5/19 Issue: Family Reunion

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Slarti
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5/19 Issue: Family Reunion

Post by Slarti »

Timelined a couple days after The Floater.

Carol: Another day, another load of bullshit on Fox News. Carol groaned at the ridiculous speculations and muted the TV, tossing the remote onto the coffee table. "That's enough TV for today..." unless she got the urge to feel more rage later. What she wanted to feel was drunk but, as that was off the table, she decided highly caffeinated would do and rolled off the sofa to get more coffee.

Tony: Having successfully dodged the Secret Service and Heather, Tony was enjoying his solo flight in his personal project, even if this was his first real flight of any real distance. Boston to New York was nothing to sneeze at, but it still didn't take that long until he was over the townhouse his daughter and her husband had bought about a year ago. He cut thrusters and aimed for the roof.

Tony: "Whoaaaaaa, Friday, slow it down! Slow it down!" Maybe he should have brought Anna with him, but he knew she and Carol were having some sort of spat, so he was on his own. The repulsors kicked in, but not before Tony thumped down on the roof with more force than intended. "Ow."

Carol: Carol froze at the sound on the roof and looked up as if she could see through the floors in between her and it, "Jarvis... what the hell was that?" Did they have security systems on their roof? Maybe she should suggest it. Before the AI even answered, she was on her way to investigate, dropping her coffee cup off on the landing at the top of the stairs. The power flickered for a moment as her energy levels rose until the system compensated.

Tony: Tony straightened up and looked around, debating his decision. Maybe he should have landed on the porch? But that would have drawn unwanted attention. How did the X-Men handle things like this? He spotted a roof access door and let out a sigh of relief as he started for it. He could park the suit by the door and go have a chat with Carol.

Carol: Jarvis informed her of the intruder on the roof which meant she headed the rest of the way faster, only pausing briefly to remind herself not to rip the door off, before she came face to face with... a robot? "You have exactly five seconds to tell me who the hell you are before you hit the Pacific Ocean with your face."

Tony: Friday informed him of a strong electrical flare before nearby going offline and Tony swore, taking a step backward from the suddenly bright doorway. "Open, open, open!" He raised both hands before the lagging AI responded and his helmet split, the faceplate retracting back into the skullcap. "Whoa there bucko! Not the face!"

Carol: Carol pulled up short, the energy aura fading a little. Now she was just confused, "Tony? What the hell are you doing on the roof? And what are you wearing?"

Tony: "I landed?" He said it in his most obvious voice and took in Carol's glow. He'd seen it before, but not aimed at him. No wonder Fury liked her. "This is me! We're calling it Iron Man. It's a working name, but I like it."

Carol: She looked the suit over, "Yeah it's... very you..." she agreed, "Maybe next time you plan to land on the roof... call ahead?" She let the energy aura die down as much as she could while the adrenaline was still in her system, "Obi's not here so..."

Tony: "I modeled it after my favorite car," he said, striking a pose. "Call ahead? Where's the fun in that?" With the electrical interference fading Friday sputtered back online and he made a mental note to better insulate the Mark IV. "Obi." He made a dismissive face. "Actually, I'm here to talk to you."

Carol: "If the word 'Alaska' comes out of your mouth at any point I'm carrying out my Pacific Ocean threat and then I'll deny all knowlege." She turned to head back inside, "Coffee?"

Tony: "I'd love some coffee." He thought about the suit opening and it did so, the Mark III's alterations working perfectly to release him smoothly from his creation. "Alaska? Why would I mention Alaska? Hope was raised in Alaska, the poor kid."

Carol: "It's Fury's favourite thing to threaten me with," she filled him in, "You don't wanna bring your new toy inside? Never know what might happen to it out there..."

Tony: Stepping away from the suit, he watched it close back up. "The worst that can happen to him is a pigeon shits on him. He's fine." Tony followed her to the dooryway and scoffed. "There's nothing in Alaska, Fury wouldn't actually do that."

Carol: "There's the weather service..." she pointed out, "Not that I don't think flying into huge cyclones would be fun... it's just not for me." She collected her mug on the way down the stairs, "Do I want to know why you're here if it's not Alaska?"

Tony: "There's the weather service," he agreed, and he supposed the black pyramid, but Carol didn't need to know about that. "I'm here," he said, catching up with her to canter down the steps, "to find out your intentions, young lady."

Carol: "My what now?" She looked over her shoulder at him on her way down the last flight.

Tony: "You're cohabitating with my son-in-law, and it's all over social media," he said.

Carol: "I'm not cohabitating with anyone... except a space cat who thinks she's the boss of me. Social media is full of shit." She set her mug on the counter when they reached the kitchen and moved to start some fresh coffee, "I came here looking for your kid, actually. No one told me she'd wandered off with David on some fool's errand..."

Tony: "Hope may be off tilting at windmills, but that doesn't mean you can just move in and take her place," he said, poking at a dying plant in the kitchen.

Carol: "That's not happening so you have nothing to worry about," she paused to look over at him, "You can't seriously believe the crap they're printing in the tabloids? I'm sleeping in the guest room with my space cat. You can go back up and check if you want."

Tony: "I'm not a fan of the tabloids, but the least I can say is that what they've been printing about me is true," he said, looking around the kitchen. "I'm not doing a bed check, but I just wanted to do a general dad check."

Carol: "What they're printing about me isn't true," she assured him again, "I... don't have anywhere else I can go right now. I'm trying to work through some stuff and this was the only place I could think of where I'd feel like I'd be able to do that... mostly because Hope was here... and then she wasn't." she frowned, turning her attention back to the coffee.

Tony: "Why Hope? I didn't know you two were particularly close." He cocked his head to regard her, unblinking. "Why do you think you don't have anywhere to go? You have the X-Men headquarters, you have your parents - why here?"

Carol: She laughed bitterly, "Sure my parents' place is a great place to deal with stuff..." she shook her head, "I don't feel..." she reminded herself who she was talking to, "I just can't be at the asylum right now. I'm still working and on duty and everything... it's not hard for me to get back there in a hurry."

Tony: "Okay, maybe that wasn't fair. I know you don't have a great relationship with your dad." Tony debated going for the scotch - he knew where it was, after all. "I think as the..." how to put it? "Champion of the X-Men, I should know why you can't be at their headquarters. Is is because of Kincaid?"

Carol: She shook her head, "No, Cess is great. It was awkward at first but we talked about it..." She took down a fresh mug out for Tony and set it on the counter, "I know why you want to know... but I can't tell you."

Tony: "What is it that you can't tell me? Why? If it's not your old relationship, then what is going on that you can't be there?"

Carol: Carol sighed, pouring him some coffee and pushing the mug toward him. "I just... I don't feel like I can be there right now... that's all..." She poured herself a cup and turned to lean back against the counter.

Tony: "Is it that chick with the...." Tony gestured around his head and made a face. "Extra thing?"

Carol: She blinked at him, "Andi and Silence? No, why would it be? Look, this isn't a relationship issue. It's a personal issue... Do you know what May fourth is?"

Tony: Personal issue? Well yeah, he'd assumed that much. "May fourth? May the fourth be with you?"

Carol: She couldn't help the laugh, "Yeah it's Star Wars day... used to be my favourite day of the year.... not anymore though. Five years ago on May fourth, the Brood came. Being back there in that building... I don't know... it's brought up all this stuff. I'm trying not to drink right now for, other reasons so it's hard to sleep there..." it was half of the truth so maybe he'd take that.

Tony: Tony listened to her, eyes on the brewing coffee pot. "Those space bugs were a pain in the ass," he said, trying to remember every briefing he'd had on the aliens and Carol during that time. He had nothing. "I'm sorry for what happened," he fished.

Carol: "Yeah..." she put her mug down before she broke it. "You've seen my file... you know I refused to talk about what happened afterwards... said I didn't remember. That's not true... I remember everything that happened and I don't have anyone to talk to about it, not since I lost my brother. But, I think, if I have enough time and space, I might be able to talk about it with Obi... I don't know yet..."

Tony: Tony's confused expression showed what he thought about this before he could think to keep his face blank. "Obi? Why do you think you could tell him?"

Carol: "Does that really matter?" She sighed, "The point is that I think I can talk about it with someone who's not dead."

Tony: "Okay, he does have a pulse. I'll give him that much." He schooled his features much more smoothly this time. "It might matter. As much as I'd like to trust the guy my daughter married, he's still a guy, with a hot - literally sizzling - woman staying in his house."

Carol: That was the weirdest compliment she'd ever had. She looked away to settle her own expression and maybe avoid the comments on the blushing she was pretty sure she couldn't help. "That mean you don't trust me either?"

Tony: The corner his his mouth twitched at the blush. "I don't trust myself so of course I have difficulties in trusting the motives and activities of other people. No offense."

Carol: "I told you... I came here because I thought Hope was here, not because I knew she wasn't," she pushed a hand through her hair, "I didn't have anywhere else to go and he's been kind enough to let me stay here while I figure this out and listen if I feel like talking about it. Both of us have... kind of a messy history... so he gets it more..."

Tony: "So let me get this straight. You came here to see Hope, but it's Shinobi who you think you might be able to tell about your sordid past? Did I get that right?" He cocked his head.

Carol: "I know it sounds weird when you put it like that..." especially since she had to leave a bunch of the why out of the conversation. "I'm not here to cause trouble..."

Tony: "Oh, I don't think you're here to cause trouble, but using an EM pulse on bystanders to try to stop them from taking more pictures for the tabloids? Now that's.... impressive. I'm impressed."

Carol: She laughed, mostly in surprise at the jump in topic but also relief to be on safer ground. Unless it was a trap. "Oh, that's easy... I learned how to do that back when I was on Hope's security detail for a while... I'm just a lot better at it these days."

Tony: Tony reached into the inside pocket of his blazer and pulled out a newspaper, tossing it on the counter. "Too bad it didn't work."

Carol: "Yeah, Fury already sent me that..." she picked up her coffee again, "I can't take out cameras beyond a certain range without really fucking up the electrics in whatever building I'm in..." she demonstrated what happened to the electrics with her powers, the flickering was impressive particularly as she countered Jarvis' attempts to manage the surges. "The AI hates when I do that... which happens more than I'd like..."

Tony: "So he threatened to send you to Alaska?" He looked up at the lights as they flickered, making a face. "I would think so. I think you owe Jarvis an apology for that." He could only hope that Friday on the roof was far enough away to be safe.

Carol: "Pretty sure my apologies ring hollow after putting him through the same every night," she shrugged a shoulder, "Alaska isn't just for this..." she sighed and took a sip of coffee, "It's just the latest thing."

Tony: The coffee finished brewing and Tony made himself at home, moving past Carol to fill her cup and his own. "So, enlighten me why Fury wants to send you to Alaska?" Wait. He turned to look at her. "Every night? Jarvis, I'm going to insulate you against EMP, stat." The AI could only thank him as it rebooted. Tony tsked.

Carol: "Pretty much, yeah..." she held out her cup for the top up, "Can't really stop doing it while I'm asleep..." at least until she woke up and stopped screaming. "Fury's just having an allergic reaction to the past couple months. He'll get over it... probably."

Tony: "Should I send him some scotch for overseeing you while you oversee the X-Men? I'd offer you some, too, but you just said you weren't drinking." He refilled her cup and poured one for himself. "You could try a faraday cage. One of the telepaths does that, if I remember right. Not the redhead. The purple one."

Carol: "Beth," she supplied, "And it sounds like a good idea until you realise it has the word 'cage' in it and it'd get tore through every time I have a bad night. It'll calm down... everything just got all stirred up fresh so... it's a lot right now... I dealt with it before, I can do it again."

Tony: "That's fair." He took a sip of the coffee and wished there was scotch in it. "So it's just this time of year? Brings up old memories?"

Carol: "When I was in DC, I'd just drink until I felt better... but I'm trying not to do that so I get to see my kid more..." This was already way more than she wanted to say but at least she'd managed to steer Tony away from dangerous waters.

Tony: Tony rubbed at an imaginary spot on the counter. "I can respect that - wanting to see your kid, that is."

Carol: "Right... so I need a new way to deal with this... preferably a better way... but being at the asylum isn't helpful right now... being at my folks' place is the opposite of helpful even at the best of times... and I don't really want to show up on Jess' doorstep again so... Kinda low on places to go. I don't have a lot of people outside of work."

Tony: "I think Jess likes it when people show up on her doorstep," he said, looking back up at her and rubbing at his hairline instead. "If you need a leave of absence, to help you stop drinking, then I could talk to Fury."

Carol: She shook her head, "I can still do my job just fine from here. It's not like it takes me a long time to get anywhere... and I need something to do otherwise I'd go crazy. It's already plenty boring here on my own all day... which is how they got that picture," she gestured at the paper on the counter, "I was complaining about not leaving the house for dinner..."

Tony: "And Shinobi decided it would be safe to go out?" He nodded, clucking his tongue. "That sounds like him."
Carol: "Yeah... and I should know better but I'm not used to this stuff and I'm kind of sick of staring at the same four walls all day so..." she sighed, "I won't let it happen again..."

Tony: "You'd..." He shook his finger at her, then looked at it. "You'd better not. Missy."

Carol: She laughed, "Really? That's the best ya got?"

Tony: "That's... uh, that's all my paternal energy expended." He shrugged and took another drink of coffee. "Unless you think I should stick around and threaten Obi later."

Carol: "I think that ship sailed long ago," she shook her head with a small amused grin, "But I think it's probably my turn to wag the finger now... anyone know you're here?"

Tony: "Probably. By now anyway." Tony gave her a grin. "Yeah, you're right. I should leave the threatening to his dad."

Carol: "Gotta tell ya, I don't like Sebastian's chances if he tries that either..." she replied honestly.

Rogue: Rogue tapped her earpiece when Plato told her she was close to the suit and slowed down to start looking. "You're near Miss Hope's residence." Ah ha. "Thanks, darlin'." She sighed and hovered when she spotted him on the roof, standing empty by the access door. Rogue lowered herself and gave the suit a fond pat on the ass as she headed for the door.

Tony: "I like Sebastian's chances better than mine," he said, taking another drink.

Carol: "At threatening Obi or surviving the resulting my fist to the face?"

Tony: Tony waved a hand. "That's just foreplay for him. Then Jess will punch you. It'll be a whole punching cir cle."

Carol: Carol shook her head, "Nah she won't. She doesn't like it when he threatens Obi either. She might zap me as a thank you."

Rogue: She debated knocking, but thought they might not hear it, so she tried the handle instead. Unlocked! Rogue winked at Mark III and started down the stairs. "Honey, Ah'm ... at mah step-daughter's home! Doesn't have quite th' same ring t' it. Tony?"

Tony: Tony looked up when a familiar voice drifted down the stairs. "Ah, make that 'probably' someone noticed I was gone to 'definitely.'" He set down his cup and started for the stairs. "Yeah, babe, I'm right down here."

Carol: That voice caused a reaction Carol couldn't help. Her mostly empty coffee mug exploded in her hands as her chest tightened and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

Tony: Tony spun in place. "Carol?"

Rogue: Rogue heard him and beamed, bounding down the rest of the way until she heard the shattering and then she lifted off and flew towards him. "Tony?!" Which way? She clocked the living room and an office with no one in them.

Carol: Not here. Not here. Why was she here? It was supposed to be safe here. The lights started flickering again and she reached out to grip the edge of the counter for something solid to hold onto. The stone of the worktop crunched beneath her hand as she slid down to sit on the floor. She had to calm down. But she still couldn't breathe.

Tony: "Kitchen!" He called over his shoulder, going over to Carol and crouching beside her. "Carol? Hey! Look at me?"

Rogue: Rogue sped that way, ignoring the electrical flares and pops happening all around her. She had to see that he was okay, first. She pulled to a stop in the kitchen and didn't see him. "Tony?!" Then she rounded to the other side of the island and saw him, whole, and she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. And... Carol. "Ah'm not here f'r you. B'sides, Tony already knows."

Carol: Nope! No! Nononono! She had to breathe. And now Rogue was in the room. Several bulbs overhead exploded with the power surges and Chewie jumped up onto the counter. She couldn't see properly but Tony was there and he was trying to help except she was afraid to touch him right now.

Tony: "Hey, it's okay," he tried, making a few false starts before he put his arm around her. He glanced up at Anna Marie, but was startled by the cat jumping onto the counter. Hope and Shinobi didn't have a cat.

Rogue: "She'll be fine, baby. Let's go home an' she'll go back t' normal with her hidin' out an' stayin' out o' our business." Mostly. She held her gloved hand down for Tony, but didn't move any closer to Carol. God forbid Chewie scratch her suit. She hissed at Rogue when she saw her move and a creature that looked like a spawn from Alien came out of her mouth to do the same. "Ew! Carol, tell y'r space cat t' knock it off!"

Carol: Carol couldn't help the flinch when Tony touched her then she looked up at the counter, Chewie's hissing breaking through the fog. What the fuck?! Another bulb exploded. Were those tentacles?! "Chewie! How does that fit in your head?!"

Tony: He caught her flinch and Anna's words filtered through his surprise. Well, she'd told him she scared Carol good. Guess so. "Holy shit! It better not get chewy!" Tony started to tug Carol away from the monster cat on the counter.

Rogue: More tentacles and teeth and slime came out of the cat's mouth and it was all hissing at her and Rogue took a step back, disgust clear on her face. "Y' didn't know she could do that?! Chewie's th' cat's name, Tony. An' she definitely looks like she could chew some stuff right now."

Carol: Was... was Chewie trying to protect her? She let Tony move her but only insomuch as to help her to her feet, "It's okay, Chewie... nothing's gonna happen..." it took a lot of effort to keep her voice steady.

Rogue: "Chewie," Rogue scolded. "Tony's mah boyfriend. Ah'm allowed t' take him home with me. Carol's not mah friend, so Ah don't plan on gettin' closer t' her than this if she doesn't attack first." She put her hands on her hips. "Ah ain't got any problems with you, li'l miss, so just cool y' jets."

Tony: "Chewie! That's... a really uncannily accurate name for her." He rose along with Carol but didn't let go yet, his eyes still on the horror on the counter.

Carol: "She's named after Chewbacca..." Carol patted Tony's slow science nerd head, moving toward the space-cat. She picked Chewie up despite the tentacles which seemed to calm her down enough to put them away wherever the hell they went. "Good kitty..." Chewie purred for her praise. And now she was in prime position to protect. Bonus. "Just keep your powers to yourself and everything'll be fine..." She did not feel as confident as she was trying to sound.

Rogue: Rogue kept an eye on the cat, but held a hand out for Tony again. "Baby? Wanna prove t' th' cat that Ah'm only a threat t' someone who threatens me first?"

Tony: "Oh we're proving things to the cat now? Neat." He ran his hand through his hair and stepped back, taking Anna Marie's hand, but his eyes were still on Carol and the cat. The tentacles were gone now and he was impressed. "I'm going to hazard a guess that your cat isn't from around here."

Rogue: Rogue gave a small nod. "She's extremely intelligent. Cain't speak t' us, but understands everythin' we say." She gave Tony's hand a squeeze.

Carol: "She teleports too..." Carol told him, keeping her eyes on Rogue for any sudden movements. "Your idea of a threat is way out of proportion."

Tony: "Well, nice to meet you, Miss Chewbacca. That's a wonderful, uh, is it a dimensional portal? That would make the most sense, with the..." He waved his free hand in front of his face to mimic the tentacles.

Tony: Returning the squeeze, he looked between the two women. This could be interesting.

Rogue: That made her bark a laugh and she rolled her eyes. "Says th' woman who put me through a wall f'r feelin' bad 'bout kissin' somebody else."

Carol: "You can survive getting hit through a wall and no one else was gonna knock any sense into you," she pointed out, working to keep the hard edge in her tone and using Chewie's fur to hopefully hide how much she was shaking.

Rogue: "Sense? Y' thought Ah needed sense t' know what Ah did was awful an' wrong? Ah was drunk an' scared. Ah coulda used a friend, not a super-human bitch slap."

Carol: "Yeah? Well I didn't need you threatening to take all I have left of Steven. So I guess we both suck. You can go now."

Tony: "Ladies." He looked between the two of them. "You both win the award for most terrifying temper. What I need to know is if this," He gestured at the room in general. "Is this the reason you aren't staying at the old school?"

Rogue: "Steven?! That's what this is about? If y' hadn't put me through th' wall in th' first place, it wouldn't've escalated th' way it did!" Rogue stopped and blinked at Tony. "She's hidin' from me. Yeah. That's why she stayed with Shaw, too. An' why Ah wasn't welcome at th' rally."

Carol: "You weren't welcome at the rally because we were worried there'd be a fucking riot if they saw you, it had nothing to do with us." Carol corrected, "And I can answer myself. I don't need your help."

Rogue: "Ah wasn't in th' tabloids yet an' Ah'm a fuckin' asset t' th' team whether y' want me t' be or not."

Tony: "Does she need to hide from you?" He looked between the two women. "I can't help but feel a little responsible for this. Rogue told me about her kiss with Bobby Drake, and I can't really question her taste in men without insulting myself, but she said it was a mistake. Matter's closed in my book."

Rogue: "No, she doesn't need t' hide from me. But we ain't friends anymore. That ship sailed an' sunk."

Carol: "It wasn't up to me. It was an operational decision." She glanced at Tony but kept a watch on Rogue, "I told her to tell you. And she threatened to take everything that makes me me for doing that. She already took my entire childhood but I guess that wasn't enough. Even after I took her to meet my mom and she let her into our family. So be careful... because it seems like family doesn't mean as much to her as she tells everyone it does."

Rogue: The only thing that kept Rogue from not decking Carol was the fact that she was still holding Tony's hand. "Tony is mah family. You threatened that. Ah've killed t' protect mah family b'fore an' God help me, Ah'd do it again."

Carol: "Sure... he's your family..." she nodded, "Until he says something you don't like or you get a better option, right? That's how it works."

Rogue: "All o' mah family, mah family? Is either dead, in Boston hopefully with his kids, or holdin' mah hand. You were never mah family. Y'r psyche forced its way int' mah head t' make me think it. Thanks t' Hope, it's gone."

Tony: "I like to think we're building a family together," he said, frowning at Carol. "There is no better option."

Rogue: Rogue squeezed Tony's hand and gave him a ghost of a smile.

Carol: "My psyche didn't force its way anywhere - you stole it. You took everything without even asking and left me for dead. You have no idea what it took for me to recover and you have the gall to threaten me with that all over again? To take me away from my daughter? To take memories of people I will never see again?" Her voice broke and she looked away, "Get out." Her tone turned icy. "Get the hell out of this house."

Rogue: "Ah was a scared kid, Carol! We've been through that." Rogue laughed. "Ah've been tryin' t' leave since Ah saw you."

Tony: "Yeah, that's probably a good idea." He squeezed Anna's hand and started for the stairs. "I'll talk to you later, Carol."

Carol: "You're not a kid anymore! You fucking know better!" The electrics protested again and Chewie's fur stood on end, "I meant what I said, Tony..."

Tony: "I believe you," he said over his shoulder. "That doesn't mean I won't still talk to you."

Carol: "Maybe next time bring the shiny one. I like her better."

Rogue: Rogue kept her eyes on Carol until they were at the door, then she stepped ahead of Tony, heading for the stairs, ready to blast into the sky just to let off steam. "That woman is a fuckin' piece o' work."

Tony: "You'd deprive me of the fun of dodging security? I'm shocked and disappointed." He turned to look her over one more time. She looked angry, but still terrified. Tony gave her a nod and turned to follow Anna Marie up the stairs.

Carol: Carol watched until they were both out of sight then slid to the floor with a groan, Chewie still held close to her chest. "Fuck..."
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