4563/Not Always the Missing

Not Always the Missing
Date of Scene:	01 January 2021
Location:	Sublevel 2 -Training Facilities - The Roost
Synopsis:	Bart confronts Phoebe about the missing persons report he saw on a newspaper at the zoo. Phoebe admits she may not be all hope and flowers. Various plans are hatched to investigate the couple proporting to be her birth parents.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Bart Allen

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe Amelia Beacon has quietly been on the Gotham Missing Persons list for two weeks now. She hasn't made mention of it to the other Outsiders. She hasn't actually said much to the team. She's been mostly smiles and quiet, a little more scatterbrained than usual, and if she wasn't out with Scout, she was in the infimerary reading or down in the training room, making use of the 80 pound bags.

    Her hair was tied back today. She was wearing a dark colored athletic top, and sweat pants. Her feet were bare on the mats. She had a sheen of sweat, the darkness of her skin making the shine of the lights overhead obvious over her muscles as she worked. There was tape around her hands, and though once unwrapped there would be no sign of the trauma, there were just the barest speckles of red against the knuckles as she beat the hell out of the punching bag. A beat-up gym bag and a leather jacket were off to the side.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen had to work during the day today and heard some people talking and then while cleaning up, he found a paper that had been left on a bench. Seeing the missing person thing, he almost ran home then, but no he finished his shift. After it though he came looking for Phoebe, he is still wearing the khaki uniform from the zoo. He first tries her room and the med lab, finally coming to the gym. He tries to wait patiently, he really does and makes it about 30 seconds, before "Are you ok, what happened people things your missing? Do you need us to do anything to help?

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Thuck. Thwack. THUNK!

    Phoebe delivers a solid knee to the bag, trying her best to try and make it seem that she didn't hear Bart -- but then she turns to him, and breaths out.

    "I'm fine. Things are fine. I have no idea what you're talking about." she states quietly. Like pretty much everyone from Gotham, she can be very deadpan when it's demanded of her.

    She looks over at Bart a moment.

    "Just coming in from work?"

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods a bit and says "Yea, was working the day shift, and having to help clean up the area, and I found a paper, talking about a missing person. She is about yea high." He holds his hand up around her height "16 years old, dark complexion, went missing from her high school. " He looks at her and walks up to her "Whats going on Phoebe, and what does the A stand for?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Must be pretty handy to be able to get a full day of cleaning done in about fifteen minutes. Kind of envy you speedy guys like that." Phoebe attempts to side-step the question, turning and hitting the bag a few times.

    "The A's for my middle name." she states dryly. "I Don't ask the details of your day-to-day life. Is it just me, or does everyone on our team who's not from Gotham like to poke around in personal matters?" she questions. "Maybe I'm tired of always being the positive one. Maybe just once I want to be the one who doesn't have anything to hope for. The acknowledgement that whatever makes me 'me', whatever enticed people to get me on the team isn't worth it because everyone who I love will eventually leave..."

    She turns, and brings her heel up, and down swiftly. That blow would have crushed someone's skull in, if placed just right. It's plain to see that Phoebe isn't just heals. She's hurts.

    "... or die."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks over and says "We are your friends, cause we like you not cause your happy go lucky Phoebe, and friends worry and care about friends." He looks to her and hmms a bit "You don't have to bottle stuff in, you have people who will listen to you, we have all been through things, and are there to help one another."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... you wouldn't understand. Your powers don't make you emit 'feel good vibes'. You don't have to try and figure out if someone wants to be your friend because their sprained ankle or drug hankerings feel better just because you're near them." Phoebe states, and there is a definite unusual air of bitterness in her voice.

    She takes a deep breath.

    "My mom's in a coma. And it's past the time period that my powers can do anything to help."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen walks over to look her in the eye "We all wanted to be your friend while we were not hurt, heck you even helped me hunt snails." He offers her a smile. He runs a hand through his hair, "We can keep looking we maybe able to find someone who can help your mom. Maybe you can find someone on Themyscira can help. Maybe go with wondergirl or even take your mom along se if they have people who can help?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Bart -- I appreciate the gesture and everything --" the braided healer states, and Phoebe just rubs the back of her head. "I'm not close enough with the Amazons to ask something like that. That's just... that's not in the realm of possibility. Asking a Gotham hospital to release an entubated burn patient to a bunch of people with barely-understood technology?"

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen says, "They have things we don't trust me Phoebe, I am all about tech, I grew up in a virtual reality. You were talking about magic at the tower the other night, maybe they got magic they can help with. Heck," He seems to consider something and says "I went investigating at your house after the fire, and Wonder Woman, showed up checking it out too. They like you and want to help.""

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "-- Diana showed up to--" Phoebe inquires, her eyes going wide a moment before she rubs the back of her head. She breathes out. "I had figured she had heard about the fire. She found me at the hospital later that day. I didn't think she... I mean, she's /Wonder Woman/ why would --" she stammers, and she wraps her arms around herself a moment, and then closes her eyes.

    "... I'm sorry, Bart. I'm just... a bit all over the place I guess. You don't deserve ire."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen offers her a smile, and says "Oh I know about being all over the place, you know what I mean? " He will zoom over and gets two bottles of water one for him one for her offering it to show her how he can be all over. "Wonder woman is the type who watches after her friends, and if your being trained at the embassy I think you count as a friend to her as well as us."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Some friend I am, suspecting all my friends of being afflicted through some sort of magic." Phoebe admits, but she gives a slight smile as she accepts one of the bottles of water, and sinks down to her knees to rest.

    "Diana is... more than a friend. I do admire her quite a lot. I asked her what she thought about my telling my mom about my power. I was a little concerned that..." she trails off.

    "... I think I was afraid that she would blame me for my dad's passing, the same way I blame myself."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen 's brow raises a bit, and he squats down to more look her eye to eye "Um, how could ya blame yourself foe that? He died in a fire that the jerk we caught set didn't he?." He pauses and says "You can't blame yourself for actions of others, even if they did it cause they like or dislike you."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... I lied when I said I discovered my powers last year. Scout was hit by a car once. Chasing after the neighbor's cat. He made a full, miraculous recovery and I passed out." Phoebe explains. "I was maaaybe eleven when it happened. I think it was really coming to me... but then my dad was killed because of the fire. They told me he died in the fire... but his death certificate states his place of death was at the hospital. He was alive during transport." she states quietly, and draws one leg up. She sets her chin on her knee.

    "If I had told someone that I thought I had these powers... mabye I could have done something. They would have told me the truth, and I could have helped."

    "Instead -- I was scared that they'd think I was a freak and wouldn't love me anymore."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen shakes his head, and says "Ok, you said healing Scout knocked you out, I would be willing to wager your dad would not have wanted you to, worried o what it would have done to you. Good parents, and from what you have said both your mom and dad fall into the good parent category care more about you than themselves. " He looks to her and says "My mom gave up seeing me to keep me safe."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... how come? Some sort of curse, memory lock?" the healer inquires, leaning back against her bag as she raises her eyebrows, regarding Bart with a measure of curiosity. "If you would rather not talk about it, I understand."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks to her, and says "Well originally sent me back to fix it so I was not aging at superspeed, but then she has to stay in the future, to keep my supervillian grandfather from coming back in time and messing with me. Which starts getting even more complicated that he comes back on a regular bases to fight my other grandpa.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... yeah, I can't... really compare with battling granddads. I only ever knew my mom's mother, since her dad was... eeeeh..." Phoebe holds a hand out and waggles it back and forth a moment. "Not keen on having a black granddaughter."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods, and says "Well I know a bit about people being your parents who aren't blood, I mean both Max, and then Jay and Joan are like parents to me. Your mom will understand it is not your fault, and we can continue looking for someone who can help her.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "You're right." Phoebe gives a slight grin. "Though, explaining to her how I got expelled outta Gotham West for breaking someone's nose on her behalf is gonna be interesting."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen smiles and says "You broke someone's nose? Someone got you pissed off enough at school to beat their ass. Well pretty sure they deserved it. Do we need to pull some strings and someone been your adult guardian while your mom is in the hospital?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe at that point sets her lips in a grim line.

    "I... ah... broke her nose, dislocated his shoulder, and pretty sure caused someone to sprain their elbow when I threw them into a wall. It was all kind of a blur after she said she hoped my mother dies and that Iget orphaned a second time." she breathes out.

    "And technically, the Johnsons are my legal guardians, since the Gotham Gate proved their DNA match. They just need me to show up at court to meet them and make it official. Possession legality of care of children is weird."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen frowns a bit and says "They said what? They deserved worse than you gave them. I could go get them dangle them above the lion cage or something if you want." He offers her. "Can they do that after giving you up? I am sure Rob or someone can help you out, maybe get you emancipated or what ever they call it. Have to find you a job, might be able to get you on at the zoo."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Emancipation, yeah, it's possible if you can prove you are better off without your parents. And I don't have the money for a legal battle like that. The Johnsons are being sponsored by the Gotham Gate paper, and they're staying in a prepaid hotel here in Gotham until I'm found. And it's really up to the courts to decide -- I mean, at this point I have my trust fund from my father's insurance, I'm poised to get more added from my mother's life insurance if she doesn't make it, and I have two apparently perfectly good parents who want me to live with them who don't match the people who dropped me at the liquor store -- so the whole 'hey, you were kidnapped and dropped and we're your real parents' thing? That's... plausable."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen 's brow raises a bit and says "You think we should get some of their DNA and do some checks of our own, I mean between the Arsonist, and the reporters being Jack asses, we could check into it. And if they are maybe talk to them, explain to them that you need time to get to know them?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "People already suspect, I imagine, that there's something going on. Superheroes don't show up at random to arson investigations. Not even the Bats." Phoebe considers. "Maybe we can arrange a meet-up for a pending investigation. I'll keep my mouth shut and someone else can do the talking. Pretty sure I have a faceguard somewhere for the lower half of my face."

    Phoebe's shoulders sag a moment. "But if we're trying to get their DNA -- I mean, they matched. Gotham General matched their DNA to mine from the initial visit when I was turned in."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen hmms and says "I didn't know if maybe they some how faked it or something." He offers, "And think we can get a voice thing for you if need be. Maybe see if Meg'an can show up as either Phoebe or Balm, if that will help."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... to be truthful? I have no idea if I'm supposed to take the armor on 'civilian happenings'." she gives a bit of a laugh, rubbing the back of her head.

    "... I could always dress you up as one of the newspaper guys for my school. They'll probably want to ask you about me." she leans forward now, and she gets the scheming sort of look, the wheels in her head turning.

    "If we do that, it'll be easier. You don't look too much older than most of the students. I think there was a sweatshirt I grabbed from the donation bin that'll fit you. A pair of jeans and a recording mechanism and boom, student journalist. Swiping a pair of water bottles would be easy enough to grab DNA from if we can get them to meet, and non-invasive. I should be able to use the lab here to run it."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks to her, and says "Ah could probably head over to the hotel they are staying at and do the whole hotel bus boy bringing and getting their food from them so we could get it that was as well. Which ever way you want to do it I will help how ever I can.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Eh. there's no gaunrtee to get a clean sample of the DNA. Carbonated drinks might deteriorate with carbonic acid and..." she trails off a moment, and then she looks over to Bart.

    "... you can feel free to tell me that you could have gotten the DNA and had it tested by the time I decide what we're going to do to get it."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen chuckles a bit and says "Well, maybe but I want to do this how you want to do this, it is important for you to be a part of this, if your going to be in charge of you, you should be starting now.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Yeah, but you're helping me in spite of the fact that I was kind of a crappy friend for a bit there." Phoebe replies, and she rubs the back of her head.

    "Diana had said that she would be willing to take over guardianship, which would make it pretty easy to stay in Gotham and say I'm just getting tutilage at the Embassy." she rubs the back of her neck and leans her head back again.

    "So -- I don't suppose there's like, a secret underground group of psychologists who help out superheroes, right? Because if I go to my social worker with this, I'll prooobably get arrested."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen hmms and says "There are one or two I think heard of a guy by the name of Doc Sampson, but I have never went to one, and I know what ya mean, I did the whole school thing while hiding the identity. You make me cookies, so I think I can be ok with you being upset some." He smiles a bit and says "If you want to go on that trip next week I will look over things here for you.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... it wouldn't feel right leaving my mom in such a state. I'm sure Donna and Diana would understand." she explains gently to Bart. She does give a soft snort at the baking of cookies.

    "Yeah, well, until I have mature lavender plants again, that'll be the last of the Lavender-Honey."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will look to her, and off he goes, and moment later he is back with a basket full of picked lavender flowers. "This enough?" He asks her smiling.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Bart is gone in -- well, a flash! And just as soon returns, and Phoebe blinks a moment at the basket of picked lavender flowers.

    "... Bart, it's not even -- it's Winter -- where did you get these?" Phoebe questions, though she is very, very grateful -- she inhales the earthy, sweet scent of lavender deeply. "I mean, it'll take about a month, but I could make a couple of jars of extract with this!"

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen offers her a smile and says "Small town in southern Mexico, if you want any kind of natural grown things, I can get them, as probably in season some where." He offers her a smile and says "Anything else you want me to go get?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Ah --" she blinks a moment, and then rubs the back of her head "Ten mason jars with tight lids, enough everclear or vodka to fill them, and I think I haeve a big bin I can use to keep them out of the sun for a while while the extract works?"

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods, and is off again, and brings back all the things she asked for, and comes back balancing it all in his arms "Ok, got it, where do you want it? But I did mean did you want any other flowers, palm sugar, or anything that we don't grow around here that I can get.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... okay, this was definitely a benefit of hanging out with speedsters that I did not count on..." she states quietly, and she lets out a breath -- and then just begins to laugh.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen chuckles and will smile, as the running around and getting stuff was worth it, to get the young lady to laugh and help her mood.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a smile, and shakes her head.

    "Thank you. I think... I'm too used to having to bottle everything up because people don't understand us, why we do what we do." she states gently.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen grins and says "Well your around people who you can talk to, I was lucky I never had the no one to talk to, SB and Rob were around most of the time, and I can sorta get lost in video games.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a small smile.

    "Yeah, well... my escape from my day-to-day was sneaking out of the house to heal people. I don't think I can remember the last time I played a videogame for more than like, twenty minutes... I mean, I know it was one of the Skyrim releases but couldn't tell you which one."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen says, "Well if you want to work on your video game skills, then you have the master here, I can be your Yogi to your Luke Skyjogger.""

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... I'm not sure if that is the king of all malafors, if you're referencing Yogi Berra with it or... my... brain just hurts now, Bart!" Phoebe laughs. "Well, I should probably take Scout for a walk and then wrap things up --" she smiles, going to stand up.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods and says "Berra? I thought it was Bear, and the green guy was yoda." He asks obviously joking at first but seriously confused now.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Yogi Berra -- he was a baseball player. Famous for his malafors more than for his baseball playing..." she blinks, and she rubs one of her ears. "Ah... maybe it's the future kid thing? Or I am just a huge nerd."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen smiles and says "I never looked into the history of sports, I guess I should read some books on sports soon

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "No, no, not the sport -- here... Yogi-isms -- if you come to a fork in the road, take it. It's not over 'till it's over, it's like deja vu all over again--" the younger teen states, pulling out her phone. "He's really way more well known for the sayings than he ever was for the baseball."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will move over to look over her shoulder, and see what she is talking about "So he is sorta like Yoda in some ways?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "No, Yoda never played for the Yankees." Phoebe gives a smile, showing off a picture of a rather old looking gent. "As far as I know, anyway." she smiles at Bart. "My dad loved collecting odd quotes from people, so I ended up learning a lot of Yogi Berra quotes. That's pretty much the sole reason some kid from Gotham would know about him."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods a bit and says "I played a little bit of sports, but not much and it was down in Alabama." He tells her. The young man does not sound like he was raised in the south.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "You didn't strike me as a sports kid, to be honest. No more than... really any of us." she frowns.

    "... playing baseball against us must be terrifying. We've got super hard hitters, fast runners, tacticians, and can you imagine Cassie -- not Cassandra, but Cassie -- looming behind someone when they're trying to hit?"

    Phoebe gets a thousand yard stare.

    "... Batman and Superman as umpires."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen smiles and says "It was hard to keep myself at normal speeds, I did not do it for very often. Think if were going to do it, would have to be against the titans or something."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Guess I'd have to play medic for both teams when inevitably someone attempts to slide and ends up going through a wall." Phoebe gives a bright grin. "Sounds like it'd be fun though, for a summer afternoon... if things aren't too crazy."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods, and says "We just have to make sure we get Cassie, if they got Donna. Wally for them, me for us..Rob for us Tim for them...is Supergirl a titan?

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I have no idea to be a hundred percent what the difference is between the Titans and Us, other than their digs are super obvious and ours are super not as obvious." she gives a slight smile to Bart.

    "So, other than hanging out at the zoo and video games -- what else do you do for fun, Bart? ... admittedly, most of my 'friendship points' in the Outsiders had gone to the local guy, soo... I'm a bit behind on everyone else."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen says, "Well you know about the snails and animals. I am going to college for animal medicine." He tells her, and thinks about it a moment "Went on a date a while back, but that ended up just being friends I think.""

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "So you're going to be the world's fastest veterinarian?" Phoebe lights up. "That's incredible! Now I know if I need an extra hand in medical I can call on you." she smiles, and she opens up her gym bag to show off the college level A&P books. "This has been my light reading. I've kinda thrown myself into training and... doing the solo thing is fun, but it's nice to have a study-buddy too."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods, and says "I should be able to help, " He takes the book and leafs through it and then after just a moment hands it back to her "Ok, I can help ya with it now." He offers with a smile, seeing if she will test him.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "... damnit, speedster." Phoebe states, looking at the book crossly. "It'll take me another couple days to go through this one before I have to sneak it back to the North End Library, and go to the central library to check out a different one."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen looks to her, and says "I can check thinks out from college for you, if you want me to." He offers "Once I have read a book I got it, so I can speed read them and you can take the full check out time with them if you need it."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe sets her lips tight again, and levels A Look at Bart.

    "... you're being too nice. It might just be my inner Gotham talking, but generally that means you're gonna rob me." she jokes, and rubs the back of her neck. "If I give you a list, can you grab them for me?"

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen nods, and says "Sure, should not be a problem, and remember I am not from Gotham, so I get to be one of the nice guys." He jokes back at her.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "YEah, well, who knows where I'm *actually* from. Could be from Gotham. Or Metropolis. Or even--" she leans forward slightly, "Boston."

    And then she grins, and grabs her gym bag and her A&P book.

    "I'll see ig I can get that book list for you, Bart. And --"

    she turns back, and gives him a big smile.

    "... thanks again."

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen smirks and says "Ah your from Gotham no matter where you were born Phoebe, but if I aint around just leave the list taped to my door and I will get them for you.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I dunno about that." she smiles at Bart, then hups her bag over her shoulder and makes an exit.

    So, now Bart knows that Phoebe was potentially expelled from school, Diana had *offered* to be her temporary guardian...

    ... and the couple, the Johnsons, who are supposedly her birth parents, are willing to go to court to make sure they have posession of Feebs.

Bart Allen has posed:
Bart Allen will be all stealthy and watch the Johnsons over the next few days, as he tries to see what is going on with them, but will wait for Beacon's plan unless something obvious shows up.