2013-08-04 - It Is Love And Forgiveness

Not long after breakfast, which Hope got food and retreated to her room. She had been in a red sports bra that could actually safely be worn in public it covers enough and fuzzy black PJ bottoms with red lips on them. Emma had snuck a visit to her, bribing her with chocolate and promised shopping. She...actually really did help. Not that Hope has left her room, still being alone to think things over. She just isn't crying like she was earlier about her failure, just...thinking of a solution and how to apologize to Laura and Scott both.

Hope is still in that outfit she was earlier, performing sit-ups on the floor of her dorm room as something to do while she thinks, counting softly under her breath. She is perhaps the only girl at this school that will do sit-ups as a way to occupy her body while she 'thinks'. Her dorm room door is unlocked right now.

A knock comes at the door before it opens. A few quick raps, and then a ruby-quartz glasses wearing face peeks inside. He doesn't look happy, he doesn't look angry. He looks...completely lacking in emotion, which is pretty much normal for Scott when in "business" mode. "So in the interest of saving both of our sanity, I'll just ask what you were doing, and why you felt the need to keep me out of the loop on it?"

Hope pauses when the starts to open and by the time it is, she is almost fully to her feet. She stands straight when you speak to her, her eyes looking more at your chest than your face, "Yes sir," she says very quietly. It's the way she addresses Cable when he sounds dominating at times, the tone respectful rather than sarcastic. Hope stands there, her hands starting to wring together in front of her as she still struggles with the words she has been fretting on the last couple hours.

Finally though, she takes a deep breath. "I was attempted to track the activity of the attempted theft on the research material from S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City some months ago that would have started a deadly mutant virus. That is when I came across the group called Kobra, and discovered laboratory experiments in creating artificial meta-humans and mutants via repeating lab accidents and genetic experimentation. I began to search for local cells about the U.S. for more information, and eventually discovered they were creating an army for world domination. They were also plotting to kidnap Bruce Wayne in Gotham City to blackmail research material from Wayne Tech. With the assistance of Robin we stopped the kidnap attempt and crippled Kobra in Gotham City at least temporarily, though we met a meta-human that went by Lady Clayface."

The girl's hands are squeezing so tightly together, it would be a surprise if they were getting blood. "I found some leads that took me to Egypt. Communication was...difficult at times, but I managed after months of investigation to get the location of their lab where they were creating the artificial powered criminals. I requested Laura and a fighter from Metropolis, Grace Choi to go with me in shutting them down and wiping out all their research data." She never gave Emma quite that many clues, let alone the name of Grace, but she gives it to Scott. "They...were expecting me. I planned badly, and put the success of the mission before Laura's saftey," the words tumbling out now, the words sounding a bit choked. "I was going to go solo, leaving Grace behind with Laura to deal with the warped genetic freaks, but Laura told Grace to go with me. With Grace's help, I succeeded in the mission, and we quickly returned to Laura. But...she was...badly injured. I...take full responsibility. It was my error in...judgement. I put her...overly in risk because I...made a bad call and...bad plans. I...screwed up." This isn't easy for the teenager to admit she is wrong, but she does it because she thinks it is the right thing to do. The tears don't fall though, but they linger in her eyes.

"That answers the what. Not so much the why I wasn't informed." Scott steps inside and closes the door behind him. His tone is measured, calm, and pretty much laced with steel. "If you want me to help you you have to -let- me help you, Hope. You screwed up, you recognize it, and hopefully you learn from it. Nobody becomes a good leader overnight. But you've already impressed upon me the importance of what you're doing. I'm not angry that you've taken action...I'm angry that you seemed to think I'd get in the way if you informed me of what's going on ahead of time."

This is the most difficult part. She swallows hard as she looks at Scott. She's...afraid...afraid of how Scott will respond. "I...need your help, I, I really realize that now. Just...," her throat is tight. "Don't ask Scott, please...," begging. She will answer if pushed, but Scott can already tell, he isn't going to like the answer by far and Hope knows it, thus why it was kept from him. The tears fall now, cause she knows how disappointed and hurt Scott will be, and it's as if she knows...Scott will likely push this time.

"You went there to kill." Scott says flatly, putting two and two together, and -then- anger really does start to leech into his voice, "You went there to kill...-and you took Laura with you.-" The killing itself doesn't bother Scott as much as one might think. Taking the "recovering" assassin on a black op? A little more touchy.

And Hope's eyes lower to the floor for the first time. "Yes," she says. "I have no regrets for that, but...," her voice very tight sounding, "I don't want to hurt you. If...you didn't know, you wouldn't be hurt." And that is likely part of the issue...Hope's urges to protect Scott. Still, she doesn't really think much wrong in taking Laura with her though Emma tried to explain to her that it was an issue.

Hope moves to raise her forearm to rub at her eyes. "I don't get the issue with taking Laura though. She's a hunter. Taking life is not what makes someone a monster Scott, it's the reasons and motivations behind it. If you take life to protect your loved ones and the freedom and safety of the world, it isn't 'wrong'. But if you take it for your own self-pleasure, to bring harm to others, or to increase your sense of worth or power, then it's 'wrong'. Laura was never a monster, she was just lost some. And she isn't going to be a monster, she's...beautiful, the way she is. A predator, but someone capable of love and loyalty at a level, many wouldn't understand I think. I don't understand...why it seems so terrible that Laura was there." She gets it has something to do with Laura killing, but she doesn't understand why, Emma even tried to poke her for it.

"You're missing the point, Hope. Laura's spent her entire life being used as a weapon for other people's goals. Just because your, or our goals may be the "right" goals doesn't make it right for us to turn her into -our- weapon instead of theirs. That has to be her choice, and while she's come a long way, I'm not sure she's quite ready to make that choice on her own."

Hope finishes the brushing of her cheeks and nods. "I'll...talk to her about it. I won't make...assumptions. I have to still apologize to her first. Laura isn't...a tool to me. She is...," and she struggles to find the answer. "She's nothing like my mom, but...I feel safe with her. If I have a bad dream, I go to Laura and crawl into her bed with her. I trust her, I know she won't betray me. But...I also know she would throw her life away for me, so I got to be careful so she doesn't. And I stupidly wasn't. I...could have lost her," and Hope would have forever hated herself for that. "Laura is an ally and friend, I -love- her. She isn't a tool just for my mission. She's beyond precious to me, all of you are. More than anything, I want to keep you all safe. I, I know we all live dangerous lives, but there are things that I can do to assure safer and happier lives. And -that- is what I want to do, not make things worse."

"Even when you're contrite you're stubborn." Scott notes, but can't help but smirk -just- a tiny bit in begrudging amusement. "Just stop shutting me out, Hope. I'm a big boy, I might give you some alternative ideas to accomplish what you need to get done without resorting to scorched-earth tactics." He shakes his head, "But I can't do -anything- if you keep me in the dark."

Hope looks up at you and nods. "I...get it from my dad I think," and she smiles awkwardly then. "I understand he got it from his dad, etc. I was doomed from the beginning." Something she says is funny to her, but likely Scott wouldn't get the full meaning of it. She then steps toward you, shyly even. Another step, and then the last step is taken hurriedly and she moves to hug you strongly about your waist, clinging to you, face buried against your chest/shoulder. "I'll open up more. I - never - want to screw up like that again. I was...terrified that Laura wouldn't heal it."

Scott almost seems resistant to the hug for a half-second, then finally accedes, wrapping his arms around Hope and giving her a tight squeeze, "You'll screw up again. We all do eventually. I just manage to keep my screw-ups more -off- the battlefield than on it." He gives her another brief, even affectionate squeeze, "You're human Hope. Just learn from it, and do better."

A nod at that, cheek rubbing against you, "Life is..precious. I don't want to bury anymore friends and family." She has buried too many, literally and figuratively. And she understands the blunders off the field too, but she doesn't bring attention to it. The words are very soft then, a little awkward too, "I love you Scott. I'd do anything to protect you," the last bit said so whispery soft. Though a little more firm she says, "I'll be more careful and ask for advice for real this time."

Scott seems a bit taken aback by that frank admission. Not in a disgusted or angry way, just a considerably surprised one. He does give Hope one more squeeze, then finally releases her. "Good. Then I guess that's settled." He smiles ever-so-faintly, "You should probably get some rest. You had to be patched up, too, as I recall..."

Hope steps back a bit and smiles up at you, eyes damp, but no longer crying for a while. She nods, "Ya...guess so. I still have to think of what to say to Laura, and I should see her this evening." The smile slips a bit, and she seems to fall thoughtful. When she speaks she says, "I'm really glad I got to know you Scott. I always wanted to, and....well, I think you are even more amazing in person," she says softly. "Thank you." No matter the trouble Hope gives Scott, the adoration and bit of hero worship is still there in mass.