2012-07-01 X-Man of Steel

Stark Expo was supposed to have ended with an Iron Man cosplay costume contest. Instead, the expo goers were treated to massive robots attacking from underground and a half dozen assorted heroes leaping to the rescue.

One such hero, a green flying man in a blue cape, pulled the reckless-seeming Lois Lane, reporter for the Daily Planet, from the rubble that what once was the stage. He set her down off to the side, and flew off without another word, leaving the reporter a bit rumpled and shaken but otherwise unharmed.

There doesn't seem to be anyone trapped under debris since most people who weren't insane reporters had the good sense to run away as soon as the fighting started. So Colossus is busy slapping out some smouldering threads that still hang from him. His civilian clothes have pretty much burned away leaving his X-Man costume which is fire proof. The flying green man barely gets a look considering who he associated with. Lois gets a longer one. "You are well, da? Do you need help to leave?"

Lois is watching J'onn fly away from her, a puzzled sort of half-grin on her face, when Colossus speaks to her. The rich voice draws her attention and she turns her gaze to look over. That's when she squeeks a startled sort of yelp, eyes flying wide open at the sight of a metal skinned young man looking at her. The startled shocked surprise renders her speechless for a moment before she shakes her head faintly and leans her head forward at him. "Umm.. sorry, what?"

"You are well?" Colossus repeats, turning now to face Lois and give her a more proper inspection. "Did you hit your head? Shall I take you to the paramedics?" He looks around to see if there are any available already here.

The paramedics are busy dealing with actual injuries. Lois, while is dirty and disheveled, has little more than a few bumps, bruises, scrapes, and a twisted ankle. She nods to him, smiling past the open and honest curiousity. She smells another story, and that story smells like a literal man of steel. "I'm fine. Who are you? What... are you?" She's already reaching her hand out to touch that shiny skin.

"You may call me Colossus." he answers. As he doesn't move away, he doesn't seem to mind the incipient touch. The second question gets a small pause and an equally small shrug. "If you mean if I am a human, construct or alien, I am human. I also carry the X-gene." Which technically, makes him not human under some definitions.

"X-Gene," Lois repeats, eyes widening with surprise back in her voice. Her hand pauses mere centimeters above Piotr's metallic skin. Her violet gaze had been on his 'flesh' where she was reaching, but at the news her eyes snap to his face.

What emotions might the mutant be used to? Whatever they are, Lois's face holds nothing but a child's wonder filled with the excitement of Christmas morning.

"Oh, my god... this is aMAZING! WOw! Sorry, sorry..." Her voice started low, almost quivering, then in a heartbeat ramped up to high pitched and giddy, only to snap into something a little more professional.

"I am so thrilled to meet you. Lois Lane, Daily Planet. I'd like to ask you a few questions about your involvement in the recent robot attack and the rescue of the civilians in the area," she states with assurance, right hand shooting out for a handshake even as her left goes for her purse. She's drawn herself as tall as her slight just over five feet can bring her, and smiles as if she's NOT covered head to high heel in dirt, cobwebs, and rubble. Professional journalist.

Colossus was watching for a reaction and if Lois' surprises him, it doesnt' show on his face. Perhaps a slight tension in the set of his shoulders disappears though as it becomes obvious he's not going to be met with fear or revulsion. "Lois Lane. I have read you on the internet. I will be pleased to answer your questions though..." Glancing around at the devastation, he continues "Perhaps outside in the fresh air. You are breathing in smoke and soot and it is unhealthy for you."

"Yeah, sure of course! Can I buy you some coffeee? Do you drink coffee," Lois switches gears quickly, pulling her hand back unshaken. Her quick mind makes note of that as she pulls out her notepad and pen. "you don't mind if I take notes do you? I have a horrible memory sometimes..."

"Not in this form, no." Colossus answers and gestures toward one of the exits that's not too congested with rescue personnel. "I do not mind if you have some however nor to taking notes. You must be tired and stressed after what has happened. Are you certain you do not need to see a doctor?"

No sooner does Colossus give his permission than Lois is turning on the digital recorder that is her Live Scribe Pen. "No, thanks. I'm fine.... Stark Expo, attacked by robots. Talking with Steel Man, rescued several civilians," she says into it quickly after declining doctors and before turning to look at the Colossus at her side. "Form? You can change forms? What do you change into?" Tired? Stressed? No way! This day is looking up!

Steel Man? "Colossus." he corrects and heads for the exit with Lois. At the question, he smiles. "I change back to flesh and blood. I am fortunate enough to have that option though there are mutants who are not so lucky and bear the burden of a physical mutation that is less than convenient."

"Colossus," Lois corrects, unphased by it. In fact, she's smiling just and brightly as ever, even if she's limping faintly. It's clear the reporter refuses to let that, or the few blisters she's going to have tomorrow, slow her down. "Thank you. So, you can shift from ....normal? Ah.. skin to steel? Does that make you tougher or stronger than the average human?" She holds her thought on other physical mutations for the moment.

"Yes, I am significantly stronger and tougher than most people." Colossus agrees. "Have you ever considered doing a series on mutants, Miss Lane? Honestly reported stories about us could be of great benefit. The majority of us are just people, little different from you, who merely want to live our lives in peace. But all too often, those who can't fight back are subjected to hatred and even violence."

The request, so similar to the request voiced by a certain green alien, which had given her the idea of trying to prod another extraterristral she knows into the same thing, makes Lois smiles warmly and half glance over her shoulder toward where she had last seen J'onn. "You know, something similar had come to mind a few days ago, and is now starting to look like a real humdinger of an article. Real, front four pages, kind of thing," she says, eyes twinkling as she looks back to Colossus. "Colossus, it'd be my pleasure," she adds.

Colossus glances down at Lois then nods and continues toward the street. "Thank you, Miss Lane. I don't know if you can make a difference but I appreciate your willingness to try. If you give me your card, I will attempt to find people willing to speak with you. The ones you really need to talk to though are the poor, the ones with little power and physical mutations they cannot hide. The ones discriminated against just for being what they are. The ones fired and denied housing and even beaten just for being mutants."

Lois frowns lightly at that, nodding while her hand dips into her purse for a business card. This she hands over, as she comments, "You're not one of those, so you... move to protect them, and others around you, then?"

Colossus takes the card and slips it into a built in pocket in his costume. "Why does Iron Man? Or Captain America? Because we can and others can't. Whether they're mutants or humans, they all deserve to be safe, da?" He shrugs lightly and glances down at Lois again. "But yes, those who are oppressed need it even more."

To that, the reporter nods, now even MORE determined to get that interview with Captain America as well as corner Superman into spilling the goods on the record. She's smiling as she pauses at the curb to check for traffic on the way to that yonder Starbucks. LATTE time!

"Poignent, COlossus. I'm going to quote you on that. Can you tell me what your life is like, being able to shift into a living breathing mass of metal," she asks, tone back to work mode

Colossus ignores the looks and pointing he's getting unless it's from a kid and then he has a smile for whoever is brave enough to meet his eyes. "What is my life like? I do my job and when I am not working, I relax. I spend time with my friends, partake of my hobbies, attend events and sometimes end up in the middle of villains trying to kill people. It is much like your life, da?"

Lois laughs at that, having to nod at the similarities. "True enough," she says as she steps off the curb now that the coast is clear. "And your childhood? You said that those with obvious physical mutations were often mistreated. Did you ever experience that personally, or are you currently experiencing that, and if so, do you feel its because of the bad press and mis understandings of what the x-gene is?"

"My being a mutant is not what caused problems in my family." Colossus answers after a moment. "But it is not obviously unless I choose it to be and unlike many, I can able to fight back. There were few who knew who were also stupid enough to make an issue of it." He falls silent to consider Lois' questions. "I believe the bad press is a result of what people are feeling not the cause. People have hated those who are different throughout history. Mutants are merely the newest addition to the list."

Lois nods, making her way across the street with little trouble. Afterall, what driver in their right mind is going to miss the shiny metal Colossus walking with her? "So you don't hide being a mutant from your family?"

"They are aware of it now." Colossus is more alert than Lois seems to be. He'd rather not demolish a car by having it run into him. The driver would likely be seriously hurt. "They are in Russia however so it does not affect me greatly any longer."

"I thought I heard an accent," Lois quips, seeming unconcerned by any oncoming cars. The one that does get too close swerves to avoid collision with the Metal Man. Lois steps lightly up onto the sidewalk on teh other side of the street. "How'd they take it? You being a mutant? Are they supportive at all?"

"We do not discuss it." Colossus is still not on speaking terms with his father, after all. "My parents are very traditional though. Have you not done a story about mutants before, Miss Lane? Given what I know of Gotham, I would think at least one of your heroes there is likely to be one. If not more."

Lois shakes her head to the question. "You're my first ever mutant," she says quite honestly, reaching out to get the door as they approached Starbucks, only for her to seem to just now notice the state of her jacket. "Aw, nuts," she quips to herself.

"That you know of." Colossus adds quietly. "Perhaps that is another reason so many people are prejudiced. Who knows if the person next to you is a mutant? You could be living next to one and never know it. Or work with one. It is much like being gay, in that way."

Now THAT makes Lois stop dead in her tracks. The little gerbil in her mind falls OUT of the wheel as it clocks into over drive.... She turns her head to peer at Colossus, head tilting, eyes clerly sorting somethin gout when she chuckles and shakes her head. "Yeah, that would explain things wouldn't it," she quips to herself, pulling the door open for Colossus. "After you."

Colossus nods his thanks and walks into the store, stepping to one side to make room for Lois. "I shall wait for you to order then would suggest we find a place to sit outside. I would break their chairs."

And here Lois was just about to tell him to grab a table. It never ever seemed to occur to her that someone that strong could break furniture just by sitting down. She blinks a few times, mind processing, before she nods. "Sure. Don't move an inch," she tells him with a wink, pointing a finger at him before she moves to the counter. She orders and tells the barista that there's a fifteen dollar tip if he can get it to her in under sixty, flat. Sure enough, Lois drops a twenty on the kid, and is back to Colossus' side in just over a minute. "Let's go find a tree to sit under or something?"

Colossus waits patiently by the door, pretending not to notice the stares and whispers except for those obviously friendly. Fortunately, it's not long and this time he opens and holds the door for Lois. "After you."

"You're only staring 'cause you're jealous blondie," quips the femme reporter to a unquite unfriendly blond gawker as she turns to the door. A sweet, professional, smile is given to Colossus, and Lous steps outside. "Thanks! So, back to the robot attack, I was... kind of under the stage when most everything went kablam. Wanna fill me in?"

Colossus resumes his place at Lois' side. "Three of those machines burrowed up from the ground and began to fire randomly into the crowd. Their aim shifted to those who began to battle them. We won." Thus displaying why Piotr should never become a reporter. There's be too much dead air. You paged Nightcrawler with ‘Shall I send you an invite? ;)’

Lois stops at a corner, pushing the botton to wait for the little green walking man to appear. Her eyes slide toward the tall man at her side. "...'we won'? That's it? That's all you got for me?" Colossus' brow furrows at Lois prompting an he thinks a moment. "Then the machines self destructed, killing almost all the Hydra agents within them." He pauses then nods. Yes, that's the end.

Lois blinks a few times, then turns and starts across the intersection when the walking man appears. "Wow, you suck at telling stories," she quips, taking a sip of her drink. "That's alright, I'll do it for you. How many were there?" Lost yet?

"Three machines." Didn't Colossus already mention that? Then he adds "With three or four agents in each. Perhaps five?" He wasn't actually counting them and they blew up not long after he tore open the belly of one. "Does it matter?"

"Details matter, my dear Colossus. Details make the story. Details can make someone a demon or a saint," she quips, pointing toward the sky as if she were the ultimate authority. "You called them Hydra agents. What do you know of Hydra? Any reason you can think of as to why they'd attack Stark Expo?"

As they walk, their steps carry them toward the beauty of Flushing Bay, near the Expo.

"I know little about Hydra." Colossus answers. "Why they would decide to attack the Expo you would need to ask someone else. Perhaps Tony Stark." He's in his metal form and X-Men uniform. Lois is in civvies (as usual), soot covered and perhaps bit singed due to the attack and resulting explosions. It's early evening and the sun is almost down.

Lois's lips purse in thought, left hand wanting to fish her notepad from her purse, but its currently occupied with a cup of coffee. She nods after a moment, coming to stop by the boardwalk on which she rests her coffee. "Other than the need to defend those weaker than you, what thought went through your mind as you.. well, i assume you shifted from 'normal' to metal, since you said you could do that," Lois asks after a puase long enough to fish her notepad out of her purse.

Aqualad happens to be in the general direction of the place the two move, looking not particularly like a native. Mostly because he's in costume, which isn't terribly garish, but it might catch the eye. He's also bored. Incredibly so. His mentor might have important things to do, but this part of the trip has apparently seen him benched. It's practically a god-send when a giant man made out of metal goes waltzing by. "Excuse me." And over that way he goes. "Did you say attack?" Maybe he doesn't realize there's an interview in progress. Colossus glances down at Lois and smiles ever so slightly. "That I would not get to finish my hot dog. But what else needed to be thought? I was there, I was needed, I did what was necessary." At Aqualad's question, he looks over, taking the costume in without comment all things considered. "The Hydra attack on the Stark Expo. They were defeated."

Lois chuckles at the X-Man of Steel's reply, only to blink a moment and look over as Aqualad with a blink at his outfit. She looks to Colossus, then to Aqualad, and without missing another beat, the reporter smiles, sets her notepad down on the boardwalk railing by her coffee, shifts her pen to her left hand, then extends her right toward the Atlantian. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet. Pleasure to meet you, Mister....?"

"On the-" It sounds like it's the first time Aqualad is hearing about that. There must not be a lot of chances to catch the news when you're swimming across the ocean. "What for?" And then Lois is there, and his manner kick in once again. Her hand is taken, given a polite shake and introduction of, "Ah-I'm sorry. Aqualad. I didn't mean to interrupt." He hasn't been dry that long, and the woman will consequently note that his hands have a fishy webbing on them.

Colossus shrugs at the question. The whys and wherefores of Hydra are not his to know. "Aqualad. Any relation to Aquaman? You may call me Colossus. I am not a reporter for the Daily Planet."

The webbing is noticed and a brow quirks. Lois looks to Colossus as he name drops. Her lips part faintly, ready to ask a question, and then some common sense gets the better of her and she falls quiet with a smile, and turns her violet eyes to Aqualad, ready for his answer.

"Yeah. You don't look like one. It'd be pretty funny if you were." When his mentor is recognized, though, that draws a short smile from the boy. "Yeah, like him. He's my mentor, I guess. Not here right now. I'm-Well. Waiting. He's doing a thing." A nod to Lois. "You doing an interview? I can catch up on the news later, sorry. We've just been gone a while."

Colossus nods. "The names were similar enough it was a logical assumption. But you are not interupting so there is no reason to leave. I suspect we are done discussing the attack since I can claim no insights into the motives of Hydra." He glances over at Lois to confirm that.

A professional, Lois smiles to Colossus and turns off her digital recorder on her pen. "Yes. Thank you. Keep an eye out on the Daily Planet. That story should be out in a few days," she replies to the XMan of Steel. Her smile is hiding the 'lack of any further reason to dig for a story'. "So, now that work is over...." Lois reaches out to take a sip from her coffee cup.

"Ah. Good." A nod from Aqualad, another brief smile offered between the two. "I wish I had something to give you, but-" A short pause. "Yeah. It's probably not a thing up here." That said, he adds, "I recognized the suit. I've read about some of you guys, I never figured I'd see one in person." A glance over at Lois and he adds, "I'm kind of from out of town." As if that wasn't obvious.

"I shall try to find others who are willing to speak with you." Colossus tells Lois before peering back to Aqualad. "You recognize it?" He tries to decide if that's a good or bad thing but gives up after a moment. He'll just mention it to Scott and let the other worry. "Well, we don't seek out publicity as a rule but I suppose it's inevitable." What with phones in cameras and Youtube and all that.

Lois glances between the two, though gives Aqualad a very polite and warm smile. Even if she looks like she was in an explosion (cuz she was), Lois is wearing an air of complete professionalism. "Me too," she says, like an offer for conversation. Even though the mention of suits has her wondering. Well, maybe it's like... Superman? His suit's very recognizable.

"Who knows." A shrug from the boy with gills, probably not the most reassuring thing. Before he can offer more he's distracted by something else, head cocking toward the water, an almost avian motion. "I'm sorry, I think it's time. It was nice meeting both of you." He's nothing if not polite. Then, off for a jog down the beach. And into the water. It's a little silly looking, really. He doesn't come back up.

Piotr watches Aqualad disappear into the water then turns back to Lois. "Was there anything else you wanted to discuss, Miss Lane?"

Lois regards Aqualad as he leave, before turning to Piotr. She smiles again, professional as always, and shakes her head. "No, not for the moment. Though, could I have your number, maybe? In case I have any more questions?"

Colossus thinks a moment before shaking his head. "I have your phone number. I will set up an email account that you can use to contact me and then I will call you with that information."

Lois chuckles softly at that. "My email is on my card. If you call me, it makes the point moot. Email me instead, and we'll converse that way," she offers, seemingly used to her sources needing protection of one kind or other.

"Then I will email you an email address." Colossus agrees. "It was nice speaking with you, Miss Lane. I look forward to reading your articles, especially the one on mutants."

"And I look forward to working on it further. It seems rather interesting," Lois says, offeirng her right hand for a handshake in ddeparture. "Thank you again, Colossus."

Colossus clasps the hand then pauses and looks around. "I will escort you to wherever it is you're going. Someone might see you in this condition and assume you are an easy target."

To this Lois laughs, but nods. "You're sweet. Thank you. It's good to have a bonafide Man of Steel walking you around, keeping you safe," she quips with a wink, grabbing her coffee and leading the way toward the hotel the Planet set her up in. "Thanks again Colossus."