5141/Astral Flux: Madison

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Astral Flux: Madison
Date of Scene: 10 August 2018
Location: Uknown
Synopsis: Lois and Clark chat with one of the telepaths that manipulated the fungus.
Cast of Characters: Shadow King, Superman, Lois Lane
Tinyplot: Astral Flux


Shadow King has posed:
    On a bench at the edge of the park sits, presumably, young Madison Andrews. She had recently contacted Mr. Kent, in regards to Paul Dannon: telepath to the fungus. She wouldn't talk on the phone but agreed to meet in a public place, a Metropolis park. She explained she'd have a gold ribbon in her hair and white sneakers. Checks on her name led nowhere, it was probably an alias.

    'Madison' is there in the park. She's seated on a bench, and is throwing bits of small dorito-crumbs to some birds near her feet. She can't be more than seventeen, though. She does have the gold ribbon in her long, light brown braided hair, the bright new white sneakers, jeans, glittery pink top. She has a backpack at her side, a beat up dark blue one. She's not beautiful, but does well with what she does have: a natural relaxed quality. Her overall look is just some teen that's taking a break on her way home from school. She stops tossing crumbs to check her phone.

Superman has posed:
Clark stops well back across the park and watches Madison for a moment. He looks around for signs of anyone else watching her. He had agreed to go with Lois, but was not comfortable with it. Not after Mexico and everything surrounding Paulie. Not with another telepath. But he knew better than to even think of molly-coddling Lois. She was after all the same reporter who had gone into the desert to interview terorrists, handled the Mutant Town beat and who knew what else. And of the two of them, she was not the one made of steel. But he still did not like it. He left Jessica Drew a voicemail about the call from Madison and asked her to call to check in with him in an hour. Who knew if she got the message. r
"Telepaths," Clark says with a shake of his head. "She looks... looks like she's alone," he says to Lois. "See anything?"

If she answer no, Clark nods and walks with Lois toward Madison. Clark walks along the path into view of Madison. One worn looking brown dress shoe scuffs the ground and he hop steps, muttering. His dark jeans nearly fit with the brown blazer he wears over a striped dress shirt. He carries his brown leather satchel over one shoulder.

When he walks up to Madison, Clark pushes his glasses up his nose with one finger and smiles politely. "Madison? I'm Clark Kent," he says and holds out a hand to her. "This is my colleague, Lois Lane."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois watches Clark walk toward the girl, always amazed at how haphazard he can seem when he isnt in a cape. She smiles warmly when Clark introduces her, and she extends a hand to the girl, never pulling a punch or missing a beat. "I wanted to come along to make sure everything was all right. So much....so much has been going on, and I worry that there are a lot of people who may need help, or may have questions....I think we all do." Lois is dressed in a long sundress, black with sunflowers, and a yellow lace shrug. Unassuming, unpretentious. And most importantly, nonthreatening. "/Is/ everything...all right?"

Shadow King has posed:
"Hi. Mr. Kent and Ms. Lane," Madison says, uncertainty showing now. Perhaps it is at two adults, or something else. She looks at the offer of hand and waves a little instead of accepting it. Then, apologetic: "Sorry, I don't shake hands, I don't want to read things without permission," Madison says, dropping her hands to grip the bench on either side of her slim legs, crossing her bright white sneakered feet at the ankles. Her nails have a pearl colored polish on them. She takes care of herself.

    Madison looks towards Lois's questions. She seems to decide to go ahead and trust her, or Clark, or both. "No, it's not. It's ... well. I 'acquired' Paul's phone. I know this is kind of weird. I saw he called you. He's not in our network anymore. I don't know if he's dead, or worse. He's not the first to just disappear."

Superman has posed:
Something passes over Clark's face like a dark cloud before his expression softens. Clark hitches his satchel a little higher on his shoulder.

"Can we sit?" he asks Madison. If she does not object he takes a seat beside her at a comfortable distance so as not to crowd the girl, satchel in his lap. Clark chews the side of his lower lip before speaking.

"I'm not sure what I can tell you, Madison. I have to keep Paul's privacy. Maybe it would help if I knew more about how you two know each other? How you got his phone? We're not... not judging you or anything, but we have to protect him, too," Clark says. The words taste sour in his mouth. All of it was true, but protecting Paulie after what he had done... Yet Clark had protected worse. It was the principle of the thing.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Of course, we are here to help, however we possibly can. As long as it is something we can help with. If not, perhaps we can find someone who can." Lois' eyes betray her concern for this girl, but hidden in their depths, too, is another kind of concern. Lois know what Paulie was capable of. She knows what he did to Jessica Drew.

Against everything Lois believes in, there is some small inclination to be wary of this girl, not because of who she is, but because of /what/ she is. And it contradicts everything that Lois has fought for. Shame burns in her cheeks for merely harbouring the thought.

Shadow King has posed:
"Um. Okay. I guess?" Madison doesn't argue being sit with, but looks down at her knees. Untucks her feet, and retucks them the opposite way: left behind right, instead of right behind left. "There was eight of us at the start. I knew Ron first, he brought me in. Some of them were working on controlling the mushrooms. You know. We were going to be heroes." Madison laughs softly. "It was pretty cool. Roland and Paul were really getting somewhere. That's how I met him. He was showing us how to do it."

Superman has posed:
Clark nods, his expression carefully controlled, listening, attentive, but neutral. "Paul showed me what he could do," Clark says, with a quick glance around them. "I saw him take over a stalk and keep its little creatures in check. It... It was impressive," he says, considering the girl's face as he continues. "It went bad though, didn't it. Can you tell us what happened? When people started disappearing? And how you ended up with Paul's phone?"

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois, for now, remains focused on the face of the girl. Her attentiveness. Her demeanour. Clark is the one who knows things, and he knows what he can tell her. The primary reason that Lois wanted to come in the first place was to watch the girl's demeanour with a critical eye, so that if something came of this as it did with Paul, she might know the exact moment that there were signs that things had derailed.

Shadow King has posed:
She's evading a little bit, Lois's trained eye will see, though it could be rooted in shame or something else. She hasn't lied so much as omitted. "I liked being a part of something. It was Harry that kept up the connection between us, so we could share. He like... bridged us. It's sort of hard to explain; like a mind-cobweb," Madison says, with a softer laugh. "I don't know who decided to try to sell our thing. The idea was just there - to make money. Instead of destroying the mushroom things. I guess somebody figured out we didn't have to? I don't know. It didn't /seem/ so bad. And they knew what they were doing, I guess."

Madison clears her throat. "Anyway. Something happened to Harry after that. I'm still in his network, but he doesn't answer. But Ron dropped off it. And now Paul's gone. And Roland." She's afraid. There's a tangible fear: possibly one she's exuding psychically. The fear feels a little foreign: it's Madison's. But it doesn't seem intentionally shared. "And I can't disconnect."

Superman has posed:
Clark nods slowly. His eyes narrow slightly at the feeling of fear coming off her. He dislikes the intrusion of it, even if unintentional.

"That sounds terrifying," Clark says, sympathetically. He fidgets with the satchel in his lap. "I don't... don't blame you for being scared. We want to help you, might even know some people that can help keep you safe. But I need you to trust us first. You still haven't said how you got Paul's phone. You keep skipping that."

Lois Lane has posed:
"I hope you can understand...from all the reports I have read, those in your network who reached out always had ulterior motives. They weren't always trustworthy," Lois explains patiently. "We need to understand your situation. And we need you to understand ours." Lois seems to take the disembodied fear in stride, somehow. Perhaps it is reassurance that maybe this girl does need help. Or perhaps the fear in itself is the bait in the trap.

Shadow King has posed:
"Okay, I don't /physically/ have it," Madison says when Clark really pushes the point, looking down at her hands, which she draws into her lap. "Ron had disappeared. And Paul was acting weird... like creepy-weird, so I spied on him using it and looking at his messages and things. I wasn't supposed to, so please don't tell on me. I thought he was inviting more telepaths in or maybe did something to Ron. There was a stranger in the network. I was trying to figure it out." Madison asks. She flushes at Lois. "I haven't reached out before. And I'm not saying Paul did anything," she says quickly. That fear again. "I mean I thought maybe he did, but now?" Madison looks troubled. "Maybe he's dead."

Superman has posed:
Clark nods, taking Madison's admissions in stride.

"Madison, I need... need to ask you something really important, to make sure you're safe. Are you alone in the network right now? Is there anyone with you or listening to you?" Clark asks, watching the girl carefully. "Could anyone be following you?"

Lois Lane has posed:
"Clark has a valid point," Lois adds. "You could be in danger. If you can't disconnect, then anyone connected could be spying on you. Or worse yet, using you as bait. You could be endangering yourself, and anyone you try to call for help. If we know what we're dealing with, maybe we can overcome it."

Shadow King has posed:
Madison sits back a little on the bench and brings her feet up to rest on the edge of it in front of her, hugging her knees. She eyes Clark a little bit, clearly deciding how much she does or doesn't trust him about this. "Well there's four of us left now that talk. I can talk to the others, but we're all ... paranoid now. We don't /usually/ spy on each other or something. But there's not just us. You know how it is when you feel like somebody's looking at you, but you look around and there's nobody there?" Madison asks. "It's not all the time. But sometimes, there's something there. /Looking/. But what am I supposed to do? I'm just trying to find out what happened to Paulie or the others. I think maybe they... died."

Superman has posed:
Clark shares a look with Lois, clearly weighing something. He purses his lips and looks back to Madison.

"Madison, Paul was very, very badly hurt by another telepath, possibly on your network. And Roland is..." Clark frowns, as memories of the fight in Mexico come back to him. The brutality of the response to Peck bothered him then, and bothers him now. He shifts in his seat. "... is dead. It's really important whoever is watching you doesn't think anything is weird until we can get you off the... off the network. You can't panic, okay? We know some people who can help you, and then after we'll need your help to talk about everything that happened. Can we do that?"

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois watches and listens to Clark, nodding solemnly. "Granted, I don't know how telepaths really...work. How they function. But it might help you to focus on mundane things. Safe things. Until we can find a way to get you disconnected. We do have people who, I believe, can do that for you. But not if something you're focusing on tips your hand too early."

Shadow King has posed:
Madison frowns. She does seem to be listening fully to Clark, though. She swallows heavily and looks at Lois. She's quiet a little while, looking at her sneakers, picking at the laces. "We each had something we're good at. Like, Heather's the best at illusions," Madison says softly. She's not avoiding the questions, so much as trying to calm herself down, perhaps. She leans her cheek on her knee, crunched up defensively on the bench.

    "Harry linked us together. Sort of just like reaching out, and there's your friend. I'm the perceptive one. I feel. The others don't believe me about this stranger thing, except Heather. But she's acting odd now." Madison sifts through their questions, finally. "I think it knows I'm afraid. How could it not? I'm pretty desperate. Is it looking at me right now? Maybe. If I try to look, it might look back at me."

"I'd like to disconnect from it, yes, please. But, wait. How do you know 'people'? How do you know what happened to Paul? Were you there? Did you SEE a thing come for him?" Yes, panic time.

Superman has posed:
"Madison, it's going to be okay. We know a lot of people, and meet a lot of people in our work. They really can help you, but right now you just need to stay calm, okay?" Clark says reassuringly. "I can get you answers, but we need to get you disconnected first. Okay?

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois furrows her brow. "Well, Clark said another telepath hurt him. Do you know more about what else is out there? You asked if we saw a thing come for Paulie. What sort of thing are you referring to?"

Shadow King has posed:
"You said it's a telepath, though. A part of my network maybe. Who is it then? Is it the fungus paying us back for what we did?" Madison worries. She swallows and nods at Clark though, and attempts to become more calm. "Ms. Lane, I feel it, more than see it. I can show you if you want. But I don't like being a ... a creepy telepath, so only if you want to."

Superman has posed:
"We will get you answers, Madison, but right now, just stay calm. I'm going to make some calls," Clark says. He gives Lois a concerned look at Madison's offer of sharing but does not say anything. He excuses himself, get up and starts working on the phone.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois returns Clark's glance, her eyebrows raised. "Maybe it would help to know what you're seeing. It couldn't hurt for you to share with me what you're seeing. But...what did you /do/ to earn that kind of wrath?"

Shadow King has posed:
"I didn't do anything, I don't have the ability to command them," she says quietly.

Madison reaches out to offer her hand to Lois, but there's a strained, begging look in Madison's eyes as the touch happens. There's a wash of thoughts as the telepath comes in. Madison's not invasive, there's a sense of someone there, though: she isn't cloaked or anything. She opens her own mind up, though. Memories come in like daydreams.

Memories are steady at first, laughing with Ron, whom Lois won't recognize except from pictures from the investigations. There's a strange thing in the background, though. A low key distant screaming that isn't Madison. Hauntingly. It isn't in the memories. It's in Madison's mind. And Madison gives Lois a significant /stare/, physically.

And then another memory, of at first nothing, just some conversation with another young woman about the fungus reacting to somebody's telepathy, but there's a dark, ugly thing listening. She couldn't bear to look at it, but instead closed her inner eye tight, as if that would protect her: like hiding under covers could somehow keep the monster away. And the mental screaming just keeps going, until Madison takes her hand away.

Superman has posed:
Clark moves out of earshot of Madison and scans the park around them while he makes some hurried calls on two different phones. As Kal to Tony, and then Psylocke. As Clark to Callie Wentworth at Patient Records at Mount Sinai Hospital, and still others. It is not until he hangs up from the last call that he turns his attention back to Lois and Madison.

He freezes when he sees the two touching hands, his whole body rigid, posture ramrod straight. For a moment the only movement is the wind pulling at a stray strand of his dark hair. He swallows, forces himself to relax, to diminish, and shuffles back over to stand beside Lois.

"Lois, is everything okay?" he asks quietly.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois stands stock-still, trying to see, and not to see, at the same time. Some part of her body, her psyche, resists, and it's a torn feeling she has, between her desire to know what it is that's watching, and her desire to flee the thing's gaze. She cannot talk. She can't even willingly let go of Madison's hand. It's like the Eye of Sauron has caught her simply walking into Mordor. One simply /does not/.

Shadow King has posed:
"I think we're okay," Madison says as the telepathy breaks. She looks at Clark with a clear guilt and unhappiness. Lois may have sensed a little bit from the girl of fearing she'd be treated poorly or like a freak, for her telepathy. She watches Lois, next.

Superman has posed:
Clark looks between the two and nods slowly. He speaks to Madison but is watching Lois carefully.

"I got in touch with someone who can help you, Madison. She... she agreed to meet as soon as possible," he says. He finally takes his eyes away from Lois to look at Madison. "Thank you for trusting us. This can't be easy."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois is trying to look away, but even with the contact broken, she still feels as though the thing can see her, and she wonders idly whether the network can be joined or left without even meaning to be. Or by one who is not a telepath.

She shudders slightly, and looks to Clark. "That sounds good, there's something very odd about this whole thing. We need to get to the bottom of it, and maybe a powerful telepath can tell us what we're dealing with."

Shadow King has posed:
Madison doesn't say anything, she watches Lois uncertainly. Looking between the two, as if perhaps picking up on some of what might be between them. She's the one that's perceptive with emotions. But perhaps she doesn't see anything. Either way, she doesn't comment on that. "I don't think it can be /worse/," she sighs finally.

Superman has posed:
"It will get better," Clark reassures Madison. "Believe that. We need to get you to New York. Will it be a problem for you to come with us?"

Shadow King has posed:
"Not really. I mean. Ron's missing, he's the only one who'd really care. At least, before," Madison says, getting to her feet, and picking up her bag from next to her, pulling it over her shoulder.

Superman has posed:
Clark nods, a sympathetic look on his face. "We're parked.... parked over here," he says and turns to walk toward the car. He moves a little too far to make room for Madison to stand up and bumps into Lois. "Sorry," he apologizes a touch sheepishly. Then he pushes his glasses up nose and starts walking. He has so many questions for this girl but holds his tongue. There was no knowing what the risks were.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois gives Clark a quick but reassuring squeeze as their hands brush against one another. "Try not to worry, Madison. I know you're afraid. Having that in your mind somewhere all of the time, I cannot imagine. But we're going to get you somewhere you can get help, and the sooner the better."

Shadow King has posed:
"If I sense it looking, what do you think I should do?" Madison asks them, adjusting the straps on her backpack, and following along behind them as they lead the way.

Superman has posed:
"Whatever you normally do," Clark suggests. "Don't let it know anything unusual is going on."

Clark unlocks the doors on the pool car from the Daily Planet. He opens the back door of the older, grey Malibu for Madison, looking around one final time for anyone following them. Then he climbs into the front passenger seat.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Lois agrees. "You only have to hang in there a little longer. Then, it won't matter if it's looking. You'll be as absent on the network as Paulie. And hopefully it wouldn't be able to find you at all anymore, to look."

Shadow King has posed:
Madison buckles herself in after putting her bag next to her, and draws her phone out to fiddle with it. When she's not describing creepy lurking mind-stalkers, she does seem like a normal teenager. She pauses, though, frowning. "Heather's wanting to know what I'm doing. I don't like lying to her. She's one of the others. I guess I will though," Madison says uncomfortably.

Superman has posed:
Clark turns around a bit in his seat so he can see Madison.

"Who... Who is left in the network? Are you able to reach them all by phone if you need to?" Clark asks. "As soon as you're out, we should try to get them out, too. We'll need a way to contact them."

Lois Lane has posed:
"It's best that they don't know, at least until we know how to get them out," Lois explains a little apologetically to Madison. "Once we know more, they'll understand why you couldn't talk about it."

Shadow King has posed:
"I mean, I guess I could call them. Feels weird after all these months to call. It's me, Heather, Aaron, and Ken. Maybe Harry. Sort of unsure about that still. He has to still be there because we're connected, but it... it's complicated. I feel him. But not in a creepy way: ugh, no. And he's old," Madison says quickly.

Madison nods a little bit to Lois's statement. "Okay, I won't tell them. Just that I'm visiting friends or something, then. So I'm not /lying/." She's good at partial truths.

Superman has posed:
Clark seems to be thinking for a moment. "A couple of weeks... weeks ago, did you lose a few others? Around the same time something weird happened to Aaron?" he asks curiously. "The day all there were all those news stories about the mushrooms walking through New York?"

Shadow King has posed:
Madison pauses, mouth a little open, and sinks back in the seat. "I think half of us blacked out for a while during that. Aaron was trying to regroup the mushrooms or something, and needed us in the network for it," Madison says finally, looking out the window. "Roland told us not to ask about it."

Superman has posed:
Images of the creatures enfolding Aaron, and his screaming when he was freed, come to Clark unbidden. He frowns again and nods.

"You've been through a lot," he says to Madison. "From all the stories I've heard... I'm impressed you kept it together enough to reach out for help."

Lois Lane has posed:
"I'm glad you did, Madison. You did the right thing. This couldn't end any way but badly if you didn't reach out for help. For you, or for the others in your network." Lois is looking back at Madison as she speaks. She knows the girl's fear, and she knows the uncertainty. Her heart breaks for the Madison.

Shadow King has posed:
"I guess," Madison says, embarrassed, unsure about where this might be going. "All I've done really is follow these other telepaths around," Madison says, sighing. "I liked them. Until lately. They were nice people before all this."

Superman has posed:
Clark nods. "I believe you," he says. "Let's get you to New York and get you safe. We'll sort out what is going on after."