16330/A Message Back From the Future

A Message Back From the Future
Date of Scene:	14 November 2023
Location:	Main Room - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Cookies, Popcorn, and Golden Eagle's big reveal of her Secret ID
Cast of Characters:	Donna Troy, Yaretzi Acama, Damian Wayne, Kyle Rayner

---

Donna Troy has posed:
    Titans tower is always busy with people coming and going. The team these days is larger than any one patrol, so it's often the case that people don't necessarily know what other members of the team have been up to, at least until reports have been filed, if the Titans in question bother to write up more than the briefest report, and other Titans bother to check them. A group of Titans returned from a mission yesterday relatively unhurt but appearing somewhat shellshocked, so something interesting must have happened, but as yet there's no reports. Those who'd returned from that mission seemed to have spent the time since sequestered alone or in small groups. They must have quite a bit to think and talk about. No doubt it will all come out in the wash over the coming days.

    One of those Titans was Donna, but she rarely sequesters herself for long. There's always Titans business of one sort or another to deal with, and as part of the Leadership Council and the Titan who takes most responsibility for actually running things these days, she has things to do.

    Some time in the afternoon, Donna checks her T-Com to see who's present in the Tower at the time, and seeing a couple of names of people she has reason to talk to, sends out a message. <<I see Golden Eagle and Green Lantern in the tower. If you guys aren't too busy could you come meet me in the main room for a bit? I'd like to check up on how you guys are doing."

    Message sent, Donna makes her way down to the main room. She's not dressed for action, her armor left up in her room while she wears a casual get-up of jeans and teeshirt, the shirt bearing the logo of the Metropolis Generals basketball team. She makes a bee-line for the kitchen area and sets the popcorn maker going, before rooting around in the fridge for drinks. Presumably this is all about making sure the meeting has a nicely comfortable and informal air to it.

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Golden Eagle's just arrived at Titan's Tower, landing on the roof and coming down in the elevator as she took to doing after learning she was welcome to do so. She floats into the main room from the hallway, completely unaware of any recent missions that have Titans in need of decompressing. She's also lacking a T-Com, having either not been given one or having refused the offer to this point... so she didn't get the message. Thankfully, she did just happen to show up at the right time all on her own!

Smiling, she calls out, as she floats in from the hallway, "Do I smell popcorn?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
There has been a veritable roost of Robins that have passed through the Titans. Dick, Jason, Tim... and then there's Damian. Who is the lastest to be part of that group, but no longer carrying the Robin name. What he does have, however, is the usual mystique of most of those predecessors of not sharing who they are underneath the mask.

Dressed in a dark zip-up hoodie with no design, blue jeans, Chucks, a pair of wrap around sunglasses are on his head - masking his identity and carrying on the fine tradition of not quite being Char Azanable.

He is carrying a Tupperware container as he comes into the main area. "Donna." he greets the Amazonian with a small smile. "I have brought cookies. I left some with Caitlin for helping me with a project back home, but these are extra. From the bakery I know about."

Which means they are Alfred cookies. "Is there a meeting? I could sit in, if you do not mind?" he asks her as he notices the arrival of Golden Eagle and offers her an upnod of his head in greetings. He wants to know what the meeting's about before he gets more involved.

Kyle Rayner has posed:
Kyle raises a brow for a moment. Usually, when someone gets called out like that, it's bad. There are flashbacks of schools, just various things that may have led to a detention or two. He actually walks out in uniform because a call like that has to come from Donna Troy, the leader. And when he makes it to Donna, there's a pause.

First, it's because of that popcorn smell. Usually tongue lashings don't come with buttery goodness. So, that merits a pause. Second, it's Donna's outfit. Tongue lashings don't wear business casual attires let alone casual ones.

A look goes about, "Am I in trouble or is this movie night?"

A wave goes out to Damian and Gold Eagle. "Hey. Are you guys in trouble, too?" he asks the pair just curious why the group is here.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna greets Damian with an equally small smile, a simple nod and the acknowledgement "Rook," rather a less effusive greeting than she might give many of the members of the team. That though is simply a matter of respecting his demeanor. Some Titans like hugs, some prefer things on a little more of a professional basis. Damian doesn't seem to do overt expressions of emotion, and between Donna and Damian more communicative exchanges tend to happen in private, when they're participating in a bit of sword-fighting practice together. They both have an appreciation of another member of the team to train with who's skilled enough to actually provide a challenge to their own years of training.

    "Nothing formal, just wanting to check in on a couple of our newer members." She tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. "Our Green Lantern isn't technically all that new, but he's not been around that much. The other's Golden Eagle. I would appreciate your input." Damian's part of the Titan's leadership council, and while he's perhaps not the greatest people person he has a good eye to the professional side of the business. Donna pulls out a few bottles of drink from the fridge. "Mineral water?" she asks Damian. He doesn't usually go for sugary things.

    Golden Eagle, on the other hand, Donna knows appreciates Mexican cola as much as she does, and that's waiting for her alongside the popcorn when she puts in an appearance. There's a third waiting for Kyle. "Mexican cola suit you Kyle?" she asks. He's probably not in trouble if he's being offered soda. "Or would you prefer something else? We've got popcorn as well, so long as Eagle hasn't already eaten it all. Rook has brought cookies from a most excellent bakery, and if you ask very nicely he might share them.

    Donna pulls a chair up at the breakfast bar, pops the cap off her own Mexican Cola, and waves Yar and Kyle over to join them. "Grab a seat guys. Nobody's in trouble, and it's not movie night. Just a little check in really. Making sure you two are okay, that you're settling in and comfortable with the team, that kind of thing. Also... you know, if you've got anything you'd like to get off your chests." Donna appends this last with the hint of a raised eyebrow in Kyle's direction. She knows he's had some troubling things to deal with lately.

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Golden Eagle smiles and lifts a hand to waggle fingers in reply to Damian's upnod and as a greeting to Kyle. "Are those cookies free game?", she asks, as she finishes floating over to have her feet touch down near the island/bar... then she seems to parse what else he said. "... there's a meeting?", she wonders aloud. "Someone's in trouble?", she then asks as she also registers Kyle's words, looking worried... and clearly not sure if it's her, or someone else, who's 'in trouble' with Donna.

When Donna talks about her eating all the popcorn, she says, "Uhm... I *know* I haven't eaten it all. There's *tons* of it in the cupboards, and I've thought about bringing more, but every time I check, it's already been replaced before I have a chance...", sounding apologetic, hands coming together behind her back. She does, though, eventually reach out to pick up the cola bottle that's been put out for her, lifting it to take a sip.

Then Donna explains what's going on, and Golden Eagle claims a barstool... and a bowl of popcorn, of course. "I've been good... haven't really done much with y'all, aside from random movie nights, I guess -- probably because I'm usually up north and just visit here every now and then", she offers, before putting popcorn into her mouth.

Damian Wayne has posed:
While young and wiry, Rook's expression rarely changes while Donna is giving the rundown. Donna is among the few that Damian has expressed any kind of real emotion towards, much less the affections of a friendship and kinship born of the blade and forged in their mutual interests. "The bakery is a secret." he offers to the pair of newcomers. But his attention swivels to Donna. "Mineral water's fine, thank you."

And with that, he's taking a seat as he listens to Kyle's concerns about being in trouble. "We would be a lot more formal if you were in trouble." he offers to the pair. "Regardless, Donna would tell you that I am far more trouble than the pair of you combined." A small smirk as he lifts the top off the tupperware with a small pop and the smell of chocolate wafts from the cookies as he pushes them forward. They are now officially fair game. He doesn't take one for himself.

He takes his place next to Donna, his hands folding onto the counter as he turns his attention to Kyle. "If Oa has or you believe will be giving you any issues over what happened on New Krypton, I'll make sure that we will offer our greivance for doing what you knew was right."

Though he does find himself agreeing with Golden Eagle. "There has not been much in the way of Titans-centric missions. I know there was the recent indoctrination of Jinx and the quelling of the succubus-strip club that was a H.I.V.E. station. But I am still catching up on other missions after returning from some time away."

Kyle Rayner has posed:
Kyle looks about the goodies. He's not too suspicious, but there is some concern. Then comes the words "Grab a set guys," followed by "Just a little check in."

"Well, I'm expecting my bosses to bring down some kind of hammer on me. And that's y'know, a fun feeling," he admits. A heavy breath comes follows, "My ring isn't like the others. I'm secret police, not in a bad cruel way, but in a 'most of the precinct don't know I'm an officer' kind of way," he looks around the room. "So, they may come for me, put me on a trial, anything like that," hidden green eyes look over the room for a moment.

"It's less about grievance and more, I'm not on all the registered books," it's an honest confession. Unlike all of the other Lanterns, they are officially recognized. Kyle is quite unrecognized.

Donna Troy has posed:
    "You were given your ring by a Lantern, " Donna points out. "That's a legitimate method, as far as I understand it. "If you're not 'registered' that's on them rather than you. And makes it questionable they could exactly claim to be your 'bosses'." Donna slides the bottle of water over to Damian and reaches into the tupperware box for a cookie. She can guess what secret bakery Damian gets cookies supplied in tupperware from, and has no intention of missing out on one or two.

    "Kyle, if they intend on reclaiming your ring, then... well that's a bridge we will cross if it comes to it. They can hardly punish you or put you on trail for their own administrative oversights though. The New Krypton thing is a little more complicated."

    Donna gets up to add a little more popcorn to the popcorn machine, giving Yar a wink as she does so. Not that the popcorn is gone, Donna's accusation had been most unfair. Once the popcorn is added to the machine and the process started, she sits back down again. "The whole situation with New Krypton was complicated. Whatever the Oans themselves may have decided, the Lanterns themselves who were actually there on the scene made the right decision. The Lantern commander or whatever the title is made the call. Worst comes to the worst Kyle, you were obeying orders. There's a complicated situation going on between the Oans and the Kryptonians which we don't fully understand. I can say that the Oans do not trust the Kryptonians one little bit, which comes as a surprise to us being used to /our/ Kryptonians, seeing how much of a help they have been to their adopted homeworld. You've all heard of General Zod, though. It turns out that in the distant past it was Zod, rather than Superman, who was more representative of what Krypton represented. I think it's as simple as the Oans not trusting any Kryptonians with that amount of power, due to things that happened a long time ago, in the age of what was called the Kryptonian Hegemony. Why the Oans seem to take it so personally though, I'm not sure"

    Donna leans back and turns from Kyle to give Yar a long, thoughtful look. "You /could/ do more with us you know, Eagle. That's entirely up to you of course. If you decide that the best arrangement is a little social support, you are very welcome to that. But facing this life, having a team around you, people you who will look out for you -- well, I can tell you it makes this life a whole lot easier."

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Golden Eagle quickly reaches over to snag one of the cookies -- from the smell alone, she clearly already thinks they're *divine*... and the look on her face after she starts chewing on that first bite from one looks like she's in heaven. She does peek one eye open to look over at Damian, though, when he's mentioning stuff like 'Oa' and 'New Krypton', though.

When Damian mentions Jinx, she says, after her mouth's clear and with both eyes open, "The few times I've run into Jinx, even outside the Tower, she's... kinda always seemed cool to me. Heck, the one time there was trouble, she was totally on the right side of things, too. She just happened to be there when that guy tried to rob the noodle shop..." Then, after a moment, she asks, "What's HIVE?", before taking another bite out of that oh-so-scrumptious cookie.

As she chews, she raises her eyebrows as Kyle speaks of his current worries, listening as Donna speaks her mind about it all.

Then Donna's speaking to her, and she nods. "It's about me not having a T-Com, right? Sorry... I kinda just can't take one with me. I... well, my powers kinda make *me* having one a bit of trouble, I guess?", she says, putting her now half-eaten cookie down on a napkin she chooses for the purpose.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Snagging the water as it's slid over to him, Damian takes in the briefing on the New Krypton situation in stride with the others. "I would not be surprised that Oan would feel a little anxious that there is a whole planet of superbeings that can rival their ring-bearers in the right circumstances." he comments dryly, before he turns his attention to Golden Eagle.

"I can speak of experience of the difficulties from being alone to being part of something bigger. I was trained differently before Batman took me in. And even after that, my first days here, when Nightwing introduced me, did not go easily. It has taken years for me to become part of the Titans, much less to be trusted as a member of the leadership council." He draws in a breath. "H.I.V.E. is basically a training ground for those that wish to meld youthful people with powers into villains. Jinx was one of their number who has broken free. She's so far earned the chance to be listened to." Though anyone and everyone should know that Rook hasn't taken his eye off of her.

"There are ways to handle your unique issue without a T-Com." He turns to Donna and explains. "I assume that whatever transformation makes her into her current form does not allow the transfer of material between one from and the other." And before anyone can protest, he adds. "She has only been seen in this form and uniform in every meeting that she has had with us and in the press. It's reasonable to assume that she must have a way to change, as she is not known as an Amazonian, despite her build and abilities."

Kyle Rayner has posed:
"One of the guardians didn't like the state of affairs," Kyle begins the broad strokes. "So, he made a ring in secret. Cut it off of a few resources to keep it hidden and the ring found an owner," then he gestures to himself. "That's why questions of legitimacy come up," he says to Donna for a moment. It's less about titles, just how everything turned out.

"I know Oans are leery of those that can tip the scales into uneven territories. I know that just from their usual behaviors," and then he nods about Zod. "I've heard about them from reputation," and then he quiets up. Secretly, he will agree with Donna, but keep his mouth shut.

"I know the oans want all the help they can get, but there's still structure and order. They're big on that, even from that standpoint, this ring flaunts at that."

And then he listens more to the talks about Golden Eagle.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna nods her head in response to the problems Yar lays out, which means it may take a few moments to recognize that she's not actually agreeing with Yar. "If you kept a T-Com with you, you'd be able to keep informed about things like H.I.V.E," Donna tells Yar. "It's not just a method of communication with other team members, a way to call in help when need it, or hear other Titan's calls for help. It gives you access to our intelligence database, and has various useful features that make it an invaluable field tool for any hero."

    "Gar had a similar problem when he first started with us," Donna responds to Damian. "As I recall the first suggestion was that we make a dog collar with a built in T-Com, but that's not much help if he transforms into a housefly. We have the technological and manufacturing facilities to overcome problems, so long as we understand what the problem actually is."

    Donna turns back to Yar. "If for example you do transform and that transformation blows electronics that are too close to you - we could integrate the T-Com into a micro-drone, and it could fly a safe distance before the transformation occurs. If you tell us enough about the problem to identify what it actually is, we can work on a solution for you. That is if you decide you actually /want/ to carry a T-Com."

    Donna studies Yar with an almost uncomfortable intensity for a few brief moments before giving a smile, and leaning back comfortably in her seat and taking a swig of her Cola. "Tell me Eagle... your a legacy, right? It's an inherited power? You're not the first Golden Eagle and you won't be the last, if I understand correctly?"

    To Kyle: "The truth is there's only a limited amount we really know about the Oans. Pretty much just the information that the other Green Lanterns here have been willing to share. We know they have been around for a very long time. We know they have honestly quite similar aims to ourselves, though obviously they have a much wider remit than we normally do. The internal politics though? That's not something I have any insight into. One thing I can say though is that you're not just a Lantern. When you signed on with us, you got yourself a support network."

    "I'm inclined to think that they will judge you on your actions rather than some situation you find yourself in the middle of but didn't in any way create yourself. However if there is trouble, I promise you that you won't face it alone."

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Golden Eagle nods at what Damian says, though she also looks a bit surprised. "That's... what he said is actually it, in a nutshell. I change forms and if it's not a part of *me*, it stays with 'other' me... and when other-me changes into me, what I'm carrying then just kinda goes away until I change back again. I'd hafta take the time to put it down before I transform, every time, and that might take longer than I can afford. ... and then there's the whole thing about me being seen using it, or being heard using it, when I'm other-me...", she says, kinda rambling it all out there, gesticulating with her hands, using one hand to gesture when she's talking about being Golden Eagle and her other hand for when she's her other self. "You're smart", she adds, speaking to Rook. "No one else has figured that out...", she concludes, picking her cookie back up for another bite, giving others a chance to speak, too.

"So... the 'Oans", she says, and the way she says that one word speaks to that she hasn't a clue what an Oan is, "...they're all about rules and that ring breaks their rules, but one of them made it specifically for that purpose? Sounds like a really sticky spot to be in for you..." She reaches out as if to pat Kyle on the shoulder, too.

Donna asks about her being a legacy, and she nods. It's a few moments before she again speaks. "Yes. The previous Golden Eagle passed the powers on to me before he passed", she admits, though her voice is quiet, as if speaking of it is meaningful to her. "When the time's right, yeah... I'll pass the powers on to someone Eagle tells me is a worthy successor, just like how I was given them", she continues.

Damian Wayne has posed:
"That's why they put me on the leadership council." Damian says dryly before he takes a swig of his water. "Though I'm pretty sure that Donna had it figured out as well." he glances over at the Amazonian as she takes a firmer control of the meeting.

He knows when to let go. And that's what he does at this point, the young man turning it all over to her as he drops more into an observation mode.

Though he does finally move to claim one of the cookies. He, likewise, is not going to pass on the chance to partake of Alfred's cookies, even if he generally shows restraint when it comes to him. He knows how many laps he has to do to work off those calories.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna gives Damian a grin. "Don't do yourself down there Rook. You're smart. Probably the best detective mind on the team. You didn't get onto the leadership council for your looks, you know." She gives a little shrug. "I mean I did figure it out roughly, but I also had a little extra information that you didn't have. I'm about to come on to that."

    Donna nods her head from Yar to Kyle. "You two are both legacies in that respect. You were both passed your thing from the person who held it before you. That can be both very reassuring and also very tough. It means you're not entirely starting from scratch, but it also means you've got something to live up to. You're living in the shadow of giants, and that can be stressful. Rook here works for the Batman, and my sister is Wonder Woman. We understand, believe me."

    Donna takes a bite of cookie, and chews in silence for a few moments before continuing."So, interesting thing happened to some of us yesterday. The mission we went on went strange. There was a villain who'd invented some kind of time-freezing device, and it went wrong. Turns out he threw himself a thousand years into the future, and caused damage to the time stream. Some of the Titans are still alive in a thousand years, and they came back in time to fetch us, because we were needed to solve the problem in the future. Long story, and not entirely relevant right now. But what is relevant is that I met myself from a thousand years in the future, and she knows someone who asked her to pass on a message to me..." She raises an eyebrow towards Yar. "... to pass on to /you/, Eagle." A message from a thousand years in the future.

    Donna raises her T-Com and points it towards the giant monitor on the wall. The monitor comes to life, showing someone nobody there recognizes. She's standing still in front of the camera for a few moments before leaning in until the camera shows only half her face, and she grins. She says a word to the camera: "/Cuatli./" The screen is briefly filled with ghostly patterns of light that are very familiar to Yar, and as they fade the figure steps back so she's more fully visible -- only the figure has changed, and is now wearing a very familiar costume with the Golden Eagle symbol emblazoned across it.

    "These things are tricky," the person on screen says. "But I'm assured by Troia that this will be okay. It shouldn't cause too many ripples, but it may make your life a little easier in the coming months. /Yaretzi, uel teh tetemachi in titans ika mitsakin./ That is all."

    The screen goes dead, and Donna tilts her head questioningly at Yar.

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Golden Eagle blinks her eyes, clearly surprised that she's getting a message -from the future-, and turns to the monitor to see what it is. Her eyes widen as the message begins, then she's on her feet as it ends, staring at the now-dark screen for a bit. "Somehow, I *know* that was me... that it was Golden Eagle, even if that wasn't actually me at the start...", she says, although the Golden Eagle that was on-screen looks exactly like the one standing in the Tower. Eventually, she turns around.

"I can't deny that this *has* to be a message from Eagle and meant for me", she says. She looks nervous, but says the same word that was in the video: "Cuatli."

Ghostly patterns of light, looking almost like smokey fog, fill the area around her, flow towards her... and momentarily obscure her completely from view. Then they fade away, and a different woman, this one wearing street clothes, stands in her place. It took less than a second for the transformation to happen.

"I'm... Yaretzi", she says after a moment has passed. "Yaretzi Acama, from Spanish Harlem...", she adds, giving her full name.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian was about to respond to Donna when the message comes up. He had heard the rumors of time-travel shenanigans, but had missed out on it. And it is with that spirit in mind that he casts his eyes aside to Donna. When she drops the Yar bomb, he doesn't seem that surprised. It tracks with the information that he had gathered on the young woman. But like most of the information he gets, it stays with him.

"If you have any such a message from whatever is passing as him in the future, I don't want to know. I have no need to find out, I don't want it influencing future decisions." That said firmly and flatly.

When Yaretzi does her transformation, there's a brief frown from Rook. "I understood a couple of words in that message. I assume she has a solution to your T-Com issue - as well as your hesitation to be part of the Titans. That said, it is nice to meet you Yaretzi." he greets her with a slight smile. Nope, no sharing his name in return. "And with that, I should get going. I'm on patrol tonight." His hand touches Donna's shoulder as he gets up. "I'll keep in touch and try to get up to speed soon. And get in that practice you promised."

"Yaretzi, Kyle, if you ever need my assistance, the others know how to reach me on the leadership council. Or you can just leave a message on the BBS." With that, he moves to throw away his bottle in the recycling to make his exit.

Kyle Rayner has posed:
"Yes. Oans are a highly intelligent people that created the rings. However, the red tape was concerning for one," then he shrugs and nods to Golden Eagle. "Yeah. It is," Kyle admits about the situation he's in.

Pausing on it for a moment, "Think Grecian Council and how they looked at the rest of the neighboring city states," he tries to put the hierarchy, viewpoint and similar into digestible terms. "And someone got sick of that mentality."

Donna's words come forward. They're words of a civilization long since past. The ring tells him the language without trying. A brow raises from behind the mask. Kyle's not sure what to expect. Gold Eagle and him have had the secret identity conversation before. So, he doesn't expect what actually happens.

A puff of smoke and suddenly a different looking woman is there. One in street clothes, "Yaretzi. Nice to meet you," he holds out a hand. She had seen him out of the mask before. The extended hand is to show trust with him. This was a hard thing to do and Kyle knows that.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna returns Damian's gesture with the lightest touch to the fingers he places on her shoulders. "You're lucky, Rook. Some of us didn't exactly have a choice when it comes to revelations from the future," she says with a wry smile. "Have a good patrol. Give me some notice and I'll book the arena at the Themysciran arts center for a training session. Get a few of the combat trainers to give us a real challenge.""

    Donna smiles at Yar, and like Kyle she offers her hand. "Nice to meet you, Yaretzi. I'm afraid I can't offer the same in return, because you already know who I am. There was a time when I kept my identity secret because..." She glance Rook's way. "Well it's not a personal choice for everyone. I hated it and it was an immense relief when I could finally tell the rest of the Titans who I really was. Of course by then I'd known them for years, so trust wasn't really an issue."

    "Thank you for trusting us. If it's any reassurance... not a lot of people know this about me, but I can sense when people lie to me. That means my future self can do the same, and she was convinced the person in that recording is who she claimed to be. That aside... I believe you've made the right decision. Now, shall we discuss how to solve that T-Com problem?"

Yaretzi Acama has posed:
Yaretzi shakes her head as Damian speaks. "No, it wasn't a solution to the T-Com thing... just Eagle telling me that I don't need to worry about the Titans knowing who I really am", she says.

She hesitates a moment, but then extends her hand to accept Kyle's hand when he offers it. "Sorry for keeping my secret for so long. The thought that anyone knowing who I am could use that to go after my family -- it's scary!", she says to Kyle, though she turns to glance at the others to include them in her apology.

"I've been thinking hard about the T-Com thing and even Eagle doesn't seem to know a solution to that puzzle", she adds, gesturing towards the big screen, as if to indicate Eagle. The way she says that word, it's not like she's speaking about -herself-... and the way she speaks, though it's a different voice, it's the same cadence and rythym and manner of speech as when she was Golden Eagle a few moments ago.

Once she's also accepted Donna's handshake, and the new greetings are done, she sits back down and picks up her cookie again. She lifts a hand to waggle fingers, too, to Damian as he departs, as she takes another bite.

Damian Wayne has posed:
As he's leaving, Damian suggests over his shoulder, "If you can get her to one of the mages, they may be able to find a way to enchant the T-Comm on the same wavelength and resonance of magic that she uses in her transformation. Or a crystal that serves in the same capacity." He shrugs his shoulders.

Like his father, he doesn't understand magic. But that doesn't mean doesn't have a grasp of it. And with that, he's out the door.