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Probably for the best, not sure I'm up to dealing with Han Solo right now.

[Steph don't be a dick.

She moves to come inside, though she also looks a little taken aback at that thing his eyes just did. But she trusts him enough that she's more curious than suspicious, and she does come the rest of the way inside once he's done his check.]

Double checking what, exactly?

[What're you looking at, dude?]

I am never ready to deal with Han Solo.

[He really wishes that wasn't true, but the first time they met he tripped over his own feet, stared, stammered, and dropped a plate.

He has not had the courage to try again.]

I was just seeing if you were clean, [he says, shutting the door behind her and gesturing for her to have a seat at their modest kitchen table.] I can see it even when it's still in incubation.

[They probably don't have the same reasoning for that, so Steph's just gonna leave it be.

So she just takes a seat, raising an eyebrow at him for that choice of phrasing.]

That's a handy trick. I'm guessing you've been helping out where you can?

[Because he seems like a kid that takes the hero thing seriously.]

Yeah, of course, [he says, like it's a no-brainer, and takes a seat across from her.]

I'm immune while I'm in uniform, and I can see the bug, so I'm more helpful at the Clinic and the hospital than anywhere else.

[Besides, he totally sucks at the whole intimidation thing that the newest mission requires. Though he's speaking lightly now, and is fairly content to keep up the small talk for as long as she'd like, his gaze on her is decidedly more curious than the current topic of conversation deserves.]

That's good. And let me know if Dr. McCoy gives you a hard time at all, I'll give him a talking to.

[She's just making stupid jokes, trying to keep the tone light as she opens up the container of cookies, sliding them over to Jaime, first.

She'll talk about what she actually came here to talk about, she just needs a second to get her thoughts in order.]

I'll keep you in mind, [he says, grabbing one of the cookies and sliding the package back at her. He can't quite resist taking a bite out of one before he speaks again.] How 'bout you? You sign up for either of the missions?

[She gives him a thumbs up, being the mature adult that she is, and breaks off a bit of cookie to pop in her mouth.]

Yeah, I'm gonna head back and see what I can do.

[She was gonna try to track down UE agents, but knew that getting information out of them might involve things she's definitely not comfortable doing.]

They're making us wear hazmat suits, it's gonna be so sexy.

[Steph leave the poor boy alone.]

[If Jaime were Paco, he'd say something along the lines of Steph looking sexy in anything. He can practically hear the guy now.

Because he's Jaime and not Paco, all he manages is,] Um. Be careful?

[Oh no, he's adorable.

Steph's smile is far too amused.]

I'm always careful.

[As she somewhat smugly takes a bite of cookie, though after she's swallowed she does sober up a little.]

Okay, so. [that was a brilliant segue, and her mouth twists wryly before she continues.] How are you doing after the fight? I know you're new to the superhero thing and this city, so I just... wanted to make sure you were doing alright.

[She has to look after the baby superheroes.]

[That's definitely not the question he'd been expecting out of her, though Jaime can't say what he had been expecting. Something more... important, he supposes, than just checking in.]

Oh. Yeah, I'm okay.

[It's an automatic answer more than anything else, but even if Steph is a fellow superhero, she's still a stranger. Or maybe it's even more important that he keeps his cool because she's a superhero, he can't quite decide. It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone that knows him that he spent a good week after the war crying in his room, but she doesn't know him.

And besides, as awful as it sounds, this virus going around has actually made him feel better. It's given him something to do beyond wonder how they could have fixed it, where it all went so wrong.]

Hey. [Her tone is gentle, but her expression is a little more serious as she looks over at him.] I know that we don't really know each other, so it's cool if you don't wanna talk for that reason, but I'm not gonna judge you if you aren't okay.

[a beat, and she offers a rueful smile]

I certainly wasn't.

[It's an offering, maybe, trying to let him know that it really isn't going to think less of him if he wasn't.]

Well, I mean...

[He brings one hand up to rub at the back of his neck, sincerely at a loss for what to say. He suddenly appears to find the appearance of the cookie that's still in his hand intensely fascinating for a moment, and when he raises his eyes to look at her, he's still not quite looking at her.

If she wants to talk, he'll talk.] You ever lose anyone on-duty? Back home?

[She's quiet as she waits for him to figure out what to say, focusing on finishing her own cookie so he doesn't feel pressured to answer straight away.

The question doesn't really surprise her, but her expression still softens as she nods.]

Too many times. I lost a few recently, in different ways.

[The man who become street pizza, after Calculator took control, and she doesn't even want to think about poor Clancy.]

Yeah. I guess everyone does.

[He was almost one of them, caught in the Bleed, and the Justice League was on that case. He's still fidgeting without really thinking about it, getting crumbs all over the table before he ends up just setting the cookie down.]

Twenty-three people on my end. There was a hurricane - man-made hurricane, just some guy with powers looking for a quick buck. They would've been okay, but they weren't good enough for the tourist hotels to let them inside.

[His voice is flat as he recollects this, but there's something quietly angry underneath it. He's still angry when he thinks about it - angry, and sad, and guilty all at once, because while the Reach have proven themselves time and time again to be really bad guys, humans should know better when it comes to their own kind at the very least. And if there had been just one more hotel willing to let them in, even just one more guy with superpowers, they might have lived.

He can't say the same about what's going on here.]

This is a bit bigger than that.

[Twenty three is a lot and not many at all, at the same time. It's too many to lose in one go, too many for someone who hasn't been doing this for very long, and her heart aches for him a little. She knows what guilt feels like.

The anger in his tone does surprise her, but she's almost... glad to hear it, to know that this is something he does get angry about. She'd be furious, too, she is angry, just knowing that happened, but now isn't the time for it.]

It is. [a hell of a lot bigger.] This is bigger than anything I've done, too, and I really don't know if it's gonna get any easier.

[She won't lie to him about that, and she takes a breath, running her fingers through her hair as she tries to decide what to say next.] What matters is that we're making a difference, whether it's one person or a thousand. And I know that's hard to keep in mind after we lost a battle, but we delivered a hell of a blow to the United Earth's forces, and that's a lot better than having done nothing.

[She isn't sure if that's what he wants, or needs, to hear, but she's trying.]

It shouldn't get any easier.

[He would worry, if it did. He doesn't want to become the type of person to just become jaded by death. Even if they can be regenerated here, it's something to take seriously. He refuses to just let it become normal, even if that would be the easier way to go.]

People can get used to all sorts of things. Sometimes it's how we cope.

[Not that it's gotten any easier for her, but she's not going to judge anyone who might become a little numb to the things they have to see.]

[The corner of his lips twitch up in a fairly humourless smile.]

Just because it shouldn't doesn't mean it won't, for some people. It's not like this is something that should be happening in the first place.

[dryly:] The war or the time travel or the kidnapping?

[Considering all of them shouldn't happen, in her opinion, though at least war is more... normal, in a terrible sort of way.]

[Well when she puts it that way...] All of the above?

[She rubs at her brow with a sigh; the frustration isn't directed at Jaime, she's just tired with the situation in general.]

You get used to the kidnapping, too. At least the Initiative don't have us cuffed to anything.

[So very, very wry. It wasn't even vigilante things that got her kidnapped most of the time, just her dad and his stupid friends.]

[He almost thinks she's joking for a second, and it shows however briefly upon his face before it dawns on him that it sounds like she's talking from personal experience.

He may not have been in this whole superhero business long, but as far as he's concerned, kidnapping shouldn't play a role in it.]

You've been kidnapped before?

[Oh, Jaime, you sweet summer child.]

More than I'd care to admit. Daddy dearest used to like having a hostage, and then it's just one of those things that comes with being a sidekick.

[Not that she'd admit to being a sidekick most days, but still.]

[God, does he want to know?]

...Daddy dearest?

Oh, right, sorry. [it's more casual than actually apologetic, like she forgot to mention something inconsequential] My dad's the Cluemaster, a shitty B grade supervillain. I forget that not everyone knows.

[Most of the vigilantes and criminals in Gotham knew that Spoiler was Arthur Brown's little girl; she got used to everyone she met knowing that sort of thing.]

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