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Jun. 13th, 2008 12:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ever_lovin[[OOC-All of this has happened before any events in Secret Invasion.]]
"No Reed," Ben says into his cell phone, "I can't take your help with this. I'm sorry."
"I…I understand," Reed says finally the hurt in his voice obvious.
"It's not my choice ya know. It's gonna be politics."
"I know Ben. I shouldn't have asked. Have you talked with Jen? You should talk to Jen."
"I will if I can find her. I at least wanna get a couple of names of lawyers from her, people who would know about how to set up charities and stuff."
"Ben, why are you doing this?" Reed asks cautiously. He he's known his friend for a long time and this is the first time Ben has done anything like this.
Ben doesn't answer at first. He sees Kate Bishop's panic at learning his name in his mind. "It's just something I gotta do. Some one has to do somethin' Reed."
"I understand Ben. I need to go. If I can help in any way, let me know."
"I will. And Stretch, I really do wish I could use yer help with this."
"I know Ben."
Ben hangs up the phone and looks around the new office he's rented. Its small, there's not even a window, but right now he doesn't need anything big. He sits down in one of the chairs at the conference table, the only furniture in the room, and looks at the picture of Captain America he has hanging on the wall.
"Why am I doing this?" he asks it. "I ran away when my country needed me. I couldn't take the SHRA and I couldn't take fightin' my government so I ran."
"So I'm gonna do now what should a been done then. I'm gonna fight the SHRA the way it should a been fought. The way you should a fought it," he accuses. "legally. I'm takin' this to Washington and I'm gonna make our government rewrite that law."
"I'm sorry I ran Cap," Ben starts to say but is interrupted by a knock on the only door of the office. Ben gets up to answer when the door opens on it's own.
"Don't bother getting up Ben," says the mechanized voice of Tony Stark through the Iron Man armor and he enters the room.
"You wanna at least give me the chance to invite you onto what is now my private property?" Ben asks with obvious anger in his voice.
"Sorry. I don't have a lot of time to spend here."
"Maybe I don't have any. Call back and make an appointment," Ben says holding up his hand in the classic "talk to the hand" gesture.
"Ben, don't be like this."
"Don't tell me how to be. Why are you here?" Ben asks his temper going nowhere.
"I would like to know what you are up to."
"Word gets around fast doesn't it? Okay, I'll give you fifteen minutes but not until you take off your helmet. I ain't talking to metal."
"Okay," Tony says as he pulls back his faceplate.
"No, the whole helmet."
Stark stares at Ben, trying to decide what game Ben was after. "Fine. Now tell, what you are doing here?"
"I think you know. I'm fightin' the Registration Act."
"It's already a Law Ben, you can't fight it."
"True, but I can change it. Make it fair and make it so we don't have heroes being treated like criminals."
"This doesn't make any sense Ben, it's not like you. Why now? This isn't a good time."
"Camp Hammond."
"We're looking into that."
"'We're looking into that' he says. Maybe ya should a looked into it before it happened."
"It wasn't my fault Ben. I had nothing to do with it."
"No. See there yer wrong. You are military now. When you are in command that means you are responsible even when you are not there. You aren't in some board room anymore."
"Regardless, this isn't a good time for rewriting the SHRA Ben. It's really not a good time."
"When is there ever a good time in our world? There's always somethin' goin' on. No, I'm makin' this happen."
"What do you hope to accomplish Ben? The public needs the SHRA. They need to know they can trust those with powers. They're afraid, Ben, and the SHRA is helping them feel safe."
At this Ben locks his gaze with Stark. He stands and leans over the table resting his hands on the edges. The look in Ben's eyes makes Tony take an involuntary step back. The table's supports break suddenly, sending a loud crack through the small room that makes Tony flinch.
"I'm familiar with how the public is afraid. I've had to deal with that fear for decades now. What about you? Ya had much trouble with people runnin' away from you in yer business suit lately?"
"Ben I didn't mean it that way. Come on."
"And see that's why I gotta problem with the SHRA. How many people who have to live with powers helped to write it? How many of 'em have to worry about how they pick up a plate or knock on a door? How many have to think about ever step they take staying on the ground? How many have to live with what it's like to have powers? Huh? I'll tell ya, none. Not a one."
"So what is it you think you can do? The Law is already written."
"I'll be honest, I ain't exactly sure yet. I'm still exploring ideas. I do know I'm gonna set up safeguards for under age kids. And I'm gonna set up a legal defense fund for folks who are goin' to court because of the Act."
"I'll get a list of names and send them to you. I am sure we can get this off the ground for you soon."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"No. Only way this is gonna work is if it is independent of any government agency. You are part of a government agency. Now yer fifteen minutes are up. Good bye."
"Okay. For what it's worth, good luck with this Ben," Tony says as he offers his hand.
"Thanks," Ben says and takes it, "I just want the damn war to be over. I want us all to be friends again."
"I do too Ben. Do you have a name for your organization?"
"Yeah, 'Heroes for America'. I think it has a nice ring."
"It does. Goodbye Ben. I'll call and make an appointment next time."
"Fly safe."
"No Reed," Ben says into his cell phone, "I can't take your help with this. I'm sorry."
"I…I understand," Reed says finally the hurt in his voice obvious.
"It's not my choice ya know. It's gonna be politics."
"I know Ben. I shouldn't have asked. Have you talked with Jen? You should talk to Jen."
"I will if I can find her. I at least wanna get a couple of names of lawyers from her, people who would know about how to set up charities and stuff."
"Ben, why are you doing this?" Reed asks cautiously. He he's known his friend for a long time and this is the first time Ben has done anything like this.
Ben doesn't answer at first. He sees Kate Bishop's panic at learning his name in his mind. "It's just something I gotta do. Some one has to do somethin' Reed."
"I understand Ben. I need to go. If I can help in any way, let me know."
"I will. And Stretch, I really do wish I could use yer help with this."
"I know Ben."
Ben hangs up the phone and looks around the new office he's rented. Its small, there's not even a window, but right now he doesn't need anything big. He sits down in one of the chairs at the conference table, the only furniture in the room, and looks at the picture of Captain America he has hanging on the wall.
"Why am I doing this?" he asks it. "I ran away when my country needed me. I couldn't take the SHRA and I couldn't take fightin' my government so I ran."
"So I'm gonna do now what should a been done then. I'm gonna fight the SHRA the way it should a been fought. The way you should a fought it," he accuses. "legally. I'm takin' this to Washington and I'm gonna make our government rewrite that law."
"I'm sorry I ran Cap," Ben starts to say but is interrupted by a knock on the only door of the office. Ben gets up to answer when the door opens on it's own.
"Don't bother getting up Ben," says the mechanized voice of Tony Stark through the Iron Man armor and he enters the room.
"You wanna at least give me the chance to invite you onto what is now my private property?" Ben asks with obvious anger in his voice.
"Sorry. I don't have a lot of time to spend here."
"Maybe I don't have any. Call back and make an appointment," Ben says holding up his hand in the classic "talk to the hand" gesture.
"Ben, don't be like this."
"Don't tell me how to be. Why are you here?" Ben asks his temper going nowhere.
"I would like to know what you are up to."
"Word gets around fast doesn't it? Okay, I'll give you fifteen minutes but not until you take off your helmet. I ain't talking to metal."
"Okay," Tony says as he pulls back his faceplate.
"No, the whole helmet."
Stark stares at Ben, trying to decide what game Ben was after. "Fine. Now tell, what you are doing here?"
"I think you know. I'm fightin' the Registration Act."
"It's already a Law Ben, you can't fight it."
"True, but I can change it. Make it fair and make it so we don't have heroes being treated like criminals."
"This doesn't make any sense Ben, it's not like you. Why now? This isn't a good time."
"Camp Hammond."
"We're looking into that."
"'We're looking into that' he says. Maybe ya should a looked into it before it happened."
"It wasn't my fault Ben. I had nothing to do with it."
"No. See there yer wrong. You are military now. When you are in command that means you are responsible even when you are not there. You aren't in some board room anymore."
"Regardless, this isn't a good time for rewriting the SHRA Ben. It's really not a good time."
"When is there ever a good time in our world? There's always somethin' goin' on. No, I'm makin' this happen."
"What do you hope to accomplish Ben? The public needs the SHRA. They need to know they can trust those with powers. They're afraid, Ben, and the SHRA is helping them feel safe."
At this Ben locks his gaze with Stark. He stands and leans over the table resting his hands on the edges. The look in Ben's eyes makes Tony take an involuntary step back. The table's supports break suddenly, sending a loud crack through the small room that makes Tony flinch.
"I'm familiar with how the public is afraid. I've had to deal with that fear for decades now. What about you? Ya had much trouble with people runnin' away from you in yer business suit lately?"
"Ben I didn't mean it that way. Come on."
"And see that's why I gotta problem with the SHRA. How many people who have to live with powers helped to write it? How many of 'em have to worry about how they pick up a plate or knock on a door? How many have to think about ever step they take staying on the ground? How many have to live with what it's like to have powers? Huh? I'll tell ya, none. Not a one."
"So what is it you think you can do? The Law is already written."
"I'll be honest, I ain't exactly sure yet. I'm still exploring ideas. I do know I'm gonna set up safeguards for under age kids. And I'm gonna set up a legal defense fund for folks who are goin' to court because of the Act."
"I'll get a list of names and send them to you. I am sure we can get this off the ground for you soon."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"No. Only way this is gonna work is if it is independent of any government agency. You are part of a government agency. Now yer fifteen minutes are up. Good bye."
"Okay. For what it's worth, good luck with this Ben," Tony says as he offers his hand.
"Thanks," Ben says and takes it, "I just want the damn war to be over. I want us all to be friends again."
"I do too Ben. Do you have a name for your organization?"
"Yeah, 'Heroes for America'. I think it has a nice ring."
"It does. Goodbye Ben. I'll call and make an appointment next time."
"Fly safe."
