A Lesson in Practicality

How it began

In his spare time, the random quiet cafe tucked away in the corners of the city were his favorite. Logan usually went with a book, one he read previously and didn't mind getting distracted from. His life had stagnated a bit but the pattern was one he was comfortable with. A quiet corner and a small snack provided by the cafe gave him an hour or so in peace. He could duck away and hide his face when needed but still observe the area around him. Some people had the same hobby, watching people go about their lives and just quietly observing, he just had a peek into what was hidden just underneath.

Anytime someone came in and piqued his interest in any way, Logan would observe and think of what had gotten them to this very spot at the same time. After years of quietly observing and quickly checking to see if he was right had left the hobby more than dull. Most people thought about the same things, it would get stale and boring from time to time. However, there were moments when someone would stand out and give him a bit of a shock. It rarely happened anymore but it was always interesting nonetheless. Being able to read mannerisms was never Logan's strong point. Someone would carry themselves with confidence then be fighting a battle in their head, he could never quite get it right.

The bell over the door jingled and Logan waited for the person to walk into the cafe before looking up. He quickly looked back down in uninterest, glancing over the words in his book. People could be so easy to read sometimes at a single look was enough.

Laughter caused his eyes to flicker back up over his book. The newest patron had a grin on his face as the cashier let out a laugh. He couldn't quite hear what was being said, but he decided a second look wouldn't hurt.

The man carried himself well, not quite with confidence but seemed to dance in his spot whenever he got a smile or laugh from the cashier. They could be about the same age and they even wore similar glasses, but nothing truly remarkable stuck out. The ones who smiled the most usually carried the most pain or something along those lines from his experience. Though, as time carried on and the man continued to smile, Logan couldn't help but begin to wonder. Was he having a good day or could someone truly be that happy? It had been a boring visit and they were the most interesting person he had seen all day. Logan checked around and held up his book, glancing at the pages more. He reached up and rubbed his eyes, covering his face. Just a quick scan would only take a few moments. He nearly dropped his book.

Logan hunched in on himself a bit more and tried not looking up. Had he seen that right? The man split himself into two people that morning. Logan hadn't even bothered to take the second to check why or how the thought never occurred to him. He sat up straight and looked over once more, the smile still on the man's face who was completely unaware. Years of this silly habit and somehow Logan had possibly crossed paths with someone just like him in the same city.

He covered his eyes again and did another check. Patton. Seemed to live alone in a small studio apartment and could indeed make multiple copies of himself. He had to know more, or at least dig deeper. Logan's powers never worked on himself, it didn't make logical sense, but he had always wondered if his brain just worked differently then everyone else. An autopsy on his own brain was physically impossible so this was the first chance he got to test his theory.

It took a bit but he did seem to find something but he wasn't sure what. Something metaphorically made this 'Patton' stick out like a red dot on a thermal scan. He blinked away and looked up after hearing a noise, seeing the other leaving the cafe with a small bag and drink in his hand. Logan pretended to be reading as the other left, their eyes never meeting.

He wondered if he could scan the whole city bit by bit now that he knew what he was looking for. Logan closed his book and casually gathered his things before walking out, he had research to do.