7177/Breaking Down the Process

Breaking Down the Process
Date of Scene:	01 August 2021
Location:	Foster Ltd Warehouse, Hell's Kitchen
Synopsis:	Ava brings Finley up to speed on her encounter with Phyla. The engineer assures her they'll stick together and make sure little green men posing as space scientists don't get too pokey.
Cast of Characters:	Ava Starr, Finley Ellison

---

Ava Starr has posed:
It has been quite the day for Ava. Stripped out of her Ghost suit, the thing hung again on the armour rack, she is dressed casually in yoga pants and a short t-shirt. There are still signs of Vance and Phyla throughout the space, but they are not here at the moment. Just as well, given Ava is trying to figure out the best approach to contact Captain Marvel.

How does one go about calling an Avenger, without turning it into a crisis? She's really not sure. What she's learned, however, is that a phone call to the mansion isn't the way to do it. She doubts an email will work, either. She may have to go down there in person to find the woman.

That could be interesting.

She leans against the railing on the upper level, looking down at the machine they have been building on the lower, a thoughtful expression on her face. Most notable, however, is the fact that the perpetual scowl that has etched premature lines around her eyes and across her brows has eased considerably. She looks... unusually relaxed, despite being mildly vexxed by the hassle of contacting Captain Marvel.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley looks up from her desk. And the notations that Vance had left her. It was definitely an interesting direction.

Ava's new attitude isn't lost on Finley. "Something's changed, hasn't it?" The question isn't really a question.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava looks back over her shoulder as Finley speaks. "She... did something to me," she admits to the engineer. Of course, she's referring to Phyla. "I'm not sure what. But... it doesn't hurt so much any more. I think she bought us a little time." A beat. "Maybe a lot of time."

She pushes off the rail and moves toward the engineer. "I'd like to know *what* she did. What's different."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley opens her mouth. And then closes it. She shakes her head briefly. Then she admits, "I would too. Don't misunderstand me, I'm glad you're feeling better. But she's not going to stick around forever. And if it's only a stop gap we need to be able to replicate and improve on whatever she did without access to her fancy powers."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava nods, moving to stand beside the woman she's coming to consider a friend. "Yeah," she agrees. "That, and she says my best hope for a cure is some alien scientist on a planet who knows where..." She gestures vaguely to the ceiling or window... somewhere 'up'. "Out there." Maybe not the wisest bargain she's made. But, it's been so long since she's had a clear enough head to even consider her bargains.

She looks at Finley. "I don't know if that's true or not. I do know... if it is, I don't want to go out there alone."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"Oh?" Finley says. She's about to tell Ava to go off with the alien and future-past super hero to find a better scientist. But the woman's words catch up to her. "Oh! *Oh*, um I mean, really? I guess it *is* more dangerous to walk though walls on a ship. You might end up on an unscheduled spacewalk."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava gives Fin a bit of a smile at that observation -- the sort of smile that turns a little green around the gills at the thought. "Yeah. There's that," she agrees. She lets out a chuff of air and pulls a chair close so she can sit opposite her. "Look, I trust you. I don't know them. I can't say no to the possibility they can help, but I don't want to go out there, into anything blind. Bill can't help me. You can and..."

Her breath expells in a rush. "And even if you can't, I still trust you. You're not like the bastards at SHIELD. Or HYDRA. Or whoever they were. And... you're the closest thing to a friend I've ever had."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley colors. She's wearing the hopeful expression of a golden retriever. "We're...we're friends?"

Ava Starr has posed:
"Well, we're not foes," Ava replies. She sees that expression of hope and, somehow, it suddenly makes her nervous. And perhaps a little afraid she's said something wrong. "I mean, I-- you--."

Air explodes from her lips again in a frustrated sigh. "Yes," she decides. "We're friends. You don't suck, Ellison. And you're a helluva lot smarter than I am. Given all the weird shit going on... one of us needs to be."

Finley Ellison has posed:
She can't help it, Finley rushes over to hug Ava. She's practically jumping up and down as she emits a high pitched noise of joy and excitement. Then just as abruptly, she goes queit and lets go and steps back. "Oh, um, sorry. I...just...I don't *have* friends. I've never really had friends. And I'd help you even if you didn't think we were friends. Or if you didn't want to be. Obviously."

Ava Starr has posed:
"Waugh!" Ava finds herself suddenly enveloped by a Finley hug. An *excited* Finley hug. Surprised, she ends up going intangible. Of course, with Finley tangled around her, that means Finley does, too. The two of them tumble backwards through the chair and the floor, to land in a heap on the floor of one of the workspaces below.

As Finley collects herself, Ava pushes hair out of her face and looks up at her. "Obviously," she says dryly. She gets to her feet and dusts off. "You're a better woman than I will ever be."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Bashfully, Finley looks over, "Um, it's the job? I mean you're not a job. You're a person. A *friend*--" she relishes the word-- "But, you know, SHIELD assigned me to you. Sort of. Um, Your well-being is my assignment, my responsibility. And I'm not a doctor, but I won't let you down. Promise."

There is nothing more sincere in the universe than Finley Ellison in this moment. She looks a little scared by her own earnestness. Afraid that Ava will retreat back into her shell or her suit or her chamber to escape the onslaught.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava snirks. "You should get yourself transferred to SWORD," she advises. "'Cause SHIELD won't be able to do jack where we're going." And while Ava herself isn't really much of a joiner, these says, she knows Finley will need the backup the space agency can provide. And Ava's not fool enough to leave any resources off the table.

It's tempting to retreat back into her shell. Finley *is* overwhelming. But Ava needs her help. And she needs a friend who actually gets being human, if they're going to head out into alien land. "We'll make it work."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley nods, containing her "new friend" excitement. "I used to split my time between SHIELD and SWORD," she confides. It's not much of a confidence, any basic research into her job history would confirm it. "But then HYDRA released that video of lies and SHIELD went underground, and that's where I was at the time, so that's were I went." She shrugs. "I guess we're both lucky I did, or we wouldn't be here now. I do miss SWORD though."

Pulling her hair back into a half ponytail, Finley pauses, struck by a sudden realization. "My mother would be so jealous. If I could tell her what I was doing. Like *really* jealous. Wow."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava gestures to Finley to walk with her. They might as well head back upstairs to where the couches are. "Your mother wanted to work with a crazy, semi-intangible, walking time bomb?" Phyla's pronouncement that Ava could end up creating... or becoming... a whole new realm wasn't completely lost on her. Atomization is, apparently, even more of a danger than she first suspected.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"My mom works for SETI," Finley explains. "All those satellites exploring the signals of the universe, looking for life out there. Well, other and more life out there, I guess. But yeah. She'd think you're fascinating." She pauses in their walk, and turns to face the other woman. "I do too. Honestly. Far too fascinating to let your molecules lose their coherence."

Ava Starr has posed:
There's a wryness in Ava's smile at Fin's comments. It seems fair to her, really. Ava needs Fin's expertise, needs to have a scientist -- a human -- around she trusts. If that comes at the expense of being a bit of a lab rat, well... nothing different about that for her. It seems to be her lot in life.

That is, when she's not killing, or sabotaging, or infiltrating, or stealing. Well, hell. No one's perfect.

"I'm glad I fascinate you," she says, perhaps a trifle drily. "Maybe you'll be able to figure out if the alien was telling the truth." She pauses and meets Fin's eyes. "Do you think I'm a walking timebomb that could destroy the universe, Finley?"

Finley Ellison has posed:
"You'd fascinate anybody," Finley says sheepishly. "You're spectacular. And I think if you ever destroyed the universe, it would be because you particularly wished to do so. Not because you couldn't help it. And besides, it's not something you need to worry about anyway. Because we're going to go on an adventure to meet this alien scientist, and they're going to fix you."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava resists the urge to roll her eyes at the 'spectacular' comment. She puts it down to scientists and their 'discoveries'. God knows she heard enough of that over the years. One egghead after another, gushing over the 'remarkable energy' she exhibited or 'incredible abilities' it gave her. It's stuff she's heard so often... it stops having an impact. It's not that she doubts Finley's sincerity. It's that she no longer sees the same appeal.

But she accepts the reassurance at face value -- not something she usually does. "Yeah, well... Make sure you raid the armory for the heavy weapons before we leave," she tells her friend. "Phyla says we're hitching a ride with a bunch of space pirates who are helping her rescue their buddy from some space tyrant who wants to destroy the universe. So, it'll probably be a bumpy ride." Yeah. She's not kidding.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley looks concerned. "You know I won't be an asset in scenario, right? And she does too? Are you sure I won't just be in the way?"

Ava Starr has posed:
"Please tell me you passed your certs," Ava says, stopping near the couch to look at Finley. "Your not purely a research agent, are you?" She knows the woman is an L4 or L5, just from the discussions they've had. But she's hoping she's had at least a little field agent training.

She shakes her head stubbornly, nonetheless. "She doesn't expect us to help. It's not our fight." Doesn't mean she won't pitch in, if she can. She's got to repay the ride to Hala somehow. "I really don't want to make the trip without you."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"Of course I did. I've been in the field before. That's where we found you, remember?" Finley is only momentarily indignant. "It's just...outside of my comfort zone. I've never been in combat in *space* before.

"But I'll go with you. If you want me," she says, coloring briefly when she says it. Only she's not sure why. Must be the whole Ava being a friend thing. It's a rare occurrence. "I just hope you haven't oversold my usefulness."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava reaches out to put a hand on Fin's shoulder. "I didn't try to sell your usefulness at all," she admits. "I didn't think I needed to." Her expression is strange, insofar as it is a strange mix of devil-may-care and a sincerity she rarely shows. "You're my friend, you're the one person in this place I actually know and trust. And you know a helluva lot more about this than I do." More importantly, Finley somehow keeps Ava from letting her fear and pain get the best of her. "We'll watch each other's backs, deal?"

Finley Ellison has posed:
"Deal," says Finley with a smile. Then she dares to hug Ava briefly once more. But without the excited bouncing and shrieking. She doesn't want to startle the other woman into insubstantiality again. "I can't believe we're friends. That's so cool!"

Ava Starr has posed:
Yep. Not a hugger. Ava is not a hugger. She lets out a soft "Erk," but manages not to flinch. However, her return hug is a trifle awkward -- a pat to Finley's back and that strained, awkward smile the English are so good at when things turn touchy-feely. Even so, over Fin's shoulder where it can't quite be seen, there's a softening of Ava's features and she does give the briefest of squeezes before she slips out of the embrace.

"We should hit the pub," she says, perhaps to cover up the awkwardness. "I know a decent place in Harlem." And she's not in pain any more. Not comparatively speaking, anyway. Yes, it's still there in the background. But compared to what it was? It's nothing.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"Oooh yes, lets!" Finley says with a grin she probably hopes is mischievous, but in reality just beams enthusiasm. "But I do still want to figure out what Phyla did for you. Before we join Major Tom on his mission, if possible?"

Ava Starr has posed:
That makes Ava pause. "Let's... do that first," she decides. "I'd like to know what she did, too." The scanner frame is still there in the lab. As is the energy dispenser gun. What Phyla's bands have made stays made. So, the tech is still there to be studied.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"Where did all of this come from?" asks Finley, noticing the scanner and other equipment for the first time. She really must have been distracted by the proposal of friendship to have not zeroed in immediately on the new tech.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava follows Finley's gaze to the triphorge scanner and the energy injection gun. "Phyla," she says. "She made it out of..." A bit of a perplexed scowl touches her face. "Energy, I think. I think it was those weird bracers she wears. She made some sort of weird energy ball and injected it inoto me with that gun thingy..." Technical term, that.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley examines scanner. She hmmmmms. "Well energy *is* transformable, so as improbable sounding as all of that is, it's definitely possible. Gosh, I bet Einstein wishes he could have seen that happen."

She gently presses buttons and prods at the machine...but nothing happens. "I can't seem to activate it," she sighs. "I don't know if Phyla's bracers act as the power button or if the thing is out of juice. But if the latter is the case, then without taking it apart, I wouldn't know how to power it."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava isn't overly surprised by that. She wasn't really sure at the time what Phyla was doing or how she was doing it. She just knows it involved a lot of energy transference and everything to do with the alien's strange bracers.

"Yeah, I can't tell you anything helpful about that," she admits. She looks out over the rail at the edge of the loft to where the shell of a quantum tunnel stands in the mainspace downstairs. She doubts it'll ever be finished. But maybe it won't matter. It seems the solution to her problem is in outerspace, not inner space. "I've spent a lot of time trying to understand what my father was building and what it might have done to me... I'm not stupid. But I'm not a scientist like he was. Most of this stuff is way beyond me."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"You're definitely not stupid," Finley says, offering Ava a small smile. "And I think it's a little different for you. It's harder to be willing experiment when getting it wrong can maybe kill you. Theoretical physics *aren't* theoretical in your case."

Finley glances down at the quantum tunnel shell. "Look at how much you've accomplished. Largely on your own."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava gives a wry smile at the observation. "I'd be afraid to turn it on," she admits. "But my foster-father speculated it was likely the only way to procure the exotic particles he thought we needed to fix me. He did a lot of the calculations for that." She gestures to the tunnel. "I just put the screws together mostly. It's nowhere near done."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"It's more finished than if you'd never started at all," Finley tells her. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit. Besides, we learn a lot by doing. You know more than someone whose never begun to assemble a quantum tunnel."

She glances over to study Ava's face. To try and read her emotional state. Looking away before she can be caught, she hopes.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava's emotional state since all this began has been somewhat mercurial. The woman can conceal her emotions quite tightly when she needs to. But this isn't really one of those times. The alien and time traveller aren't around. It's just them. And she's learned to trust Fin -- who has put up with some of her worst moods over the past several weeks.

"I suppose I do," she admits, pensive tension behind the words. "These aliens and things just make me nervous. It's a lot of energy to just be tossing around like she does. And I've still got to figure out how to get Captain Marvel to give me the time of day." A beat. "Preferably without risking her using me for a floor mop immediately thereafter."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"I've never met the Captain, but it seems like this alien is someone she'd wanna know about. Besides, you can be quite convincing," Finley laughs, recalling some of Ava's choice phrases during the woman's prickly rants.

"They *are* strange. But that doesn't mean they're bad. And I hope that all that energy means that they can use it to help you." She bites her lip, worrying it slightly. Then, after taking a breath, she looks the other woman in the face. "It'll be okay Ava. I'll make sure they don't do something abysmally stupid while they're trying to fix you. I like your molecules in tact."

Ava Starr has posed:
"So do I," Ava admits. "It's just... nice... to feel a little less pain." It doesn't stop a shiver from running down her spine. But it's not a rip-her-apart sort of shiver. More an automatic sympathy pang of sorts. Or maybe a memory of sorts.

In the end, however, she inhales a slow breath and releases it. "I just hope we're not getting in too far over our heads." She snirks softly. "I mean, we're clearly in over our heads, but... you know what I mean."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"We'll make it through," Finley says. "And hopefully after you won't hurt at all. Unless you fail to phase and get shot or something. But they want help you. So they won't let us die."

This is said blithely, with a confidence that could be considered naive. "It's an adventure, Ava. If there weren't risk and danger, it wouldn't be exciting."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava eyes Finley sidelong as she skips blythely ahead into adventure -- metaphorically speaking, anyway. "Where's Finley, and what have you done with her?" she asks dryly, a hint of a wry smile on her lips. She's more accustomed to the stubborn, cautious scientist than the brave adventurer. Though, she does like that side peeking out. A hint of a smirk touches her lips in turn.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley blushes. "I never had many friends, Ava. I was a lonely child. I didn't exactly have *peers*. So I read a lot novels. I don't *enjoy* being shot at or bombs exploding at close range or any of that. But if some part of me didn't love adventure, I'd work for Stark Technologies not SHIELD. And why would I be an Agent of SWORD if I didn't dream of what's past the stars? Do you know what my PhD project was?"

Ava Starr has posed:
The thought had occurred to Ava that, somewhere deep down inside, Finley must have an adventuresome side. She knows the woman has more mettle than it seems at first glance. After all, Finley has held her own even when Ava was at her snarly worst. One day, Ava should probably apologize for that. Today isn't that day.

"An alcubierre drive?" she quips, perhaps proving she knows more about science... or maybe pseudoscience... than she likes to let on.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"How did you know?!" Finley gasps. Her mouth hangs open in shock. Ava's obviously hit her mark. Or close to it. "I mean it was my own theoretical design, not Alcubierre's. His theories have fallen out of favor with the current understanding of quantum theory. But it was an FTL engine. Or a design for one. A theoretical design. Although maybe not so theoretical after all." Finley bites her lip again. It's the only way she knows to stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava looks frankly surprised at Finley's reaction. 'Cause... she was kidding. She just grabbed the first sci-fi term that came to mind, and since wave and particle theories have been on her mind, Alcubierre's drive, with it's warp wave, rather fit the bill.

"Soooo..." she says slowly, speculatively, "it's really not much of an arm twist to get you to go into space with me." A beat. She smiles, perhaps a little impishly. "On a starship. That probably has some sort of FTL system on it..."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Unable to look abashed, Finley grins. "I've been pouring over satellite data and peering through telescopes since I was three," she confesses. "If it weren't for the whole 'space tyrant who wants to destroy the universe' thing, I'd already have my bags packed and four stowaway plans. Just in case you tried to leave me behind because you 'd decided that the space scientists were better than me."lll

Ava Starr has posed:
"I much prefer you to space scientists," Ava says stoutly. "With my luck, they'll end up being little green men with probes that aren't at all meant for fun..." Add to it the idea of a space tyrant out to destroy half the universe and things get even more dicey.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Smiling a smile that wrinkles her nose with delight and causes her glasses to wobble, Finley says, "I guess we're stuck with each other, then. It's time to 'boldly go' Ava; 'to infinity and beyond'; and remember, 'never give up, never surrender'."