But if you just take off your mask

[fronttowardenemy]

WHO: Frank, HJ, and eventually Nelson.
WHERE: Nelson's house.
WHEN: Tonight.....
WARNINGS: glances at characters.
SUMMARY: Frank intends to talk to Nelson about his bad boyfriend -- but then said bad boyfriend is the only one home.
FORMAT: lazy


[ He should have sensed it from the start. He isn't sure how he missed it, and now so much seems clearer. The more Hooded Justice revealed himself, the less Frank thought of him. It would be easy to blame age, but there is only so much forgiving to be done on convenient circumstance.

There is one person who will know the difference, and Frank comes here now. He remembers the address, from the night he led Gardner here after too many drinks. He'd been upset over his partner -- and now that moment has a whole other world of implication.

His fist slams on Gardner's door. ]

Comments

[ropedin]

[ It was lucky that his head was hooded, in that moment, his jaw clenched so hard he thought he would break his own teeth. Too many people knew, and it seemed like every time he turned, more were figuring it out. Or questioning it. Or breaking in and finding themselves on something they shouldn't.

It was entirely out of HJ's hands, and he hated it, because they weren't doing anything terribly different, and the Minutemen worked together closer than all of these people who knew. They'd figured it out, of course, but from Eddie Blake's big mouth. (And HJ would forever delude himself that it was the fault of Blake that they knew.) ]

You are.

[ Stoicly delivered, even while his stomach heaved, feeling the hit to his gut, and he grunted at the end, before trying to drive his arm forward harder, trying to choke the life out of him. HJ could take a beating, after all. He was like a brick wall. The unfortunate part was: so was Frank. ]

[fronttowardenemy]

[ Brick wall or not, the difference is that Hooded Justice has a grip on Frank's throat. If they continue like this, Frank will wear out long before Hooded Justice does.

He's strong. Frank knew he was strong from the very start -- but a part of him had doubted the possibility of being on the receiving end of that.

He doesn't have the capacity to speak again, so he lashes out instead. He tries to go for his gut, his legs, anything he could use to offset his balance and get himself unpinned from the wall. ]

[ropedin]

[ It works, unsurprisingly. After enough time kicking around, Frank caught him, and moved him down to one knee, but HJ wasn't giving up without a fight, and used his weight and a grip into the man's arm to tug him down with him.

He wasn't going to go out without a fight, even if it was in Nelson's home. ]

[fronttowardenemy]

[ When they fall, Frank continues to push, shoving Hooded Justice onto his back. If they're going to fall, he will land on top. ]

Stupid -- [ He manages, through his struggle, likewise trying to earn pressure on HJ's throat. HJ is bulkier than he is, heavier, so if he wants to keep him down, he has to pin him properly. It's a struggle, and he knows HJ isn't going to make this easy for him. ]

[ropedin]

[ HJ was bulky, and it was going to be one of the problems in this wrestling match, but that didn't mean he was going to just fall over for Frank. Especially when it came to his neck, there were ways that he reacted, instantly that said enough about his last memories.

When he reached out for his neck, HJ swung violently, fighting like a man who was going to lose his life more than just angry.

Illogical, yes, but HJ wasn't exactly the one with a clear head. He didn't say anything, just a low grunt that rumbled from somewhere primal and deep, the man he was -- the man who enjoyed violence felt at home solving the problem this way. ]

[retropolis]

[ Honey, I'm home!!

No, just kidding. Nelson would never say that. Nelson didn't even expect Hooded Justice to be home, usually, so opening the door and stepping in to see two men wrestling on the floor of the parlor was even lower on his list of expectations.

He stood, eyes wide, frozen in place with his jacket halfway off his shoulders. The most he managed was to touch his hand to his face, but confusion paralyzed his throat for another moment before he let his briefcase drop and stepped anxiously forward. What was going on? What could he even do about it? Nelson was smaller than both of them and certainly not as strong; coming between them wasn't an option. ]

H-hey-- hey, stop that, you're going to hurt him! [ Which "him" is irrelevant. ] Stop! What is going on?!

[fronttowardenemy]

Captain --

[ It was the most Frank could get out, before he was slugged in his face by Hooded Justice's wild swing. He barely got the word out properly, and now his mouth tasted like blood. It was stupid, getting himself distracted by Nelson's arrival, and now he's paid for it.

He focused back on Hooded Justice, trying to keep him down -- and he wasn't sure how well he'd succeed. If he stopped to try to explain to Nelson, it would cost him too much; any attempt to speak would likely be strangled out of him by Hooded Justice. ]

[ropedin]

[ HJ, on the other hand, had been altogether distracted by Nelson coming home, even though he'd managed to hit him with his wild swing, still trying to get him away from his neck, and grunted at him, trying to push him off still, going with a knee to his stomach, trying to push him off.

He didn't see the need to say anything, mostly because he was trying to preserve what air he had, but also because he didn't think he needed to say anything. He was the one on the ground, with someone trying to choke him, after all. ]

[retropolis]

[ After he finally got his body to move and not just stand there frozen, Nelson rushed closer to the two men and grabbed Frank's arm, not necessarily trying to physically pull them apart but hoping that the motion will get the message across. ]

Get off him, don't--! Why are you-- [ It's hard to keep his emotions in check; his face is red, wide-eyed, upset. ] You're hurting him.

[fronttowardenemy]

[ It's difficult for him to tell just who Nelson is referring to at this point. It doesn't seem to matter much, really, with the imminent threat of Hooded Justice looming over him. The blow to his gut and Nelson's grip on his arm combine have him stumbling back, losing the advantage of the pin he had on Hooded Justice. ]

Captain. [ He manages gruffly, the taste of blood in his mouth from Hooded Justice's punch -- distantly, he can tell his nose his bleeding. ] Don't understand--

[ropedin]

[ HJ backed up, a few inches across the floor before he staggered back to a standing position. He wasn't quite so injured, but he kept his hand at his neck, holding it more like a guard, like it would protect him in case Frank snapped.

Because it had been him, who'd attacked, obviously. Or at least he was going to give him a look, like it'd been him. He kept stepping back, more like a wary animal on the defensive. ]

[retropolis]

[ Nelson isn't sure who he means, either -- while it's Hooded Justice that he loves, it's also Hooded Justice he's more afraid of going too far.

He steps forward to stand between them, hands a little apart in a break it up gesture as he breathes anxiously, looking from one of them to the other. ]

What the hell has gotten into you two?

[fronttowardenemy]

[ Frank raises his wrist to his nose, rubbing away the blood on the sleeve of his jacket. It's black; it won't show. ]

Ask him. [ Spoken with a nod towards Hooded Justice. ]

[ropedin]

Forced himself in.

[ It was true, kind of, halfway. He kept his hand rubbing at his neck, not willing to let go, in case Frank tried again. He circled behind Nelson, not necessarily putting him between them conventionally, he wasn't afraid, he was just angry.

But having fingers on his neck had left a chill down his back, too, that left him feeling cold and clammy. ]

He also made a rather damning accusation.

[retropolis]

What?

[ It's directed to both of them in a way, but Nelson looks at Hooded Justice as if in doing so he'll be compelled to elaborate. It's within moments he realizes, though, that it's a futile expectation and turns back to face Frank.

He's wary, Hooded Justice's unease contagious. ]

Um -- why are you here?

[fronttowardenemy]

Damning?

[ It's a flatly spoken question. It is accusatory, but his tone isn't raised or harsh. It's blunt and it's unimpressed.

That aggression doesn't carry in his voice when he answers Nelson. ]

Came to talk to you about your partner.

But seems he doesn't like being called that.

[ropedin]

[ For a long moment, HJ said nothing, hovering behind Nelson now, eyes narrowed beneath his hood. What he and Nelson had was private, intensely private, and something that wasn't to be shared with, well, anyone. ]

He was determined to wait for you. [ He said bluntly. ] He still hasn't said why.

[ He didn't touch on the other statement. He wouldn't. ]

[retropolis]

[ Nelson stands a little more directly in front of Hooded Justice, unconsciously protective the more nervous he grows. ]

Well, we are teammates. That's not really a matter that needs clarification, I wouldn't think. [ He manages a smile, however uneasy, and straightens his shoulders. ] Why don't we just sit down and -- um, I can get you a drink, if you'd like -- figure this out? You may as well not take up any more of your time, if it's important.

[ It's casual enough, but Nelson's a little terrified of whatever this supposed talk is supposed to address. Especially if Hooded Justice is present for it. ]

[fronttowardenemy]

Captain.

[ His tone is stern enough, but it's also entreating in its way. ]

You know what I mean when I say that.

[ He can't discuss what he came for now, not with Hooded Justice already looking willing to kill him. If this escalates again, he can't even guarantee that Nelson will be spared some kind of backlash. That was the exact kind of thing he was trying to avoid, to cut off in advance, and now he may have just accelerated the issue entirely. ]

[ropedin]

[ HJ honestly doesn't talk this time. Now that Nelson's in the room, standing between him and this guy, it's easier to not lash out at the implication. He wants to, of course, but now his brain's actually catching up, and realizing that lashing out probably implies guilt.

He didn't need to move to loom behind Nelson, but he wasn't focused on his partner's head, but the one behind him with an eyepatch, his eyes dangerously narrow behind the slits cut in his hood. He may not be wrestling him to the ground (this time) but if looks could kill... ]

[retropolis]

[ Nelson's face discolors a little, bypassing red straight to a sort of purpley shade. Still, his posture doesn't falter and his gaze does for only a moment before it returns to meet Frank's again.

Well, he could sure use a drink. A little curtly, and quietly, he finally says: ]

What is there to talk about?

[fronttowardenemy]

[ There is a tense moment, where Frank looks between Nelson and Hooded Justice. There is no way to continue this conversation lightly; someone will snap and more will be broken than Frank's nose.

He wipes away the blood that stubbornly keeps dripping, looking at Hooded Justice for a lingering moment, before he addresses Nelson again. ]

Never mind it.

I'll go.

[ropedin]

Good.

[ He said it so simply it was almost obscene. HJ wasn't a man of many words, but this was even fewer than usual.

He was -- well, he was angry, and probably wasn't coming down from that for a long while. ]

[retropolis]

[ Nelson's shoulders untense slightly as his defensive shields begin to go down; he simply looks at Frank a little quizzically. ]

Is that all?

[ He's almost disappointed. Mostly because it means it isn't over. ]

Well... have a good night, then.