Any old wind that blows

[Randall Rudd]

Interstate 95 seemed to go on forever. Randall felt exhausted as they pushed onto the last leg of the trip. Lindy and Wren were asleep, with Wren leaned against the door and Lindy against Wren. Every now and then, they'd wake slightly, and then drift off into the shallow sleep that road travel caused.

The West Virginian plumber gulped his now-tepid gas station coffee. It tasted bland and unappealing, but there was at least some caffeine in it. It would get him where he needed to be.

Cullen's Academy

He still didn't have a clue what he was doing. This was either the best thing for Lindy, or the most damn foolish thing he'd done in a decade. He'd left behind everything. Sold the trailer, quit his job. He shook Monongah off his boots like he'd always said he would. So why did he feel so uneasy?

[Wren Baker]

For some strange reason sleep came easily. No matter if it was a somewhat staggered rest due to being in the truck, Wren welcomed the slumber hungrily. Insomnia had become such a normal thing for her now, and she was so used to simply sitting up all night long with maybe an hour of sleep at best before going about her normal daytime activities. It was the price of working for Praetorian, she supposed.

Eyes opening to the glare of the sun off the windshield, she ran a hand over her face. Lindy was still slumbering peacefully against her; almost in her lap it seemed, and Wren was loathe to disturb her. Instead, she carefully stretched her arms out in front of her, working out the kinks that came with sleeping in strange positions.

Her Mazda she'd gotten rid of easily enough, which was most likely for the better. It just made it harder for the company to find her should they try. The few possessions she'd brought with her had been packed along with Randall's and Lindy's.

Looking over to Randall, she gave him a neutral expression, watching as he focussed on the road ahead of him, and reaching for the small handheld GPS unit that she'd brought with her, checked their position.

"You tired?"

Her voice was low so as not to disturb Lindy.

"I can take over if you'd like."

[Randall Rudd]

"Nah, I got it."

Randall blinked the weariness out of his eyes. What he wanted was a cigarette, but he wasn't about to have one with Lindy in the cab. A sign came up that said Westchester was ten miles out. He could handle the last stretch just fine.

"Just keep chattin' me up. Wanna have somebody to talk to."

Randall changed lanes, cruising past an eighteen wheeler.

"So when you first left Monongah, all we knew is that you took a government job. Can you, uh, y'know, talk about that?"

[Wren Baker]

For a few moments she was quiet, looking out at the landscape as they drove on.

"Eh, it wasn't anything really interesting. Lots of traveling and diplomacy mostly. I got sent overseas for a few years, but that was about it. I've been in Washington for the last year or so, and I was usually just helping keep records."

[Randall Rudd]

The trip whittled down, mile by mile.

"Was you in Iraq and such?"

A foreign import shot past his truck going about 80. Randall stayed the course.

"I heard you were doin' somethin' with Blackwater, but that was Jimmy sayin' it, so it didn't sound legit."

[Wren Baker]

Wren gave a soft laugh at that.

"I never did anything with Blackwater. Talked to a few of their people, but I never had to be around them for too long. Strange sorta guys, if you ask me. Too busy trying to make their money killin'.

"I actually kinda tried to stay away from them as much as possible."

Propping her elbow up on the windowframe, she half-rested her head in her hand.

I did go to Iraq quite a bit. If you ignore the fighting it's actually a really nice place. Great food."

[Randall Rudd]

The exit was coming up, and Randall hit the turn indicator as he slowed.

"When I heard that, I wasn't sure what to think. I worried, a little at least. Stupid I know, I hadn't seen you in years, but still, I thought about it a lot."

The roads into Westchester were scenic and rolling, and Randall momentarily lost himself in his thoughts as they passed oak trees and scenery.

"You believe in fate?"

[Wren Baker]

Resting one hand gently on Lindy's head, Wren thought about that for a little bit. Her fingers gently brushed the little girl's bangs out of her closed eyes.

"I suppose. Things happen for a reason, and I like to think that no matter whether they're good or bad, they ultimately lead to something good."

Staring out her window, she took in the scenery as they kept on. It was a familiar landscape to her; in fact, it seemed like only yesterday that she'd driven through this area on one of her last assignments. But of course she was through with that. She was here now with no orders hanging over her head. It was such a liberating feeling, and one that she was growing increasingly fond of.

[Randall Rudd]

"When Shirley Faye was, uh, in her last days..."

Randall seemed conflicted with his words.

"I had stayed with her for three days in the ICU. She was lingerin' and in and out, y'know. Somebody up & demanded that I get out and at least get a bite of hot chow. For some reason, I did."

Randall's jawline tightened as he made a turn. The academy wasn't far off, it seemed.

"While I was gettin breakfast, Shirley Faye came to. She looked up at the nurse and preacher, and asked for me.


I wasn't there."

[Wren Baker]

Wren frowned, looking from the view outside to the top of Lindy's head. The hurt in his voice was palpable; she could tell without looking at him that it was a painful memory for him to carry around.

"Y'ain't gotta tell me that Randall. Wasn't anything anyone coulda done. Don't think it was your fault that you weren't there."

[Randall Rudd]

"Don't mean a lick about fault, that ain't what I mean."

A tight row of oak trees shadowed the road, with wrought iron fencing meeting both brick and ivy. Beyond that, Randall could make out the school, and it looked like one of those classical learning institutions that he'd imagined. Everything was austere and manicured, and bore a veneer of respectability. That's a good sign at least, he thought.

Figuring this was as good a way as any to extricate himself from explaining his introspection to Wren, he gestured to the gate.

"We're here."

[Wren Baker]

Her eyes went not to the gate, but over to him. It was a fleeting gaze that was more than puzzled, but she opted to not pursue the matter as Lindy stirred.

"Finally. It'll be nice to get out and stretch our legs."

Lindy wiped at her eyes and sat up on her own, and Wren gently helped to straighten the girl's hair back.

[Randall Rudd]

Randall leaned over as he pulled the truck to the gate, and kissed Lindy gently on the forehead.

"Wake up Pumpkin. We're here."

He looked up to the guard and nodded minimally.

"I'm here to bring my daughter to school. Who do I got to see?"

[Wren Baker]

Blinking, Wren gave him another look, this one almost incredulous.

"You didn't call or anything beforehand?"

For some reason she thought that Randall would've sent some sort of inquiry before they left, not simply roll up unannounced. But then again, she supposed that she should have expected him to do what he'd done. Not that it was a bad thing, she just wasn't sure how receptive some would be to such an action.

[Dragon]

The guard picked up a wireless handset and consulted briefly with whoever was on the other end. Then he reached into a drawer and handed Randall three visitor's passes.

"Just take this road and look for visitor parking on the left," the guard said. "Then follow the sidewalk to the front entrance. Professor Rhee's on his way to meet you now."

"Know-it-all" Knowles decided not to elaborate - his gift allowed him to tell the precise location of every person on campus, but it tended to spook visitors when he started specifying directions and distances. He smiled congenially and waved them through the open gate.

[Randall Rudd]

Randall gruffly took the passes.

"Thanks."

He was still a bit unsure as far as what to expect. He gave a guarded look to Wren before accelerating again, headed toward the area that the guard had designated. After a minute more, they had parked. Randall killed the ignition, hopped out of the truck, and nudged Lindy's shoulder gently.

"Pumpkin."

[Lindy Rudd]

There was no need for further bidding, and Lindy undid her seat buckle with a quick motion before scooting over towards her dad and dropping out of the truck on the driver's side. Stepping away, she moved to stand off to the side and look all around her.

It was so different than Monongah and their old trailer! Nothing looked rundown at all, and the tgrass looked freshly cut and the bushes just trimmed. Already she could see a few students off in the distance walking about. And the mansion itself, and all the other buildings! They looked so beautiful and magnificient!

She whispered one word.

"Wooow."

[Wren Baker]

Wren too had gotten out of the truck, and closing her door she slid on a pair of thin metal-framed sunglasses. She caught Lindy's amazed evaluation of her first sights of Cullen's, and smiled. For now she'd be happy for the girl, and hold off on continuing hers and Randall's previous conversation.

She was more than patient. Randall had gotten out of it for the moment, but it was only temporarily.

[Dragon]

John Rhee emerged from one of the mansion's side entrances, squinting in the afternoon brightness, clad plainly in blue jeans a short-sleeved polo shirt embroidered with the Cullen's logo. It didn't take him long to locate the old pick-up truck and what appeared to be a small family piling out of it.

As a rule, John volunteered to welcome unscheduled visitors to the school whenever he was available. On one hand, he enjoyed meeting with prospective students and their families; on the other, he felt a responsibility to evaluate any unexpected arrivals for potential threats. It was a way to maintain an open-door policy toward visitors and still keep the grounds and the students secure. Especially with the interest groups like Praetorian Consulting had taken in the school lately.

But he didn't expect trouble from this group, and he found himself smiling at the look of pure awe on the little girl's face. They were still milling around the vicinity of the truck, trying to get their bearings, so he waved as he crossed the front drive toward the visitor's parking lot.

"Hello," he said, readying a handshake for whomever came to take it, "I'm Professor John Rhee. What can I do for you today?"

[Freight Train]

Little Train came thundering out a few minutes after John, on her way to somewhere. The Shortest Kid at School was going stir-crazy, verifiably psycho, she could feel it! Nothing new had happened in ages. Nobody wanted to play basketball, her mp3 player had played every song she owned a hundred times, she'd finally had her fill of her stupid Wii, and exploring her powers had come to a sudden, lurching halt. Even Cato was far too busy with lesson plans to even let Freight Train go sit with her in her room.

"So here I am!" she yelled into the morning, throwing her hands in the air in a gesture that was half-aggravation, half-surrender. She regretted it almost immediately; Mr. Miyagi and three guests were giving her a look like she'd just sprouted an extra head from her sternum. Sheepishly she grinned and sat down on the steps, resting her forehead in her hands. "Ohhh...me." She peeked up and noticed one of the visitors was a young girl. Train waved, feeling a bit of hope. In her opinion, Cullen's could do with more middle-schoolers.

[Randall Rudd]

"Hello," he said, readying a handshake for whomever came to take it, "I'm Professor John Rhee. What can I do for you today?"

Randall took the man's hand in a firm shake.

"Randall Rudd. I brought my little girl up here to look into your school. Heard it's for special folk, and I think we need a place for her."

The outburst from the precocious young girl nearby interrupted Randall's train of thought. Probably one of the students here.

[Wren Baker]

For now, Wren would allow Randall to do the talking. He was Lindy's father, and Wren was simply a tagalong. Coming around to join the two men, she kept her hands in her pockets as she cast her eyes about. It hadn't been too long since she'd laid eyes on Cullen's, but it was long enough. The place was still an impressive sight, and beautiful as well. Certainly not a place that anyone could ever forget.

And while she herself had never dealt personally with the faculty or ever really even been on the grounds, she'd seen enough photos gathered and dossiers collected to be familiar with the place and those who attended it.

[Lindy Rudd]

The sudden appearance of the other girl was even more uplifting than the amazing buildings, and Lindy instinctively returned the wave.

A quick look up to her dad - who was sufficiently distracted - and she slowly approached the other girl. She looked to be a little older, but that didn't matter.

She gave a shy smile, a steep contrast to the other's expressive movements and posture.

"Hi."

[Freight Train]

"Hey. You have no idea how cool it is to see another kid here." She scooted over to make room for Lindy. "You, uh...you here with your folks? My parents came with me on my first visit, too. I'm...well, just call me Freight Train. Train for short." She grinned, feeling a little less foolish. "It's been pretty boring around here lately."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy caught herself staring, not quite sure how to answer the other girl, but she gladly took a seat beside her.

"I'm Lindy."

Gesturing to her dad, she went on.

"My mom died a few years ago. That's my dad, and his friend Wren."

She rested her arms on her knees, giving another look around before turning to Train.

"Aren't there any other kids here?"

[Dragon]

John decided to let Freight Train and Lindy talk at their own pace; he'd found that students were often the best ambassadors when it came to other students.

Most students, anyway. Freight Train was quirky, but her heart was in the right place.

"Well, we don't have classes in session right now, but I'd be happy to show you around and try to answer any questions the three of you might have."

He took note of Randall's careful euphemism. It was not at all uncommon, especially with parents who were encountering mutation for the first time in their little boy or little girl - it was difficult to confront something so alien on such an intimate level.

John motioned toward the building in a clear walk-while-we-talk gesture. "May I ask what made you decide to visit us?"

[Randall Rudd]

Randall took heed of John's cue for him to walk along, and did so, casting an eye off to Lindy to make sure that she was okay. Wren still hovered near her, and with the other kid nearby, he felt momentarily put at ease.

"To be honest, it was mostly her doing. She found you all out, and put it plain to me."

Randall was still feeling himself out in this strange place, and wasn't sure how to take it all in.

"We don't got people like you in town. Before all this, I think I figured I had everyting under control. After this, I don't know."

[Freight Train]

Lindy caught herself staring, not quite sure how to answer the other girl, but she gladly took a seat beside her.

"I'm Lindy."

Gesturing to her dad, she went on.

"My mom died a few years ago. That's my dad, and his friend Wren."

She rested her arms on her knees, giving another look around before turning to Train.

"Aren't there any other kids here?"Freight Train looked dismayed at the news that Wren wasn't Lindy's mother. She felt like she'd overstepped a line, and it was an unfamiliar, uncomfortable feeling that made her shift a little on the cool concrete. She was going to apologize when Lindy had moved on to another topic, and little Train was grateful for the distraction.

"Uh...yeah, but I don't have much in common with them. A lot of them are way older than us, so that doesn't really help. Plus my powers kind of intimidate people." She shrugged lightly. "Not a big deal."

[Wren Baker]

Staying with Lindy, Wren smiled down at the two girls while keeping a lingering eye on Randall and the man who'd come out to greet them. But, it wasn't long before her full attention was back to the two girls, and she smiled at Train.

[Lindy Rudd]

Giving a stare to Wren, Lindy looked back at Train. She looked a little older than Lindy's nine, but she couldn't've been that much older at least. And if her dad actually did let her start to go to school here, it would be neat to have a friend so quickly.

It was the mention of the other girl's powers though, that Lindy got wide-eyed.

"Your powers?"

She did her best to hide the excited smile tugging at her lips.

"What are they?"

[Dragon]

It seemed Lindy was content to stay put and talk to Freight Train for now - John was happy to wait until she was ready for a tour.

It would also give him a chance to gauge Mr. Rudd, to find out exactly what he expected from "people like them."

"Mutation certainly has a way of changing your perspective," he said - and there, he'd put the word out there and declared it in-bounds. "But it's not a disease. In fact, I believe that every mutation is, in some way, a gift."

He smiled disarmingly. "So, what do you know about your daughter's gift?"

[Freight Train]

The 12 year old smiled up at Wren, sweeping her hands back through her hair to get her bangs off her face for a second. The now-second-smallest girl at school didn't want to demonstrate in front of Wren or Randall...she was sure they'd forbid Lindy from speaking to her. Plus, she wasn't sure that her professor would approve of her destroying the grounds...again.

"Um..."

She let go of her bangs during the vocalized pause, leaning back and supporting herself on her palms. How to explain.

"Well, when I move, I make extra force, right? Like, uh...you know how you'll run into a wall and smack it real hard and it stops you? Well...I wouldn't stop. I'm also pretty much invincible while I'm moving, too, otherwise I'd sure be in trouble hitting things so hard." She tilted her head to look at Lindy, but gauged Wren's reaction out of the corner of her eye.