowly, his features softening somewhat as he found himself less concerned. There was every chance that this was just an act on her part, but he'd been let down too much to have the strength to keep doubting. He wanted to believe her and that things could be different here.

"My name is Eddie." He tried to smile, although the pull on his facial wounds was more painful than he wanted to admit. "Thank you, really. Perhaps when the wounds are less fresh."

Granted not talking was how he'd gotten into this situation all those years ago. But it wasn't her job to listen to his tragedy.
"I'm sorry that we didn't meet under better circumstances. I'm certainly not my best." And haven't been for years.

[chiron_survivor]

She seems sincere, for whatever that's worth. "Nice to meet you, Eddie." She doesn't know if he's referring to his physical or psychological wounds. Likely both. "I wish I could do more for you. Someone around here must have access to a first aid kit, or... one of the vending machines, maybe. You should get your cuts washed out and re-bandaged."

It's probably for the best that he doesn't share his story. Adia is a good listener, but some tales of woe are out of her league. "It's okay. Very few people are at their best when they first arrive here. Give yourself plenty of time to settle in and get used to it things. You can always look for me if you have any questions."