not-an-OOM: a gathering of heroes

[jack_inthegreen]

"Thank you all so much for coming.

"I should begin by introducing myself, as some of you know me but most of you don't. I'm called Jack Green. I'm also called Green George, the May King, Jack o'the green, and a great many other things--but most importantly, I am called the Green Man. I am guardian of all things that grow.

"The creature that is now stalking the bar is like me, yet not like me. Some old gods have managed to move into the modern world, to make niches for ourselves, make lives--while some festered, bitter and forgotten, in the dark. I believe this creature is one of those old gods, half-forgotten except as the 'tree man.'

"Someone remembered an old story of a village in the dark forests that sacrificed their children to this hungry god. This someone gave the old god a shape, a name, and a story, and as stories often do it grew and grew until it became not just a tale told to frighten misbehaving children but into an entity with desires and a will and, most dangerously, hunger.

"It has found an excellent place to feed here at Milliways."

He falls silent.

[ooc: Please see the back_room post for details.]

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"Right. The Tet Corporation, you said it was?"

He slants her a sideways look that's strangely searching.

[ladyfirestarter]

"Formerly," she says, "though we're still at least loosely affiliated."

She finds a knife and starts carefully bisecting a slice of pecan pie.

[nerves_of_ice]

He makes a noncommittal noise.

"Your 'children's home,' you mean?"

[ladyfirestarter]

She glances up at him. "Yeah."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Right."

He toys with the edge of a fork, idly examining a piece of pie that looks orange.

"I'd be interested in hearing more about it." Bucky shoots her a quick smile. "If you don't mind talking about your work, that is."

[ladyfirestarter]

This time her glance is longer, more measuring.

"Sure." Lightly, as she takes her plate and seats herself again. "What would you like to know?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He settles on the orange pie, whatever it is, and picks a seat beside her.

"These kids. What happened to them?"

[ladyfirestarter]

"You want the short form?" Her voice is quiet, and level. "They were victims of an experimental project that was intended to create a cadre of psychic soldiers. Or assassins. It left most of them severely traumatized, with damage to the part of the brain that regulates emotional responses."

[nerves_of_ice]

Something flares in his eyes, and his jaw sets hard enough that someone listening closely could hear the crack of his teeth clenching together.

"Did you guys find the mad scientist behind this project yet?"

[ladyfirestarter]

His reaction does her heart good.

"As it happens, that was taken care of before we came into the picture. The Academy project took place in a different world, and so did the mission to put a stop to it. They pulled out the kids, grabbed all the files they could, and blew the place up." A half-smile. "We just provided a safe haven for the kids after the fact."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Good."

His glance drifts to Steve, almost unconsciously. Bucky's still watching him when he speaks again.

"Good for them, and good for you."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie's glance follows his.

[nerves_of_ice]

It takes a few beats of silence before he looks back at her and notices where she's looking.


"You know Steve?"

Lightly.

[ladyfirestarter]

She shakes her head. "Just met him here. You work with him, don't you?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I serve with him, yeah," Bucky replies. "He's our captain."

A slight, fond smile.

"He just happens to also be my best friend. Since we were kids."

[ladyfirestarter]

Her answering smile is small. "That must be nice."

(Charlie doesn't have any friends that knew her as a kid.)

[nerves_of_ice]

"It is."

Silence, for a second, then Bucky looks at her straight-on.

"He was also part of an experimental program to make a 'super-soldier,' I guess you'd say, but it was his choice, and nothing like you described."

"But before you heard about it elsewhere and wondered, or something - I wanted to make sure you heard the straight dope. Steve's the best man I know. He wouldn't be involved with something like what happened to your kids. Ever."

[ladyfirestarter]

The only sign of her startlement at 'super-soldier' is a swift flicker of her eyes, but it passes quickly.

She nods, when he finishes speaking, and says quietly "Thank you for telling me."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods back.

"Figured you should know."

[ladyfirestarter]

"What kind of -- " She pauses. "If you don't mind my asking. What kind of changes did the experiment involve?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky's grin is quick and wry.

"For one, he used to be smaller."

He holds his hand up, showing Steve's approximate height from before.

[ladyfirestarter]

Okay, now she's definitely startled.

A quick glance at Steve, and back to Bucky, and her eyebrows rise a little: seriously?

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods.

"So. Taller, faster, incredibly strong -- all that kind of thing. But it didn't change who he is, if you get me."

[ladyfirestarter]

"Yeah." Quietly. "Yeah, I think I do."