[Open] an equation of variables

[hypoxic]

Who: Leo Fitz and/or Jemma Simmons AND YOU?
Where: All over -- Hopefully not around the dinosaurs? (but maybe around the dinosaurs)
When: Feb. 9th - 11th
Rating: Will mark if anything goes above PG13.
Summary: Jemma and Fitz are revisiting a near-death experience they had together. They’re slightly less than okay, but that seems to be going around right now.
The Story:

[ early event ]

[Ten days ago, they’d both been trapped underwater. There’d been an incident. Friends betrayed friends. They’d narrowly avoided death. Twelve hours ago, they’d been coping with the longterm repercussions of that, when a moment of sacrifice has the potential to turn into something much more permanent. Ten minutes ago, they were in the med bay. He’d been sitting up. She’d been trying to help him speak full sentences.

And now they’re here. Wherever “here” even is. They stay together for a lack of other options. And though they’re both easily recognizable by those who know them from Wonderland, there’s a particular sort of freshness to their faces. They’re substantially less weathered, even in their open discomfort. They’ll be cautious and curious both as they explore, though when approaching others, Jemma might be the one who does most of the talking.]

[ Jemma ]

[And there is quite a bit to talk about -- where the hell are they, who are these people, why are they here -- the questions are dizzying and almost endless and fade into the background almost immediately.

Fitz becomes her first priority, and she can sense that this grates on his nerves. Though they were told both the aphasia and nerve damage to his hand could improve with time and therapy, it’s still very fresh and frustrating. She wants to help, but that help seems to do little and less to improve matters. Still, in this strange place, she’s not going to lose track of her best friend and let him shove her away completely.

There is a lab that has traces of her and Fitz inside. She’s never seen it before, but if she could dream up a lab space, this looked very close to what she might come up with. There’s a library, a nice quiet space to sort through thoughts and find lots of books, which have given her comfort since she was a child. A girl’s gotta eat, so look, a kitchen (it gives you whatever you want! It’s almost too good to be true). And -- are those dinosaurs outside? Jemma’s not going to go out there to check (she’s had quite enough adventure for a while, thank you very much) but she’ll definitely be looking out windows and might venture up to higher floors to get a better look at them from the top. If she has to go looking for Fitz, she could end up just about anywhere.]

[ Fitz ]

[Sometimes when Jemma is absorbed with everything, Fitz sneaks off for space. He’s fully aware that he’s a liability like this. He’s holding her back, and possibly keeping her from solving the problem of getting them all home. She’s wasting her time taking care of him instead of handling the situation. So he’ll stay by himself as well, holing up in a lab that has his name everywhere (even though he can’t remember ever being here before), or sneaking down to the kitchen for snacks. He might even peek outside to check on the dinosaur issue for himself. He’d like to be helpful, if he can manage it.]


[OOC: Liz and I will both be tagging this post. Please specify if you’d like to thread with Jemma, Fitz, or both. (respective plotting comments linked) Our schedules tend to clash, so the “both” option will probably result in a slower thread. Sorry in advance!]

Comments

[hypoxic]

[ she's still talking to him. Is he bothering her? He understands that he might need to leave if she...

Tea? But that would mean she'd want him to stay, and that's just bizarre to consider. He doesn't hate the idea of it. ]

Y-yeah...

[ he nods, hoping to convey an enthusiasm he can't vocalize. ]

[redheadpepper]

[ This guy clearly has trouble communicating. That's fine, Pepper can roll with it. As long as she's careful. She doesn't feel like she's about to go nuclear, so long as she stays calm. She suspects the Extremis is more likely to cause trouble in stressful situations.

So she just takes deep breaths and goes about heating up some water for the tea. ]

What's your name? I'm Pepper.

[hypoxic]

[She's asking his name, and it occurs to him that he hasn't tried to produce that out loud before. Since the incident, he's only encountered people who already know him. Will it work?

It's too risky to try to produce a full sentence, he thinks. ]

Fitz.

[And then he lets out a long breath. Success.]

[redheadpepper]

It's... nice to meet you, I guess. I mean, under the circumstances.

[ Meaning: this weird-ass place they've all shown up at, and in her very particular condition. ]

Did you just get here, too?

[hypoxic]

Yeah -- nice to... [To do all that other stuff she said. He'll nod in confirmation rather than keep stunting the conversation otherwise. ]

You're P...p-p...p-pepp... [She ought to know she's familiar. So many people here aren't.]

[redheadpepper]

[ Pepper deals with all sorts of people, all the time. Someone who is having trouble speaking? She can deal with that, too. With her usual level of patience. ]

I'm - Pepper Potts, yes. That one. [ The tea is steeping, and she hands him a cup with a faint smile. ]

[hypoxic]

[He accepts it in his right hand, which trembles nervously. Pepper Potts is high society. She works with the Avengers. She doesn't need to be wrapped up in his issues.

He sets the mug down on the counter rather than risk spilling it.]

It's n-nice to.... [Get it right, Fitz!] Nice to muh....meet you.

[redheadpepper]

[ Pepper takes a sip of her tea - she needs something to calm her down, that's for sure. Chamomile usually does the trick. Her nerves feel all jangly, she feels edgy, like she's on the precipice of something - but she won't cause harm to anyone. She refuses to lose control.

Certainly not around this poor guy. ]

Are you - I mean, do you need - where are you staying?

[ She isn't sure if he needs help or not - and doesn't want to risk offending him if not. ]

[hypoxic]

I'm -- getting better. [It's not exactly the appropriate response to that, but it comes more easily. He's used to trying to make people worry about him less. It's harder to be responsive on the spot.]

And I have a... I. Have a... [He takes a deep breath, snapping the fingers on his right hand as it the noise will bid the word to come.] Place. To stay.

[redheadpepper]

That's good.

[ She takes his gestures as a sign of impatience, or frustration, and she doesn't want him to get frustrated for her sake. Pepper can't imagine - his mind seems to be fine, it just seems to be the speaking part that he has trouble with. She would find it frustrating, too. ]

Take your time. I'm in no hurry. Do you have people here - that you know from home, I mean?

[hypoxic]

[He nods, relieved by her patience. Every conversation is an inquisition, but she seems to be going out of her way to keep it as painless as possible.]

Yeah. I-I....

[Numbers. What are the words for numbers. There's Skye and there's Jemma. He'll count them off on his fingers and raise them in answer. It feels infantile, like a child announcing their age on a single hand. ]

[redheadpepper]

Two - that's great. You're pretty lucky, then. I haven't seen anyone I know, yet. And I think if Tony was here, he'd make sure everyone knew it.

[ She takes a sip of her tea with a small smile. ]

[hypoxic]

Tony? Tony S-stark?

[ he was one of the odd faces he and Jemma encountered shortly after arrival. He hadn't thought to consider that he might be available to settle into his armor and help people. ]

[redheadpepper]

Yes. I was hoping he'd be here so he could help me with - a problem I'm having, but I haven't seen him.

[ She tries to play it off like it's no big deal. Just a girl, looking for her boyfriend, so he can cure her of this Extremis serum that got pumped into her body... ]

[hypoxic]

A p-problem?

[His field is similar enough to Tony Stark's. Sure, he isn't anywhere close to being able to produce something like the Iron Man suit, but if it's a technical issue...]

I can help.

[redheadpepper]

I'm not sure. Have you ever heard of Extremis?

[ Pepper doesn't think he's stupid because he can't talk very well. She just doesn't think anyone can help her but Tony, because of this specific problem. ]

[hypoxic]

[But recognition sparks in his eyes then. He nods rapidly.]

Known cause of su...super.... of. .... powers.

[He takes a breath, then looks at her more somberly.]

Have you been...?

[redheadpepper]

[ Oh Jesus, he's heard of it. How has he heard of it? She has no idea. But it's both scary and kind of a relief? That someone knows about it. She takes a shaky breath and stares into her mug of tea. ]

Um. Yeah. I... some people - it was like an IV injection. I thought I was gonna die, but I didn't, for some reason. Tony said he could fix it.

[hypoxic]

[She needs help. She needs help and that means he needs to get it for her. This is more up Jemma's alley, but Jemma isn't here. It's as volatile as the Centipede victims. They need to stay careful.

Moreover, she needs to trust him first.]

I'm with SHIELD.

[Maybe not now, maybe not in a way that means he's allowed to be in the field. But she needs to trust him.]

[redheadpepper]

You are?

[ That name means something to Pepper. It means, for the most part, the good guys. It means Phil Coulson, and Romanoff, and Fury. Other people who are trying to save the world. Not yet tainted in her memory by HYDRA. ]

Can you - fix me?

[ Her voice is suddenly almost pleading. ]

[hypoxic]

[It would be a challenge on a good day. They've only ever managed to mitigate bodies this poisoned. Mike Peterson will never be the same again.

But he doesn't want to qualify her expectations. She looks lost and helpless, stranded here in an unknown place with a violent superhuman virus consuming her body. She needs hope, even if it's all he can give her.]

I can try.

[redheadpepper]

[ Pepper takes a breath, to steady herself. Her hands feel a little shaky, just talking about it. This is why she hasn't talked about it much. She hates that it upsets her like this, hates how it makes her feel. She just wants to be normal again.

She did not sign up for this superpowered bullshit. ]

Thank you. I really appreciate it.

[hypoxic]

[He nods and reaches out to squeeze her hand with his good one.]

How are you?

[redheadpepper]

Oh, well. I've been better. There was a big fight, and explosions, and -

[ And she killed a guy. ]

- and then I woke up here, so. I'd be lying if I said I was fine.

[hypoxic]

But you're calm. And that's... um. It's better. Extremis responds to spikes in your... in the.... [He gives her a long look. How much does she already know about her own condition? He's not in much of a place to explain to her.]