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

[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?"

[invoking]

And then both his arms came up, gesticulating both defensively and for Bobbi to relax. It clearly wasn't a big deal to him -- or so he tried to pretend.

"Nobody important." Mostly true; Hooded Justice was just an occasional thorn in his side. He wasn't anything else to Gil and he preferred to maintain it that way for as long as either of them were here.

[mocks]

She knew he'd been looking for the people on that list of names he'd gotten in New Vesuvius. Had one of those people attacked him?

"Does this have anything to do with our work?" She kept her voice low, guarded, in case anyone was listening.

[invoking]

He didn't have to say it; the look on his face gave away the answer to her question, which was no. If one of those names he had kept with him since New Vesuvius had been the one to assault him, he would have made it clear to Bobbi and the others they were potentially dangerous.

"No," he began slowly. "It was... I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of those vigilante types."

He refrained from using the word "hero".

[mocks]

Her expression washed with relief, though her concerns weren't entirely alleviated. She tilted her head, still eying his face in the dark as best she could.

"Mistaken identity? Or was it just an accident?" Because she was this close to marching down and confronting whoever had attacked Gil.

[invoking]

He grimaced in return. Bobbi didn't need this on her shoulders -- his stupid mistake, that is. He couldn't help the forceful sigh that escaped him and when he spoke again he lowered his voice, though it was laced with guilt.

"He was a criminal, but... it looked as if that man was going to kill him." His demeanor soured quickly. "It was stupid and reckless of me, I know."

And he braced himself, waiting for Bobbi to reprimand him for his carelessness.

[mocks]

"So you saved somebody's life and got a shiner for your troubles?" Her face stayed fixed on his, scrutinizing him carefully, sussing his story out. "You really have had a rough night, Gilly."

[invoking]

"It was a while ago now," he sighed, reaching to touch his face finally. He winced a little and withdrew his hand quickly. "It's not as painful as it looks..."

[mocks]

"It looks like hell," she said as she reached out to gently pat his arm. "Who did this to you? I'd like to have a word with 'im."

[invoking]

He naturally recoiled, still unused to physical contact, friend or ally.

"Um..." He wrestled with the decision to tell her or not. Hooded Justice can't be linked to Nelson due to this, right? No one would leap to such a conclusion. He swallows and finally: "Some guy named Hooded Justice."

[mocks]

Bobbi nodded, filing that tidbit away for later. It was a stupid alias, she thought. It sounded cowardly, like a bully. "I'll be sure to look him up."

[invoking]

His exact thoughts about Hooded Justice; he was no hero. Heroes were like Bobbi, Fury, and others such as Jack Vessalius from home. They protected people -- they didn't cause problems all the while doing so. Fury might have been a more stoic type, but he wouldn't be doing all this if he didn't care.

"What are you going to do?" he can't help his curiosity.

[mocks]

"It sounds to me like his mother didn't teach him any manners. As a southerner, it's my obligation to rectify that." Which is to say, she owed Hooded Justice a nice little chat.

[invoking]

Of course, he took it very literally. There was still much for Gil to learn about when it came to American's culture.

Although he was worried about an ensuing fight. He hadn't seen Bobbi in action, but if she was an Avenger she could probably dispatch Hooded Justice fairly easily.

"You're not going to fight him, are you?!"

[mocks]

"That depends," was her answer. She was trying to play this as cryptically as she could.

[invoking]

That set him on the edge of panic, which is quite typical for him, no matter what sort of training he underwent.

"What does that mean?!"

[mocks]

She looked him dead in the eyes, speaking with a clear voice. "It means don't worry about it, kid."

Then she patted his shoulder in an almost maternal fashion.

"Come on. Walk me home. I could use an escort."