3593/Weekend Report

Weekend Report
Date of Scene:	27 September 2020
Location:	Level 4 - Recreation - The Roost
Synopsis:	Conner tells Hope about the missing in Buredunia and other recent things. Then they go in a date. Ish.
Cast of Characters:	Conner Kent, Hope Summers

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Conner Kent has posed:
It is Sunday afternoon and the roost seems empty. Well, Conner knows better, but what people do in their rooms is not his business. Sometimes it is hard not to listen, but he is not that curious, and tuning off sounds is a needed survival mechanism for those with enhanced hearing.

Conner himself is getting ready to go to New York. But he will be carrying some computer components from the labs. His goal being working on a new tower PC during the week, so he can bring the laptop here. That is, without asking Robin or Bart for tech support.

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope's been busy lately. Training on two teams is like that sometimes. But she does make it back here. Granted, sometimes that's just because she really wants to raid the snacks, but whatever works, right? In fact, judging by the rustling from the snack closet, that's exactly what's going on right now.

"Granola?" she mutters. "Who got granola? And pumpkin seeds?"

Conner Kent has posed:
Oh wait, that is a new voice Conner had not heard in all the week. Raiding the snacks closet, like a bandit. "Hope. Hey, good to see you. You missed the excursion to Buredunia yesterday," and maaaaybe he was a little worried. Conner seems happy to see the redhead.

"Pumpkin seeds? Not if Bart was here first," adds the young man. Granola maybe. They tend to go missing less often. Conner long suspected Cassie, but he could never prove it.

Hope Summers has posed:
"X-Men stuff," Hope offers in explanation, looking over her shoulder. "They get touchy if I miss too many training sessions. Never mind that I'm missing them because I'm training or on a mission here, it's a missed session either way." She finally manages to find what she's looking for - cheetos. Grabbing the bag, she backs out of the closet and holds them up triumphantly.

"How'd it go though?" she asks. "Everyone come out okay?"

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner tilts his head at Hope's triumph, obviously amused. "X-Men, uh? The mysterious mutant team!" Pretty much the only hero group that is more secretive than the Outsiders are now.

Well, not counting the Bats as a team. But really, almost everyone else has a big, shinny and public headquarters place.

"Mission was okay. We rescued half a dozen supers that had some kind of control chip in their head," comments Conner, sobering up. "And a trio of scientists got, er... we got them. Tim said the UN would take over. I really wanted to just go punch their president-for-life in the face. Looks like he is a super-villain called the Red Lion or something."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Spoilers, Conner. Anyone who's president for life is already a supervillain, whether or not they have a name and a costume to go with it." Hope snags a cup on her way to the soda machine, filling it up with whatever tap she reaches first. "But yeah, that sounds like a good instinct to me. What about the supes? Everyone okay, getting settled somewhere safer?"

Conner Kent has posed:
"I guess so, Pheebs healed them," at least physically. In fact the injures were mostly caused by the Outsiders themselves. "I am not sure about, well, how did they got there and what they did to them. They had little recollection of the past days."

Soda seems a good idea. So Conner follows suit getting a drink. "I have no idea where they are going. I mean, I suppose they are now political refugees if they are native Buredunians."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Any mutants?" Hope asks, looking up from the soda. It's not that she doesn't care if they're not mutants. It's just...given her past and her powers, mutants tend to be of particular interest to her. "I could probably talk to Lorna for them, if it helps. Genosha's kind of...a mess, but it's something. Besides, if someone from the government tries to put a chip in my head and use me for something, I don't care what the paperwork says, I am officially not their citizen." That's not how it works, Hope.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner frowns faintly, then shrugs. "You know? I didn't ask." And that is because he really doesn't care. "I guess you would have known right away, but I didn't get the impression this was an anti-mutant operation." He thinks a moment, "Tim got the information out of their computers, so maybe we can check."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Yeah, I'll look into it," Hope nods, moving toward one of the couches. "Just kind of a...thing for me, you know?" she admits, smile faint. "Spent my whole life being told it was my grand destiny to save mutants. Now you tell me mutants are in trouble and I'm already out the door and on the way. It's weird, though. Not having that pressure."

She drops down onto the couch, leaning against one arm and stretching her legs out in front of herself.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner sips the soda and gives the slender redhead an appreciative glance. Then shakes his head. "Well. You are the only... well, no. There is Laura. I guess mutants issues are going to be more important now. I mean, they are always important; just it was not something we tried to solve or really knew how to deal with. At least I didn't. You know? There is far more anti-mutant racism in New York than in Hawaii. I don't know why."

Hope Summers has posed:
"From what I've read about Hawaii, that's probably because people are way too busy relaxing and being happy there to worry about who's got special powers," Hope laughs, rueful. "Or it might be a percentage thing. The more people see them and run into them, the more they think about it. And New York and the surrounding areas are pretty dense population-wise, so more likely to run into mutants."

She pulls open the cheetos, plucking one out with a thoughtful look. "Laura's got useful powers for keeping me alive," she smiles crookedly. "I dunno. I think people get more spun up about mutants because they feel more...cheated. A lot of metas, there was some sort of science or accident involved. People can tell themselves it could have been them. Mutants, you have to be born with it. They can't tell themselves they could have mutant powers too."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Well, no. It is the metagen," replies Conner. "It is something that can activate in like one percent of the human population." He considers. Is this something he has read or are his memory implants? No. He is pretty sure he has read theories long after he left NOWHERE.

"Anyway. Meta-human comes from the metagen. A fair number of supers are metas. It was like half of them? Although now mutants are growing in numbers I guess much less. I have no idea why humans are so afraid of mutants. Makes no sense, unless there is something instinctual."

Hope Summers has posed:
"I think it's just people," Hope grimaces. "People are afraid of what they don't understand. And they don't trust people who can do things they can't. I feel like it's better here than where I came from but...Then again, things are different here too. That could change any minute, for all sorts of weird reasons."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Well, of course," Conner is also somewhat afraid of what he can't understand. Or rather, sometimes. Other times he is more curious than afraid. "But what is so mysterious about mutants?" He flops down on the couch in front of Hope. "Really, you are more mysterious because the whole time travel and the X-men thing," the X-Men, so 'spooky'. Really.

"Because the mutant abilities? They are cool, but I can lift a tank and I have laser eyes. Not many people are worried about me. And I am a half-alien clone. They should be more worried about bad guys making more super-clones than about kids being born with powers instead of getting them from... getting bitten by a radioactive green monkey. And other bizarre events."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Yeah, but you're a clone of //Superman//," Hope points out. "Which, as far as I can tell, is like being the clone of...I literally don't have a reference point for it, there was nothing anyone considered that freaking perfect in my entire universe. Captain America, maybe? Only more? I mean, sure, that didn't mean you were automatically going to be good, but...it's what people see."

Pulling out another cheeto, she casually props her feet up on his lap. "I think there's too much thought about using people to fight, honestly. I think if we just thought about them as different skills, we'd see a lot more forward movement."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner hms. He can see Hope having a point, remembering how people reacted at seeing the S in his old 'Tron' outfit even with him not even knowing what it meant. So he got a lot of goodwill by accident.

Maybe mutants should change the X symbol for a S.

"Sure. Skills. Well, it is not as if regular humans like Stark have not been able to do better than even the most powerful mutants and metas," he shakes his head. "I suppose you have thought about this much more than me. What could the Outsiders do?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"Same thing we've been doing," Hope assures with a small smile, shrugging. "Outsiders aren't here for the PR. That's more the X-Men's thing. We're here for the stuff that needs to get done, that the people who take care of the PR can't do because being //seen// doing it would make people more afraid."

At least she knows where she stands.

"Someone has to keep things safe for other people to do the optics. That's what we're here for."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner folds his arms as Hope reminds him what Tim wants for the team. Right. He agreed with the team goal. He guesses he can still try to do something about it outside the team. Maybe.

"I suppose so," beat, "hey, if you are still hungry maybe I can take you out for some real food. Or... actually the robot seems real good at cooking."

Hope Summers has posed:
"The robot is surprisingly good at cooking," Hope agrees, eating another cheeto. She pauses for a moment, brushing her hand off on her pants and giving him a longer look. "Hey, so...I need to ask you something." Pulling her feet back, she sits up and draws her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

"Everyone gives you a lot of crap about flirting with people. And I remember you saying something- or everyone saying something, whatever - about you and Cassie being a thing, too. So I just have to be straight up about it. Is this...flirting?"

Conner Kent has posed:
"Hah, everyone you mean Tim?" Replies Conner, leaning forward. "There was never anything with Cassie besides some... right, flirting. And fighting, we argued a lot. But that was a couple years ago, she was sixteen and I was... well, like sixteen. And I suppose I did flirt often, but not always. I was..." he frowns, then sighs. "I was in love with a woman from Hawaii, Tana Moon. She was a reporter and in her early twenties, so for a long time she did not take me seriously. I was the 'Kid', you see. Funny, but immature. And I believed that too. So, I flirted with girls of my age, often. Until... it become real, and shortly after Tana was dead."

He is not sure if this has anything to do with what Hope was asking, but he blurted it out anyway.

"And now I am going to college," he notes. "Not just to learn, although I want to learn. I want to live like people of my age is supposed to live. I think Tim is all about learning, studying and becoming a better Robin. Ironically he never really went looking for a girl, until we pretty much pushed him to ask Rose for a date. And look at them now."

He smirks a bit, "So, am I flirting with you? Yeah, maybe. I like you a lot, and I think you are pretty and cool."

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope listens with quiet intensity, expression serious. This isn't something she has a whole lot of experience with. "I haven't...done a lot of that sort of thing," she admits. "Been a little busy, you know? And I tried once, and then caught him kissing someone else, so...That was it, you know?"

She reaches back to rub a hand at the back of her neck, lips pursing against a frown. "Look, the thing is, this team is kind of really important to me. And I don't want...I don't want something to go wrong and it to hurt the team."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner ehs. Really. He didn't expect that one. Hope clueless? First time!

"You know? A lot of things can be wrong, most of them, we can't control, we won't even see them coming until it is too late." Like Deathstroke stabbing him with a kryptonite knife. And then dis-arming Laura. Eh, think happy thoughts, man.

"Something I am not going to do is worrying about tomorrow too much," he states. "So we start something and it doesn't work? Could happen. I won't hate you for it. Chances are it is my fault. I think a more likely crisis is someone gets seriously hurt or killed the next few months. I am not going to leave the team because that is a possibility, though. I know the risks of being in a supers team, and I know the risks of falling for someone and losing her. But I am not going to stop fighting, and I am not going to stop looking for the right woman."

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope nods slowly, still watching him with that quiet intensity. "I get it," she says after a moment. "I just...don't want to hurt you, either." Only Hope would be worried about hurting the semi-Kryptonian, or even think she had a chance of doing it. "Because if it starts to get in the way of the team and the mission, I'll put a stop to it. That's- It's just who I am, okay? The team, the mission. That's always going to come first."

Conner Kent has posed:
She doesn't get it.

But that is fine, Conner didn't either. Some things can't be explained. They can't be read about. Or even seen on TV. Maybe Tim gets it -now-. But Conner is pretty sure he didn't six months ago.

"Yes. It feels easier to risk your neck than your heart. And it is, it is far more straightforward, I grant you," the young man grins. "At least you didn't tell me 'I like you, but we should be just friends'."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Yeah, well. No promises," Hope smirks. "Could always happen later. And I'll still kick your ass if it needs it," she adds, shaking a fist at him. "So, you know. If this was a scheme to get out of that, you're out of luck." She leans back again, slowly unfolding once more. "How's this work, anyhow?"

Conner Kent has posed:
"Sure it can. But some risks are worth taking, hmm?" Conner grins back. Yeah, he supposes if Hope wants to kick his ass she can find a way far more easily than most. In some ways it makes it fair.

"How does this works? Ah, beats me. I am always improvising," he admits. "I guess we go to a date, and see if we had fun. There are whole books written about how 'this works'. But bottom line, I think if we have fun together, it is a good start. If later on we feel like we really need each other, then it really works."

Hope Summers has posed:
"...Need," Hope echoes, giving him a dubious look. "Huh." Hope has never //needed// someone a day in her life. In fact, she's pretty sure it's a sign that something is deeply wrong. But what does she know?

"Right. Well. Okay. Let's just not make a big thing out of it, okay?" she asks. "Like I said, I don't want it to be a //thing// with the team. We've got more important stuff going on."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Oh, right. Saving lives come first. But you are eating chetos, girl," points out Conner, smiling again. "So, unless you want to spend the next couple hours planning how to save life, the universe and everything, I think maybe we can grab some food, watch a movie, go to the beach, go dancing to a club, or making out. Maybe not everything at once."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Everything at once does seem impractical," Hope agrees, smile crooked. "And hey, don't knock the cheetos. This is quality junk food right here," she protests, shaking the bag as she pops another in her mouth. "So much flavor in just one little bite. I'm telling you, I hadn't tasted this much flavor in like...sixteen years of life. It's good."

Conner Kent has posed:
"I don't knock down junk food," replies Conner, standing up. "I know exactly how you feel," he states, "about cheetos. And pizza. And ice-cream flavors." And all the tasty things he didn't have in his years in virtual reality.

"And I think there are a lot of things you have not done in those sixteen years you need to try," so he offers her his hand. "We can make a list, I had a list. Still have it somewhere. Stuff I wanted to do after leaving NOWHERE. College was near the end, I actually managed like eighty percent in three years."

Hope Summers has posed:
"I'm not going to college," Hope says as she takes the offered hand, a stubborn note in her voice. "I tried the school thing before. It's definitely not my speed. But. We can talk about other things," she grins.

Standing up, she rolls down the bag and sets it down on the table next to them. "Hawaii was on the list, wasn't it?" she asks.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Nah, Hawaii just of happened. But I lived there for almost two years, it was great," he comments, helping Hope up and this time pulling her closer for a few seconds. "Tried high school too. It wasn't in my list, but the local government had its own list. School got destroyed by aliens. It was not my fault." It was his fault. "College is different. It is a... way of living. I am having a blast." Which is not very relevant. So. "Do you want to see Hawaii?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"I'm not against it?" Hope replies, quirking a brow. "I mean. It sounds nice. I've seen beaches before, but...they were kind of attached to floating militarized islands of mutants. We mostly used it as a shooting range on Utopia." Sure, what else would you use a wide open space for?

"The tendency of government agents to blow up schools is somewhat concerning," she muses. "Regardless of the universe."

Conner Kent has posed:
"I can fly you there," offers Conner. "Will take me about an hour flying low, and I can protect you with a telekinetic forcefield, so it will be safe, but not super-comfortable."

But, possibly, far more interesting than a movie.

"I think you will like non-shooting beaches," he comments. Then again, she likes Gotham. Maybe the sheet niceness of Hawaii will make her head explode! Hopefully not. "The cities are not bad either. Not as super-shinny as Metro. But more green, and a lot more blue, than New York."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Comfortable's not the sort of thing I usually worry too much about," Hope chuckles, taking a quick look around the base. "But...well, it looks like there's not anyone around who needs anything. They could probably spare us for a few hours."