| Family Night at the Banner home | |||||
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| What: A family discussion | |||||
Cir-El is waiting nervously, she has to talk to her family about what she did. It is important to her, and to them. She called the others and asked them to meet her here. Now she is waiting for them to come in.
Most of the move has been made. Genevieve has been working on getting things into Bruce's apartment for now. (I give it a week until something is broken!) She is just coming in now with a kettle in one hand and a box in the other. "Here we are. No more of that horrid American imitation tea." She drops the box and proceeds to get the kettle on... after all, everything stops for tea."
Sola, on the other hand, has been staying back at the Baxter Building, mostly to work on getting the security there up to snuff. But she's just happened to stop by Bruce's place after an earlier incident, with a crate about her size in tow. "That was fun..." she says.
Bruce Banner comes out of the bathroom drying his hair with a towel. He at least has shorts on, "Tea is tea." he says with a smirk, "Whether its from a bag, box, or whatever." thought he doesn't want Minoke burning the apartment down next time.
Minoke Zavia walked into the apartment. Minoke has been moping and miserable for days, smaller than usual and looking like she's so hungry, but she's better now. "I have to find a way to repay Mr. Grimm..." she muses softly as she walks in. "You called, sister?" she asks. "Oh. Sisters. How are you doing, Sola?"
Cir-El clears her throat and says, "Now that we are all here, I have something to say." She looks to see if they are listening. She says, "The Cyborg who damaged Minoke and Sola is now in Riker's Island prison. I asked a fellow Titan, Red Robin, to help track him down. His name is Skullbuster and he refused to surrender peacefully, so he is probably undergoing major reconstruction."
Genevieve Zavia facepalms. "So... you tracked him down... Went to turn him in, and when he didn't want to you pummeled him?" She sighs. "Did you ask him any questions?" She asks with the faintest glimmer of hope. Adding the loose leaf tea to the ball, she sets it in and lets it steep. Turning to Bruce, "Tell you what. You make your hideous tea bags and I will make my kettle. Whose ever is better is the one we keep around. Deal?"
Sola looks at Minoke. "Better. Bruce's friend was able to fix my insulation, and I've been working with Mr. Grimm on securing the Baxter Building better. I also found a new toy. I was going to keep it there, but this place is more under the radar." She moves the crate into place. She then takes note as Cir-El speaks. "Couldn't happen to a nicer piece of work..."
Minoke Zavia peeks. "Yes. Mr. Grimm has several girders he uses for weightlifting down in the basement of the Baxter Building. Two of them was how my body was first formed in this time - he let me eat half of one to go back to full power - but... steel's not strong enough. I feel... unsafe. I still have nightmares about the the... therm...." She trails off, shivering.
Bruce Banner listens as Cir speaks, "So he is locked up? Good now I know where to go smash his face." he tosses the towel aside grabbing one of his shirt pulling it over his head. "Jack is getting you some stuff, Minoke." he goes to a corner picking up a box that has steel and iron scraps offering it.
Mia Kent, as she is in civies, says, "I did ask him, but he refused to answer. Only said he is a mercenary. I gather that means he does not speak about his employers. Perhaps the police can do a better job."
Mia smiles at Bruce, "I did say that the girl's stepfather might come looking for him, and that he is tougher than me."
"It isn't Bruce he needs to worry about right now. I need answers. He's going to give them to me or he is going to spend the rest of his life as a walking talking furry thingy... you know like is on the internet thing." Genevieve smirks.
Minoke Zavia blinks. "Perhaps he would be better as a newt," she muses. "I could feed him to my copy pet..." She grabs the box and starts playing with it, distracted by her thoughts of the awful thermite. She starts holding scraps of iron, making them into copy pet blocks, hmmmmming happily. "What kind of stuff, Daddy?"
Sola shakes her head. "Mercenary's code. Never spill on the employer. I've dealt with types like that before. You either have to be tricky, or make them fear you more than their employer." She shakes her head again, this time to Genevieve. "Which is why you're not the ideal person to get those answers. He attacked two of us that are closest to you." She looks to Bruce. "Where's a good place to go with this crate?"
Bruce Banner looks at the crate and then around his apartment, "Uh.. wherever you can find room." he sits in a chair. "Scraps from buildings and such, Minoke." he tells her with a shake of the head. "Gene, let me handle this. You got too much going on with that dream.. whatever she is."
Mia says in a small, kind of choked, voice, "The thing is, I threatened him after I had won, I held his head in my hands and told him how easy it would be to crush it. I do not know whether I would have done it if Kaydin had not showed up..."
Minoke Zavia nods. "Oh, oh ohohohohohoh! I know someone who can help!" she states. "We need a god to fight a god, and I know one! He's super-really nice and good-looking too!" She bounces up and down, dropping some copy pet blocks on the floor. "His name is Hercules! He says he's actually the one all the Greek stories talk about!"
Genevieve Zavia looks at Bruce, "This is connected to that love. I think he may be able to contact her and bring her into the Physical realm. if that is the case, you can smash the real problem. You could smash Andromeda and put an end to all of this hopefully." She looks hopeful.
Sola hmms. "Most mercenaries tend to be disposable. You only go back to one if he doesn't get caught. I fear a dead end awaits you..." she says to Genevieve as she gets the crate into a closet. "Don't open this." Then she tilts her head at Minoke. "Hercules is a demigod, actually. Human mother." She then looks over to Cir-El, but says nothing. She's long since been used to all the blood on her hands, robotic as it may be.
Bruce Banner walks over to Gene, "I know someone that can help us.. Its a friend that I've helped out in the past. He goes by Moon Knight and he can get into the realm easily. Jack is also seeing what he can find out for us too. Plus he is getting all the extra steel and iron he can for Minoke, plus Stark is still collecting extra pieces instead of scrapping them. But this Skullbuster is going to get his for what he has done." a flash of green comes across his eyes. "No one messes with my family and gets away with it."
Cir-El, Superlass, Mia...well whoever she is, she is coming to terms with almost having killed someone...with intent and deliberation, so she does not ask about the crate. It is just something tough for a fifteen year old to come to terms with. She sits quietly, just thinking.
Bruce Banner moves from Gene to Cir sitting beside her draping an arm over her shoulders. Silently he pulls her close hugging unsure of what to really say other than just be there.
Minoke Zavia just ponders, licking her tongue. "What's in your crate, Sola? Can I see?" she asks as she goes back to her scraps, slowly making them into more blocks. "I... I don't wanna be steel anymore. Steel... is too flimsy... I need... something better..." She looks up at Bruce. "Is there... something better than steel? I kept hearing of titanium... never actually tried it..."
Genevieve Zavia nods, "Very Well. He's all yours." She states not wanting to piss off Banner's other side. She yawns. A glance in her eyes shows a serious lack of sleep. "Things have been crazy enough." She frowns and takes a seat on the couch with a hot cup of tea. Within a few moments she is starting to nod off.
Sola walks over to Cir-El. "It's not easy to kill...but it's harder to keep someone alive when you really want them dead. Trust experience on this one." She looks down at her hands for a second. "Stopping was the right thing to do though. Once you take that first life, it becomes easier. You start making excuses... they couldn't be saved, they were better off dead, they got in the way. You don't want to start down that road. There's a better way, but once you take that first life, you lose sight of it." She then looks to Minoke for a moment. "A project. Someone attacked the Baxter Building earlier and left that behind."
Bruce Banner blinks as Gene easily dismisses that and getting to his feet. "Do what you want... I tried to help.." he frowns moving to a window stepping out of it onto the fire escape and climbs up to the roof needing some air. Cir-El hugs her family and cries a bit. She says to Bruce before he leaves, "I already beat him up pretty good daddy, see if you can outsmart him. I am not really good at that. I think that would hurt him worse than beating him up again." She asks Sola, "Not a bomb I hope?"
Minoke Zavia nods as she looks at Mommy who's staring to doze off. She moves to sit by her, putting an arm around her - and readying an electrical jolt to wake her up if necessary. "Daddy...?" she murmurs as he leaves.
Genevieve Zavia looks over to Bruce. "Sorry. I'm tired. I've been trying to avoid sleeping. I don't want to do these tests. I just want to have all of this over. It is horrid. I don't want to be enslaved to anyone. I didn't ask for this!" She frowns.
Sola shakes her head to Cir. "No. Some sort of power armor. Hopefully, an upgrade for me, once I check its systems for compatibility with mine."
Bruce Banner stops just outside of the window, "None of us did, Gene. None of us asked for this..." he remarks before now heading up to the rooftop.
Minoke Zavia just murmurs, "Mommy... is... should I look for Mr. Hercules? He likes to hang around the central park - he might know something..." She sighs softly, clicking her tongue. "Sola - did... did I do well in... in our fight? That was my first fight... I... I don't know if I have what it takes to be a hero..."
Cir-El comments, "Power armor? That is a strange thing to just drop. Did you catch the guy?" She hugs Minoke, "I think you do just fine as a hero, from what I have seen sis. Not everyone is a front line fighter like me, what makes you a hero is keeping going, even if you are scared. I am going to keep going, keep striving to use my powers right, even after what almost happened. That, not beating the bad guys, is the real test."
Genevieve Zavia gets up and moves to follow out of the window. "You may look for him if you wish. I need to go up here. She walks out at least she thinks she does... In reality she falls down on the floor and passes out. In her dream, she is walking up on the Roof. "Bruce... Are you alright. I didn't mean to upset you." She attempts to state. Her body attempts to do the same but no dice.
Sola walks over to Minoke. "You did good. We chased him off and we got away. The most important thing is that we survived." She then adds, "The power systems were drained badly, and I couldn't detect any signs of a pilot... or of remote operation, autopilot, or artificial intelligence. We caught no one, but Mr. Grimm reported one of his more prized items stolen later. I suspect a mutant or a metahuman, one who would leave no physical traces. Ben's looking into it."
Thud.
Sola looks to the window. "Crap! Genevieve's passed out. Minoke?" She activates her taser grip, but Minoke might be able to get there quicker.
Minoke Zavia blinks as she looks at Mommy. She heads tothe window and calls, "DADDY! Mom fell over..."
Superlass frowns, "I gather her sleeping is wrong somehow, but I do not understand why." She releases a bright flash of red light at Genevieve, hoping to wake her.
Sola runs over to Genevieve. "BRUCE! GENEVIEVE IS DOWN!" she yells. "If we don't get her woke up fast, she may never wake up..." she says to Cir-El and Minoke as she calibrates the taser grip to not cause lasting harm, while waiting to see if Cir-El's lightshow does the trick.
Bruce Banner of course can't see Gene and he stands by the edge just looking over the city. Reaching into his pocket he takes out a ring box and opens it staring at a diamond he plans to give Gene sooner or later. Snapping it closed he pockets it just as he hears Minoke yell for him. Now bolting for the fire escape he goes back down. Climbing back inside, "Minoke, get some cold water."
Minoke Zavia nods as she quickly runs to the kitchen and gets a glass of cold water and hands it to Bruce, looking down at her. She then touches two fingers on Gene's arm and sends a jolt throughher.
Cir-El sighs and says, "I barely need any sleep or food, I wish there was some way I could give some of my strength to others when they need it..."
Sola sighs to Cir-El. "I need neither... I know the feeling. Let's hope this works."
Bruce Banner pours the water on Gene's face.
Minoke Zavia just frowns. "I... it's not working. Andromeda has her trapped..." She sighs softly as she lays down by Gene, putting her arm aroudn her. " I feel so... helpless..." And then, she starts crying.
Cir-El is thinking, "Minoke, you are magically powered right? Can you use magic at all? I mean, like transfer some of your energy to Genevieve, or some of mine?"
Sola groans. "Okay, let's try the bigger shock." She jabs her fingers into Genevieve's side for a few seconds.
Bruce Banner stares at Gene's face his hands touching her cheeks and the shock goes into him. Closing his eyes they reopen being Hulk green and he growls. Whoever is closest may not he is starting to change.
Genevieve Zavia doesn't move. She doesn't stir... She doesn't even come close to awakening. Idly she talks in this sleep state... "Bruce... I'm sorry. I know you've been under stress..." It comes out as mumbles but she is speaking even if it is in her sleep. To her she is still on the roof with him. Talking to him and being close to her fiancee. Sadly something changes. Even the body who is asleep shows an immense amount of fear. "No... Bruce please listen to me. It's okay please don't!"
Minoke Zavia blinks. "I cannot craft it into spellcraft, but I can absorb and transfer magical energy..." She smiles faintly. "So yes, I could infuse Mommy with magic..." She frowns at Daddy. "Calm yourself - there's nothing to smash, Daddy..." she whimpers, tears still streaking down her face. She frowns as she zaps Mommy again, trying to wake her up.
Mia suggests, "Try infusing her with magic, if she is under magical assault, it may help."
Sola stands as Bruce's eyes flash green. "There'll be plenty of time to smash once Genevieve's awake," she sayd to Bruce. "Try to hold it together, if only for a moment..."
Bruce Banner puts his hands on the floor at each side of Gene's head and lowers down kissing her lips deeply. There is a reason for this and he is going to try. Flashes of green come over his arms and legs but he holds the kiss against her lips.
Cir-El watches, helpless. All the power she has, and there is nothing she can do to save Genevieve. It is not fair, but it is the way it is. She starts shaking with repressed sobs.
In the dream something changes. The very thing she was fearing suddenly changes. In the dream, Bruce was hulking out on HER. But now, as her physical form is being kissed, Genevieve watches as the dream hulk turns back to Dream Bruce. She quickly kisses him and then... gone.
"Well done... How about that... I guess you've got what it takes to survive my trials. The next one won't be so easy and... don't expect your fiance in the physcial to be able to save the day for you again." The voice fades.
Suddenly Genevieve snaps awake and melts into the kiss. "Thank you."
Minoke Zavia just holds Cir-El and starts to carry her to her bed. "It's ok..." she whisper softly. "We'll drag this bitch out of her dream world... then beat her up..."
Sola groans softly. "I'm all for that," she says to Minoke. Bruce Banner holds the kiss a moment longer his skinn going back to normal as well as his eyes. Breaking it he scoops Gene up in his arms hugging her close to him.
Cir-El sees Genevieve is awake and says, "I need to know, can you draw energy from me or Minoke to recharge with, so you are not so tired, so that you can withstand these assaults better? Something to tide you through until you find a way to stop the threat once and for all?"
Genevieve Zavia hugs tight to Bruce. "Thank you... The first test is over. I don't think the next ones will be so easy though. You saved me though. I didn't know I was dreaming. I saw you. You were about to hurt me... badly... your other side. You hulked out and you were going to attack me. I know you wouldn't do that. I know. It's just... it seemed real." She frowns and shakes her head. "I can draw magic but it doesn't work like energy for me. I need sleep just like anyone else."
Sola sighs. "I think some strong tea would be the best for Genevieve right now, honestly." She heads over to where she left the crate. "I need to check my prize and see if it's even useful to me. If it's not, I'm tempted to let Minoke eat it. I don't want to risk a criminal getting it."
Bruce Banner holds onto Gene for a moment not sure how he helped but glad that he did. "I'd never hurt you." he tells her and getting up he scoops her up into his ars carrying to the bed to lay her down. "Here." he reaches into his pocket taking out the ring box and opens it showing her a diamond.
Minoke Zavia just stares at the ring. "Huh?" she asks, blinkblinking as she sits up. "Daddy, are you... are you..." She smiles. "You're supposed to ask a question, aren't you?" Her tears are stopping.
Cir-El simply holds her breath and waits...she feels like cheering but it may be premature...
The emotional roller-coaster is not yet done for the night it seems.
Genevieve Zavia blinks a few times. "Oh... Oh my gods!" She blushes brightly. She doesn't need the question. She throws her arms around Bruce. "Yes YES! Of course Bruce! You don't have to ask!!!" She blushes brightly. "I can't wait!
Sola hmphs with a little smirk on her face. "Figured that'd be coming." She then grabs a crowbar and works on the crate.
Bruce Banner smiles taking the ring slipping it onto her finger before kissing again. "I love you." he tells her. "We can get through all of this together. Forever. You, Minoke, Cir, and Sola are all my family."
Minoke Zavia smiles as she gives both Bruce and Gene a hug. "Can I be the flower girl at the wedding?" she whispers softly. " I wanna be the flower girl... I can make myself small enough..."
Cir-El takes the elbows of Sola and Minoke gently, "Come on sisters, let's give the adults some privacy." She will, if they let her, escort both of the others from the room.
Sola eeps, dropping the crowbar. "Okay, fine..." She follows Cir-El out.
Minoke Zavia looks at the crate. "There's no metal in that crate," she muses. "I can feel it. I... I am going with my sisters..." And thus she follows her sisters.
Minoke Zavia says, "Well... hardly any metal to talk about. I... I want to get hold of enough titanium to build a whole new body...""
Genevieve Zavia smiles softly and kisses Bruce passionately. "I love you too. We will win! I know it!" She blushes and looks at the ring. It's beautiful. She blushes. "I don't deserve anything like this."
Bruce Banner holds Gene close even as the other two are pulled out to give them privacy. "You deserve that and more. I was thinking that we could have a house built. You can design it however you want outside of the city. The girls can have their own space and it can be ours. Our wedding will be perfect, with Minoke as our flower girl." he raises his voice so she can hear as she leaves, "Jack has agreed to be my best man and we will be in kilts for the wedding of your dreams."