It was day 8 of Victoria's stay at C.A.G.E. April was being discharged today, leaving the building feeling somewhat lonely. Even if the two of them were far from being on good terms, it was a familiar presence none the less. And while Vicky did not mind focusing on her mental health/training, the lack of contact with the outside world was a little bit unsettling. At least Leah was supposed to show up for a visit today. The android was parked outside with a sketchbook and pencils, trying her hand at drawing, having finished all of her books, wondering when the earthbender would show up.
Leah hated this place. April breaking up with her and Sabine, as valid as it was, wasn't even one of the big ones. This placed felt like a prison for people who didn't belong in prison. She'd done the usual shit, ignoring the looks of some guy who overheard her derisive comments the last time she was in here.
It made her skin crawl.
"...Hey."Setting down the sketch of what was definitely not looking as a little dragon chasing after a dinosaur despite her intention, Victoria looked up. Her overall good spirits seemed to dampen a little when she took in the sight of her friend.
"Hi there. Am I the only one in the entire country that likes being in this place? You have the same look on your face Dorian had. Like you'd rather be anywhere else. I'm coming back soon you know, I appreciate you coming by, but if you don't like it here that much..." she offered a way out, remembering Dorian was affected by the power dampeners so much that he tripped over his own feet.
"I don't need my powers or my wizard shit to get things done," Leah commented, sitting down.
"Dad had a lab under our house, looked an awful lot like the sort of place you'd confine people in. That's all. And I don't really trust people who make it their life's work to "deal with" mutants or inhumans, or whatever the hell I am."Victoria's silence was deafening. She blinked a few times, processing what Leah said.
"You have a what now? You're a wizard? When did that happen? What else did I miss? First Danni's dragon hatches and now this? The world is leaving me behind." she smirked at her theatrics.
"If you're sure. I take it you've had no luck figuring your powers out then? I wish I could help, but me and magic... you know. And hey, the people in this place are helping me at least. First few days were not great, I'll admit, but it wasn't their fault."She shrugged.
"Agatha gave me a bag of runes when she was telling everyone their futures. I couldn't do anything with them for ages, then about a week ago, I could make plants grow faster with them. Danni started a fire and April drowned it, I got rid of the water with a rune." She pulled them out of her pocket and sat a small pouch down.
"I guess she saw what would happen if she gave me these. I dunno.""Well, shit. If it turns out that fossil Nimue is right and all we need to get good is a fucking tragedy in our lives, I am going to be royally annoyed." Vicky groaned as she eyeballed the runes with a modicum of respect. Just because she couldn't see any magic emanating form them now didn't mean they were not dangerous - her own senses were dulled in this place.
"Hmm! Speaking of prof Harkness though, I'm going to see her when we go to New Orleans. I've been wondering whether you want to tag along? I figured if anyone could tell more about the thing in your back, she would?" she offered.
"Uh... Probably? Didn't really cross my mind. She did give me these... And I never really cared about magic before. Sure, we'll see. If I get a chance, or my team doesn't fall apart between now then, I'll come with." Normally, Leah didn't like doing that sort of thing. But she needed answers.
Vicky nodded.
"Speaking of, sorry again about being the first to skadoodle. I don't like giving up, but... I needed to do this. So... How'd that reshuffle go? Who's on what team?" she asked, the question having slipped her mind somehow up until now.
"I have no idea, Victoria. I'm not keeping track right now.""You're... Quieter than usual. Is something wrong?""Yeah, Vick. Two people I actually give a shit about are in a fucking padded cell and one of them can't be in a relationship with me anymore. You know, the usual shit." She shrugged.
"And She Hulk is obsessed with me lately, and I can't seem to get her to stop."Vicky raised her eyebrows.
"Well, I can put your mind at ease somewhat. My room isn't padded and it isn't a cell. I chose to be here, Leah. And the people here are helping me. Helping me get rid of a backdoor in my system that can be used to control me. What Ed used to control me. And people who may want to stop that can't easily reach me here. I didn't feel this safe somewhere in weeks. So if you're worried for me... No need for that. I'll be back in couple of days and better for it."She didn't want to touch that relationship thing with a ten foot pole. What advice or comfort could she offer with her lack of experience anyway? Did she even care for someone in that way?
Could she? Questions for later. It was sounding like out the two of them, the one staying at a mental health institution was more okay.
"And what's wrong with having a parental figure that cares? I know you've been independent for a while, but still..." she thought for a second,
"Or... Are you worried that makes she-hulk a target?"”It’s not my problem if she makes herself a target.” Leah shook her head.
”Imagine dodging questions about your family for almost four years. No one even bats an eye when you conveniently say nothing about where you went for Christmas break or anything like that. And then a lawyer realizes you legally don’t exist- The name I go by wasn’t in a database other than the school’s until then. And sure, that’s not the weirdest thing when wizards and aliens exist… But think about it.”Vicky sighed.
"Leah... This particular school not giving a damn about their students' well being is not something that surprises me anymore. But just because that was the norm does not make it right." she carefully placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder,
"Is it really so... annoying? to have someone care about you? I can't say I can relate to your situation, but I may have lost that recently, and despite the fact I think I have every right to be mad at my mother, it still sucks. It sucks that I may no longer have somewhere safe to go that is not the school, and I want it back. I just don't know how to get it.""It is annoying when I can't trust them not to make it worse... You're not going to run off and fight him on your own, right?" She asked.
"Or try to find him. You aren't going to tell people who would know about him beforehand and then make the connection that I'm his kid. It's... I just don't want to risk that kind of thing getting out of hand.""Well, you're allowed to set boundaries into what she can poke into, right? But you gotta tell her at least that much." Then Vicky snorted.
"Dude, I've got my ass handed to me by a ginger stickman of a kid with a laptop. I can't notice what's right under my nose, I wouldn't notice your dad if he drove me here."There was a quiet pause.
"Yeah, well, you'd think I could. But no, she's legally my parent now. And that means she can ask people for anything medical about me, or that police could drag me to her house if I just fucked off and didn't come back. And I've tried to tell her to quit acting like I'm her kid, but that wasn't good enough and-" Leah stopped herself.
"...I didn't come here to bitch about my life. Sorry.""Isn't that what friends are for? If it helps, bitch away." Victoria smiled.
"As for She-Hulk being nosey, sounds like primo time to use the fact you're still a teenager to cause a scene to get what you want. It is as you say, ignoring her is not exactly stopping her from doing any of it. If you want backup, I'll come with. If I stretch my mission parameters, this could cause a severe threat to many people, so technically I should get involved."That would’ve been funny. But also worse.
”No. It’s fine, I don’t need help with that. Besides, I doubt they’d let you out for that.”"Girl stop worrying already. I could have walked day one. Whitehall literally agreed I am no danger to myself after ten minute talk. She also said I am no danger to anyone else, now that I think about it, I don't know if I should have been offended by that." Vicky scratched her chin in thought.
"Anyway, if you don't want to talk about your family drama, then listen to mine. Apparently, for one reason or other, my mother put a backdoor in my system so that admin level users can give me orders I must follow. Guess what Arcade used to take control of me? Oh the irony."Leah stared at her without a word for several seconds. That
really pissed her off.
”…What?”"Yup." Vicky popped the P, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees.
"Sister claims it was the only way the project was even allowed to proceed to build me, and that mom never actually wanted to use it. I don't think I believe it. I know they used it at least once, and that is the instruction I knew of. Incidentally I got rid of that one. And it's why I am cooped up here for so long. I'm trying to get rid of that 'feature'. Good news is I developed a way to block new orders being given... Most of the time. I don't think I will be training in the framework ever again though. Edward made it clear it blows that weakness wide open."Leah didn't like that. It made her want to punch something. Everywhere she was going lately, people kept acting like she was supposed to trust others to handle things and to let them in. It was annoying that people kept pushing buttons that they didn't understand, that they kept prying into things they'd make worse. But at least Leah could push back and shut them out.
There were laws saying someone her age couldn't make their own decisions. She had proven countless times that it didn't matter, because she had
agency over herself. Vicky's was messed up.
"Victoria..." She looked infuriated.
"Do I need to put your fucking family in their place?"Vicky looked at Leah.
"...I don't think that would solve anything. And it's not just Hope van Dyne, it's also colonel Rhodes and whoever directs S.H.I.E.L.D. these days. But, I won't lie, when they show up in New Orleans, and there's no reason to suspect at least Hope won't... Some backup might be nice. Just to stand there and look menacing. Because even if my countermeasures work - and they should, I have literally made myself selectively blind and deaf to anyone with Admin access - I think I'll still be feeling like a helpless little girl confronting them. And I think Cassandra hates it as well, albeit she initially tried to defend it. We're not mad at her. Not at the moment." the android confided.
"Yeah, well..." Leah leaned back in her chair.
"I'll be there. They try something, I'll stop it."Following suit, Vicky leaned back, looking at the sky.
"Here's where I would toast to getting independent, if I had a drink." she chuckled.
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