12981/Two Red Menaces Meet for Coffee

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Two Red Menaces Meet for Coffee
Date of Scene: 06 October 2022
Location: Sundollar Coffee - Avenue of Tomorrow
Synopsis: Betty Ross reaches out to her old colleague Caitlin Fairchild, knowing the Titan is one of the few people aware of her 'death' and resurrection.
Cast of Characters: Caitlin Fairchild, Betty Ross




Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin is not a terribly natty dresser but she does have a sense of propriety. What to wear, when to wear it; conservative, but generally she's the sort who dresses appropriately for the situation.

When she gets to Sundollar Coffee, the redhead's wearing obnoxiously pink scrubs and lightweight blue running shoes. A large tote bag is on one shoulder, and when she's inside she clears the door and dutifully puts her sunglasses in the case that everyone else loses five minutes after buying them.

She heads up to the counter and flashes a smile at the barista. "Uh.. I'm not sure if I'm ready to order yet," she apologizes. "I'm looking for a friend of mine, have you seen her? Blue eyes, black hair, very um, very pretty?" She holds a hand out just below her shoulder, putting Betty's height at a little over 5'10".

As toweringly tall as Caitlin is, it's hard for her to keep track of everyone else.

Betty Ross has posed:
    The barista nods. "Oh yeah, she's in the corner around the right there. Came in about five, ten minutes ago?" And sure enough, Betty Ross is there, though dressed non-professionally today...a somewhat baggy t-shirt, and what look like spandex bike shorts, with walking shoes on her feet. The top in purple, the shorts a darker purple with a red line down the side, her shoes fairly normal black in color. Chosen for comfort more than sturdiness, from the look of it.

    After all, it's not like Caitlin will recognize her as Red yet. Though just in case, the loose clothing is there if she wants to gain a couple feet.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin follows the gesture and beams brilliantly when she sees Betty. "Uhm, I'll take a latte in your biggest mug, with heavy cream, and extra espresso. Oh, and lots of chocolate," she requests. "And four scones." She pays with a card and heads over to Betty as soon as possible, flashing that megawatt grin again.

"Betty, it's *so good* to see you," Caitlin says. She keeps her voice very low-- the woman's still more or less incognito-- and offers both hands for a finger squeeze, and then a firmly reassuring hug. "I'm sorry I'm late," she apologizes, and wriggles into the sturdiest looking chair she can find. "I got stuck with extra clinic duty, I had to shower and change and rush over here," she apologizes. Realizing her hair's still back in a tightly efficient bun, Caitlin reaches behind her head with a grimace and starts taking her tumbling red curls back down.

Betty Ross has posed:
    Betty looks up at Caitlin's voice, smiling at her as she stands up to take the offers hands, then hugging Caitlin back. "Likewise...it's been too long. A lot has happened." she says, giving her a slight squeeze before taking a seat. She's picked up some spiced chai for herself, from the scent rising from her cup. "Oh, no worries." Betty says, waving it off. "I know how it is....I heard you're going back to be a surgeon now? It's challenging I'm sure. Though I imagine you have more endurance than most residents."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin's cheeks puff with a weary sigh and her brows go up while she nods at Betty. "It's not the worst, I mean, there are people in my class who are just going like-- right out of college and into med school. The university worked a deal out with me so I just have to do some of the residency requirements. The chief surgeon on Themyscira wrote me a really glowing letter of recommendation. ...I mean, after I translated it," she admits.

"But, um, how are you?" she asks, making a point of pitching her voice low again. She rests her elbows on the table; when it wobbles, she thinks better of it and sits back upright again with her hands in her lap. "I fortunately got the official story from SH-- you-know-who, before I saw the obit." Her lips curl in a moue of sympathy. "Are you holding up okay?"

Betty Ross has posed:
    Betty leans back in her chair, crossing her legs. "It's been....a challenge. For several reasons. Coming back from the dead, effectively...well, not effectively, actually, I suppose." she corrects herself. "And then my, uh....tantrums. The U.S. Military is still quite upset with me. If I hadn't been offered a place in SHIELD, I'd be on the run still." she admits. "I never really was into joining a military venture, and now....well. SHIELD is better than most, I suppose. I still feel a bit unsure of it though."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin nods in genuine sympathy. "I've liased with SHIELD quite a bit. I don't really trust working with the DEO," she admits. "I always feel like there's some hidden agenda. SHIELD plays it close to the vest but they're a multinational outfit and everyone is like... really /passionate/ about keeping the world safe."

Her latte comes over along with the scones; Caitlin offers one to Betty, then starts devouring the others at the bare limit of what could be considered 'polite'. "You've probably met Agent Fitz and Dr. Simmons, then?" she inquires. "I like Jemma quite a bit, she's very smart. She's a biochemist, but she did some really brilliant work stabilizing Director Carter's DNA a couple years back," she adds.

Betty Ross has posed:
    "Exactly." Betty says, frowning, then sighs. 'Ah, yes, though my meeting with Agent Fitz was, uh, not the best. I accidentally broke his arm." she says, twisting her lips ruefully. "I've not really been able to meet Dr. Simmon as of yet, though I know of her work." She shrugs. "The DEO, the military....my trust has been violated so often at this point, I can't bring myself to trust any of them again. Not with important things. SHIELD....seems different, as I said. So perhaps they'll be something I can be proud to be part of."

    She smiles, almost mischieviously now. "Did you hear about my, ah, additions, due to how I was restored?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin winces at the admission and hisses between her teeth. "Ouch, poor guy," she murmurs. It's definitely more empathy than sympathy; Caitlin's broken a few feet in her time with people trying to get close with her and forgetting to leave room for Jesus.

Mild alarm crosses her face at Betty's inquiry, and she glances around the room and leans towards Betty conspiratorially. "I /heard/ but I don't have clearance to see your file," she says, pitching her voice *even lower* into a hoarse whisper. "But ... a friend of a friend mentioned you might have a, uh, Banner-type thing going on?" she says as delicately as possible.

Betty Ross has posed:
    The smile widens slightly, before she raises her arms above her head, stretching...and midway starts to grow, her skin taking on a crimson red cast, and her hair coming loose, a red streak sliced through the black hue it takes on. Her clothes fortunately expand to accomodate as well....though she does kick off her shoes first. Much harder to find stretchy shoes. The change gets some looks from other patrons, but when theres no sudden violence they go back to their drinks, abet with occasionally glances.

    "Basically. But more of a Jennifer Walters type of mental stability." she says in a huskier, slightly deeper voice, her whole body language changing to a more relaxed, casual air. "Repressed emotions are less extreme, anyway. I don't go all smashy smashy unless I want to, though eh...I do have some filtering problems like this." She shrugs her broad shoulders.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin yelps in surprise and scoots the table back helpfully so Betty doesn't knock anything askew. Her eyes go wide at the sight-- reading about it is one thing, but it is a stopper to see it for yourself.

"Y'know I've never met Ms. Walters," she admits. "The Titans have used our same law firm for like... ten years. But I--" she glances around once she's sure everyone's not freaking out, and the tension leaves her shoulders. Strangely, she looks more comfortable with Betty more on her scale, actually sitting upright without a need to hunch down for normal-sized people. "Have you seen a therapist?" she asks, immediately trying to be as helpful as possible. "Mine's really good. I got in touch with her while she was at Arkham. Dr. Quinzel?" she supplies. "She's an MD, psychology. Specializes in criminal insanity but she's pretty good with the--" she gestures vaguely back and forth. "The meta community."

Betty Ross has posed:
    Red huffs a bit at that. "Yes, I've seen a therapist." she grumbles. "It was a requirement.' She twists her lips ruefully again. "I have a bit of a impulse control issue, and it does magnify my desire to not take shit from people, or to be told what to do. I suppose everyone has their repressed nature, and I'm a rebel at heart apparently." She shrugs her shoulders, then looks thoughtful. "Mmm. Quinzel? I don't know here, but...maybe, if she's open to taking on someone from SHIELD. I'm not sure if that would violate any rules to do or not, but if she already treats other metahumans, she'd have what it takes, I'd say."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin winces at the casual profanity, but nods at Betty encouagingly as she rolls through her train of thought. "Harley-- er, Dr. Quinzel-- she's helped me a lot with my dysmorphia and stuff," she explains, gesturing to herself. Caitlin's evolution into her current appearance was not only abrupt, it was very well documented on YouTube. At least up until a helpful AI scrubbed the internet of said video...

"Oh, the only caveat is that her medical license got revoked after being committed, and I'm not sure she's got it re-instated," she adds. "So she can't take insurance or write prescriptions, not... that you'd need any," she amends, after a second's thought. "But-! the upside there is that she's not obligated to disclose anything to SHIELD *or* the DEO." Caitlin smiles and shrugs, and digs her cell phone out of her tote. "Lemme text you her contact info. Just tell her I referred you," she suggests.

Betty Ross has posed:
    Red hmms, taking out her own phone to check that she gets it. 'Thanks...I admit, I don't know a lot about her, other than vaguely.' she admits. "Uh, she was committed? Yeah, I can see how she might have some issues with getting re-licensed." she notes dryly. "But I suppose having a open ear is fine no matter what. I can probably just see her off the clock."

    "If nothing else, having someone non-SHIELD to talk about this stuff might be good, just for a second opinion, you know?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Oh she's fine now," Caitlin stresses. "She had a bad boyfriend who really did a number on her. I won't tell her story, it's hers, but she did get right in the end," she promises. "I mean, mostly right. ...maybe don't go drinking with her," Cait hedges with that innate honesty of hers.

"Anyway, even if Dr. Quinzel doesn't work out, you can always come talk to me," she reminds Betty. "I mean, I'm not a therapist by any stretch of the imagination, but--" she shrugs self effacingly. "I /get/ it," she states. "How it feels to go from being one person all your life, to being someone completely different."

She glances around then leans incrementally towards Betty. "I gotta know, though. What's your record for a sweep and clear?" she asks. "Does working out help, or are you just like--" she curls her wrist and flexes in a subtle-but-not-actually way. "All the time?"

Betty Ross has posed:
    Red grins at that. "Mm, I dunno, en vino, veritas and all that." she teases a bit, then nods, turning a bit more serious. "I appreciate it. And really...just....having someone to talk to would be nice. I mean, I'm not completely isolated, but SHIELD doesn't exactly have a lot of superpowered agents like me to compare to." she admits, shaking her head slightly.

    The slightly devilish smile returns at the question though. "Currently around 100 tons, according to the Avenger test equipment I got to play with.' she confides. "Though I'm not sure if that's my upper limit. I know Bruce, as the Hulk, frequently exceeded his supposed upper limit, but then that was a function of ...well, rage." She frowns. "I really don't want to go that route. In fact, the idea of becoming just a big rage monster, wrecking everything around me..." She shivers a bit, shaking her head. "It's a concern." She smiles. "I'm fairly sure that my strength as Red She-Hulk...that's the clever code name they gave me....is at least partially dependent on my existing strength when I'm all puny. I haven't really been able to test it yet though, it's more of a opinion based on what I've seen with other gamma mutations."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"I get it," Caitlin says, quietly-- this murmur more in the face of her own memories than Betty's uncomfortable situation. "It ...sucks," she says, making it sound like she's cursing. "When you've got all this strength and none of the control."

There's a quiet beat and Caitlin glances up at Betty, then starts and shakes off her introspection. "Gosh, I'm sorry. I don't mean to make it about me," she apologizes. "But I do get it. Hey-- want me to send you my training routine?" she offers, brightening again. "All the gym equipment is maxed out, but like, you can do some great mobility and core stuff with a Crossfit inspiration. Y'know, like the battle ropes?" she says, miming the up-down motion with her wrists. "I do that with some naval anchor chains I've bolted to pylons in the Bay by Titan's Tower. /Great/ workout for the deltoids," she assures Betty.

Betty Ross has posed:
    Red waves it off. "Don't sweat it. I had a jump on it, with all the study I've done of Bruce's situation and other gamma mutations, so I was a bit more prepared, you know? You didn't have any warning or chance to study up on it. Though I'm glad you've come to terms with the changes?" she says, a bit questioningly. "And sure, I could use a good workout! I never really did more than keeping in shape before. Pushing myself like this appeals. I want to see just how far I can go." She grins. "Anchor chains, huh? I wonder if I could swing something like that. Lots of ships being broken down out in the military yards, maybe I could lean on my SHIELD ID to get hold of some."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Well I didn't get serious about the training until after D-- after Doomsday," Caitlin says, forcing the word out. Even five years later, it's clearly hard for her to relive the awful memories of that week. The Titans had taken a bigger hit than most in trying to stop him.

"I went to Themyscira with my friend Donna, and Princess Diana, and they got me thinking about, y'know, actually strength training with a purpose in mind. 'cause I was just, sorta, 'hey, why do I need to work out, I can lift a tank'," she quips. "So that was a wakeup call for me," she admits. "And I just got into it and kept with it." She shrugs self-effacingly and pushes the empty plate politely out of her immediate reach.

"So-- what do you wanna do next?" she asks Betty. "I mean, y'know, with your life. It's not like you've forgotten how to do science, right? Or are you gonna try to spend time doing the, um, y'know, the whole capes'n'tights thing?"

Betty Ross has posed:
    Red's face turns sympathetic at the reminder as she reaches over, patting Caitlin's leg gently. "Yeah, I can imagine. I'm glad you had some friends to show you the ropes. Or the weight sets, anyway." she says with a smile, leaning back again. "Mmm." She sighs. "That's the big question, ain't it? I'm kinda muscle for SHIELD now as an agent, or at least that's how they've used me. Which is kinda nice, admittedly." She smirks. "I got a lot of things to work out, and punching is a nice if violent way to work off some of that energy. " She hesistates, then admits. "I'm not...sure about science. It's still something I'm interested in, but..." She trails off, meeting your eyes. "I can't go into too many details, but, this..." She waves over her Amazonian form. "Happened partly because my dad lied to me. Again. I don't know why I kept trusting him, but I believed him this time, that he was really letting me work on research to help people with gamma poisoning. Instead, he was twisting it. Always looking for the next weapon." The arm of the chair creaks a bit as it deforms under suddenly tight fingers, before she catches herself, looking down. "...dammit. Havent' done that in a while."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin reaches out and puts two fingers on Betty's wrist. "It's ok," she soothes. "Deep breaths." She smiles lopsidedly and sits back again, doing as much as possible to not intrude into Betty's personal space. "I've sure broken my share of chairs by sitting down too hard," she admits.

Caitlin's expression sobers and she looks at the table, then back at Betty. "Look, um.... I know it's not my place to give advice," she apologizes. "But I get the science thing, too. A lot of people assume this--" she gestures at herself-- "was genetics. Just a metagene event. It was, uh..." she takes a breath as if revealing something very personal. "It was the result of genetic tampering. My daddy was a meta, and they used his DNA to make me, then triggered a metacrisis when I was in college."

"But the only way I can understand what I can do is if I understand how it happened. I learned a lot about it a while back, not... /all/ the details, but I pieced it all together. It's part of why I got my doctorate in genetics. I wanted to understand."

"And that's the beauty of science, Betty, it's not *cruel*. Science doesn't care about the... who, or the why. Just the how. You can learn how you do what you do, and learn about how to do it better, to help the people around you. Yeah, it's great being able to ... throw cars, and tank RPGs, but nothing makes me as happy as being a scientist does. And I'd rather give up all my powers, than give up any bit of what I know, or how my brain works."

Betty Ross has posed:
    The crimson woman takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. "Oh, I know, Caitlin." she says, more calmly, meeting her eyes again. "It's just...." She shakes her head, looking frustrated. "I've been betrayed and had my research used for evil SO MANY times at this point. Every time I trust someone, every time I think I'm getting somewhere...it feels like they're always up to no good. My dad is a perfect example. Always wanting to chase the next super soldier serum, no matter how dangerous, no matter the lives that get ruined by it."

    She inhales again, visibly calming her turbulent emotions down again, before continuing. "I want to put it to good use, but it's really damn hard to trust anyone after that record of poor choices to trust in the past, you know? I don't want to give it up, but at the same time, damn it feels good to just punch things sometimes. It's simple. Straightforward. I don't have to worry about getting screwed over again. Of people showing a smiling face to me while they wait to stab me in the back again."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin tips her eyes down to the table and does Betty the courtesy of letting her words land. She nods in genuine empathy again, and when she looks up at Betty there's a deep sincerity in her eyes. "Guess the super-soldier program makes us related," she confesses quietly, and gestures at the two of them again.

She falls quiet for a few beats, takes a sip of her latte, and sets it back down again. "Y'know-- Titan's Tower has a pretty fantastic lab space," she says, trying to sound offhand as possible. "I mean, I have to share it with the other Titans, but I always felt like it was mine first and foremost. We've got cool stuff in there. Genetic compilers, blast chambers. Free milkshakes." She flickers a sidelong look at Betty and ventures a smile. "But if you just want to come by and have a home-cooked meal sometime, that'd be swell. We've got a bunch of plus-sized furniture to relax in."

Betty Ross has posed:
"Well. Did have a supervillain involved in mine, not sure if that's better or worse than a parent." Red admits quietly, smirking humorlessly for a moment.

    At the offer, she tilts her head thoughtful. "I do like milkshakes." she says, slightly teasing now, then nods, studying Caitlin. "I'd trust you. If I needed to share work. " she says suddenly. "If you ever wondered. "I know you've got people's best interests at heart. And...I wouldn't turn down a home cooked meal." She smiles. "Or I might just make one for you, been a bit, but I do know a few good recipes."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin pinks a little at the praise and ducks her head modestly. "That's swell of you to say, but... yeah, I try my best," she says, with earnest humility. It'd come off as self-deprecating for most people, but Caitlin really just is that kind of person.

"No pressure, Betty," she promises, quietly. "And it is really good to see you again. My residency hours are a little unpredictable, but I'm at the Tower a couple days a week and at the Themysciran Embassy also. So if you're in the area and just wanna--" she gestures at the coffeeshop. "Y'know, hang out and chat, I'll make time for it," she promises.

Betty Ross has posed:
    Betty nods, smiling at that. "I'd like that, yeah. I mean, I'd rather it be when you're not worn out from hours of residency, but feel free to call or text too if you get free and want to grab dinner or breakfast or whatever meal or coffee of the day is needed." She pauses, then admits. "It's nice to have someone who gets it to talk to. I really appreciate it Caitlin."