Penelope's room is one of the larger ones of the floor. Something she insisted on. Everything was customized. The room was even painted a soft lavender with an accent white wall on the left. Her bed wasn't the standard student bed either. It
was larger with a princess c
anopy on the top. A white leather loveseat sofa was resting on the right wall with a few cute purple pillows on it. It looked like a very wealthy teenagers room...which is exactly what it was. The most extravagant element in her room was the sound system. Sleek speakers were attached to the top corners of the room. and a player was mounted on a shelf with a set of headphones and a mic hanging with it.
penelope'sroom1
"I swear to God if you try anything with me, George, I'll dice you up like sushi!"
Penelope said as they entered her room. "PUT ME DOWN! What's the matter with you?!"
There was a slight "plop" as
George dropped Penelope onto the bed. He gazed down at her, standing beside the bed, just... watching her for a moment. He then walked over to the loveseat chair and dragged it over to the doorway. He put it in front of the door, then sat in it. "Why did you join us on the mission?" he asked, just sitting in the chair, staring at her.
Penelope sat up on the bed and planted her feet on the floor, glaring at him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"Trying to stop you from making enemies in this place."
George said flatly "Now, answer the question. Why did you join us on the mission?" It was a reasonable enough question really. Just asking WHY she wanted to be there.
"George, that is a loaded question and you know it."
Penelope said.
"And you refuse to answer it?"
George asked, staring at her in that unnerving way he did. He always did it. It was generally what his eyes did whether he wanted them to or not.
"I went because I thought we were going to rescue their parents."
Penelope answered finally. "But instead we did nothing."
"So you went to try and help them?"
George asked gently, giving a little nod "To try and rescue people?" He was still sitting there. It was probably unwise for her to be in her room, alone, with George. Heck, Waya would probably worry for her.
"Yes- now will you quit antagonizing me and get the hell out of my room?!" Penelope asked loudly, standing up now.
"If you wanted to help, why did you disobey everything anyone told you to do, and tell the others down there to kill the only person we found?"
George asked, still sitting there in front of the door, stopping Penelope from leaving "For wanting to help, you hurt a lot of people. And if people hadn't stopped you, if...
I hadn't stopped you... you might have killed the only person left alive in that entire universe."
"I stand by what I said down there."
Penelope told him. "If I was the only person left in a universe, I would want to die too. The guy was insane...the least we could have done was a mercy killing. If you think we did good by giving him water to sustain for...who knows how long, you are an idiot."
"It was not our place to kill the last person alive."
George said gently, watching her from his seat "It was a chance to do good. As little good at it is, that man can rebuild the world." He took a deep breath, or rather he in took air and stretched up in his seat "We found him like that. We left him a little stronger. Whether you are right or wrong, it does not matter in the end. it was not your call to make. That certainly didn't stop your rather loud attempt to make one of your team mates cause genocide; which is why I have you up here."
"Cause genocide... are you stupid? It was one guy....you say it wasn't my place... but if you think that way, it wasn't
their place either."
Pen said, by 'their', she of course meant the others. "Just forget about it. We left him there to suffer some more. I really don't give two shits about it anymore."
"Genocide is killing... everyone... to kill the only person left in an entire world, is genocide. The last person on earth no doubt."
George said with a soft sigh, still sitting in front of the door "And more the point, you don't care any more. Someone's life, a thousand possible lives, you don't care. You're a danger out there Penelope, a danger I had to baby sit again and again. I can't have you endangering them again when they go to the next dimension."
"WHAT?! I didn't endanger anyone!"
Penelope argued louder. "What the fuck are you even talking about?!"
"You approached the situation as more of a sight seeing expedition than a dangerous trip into unknown territory."
George said flatly "You disobeyed orders, argued with the team leader, mocked team mates when they were injured, encouraged murder, and might have been irradiated. You were dangerous."
"Sight seeing?! All I did was want to see what the world looked like after the apocalypse! Human fucking nature to want to see something like that. Can you really blame me? That caused no one harm. The mission was already deemed a failure by that point!"
Penelope argued, waving her arms with wild gestures as she spoke. "What I do or say is no concern of yours, tin man. You're more of a danger to us than I am. At least I'm fucking human!" Yes, it was a low blow...but damnit she was pissed off right now. He seemed to be bent on attacking her all day.
George sat there, just blocking the door, gazing at her with his arms crossed in front of himself. He didn't move to hurt her, or attack or, or do anything that he really, really wanted to do right now. because that wouldn't be right. "You are right. I am not human." he admitted with a slow nod "But the safety of others is the most important aspect to me. What is most important to you Penelope? Because it doesn't appear to be the lives of other people."
"Don't act like you know a fucking thing about me, robot. If anything was a threat to my friends down here, I would have taken care of it. There was nothing but water, wasteland and a dead man. Get out of my way George."
Penelope said, fists closed, "Or I'll move you myself. You can't keep me in here and melt my brain with your pointless banter."
"I'm keeping you in here. You did not just risk your team mates for a few of irradiateed dust, but you have caused tension among the others in your reactions with them."
George said softly, still not moving the chair, just watching Penelope "It would be better if we both stayed here."
"You came along and made sure it was clear for me to poke my head out! And just because I disagree with something, doesn't mean I need to keep if to myself. If I disagree or think something is better done another way, I'm going to very well fucking say it, George."
Penelope argued. "Now get out of the way, I want to talk to Waya."
"I came along to make sure you didn't die. You would have done the exploring without me, despite what Waya told you, to not do it. I came along because you would have wound up dying of radiation sickness by the time we found you afterwards."
George said softly "And while your opinion differed, there are better ways to put it than claiming the other person has taken leave of their senses and that the only viable option is death." He still didn't move. He was very good at not moving, what with the fact he didn't have muscles to build up lactic acid, so he wouldn't feel any need to actually move at all.
"You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine." she said, "Whether or not you agree with my opinions or how I express them doesn't matter. You aren't the boss of me. NOW MOVE!" Penelope said and flicked on the speakers he had made for her on her hips. "Or I'll make you move." she said, her voice made louder through them.
"You are proving my point."
George said gently, watching as Penelope got ready to attack him. He still hadn't moved, just... sat there, in her chair, watching her. "Your opinion is all that matters to you, and you are quite happy to use violence to get what you want." George reached down carefully, opening a small compartment in his lower leg. He pulled out a small can of grease from there, and right in front of her, began to oil hi hinges. "Even against your team mates."
Penelope was sick of this shit. She didn't need George acting self righteous to her like this. "You aren't perfect either, George! You are YOU to tell me what's right and what's wrong?! Now..." She lifted her arms and made a quick swiping motion, "....GET OUT OF MY WAY!" she used the energy from her shouting in combination with her gesture. George was heavy, but her voice was heavier and she pushed the sofa across the room with him on it, clearing the doorway to leave.
George didn't even seem phased as he and the sofa were thrown backwards. He just stepped off the sofa before it hit the wall, took a few steps forward, and stood in the doorway again. This time without the comfort of a sofa, sure, but he didn't really need comfort. He just liked it. "Are you done having a tantrum?" he asked her.
She was already by the door when he stepped in front of it again before was was able to slip out. "Guh!"
Penelope placed her hands on his chest and tried to move him with brute force, "Let me out!" Sure, she was pissed, but this was starting to freak her out a little
He was heavy. very heavy.
George was probably the heaviest of all the x-men these days, at least until Eliza used her powers. He didn't move, but did place one hand firmly on Penelope's shoulder as she tried to push him. "I know about hurting others. I have done it before. And I can see that is what you are going to do if you keep acting out like this."
She jerked her shoulder away from his touch, "Oh my gaawwd....shut uuup." she groaned as if his voice was torture to her ears. "Look, I'm still trying to get over what you did to Waya, but you
really aren't making this easy. The only person I want to hurt right now is you, George! Leave me alone! Fucking PLEASE!"
George decided the not talk now. He refrained, because it seemed to be angering Penelope all the more with every passing second. He just stood there, not touching her either, and standing in front of the door. He was leaving her alone, without actually leaving the room. He just really couldn't let her leave.
Penelope stopped and glared at him, her black eyes turning to little slits on her face, "Oh is that how you want to play it, huh?"
There was a little moment, then a half shrug from
George. No, that wasn't how he wanted to play it, he had hoped for a calm conversation and meaningful discussion about Penelope's actions. She'd decided to attack him instead. He still didn't talk.
Penelope pinched her lips together in a sneer. No one was keeping her hostage ever again. She had just gotten back from Mojo's world afterall. She took these things very seriously. She turned on point and marched to her window.
A hand fell on her shoulder again, gently.
George could tell what she was about to do, and was trying, carefully, to stop her. If she'd listened, or cared, or shown any remourse for what she'd done, maybe he would have let her go. But right now, she just seemed to get angry. "Don't." was all he said to her.
"Stop touching me!"
Penelope shouted and ripped her shoulder away from his grasp again. "You're being a first rate dickhead and you don't even realize, that's what so fucking sad about this." she said and moved out of range, to the window.
"I'm trying to protect people. You included. And you're about to jump out of a window because you refuse to talk to me properly."
George said softly, taking another step forward, placing another hand on her shoulder. "You just don't even care. You don't care about other people, and you don't care what happens to them."
"Have you not been listening to me!?" she asked and pulled away from him. Why couldn't her stop touching her? "I
do care about them! If anything threatened us on that trip, I would have done my damnedest to protect everyone and fight. Nothing like that happened. Whether or not you choose to believe me is
your issue. If you aren't going to let me out the door, I'm jumping out the fucking window."
Penelope felt herself being lifted into the air,
George holding her carefully, and switching off the speakers that he'd made for her himself. It wasn't as if he didn't know every in and out of the damn things. "Protecting people from attacks and actually caring for people are different things. All you've said you're willing to do is get violent when protecting others. That isn't what they need in a search and rescue team. They need dependable, mindful individuals who have a calm mind. This is not your mission, and you know it."
"AH! IT IS MY MISSION TOO! My biological Father is out there, you idiot! I'm going!"
Penelope had warned him...several times. She wasn't some rag doll and she didn't take shit from rapey robots. "I warned you not to touch me... NOW LET ME GO!" she screamed and used her powers to slice clean through the right arm that held her. She didn't give a shit...George was scaring her and she couldn't take it anymore.
The arm landed heavily on the floor, thudding loudly, dragging at Penelope's clothes as
George was carved apart by her powers. There was a moment of stillness, where George didn't do anything, before he began to lower her again onto her feet, very carefully. The arm holding onto her lower half of her clothing was still very much attached to her, even if not so much to himself any more.
She was wearing a suit so there wasn't much to hold onto.
Penelope moved past and ran for the door, arm dragging behind her or not. She needed to get out of here.
She felt a sudden tug, but it was from the arm currently not attached to
George. When she looked around she would be able to see that george had a hold of the arm that was gripping on tight to her clothing, and was dragging her backwards slowly by it. "Stop running." he muttered to her "I need to... need to get my arm back..."
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Penelope snapped and ran forward, hoping the grip would slip.
"The fingers are too tight."
George said, carefully drawing her back "In order for that hand to let go, I'm going to need to remove them myself. Please. Be patient and it'll be done soon."
The fact that George didn't realize
Penelope was freaked out didn't help his situation. He just had to keep pushing it and pushing it. "NO!" she shouted and another whip-like snap separated George's fingers from his palm. She ran forward and down the hallway as the fingers sprinkled onto the ground behind her.
George paused, then let out a little sigh and knelt down slowly onto the floor. He began to sort through his arm as it lay in pieces, just staring at it. Eventually, he didn't even try putting it together, he just curled up in a ball and used his severed arm as a pillow.
George's sensors recognized Waya's signature in the hall. She didn't even knock, Penelope's door was wide open and Waya stopped short of it. "George?" She asked, making sure he was there. She couldn't sense him and it annoyed her.
"In here."
George knew that she had difficulty sensing him, what with him being a robot, so he always tried to make sure she knew when he was around. Sneaking up on her wasn't a good idea after all.
Waya stepped in the doorway, but remained in the hall. "Penelope is very upset, George..."
"Her reactions are her own fault. She wouldn't listen to reason, and whenever I tried to stop her doing something foolish, she attacked me."
George sat up a bit, his arm in pieces in front of him. Waya had found pieces of George on Penelope, but George had never hurt her.
"You trapped her in here with you."
Waya said. "You trapped a girl with post traumatic stress disorder in a room with you. You scared her half to death."
"She was refusing the talk and when I told her she was doing nothing but harming the team, she freaked out. I did nothing to harm her. I sat in front of the door and tried to talk to her."
george spoke calmly as he gazed down at his severed arm "While I tried to keep her calm and show her that what she had done was wrong, she attacked me repeatedly."
"I talked to her on the other side, George."
Waya told him. "It's not your job to instruct my team on away behavior." She didn't sound very happy about it. "I don't need you undermining my authority when you've hardly been here any longer than she has. Now because you handled this poorly, she freaked out and cut off your arm. Who's being more of a danger to themselves, her or you?"
"I... I didn't think she'd..."
George took a moment, staring down at his arm, gently rocking it back and forth with his other hand "We were still a team... I just wanted her to see she was hurting people. She didn't even give me a chance... Didn't even want to talk. She just... attacked me..."
"She didn't hurt anyone. You were there to protect her. Yeah she was a bitch about it, but I spoke to her and she saw my point." Waya told him. "She says she warned you a dozen times to let her go. You don't think her ordeal in the Mojoverse left behind a little residual baggage? She was a prisoner there for over a year and you lock her in her room and refuse to let her out. You got an upgrade while over there. You look like shit she fought in the aren't EVERY DAY, George. Of course she freaked out. I would have too."
"I was trying to stop her from jumping out of the window!"
George suddenly yelled at Waya, sounding somehow angry, upset that it was coming to this "All I hear is 'you cant do this because youre a robot, you cant do that because of how you look', and now you're standing in front of me, defending the girl who sliced off my arm! You don't even know what went on! I tried to talk to her, make her see that whenever she talked about defending you all, all she talked about was killing things! Killing enemies, killing that man! But she didn't listen. No one ever listens." George stood up slowly, moving over to the doorway where Waya stood. He wanted to say it, he needed to say it. He grabbed the door, getting ready to slam it in Waya's face. He needed to tell her he hated her, hated this life he had, this half existence, that he had spent a long time processing his life and decided it was pretty much worthless. "I love you." he said, his voice cracking as his system almost shut down. He stared at Waya for a long time. Then he slowly began to shut the door.
Waya was just about to throw it all back in his face, but he snatched the wind out of her sails and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. He could see in her eyes that the thought of his love terrified her. "I... I can't do this any more, George. I can't defend you and try to give you a chance if you keep doing shit like this! You don't love me. You were programmed to..." She backed up out of the doorway and wanted to run away, but she stayed where she was. "Apologize to Penelope for scaring her. I will handle any behavioral issues from now on." She turned to leave and on her way out the hall she said, "And if you remember correctly, I voted to kill Tom too."
"You did not repeat it often into the face of your team mate and mock her for her option to let Tom live."
George said softly, though he wasn't sure if Waya was able to hear him right now. He turned away, taking a deep breath and moving over to his arm again. He sat there, staring at his arm, processing again. He needed to do something. Sitting there, the way he was, made it all... stagnant.
Gathering up all his bits of pieces of arm, which took longer than most people would admit, George put his fingers into his many little compartments and carried his arm carefully out of the room. He supposed he needed to go find Penelope to... apologise.