Sometimes, I feel like going down I'm so disconnected

[osreborn]

WHO: Norman Osborn and you!
WHERE: NoHoPE
WHEN: Visiting hours (let's say between 1 and 4) on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Specify the time and date in your comment.
WARNINGS: Hmm.
SUMMARY: Isn't it obvious?
FORMAT: Whatever is your pleasure.

Comments

Wednesday, 2:30-ish

[speedofnaked]

It wasn't out of any sort of loyalty that Terra found herself in the hallways of "No Hope" that afternoon. There was no pain of betrayal, no real burden of remorse. She wasn't shocked by these events, after the things revealed to her only weeks before, so for once, Terra wasn't caught in some emotional maelstrom beyond her control or understanding.

Her only reason was just simple obligation.

Terra's heels left a punctuated clack-click-clack against the smooth floor, until paths and guidance led her here. Her steady and unhurried steps ceased, but she didn't offer any greetings or accusations. No questions or tears or anything of the like. In fact, she didn't bother saying a word.

She observed.

[osreborn]

When Norman laid his eyes on his new visitor, his first instinct was to scowl; second one, to grin. He ignored both and favored instead a curious raise of his eyebrow, and an expression that said he was surprised -- but not unhappy -- to see her here.

In a way, it was true. Terra had had something that intrigued him -- something he wanted to learn more about. A power she only hinted but never showed him. He leaned forward to greet her.

"Terra."

[speedofnaked]

"Norman."

Terra wasn't usually one for surnames. Her arms crossed idly across her chest, eyes taking in the sight of Osborn's new "home." It was strange to see him again in a place like this, but was a whole lot nicer than the place the last person she knew had been locked up.

But as far as she knew, he was nowhere near Kefka's level, so the difference was deserved.

Terra tilted her head a little to the side, bringing her attention back to the man. "How are you holding up?"

[osreborn]

"Oh, things could be better. Could be worse. It's all a manner of perspective. I'm sorry that I couldn't see the team off to a better end -- you were remarkable, you know."

He shrugged his shoulders, almost apologetically.

[speedofnaked]

The compliment seems to roll past Terra without touching her. There was a touch more confusion to her features-common for her, of course. She was a fighter, and a powerful one at that, but more times than not she seemed like a child.

"Why did it end?" she asked, her soft voice hesitating to form the quiet words. "What happened to you?"

[osreborn]

"...It's a complicated story, Terra," Norman said, with a touch of what seemed like regret in his voice. "I didn't want the Avengers to have to end. Particularly not so suddenly. That isn't fair to any of you."

He sighed, sitting back a bit, back pressed flat to the back of his chair.

"They accused me of something unfortunate. Time will only tell what they say at my trial -- but I can tell you, I didn't do anything wrong."

[speedofnaked]

The problem, of course, was that he sounded honest. Sounded sincere. Even knowing everything Spidey had told her, and the rumors she'd heard over the Network, and even the fact Norman was imprisoned in the first place, it was that lack of suck blatant dishonesty or insanity that made her feel so conflicted. She had a harder time than most, interacting with people who weren't so open with their feelings or obvious with their motives.

Terra bit her lip, showing a visible moment of uncertainty. "It's hard to tell... who's telling the truth," she admitted, shaking her head. "I've heard stories, but..."

[osreborn]

"It's all right, Terra. I understand. There are a lot of stories out there, sometimes all you can do is listen to what your mind is telling you. Would I have any reason to trick you? Really? Did I use you for anything bad?"

He looked at her, earnestly. He was watching her face, observing it for any change of expression, any potential weakness. He already had a hook in; he was going to pursue it.

[speedofnaked]

The more he watched her, the less able she was to meet his gaze; Terra's face was turned down, away, and the straight and unyielding sense of certainty she'd carried in was falling away.

"No..." He hadn't. Times Square aside, where everyone had seemed just as confused as Terra felt, they'd only helped people. But even if he hadn't made her do anything bad, it didn't mean he wouldn't use her, or have some reason to trick her. For as many months as she'd worked under him, he still didn't know the full extent of her power-she'd done her best to protect the secret of her heritage and her other face from him, and the rest of the team. But wasn't it possible he suspected? That he was just waiting for her to slip up and reveal the full fury of her power?

Who was right? Who was wrong? How could she know for certain? If there was one thing Terra did know, it was that she couldn't trust her own judgment. In profile, the tight knit of her eyebrows was mostly hidden behind her hair, but there was a tense pull to her cheek and the worrying of

[osreborn]

"There -- already their arguments fail to hold water. I've been a hero to this city for a year and a half; obviously, that was too much for some people. They wanted to force me out. You can't deny you haven't heard them planning, can you? They've been scheming, aiming to destroy... us."

He shook his head, casting his eyes downward. In the time Norman had known Terra, she had seemed to him a pliable resource. Innocent and naive. He knew that she would listen to his words, as long as they came out in the right order.

"And look at where we are now."

[speedofnaked]

It was times like these that Terra missed most her companions among the Returners. Even if they always told her she needed to make decisions for herself, at least it was easier to see that they were good people doing good things, fighting against evil people who were much more obvious about it. Who was she supposed to believe in now?

She looked up then, a small frown pulling at her features. "Where... we are?"

[osreborn]

His eyes broke away from hers for just a moment, before returning to them. Norman allowed himself a sigh, shaking his head slightly before rubbing his temple briefly -- a sweeping gesture across his brow.

"Broken apart. Disassembled. Scattered apart, like a puzzle once its swept off the table."

[speedofnaked]

There was nothing Terra could think of to say to that. Her gaze once again turned to the side in discomfort, with tense uncertainty returning to the clench of her jaw and the shrug of her shoulders. Confused and conflicted once again.

[osreborn]

Folding his hands in his lap, Norman watched her in silence, waiting for minutes to pass before he spoke again. His voice was calm and gentle.

"What are you going to do now?"

[speedofnaked]

Here it was easy to answer; Terra shrugged her bare shoulders once, a careless sort of thing, and shook her head. "I don't know," she said with the strange sort of confidence only brought by a frequent ignorance. "I haven't really... thought about it yet."

[osreborn]

"I suggest you think about it soon," Norman said, eyebrows raising. "There are people who will prey on your indecision. People like Tony Stark; he may try to plant in your head that he wants to help you -- but he wants nothing more from you than what I'm sure he'll tell you I wanted. The Avengers are not people you want to trust."