| Settling in | |||||
| |||||
| What: Cir-El finds a place in this world | |||||
After a shower and a shave Bruce cleans up rather nicely. The apartment is rather clean since his cousin has been staying around. Now today though he is watching a movie of some sort Minoke wanted to see. Perhaps she needed someone to explain something or just wanted to spend time with him. Lifting up a glass of ice water he sips at it carefully.
Minoke Zavia is watching the Disney movie Finding Nemo with Bruce. She is trying to keep quiet but finally can't help but ask, "Can fish really talk like that?" She is sitting next to Bruce, trying not to move around too much - she's not sure the couch can handle it.
Cir-El has been sunning herself on a ledge, wearing the black bodysuit without the cape, gloves, or boots. It was the best place she could think of, some place out of the way to recover the energies she spent last night.
While sunning herself, she has been thinking. He thoughts have lead her to the conclusion that, while she is due a reward, the only way she can claim it is if first she is registered, and second if she has a legal guardian of some ind. They simply will not let children claim rewards like that for themselves.
She has reviewed the people she knows in this world. Most are inappropriate, but she thinks there is one who might help her.
She stands up and leaps to where she left her things, then changes into the blue suit and takes out the cell phone she has stored on her left hip. She calls the operator and gets the number. Soon the phone rings Bruce Banner.
Bruce Banner watches the movie with an arm stretched along the back of the couch, "No they can't. This is called animation which is stories that aren't true but teach us things." as his phone starts to ring he reaches for it checking the ID and it not being one he is familiar with he answers, "Hello?"
Minoke Zavia blinks as she turns to listen to the phone call, keen hearing will let her hear the person on the other side as she scoots a bit closer to Bruce.
She hears the answer, "Hello?" She says, "Mister Banner, this is Cir-El, do you mind if I stop by?"
Bruce Banner grins as Minoke slides closer, "Hello, Cir-El. Sure come on by." he hangs up and continues watching the movie since its about over. He doesn't have to tell Minoke a guest is coming.
Minoke Zavia blinks. "Cir-El?" she asks blankly. "Wasn't she one of the ones who rescued Mr. Hawksmoor?" she asks as she rests her head gently on Bruce's shoulder as she finishes the movie. "Awww... Nemo is so cute..." she murmurs.
Cir-El closes her phone, takes her things and moves to another ledge a block or two from Banner's apartment. She changes to street clothes, no need to cause a disturbance in her working uniforms. She places her other things in a large purse and walks to the building and up to the apartment door. She recognizes both heartbeats inside, but wonders why the android is here.
Bruce Banner nods his head, "Nemo is a clown fish. Maybe you would like us to get one? We can set up an aquarium for it and you can feed it and watch it swim." he suggests as the credits roll. "Would you like that?"
Minoke Zavia blinks as she thought she heard something at the door, turning her head to look. Not sure, she turns back. "I don't know... I've never had a pet fish before - are they easy to care for? Maybe a goldfish first..."
Cir-El knocks lightly on the door, when you are as strong as she is, you have to treat the world like it is made of spun glass, it is easier to break than keep intact.
"Fish are very easy to tend too." Bruce tells her while getting up taking a moment to stretch. Walking to the door he opens it, "Hey come on in." stepping back he allows her inside. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asks, "This is Minoke my daughter to be."
Minoke Zavia waves. "Hi, Cir-El! You OK after last night? You looked tired..." She smiles softly. "I'm all better - I repaired the damage I took, and Mommy got me back to full charge."
Cir El is wearing blue jeans, a red tee shirt, and red sneakers with yellow stripes, she has a hair band and glasses on, she looks a lot different than usual. She says, "Goldfish do not get along well with most other fish, you need to keep them in a different tank. I am better too, a bit of sunlight and I am right as rain. How about you, Dr. Banner?"
"Your future daughter, are you getting married," she asks?
Bruce Banner closes the door when she walks inside, "Got a nice shower and a shave so I am feeling well." he smiles and nods, "I asked Genevieve to marry me and she accepted."
Minoke Zavia blinks. "Oh no! Mommy wanted to meet me by now!" she squeaks as she sees the clock. "I'm sorry - see you later, Daddy!" she coos as she moves to go out the door. "Bye, Cir-El!" Without waiting for responses, she's gone out the door.
Cir-El smiles and shakes her head, "I know how she feels, I did not inherit my father's super mind, it can be hard to remember details. Perhaps I should go, what I wanted to talk about could be an imposition..."
Bruce Banner watches as Minoke rushes out to go meet Gene. He glances back at Cir, "I doubt it. Come on and have a seat. Tell me whats on your mind."
Cir-El takes a seat,"I think I read that you helped find the cure for the Wild Card, is that correct?"
Bruce Banner sits back down as well, "Yes." he nods his head.
She says, "I was the one who captured Croyd, and brought him to STAR labs where he could be contained...for a while anyway. I learned later there was a substantial reward offered, but there are difficulties with claiming it. Still, it makes more sense to claim it that to keep mooching money off others and sleeping in spare bedrooms."
She adds, "I can imagine you can understand some of the difficulties, but am not certain you are cognizant of the details."
Bruce Banner listens as she goes into this, "Congratulations on the capture and thank you for your help with rescuing Jack." he adds belatedly. "You are a minor correct so that makes it hard to be able to claim the reward."
She nods, "That is one problem, but it is a bit worse than that. I do not even EXIST here, and if I did, I would be about seven... You see, I was born in an alternate future, then traveled twenty years into the past, but returned only 12 years into the future, and that a different world's future."
Bruce Banner takes a moment to allow this to sink in, "So you need help finding an existence here. You know some orphans have that issue as well. Just have to go through some paperwork to right that situation. Like say if I claim I found you on the streets and want to take you in. Then we could go through the process of making you exist. Like I'd be your guardian and responsible for your well being."
"Something of the sort would be very helpful actually. I thought of asking Superman, but he is busy and I am not sure he really trusts me, for good reason I might add. Still, if you are getting married and gaining a daughter already, it sounds like it might be inconvenient for you...though I would imagine there is some pay involved."
"Not at all. I'd be willing to help you and I don't require being paid." Bruce tells her, "I don't mind having two."
"I think the pay is a legal thing, involving trusteeship, but you are free to save the pay and give it to me later if you want," Cir-El clarifies.
"Alright, Cir." Bruce nods his head, "We can figure out our next steps. But consider yourself part of the family. I think you and Minoke would get along great and Gene would love you too."
"It is Mia when I am in civies, Mia Kent, Cir-El may be my real name, but in my memories, I spent most of my 15 years answering to Mia," She explains. Then she frowns, "Well, actually, Mia may be my real name, my memories are mostly artificial, and kind of confused since the real parts of my mind and the false one were integrated on my arrival here..."
Bruce Banner nods his head, "Great to meet you, Mia. I am Bruce." he tells her, "What you saw me become in hell. I am trying hard to control that side of me."
She says, "A lot of people are like that inside, most of them keep it hidden until they lose control. Yours just has a physical manifestation. At least, if I ever get out of control, it will be nice to know there is someone around capable of stopping me."
Bruce Banner grins a little, "Yeah. Mine is triggered by anger. Though.. It was odd when I turned back to normal before leaving the portal. Like I found something that can trump it all." he waves away the thought, "Anyway so I guess I should make some calls."
"That is likely a good idea," she replies. "Do you get any sun in this place?" If so, she will sit in the sun and wait a bit.
While Dr. Banner makes his calls, Cir-El makes one as well, to the office of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs. She asks for an appointment. Possibly they are not busy, or perhaps they are simply eager to get people registered as soon as possible, either way they make an almost immediate appointment.
It is a bit unusual for Cir-El to take ordinary transportation, but she is in her Civilian guise, so she goes with Dr. Banner on the Metro. The reach the offices uptown in about half an hour. They wait for the arrival of Jack and Gen on the lower floor of the modern and efficient building.
Jack is, indeed, with Genevieve right now. As they step into the building, he sidesteps to talk to the security officer. Who pulls out a special wand to scan him. Nope, Jack doesn't go through the metal detector, apparently. Of course, it seems they at least somewhat know him here. Or of him, anyway. The building is pretty modern, and nicely kept. Oh, and the receptionist, once past security, appears to be a mutant - she has slitted cat pupils.
Bruce Banner has actually put on a suit for this. Pacing back and forth as they wait he isn't even sure why he is nervous. He trots towards Jack giving his friend a tight hug this being his first chance since rescuing him, "So good to see you!" Genevieve Zavia follows Jack into the building. They recognize her from a few days prior. Idly she goes through the metal detector setting it off. "It's my tools. See?" She takes her tools off and goes through again without setting off the metal detector. Then she is ready to see her Fiance.
Cir-El says, "It is good to see you so well, Mr. Hawksmoor. It is nice to see you are recovered also, Madame Zavia. Is your daughter with you, she said she had an appointment with you earlier?"
Once the greetings are done, Cir-El finds the sign that says the offices she needs are on the 14th floor. She takes and Elevator up. She arrives at the office and finds two stacks of paperwork to fill out, one for those wishing to register under a code name, a second for those wishing to register under a real name. She takes one of the latter and a pencil and gets to work. There is a place for a parent or guardian to sign for minors, she is not sure quite whether that applies yet.
Jack Hawksmoor hugs Bruce back, carefully. "I'm fine. You look good too - you looked a bit rough last night." Well, he's as fine as a guy who just spent several days, at least he thinks it was several days, in hell is likely to be. Then he moves to follow Cir-El up to the office she needs. Oh yeah, he remembers this place. And the stacks of paperwork.
Bruce Banner nods his head moving over to Gene hugging her gently offering a kiss. Once that is done he walks with her upstairs following the others so they get this done.
Genevieve Zavia smiles and gives her husband to be long embrace and a passionate kiss. She smiles to him. "I was meeting with Jack a little. Turns out there are some nasty robots on the loose. Rumor has it they visited Westchester last night and captured Magneto. Bruce... They won't come after you will they? Or me?" She frowns, "It doesn't matter. If they do there won't be anything left to them!" She follows along with Banner upstairs.
The good thing about super speed in this situation, it lets you fill out the paperwork in record time. Cir-El looks up from the finished stack and says, "I met some of them earlier, so far as I can tell, the robots are only doing after people with federal felony warrants on their heads."
She turns in the papers at the window and takes a number.
Jack starts to move to sit down...then he stops, hesitates, tilts his head. "No, apparently they *aren't* just going after those. You guys take care of this. *I* am going to..." He tails off, then, more quietly, "They just snatched Kilroy." Oh...this is not good at all. Jack has a feeling he knows the why of it, but...this may be their first mistake if they don't let him go with an apology. "Take care of Cir-El. I'm going to..." His lips quirk. "Make use of my private investigator training." And with that, he turns towards the door, his shoulders very set.
Bruce Banner laces a hand with Gene's as they wait, "I won't let the sentinels near you, any of you." he tells them though blinks hearing Kilroy has fallen victim to those things. "Be safe, Jack." is told being able to tell he is on a set mission.
Genevieve Zavia looks at Bruce and shakes her head, "It's not me I'm worried about. They are tech. My magic is strongest on tech. I am worried about you and the other guy. While he'd be uninhibited to obliterate them, They walked out with one of the most powerful mutants in the world." She frowns. "I'm just worried about you." She blushes.
Cir-El frowns, "Something must have changed in their orders since the last two time I encountered them. This might not bode well."
She may have super speed, but the bureaucrats do not, she is kept waiting a while before she is finally called.
Jack Hawksmoor nods...and then sinks into the floor. This causes a few blinks amongst the other people waiting for their interview, but no reaction at all from BSA staff. They've seen weirder.
"I don't see why. I haven't been wanted since my pardon." Bruce tells Gene but he does wonder if something has changed. Sitting by Gene and Cir he waits for whatever the next step in the process is.
Genevieve Zavia shakes her head, "Something just feels really wrong about all this. It's probably nothing." She smiles and lets it drop. She is partially tempted to press the issue though.
And then a door opens. "Cir-El?" (Regardless of whether the name has a hard c or a soft c? They get it wrong. Of course). The voice comes from a fairly pleasant, maternal black woman wearing "Clark Kent" style glasses.
Cir-El reflects that the problem with super speed is that waiting seems even more interminable than for anyone. If she was as smart as Dr. Banner, she would use the time solving problems of physics, and if she has the memory of her father, she would use the time to review things she read.
Eventually, she hears her name called and rises.
Bruce Banner rises to his feet as well the issue of sentinels kept inside for now. He isn't sure what would happen if one comes for him but he will figure it out later.
Genevieve Zavia Stands as well to go along with Bruce and Cirie. She doesn't say much more on the topic of those Sentinels and for good reason. Frankly it's upsetting her.
The woman looks between Bruce and Genevieve. Gently, but firmly, "Are you family?" Likely she won't let them in if she doesn't like the answer, but...
"I am Doctor Bruce Banner her guardian and this is my fiance Genevieve Zavia." he tells her, "So yes we are family.
Genevieve Zavia doesn't add to it even though her sarcastic British side wants to make her regret she asked such a foolish question.
She nods and opens the door for all three of them to step into the corridor, and then into an interview room. It's actually quite a bit nicer than most government interview rooms, at least. Mot that that's a high bar.
Cir-El waits to be shown too the interview room, and takes a seat beside the desk. She waits for the questions that are sure to follow. Some of her answers are going to be a bit strange. She had to put down the date of birth she remembers for example, February 15, 2008... but it is plain she is not 8 years old physically.
"Cir-El..." The interviewer flicks through the paperwork again. Typical. She's got one of the strange ones. She's got the biographical details out. One of the strange ones AND she's with the Hulk. Why can't the Avengers handle it? "How old are you?" She indicates the date of birth. "Accelerated growth, time travel?" At least she's encountered enough...well. This is just that kind of a job. It's always going to be strange.
She says, "Time travel, originally from 8 years in an alternate future to 12 years in the past of a different universe, then back to now and here."
"So, you don't have any kind of legal identity?" She looks at Bruce. "We can set that up." It happens...not all the time, but often enough that there are precedents. Then she asks a couple more questions. "Do you plan on being active as a superhero? Do you have anyone training you?" She glances at Bruce again at that. He has the contacts to find the girl a mentor if she needs one.
Bruce Banner nods his head, "Gene and I are taking care of it."
She says, "I am not even sure who I really am, my memories have been messed with, but the name I remember is Mia Kent. I have been active as a super since my arrival, as Cir-El and lately as Superlass, and probably will continue to do so. I assume Dr. Banner will help with my training, along with his fiance and her daughter."
The woman nods. "It's not required, but we do try to make sure that the younger kids think about getting *some* training." She smiles at Cir-El. Then she asks her a few more questions. "How long have you been here? And we can put you in the system as Mia Kent." Which will mean Cir will have to go to school. Then again, she might not mind that so much. "Okay. Did Dr. Banner explain to you the perks...and responsibilities...of being registered?"
She replies, "It was somewhat explained by Superman, when I talked with him about my Kryptonian Genetic heritage...that is artificial but still real and the source of my powers."
She adds, "More detail probably would not hurt, I will have to read up on it later also."
"Aha. Then you know that if you're registered as active, you might be called on by law enforcement in an emergency. It's relatively rare, though. However, you can also expect a certain amount of cooperation from the cops, as long as you don't do something blatantly illegal or stupid." She pauses. "Your identity will be legally protected unless you wish it to be released. If you are asked to provide evidence as a witness, you will be identified in court only as your codename - again unless you specifically ask otherwise."
Cir-El nods, "Useful protections to have. If the Authorities need my help, I have no problem with that."
"You're expected to play by the rules...if you've talked to Superman, I know you're straight on that. Lethal force should be avoided as much as possible." Unless, of course, you're fighting demons, zombies, or Nazis. Not that she says that out loud.
"Dr. Banner, are you working on legal paperwork already, and if so can you put me in touch with your lawyer?"
Bruce Banner has gone lost in brief though before his name is said. Looking forward the silent - huh - is there but he manages an answer, "I am working on the paperwork." he fumbles around his coat pockets takng out a card he passes forward, "Has all the information you need on it."
The woman takes it. "Okay. We can coordinate with him and get that expedited for you. Unlike most judges, we're used to people who arrive from other planets, timelines and historical eras." Yup. Happens all the time.
Genevieve Zavia leans over and whispers something to Bruce, "I don't suppose I should be getting all registered or something too should I?"
She knows the next question is bound to be about exposure to possibly dangerous alien organisms. Her answer is the truth, "I was created to host a transformative virus by Brainiac. The virus was cured upon my arrival in this timeline, and has been tested for by STAR labs."
Bruce Banner leans close to Gene, "You can if you want. We can discuss it later if you wish." he brings up her hand giving it a light kiss.
Genevieve Zavia blushes and smiles, "Thank you, Love."
The woman nods. "STAR Labs wouldn't have let you out unless they were sure. Unlike some." A sniff. "...they're a reputable organization."
Cir-El says, "I assume there will be a photo ID involved, with me in costume. I did bring it along, though I chose not to wear it. In fact, I brought both costumes, the one I arrived in, and the new one STAR labs made for me.
"There will. And yes, we normally do the IDs in the person's preferred costume." She grins. "In fact, I'll let you get to that." Yeah, the girl seems above board and there's somebody else to move on to.
The rest of the formalities are quickly taken care of, leaving one major question on the way home, "Where am I supposed to spend the night? Still at the Hall of Justice or what?"
Genevieve Zavia looks at Banner and then At the woman. "You can stay with Minoke and me. Bruce and I haven't moved in together yet. That will give you a safe place to stay for the time being."