That Really Hot Thing With No School 2014: Toxic

[Scumfish]

Adam, despite the amount of stitches and bandages, was looking better than he had done in a few days. Then again, the passing out and then proper sleep had done its job. He was reading, or trying to with splinted fingers, sitting up in bed and wrapped up in especially soft blankets.

Lorna had absolutely no idea how on earth Adam managed to carry Bit around so many places. He was a squirmy thing that did not seem too keen on going anywhere. She found herself glad that the mice stayed put, ate doritos, and basically were even-tempered creatures.

"Hold still." She knocked at the door. "I said hold still."

Adam jumped at the knock - he wasn't precisely expecting a trail of well-wishers after all, and that suited him just fine. He stared at the door for a moment, before it occured to him that the person did want to see him. "Uh...it's open." His voice was still hoarse and a little slurry thanks to the stitches in a particularly nasty cut over his lip.

Lorna didn't let go of Bit, sliding into the door and finally setting the rabbit down to do it's evil activities. "Bit does not like the boathouse."

Adam squeaked happily as Bit immediately jumped up to him, bouncing and chittering angrily at him. "Bit!" He hugged the tiny rabbit carefully, petting him. "Ow - Bit, I haven't got skin under that - that hurts - I missed you too-" He giggled, before looking up at Lorna a little warily. "I'll pay for anything he wrecked. Promise."

"Nah, he let his frustrations known but nothing's ruined...pissed on to high heaven but not ruined." She shook her head, sliding into a seat.

Bit was sniffing at his owner, squeaking occasinally before climbing up Adam's pillows and onto a shoulder, nibbling experimentally at his now short, messy hair. Adam winced a little. "Yeah...he um...he does that when he's stressed...I'm sorry. Would have taken him with me if I could but..." He scritched Bit a little. "H-hows Darren?"

"He seems to be recovering. Selene's been taking care of him anyway." She replied, settling back and kicking her feet up on the table beside the bed. "And why on earth are you apoloizing about it?" Lorna's head shook, finding that ridiculous. "In any case, that's over."

"...I don't know. Maybe it's to do with thinking that somehow this was all my fault." Adam put his book down carefully, wincing as the light stretch pulled against varying bandages and stitches. They'd really done him over - McCoy hadn't told him how many stitches or handed him a mirror yet. "Y-yeah...I...hope so, though...part of me never wants to leave the medlab..."

"...Adam, do I have to give you a 'don't be emo' speech? Please say I don't, I'm not sure I have one in me right now."

"Well no. I've had enough of cutting." He tried a smile, though it ended in a quiet 'ow'. "But come on, Lorna - I tell you I'm part of the Brotherhood and there's members at the school and then I'm taken off the street by the FoH - which, by the way, was terrifying but oddly cool too - who have way too much information on what I did to them..."

He rubbed his hands together, resulting in another 'ow'. "And then with the whole...torture...and threatening death thing...yeah, I'm nervous about wanting to go ten feet away from a teacher right now." He was shaking a little, trying hard to cover everything with his normal cracked persona but damnit he was too sane for this shit.

"I'm well aware of what happened, Adam." Lorna sighed. "But you're not going to hide here. That would be exactly what people wanted to happen now, wouldn't it?"

"You will be safe here, Adam. You will be."

Adam looked down at the covers, picking at them a little. Medlab was safe. No one could kidnap him, no one could threaten him, no one could lynch him here. But she had a point. It would be what they wanted, to have him running scared, too scared to say anything. Once again, this was biggeer than him - for the right reasons.

"...I'm scared, Mrs Drake." He said finally. "But...you're right, I mean, Doc McCoy would end up going nuts with me hiding out down here, right? Aaaand I do kinda need to go to class...and do my job...going back to normal routine would be best, right?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, and that's what I want to hear too...not saying it isn't going to be difficult but it's better you've made up your mind now than trying to go it the other way." She did hate to see people trying to go the opposite road, after all.

"Don't act like nothing is wrong though, yeah?" She had seen people go too far this way as well.

"...That's what I've got my meds and Dai for." Adam nodded. "Because something is wrong. I-I mean, I know I've got problems and all the psychobabble shit, but if it's one thing I've learnt it's that bottling is not healthy...I just don't have to sit in a corner and sigh at everyone every five seconds."

She had to laugh at that. "I more meant with the immediate coping but that's a good point as well, a very good point."

Adam managed a lopsided smile at that - Dr McCoy had threatened bad grades again so he wasn't going to risk burst stitches from a grin. "Immediate coping is going to be mixing like hell, gibbering at myself and staring at people until the paranoia goes away and my new meds kick in. But I promise as soon as I notice myself sighing I'll go bake cakes or something."

"I could do with some cake." She murmered thoughtfully over the thought of the dessert. "But yes, that sounds good. Talking is also quite good as well, highly recommended as a matter of fact."

"But Mrs Draaaaake that means I have to be sociable, and you know I have this image of the crazy emo in the school." Adam half-wailed, before smiling again. "I know. Hell, I'm planning on it. If you want, I'll even sit here and tell you who to keep an eye on in the school. I don't care any more - what's worse than torture after all?"

"But Mr. Kiiilllduuuuff, too baaad." She grinned but shook her head, able to come up with a few things that were probably worse than torture. "Considering the traitor element, I'm going to be keeping an eye on everyone. In ancase it seems the FOH is cutting back on activities, same for the Brotherhood."

"And if they see nothing specifically aimed at their members then they can assume I didn't get anything from you. It's better this way for now."

Adam nodded slowly. "...Alright, I guess I can kinda understand that, if they think I'm too frightened." He looked down at his bandaged hands. "I hope to hell some of them do what I've done and see the light. I'll see what I can do to make sure they don't get any new recruits from here too...not that it'll be much but I know what they're looking for. Right?"

"And you'll believe I'm going to be making sure people have a stronger sense of loyalty to what the X-men are if they're going to be involved...I've failed a lot in that regard it would seem."

"That's not true." Adam sat up a little straighter, frowning. "Not at all. You can't help it when people are dicks or..." He remembered Ronnie and Rose. "...or psychotic enough or in my case just plain fucking stupid to follow what they think's the right cause. It's not your fault at all, Lorna. It's nobody's except the bastards running the 'Hood."

"Oh no, it's not my fault but I need to be aware of X-men who don't want what the group is after. It's going to undermine us eventually."

"I suppose so." Adam rubbed his hands together - another 'ow' as he forgot the breaks again - and sighed. "Well...not like we can do a lot now, right? Guess I should just concentrate on not being too paranoid to get out of the door and trying to be pretty again." He smirked a little.

That earned another laugh. "You be the prettiest Adam you can be." She sighed, shaking her head a bit. "Hey, it's the summer, we're supposed to relax! There will be plenty of time to do things when everyone is back." Lorna assured him. "Time to relax, sit back, and not think of world ending terror."

"Nah, me and Chthulu are homies. He's actually pretty damn awesome once you get past the whole Elder God and instant insanity thing." Adam smiled at her. "At least this way I can keep my interestingly pale complexion, right?" He was glad he made someone laugh. "Trust me, I'm going to be relaxing. I've had enough of tension this semester."

"Amen to that." Though, sometimes, Lorna wondered if every year wasn't ridiculously tense. This one was right up there, however.

[Scumfish]

It was only a couple of days since Adam had been tortured, but Lorna was right - he couldn't hide in the medlab. He still had a lot of stitches in, and the areas where he'd been clumsily skinned were still sore and bruised, but luckily they were only deep grazes, only the first few layers down to the dermis removed.

Still hurt like a bitch, though.

He'd found his phone in his room, where he'd left it. There were messeges, both text and answerphone, waiting for him from an increasingly-frantic Kandi - she knew he was suicidal, and dropping off the face of the earth like that was probably scaring her.

Adam had found himself thinking...oddly, at least for him. This whole nightmarish episode, from killing Jacobs to the torture, had been making him think, reevaluating life. He'd made some bad calls this semester, lost a lot of friends and...yeah, he was ashamed of himself, and he wasn't used to feeling shame. He'd cocked up, and he'd been an asshole, and this time he couldn't just...brush it off. Being a bully so that you didn't get bullied first? Yeah, that was fine, but framing people...

He pulled up in the car park for Kinetix on his bike, stopping the engine and looking at the club. He felt like he'd aged five years since he'd last been here. It would remain to see if that was a good thing. He'd expected a hell of a lot of twitchiness from him about being outside, but he felt oddly...calm.

...Well, not quite, he was watching the shadows and the people a lot more than a normal person was. Annnd maybe he was a little jumpy, every time he saw a van go past. Only a little. Maybe.

He got off the bike, locking it up, before walking normally into the club - the bouncer recognised him and waved him in ahead of the queue. He wasn't working tonight, just wanted to unwind - since when did Adam Kilduff actually want to relax? - and reassure Kandi that he wasn't dead, promise.

Adam moved into the club, the neon blue in his dreads lighting up in the darklight, as well as his tattoo across his bare torso. He wore a netting top, which...well, to be fair in darklight did nothing to hide the bandages binding his broken ribs and covering the more severe damage. He couldn't hide the limping either, and he was sure people were staring at the stitches covering his face and most of the visible skin.

No, no paranoia. No one's out to get me. None of the 'Hood come here, and this is known as a mutant-friendly club so no FoH will be either. No one's going to spike my drink. No one's talking about me.

He was having to repeat it on a mantra as the heavy music pounded through the room, the floor not as full as normal - but then, he wasn't behind the decks-

"Toxic!!"

The scream made him flinch, nearly extending a boneblade automatically until he saw the owner - Kandi pushed her way through the crowd and grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Owowowowowow Kandi please please get off before you rebreak a rib-"

Kandi let go of him hurridly, hands on his hips - no, he wasn't going to make her let go, they'd slept together, he was going to get used to being touched - and looking him over, jaw dropping. "Oh my god, Adam, what - wait, no, not here." She took his hand - again, still splinted and bandaged - and tugging him gently through the 'STAFF ONLY' door behind the bar. The music was muffled here as she pulled him through the area where the working DJs for the night lounged and the cage girls - and guys - had a quiet break before picking up their shift.

Finally going through a fire escape door and onto a balcony, she pushed him to sit, offering a cigarette - which he took, gratefully - and casting a worried eye over him now that he was in proper light. "I've been worried sick about you, Tox."

Adam leant back, a hand going to his side as he winced. "I'm - ow - fine, Kandi."

"Of course you are. That's why you're wrapped up in bandages and look like you fell into a mincer." Kandi said sarcastically. "Let me guess, another secret mission?"

"I-" Adam stopped. "...No. I did something stupid and got tortured for it." He said finally. For once, he was going to tell the truth - well, some of it. "My friends in the X-Men saved me." Friends. Hah. Well...he could hope.

"...You're friends with the X-Men?" Kandi's eyes were huge.

"...No, Kandi." He paused, then smiled a little - it was a small smile, but genuine, and tired, and it hurt because of the healing cut through his lip. "I am an X-Man. I just forgot for a while." He took a drag. "But no telling, okay? There's a reason we don't give out our real names."

Kandi had her hand over her mouth as she sat with him. "Omigod. I work with an X-Man? I've had sex with-" She suddenly flushed. "...Sorry. You know...I should have guessed, I mean...your DJ name and the things I've seen you wear..."

Adam blushed too, smiling a little sheepishly. "Don't worry about it, I was an asshole for acting like it hadn't happened. I'm sorry." Start with the little things. "I wasn't taking my meds back then and I was in all sorts of a bad place-"

"I know, I know." Kandi waved him off, smiling. "It's not important. I mean...you got tortured, Tox..." Her eyes went over him again, chewing her lip. "Do you want time off? I'm pretty sure the boss-"

"No, I do not bloody well want time off." The Irishman cut in. "I want more hours. The torture was more karma catching up with me. I'm back on my drugs and thinking better than I have been for a long time and I want everything back to normal." He paused, tilting his head. "...As normal for me as they get, which you know I appreciate isn't actually all that normal but you know, I try, it's not my fault no one gets my odd and unique sense of humour."

Kandi actually giggled. "Now that's the Tox I'm used to." He blinked at her. "You were waaaay too serious just now. Though I guess you aren't exactly a ball of hyper fury at the moment. Alright, I'll talk with Mark, we'll get you behind the decks as soon as. People've been missing you, you know."

Adam tilted his head. "It doesn't look as full as it should out there..." He considered. "Any empty slots tonight?"

"Don't tell me you've bought mixes-"

"I can mix live." Adam suddenly grinned. "C'mooooon, Kandi. This is my hobby, and I need to relax."

"I'm so glad you didn't just quote Faithless at me." Kandi finished her cigarette and pulled him back in. "John, you know you wanted tonight off? Guess what, you got it, Tox is in your spot." One of the DJs whooped and promptly disappeared.

"You know...just for that, I might put that on first." Adam said happily as he was pulled down the backstage corridors to the decks. "Just for you."

[Scumfish]

Adam had asked for more hours at the club, and he'd got them. Five slots a week plus a guest spot at every other weekend, he was the most-played DJ in Kinetix - and considering it was summer and there were no classes, it kept him amazingly occupied. He had to have at least one new mix a week, his fans demanded it.

And he had fans! Adam hadn't realised this, but he actually had fans that were there to specifically listen and dance to him. It both amazed and terrified him - this was a hobby and a job, nothing else, not really...but people were coming to special nights for him, it was his stage name they were chanting...

...Could he really go professional, though? Where would he start?

He was sitting in front of the large mirror in the backstage area, literally doing his makeup, in his customary green and black. His fingers were no longer bandaged, and he'd even had a few stitches taken out of his face. His nose was healing nicely - the only thing was he'd end up covered in scars but then he had enough of them anyway, what was a few more? He was touching up the black around his eyes (hey, it hid the bruising) when Kandi skidded into the room of DJs, breathless and shaking a little.

Adam looked up at her quickly, putting down the paintbrush. "...Kandi? What's happened?" He turned to face her, trying not to let the paranoia that suddenly flared make him twitch too much.

She looked around at the DJs before fixing on Adam. "Tox. Your slot. It's in ten minutes, right?"

"Yeah." The Irishman nodded. Kandi looked oddly harrassed, fidgetting with the bright bracelets that went up her arms. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Sit down, you're making me look calm and sedate."

Kandi did as she was told, but was up and pacing again within a minute of it. "Alright, guys, there's been a little bit of a change of plans. Tox, you're doing Celldweller mixes tonight, aren't you?"

"Yeah, was planning on it-"

"Good. Um. You've got a double slot. I hate to do this to you but you're going to need to do live mixing-"

"-Not a problem, but Kandi-"

"-And you're in a spotlight tonight. Um. You got any Stahli in your playlist? Because I might just kiss you in front of all these guys if you have." The other DJs laughed, though they looked at the girl wearing brightly-coloured clothing oddly. She was acting more off than normal.

Adam tilted his head, blinking worridly. "Kandi, stop, slow down, and explain what the hell is going on, because you're making me panicky and you know what a bad idea it is to make me panicky." He rubbed his hands together, frowning a little. "Do we have a VIP in or something?"

"...Yes. Yes we do. Unannouced. Omigod, Toxic, Celldweller's out there!!" Kandi's voice went hushed. "He's got Brett with him too and someone else I didn't recognise because I only saw the back of his head and Adam, he's come to see you!"

Adam froze, staring at her in the act of pulling his mask, putting it back on the table. "...Celldweller? You're fucking kidding me. Klayton? The fuck?" Suddenly, the worries about the FoH and the Brotherhood? Were nothing. He was going to be playing live in front of the guy who got him into mixing in the first place. He gripped the table, feeling oddly light-headed and suddenly shaky. Oh god, he couldn't do this, he couldn't, strangers and even friends were fine but-

"Hey, hey, Tox, come on." Kandi crouched in front of him, pushing water into his hand and snapping him out of it. "Go have a cigarette and think about this. This is your big chance, Tox, your big break! You know you've been dying for this!"

Adam did as he was told, the warm air hitting him as he sat on a seat on the balcony and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it shakily. He couldn't back down from this. He had to do it, or he was going to kick himself for the rest of his life - never mind losing his job. He looked at the burning end of his cigarette. This couldn't be any harder than those jobs for the 'Hood, or facing up to what he'd done, after all - and hell, he'd been tortured not that long ago.

Five minutes later he walked back into the room. Kandi watched him nervously as he went to the table, picking up the mask and pulling it on. He closed his eyes as he settled it over his mouth, ignoring all the other occupants in the room, crossed himself and muttered a prayer under his breath.

When he opened his eyes, they were red, and creased as he grinned at Kandi under the mask. "Let's fucking do this."