Diamond Bright

"Aren't you done yet?" Emma's head poked out of a manhole drop, upside down as she looked at Hank. "Hank, I've been here three days, and you've had it for a week."

"I am a geneticist, Miss Frost, not an engineer." Hank pushed his safety goggles up onto his hair and frowned at her. "Where did you get this, young lady?"

"From someone at school," she answered evasively, tossing her pack to the floor and quickly jumping down after it. "Hey, I picked up some Spagetti-Os and a box of Twinkies. Your favorites."

"And how many poor saps did you con at pool to get my groceries?" he asked, picking up the arm or the armor and waggling it at her accusingly. "Shame on you, Emma."

"I don't need to hustle anyone to pay for our food anymore, Hank, with or without my powers," Emma retorted, already putting the groceries away. "With the investments I've made in the past two years, I've already got enough stashed away to pay for my first two years of college, if I'm careful."

"...but parting a bunch of fools from their money is a public service - and entertaining - and I could use the extra cash for rent once I graduate from Fandom," she admitted, sitting down in her chair to carefully count out the change. "Or at least enough money to rent a PO box, so I have a legitimate mailing address."

"You could, actually, get a job," Hank suggest dryly, pulling down his goggles and going back to work on the suit. "It would be a legitimate source of income, and I hear they help build character."

Emma made a face. "Quite a few people would tell you that I have more than enough character," she complained, but finished putting away Hank's food supplies for the next two weeks before wandering over and pulling up a stool. "So. Have you figured out enough yet to tell me how this works?"

[OOC: Establishy, NFB, phone or text OK.]

Emma had warned Jack to wear something he didn't mind getting a bit dirty in, but she didn't bother to confirm his suspicions, even after they'd slipped past a grate and down a tunnel, eventually taking a labyrinth set of twists, turns, and ladders.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Jack. It was just what you did down here.

"Hank?" she eventually called, stepping from a tunnel into a space that was actually brightly lit and clean. "I brought a friend, like you said I could."

Well, he'd said 'bring that boy sometime,' but close enough.

[OOC: NFB, for the person with her.]

Emma had shooed the boys off at some point, claiming she was going to set up the drops that would deliver the bulk of the diamonds to the three charities she'd selected last night: a food kitchen, a youth shelter, and the ACLU. Organizations that needed funding far more than Donald Pierce and this mysterious 'Lang'.

And indeed, there were three large, anonymous donations made that day, each of which had a letter asking that the organization not publicize the gift. However, each of the donations was slightly smaller than what Emma had counted out in front of the boys.

This time she took the long route in, out of paranoia. Random wanderings through the city, into Central Park, and down one of the sewer tunnels, eventually emerging at the rear entrance to their lair, by Hank's lab.

( There you are. )

[OOC: And we're done! NFB, NFI, ETC, OOC=WIN. Post One | Post Two | Post Three | Post Four | Post Five]

They'd gotten back to Fandom fairly early, so Emma had headed out again the moment she'd unpacked.

A quick change of clothes and a portal later, Emma was in New York. Her New York, and some of the tension that even her trip to the Bahamas hadn't been able to remove slowly eased from her shoulders.

( It felt...good, being back. Avoiding the other pickpockets, stealing a hot dog from one of her favorite vendors, counting out her change at the bodega, jumping the turnstile, and eventually making her way down into the long-forgotten tunnels that she and Hank called home. )


[OOC: Establishy, NFI, NFB due to distance.]

Most people wouldn't give the girl slipping out of the hotel in the early hours of the morning a second glance. Jeans, an oversize NYU sweatshirt, and a knit-cap pulled over down low over her ears; just another member of the housekeeping staff leaving out the back door after her overnight shift.

( It would take a third, fourth, or even fifth glance before anyone recognized Emma, and by then she'd be gone. )

[NFB, NFI, and all that jazz!]

"Are you quite sure about this, Hank?" Emma was curled up in his overstuffed chair, feet tucked under her as she flipped through the colorful brochure. "Where did you even get this?"

"They have powers," the big man repeated stubbornly. "And colors, like where I used to be."

"Yes, I know," Emma sighed. "You already told me that. I asked where you got it."

"Around. I watch things. I hear things."

Emma resisted the urge to rub at her temples. Hank's overly-simplistic view of things could sometimes inspire headaches worse than the ones her powers gave her. "You want me to go away, to school," she clarified slowly. "I thought you wanted me to stay, so we could help each other?"

"It's not safe here," he rumbled, looking petulant. "They might remember and come back. I need to set up a new lab, and you'll be safer at school learning about powers. I protect you, and we help each other with everything."

"Okay, Hank." Emma hopped out of the chair, skipping over to press a kiss to his furry cheek. "I'll give it a try. But if I don't like it, I'm coming home to stay in September."

"Whatever you want, Emma," he promised, a large grin splitting his face.

"That's exactly right, Hank." The smile she gave in return was just slightly sharp. "Whatever I want."




[NFB, NFI, and yes, I'm on vacation and cheating to check my flist while telecommuting. HUSH.]

OK. So if we have time, we can do an establishy post the night before, with Emma telling Karla to wear running shoes and clothes she doesn't mind ruining. If we don't have time, we'll assume all that got said handwavily, so feel free to remark on it anway.

Thread One: The portal will dump them in Chinatown, where they make their way to the nearest subway station, hitch a ride up to Central Park. Emma and Hank make their home in lost sections of the abandoned lower level under the 42nd Street station. Hence the need for pants Karla might not mind throwing out. It's dry and clean, but there's lots of climbing and such.

Thread Two: MEET HANK! If Karla wants to poke at Hank's head, I think she could. Since he's not really a 'landen,' I don't think she'd burn out his brain.

Thread Three: (optional slumber-party thread) The girls can either stay the night with Hank (Emma's got a room! With a bed!) or then head out to crash at a hotel if they want.

Final Thread: Then some late breakfast at a diner the next day before heading back.