"Even if I bribe you with a house in a fiscal paradise and a ministerial position?" she shot back, smirking.

The question didn't entirely take her aback, but she wasn't expecting it, either. It was an innocent question, but it made all sorts of thoughts press together. "As well as I could be, considering the circumstances," she replied immediately, then paused. "At this point, I'm just happy that the team is back together. When I got here, it was...bad. You left, Vision defected, it was just me, Speed and Wiccan for a long while." She didn't want sympathy from him, just to illustrate the difference in situation. "That said, now that we're all here, with god knows how many other heroes--I can't help but wonder who's holding up the fort back home, you know? And our parents, and--"

Feeling like her mouth was going to go off without her, she stopped, pressing her lips together in thought. A gentle, foggy breath came out as she stared out at the cityscape. "What about you?" She turned her face towards him, popping her glasses on top of her head. "What's been up? Is Billy adjusting?"