Team Check Up

May 05, 2015:

Oracle checks in with some of the JL:A…. Kate gets a bit of a surprise.

JL:A Lakehouse

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

The worst of the threat from the Hydra attack on Metropolis has passed. Kara's been returned to the lake house. Fenris is still missing. Which…probably explains why Kate isn't actually resting and recuperating the way she ought to be. During the battle, she got hit with an energy weapon across her side that left a nasty burn across skin and muscle. It's nothing fatal, but it's certainly the sort of thing that could stiffen up given the chance.

Unwilling to give it that chance, Kate's already in the gym in the basement of the lake house, carefully working a punching bag. She's not going full speed, but being up is…a bit more than doctor's orders.


80'F days are coming, and for the last couple of days, it's actually -hit- that mark, causing a certain archer to want to spend a whole lot more time outside than in. Grilling on the charcoal grill, washing the new old car over (and over, and over), and going on runs. That's when Clint's not fussing over the fact that Kate's gone and gotten herself shot with an energy weapon.


80'F days are coming, and for the last couple of days, it's actually -hit- that mark, causing a certain archer to want to spend a whole lot more time outside than in. Grilling on the charcoal grill, washing the new old car over (and over, and over), and going on runs. That's when Clint's not fussing over the fact that Kate's gone and gotten herself shot with an energy weapon.

"Hey," Clint's checking in in the basement, looking like he's been working outside; the t-shirt is a little damp, "You wanna quit while you're ahead for a bit? I've got your secret stash of goodies upstairs." Motrin. 800 mg, prescription strength. "You're making me hurt just watching you."
<finished>


There's been enough Hydra activity for everyone and while Cal was off slaying dragons, he did hear about the rest of it afterwards. He blinks into the yard, sniffing the air as he catches the scent of the grill and looking around for people who don't seem to be present. Somewhere… somewhere… there. He picks up the thoughts of people in the basement and wanders down there. "Should you be doing that so soon?" he asks. "You only just got hurt." Who does Kate think she is? Cyclops? "And hello."


Oracle has been meaning to check in on the JL:A team it's been a gruelling couple of days for the redhead. The power outage in Gotham had kept her busy, as had providing what assistance she could for Metropolis. Checking her screens, the wheel chair bound woman notes who is at the Lakehouse…. good time to check in then.

"Hello there. What's this I hear? Kate, are you sure you're up to that? The report I have is that you were fairly injured." her digitally altered voice will be heard on their JL:A communicators.


"I'm taking it easy," Kate promises as Clint comes in, trading a punch for a kick. Which isn't necessarily easier. It just twists things in different ways. "I don't want it to get stiff, interfere with my draw. Hey, Mimic," she calls over with a tired smile as the mutant shows up. "I heard the smooth thing was about ready to come down."

And then there's another voice chiming in, and she sighs, stepping back and lifting her tank top enough to show the bandages across her side. "Look. No bleeding through. See?" Yet, at least. There might still be some clear to yellowish discharge. The kind that says you're pulling at scabs and should probably stop before you start actually bleeding.


"Yeah, no. What you do, then, is a few reps of ten with the bow." No arrow. Draw to full length, hold it, relax. "Not give side kicks and punches." Clint exhales and walks towards Kate before he looks behind at Calvin. "Hey."

"See? There's two of us. Knock it off for now. Little bit, and we're gonna have to switch out the bandage."

Clint is getting more and more stubborn, however, in -not- wearing his hearing aids at home. He's home. He's got the JL:A communicator networked into his phone when he's not wearing it, so there's a pause when he pulls his phone out of a pocket. "Snagged."


Cal's hearing is as enhanced as the rest of his senses thanks to Logan's mutation. Though it's not as good as his, of course. Even so, he can hear Oracle in stereo since it's coming from both Hawkeyes. "Call me Cal. Who's that on the communicators? I don't recognize her voice. Did everyone else come out okay from all this?"


"I am Oracle. Pleased to meet you, Cal. I work overwatch and communications for the JL:A" amongst other things and people "I'm just checking in on the team to see how everyone is doing. Kate, take it easy… you need to be 100 to support your team."


Kate sighs, lowering her shirt and starting to unwrap her hands. "Fine. Break for now. I'm still being careful," she adds to Oracle. "I'm trying to keep myself healthy enough that I can still help out when I can, however I can. Fenris is still out there somewhere. This smooth stuff is going on. I can't be down for too long."


"He's a god, Kate. That's what you're always saying, anyway. If someone worked out how to take a god out?" Clint whistles and shakes his head. "You need to be 100, and this isn't the way to do it." So yes, break for now.

The phone buzzes again, though this time Clint's got it out and in hand. There's a look to the screen, and he exhales in a defeated-sounding sigh. "Right…" and a hand dips into his pocket, only to bring out the JLA com. His.

It's put into place before he looks at Calvin. "I wasn't around. I was in Africa." And the news reports that had come out of the Dark Continent was that one of Boko Haram's main sites had been taken out, the soldiers arrested, and some of the girls kidnapped sent home. (After the JL:A had dispersed one of the other, smaller sites.)


"Nice to sort of meet you, Oracle." Cal tells her then looks back to Kate. "There's always going to be some reason to not take proper care of yourself. You need to prioritize. Can you do anything about any of those problems right now? No? Then heal. Training at this stage isn't going to promote healing, it's going to slow it. Someone may depend on you in combat and you won't be ready because you reopened a wound and added an extra two days to your healing time. People count on you to act wisely just as you'd expect of them." How many times had he given some variation of that speech back in his home reality? He nods at what Clint says and notes "Plenty to do all over the world."


"And some things just require rest, Kate. As the others are saying." Oracle knows this, from painful experience. "With Fenris missing, Kate, it's more important that our team is on the top of it's game. I know it's a worry… " a big worry for the redhead, as one of her team is missing as well "but hurting yourself further isn't going to fix it." Blowing out a deep breath "So… enough of the lectures. How are the rest of the team? I'm trying to get in touch with everyone, but we've all been busy."


"Kara's back," Kate says to Oracle's question. "So there's that." Balling the wraps up, she tosses them onto a bench and grabs a towel for herself. "I didn't hear of anyone else getting hurt or lost. So we should be in pretty good shape for whatever comes down the pipe next."


Clint looks around at the pair with him before he leans against a wall, watching Kate's movements. "I dunno what it is, but there is an awful lot of people wondering how we're doing. I just talked to Cam the other day, and she was talking about how Kate needs a break." After a moment, he realizes that he hasn't 'chimed in'. "Oh, and it's Barton." Just so Oracle knows who's joined the com.

"Besides that, I've been great. Playing catch-up, reading files. Oh, I -love- reading files. And hoping that I can run interference in case someone wants to call Cap on the carpet." Again.


"Oh, good. I'm very glad to hear that. That's one reason I came by, hoping that she was okay. I had no idea how to go after her or even where she might be. But since it was obviously something magical, I figured those more familiar with it would take care of it." Cal has faith in Illyana, assuming she had something to do with it. "Reading files is better than writing them." he points out. Even X-Men need to write reports. Or dictate them into the computer as the case may be. "Call Cap on the carpet?"


"It was Booster, actually," Kate smiles faintly to Cal. "He took us into the time stream. We found her there, brought her back." There was more to it, of course, but to Kate, that part is too personal to share without Kara's permission. Clint gets a dry look, though. "Steve and I made nice, okay? Diana too. So no one needs you to run interference." She moves back toward him, aiming a fist at his shoulder. "And Cam…we talked about it."


"I was talking about Congress, Kate. But you're a strong contender there," Clint teases. When Kate approaches, he puts a hand out for her to strike before he's tugging her in to drape an arm around her shoulder. "Good, so if you talked to her after I did, then we're leaving day after tomorrow." Assuming Cam had mentioned -that- bit of the conversation.

He glances at Calvin and a smirk rises, "I've written a lot of them. After awhile, it got to sounding like I was writing this B-grade spy pulp fiction, so I played with it. Quickest way to keep from having to write reports ever again." A light shrug gives his shoulders rise, "Still have to read, though."


Cal smiles at Clint's tactic. He doesn't usually have that prerogative, alas. "There's a second reason I came by. It seems that when I'm not working with the X-Men, I end up working with you all in one way or another. I figure we might as well finalize things, if there's no objections from anyone. And if there's no problem with my being on the X-Men as well. Cause that's non-negotiable."


"As far as I can tell, Kate, no one else from the JL:A was hurt. All seem to be accounted for as well. I just like to check in periodically." Oracle responds "Hello Barton." Of course she knew it was him, the communicators tell her who it is, but it's nice he acknowledged her. "Just take your communicators with you, you two. I can segment them from the network, but… if things go wrong, I'll know where to find you." Personal leave and time out, is important, she knows.


Kate settles into the curve of Clint's arm, leaning a little bit more than she usually would. Despite her protests, she's still feeling the exertion. "Leave tomorrow, what?" Her brows furrow as she looks back up at him. "I think she was talking about a hobby…" But hey, Cal has a question. "I'm in favor of calling you a member, Cal," she adds to the mutant. "And since I'm usually in favor of connections with other teams, I think it's great if you're still with the X-Men. I don't make all the decisions, though."


"Will do. I don't like going off the grid, so when I am, either someone knows about it or there's trouble." Or, well… SHIELD. And that someone isn't always Kate. "We'll keep in contact."

"I don't have a problem with you working with the team, Calvin. I just want to be able to have you train with everyone so we all get used to each other. Hell, that's what I'd love to have happen all around. I'm just lucky I've worked with Cap before, and obviously I know how Kate works. Bobbi, too. It's everyone else I have to get used to. Might as well add you to the list." Clint looks down at Kate, brows rising. "You're council now, Katie. You get to help make those decisions."

Though now, the archer's in something of a bind. "She didn't tell you how going out with me into the middle of nowhere is a good idea?" Clint's previous smirk rises once again and he considers, his free hand rising to gesture in the air to 'lay it all out'. "Midwest. No sign of civilization but for a ranch. You. Me. The Challenger. HawkPuppy. Cows. She said you needed a vacation where everyone wasn't going to you and you had to solve everyone's problems."


"I'm well aware how important it is to learn what everyone is capable of and how to work together. It's what the X-Men do best." Cal points out. "I saw the need for it too in Africa though we worked pretty well together in the other dimension taking out that dragon. Surprisingly so since many of us had never worked together before."


Oracle suppresses a smirk. She wants to hear how the young archeress responds to Clints and Cams maneouvring. This… could be amusing. "Sounds like they've got it all planned out Kate." the redhead can't help herself sometimes. Cals and Clints commentary, she listens carefully. Working with teams, getting people to play nicely together… it's an art and requires the members of the team to have a particular mindset.


"Uh. No. She said I should do some things that weren't work related. What the hell are we going to do in the middle of nowhere?" Kate turns a suspicious look on Clint at his talk of vacations. "Cal's right, though. We need to spend more time working together. Training. Not running off to the middle of nowhere. How's that going to look when we're all under fire? Things are crazy. We're busy. The world's in crisis. How are we going to just…skip off?"


"Then we agree." As far as Clint's concerned, that is that.

"The vacation isn't work related. Cam said that you were complaining about all the work on your shoulders. Well, it's time to lift some of that." Clint tries, he does try to keep himself from laughing at the suspicious look, that look on her face but it's almost too much, even for him. "Cal didn't say that. I did. I said that we need to train to work together, but what he said that even without training, we all seemed to work together pretty well. There's a base." Ha. "And things are always gonna be crazy. That's business, and don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about because I've done it for years. It's like… saying you will, but there's always something else coming up keeping you from doing what you need to do. At some point, you have to say 'Okay, it's time to recharge', and do it. So, you and me, we're going to pack up the Challenger and head out west for a few days."


Cal can't help but look at Kate. Did she seriously just ask what she and CLint were going to do in the middle of nowhere? And he thought young mutants were socially inept. "Down time is important and you need to get it when you can. But tell you what, you two go have fun and if the world starts to burn, I'll come get you myself. It's not like you can't be back here in minutes if need be." Strange how he just recently convinced Scott to take Jean on vacation and used the same argument.


Oracle laughs to herself. She uses similar arguments with those closest to her, she understands where Kate is coming from. However. "Don't forget, Kate, I'll be around. If we really need you and Clint, I'll know where to find you. Take a couple of days for yourself. It will do you good." Now…. don't anyone try that line on the redhead.


"I wasn't complaining about anything!" Kate objects. "I mean. If I was complaining about anything, it was about needing to do more work," she grumbles. "I told her I had plenty to do, and I didn't want to do not-work things. That's what-" She cuts herself off with a sigh as everyone chimes in again. "After we get Fenris back. I'm not leaving him alone, kidnapped, and in danger so I can take a vacation."


Clint points to Calvin, then up to his earpiece. "See? Not actually wrong." They're never truly off the grid, they aren't. Ever. "Right. Complaining about doing -more- work. Now, this is the chance to get away from more work. And there isn't a damned thing you can do for him while you're injured, or didn't you hear that part? You've been telling me he's a god, so whatever's got him probably should be met with something like that excessive force. In the meantime, that 'excessive force' isn't you." If Clint was mean, he'd poke at her injury just to make a point.

*poke*

"After… after… after." Clint shakes his head and looks at Kate. "And after the next thing. And the next. And the next. Something will always come up. Maybe not Fenris, but Cap. Calvin. The cat. Everything needs your attention. At some point, Kate, you're going to burn out. Stop it."

Reaching his hand up to his ear, Clint offers on the com, "Barton out," before he pulls the piece out. Silence. Now, he steps away from Kate, and his hands move quickly in sign, I'll be upstairs, packing before he starts to make his way out of the gym in the basement.


"Think of it this way…" Cal offers. "If you're willing to take this vacation so you can rest and heal then you will, from this point forward, always be able to use it against him when you want /him/ to rest and heal. But if you refuse, you lose all chance of ever getting him to agree by setting the proper example. Just the opposite."


"Cal is correct, Kate." Oracle really hopes no one tries these arguments with her. "If there is news of Fenris, I'll be in touch. I promise, Kate. He will understand, of that I am sure." In a separate text message to Kate alone, Oracle sends I know of your promise to him and I will help you keep it. Rest up first though.

An alarm sounds on one of Oracles screens and the redheads attention is diverted. "Please forgive me, I must go. Oracle out."


"Have you met him?" Kate quirks a brow at Calvin, pointing a thumb after Clint. And the jerk took out his ears and turned around, so she can't even yell at him. "He's never stayed down when he was hurt in his life." She crosses her arms over her chest, staring after the other archer. Which just puts pressure on the wound, and gives everyone else's arguments some weight as she winces.


"You're an adult." Cal states. He manages not to say 'act like it'. Though it might be assumed anyway. "You know that the responsible course of action is, whatever he chooses to do with himself." Yes, she can have the pleasure of acting more maturey and responsibly than Clint. "But it's your choice. And on that note, I have some things to take care of and you have some packing to do. You know how to get in touch with me if you need to." The Red Team staff know to forward his messages. "Have fun." And he's gone in a blink. Teleportation means always getting the last word.

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