10428/Working Out Your Issues

Working Out Your Issues
Date of Scene:	11 March 2022
Location:	Athletics: Triskelion
Synopsis:	Cael and Roy meet up and talk about their mutually troubled pasts - and how to find belonging and purpose.
Cast of Characters:	Roy Harper, Cael Becker

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Roy Harper has posed:
Any sort of attempt by someone to use the Triskelion's security systems to monitor how Roy Harper spends his time there would find that the gym and the foot court represents about 98.5% of his Trisk time. Being a costumed crimefighter with absolutely zero superpowers of any kind means he depends completely on his natural abilities. He does weight lifting and running and gymnastics and boxing and MMA and we're not even really sure if anyone has figured out the maximum number of pushups he can do in one stretch. And, of course, all of that exercise requires huge amounts of food, to the tune of 8-10 thousand calories a day.

This afternoon finds Roy running on a treadmill at an alarmingly fast rate of speed. The treadmill is set to a program that varies its incline and speed up and down to maximize the aerobic value of the activity. Science. He's wearing nothing but a pair of black shorts, Adidas runners, and white ankle-high socks. The digital panel on the treadmill indicates he has been at it for just shy of 45 minutes now, and there is an hour and 15 minutes left in the programmed cycle.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael also spends a fair amount of time in the gym - as she herself lacks any unusual gifts. That's temporarily been changed due to the use of a magical amulet, but since she'll be returning that in the near future... letting herself get out of shape is not an option.
    After spending over an hour working over one of the punching bags, she makes her way towards the treadmills herself - giving Roy an uncertain nod of greeting as she takes one of the machines beside him. "Hello again," the blonde haired woman greets him, setting a reuseable water bottle in a holder on the treadmill, and standing on it as she programs in a course that varies between sprints, and cool down periods - using one of Cap's programs as the baseline. As long as she has the amulet, she can nearly go toe-to-toe with the man in physical prowess, and it was a strange sensation.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy looks over when he's greeted. The current cycle of his running program has him at around 10 mile per hour to cool down for a bit. Many heroes have supernatural abilities and special sci-fi equipment. Roy has...a smile. It has this way of lighting up his entire face and making his eyes glitter. It could charm Satan into sitting down for tea and biscuits. Is he aware of how effective it is? Hard to say. Either way, he smiles warmly at Cael and lifts a hand and sweaty arm in a wave.

"Hey again!" he says in that sort of voice one uses when they have forgotten someone's name. "From the food court the other day, right? You and your..." He takes a moment to figure out the right words. "...husband-type situation thingy?" Okay, yeah, nobody is going to hire Roy to write diplomatic speeches.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "My boyfriend," Cael answers in a dryly amused voice. "Jon is //Martin's// husband." Yeah. Let's not even go into how that works. It's complicated, and still something she's getting used to. "Agent Harper, right?" There's a hint of teasing in her voice. She recalls perfectly well that he prefers not to be so formal - but it's good to get to know people by their last names. Since that's how they're addressed out in the field.
    "I feel like maybe you misunderstood me a bit that day - hope it didn't cause any hard feelings." Even running all out she's able to talk - for the moment. No doubt she'll lose her breath soon. "I had a pretty rough time of it, myself. In fact - I'm very lucky I'm not in jail right now myself, paying for all the shit //I// did in my 'mis-spent youth.'"

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy seems to catch the teasing about the name. He may not be very well formally educated but he's no dummy. With a sly grin he adds, "That's Mr. Agent Harper to you, if you please."

With a beeping alert the program moves into a high-intensity phase. The speed increases quickly to an extremely brisk 15 MPH sprint and inclines up a hill. Even for someone in top physical shape, that's a thing. He grunts a little to get his stride into a proper rhythm so as not to get launched off the back of the treadmill.

"I don't... have hard feelings... Agent. I knew that... coming here would... invol-involve... some of my rough... edges getting sanded down."

Roy's face, neck, and shoulders are red with the new increased exertion. "I say what's on... my mind, and that... gets me in trouble... sometimes."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Believe me, we're the same there," Cael answers immediately. The laugh she lets out is a little breathy, though. "I don't know how to fuckin' hold my tongue, either." A result of growing up on the streets, perhaps? Who knows.
    She spends the next several moments running in silence as she adds, "Just glad you," she exhales an inhales again, "found a place. Now," she spends another moment catching her breath, "if we could just get... more of those punks here." It would make the world a better place - one kid at a time. Give them some proper purpose, and belonging.

Roy Harper has posed:
Another beep emits from the treadmill and it mercifully permits Roy some "relaxation" time at a mere 10 MPH and a shallow incline. He takes a few minutes to recover as his breathing and heart rates lower from the uphill forced sprint.

He's able to talk much more conversationally at this reduced rate of speed. "It's a nice sentiment and I'm sure there are some of these guys who could benefit from some lovey-dovey social work type stuff. But a lot of 'em are just bad seed, irredeemable. The Narrows in Gotham is a shithole and the stuff I've seen there nearly destroyed me more than once. On top of that, I was using heavily. It was the Outsiders who gave me the strength to get into NA and AA, and I hope the SHIELD will help me keep up that strength. Nine months sober and counting. Nothing I do makes it any easier no matter how many months sober I am. It's the company I keep and missions I uphold that make it easier."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael lets out a snort, and shakes her head at Roy's response. "Lovey-dovey?" she repeats. "You don' know me," she asserts. Lovey-dovey she is not, even when trying to help these kids find a better life.
    "These kids... they aren't born bad." There's passion and conviction in her voice even as she runs - at a down hill incline, at the moment, and seeming to have no trouble keeping in balance. "They're forced into it. Give 'em some respect, another choice..." she takes a moment to catch her breath. "They take it. //If// you can get them in time. Before they've gone too far. Before they're broken. Can't save 'em all."

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy glances over at Cael. A small, gentle smile forms on his face, it's an expression of respect and maybe even a few sprinkles of affection. "Yeah," he says, as much to himself as to Cael. "You can't save 'em all. The problem is, by the time they were on my radar in Gotham they were already too far, too broken." He runs silently for a bit. Sometimes running silently is the best policy. Roy's young but he has learned that.

Then: "That's part of the reason I'm here. The life of beating the shit out of people who are doing terrible, terrible things has taken me as far as it can. I need to grow beyond that, I need to be a part of something way bigger than myself. I'm here to humble myself and start from square one."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "It's the- the younger ones," Cael points out. Her treadmill has evened out, and she runs for a while before explaining, "They got cousins. Neighborhood kids they're training up. Get to those kids... You can break things up from the inside." That's what she was doing for years with the NYPD and FBI - infiltrating the gangs, befriending the younger members and potential members - and giving them a better option.
    "You'll find a better path here."

Roy Harper has posed:
There is a wistful look on Roy's face at Cael's words. He runs, eyes locked forward, for long moments. "I hope you're right. Combat is the only thing I know. It's all I was ever good at."

It almost seems like he reluctantly wants to say more but he's saved by the bell, or in this case the beep of the treadmill as it launches him into a vigorous up-and-down-hill cycle. He grunts to keep up with the increased speed and the wild motions of the treadmill unit. Maybe he's also good at running.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Did it for- for years," Cael replies, huffing for breath as her own routine speeds up. "NYPD, and FBI. Used- used street racing," she explains, "to infiltrate. But cover was blown." She picks up her water bottle, pouring some of it over her face. "When Cap pushed me towards- the Avengers. And when news showed me-" she takes a few huffing breaths, "fighting angels."
    So now she can never return to that work... And she misses it. God does she miss it.

Roy Harper has posed:
It's going to be a few minutes before Roy can talk very easily. This cycle has him going up and down hills rapidly and unexpectedly. He keeps up like a boss but sweat is pouring down his bare chest and back. But again, the program allows him some recovery time. The incline levels out and the speed drops to 10 MPH.

"I always dreamed of being a cop when I was a kid. But I went into too many wrong directions. The first really good role model for me was Green Arrow, and that's sort of how I ended up the line of work I'm in." He looks to Cael, his hair and face slicked with perspiration. "NYPD musta been amazing. A family like no other?" In that expression and in those words, it's possible Cael can see the ten-year-old Roy Harper who thought that being a cop was the only life one could imagine.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Of course, Cael's struggling now - so she holds up a hand to acknowledge his words - but it's not until she slows down herself, and swallows a little water, that she manages to reply. "I thought- I felt like I belonged in my gang. ...got my sister killed. Nearly became a killer myself." She shakes her head at the memory. At the time - it had felt like safety, and belonging, and family. What a lie that was.
    "The NYPD, the FBI, and now SHIELD... it's way better. No comparison. Real respect and belonging. Knowing your back is covered - always covered. Knowing you're saving lives, improving the world..."

Roy Harper has posed:
At those words, Roy looks away from Cael. It's dusty in here and he apparently has something in his eye. He runs on that treadmill like his very existence depends on hit.

"That's what I want," he manages to choke out, still looking the other way like maybe there's something interesting on the other side of the room. "I want that more than anything, but my brain tells me I don't deserve it."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "That's a, uh... hard feelin' ta get over," Cael agrees, her own expression going a little more thoughtful and distant. "I, uh... have a little trouble with that myself. Especially with the idea of family. I don't have any blood left..." None that wants her anyways. "But maybe... maybe I have family," she says more quietly.
    That's what Jon, and Sara, and Martin keep telling her anyways. "...but it's hard to accept," she admits, before picking up the pace once more.

Roy Harper has posed:
Finally Roy's running cycle ends, reducing down to a slow job as a cooldown cycle. There isn't a inch of the kid not drenched heavily in sweat. When he works, he works. Plenty of demons to exorcise. Once the cooldown is done he hops off the treadmill and beelines to the wall where there is a drinking fountain. He leans over and drinks so much water that surely it's going to be noticed when this month's water bill comes on.

After that he grabs a towel and some spray clean to go wipe down the machine. "Sounds like you got saved from some shit," he comments as he wipes his sweat away. "Who knows, maybe I can be too."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Kid, bring your own water bottle!" Cael remarks with a breathey laugh, picking up her bottle and taking another drink from it to illustrate the point. Then she pours a little of the water into her blonde hair.
    She runs in silence for a while, as Roy rehydrates. When he speaks to her again, she's slowed to a comparitive jog. "Couldda gone either way," she remarks. "Nearly went the other way. I'd just been the driver for a drive-by, so... almost let myself believe I had no other choice, deserved nothing else." It was a real close call. "And even then, if the cops had decided to throw the book at me..." She'd be in jail on a murder rap, right now.
    "I'm lucky."

Roy Harper has posed:
Once he finishes cleaning off the treadmill he was using, he grabs a clean towel from a rack and starts drying off his sweat. With a grin, he says, "Thanks for sharing that. I kinda makes me feel like maybe I made the right choice coming here." He nods once to Cael. "I should prolly grab a shower before I get arrested for violating some sort of health code."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael nods - adding a flippant wave of her hand. "See ya in the sparring ring, sometime?" she suggests. "We can try ta- ta beat the shit outta each other." Because that's how you bond. Right? She smirks in amusement at the thought - though that's wiped from her face as the treadmill once again speeds up, pushing her hard to keep up. Shit.