2841/An Online Conversation

An Online Conversation
Date of Scene:	09 August 2020
Location:	Technically, the internets.
Synopsis:	Hope and Tim chat online.
Cast of Characters:	Tim Drake, Hope Summers

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Tim Drake has posed:
Being confined largely to bed isn't completely a waste of Red Robin's time. After Damian's birthday party, Alfred had effectively herded Tim back to his room to rest (and checked all the stitches, and rebandaged the worst of the wounds with fresh gauze wraps). Tim still had his laptop, and while he couldn't work too much on the various projects he had going on in the labs without actually being there, he could still do some research.

His room at Wayne Manor wasn't nearly as useful for 'lazing in bed while working' as his room at the renovated theater in Chelsea. He wished he had the wall of screens he could throw his research up on, but 'home' at Bruce's his room was much more normal and less... tech-oriented. So he's making due with the single screen on the laptop, his phone, and the wrist computer off his gauntlet (though Alfred had lodged some objections to Master Tim working into the night instead of getting some restful sleep).

And one of those projects he could poke around on involved a certain warehouse in Bludhaven. Someone else had managed to get the computers out before Tim could, and that was, to say the least, annoying. However, the following day he HAD managed to score a few pieces of hardware, which he has since scrubbed for a way to backdoor into that laptop to try and pull off any of the information on it. Provided it was, you know, plugged in and turned on.

So that is what Red Robin is doing, scouring the various networks in the tri-state waiting on the signal from the laptop to ping. While that's running in the background, he's researching a couple of other projects that are perhaps a little more personal, in the sense of finding out more about the assholes who took his best friend. Or created his best friend. It's complicated.

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope is in need of a project. Or, more aptly, a mission. She's been focused on one for her entire life, and now...now she doesn't have one. And it's making her more than a little bit stir-crazy. It's what brought her to the warehouse in the first place. A hint of a rumor, a thread to start pulling on. And one she had that thread, there was nother one: the others at the warehouse.

It took a few days for her to decide what to do next. Keeping the school safe was a priority, of course. And eventually caution won out over her other idea of making herself moderately obvious in the area around the warehouse.

Once she decided, she took the laptop to the school's computer lab. And between her own knowledge and a certain borrowed power, it's easy enough to power up the laptop while keeping it secure enough not to give away a location. While she waits, she starts to browse through the files, idly curious.

Tim Drake has posed:
Ping.

Tim sees the notification in the bottom corner of his phone pop, and immediately flips focus onto his laptop. NOWHERE can wait for a few minutes. The firewalls between him and the laptop are more of an annoyance than something that actually prevents him from getting IN to the laptop, which after a few minutes, he manages.

He can see someone's browsing the files. For the moment, that doesn't interest him as much as a location on where the physical location of the laptop might be. He begins tugging at the datastream, trying to get an exact location.

Nothing. He frowns darkly. That's troubling.

Unknown to Tim, of course, Xavier's School netowrk has an internal firewall that's Shi'ar technology. He may be a genius, but this is not exactly his playing field.

After several frustrating attempts that go nowhere, he finally ignores that option and simply opens up a Note window on the screen. He uploads an avatar of a chibi Red Robin to the Note window, and then types:

<<Hey. Are you the girl that left the dead guy on the floor in the office, because seriously.>>

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope scrolls quietly through the files, noting names and numbers where she can as she waits for what she expects. When the notepad pops up, she pauses, waiting for the words to come across the screen.

<< You mean the one that was shooting at you? And definitely hit someone? >>

It's not that she //enjoys// shooting people. It's just what you do so that //you// don't get shot. Living is preferable to dying.

After a moment, she puts her hands to the keyboard again. << It wasn't my first choice, but I'm pretty sure it also wasn't a big loss to society. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
Tim frowns at that response. Frowning is a Bat-trait, it seems. He begins transferring the data off the laptop in the background before he responds.

<< I mean, I get shot at at least twice a week. I still don't kill people. If you kill them, they can't reform. They are just dead, and no one should have the power to make that decision. It's not like it's something that can be undone.>>

He scowls now. Something slowing down the transfer. That's... aggravating. <<She's fine, by the way. The girl that got shot.>>

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope glances at the programs running through the computer, lips twitching slightly upward as she watches the files transfer. Well. It's safer than trying to deliver the physical laptop at least.

<< That's a great view for the long-run and people who don't know what they're doing, >> she agrees. << Less great in the moment. Anyhow, like I said. Not my first choice. Also glad she's okay. Getting shot's not a lot of fun. >>

She leans back in her chair, head tilting as she watches the screen and the tiny frowning image. After a moment, she reaches out with one hand, slowing the transfer just a little more. Might as well see if they'll keep talking.

Tim Drake has posed:
<<Neither is getting stabbed.>> Tim agrees with the whole 'not-fun' thing. Also relevant to his current annoying situation. <<Why do you keep slowing the data transfer? Do you have a vested interest in hiding this information?>> He immediately uploads a 'keepalive' program into the laptop, which will force it to stay awake and online short of pulling the battery out, and as soon as the machine gets power again, force it back up and online. He watches the progress bar of his upload. Need to keep her talking while he's pushing the program through. << So who are you and what were you doing in Bludhaven? >>

Hope Summers has posed:
<< The last shrink I saw said I missed a crucial stage in my social development. >> In their defense, they were not wrong. << So. I'm not always great with the whole making friends thing. I'm Hope. >> The cursor blinks in silence as she purses her lips, rubbing a hand at the back of her neck and thinking it through.

<< That's not some kind of statement or weird hero name thing. I'm not being dramatic. It's my name. >> Safe enough to provide, since there are exactly zero records of her existence. << And I was in Bludhaven because I caught wind of the theft ring and I wanted to make sure it wasn't financing something a little more sinister than missing fancy car parts. Also there was no Gotham or Bludhaven where I came from, so I was curious if it was as bad as people say it is. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
<< Hope's a nice name. >> Tim actually isn't really up on the whole 'mutant savior' stuff, so to him, it's like being named 'Mercy' or 'Violet' or something similar. << Red Robin. I work with the Batman. >> Both entirely accurate and a slight understatement at the same time. << And that is a codename, obviously. >> He pauses before he continues, << Apparently it was financing smuggling Cuban cigars, which baffles me because they aren't even illegal. I took a few and had them checked for drugs or something nefarious, but here we are. >> Another pause.

New line. << No Gotham where you come from? Are you from another planet? Or another timeline? >> His question is typed out fairly smoothly, the letters popping up on the screen without stuttering or pausing.

Hope Summers has posed:
<< Timeline, so far as I can tell. Reality, maybe. I've been leaning more toward reality just because there are some dramatic differences - like whole cities - that seem to be more extreme than just a timeline can account for. That's the short version. The long version's a little more complicated. There's a lot of time travel. >>

Hope leans over to one of the school computers, pulling up one of her crib sheets for things unique to this world. << The Batman. We didn't have one of those, either. The whole reign of terror thing kind of runs counter to the no killing though, doesn't it? I mean, sure, scaring the crap out of people is effective, but it's not like it's LESS cruel than shooting someone. Could argue there's a lot more suffering to living in terror. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
Tim scowls a bit at that. << Terror isn't the point. Rehabilitation and reformation is. Jail and mental health treatment is far preferable to wanton murder. >> He feels like a broken record sometimes, but he believes what he's saying. Or typing, in this case. << Unfortunately, though, Gotham (and Bludhaven) for some reason tend to have more criminals of the 'psychotic murder' sort than I've seen anywhere else. I have some theories, of course, but not as much time as I'd like to look into them. >>

New line. << Besides, sadly, most of the criminals here don't seem too terrified, and the people of Gotham mostly love the Batman and what he stands for. He is their protector, their Dark Knight. It does make sense though, if you come from a reality without a Gotham that it wouldn't have a Batman. He is uniquely Gothamite. He is the city. >>

Hope Summers has posed:
<< What part of putting the fear of a giant bat into people is rehabilitative? >> Hope does not seem very convinced. Either that or she's trolling him. It's hard to be sure. << Sorry. Don't mean to say you guys aren't doing what you can. Just...there are different ways to handle different things, and sometimes drawing a line in the sand causes more troubles than it solves. But I've also seen good people go too far because they justified what they were doing as better in the long run. Way, way too far. Anyhow, I get it. >>

She adds a few more notes on the other computer. 'Dark Knight,' 'Gothamite,' 'definitely territorial.' << It wasn't really a choice. The guy was shooting, the nearest weapon was a gun. I reacted. I'm not sorry. I'd rather people who protect a city be around than someone who busts out a machine gun to protect cigars. But I'd probably prepare better next time. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
Tim smirks. Bingo. Program uploaded. At least now even if she tries and shuts down, he should be able to grab the rest of the data. << Don't take this wrong, but whatever was going on there was a lot less thought through than most of our rogues tend to, psychotic or not. >> Tim's almost apologizing for the ridiculousness of that evening. << Makes me think it's a New York problem trying to scope out a foothold in Bludhaven. Not in their best interest. We Bats aren't the only folk in Gotham and the suburbs thereof that are territorial. >> A little bit longer, and he'll have the last of it. << How did you jump realities? Is this a permanent thing? I've met someone from a different reality, though theirs had a Gotham. It was different than ours. Forgive my curiosity, but these sorts of things interest me. >>

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope snorts softly, shaking her head. << Well, in a place like this I get the feeling most people don't turn to crime because they make good life decisions. >> Understatement of the year.

The cursor blinks for another moment after that as she tries to organize an answer to the bigger question without typing it all out first. Finally: << Ever heard of the phoenix force? >>

Tim Drake has posed:
<<No.>> Tim's answer comes quickly, but not so quickly it indicates lying. New line. << Is that a team, or is it some sort of energy? >> The person Hope is talking to is at least asking intelligent questions. << If the latter, how is it quantitated? Is this something that's used for dimensional travel? >> Nerrrrrd.

Hope Summers has posed:
<< Energy's close. It's a cosmic entity. A force for creation and evolution, but a part of that is destruction. Where I came from, encounters with it had ended pretty poorly in general. Very powerful, but also very destructive. I was supposed to be its host, but the first time it showed up, I chickened out and ran. It split into some other people - friends - instead. If you're not built a be a host, it's...>> Again, the cursor blinks. << Extremely corrupting. >>

Hope lets out a huff of breath, fingers tapping on the desk. << Some really bad stuff went down before some other people and I worked out a way to get it back. I had it. I had it under control. And when I did, I knew it was better if I got rid of it. For good. It caused too much trouble every time it showed up. So with the Phoenix power and the dragon's chi and the chaos power and Wanda's help, we said no more Phoenix. And then I woke up here. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
There's a long 'silence' as the cursor blinks, absorbing what Hope typed. Then, << Then it potentially stands to reason that this force either does not or cannot exist in this reality. Or if so, it is intrinsically altered. >> Another pause. << That does sound traumatizing, though. I'm genuinely sorry you experienced it. The person I referred to also had some very traumatic things in their reality that are very much not so in this one. It gives me some small hope that this means that no matter how dark this world seems at times, there will be better things on the horizon. >>

Hope Summers has posed:
<< Oh, this is 100% a better reality. Seriously. You guys have ice cream, and peanut butter, and Superman. The number of people in support of Sentinels is still actually a minority. There's still civilization. Trust me, you guys are doing great. And the Phoenix Force is still here. Which is...awkward, to say the least. >>

The next letters come more quickly, as if she's rushing to add them. << But they're way more prepared for it here. I'm not the only phoenix timeline refugee. Also I heard you guys have something called Green Lanterns who patrol space or something? Not that anyone was about to do much about it from space where I was from, but it's one more line of defense just in case.>>

Tim Drake has posed:
<< Wait, there's not Superman where you're from either? >> That's typed out quickly, and then there's a short pause. << Or peanut butter? That's a really strange thing not to have. I wonder what sort of divergence caused that? The more I learn about reality shifting and dimensional irregularities the less inclined I am to touch any of that myself. >> New line.

<< I'm pretty sure my best friend would try and punch anything coming from space to destroy the world, though. He might even be somewhat successful. :) >> Yes, a smile emoji. << But if this force exists here after you banished it, does that mean you actually banished yourself to a reality where the force still exists then? This is an interesting conundrum. >>

Hope Summers has posed:
<< No Superman. The peanut butter is part of the complicated part. When I was born, they sent me into the future with Nathan so I could grow up safe. But we were followed by someone who thought I was the cause of HIS crappy future and thought that if he killed me, it would make everything okay again. He damaged Nathan's time drive so we could only go forward, not back. And then he proceeded to basically destroy the world behind us so that he could force us into a corner. Justified it by thinking if he succeeded and he killed me, then his crappy future wouldn't happen, which would mean he wouldn't have gone through time killing billions, so all of these people he was killing were basically some kind of philosophical exercise. Total dick move. >>

<< There was a lot of time where there was no one but me and Nathan. The times when there were other people were not better. And there was definitely no peanut butter. We got back eventually, though. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
<< That sounds incredibly complicated, yes. So reality shifting and time-travel. And being stalked by a genocidal maniac. That sounds awful. Are you somewhere safe now, with your...>> The cursor pauses and blinks. <<Brother, I'm guessing? I know someone who has some experience with dimensional hopping and these sorts of things, though he really avoids time travel, if you need someone who can help.>>

Hope Summers has posed:
<< Dad. Closest thing to, at least. No one actually knows who my bio dad was. >> Hope pauses at the offer of help, frowning slightly. She can't help but be a little suspicious, even if she's inclined to believe it's well-meant.

<< I thought he'd died in the fight after I made it back to the right time, but he found me here recently. We're pretty sure we're stuck here, but honestly? I think I did what I needed to do where we came from. And it's not like I was there long enough to really call it home either. So if we're here, we're here. Like I said, it's in better shape than anywhere or when else I've been so far. Even Bludhaven really wasn't that bad. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
<< Well, it's good you are somewhere you feel safe then at least. You and your Dad.>> Tim glances to the download. Done. Perfect. He let's the cursor blink for a few moments. << I'd like to say time travel is new to me, but I know someone else from the future as well.>> There is a long pause. <<But if you are happy and comfortable here and its safe for you, then that is a good thing. From what it sounds like you could use it. Being stuck here isn't so bad, then. >>

New line. << I've got all the documentation off this device. It was nice talking to you, Hope. If you want to talk again, here's my number.>> He adds the number to one of the lines he routes as Red Robin. Sometimes contacts need a way to contact you after all. <<And an email.>> Its a burner email, of course, that he gives her, but thats probably not unexpected.

Hope Summers has posed:
<< Glad you got it. I wondered if I'd have to leave the laptop by that big spotlight. >> Hope grins on her side of the computer. "It's on top of the police station, right? Be a challenge, at least. But I get the feeling you guys wouldn't be so busy if the police were trustworthy. >>

Seeing the number, she pulls a burner phone of out her pocket to add it in. Just in case. << You can reach me here. Let me know if you run into any any links to Purifiers or Reavers in there. I haven't found any yet, but those jerks definitely don't need any extra funding. >>

There's another pause, then more writing. << And thanks. And...sorry. I mean. Not sorry for what I did, but sorry for not planning well enough to avoid it. Your turf, your rules. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
<< Purifiers? The anti-mutant religious group?>> Tim frowns at his laptop. <<If I find anything about them I will let you know. I'm not a mutant, but I'm also not a fan of their "work". You're right, any funding going to them is a problem.>>

<<I'm not nearly as vehement as the boss about the whole 'stay out of Gotham' thing. But yeah, if you do find yourself on our turf again, kneecaps are fine. :) Believe me, I have this argument with my brother all the time.>>

Hope Summers has posed:
<< Those are the ones, yeah. Trust me, it only //starts// with mutants. And just because you're not a mutant doesn't mean you don't have an X gene. Or your kids might. Or you know. Future stuff. >> It's hard to tell if she's joking - she doesn't seem to get the whole emoji thing just yet. Give her time.

<< Kneecaps, check. I'll keep it in mind. Tell you're friend I'm glad she's okay. She had some killer moves. >>

Tim Drake has posed:
<< That isn't surprising. Its not a huge jump from Mutants to metahumans, Kryptonians, even those with Gen factor.>> A pause. <<Like I said, not a fan. But I will tell my friend she has killer moves for you. I will be in touch with what I find out. Red Robin out.>>