capeandcowllogs | A threesome

WHO: Enchantress, Melter, and Coat of Arms.
WHERE: Central Park.
WHEN: After Melter's post.
WARNINGS: Probably nothing except Sylvie and her terrible English.
SUMMARY: Enchantress and Melter have arrived in the City and caused a fair amount of chaos, and now they need to talk to Coat about what's going on and what they should do.
FORMAT: Probably quick.

[Sylvie used her powers, and in a flash of green light, she and Christopher were transported to Central Park, where Coat was waiting for them. Sylvie was certain that, if she could just keep things on the right track, this time they could all be accepted and prove themselves as real heroes. The fact that the Young Avengers didn't recognise them just gave them a clean slate to play with, and this time, she would just - not do exactly what she had done before, and behave herself completely instead. Then they wouldn't throw her out! That would have to work.

And Coat was on her side in this - she would co-operate, and together, they would help Christopher become the hero he truly wanted to be, and all of them would get what they wanted.]

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[ It takes Chris a minute to find his feet, even though he's been through this dozens of times before. When finally the world resolves itself out of fizzling green light, he's surprised to find himself in a place that looks exactly like the Central Park from home. Letting go of Sylvie, he gives a swaying turn, looking for Coat. Coat always was paying attention, always watching. She'd know something. ]

Coat? We're here--

[ She looks the same as she always does-- thick brown hair tied back from her face, gloves over her hands, and that black coat over her shoulders. She's crouched by the sidewalk, eying a chalk drawing of hers from days ago. It's scuffed from feet to the point of being unrecognizable.

The flash of green light draws her eyes. She approaches, eying them both for a moment before speaking. ]

Hello. [ Straight to business then. There isn't time to waste. ] Chris. Sylvie. I need you to tell me what you know. Then, I'll explain everything.

[Sylvie stays close by Christopher's side, though not holding onto him for the moment.]

I knowest that the Young Avengers are here, but they hath not met us yet. And some of the Avengers art here, too - Hawkeye and Lord Thor, though he doth not seem to be from our world. I have heard that thiseth place ist like unto New York, but only called The City, and that the machineth hast brought people here from differenteth worlds and timeseth. That is as mucheth as I know.

[ Chris takes the opportunity to give Coat a once over when Sylvie speaks. He's trying to figure out exactly what it is he might be missing -- lost time, or time that hasn't happened yet -- like it is with Sylvie. Unfortunately, he's not very good at this game, so after a few minutes, he gives up and shoves his hands into the pockets of his coat. ]

I spoke to Patriot. He's not going to let us go on our word. It's either we jump through their hoops again or-- [ He shrugs. ] --we try to make it on our own without the Avenger name.

[ He kicks at a stone with his sneaker. ]

And that's only if they decide to give us a second chance.

[ She listens with an impassive face, only folding her arms and tapping her fingers absently against her upper arm. She seems unsurprised by everything that she hears. At length, she speaks: ]

The politics here are complicated. There are two groups of Avengers vying for power: Osborn's Avengers and the "original" Avengers. This is our chance, to define what an Avenger is. To highlight the tension between heroes with the desire to be an Avenger.

I've already spoken with Patriot here. And Norman Osborn.

[ A pause. ]

Chris, you have to choose how we're going to do that. Do you want us to be Young Avengers? Or do we find another way?

So that ist why they do not trusteth us.

[Sylvie decides not to mention her own conversation with Osborn, and slips her hand into Chris's, looking at him with a small smile.]

Coat is righteth. Tis thy choice, as leader.

[ Chris is nodding, but then there's a beat when his attention seems to catch on something. He turns towards Coat. ]

You talked to Osborn again?

[ He steals a glance sideways at Sylvie and then back at Coat. ]

...what about?

About art.

[ That's all she has by way of an answer. And it's the truth. But she doesn't tell him they also spoke about his phone call. Part of it is that Coat doesn't want to interfere-- this isn't rehearsal. This is the real deal. And more than that, more privately, it revives her hope that heroism isn't dead.

Not yet. ]

Chris. We need you to choose now.

[With Coat, art could mean any number of things, and a part of Sylvie is curious to know more. But that isn't what's important right now - their future hangs in the balance, and Osborn shouldn't be a deciding factor.]

Please, Christopher. Do not letteth anything cloudeth thy heart in this. Choose the path thou knowest is right for us.

[She's almost certain that he'll choose to try for the Young Avengers again - they have talked about this - but she can sound as if she is giving him more of a choice than that.]

[ Chris has half a mind to point out that pretty much everything is art to Coat and as much as it is an answer, it's also not a very good one. But, he's too preoccupied to follow-through on it. The hand that's holding Sylvie's tenses as he thinks, and just when it seems like he's going to answer, he shakes his head again. ]

No, [ he says, sounding resolved, and then gestures to the both of them. ] Sylvie said that the Young Avengers chose the three of us. Now that hasn't happened to me yet. I want to know what you guys know. And then I'll decide.

[ Coat purses her lips. She wont interfere. She can't. Too much interference will ruin everything-- it won't be the pure answer if she helps him. Chris has to do this himself. She shakes her head. ]

It's what you know that is important. I am only here to record and observe. You know that.

[ She puts a gloved hand on his shoulder. ]

Choose. We're here to follow you.

[Sylvie bites her bottom lip for a second, then nods, squeezing his hand.]

I hath already told ye, Christopher - the Young Avengers didst choose those of us who art responsible in the use of our powerseth. The others were not happyeth, but they art not here noweth, and I believe that this doth mean something. We were choseneth - twice.

[In a way, it's true - the Young Avengers did choose all of them, just... not all in the way she's allowing Christopher to believe.]

We will stand with ye, whether tis your decision to wait and try to join them again, knowing that we hath but to show our worth against this fresheth canvas, or striketh out on our own. But as Coat says, tis your choice in the end.

[ Chris frowns. He knows -- in a way -- it's almost cheating, to ask to be told what the future has in store for him (for all of them). It's like having the answers handed to him beforehand, or trying to find a way to strip out the guesswork. But even though Chris knows -- or at least, thinks he knows -- what comes next, he's still not entirely sure what to do. That feeling of hopeless that he gets sometimes threatens to tighten in his chest.

Without the others here, some of the pressure he felt back home seems to have lightened slightly. Coat and Sylvie aren't questionable the way Big Zero and Egghead and the Executioner are. Without the two of them, Chris is convinced he'd never have been a hero. Or a leader.

He owes this to them.

Tilting his chin up again, he nods firmly. ]

Then we wait to see what Patriot says. He believed in us once enough to give us a chance. If he's not convinced, we do what we can to make him believe again. We'll be able to help more people with them on our side than against us.

And that-- [ He falters, but quickly recovers. ] --that's what heroes do.

A threesome

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