bigapplesauce | Exploring the city [OPEN]

Entry tags:

Exploring the city [OPEN]

It's Christmas Day and Bruce could use a miracle or two. He doesn't know how he got here or how to get back. He can't find Tony or Avenger's Tower. To be honest, Bruce is a bit disgusted with himself at how easily he got used to having a team to rely on and a home to go back to. He's been living in a homeless shelter, looking for work. Naturally, he's missing some important papers, so he needs under the table work. That's all right. Bruce has experience at this sort of thing. Right now, he's heading for the docks, to see if he can get some work there.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Don't you think it's reasonable that I'd want to know how I'll be treated, if I join your group?" Bruce asked. "Even the best leaders can make terrible mistakes and I don't intend to trade my morals and conscience for theirs. I'll tell you what, though," he stops, giving her a wry smile. "Let's table the question for now. You show me the proof that ROMAC needs to be stopped. If I decide to join, I'll explain why I'm so interested in your ideas of discipline."

She frowns when he answers her question with a question. Questions can't be said to be truth or lies, so it's really unhelpful when people do that. When he goes on speaking, though, she listens carefully. It's hard to say whether his answer is reassuring -- while he's not lying, he doesn't outright say he's not a spy for Romac, which is the lie she's watching for.

She'll have to probe again -- but later, lest she put him on his guard. "That's exactly what I'm going to do," she says, putting on a smile.

Bruce shifts, nodding, not feeling particularly comfortable with any of this.

"Good. I'm sorry, if I seem difficult, but I've made mistakes before. I have to make sure you are who you say, before I can help you. I want to help anyone coming through that rift, but I won't be anyone's pawn."

"To answer your question," she finally replies, not wanting him to get scared off, "There's not all that much controlling that goes on, unless you agree to go on missions or do our work. We need people to listen and work together, but if you don't want to do what we do, we'll still give you a place to live." As long as he doesn't attempt to sabotage them from within.

"And, if I do agree to do your work?" Bruce asks. "I can follow orders, when it's necessary, but...I'm not an easy person to control. I don't trust easily and I don't obey blindly. What sort of missions would you want me to do?"

"That depends on your skills," replies Blythe. There's only so much she can tell him when she's unsure of him in return. "But we're not in the business of springing surprises on people. Not our people, at any rate."

"That's good to know!" Bruce told her, giving a shaky laugh. "Surprises, well, I...never mind. I do have skills. I'm a scientist and have done work as a doctor."

"Are you?" Unnecessary to ask; of course he is. He just said so. "Well, we need people of all kinds -- and anyone who knows first aid is always welcome."

Bruce nods, shrugging. "I worked as a doctor in Calcutta, for awhile. Do you deal with injuries a lot?"

"Some," she replies, being evasive again. "The rift isn't always gentle."

She frowns to herself suddenly. "How much did Yuri tell you about what the rift can do to people?"

Bruce frowns, shaking his head.

"He didn't, actually. I know it brought me to an alternate reality, but no more than that, really."

"It can change people," she explains. "Sometimes it gives people powers. Sometimes it does other things."

Bruce looked sharply at her, at this.

"Have you scanned the rift for gamma radiation? I'd like more details of this. What sort of powers? What 'other things?'"

"It leaves traces of some kind of radiation on them," Blythe confirms. "It's all too technical for me -- but to answer your question...anything you can think of, I suppose. I know someone who can control milk with his mind."

"M-milk?" Bruce repeats, incredulously. "He controls...milk. His telekinesis works on milk. Any sort of milk? Cow? Goat?"

"Milk," confirms Blythe. "Any kind, so far as I know -- supposedly he can cure a lactose stomach ache, but I've never seen him do it."

"Oh, well, that's...at least something good might be coming from it," Bruce laughed shakily. "I definitely want to study this rift."

"You might get your chance," replies Blythe, feeling she's scored a point. Not all operatives have to be the sort who go on rescue or espionage missions, after all.

"I might," Bruce agreed, shrugging. "About what percentage of rifties would you say are affected?"

"At least half," shrugs Blythe. "I'm not sure of the numbers, sorry -- and personally, I don't think everyone who has a power admits to it."

Bruce nods, thoughtfully.

"No, I would imagine not. They'd be afraid, of themselves, of being different..." he breaks off with a slight sigh.

"Some of them, yes," replies Blythe, leading the way back up out of the subway. "Though I imagine some of them don't do it because it's not to their advantage for others to know."

[OOC: Just gonna say they rode the train at some point during this conversation, cause I kind of forgot to write about what they were doing.]

"That too," Bruce agrees, following her closely and looking around nervously. He doesn't like close spaces, especially close spaces filled with lots of people. "Are we almost there?"

(Works for me. :D)

"Almost -- I did tell you it was a ways." Perhaps she should have just taken him to the library where she works -- but too many strangers brought in and given personal assistance with no explanation of who they are would raise questions she doesn't want to think up lies to answer. They emerge into daylight, and she immediately turns down a street toward the library, not even needing to think about the way to get there.

"Yes, you did," Bruce sighs. He follows her, still looking about, though avoiding eye contact and trying not to appear too apparent.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject