2015-02-24 - Assemble...Probably

It's an afternoon at the mansion with the usual events. Dr. Banner is off doing something with Tony in the basement, and good luck to them. It's reinforced for a reason. Otherwise, pretty quiet and nobody to talk to except for the front gate, which has the usual heat signatures of people hanging around trying to look cool by being at the Avengers gate.

Someone triggers the alarm at the front though, and shuts it down on their own. Old code though, it's someone who hasn't been given the new algorithm. "Cassandra Lang, sir," Jarvis announces through the speaker in the room. "I've let her in, can you please make sure she gets the proper codes? It would be appreciated. And your tea is done."

Simon was busy reading a StarkPad, browsing the news or just re-acclimating himself to this new technology. Being in a coma for a while meant he had to catch up. He heard the alarm, and then the message from Jarvis. "Jarvis, please send her in, and I'll get the tea myself, thank you." Then the Avenger would get to his feet and rush to the kitchen and back in a blur.

It takes a few minutes for the lady to get in, it being a goodly walk to the front door and she apparently is taking her sweet time, so Simon has plenty of time to get the tea. When the door opens, the figure of Ms. Lang steps in, at least an inch taller than the last time she visited. She's grown a lot! She doesn't see Simon yet, looking around with wonder. "So nice...they did a great job on the place..."

"We had to patch it up after it was destroyed," Simon said, as he was stirring his tea, after adding sugar and milk. He sat, legs spread apart lightly on one of the couches. His sunglasses were on, peculiar indoors, but he didn't like to freak people out with his glowing red eyes. "Welcome back, Ms. Lang. How have you been?"

Cassie Lang turns to see Simon, her face lighting up even more. She always did have a good smile. "Simon! You're here!" She comes over and tackle-hugs Simon directly, not holding back. he can take it. "Ms. Lang, phagh. Who you calling Miz?"

"You, Cass," Simon said as he play oof'd, lifting up his cup to make sure she wouldn't knock it aside. Of course he could take the tackle hug. He would hug her back with one meaty arm, smiling happily. "Gotta keep up some civility at first. How you holding up?"

Cassie Lang keeps her arms around him, holding tight, for a good ten seconds, jabbering inanely and without direction for a moment. "I got robbed in the subway and tackled a girl and we got coffee and my mom is on the phone and holy potatoes it's good to be back here!" Letting go enough to grin and then flop into a seat, Cassie sprawls with the bonelessness of the young. "Let me live here, I can't ...oh, I brought a girl, she's waiting outside, can I please ...I should explain."

Simon listened, a little flabbergasted, but somehow able to glean most of what she's said. "You were robbed in the subway? Is everything okay? And there's a girl? And you need to live here? I think we can manage you living here. But who's the girl?" he asked, leaning forward, his barrel chest sort of pressing at the fabric of his shirt. It wasn't intentional, just kind of a by-product of being, well, him.

Cassie Lang gets up from her seat, and says, "Just let her in, she's at the gate, and I really need to explain. Can we have a guest? I'll make cookies when I calm down enough to stop talking which might be a while, and GOD yes I need someplace to stay, I ran away from home and ....I..." She blinks, then starts to cry. That fast.

At the gate, Chenda takes her hand away from the buzzer and resists the urge to make annoying faces at the camera. It's the /Avengers HQ/, after all, even if the imp lurking deep within wants to thumb its pointy, figurative nose for exactly that reason. But her inner Good Girl wins, and she slips her hands into her pockets innocently, humming. Maybe some sixth sense tells her that Cassie could /really/ use a hug right now.

Simon misses the days when security was so lax they allowed tours of various spots, and the occasional meet n' greet for big fans. The buzzer was on. Jarvis noted there was another potential guest. Simon gave the OK. Jarvis, of course, would allow Richenda to enter. Who, of course, would likely be led to the sitting room at the sounds of her friend crying, and Simon trying feebly to stop it, patting her back and giving little shushing noises. "Just calm down, Cass. What happened? Why did you run away? It's okay to cry, but stay calm, okay?"

Cassie Lang is hugging a lamp when Richenda is let into the sitting room, and Simon looks confused. "I love this lamp," she says, which makes about as much sense as she gets right now with her crying on things. "This is home, it has to be, I'm sorry I'm dumb."

The gate opens, and Chenda sighs in relief, following the mansion staffer into the magnificent place and trying not to gawk at the surroundings. Seriously nice place! She makes sure her hands /stay/ in those pockets. Not that she's tempted, but plenty would suggest she's the kind to pinch the silver. And in her well-worn red hoodie, faded jeans, old red hi-tops, and purple gearslinger, she certainly looks the ragamuffinish part. The sound of crying gets her attention quickly as she steps into the meeting-place. Seeing Cassie hugging a lamp, she smiles with fond exasperation and shakes her head. "You're not dumb, Cass... you're just exhausted. And badly need a hug." Which she proceeds to provide, close, warm, and sisterly. "Get it out of your system, hon. Won't be the first time this hoodie's been cried on." She does give Simon a quick, recognizing smile, knowing what he must've been put through.

Simon recognized Richenda, and gave a small, knowing smile. But he would, for the moment, remain quiet, just rubbing Cassie's back while she cried with her friends. Sometimes someone, boy or girl, needs to let it out before they can center themselves. He would know.

Cassie Lang coughs a few times, then suddenly has to blow her nose. She seriously considers using the offered hoodie for a moment, since she's leaning on the older girl, and at the last second grabs a kleenex from her pocket. It looks like she's already cried into it a few times.

With her eyes red, leaning on Richenda, she has the grace to look embarrased. "is that tea? Jarvis, do we have tea? Please, god let us have tea ready. I'm shocky and Simon, this is Chenda. Jarvis, you too."

Chenda, needing little warning, leans aside as Cassie blows her nose. "Thanks, Cass," she says, amused, having caught that moment of indecision. Sharp eyes that girl's got. Of course, she also supports the blonde once the nose-blowing is done. She's been in this state herself, or so those sympathetic eyes say. No one was there with hugs for her. "Don't worry, Cass. I've met Simon before. Good to see you again, by the way. I guess Rina lost interest?" There's more sympathy than amusement in the look the gypsy girl gives Wonder Man. "But I don't think I've met Jarvis..."

"Tea is ready, sure," Simon says (hee hee). "Jarvis, if you could get some cups for the young ladies? Do you take milk or sugar with your tea?" he asked them, too, happy to help. "Rina? I haven't seen her in a while. You still at the Institute?" he asked Chenda. "Jarvis is... well, he's awesome. Probably the most loyal Avenger out there."

"Quite ready sir. Welcome to the house, Ms. Richenda," says a refined male voice from a speaker very well hidden somewhere in the room.

Pulling back from Richenda to stand on her own, Cassie gives the impression of being able to handle strenuous tasks like standing and walking around. And talking apparently, as she gives both Simon and Richenda appreciative looks. "Jarvis is the butler, and the best guy in the world. He's also the computer, they're the same person. Don't get confused, just accept it and everything works out fine."

She sits, taking a second, then says, "I should probably explain."

"Just Chenda's fine," the Gypsy girl says to Jarvis. "And... honestly? I don't know. I've never taken tea. I guess sugar sounds good." She gives Simon a quick hug, being the kind to do that. "I haven't seen Rina in a while, either. I'm not at the Institute anymore, though I'm trying to keep in touch. I seem to be better at trying than doing." She moves to take a seat as well, frowning thoughtfully at Cass. "That sounds like a good idea, actually... what's up, Cass? I know you wanted to come here, but I don't know why."

Cassie Lang comes back after getting Richenda settled, though she may reappear at any time. She has tea in hand, and has taken her hair out of her ponytail but she still looks kind of tired. "I can probably make a little more sense now Simon, if you've got time. I'm so sorry about that."

"Cass, you holding up okay, now?" Simon asked as he lifted his arms up over his head, bones popping audibly. "If you want to talk, go right ahead if you feel you're ready. I'm here to listen," and he gave one of those trademark, winning smiles that everybody seems to love.

Cassie raises an eyebrow at the name, crossing her legs in her chair as she sits. Girl's flexible, at least. "I'm just glad you're listening to me and not my mom, I figured she'd have contacted the mansion by now. I mean, it's been a whole hour." She shows her celphone, the little message that says '75 unread text messages'. "I can't go back. Not to that house."

"Well..." Simon started, trying to choose his words carefully. Then he decided to simply be honest. "Why not? What happened?" He sounded curious but gentle, and reassuring all the same. After all, he knew full well what it was like to live in an abusive household.

The girl sighs, putting her face in her hands. Just for a moment, then she looks u and says, "It's just that she's worried, I know that's all it is. She doesn't want me dieing like dad did. This is...kind of hard to admit, but I've been.." She trails off, trying to explain and finding it difficult. "See, I've been stealing my dad's pym particles for years now, when I was visiting here. Hoping to get super powers."

"So you've ran away because your mom is upset about your dad, and worried about you?" Simon asked. He rolled his shoulders, trying to think. "I can't admonish you for stealing your dad's Pym particles. That's small potatoes compared to what I've done." Deals with Baron Zemo, anyone? "Anyway... did you get super powers?"

Cassie throws her hands in the air, admitting it openly. "Yeah. Kind of did. More than dad had actually, cuz I apparently don't need the suit to do it. I've got the growing, and the shrinking. Proooobably shouldn't show that off right now, low ceilings." She grins a little, trying to make a joke of what is obviously an uncomfortable situation. "You're being unreasonably accepting here, I expected to be in trouble. I mean, mom's terrified I'll get killed fighting Doctor Doom or something."

"And well she should be. Who knows what could happen? You could die trying to defeat him over some contrived scheme. Then again, so could any one of us. However - I gotta say, you're just a kid right now. I know you hate hearing that. But think about how *we* would feel if we lost you. You're how old?" he asked. Simon put his hands on his lap, looking Cassie's way, almost like a big brother or something. A very big brother.

Cassie opens her mouth to respond angrily. Being the age she is, she goes ahead with it. "I'm old enough! I'm fifteen! Tell me we haven't had people even younger than me, if they showed they could handle the pressure." She lifts her chin at the concept, then slows down enough to look slightly abashed and actually answer the question. "I mean, I'll be fifteen in June..and I've been around heroes since I started walking, Simon! I can't just stand by and watch when I see people in trouble, that's what mom doesn't get. I can't NOT be one now, I'd die inside."

"You're not yet fifteen, Cass. Did you know I died before? Sort of?" Which was true, in a way. "I was gone for years. It devastated the Avengers. Imagine how we'd feel if we lost you, when we should be watching out for you. Heck, you're too young to see R-rated movies!" Simon sounded exasperated. "We have had young heroes, younger even. And technically, we can't stop you. But I don't like this idea, Cass. Not one bit. You already lost your dad."

Cassie puts her hands in her lap. She doesn't look like this conversation is over, though she does look about to get up and storm out. "I'm going to do it one way or another, Simon. If I see someone getting shot, I'm not going to go, 'oh, that's too bad, Mom and Simon think you should die.' Seriously, I've already been kidnapped like sixty times. I have save games on Doctor Octopus' computer for next time so I can keep from being bored. He has my name on a cell." She sighs, anger and exhaustion warring inside her. "Don't even know what I want out of this place anymore...I just can't stay at home, where mom literally monitors me every second. She has my trip to school timed to the minute and expects pictures to prove I went instead of stopping to help someone out."

"She's overreacting, but can you blame her?" Simon asked. "And thanks for putting words in my mouth. I already said we can't stop you. Kids get into trouble all the time."

Cassie raises an eyebrow, and adds, "I'm fourteen, I can get away with it." She grins openly and sticks out her tongue. "I'd be honoured to die doing what's right and you would too. It's just not the first option, yannow." She pauses, looking small and innocent for a moment, and says, "Forgive me for being a brat? I am sorry, I've been under a lot of stress..."

"I know you *can* get away with it. But can you get away with it... every time?" Simon asked. "That's what you have to think about. I know my mom still worries about me." He probably has another lecture on his cell right now. "But I think she might be more worried about my brother."

Cassie sighs. "I'll take that as a no, then. You know, you were easier to handle when I was ten." She gets to her feet and steps to the doorway, checking for Richenda. "Look, I'll just stay the night and go if me being here makes you uncomfortable, Simon. I can handle things, I'm tough. Is...something wrong with Erik? I've been out of the loop for a while."

"There's always been something wrong with Eric, Cass. He's a super villain, and has been for a while. Calls himself the Grim Reaper. And you being *here* doesn't make me uncomfortable. You getting hurt, or killed is what worries me." Simon ran his fingers through his hair, giving a little sigh. Cassie Lang tugs on her hair a bit. Nervous habit. "Nobody ever wants to tell me about the bad parts. I heard a lot of them anyway though...hard to keep a little kid from overhearing things. I hope he gets the help he needs soon though." She pauses, then runs over and hugs Simon tightly. "Sorry to be trouble."

When she ran over and hugged him, Simon put an arm around her, hugging her back. She was an emotional rollercoaster. "Well, we want you to stay happy, and stay innocent, y'know?" Cassie Lang eyes Simon from the hugging position, her face looking disbelieving and amused. She shakes her head, stepping back, and says, "Goin to my room, Simon. I promise not to do anything for a while. Unless I do, in which case expect chaos. Though realistically baking cookies is the most likely thing to happen tonight. I could totally use a batch of chocolate chip cookies right now."

"I could use a batch or two, too. And butterscotch chip. I *love*... uh. Jeez, what were they? Butterscotch chip, chocolate chip, and walnut cookies." Simon lifted a hand, to *very* lightly poke her nose. "Take care of yourself, okay?" Cassie Lang leans on the door frame, grinning her freckled grin as she gets poked. "Hey, I always take care of myself. I'm frigging awesome at it." She looks thoughtful for a moment, then adds, "Not looking forward to telling Tony though. . . bah, he probably knew before I did. Anyway, thanks for not kicking my butt out." Then she's out the door, running down the hallway like a maniac.