17200/Off to a Rocky Start

Off to a Rocky Start
Date of Scene:	16 February 2024
Location:	Rock Wallz Gym
Synopsis:	Yellow pass day turns out better than green pass day for Caleb. Mike opens up a little about what happened in Hell's Kitchen
Cast of Characters:	Michael Hannigan, Caleb Dykstra

---

Michael Hannigan has posed:
After a slight mishap, a quiet trip back to the school, and a lengthy discussion about how you don't bring explosives into a gym, well...

There was a need to take a few days.

But time has passed and perhaps.

Just perhaps.

There may have been a change in approach to going to Rock Wallz.

While the Green guest pass day was kind of ruined, a second chance comes in the form of Yellow pass day. Which is what leads to the pair of guys coming in to the door once more. Mike steps in first, shifting over to the side to allow for another to show up after him.

It's not that crowded at Rock Wallz today.Perhaps the festivities of the past two nights could be to blame. But either way. Good news for them.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb has a backup plan. He has a backup plan... Right?

Well, yes - he left Sheila at Happy Harbor with specific instructions on what to do if somebody came for her. As for his things - or rather, a small armory -, they've been left at a safe place; in other words, he doesn't have them.

But, he's not happy about it; he looks around every now and then, keeping his head down, just like the old days.

The old days being just a few months ago, really, but he has come a long way since, he's hardly been the same kid as he was then.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As the door closes shut behind Caleb. Mike looks to the student for a few moments. But after that time, Mike simply tilts his head to the locker room, sliding the backpack off his shoulder to rifle around in one of the pockets. As they approach the door, the spare lock is held out in offering to Caleb.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
The young man takes the key, immersed halfway through in his thoughts; he barely almost saw the key being offered to him.

"Oh. Uhm, thanks..."

As he readies himself in the locker room, he takes a deep breath. "Kinda feel naked, here...", he comments idly.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Interesting choice of words for the inside a locker room." Mike comments, breaking the silence from his end. There's a slight chuckle, briefly breaking the somber mood at least from his end. He doesn't look over to Caleb though as he moves off to his section of the locker room to switch out his own clothes. "The point of here is to make it to where you don't need to carry that stuff 24-7." Mike points out. "Besides. You're not here alone."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Yeah, but the recent encounter I had made me think I'm screwed if I'm not packed", he says. "Like, I had this one-eyed girl that came to me - to us, Sheila was there -, and she flat-out told me she had taken up a contract for our heads", he pauses, "even though she had only taken the contract to see what it was all about."

He shoves his things into the locker, then says with finality, "She made no promises that she wouldn't go through with the contract, so I guess she might be following me - following us, me and Sheila. Probably even my dad."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike pauses to the information brought up. "...And it didn't occur to you to tell us about this earlier?" Mike wonders. He sighs, walking over to his own locker to shove belongings in. His attire has switched over to shorts and a shirt that stays fairly close to the body. The short sleeves do nothing to hide the scar upon his lower forearm, or the added definition to his shoulders. "... We'll talk about this later. You already lost one day here. I'm not THAT mean."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"My mind went straight into game planning", Caleb admits.

Once done dressing, Caleb is sporting a t-shirt and track suit pants, nothing of the fancy sort. "That girl didn't seem like she was lying, and besides... She did buy us the breakfast."

A small quip there? Caleb is learning to quip under pressure! Yay!

"I honestly thought it was poisoned, but she did taste it first." He shrugs, "It's the little moments of kindness. Let's just hope it's not the convict's last meal..."

And he follows Mike.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike holds the door open to the locker room to let Caleb out. As the door swings shut, the older man leads the way back towards the area of the gym sporting the ninja course. "Have you done any obstacle courses before?" He asks, looking back to Caleb.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Yeah, when you run through Gotham's alleys", Caleb says, "and you want to avoid gangs." He adds, "But the Themysciran Arts Center helped, too."

He starts to examine the course, or at least, the obstacles closer to him.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Ok so similar experience as me prior to starting here." Mike assesses, scanning the course for anything that's changed since the last time he was there. "Minus the Themysciran Arts Center portion though. And replace Gotham with Hell's Kitchen."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Okay, so when do we start?", Caleb says, rubbing hands. "After you, I think..."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"When you're ready." Mike answers, looking over to Caleb, giving a slight smile. "And take as much time as you need. You still have a red day after this."

Taking the invite to go first, Mike moves over to the starting position, backing up a bit as he checks to make sure the course is clear.

Once that is confirmed, he bolts forward, moving side to side as he crosses the first obstacle of the angled blocks spaced far apart. Launching himself forward, he pops up to an overhang of pegs to which he grabs on and makes his way forward. Within a couple seconds he's on the third obstacle, claring half of the cargo net leading up to the next level.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb follows, running towards the angled blocks and jumping over them with a parkour move, eyes darting over the next obstacle, the pegs, to which he jumps and swings his body weight from one to the other. Once at the rope, he grabs on firmly, yet fluently, as if trying to keep up with the rope's flexibility, and using it to climb. "Well, this obstacle course has some nice things to it. Do you change it often?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
By the time Caleb makes his way to the net, Mike's making his way through the next round of obstacles, vaulting over a wall, balancing across a ledge to get over to 45 degree angled monkey bars that move upwards only to end four feet away with another ladder going downwards to another ledge.

"I don't change them." Mike answers, halfway through the obstacle, turning his head, "But the owners of the gym do on a fairly regular basis."

Legs bending, Mike pushes off of the one set of bars to twist and grab on to the opposing bar. Bending the legs again, he hands himself down towards the other ledge.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Good", Caleb says. "No course should ever be the same twice, you know? Makes your mind adapt to the possibilities and uncertainties of the path - and life." He shrugs after a moment, then his knowledgeable demeanor breaks down. "...Or so I read somewhere."

He changes subject, "And in the middle of all my concerns, I don't get to talk about the good that happens in my life." Which he feels is a pretty small part by comparison - but an important part, still. "I went on a date."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike shifts his weight, making sure he's firmly settled on the other side before glancing back to Caleb, adjusting his pace so he can maintain the conversation. The mention of the date gets a bit of a smile. "Oh? What are they like?"

He turns, arms held out as he bolts across a multi sectional line of logs spaced a few feet apart from each other. As he leaps off of one, a marking on the log shows that the platforms are actually spinning from the movement. But, at the very least there's a pit of foam blocks underneath to protect from any possible falls. Upon reaching the other side, Mike hangs back, glancing over to Caleb.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Well", Caleb starts, looking for the best course to overcome the obstacle. "'She' is awesome. Funny, kind, studying at Metro U, and she pulled this sorry ass from getting fried extra crispy when that android rampaged out of those S.T.A.R. Labs." A slight pause. "Yeah, I was in the neighborhood, fulfilled my concerned citizen duty."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Ok with the exception of the android rampage part, sounds nice. Do you guys have a second date lined up?" Mike glances over to the next obstacle, flexing his hands a few times before he hops up, hands grasping onto little red wheels attached to a bar. As he goes from wheel to wheel, the cross bars shift, showing that they too rotate based off of how they are grabbed onto. Whoever picked these two obstacles to be back to back certainly liked spinning things.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Not at the moment, no", Caleb says, finally making his move for the course - run, jump, spin, hop on over. "I mean, I'm giving it some time, you know? I liked the date and all, and Meg's got the sort of personality you just can't hate, but I don't wanna impose. Besides, she's a college student, and college students tend to get busy with classes." He lowers his voice, "And she's a superhero, too."

"But if there's a date in the foreseeable future, she's gonna show me her ship." He chuckles. "Talk about a mechanic's dream, eh?"

And, just in the one moment when it all seems to go well for the young man, his hand slips out of his support, and he finds himself grabbing nothing but air. "...Oh, shit." And naturally, gravity wins, because a Martian, a Kryptonian, or a Viltrumite, or any other self-propelled frequent flyer he is not.

*THUD!*

"Ow."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"But at least you got her number." Mike responds, allowing himself to make the assumption. But as Caleb gives bits and pieces about the date. Megan...show her ship...saved his butt in some attack. He tilts his head in consideration. Why does that seem familiar?

The pondering doesn't last long as Caleb loses his grip. rMike doesn't look to the fallen as he's focused on making it through as well. But upon reaching the end of the obstacle, he glances down where the student vanished. "You landed in foam. What did you hurt? Your pride?"

Mike lingers for a moment, waiting to figure out where Caleb is situated in the pit before he flips off the ledge to land in the same pit area.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Indeed, my pride", the youngster says, getting up and checking for anything sore. "That'll teach me to keep my head in the game." He looks at Mike, smile more like a grimace than anything else. "But, if it has to happen, I guess it's better to happen in practice than when you have to prove your money's worth, right?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike wades up through the blocks, head popping out of the pile to look over to Caleb. "Yes. Better you get the tumbles out of you in here than out there. But- You did pretty alright for your first approach. So what now? Take a break" He tilts his head in direction of the ladder that leads to the start of the obstacle Caleb failed at. "Or give it another shot?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
The youngest man closes his eyes, searching for an inward focus. After several seconds, he opens them, visibly more resolute.

"Whoever's gonna come for me is not gonna give me another chance to 'redo a course'." He goes all the way to the start. "And this proves another thing..."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike turns his head, watching as Caleb moves away from the ladder and instead goes to the beginning of the course. Smile strengthening, he swims out of the pit before following the student to the start. There seemed to be something unspoken to what Caleb last said which causes for Mike to look to him to provide the needed prompt. "And what's that?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"That I'm an idiot that gets way over his head in just about any angle of his life", the student continues. "I've fought thugs, mutants, ninjas, robots, aliens..." He tries to classify the next category, "Strange shit in the form of a collective, more times than I'd care to." He scratches the brige of his nose. "I haven't been solving anything when it comes to the mob, this really's just been a placebo for my life and my family's. I'm not living, I'm surviving - we're surviving."

"Better people than me should be doing the stuff I did", Caleb says, "And yet, how come I can't walk away from a situation when it arises?"

"Not to mention that I'm here on the high hopes with a girl, while really, she's leagues, /leagues/ above me."

He looks at Mike, deadpan pausing.

"Ever get the feeling you're stuck in a nightmare that's disguised as your life?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Despite the question likely being a joke. Mike is quiet as he looks to the course. The smile that was there just a few seconds before has faded away. "...More than you might imagine." He responds, looking to the course. "...I may not have had mob problems. But I had an entire neighborhood turned against me and I couldn't leave for a long while."

Pale eyes glance towards Caleb, "...I was around your age when I got out of there."

"He looks back to the course. "Which might...give some insight to why I help out with the school. I imagine the reason you have trouble walking away is because...you don't want others to go through what you did."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"...Really?", the youth tilts his head. Surprise turning into curiosity, he says, "Aw man, you gotta tell me your war stories someday."

And, after careful eveluation, he says, "Taking the shots so that somebody else doesn't have to..." He scoffs, "Somebody else like Sheila."

(Caleb: Brain, you are fucked up!)

(Caleb's Brain: I know, right? Deal with it!)

He finds himself pinching the bridge of his nose, then sighs. "Cap did tell me I had big shoes to fill..."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Nah. You'd be bored after a bit I imagine. Not all fights are of the physical type." Mike looks over to Caleb at the name drop. "Cap? Which one? Police Captain? America? Marvel?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Captain America", Caleb explains. "I found this picture from when back in the Second World War, and this guy who looked just like me, right by Cap. It looks like they crossed paths back in the war, fighting all the Nazis." He smiles at the thought, "From what Cap told me, Cole Dykstra, my great-grandfather, was quite the young man." He shrugs, "Just from hearing it... It's kinda overwhelming, you know?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike nods. "I imagine it could be. Although...I don't really have that looming over me. Don't really know much about my family beyond my mom and aunt except for what I was told. And- if what I heard was true. Those aren't shoes to fill."

He looks back to Caleb, "Focus on doing your best. The shoes will fill themselves eventually."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Right, right...", But Caleb is pondering just how can he do it.

Then, he changes subject. "But while we're on the subject of families, tell me about yours?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Hmm..." Reading the situation, Mike steps away from the entrance to the obstacle course, clearing the path for those a bit more focused upon that objective. It's not much of a risk to lose their spot in line as they're the only ones back there but... decorum.

"Well...my father was pretty much not in the picture physically for most of it. I think he was around when I was four but that's before my mom moved us from Hell's Kitchen to Gotham. She worked housekeeping at the Azure Hotel near Robinson Park. We lived there until I was ten and then..."

The musician's frown deepens, "Well. After she died I got shipped back to Hell's Kitchen to live with my aunt. My aunt, well she- tried... at first."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb nods, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a few sips from it, "Go on." He's all ears.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike pauses, "...I could give you a play by play of the next ten years but...basically. Once I got shipped back to Hell's Kitchen, I had to deal with people of all ages causing problems, talking about how the apple doesn't fall from the tree. Turns out my father wasn't exactly a model citizen, and he's the reason mom moved us to Gotham. So...well, sins of the father. Son gets the backlash." Mike shrugs.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"You got pulled into 'the life' too?", Caleb asks. "Not so dissimilar from mine, then", Caleb says. "My dad got himeslf involved with the mob because he needed money to pay for my medical bills. And, when he tried to pull away from them, I was forced to step up once they showed him the consequences of saying 'no' to them."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike shakes his head. "I..still don't know what exactly he did. I suspect he hurt my mom at some point. As for the rest, it's apparently enough to make people want to hurt me, the police to turn a blind eye to what's going on, and the schools to blame any incidents involving me ON me. Although, I probably made it easy for them to do that when I learned to fight back. But, I guess I should be glad the hospital was still willing to treat me." He pauses, "No one ever approached me for paying off anything. It was just nothing but hatred."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"A whole community?", Caleb narrows his eyes. "Hating on a kid for the errors of the father?" He scoffs, "That's 'justice' under the good old United States. Incredible. I'm surprised how, just in order to spite them, you didn't become what you father was."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Therapy."

The word, while singular, says lots. And yet, Mike finds that it isn't enough. "Lots. And lots. Of Therapy." The performer gives a weak smile, "My aunt may have hated me by the time I reached eighteen. But, I will give her credit. After the school expelled me, she did get me set up with that at least. Which helped me last until I could get out."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb's judgemental opinion rises to the surface with this. "You know what?", he says as he throws the empty bottle to the nearest trash can. "Those people? A bunch of fucking cowards that don't deserve your consideration, if they only feel good taking it out on a kid." Given how he's the very protective guardian of one himself, the subject matter strikes a little too close to home on this one.

But hey, it sparks his grit back, "Another run?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Well, it is one reason I generally don't go to Hell's Kitchen if I don't have to. ". Mike admits, "But hey, guess we could treat this as an example of how one can turn things around even with a bad start.".

As to the answer to Caleb's question, it comes in the form of another smile. "Yes. Another run."