5/17 Instance: It Buggles the Mind

[Svartfreja]

Timelined for a few hours after [Instance]Exercises in Futility.


<Broo> Broo sat patiently on the barstool looking high chair he had moved in front of the coffee maker. Perched was a better description though. He just stared and waited patiently for the pot to fill up while he went through a series of math problems in his head. He was also humming along to a song that was playing on the radio.

<Jessica> After a short time with the frogs to calm down, Jess headed back down to the ground floor to look for her brother as it was probably wise to fill him in at this point in time. After asking a few people, she was pointed in the direction of the kitchen and headed that way, slowing down as she reached the doorway, "Broo?"

<Broo> "Hmm?" Broo went as he looked up away from the coffee machine. "Hi Jess, how are you?" he asked. "I'm making coffee, you want some? I can boil water if you want some tea instead."

<Jessica> "I don't like coffee... but some tea would be lovely," she offered him a smile, pushing a hand through her hair and heading over to him.

<Broo> The insect boy jumped off the high chair and quickly filled the kettle with water and set it to boil before climbing back up on his chair. "I am taking a necessary break from my science. I realised I needed one when I was trying to use a potato as a battery for electronics. It worked, much better than the lemon strangely enough. Still not very convenient though."

<Jessica> "No, I'd imagine not," she managed a small laugh, going to him and wrapping him into a hug. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much."

<Broo> "That's all right. I forget time when I'm busy. I need people to come and get me for classes sometimes. Not all the time. Sometimes I set an alarm." he replied, leaning into her hug. "Did you have trouble getting here?" he asked. "I mean, getting through the campus. I'm still setting up the hard light equipment... and sometimes they activate by themselves."

<Jessica> She shook her head, "No, I've been alright but the SHIELD agents look really twitchy." She pressed a kiss to the top of his head, "I have to go away again for a little while... that's why I came to find you."

<Broo> "Oh, okay. Want me to come along?" he asked her, grinning up at her.

<Jessica> She shook her head, "No... this is something I need to do on my own.... I'd rather you were here where you're safe and having fun using your brilliant mind to build things." She went to the kettle to pour some water for her tea.

<Broo> His grin got a little wider at the compliment. As she poured her tea, Broo started pouring his coffee. He actually poured it into a thermos. "Have I shown you my metal exoskeleton suit yet? Oh oh, have I shown you my miniature Danger project?"

<Jessica> "No... but you can show me when you're finished, yeah?" She glanced over at him, "When I come back."

<Broo> "That sounds like a good plan." Broo nodded, "Where are you going?" he asked her.

<Jessica> "Just... away... I need some time by myself to figure some things out." She finished making her tea and turned to face him, "Sebastian... he's not himself... and I can't fix it on my own, I don't know how..."

<Broo> "Really? That's unusual. Is there anything I can help with?" he asked.

<Jessica> She shook her head, "He doesn't remember anything... I don't know why but I'll try to fix it somehow and I have help... I just can't stay here or at home... it's not right without him there."

<Broo> "Oh... okay." Broo said with worry in his voice. "Well if you do need me... or my brilliant mind, I'm ready and waiting."

<Jessica> "I know... thank you," She offered him another smile, "I will stay in contact, I promise. I'm not going to disappear so if you need me for any reason, you just call me and I'll come back, okay?"

<Broo> "Okay," he replied. "Do you know what exactly is wrong with Mr Shaw?" he asked.

<Jessica> "I don't know... someone's tampered with his mind in some way and he doesn't remember most of the last year and a half...." She traced the empty space on her finger with her thumb for a moment before she realised what she was doing and turned to pick up her tea.

<Broo> "Well that's not right. " Broo said. "Are you sure that it's him and not a replacement? Like a doppleganger or a shapeshifter or even a robot." he suggested.

<Jessica> "No, it's him... someone did this to him and I will find out who and they'll live to regret it... but until then I need to be away for a while until I have a plan. Don't worry, I'm going somewhere safe."

<Broo> "That's good to know. The part that you'll be safe, not the part about Mr. Shaw's head. Are you sure he doesn't have an evil twin maybe? Did he have a goatee beard?"

<Jessica> "No he didn't," she shook her head, taking a sip of her tea. "He's an only child... and I have no idea who'd want to do this to him or why."

<Broo> "...Hydra maybe?" he suggested.

<Jessica> Jess shook her head, "No... it wasn't her... I already asked."

<Broo> "You spoke with her?" Broo asked.

<Jessica> She nodded, "I needed to find him and she's good at finding people... she found us in Hawaii..."

<Broo> "Wow... um... when you see her again, can you ask her to email me some of the things I worked on when I was at Hydra? I really need to go through some of the old schematics I did."

<Jessica> "Yeah... I can do that... if I see her again..." she'd already decided she wouldn't tell Broo that her safe place to go was Hydra.

<Broo> "Thank you." he said. He held the coffee filled thermos tightly and climbed off his high chair to give Jess a hug. "It'll be okay. Mr. Shaw's head will get fixed."

<Jessica> "I hope so..." she returned the hug after putting down her tea, giving him a tight squeeze. "Just be good, okay? Don't blow anything up and remember to eat."

<Broo> "I will, I worked out a schedule. For eating and not blowing things up. The latter is still a work in progress though." he promised.

<Jessica> "As long as you're working on it," She gave him another soft kiss on the top of his head. "Will you take care of the frogs for me, too?"

<Broo> "Yes, and I promise no more experiments with them."

<Jessica> "Yes... please don't experiment on things that can't give you informed consent, okay? It's not right..."

<Broo> "....fiiine." he sulked.

[Slarti]

Well, at least Shaw taught him the useful skill of coffee making before he was replaced by his evil...er goateed clone.