[ open ]

[brisance]

Who| Agent Carolina & Agent North, Agent Connecticut, Theta, and open to others
What| Arrival/recovery/training
Where| The medbay, and then the training rooms.
When| After “The Reject Pile” and “An Eye for an Eye”
Warnings/Notes| to be added

[ CLOSED TO THETA AND NORTH ]

It had been a hell of an arrival. She’d just wanted a moment to catch her breath, to gather her strength so they could get the hell out of that hell hole of a base, only she didn’t have the chance. She’d arrived with warnings flashing on her HUD, unable to really comprehend what was knocking her out before she was knocked out.

And then, waking up in this medical ward. They’d at least answered her questions as soon as she started demanding answers. Shvaughn is quick to appear, to explain what’s going on. Carolina might be dehydrated and hurting, but she takes advantage of someone willingly answering questions to keep asking them.

And when she’s done, and rests, the next time she wakes up, Brande is there. Even though she’s not done recuperating, she’s quick to agree to become a Legionnaire. Even with everything going back home - but Shvaughn had assured her they wouldn’t be in danger.

Which is what leads to this - her having the ring nearby her hospital bed, turning over the omnicom in her hand. She’s still relegated to bed rest, and she thinks she’ll catch up on any information she can get a hold of, while she’s figuring out what the hell kind of outfit she’s going to have.

Unbeknownst to her, though, agreeing means she’s registered - means she pops up in a scannable database.

[ CLOSED TO CONNIE ]

Carolina’s been in the recovery wing for another day when they bring someone else new in. She’s looking at the omnicom when they bring her in, and so she misses it at first, until she hears the voice of a nurse checking her over. It’s the name that catches her.

That drags her gaze away, locking on the other hospital bed. That’s someone she didn’t quite realize was here, the literal definition of seeing is believing.

“CT?”

[ HOSPITAL (OPEN) ]

Carolina will be in the hospital for a few days, from her arrival to her release. She’ll easily accept visitors… no matter who they are, or why they’re coming by.

[ TRAINING GYM (OPEN) ]

She knows she’s developed powers - discovered the use of some of them in the hospital. Accidentally phasing through her bed had been one of them, and they’d been lucky she hadn’t ended up with a metal wheel through her body before she phased back.

She’s been having training lessons, but even though she was stuck for days on end in her own armor - she’s not going to take it easy. Even though she’s only cleared for light duty and training, here she is in the training gym.

She might be spending some time kicking and boxing a punching bag - but she’s also stopping to test out her new powers. She’ll move forward to move through the punching bag, or give it a hard hit and then brace herself against it coming back, seemingly becoming as hard as rock given that it bounces back without her giving an inch.

Comments

[truefaceofthelaw]

"That's what it comes down to? Touching a switch in your brain?"

Rico flexes his hand thoughtfully.

"That's nonsense."

And with that, he abruptly cocks his arm and drives his fist into the punching bag. Instead of going through, his fist quite solidly meets the surface. It swings back on its chain with a cheery jangle, and Rico draws back with a snort.

"If what you're saying is right, that should've gone straight through." He looks straight at her, visor blank. "But it didn't. So don't try to pull that on me. What aren't you telling me?"

rico she has no answers for you this won't end well

[brisance]

People trying to intimidate Carolina isn't new - or at least, that's how she takes what he does, suddenly swinging back and punching the bag. She doesn't jerk back, although she does blink, and then narrows her eyes at him.

"Sorry that it's nonsense, but unless you want me to tell you how exactly the neurons in my brain are firing, it's the explanation I've got. I just have to focus and think about doing it."

Such a nonspecific answer - her father would have hated it. But in this case, she doesn't have the science for it.

SHE'S OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO SABOTAGE HIM OK

[truefaceofthelaw]

"Don't be sorry, explain better." Rico sneers, deliberately missing the point. "Looks like the neurons in your brain aren't firing at all."

Rico cares about being the best, so, so much. And it rankles like nothing else when he's not. His gaze flickers over Carolina, cataloging everything about her that he can identify. Her height, her positioning, her attitude. That can't just be it, she has to be hiding something. And unwilling to share her secret.

"What makes you better than me? How are you doing what I can't?" It's a question more directed at himself as he mutters angrily under his breath, still staring her down and trying to figure it out.

*shatner voice* sabatage

[brisance]

She folds her arms when he says to explain better, squaring her shoulders as she gives him a vaguely annoyed look.

"I already told you how I'm doing it," she notes, and even though there's another bit of sympathy when he wonders what makers her better, he's now been sufficiently in her face to not make her really want to reach out and change his mind.

"Look - when you throw a punch, do you think about how you're doing it? Or do you decide to do it and then follow through? The speed, the strength, the style, those are all things you train up, but the rest is instinct."

[truefaceofthelaw]

Rico's attitude shifts from one of slightly-peeved contemplation to genuine bafflement as his eyebrows pinch together under his helmet. He puts his hands on his hips to mask his confusion.

"I don't," he says, cockily but also somewhat confused. "I don't need to. It is instinct."

Violence has been drilled into his head to the point where he barely even has to think about what he's doing before he's sending somebody to three months worth of dental surgery. That metaphor might have been a bit of a miss in that respect.

"Are you saying that your powers are like throwing punches? What are you saying?"

[brisance]

She can't quite read the expression, but the tone - the tone is clear enough. At least he's not muttering under his breath anymore, even if she doesn't relax. He's already keyed her up.

"Yes, they're like throwing punches. I just think about doing it, and it happens."

To demonstrate, Carolina unfolds her arms holding them up as she thinks about activating her power. It's a flicker over her, making her seem slightly opaque, and she backs through the still slightly swinging punching bag before solidifying again.

[truefaceofthelaw]

Rico doesn't mind that she still seems a little wary of his presence. He doesn't even like people acting too comfortable around him anyway. Meant that they weren't afraid of him, when they had every reason to be.

He watches her like a vulture, silently picking her every action apart, but it's completely inscrutable. There's nothing here he can use, and that frustration makes him snap his fingers twice at her to get her attention. When he's sure she's looking at him, he points back at the punching bag.

"Do that again," he orders. "But slower."

[brisance]

She almost might have listened to him, if not for the snapping of fingers. Really, she can't help but think, that's what his way of getting attention is?

"I don't see how me doing it slower is going to make it any more obvious," she tells him instead, crossing her arms and giving him a flat look.