Got in the house like a pigeon from hell

[mocks]

WHO: Mockingbird & OPEN.
WHERE: Various places.
WHEN: This week.
WARNINGS: ???
SUMMARY: Bobbi's growing restless and has some adventures around the City involving science, fitness, and superheroism.
FORMAT: Your choice.

Option A: Global Dynamics R&D Department
There's always work to be done and there are always bills to be paid. Bobbi's first love has always been science and while her pursuits have somewhat been sidelined by her work as a hero and a spy, putting on a lab coat and parking herself in front of a microscope has always served as a comfort to her. She's at ease in a laboratory setting, whether she's conducting experiments of her own or simply doing her job to draw her paycheck. Science is her perfect distraction, and after these past few months, she certainly needs it.

Option B: The Avengers Fitness Club
She often goes late at night, preferring to take out her frustrations on a punching bag instead of with a bag of chips or bowl of ice cream. Keenly aware of her body and its capabilities and limitations, she has to work hard in order to remain on the same level as the superpowered people she keeps company with. She starts on a treadmill, continues her exercises by lifting weights, and rounds it out with some combat training against a punching bag or some sorry soul who spots her and thinks they can take her on.

Option C: A Crime Interrupted
Bobbi has never really been the street-level fighter type. She was a scientist, first and foremost, then a spy, then lastly an Avenger. Rescuing people from muggers and busting up drug deals was never really her scene. But that doesn't mean she's at all unwilling to break up a fight and drag some chumps to jail. Unfortunately, today she's not in the position of potential hero; she's someone's intended target.

After her work out is complete, she heads back for the Mansion on foot, cutting through Central Park on the way. While she's somewhat aware of her surroundings, she's also tired and nearly dead on her feet, towel still slung over her shoulders and a gym bag weighing her down. She doesn't see the mugger lurking in the brush behind her. And, lost in her thoughts about Julian and Daria and the others, she doesn't hear anything behind her either.

Comments

C;

[namekian]

Piccolo had been on his way home from training, when he spotted Bobbi a ways ahead. He stayed away the path himself... perhaps it was because he missed nature and the park was the closest sliver of it he was able to get. He thought about making conversation-- to see how she was doing-- but that was when he saw the mugger in their long coat and a knife turning just slightly in their hands. He was approaching Bobbi from behind and quickly. The namek knew a vocal warning was risky so he levitated off the ground and flew over to intercept. Reaching the mugger he braced the hand that wielded the knife, hard.

"Auugh! What the-" The mugger looked at Piccolo, eyes instantly widening in fear from noticing Piccolo's dark, pointed, expression, his fangs, ears, stature and height. "Ah-AH!" He dropped the knife to the ground.

Without saying anything back the alien kneed him on the stomach, and as he hunched over from the wind being knocked out of him he threw an elbow to the back of his head knocking the man unconscious to the ground.

[mocks]

The commotion grabbed Bobbi's full attention and she turned around quickly, and adopted a fighting stance. She was ready to jump into the fray, though clearly Piccolo already had her back. "Hey--!"

She blinked slowly, arms gradually dropping to her sides. "Jeez, Mister Piccolo! You scared the crap outta me!" Pointing with her shoe to the mugger on the ground, she added, "And him too, looks like. What the hell happened?"

[namekian]

"He was coming up behind you. With that ." He nudged towards the knife on the ground. "I know you can hold your own.. But you seemed distracted. I didn't want to risk him landing a hit when I could've stopped it." He crossed his arms over his chest casually. He liked Bobbi... Though it was still strange to be called Mr. Piccolo by her, it was oddly endearing.

[mocks]

Her eyes went wide, then narrowed sharply as she focused on the knife. "Damn. I could've been Mockingbird mince."

Which was to say, she was somewhat appalled at her own lack of presence in the situation. What kind of superhero would let down their guard like that? Bobbi's mind was running wild, horrible flashbacks and images of Skrulls and ghostly cowboys suddenly at the forefront and impossible to push away completely.

"I wasn't paying attention at all." She frowned, disappointed in herself, but grateful for the helping hand. "You saved my ass."

[namekian]

"You would've done the same for me." He spoke, brushing it off. The mugger was not a big deal, he could've taken care of him in his sleep. Piccolo was more concerned with other things. "...Are you alright?"

[mocks]

That was true. She would have fought for him, and gladly. Piccolo had been a good friend to her, and one helluva sparring partner. Next to Clint, or Nick and the kids, she couldn't think of anyone else she'd rather have fighting at her side. At least not in this universe.

"I'm fine. Just a little shaken up, and weirded out. I can't believe I was so distracted."

[namekian]

Piccolo knelt down, picking up the knife and considered leaving the man on the street... but knew the man had to be dealt with. He picked him up, hauling him over his shoulder. "...What's been bothering you?" Obviously something was going on if she was that out of it.

[mocks]

"Nothing," she sighed, taking up position beside Piccolo. "And everything."

A lot of which she wasn't at liberty to speak of freely. She owed SHIELD 2.0 her silence, but the nature of her worries went beyond just the team. Her fears were the same fears so many of the other imPorts seemed to share.

"Been thinking about those other worlds, Piccolo. Been thinking about what our friends were put through last time."

[namekian]

The namek's face turned dark as he started walking. "Vesuvius." He sounded like he was just as bothered by the experience. He hadn't known what had happened over there directly, but the person he cared the most about here was still having trouble with what the place had done to her. He gave a nod. "...Not only did our friends suffer.... but those of us left behind couldn't do a thing about it. I felt useless over the whole thing... I wish I could've been there. Not that it would have made much of a difference to the situation... but I would've found a way to protect Kenzi and the others."

[mocks]

"I hate feeling helpless, Piccolo." She wanted to scream, let out all the pent up rage she'd been feeling ever since their friends had disappeared and suddenly popped up on the Network with tales of torture and suicide. "And I wanna stop those damn Vulcanus bastards now, before it's too late and something else happens."

What comes after torture in the scale of horrible things? Murder? Genocide? The threats seemed real and endless.

[namekian]

He looked at her, knowing all too well how she was feeling. "I appreciate what everyone has been trying to do, but I couldn't agree with you more. Though, I feel that a full-charged assault could have a domino effect here. We're stuck in limbo in all aspects of the word. We aren't in control here... and one wrong turn made by just one of us can cause hell for the rest." He grunted in his voice. "It's frustrating. We can't allow ourselves to falter or lose sight of what is important here, while at the same time if we wait too long-- as you said-- who knows what can happen. I'd say the best strategy is our defense... but we have none, when it comes to our enemies here."

[mocks]

He was right, in a manner of speaking. But the spy in her refused to accept that there wasn't a strategy. There was one out there, Bobbi was sure of it. They just hadn't found it yet.

"There have to be covert ways of dealing with this. Something we can do that won't catch their attention."

[namekian]

"I'll keep trying to find ways if you will." Piccolo gave her a nod. "If there's a more direct way to handle this situation... I'll take it. No question. Nothing will make me happier than to crush Vulcanus with my own two hands." He knew it was wishful thinking, but maybe then most of the distraction will be gone and they can focus on how to get back home.

wildcard!!

[invoking]

Gil wasn't a street fighter himself and while he avoided trouble, it somehow found its way into his life. Tonight though, he was lucky enough to be spared from fate's cruelty. He had enough of these run-ins to last him about four weeks. At least, that's how long it was going to take his nose to heal. Or so he thought, unaware of the power of the Baskervilles flowing throughout his body.

He'd kept up with Hector Peck's schedule once more and even snagged a couple of papers since Fury had mentioned it would be best to look into. Again, Peck's activity was clean and normal. After another hour he called it a day and went to head back home.

He was certain it was Bobbi he had spotted ahead of him and started to call out to her when he remembered his injury and he quickly turned around, regretting his decision.

"Crap..."

huzzah!

[mocks]

She thought she heard a familiar voice cry out to her, which was silly because in a city the size of the City, it was unusual to run into friendly faces at random. But low and behold, she had heard a familiar voice, even if Gil seemed to be wincing from pain.

"As I live and breathe," she said, a hearty chuckle in her voice. She was genuinely glad to see him. It gave her a chance to focus her mind on their plans without feeling like she was obsessing over it after hours. "Darling Gilbert. What brings you out at this hour, sport?"

[invoking]

He kept his back turned to her, putting a hand up to mask his face in case she stepped closer to peer around. His palms were already hot and sweaty with fear, brain scrambling to come up with a story for his broken nose.

Nelson may have fallen for it, but Bobbi was different. She was an Avenger. She probably broke noses on a daily basis.

"Work, but I'm headed back home." He didn't want to say anymore aloud, but he figured Bobbi would catch what he meant by "work".

[mocks]

Having had her own nose broken a time or two as well as having broken the noses of others, she was actually very familiar with the pain and general ickiness associated with such trauma. He wasn't exactly being subtle, drawing all that attention directly to his nose.

Bobbi crossed her arms, lips twisting with concern. "Work. Uh-huh. Must've been a hard day."

[invoking]

Sweat trickled down his temple and down into his collar. It was an uncomfortable feeling added onto the discomfort he was going to have to tell Bobbi the truth.

It wasn't that he wanted to defend Hooded Justice, but he had Nelson in his thoughts the entirety of the time. How could he explain one psychotic man who had ties to someone who was relatively normal?

"E-Eh... not so hard. Just long..."

[mocks]

"You seem distracted, sweetheart." Her eyebrows were raised, almost taunting him to evade her a moment longer. "Would you like to talk about it?"

[invoking]

"It's..."

He felt guilty and overall, stupid. To even begin to act like this before Bobbi who had been nothing but kind to him and much more intelligent than he could begin to imagine.

Slowly, his head hung slightly in shame he turned to face her, avoiding her gaze almost entirely.

"... It's not a big deal." He finally managed to say, swallowing hard.

[mocks]

He sure wasn't acting like it wasn't a big deal. The more he faltered, the more a big deal it seemed to become, didn't he understand?

She reached out to him, firmly placing a hand on his forearm, expression gentle.

"Tell me what happened, Gil."

[invoking]

And of course the urge to lie came first instead. He hated having others worry about him, being a burden to others.

"I... fell down some stairs."

[mocks]

"That is the lamest excuse in the book. No offense." It was almost as believable as him walking into a door, and Bobbi didn't buy it for a minute. "How about you tell me the truth."

[invoking]

Her comment hit him harder than Hooded Justice's fist. He flinched immediately and raised a hand almost instinctively to cover his face despite the fact Bobbi had seen the bruising.

He wondered where to begin and what to say exactly. This wasn't her problem and he didn't want to drag her into the mess that was Hooded Justice... and Nelson. There was also the awkward fact Nelson was unaware what his friend (he still had trouble thinking of them as lovers) had done.

"It's..." he exhaled a sigh and dropped his hand. "It was a silly scuffle."

[mocks]

Her eyes narrowed and she approached him, to more closely examine his face. "Who hit you? And do I need to kick their ass?"