trans_9 | Work It! [[Open]]

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Work It! [[Open]]

The coils shot toward him with speed he hardly expected from a third stringer. Constrictor had never been one of the big leagues villains. Sure, he'd fought the Hulk once, but he'd lost just like everyone else. Rookie mistake, Nate chided himself inwardly. Underestimating one's opponent was the biggest mistake anyone could make. Then again, he had told Stacy that he didn't want her to go easy one him. She wouldn't disable her failsafes of course, but he usually got a pretty good workout anyway. It wasn't too hard to believe that her version of Constrictor would be a tougher opponent.

The armor augmented his movement as he dropped under the onrushing coils, sliding across the ground to aim a kick at the villain's legs. The man leapt over them, throwing his weight down to pin Nate under himself, a split second burst from his boots sent him backwards, and he quickly leveled out, shooting to the side to narrowly avoid a swipe from another electrified tentacle. The next moment however, a second appendage lashed across his back, sending a jolt through his body, forcing him to grit his teeth. Furious, he rounded on the simulation, whose features were curled in a pleased smirk.

The tentacles whistled through the air again, but Nate, furious reached out a gauntleted hand, catching them both as he boosted the shields in that part of the armor to their maximum. A quick adjustment rerouted the power to his free hand in a fraction of a second, and a full power repulsor blast incinerated the would-be villain. For a moment, Iron Lad simply lowered himself to the ground, breathing hard as looked over the charred remains of the simulated person. When had he become capable of something like that? Letting out a long, slow breath he leaned his head back staring at the ceiling.

"Reset and pause simulation please, Stacy."

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Cassie had been looking for Nate after her run in with Lex, and now that she found him... well, she didn't know what to think about that. Certainly nothing good.

"I know it's a hologram but... was that really necessary?" She asked, stepping into the Sensoriums.

He hadn't noticed her enter. Which was strange since he had the armor's peripheral awareness set to as high as could go. Maybe when he'd re-routed the power that function had gone offline. Something to tweak. It didn't help if he could be snuck up on. Not that he minded overly much in this case. But in a fight it would have been life or death.

When she spoke though, he lifted his head, running a hand across his brow before pushing his sweat-damp hair back from his face. Cassie got a half-sheepish look and a shrug. "I guess I went a little overboard. I'm still calibrating a few things. Hey."

"Well... just as long as it doesn't happen in real life." She shifted her weight between her feet. "Hi. Uhm," She brushed her hair out of her face. "I ran into Lex Luthor. He was working on some armor. Made some comments about Jonas which I can only assume you told him about him." She didn't look mad. Mostly she just looked awkward.

"I wouldn't let it." At least, he hoped he wouldn't. It had happened partly because he'd lost it for a moment there. The armor had ramped up the power output levels in accordance with his emotions. He'd need to install some sort of failsafe. At her next sentence however, he sat up properly, tilting his head at her. "Lex? Armor?"

That got a frown. His friend hadn't spoken to him about that. Of course, he'd been out of it for awhile. And Lex didn't need to check things with him. But if it was based on his designs... "About Jonas?" Ah, so that was what this was about. "I didn't really say much. What did he say?"

There must have been some reason why she felt so awkward.

Cassie folded her arms. "Oh, something about how I shouldn't be worried because the armor he was working on didn't have any brain waves so it wasn't a potential love interest of mine." She said dryly.

Well, that wasn't what he'd been expecting. Though it was kind of funny. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he rubbed at the bridge of his nose for a moment. "Oh...well. I mean, he was just kidding, right? I mean, it's a little funny. If you think about it."

He rubbed at the back of his head, looking off to one side for a moment.

Cassie gave Nate one of those looks. "This is Lex Luthor we're talking about. I hate him, he hates me. He likes to insult me every opportunity he gets. And really I don't think you should be confiding in him. He's bad news."

For a genius, he wasn't too smart sometimes. But he sure as heck knew what that look meant. "He's not as bad as you make him out to be." He sighed quietly. "And I doubt Lex hates anyone. Well maybe one or two select people. But everyone hates someone. He's been perfectly cordial to me. And I'm not confiding in him, Cass. I mean, I've told him some stuff. But it's not like he can use any of it against us."

"Alright. He doesn't hate me. He just thinks I'm a loud, annoying teenager who has no confidence in herself. I think you can see where I'd get mistaken. And he is not someone you want to be hanging out with if you want to avoid accidentally killing someone. This guy doesn't care about collateral damage. Just ask Paco."

"Cass, come on. I'll admit, Lex is kind of judgmental. But he's not a bad guy." At the second sentence, he paused, simply staring at her for a long moment before replying. "I'll be the first to admit, what happened to Paco was not cool. And if Lex could have done something to stop it, he probably should have. That doesn't make him evil. Okay his methods need work. But if we just leave him nothing's gonna change. And he might just hurt someone for real. Don't you think it's our responsibility to at least keep an eye on him?"

"Yes, which is why a lot of us are." Cassie walked closer. "That doesn't mean you have to."

So that was what this was about. "...So you don't want me to help?"

"Nate," She began softly. "I want you to keep as far away from him as possible." Because apparently she hadn't made herself clear before.

He'd gotten it, really. He wasn't that thick after all. "Why?"

Cassie paused. She didn't want to do this but he just didn't understand.

"Stacy, can you bring up the end of that fight?"

The Sensoriums shifted back to the way they were before, with the charred corpse of the Constrictor lying on the ground.

"That's why."

When the simulation shifted back, he stared at the corpse for a long moment before looking up at her.

"That was an accident."

His jaw tightened as he surveyed the damage his weapons had done to the man.

"Nate." Cassie put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm worried about you. You fought so hard so you wouldn't have to be Kang and now- well, you need to keep fighting."

Edited 2010-05-10 05:53 (UTC)

"I'm not gonna become him." He almost growled, raising a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "I'm not. I'll never become him. I know what I'm doing, Cassie."

"O.K., O.K." Cassie repeated, looking away although not letting go of Nate. "I trust you. I'm just... worried. I care about you."

He sighed, nodding. She was just worried. But he didn't need to be reminded of what he was. What he was supposed to become. This was his second chance. He wasn't about to screw it up. "I know. Thanks, Cass. I just figure I owe it to you all to...I don't know. Make up for what he did."

Cassie rested her head on his shoulder and moved her arm around his back. "You all ready have."

For a moment, he simply looked at her, tensing. Before he let out a quiet breath, relaxing and leaning his head against hers. "I haven't done anything."

Cassie smiled. "Assembling the Young Avengers, taking down criminals, going back to your own time so you could become Kang, against everything you had tried, so our timeline would be restored? I think that counts as a lot."

He pulled a face. "I don't see how going back in time to become a supervillain counts as a point towards making up for what that supervillain did." A pause. "Yeah. That was pretty confusing."

"Because you were willing to sacrifice everything for us." Cassie looked up at him. "Trust me, it counts for something."

"Well, I wasn't feeling so hot about Teddy after he tried to flatten me." He smirked slightly. "But I guess. I'd do it again though."

"That's why I love you." Cassie said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before she could actually thought about it.

His cheeks colored slightly. A remark about Jonas was on the tip of his tongue but he held it back. She hadn't meant it like that after all. Right? "Hah. Thanks, Cassie."

This was Cassie, of course she had.

"You're welcome." And she wasn't moving away from him either, even though part of her realized she really should be.

This was Nate, of course he'd try to fool himself.

Leaning a little more against her, he brushed a stray wisp of hair back from her face, smiling. "It's been pretty quiet lately, huh?"

That sent a shiver through Cassie's body- the good kind of shiver.

"After what we've been through, I can't complain. I just wonder how long it'll last."

This close, it would have been impossible for Nate not to notice. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he drew her closer. Obviously, she was cold. His armor kept his temperature regulated.

"Well, when whatever's going to happen happens. I'm sure we'll be ready for it."

Oh yes, cold, definitely. Never mind that she didn't feel cold to the touch.

Cassie put her arms around him. "Together, I think we can take on anything."

Well, core temperature tended to be a tricky thing. Your skin could be warm for awhile before your core temperature spread to the rest of your body. He knew these things. He was a scientist after all.

He smiled easily, leaning his forehead against hers. "You think so?"

"I know so." And then she leaned forward and kissed him.

Try rationalizing that, Mr. Scientist.

"Well ok-" That was about as far as he got before his words were cut off but those wonderful lips. Not that he was complaining in the slightest though.

Well you see, it's all to do with hormones...

Cassie kept up the kiss for a good while, then pulled away and smiled at Nate.

Now she could think of all the reasons why this was a bad idea, how this was really going to hurt Jonas when he found out, a lot of things. But for once she was actually owning those thoughts, accepting them, and moving on as opposed to denying them completely. This time she was ready to take responsibility for her decisions.

And right now, this seemed like a really good decision.

When Cassie pulled back, he tilted his head at her slightly, returning her smile.

Nate had had all those reasons dancing around in his head for a good long time. Since he'd awoken on board this ship in fact. He didn't want to strain things between his sort-of really weird kind of twin brother and himself. And he wanted even less to get between Jonas and Cassie. Yet he knew he'd wanted this. Always. And for the moment, he was tired of denying it. Tired of fighting it. Maybe for just a little while, it would be alright.

In short, the scientist wholly agreed with Cassie's summation of the situation.

Cassie leaned in and, even though she said it all ready, said "I love you" before kissing him again.

Since Cassie's lips were rather inconveniently (though not unenjoyably) preventing him from speaking, Nate settled for sliding his arms around her waist, drawing her closer against himself.

Cassie was more than happy to wrap as close to Nate as she possibly could.

Well, except for the metal.

"Uhm." She tapped his armor. "Can you either take this off or...?"

He had to laugh at that, nodding.

"Sorry. One sec." The armor powered down at his command, the lights dimming and catches hissing open. Setting the few loose plates aside, he pulled the gauntlets and boots off, leaving him in just the jeans and t-shirt he'd worn in.

Setting his armor carefully aside, he sat back down, turning back to her as the scenery around them changed. Lush green fields stretching away from the hill they were suddenly perched on top of, as far as the eye could see. The sky a brilliant blue above as a huge, old tree shaded them beneath its eaves.

"Ta-dah."

"Much better." Cassie grinned, and, grabbing Nate by his shirt collar, tugging him closer. "And I like the setting."

Nate moved closer quite willingly, his arms sliding around her waist again as he returned the grin. "Well, so long as the lady is pleased."

"She is." Cassie put her arms around Nate. "She's very pleased."

"Good then." Still smiling, he closed the space between them, capturing her lips again. How had he ever lived without this?

This time Cassie had no reason to pull away from Nate.

And this time, Stacy didn't stop them.

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Work It! [[Open]]

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