I would break the laws of gravity

[hypoxic]

Who: Leo Fitz and OPEN (log is for all, some closed starters in comments)
Where: Checkerboard Hills
When: August 9th, just past midnight
Rating: PG+
Summary: Man returns to Wonderland after two months at home under heavy stress. Man throws toddler-level tantrum in public space. As adults are wont to do.
The Story:

[Apparently, the stories are true. When one leaves Wonderland, one is thrust back home without memory. There's nothing to prevent the mistakes he should know to avoid, no way to apply the emotional developments he's earned. It's just the harsh progression of time, doing what time wishes. And there's no way to stop it from bringing them back before they're ready to come back.

When Fitz arrives, it's facedown into a patch of eternally-manicured grass. The memories hit all at once, but they're not memories he wants. He doesn't need to know about a ridiculous fantasy dimension holding people hostage. He was kind of in the middle of something a little life-or-death...!

It's too much to hold, and far more than he can process. Instead of wandering back to the mansion and settling back into his personal space, he stays where he is, pulling himself up to his hands and knees and tearing at the grass in open distress, shouting out at nothing and everything all at once.]

Not now! There's no time for this!

[Some people hit pillows. Right now, he's technically landscaping. And he's definitely not tearing up. That's probably all the dirt he's dislodging.]

Comments

[thisismadfreaky]

But...people are going to have questions and opinions the first time it's used. Even if people didn't know at first...I mean...with Wonderland being what it is, eventually whoever you throw in there's going to get out. Whether it's from intervention of other people or the world itself screwing with our stuff. [He shrugs a little.] Middle of an event that doesn't steal all our memories and make news ones, they get to as many people as they can to tell them what's happened, where they've been, who's been holding them hostage...

[Really, Fitz. He doesn't hate the idea nearly as much as all this Devil's Advocate stuff is making it seem like. He likes the idea. He just doesn't want another secret project exploding in his face.]

Yeah, that would probably be a good plan. Add whatever enhancements we can to it, try to counter for anything anyone here might be able to do as much as we can.

[hypoxic]

If they're out in general, it'll be its own nest of problems. We'll have bigger issues than just what other people think of us.

[And who cares what smallminded antiintellectuals think about matters that don't concern them? At least Cisco isn't continuing to press the issue.]

It's a longterm goal, but one that I think we ought to strive for nonetheless.

[But he'll look away from the schematics after that, taking in Cisco's expression.]

... But you're all right with everything we discussed? You still won't mind having Jemma and me work in close quarters?

[thisismadfreaky]

Good point. [Anyone that deserves containment surely wasn't someone they'd want escaping that containment. Ugh, this is going to give him a headache already and they're not even out of the 'talking about it' stages.]

It's worth it. [He can't deny that.

He tips his head a little and can't quite stop the smile that tugs up on corner of his mouth.] Yeah, man, it's fine. I mean, it's a lot, but I don't have a problem with it. You guys are my friends, you being secret spies doesn't really change that.

[hypoxic]

[He returns the smile then. "secret spies," really.]

The feeling is mutual.

... But I'm not entirely certain about what to do about the other issue. She's... complicated, still.

[thisismadfreaky]

[Yes, really, Fitz.

He frowns a bit at that and nods a little.] Yeah... How exactly are you wanting to handle that?

[hypoxic]

I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on that.

[He watches Cisco in all seriousness.]

I said I'd trust you. You know her better than anyone else. It's your call if you'd want to trust her.

[thisismadfreaky]

[There's an almost stuttered sort of pause as he stares at Fitz for moment, the momentary shock coloring his features. The fact that he's letting him hold any kind of deciding factor in this is...more important to him than Fitz probably realizes.]

Look, I know that you guys have...your issues, and I get it, I respect it, but...the Caitlin you got off on the wrong foot with is...nothing like the one I know. [There's a slight pause, and he decides against going into a spiel about her, making it seem like he's trying to sell her to him; instead, he leaves it simple:] She's one of my best friends, Fitz. I'd trust Caitlin with my life. And I'd trust her with this, too.

[hypoxic]

Then it's settled.

[He'll begin shutting down the display, eclipsing them both in darkness.]

Full disclosure before we've so much as packed a box.

[And that's all there is to it. There's no need to overcomplicate things.]

[thisismadfreaky]

[He blinks, hard, at the sudden loss of light, but nods his agreement.] Sounds good to me.

[There's a beat, but...before he turns to leave, he smiles a little, genuine and appreciative.] Thanks, Fitz.

[hypoxic]

[He'll return the nod, nigh-imperceptible in the darkness.]

There's nothing to thank me for.

[thisismadfreaky]

Dude, seriously? Yeah, there is. [He looks a little baffled at the idea, shaking his head.] You trusted me with this part of your life that...isn't for everybody. That's huge. And you're trusting Caitlin on my word. [He shrugs a little.] Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but it means a lot to me.

[hypoxic]

... Most people would be cross with me for hiding that part in the first place.

[He opens the door again, sending a beam of light flooding into the space. The room is devoid of equipment again, as if it had been empty the whole time.]

[thisismadfreaky]

Yeah, well...you're not the only one with a double life, remember? [He says, shrugging a little. There's an ease of that admission because Fitz already knows anyway.] Not exactly open about the whole meta thing back home.

[hypoxic]

It's a shame, but understandable. We live in similar enough environments, I think. Coming out isn't always the safest course of action.

[thisismadfreaky]

Yeah, I mean-- [His hands move animatedly as he speaks, following Fitz.] People aren't necessarily outwardly hostile about it? Buuuut also most people's experiences with metas back in Central City are...criminal so. It's just not a thing I'd want floating around back home. [He shrugs a little. At this point, it's not much a secret in Wonderland, though.]

[hypoxic]

[He nods at that.]

That's a good part of why we do our best to keep the existence of powered people under wraps. We have some high-profile heroes, but more often than not people are inclined to be afraid of the unknown. The news primarily wants to instill panic in people. The fear makes it difficult for powered people to find safe communities of their own.

[thisismadfreaky]

It's kind of a mess, isn't it? [He shakes his head a little. The politics of people with powers was an exhausting mess, if he were completely honest.]

[hypoxic]

It's just new. New things frighten people. They just need an adjustment period to learn acceptance.

[His tone is tender and encouraging.]

There's nothing wrong with any of you. You aren't broken.

[thisismadfreaky]

[There's an odd sort of stuttered stop before he speaks, a little thrown by how much he maybe needed to hear that.]

I know. [Sort of. Sometimes.] It's just... I dunno, I know it's kinda dumb and completely pointless to worry about it now, logically I know that, there's no going back, we can't change what happened. But I'm literally part of the reason that metahumans even exist. People wouldn't even have a reason to adjust to anything if we'd stopped the particle accelerator project when Hartley pointed out that something was weird about Wells. It's a bitter sort of irony, you know?

[There had been chances to stop it, but unfortunately it's only hindsight that's 20/20. People never quite see the things right in front of them, until it's too late.]

[hypoxic]

Evolution is going to happen whether or not we're prepared to handle it. [It makes scientific sense. This seems to be inevitable under Darwinian theory.] The important part is not the cause, but what we do now that it's happened.

We can't expect the Big Bang to reverse itself.

[thisismadfreaky]

[He can picture a lot of people probably getting exasperated or annoyed with it, but there's something amazingly comforting at the way Fitz pulls pretty much everything back to science in one way or another. At least science makes sense.]

Yeah, I know. [He nods a little.]

[hypoxic]

[Sometimes Science is the only thing that makes sense. Science is sacred.]

Then we're at the same place in terms of discovering what comes next.

[QED.]