calling_net | [02] CALL.net : VIDEO

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[02] CALL.net : VIDEO | UN: Hawkguy

[The feed starts with the view of a cloudy sky, with something zooming overhead that sounds like it's right out of a Jetsons cartoon. Clint's really bad at adjusting his CALL device, but he gets it upright soon enough.

Mostly.

He's sitting cross-legged on the pavement in front of what looks like a junkyard-- or 'recycling center' according the holographic sign blinking above one of the fenced buildings behind him. There's something of clunky, mangled looking toy robot draped across his knee and he gestures with a screw driver.]

So I don't have a good history with robots but-- This little guy started following me around about a week ago. [He holds up the toy, which looks a bit like the battered love child of Wall-E and a rock em sock em robot.] And today he just sorta... stopped. [A little shake rattles it's limbs about, and yeah... it's dead, Jim.]

And I can't so much as program a VCR, so if anyone knows anything about... this sort of thing, I'd appreciate the help.

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I'm probably not the guy to talk to about tech, but I know there's at least one version of Tony rattling around.

Where'd that come from?

Not the one I know, but we met. I kinda figured every Stark probably ends up being a whiz-kid.

You know i'm not sure, I was just exploring the World of Tomorrow here and it just started following me around like a stray dog. Maybe it wanted me to feed it but... how was I supposed to know what robots eat?

Also, Hi Steve? [You're not from his little corner of the U either so--]

I need to explore more. It seems like everyone wanders off and comes back with some kind of pet.

He's not the same Tony I know, either, so I guess that means there's at least... four or five realities represented here. It gets pretty confusing.

Probably less confusing than figuring out what to feed a robot.

And hi, Clint.

I'd kinda rather have a dog. Or my dog anyway... I don't know how to take care of a robot. Clearly.

Yeah? What's cool about your reality? I hope I'm not dead. Tell me I'm super awesome there, please.

[ He laughs. ] You. You're the cool in my reality. [ Two birds, one stone. ]

Yessss! Finally! next time you see me, give me a high five and tell me good job.

I'm a little concerned about your reaction to that, but you know what? You've got yourself a deal.

[Aww, Clint, you're cute.]

I think I can help. I'll be there in then but...yeah, obvious question out of the way first. It's not the battery, is it?

See now I thought that, but I can't even tell where a battery would go. Even so I don't think this guy runs off duracell.

I was thinking more of charg-- never mind. I'll meet you there.

[It's actually Aithne that finds Clint first, hooting loudly and flying a circle around Clint before landing on the floor to take a look at the little robot.

Dave arrives shortly after, unsure about their current location.]

Hey. Would it be too much to find a table to work?

[Well they're somewhere in future!town, that's for sure, Clint's finally upgraded from the his adventurous start of swords and sorcery. But he's had time to explore.]

Yeah I think there's a coffee shop a few blocks over. [Because he's had PLENTY of time to find every coffee house this place has to offer.]

Let's go there then. If I have to disassemble the little guy, I don't want any pieces rolling down the street.

[Dave definitely knows Tomorrow well enough to have an idea of what coffee shop Clint refers to, so he gets going, his owl flying ahead of them. Now just because he will start working on it on an actual table, it doesn't mean he isn't already curious.

He extends his hand to Clint.] Can I?

[Even if he can't figure out what sort of batteries the little guy runs on, Clint's own fuel of choice is coffee, so this works out extra well for him.

He hands the little robot over, and it's surprisingly heavier than it looks. He also sets down the small basic tool set he'd picked up at a nearby hardware store on the table too.]

It looks like it's pretty old, but what do I know?

[Coffee being human's greatest fuel is something Dave can agree with, honestly. He'll let Clint order while taking out his small tool case.]

No, you're right. For the technology standards of this city, it's definitely old. Some engineers will probably tell you ancient.

[He presses buttons and switches to make sure to test everything, and when nothing happens, he grabs a screwdriver and starts opening it.]

What did it do before the shut-down? Just followed you around?

Yeah? I wonder where it came from... [Now he's a little curious, sure this place had a lot of neat future shit, but knowing people like Reed Richards and Tony Stark? Nothing seemed especially cool or high-teched. Maybe he was just spoiled.]

Well it was kinda stuck in some sort of-- [He makes a sort of long and wide gesture with his hands, because he has no idea what word to use.] Future-y um...zamboni? [Probably not what it was at all.] So I yanked it out. I figured it was kids toy... but then it kinda sprang to life and started following me around.

It sounds as though you've gotten a few volunteers already, so I won't bother. But what kind of robot is that?

I'm not sure exactly? We haven't had much dialogue because I don't speak clicks and beeps.

I tried to lose it at first, but it kept finding me.

Did you name him yet?

Oh. No. I kinda figured he probably had one. For now I just call him 'robot'.

I was going to say, it'd be a pity if you were that attached yet.

Anybody's solutions work? I think I'm starting to get attached to it.

Well I don't want him to be dead, er... broken. Off. But I'm not sure we're exactly bonded.

Dave thinks he might be able to figure out what's wrong with it, so... cross your fingers?

[ Well, hey now, there's at least a semi-familiar face. Not that it means much, given he's already met other versions of Steve and Barnes, but still. ]

I'm no tech guy, but I know enough to be able to fix my wings when I need to. Let me know if you can't get anyone else, yeah?

And hey, Clint. What's up, man? Aside from the hopefully non-murderous kind of robot following you home?

[Hey the familiar faces are pretty comforting-- means that the Avengers manage to kick ass and take names in any number of universes. He's totally okay with that.]

Well Ultron it is not, but I'll keep you updated if it gets all genocidal on me.

And hey Cap, man, i'm good, how's this place treating you? [Did that need a spoiler alert? Spoiler alert!]

[ Sam makes a little face at the mention of Ultron, about to make some kind of joke about how if he gets a call from Clint in the middle of the night with the sound of shooting in the background he'll know what happened, but that train of thought dies off when Clint calls him Cap.

He glances behind him, on the off chance that Steve had somehow come up next to him in the park - it wouldn't surprise him, honestly - and then taps at his call device. ]

This thing working right? It's Sam, man, you got a Falcon in your neck of the woods?

[ That gets a sort of small grin and a mock salute. Sometimes he feels like the guy that read to the end of the book around here.]

Habits Sammy. You still wearing that dorky bird suit where you're from? [Says the guy that recently retired the purple spandex. No one can prove anything.]

I swear, you tell T'Challa he's got a cat costume one time and suddenly everyone's coming out of the woodworks with bird jokes.

[ He's teasing, light and easy. Oddly enough that mock salute had set him at ease; it's familiar, even if this isn't the Clint from Sam's world. ]

I don't know if I should ask, but if I don't I'm just gonna keep wondering - Steve just set the shield down, back home. You saying I went and picked it up where you're from?

Come on man, you're named Falcon, you talk to birds-- I can bird joke all day.

[A quick grin] Couple people have tried before, but I think you're doing the best so far, yeah. Well, other you. [thumbs up]

Uh-huh. Just remember toucan play at that game, Hawkeye.

[ The pun falls a little flat without the obvious spelling difference, but he puts enough emphasis on it that it mostly works. The smirk in his expression stays even with his next comment, though it dims just a little and becomes a little bit more about deflecting the fact that he doesn't know what to do with the Captain America thing. ]

Huh. That's... I'll take your word for it, I guess. Hey, man, when you're done messing around with the robot, you wanna grab a drink, swap some stories?

Did you bird pun me? Do you really wanna go there because I'll make you egret it. [Don't do it Sam, this man's a professional.]

I'm down for that, there's a pretty great tavern in Sorcery if you don't mind the occasional goblin attack.

What, you calling fowl on me this early? [ Sorry Clint, Sam's made a living out of doing things he probably shouldn't. ]

Goblins, huh? Might as well add them to the list. I'll meet you there in a little while?

Maybe he needs to eat? Like... oil or fuel or something.

I don't think he has a mouth? I thought maybe I could plug him in somewhere, but no dice.

I didn't mean literally feed it like a living creature. [Why did you think that? Of course, a robot doesn't have to eat! That'd be such a messy, inconvenient design...]

If he doesn't get charged up or anything, maybe you should check for any... compartments or... like, those covered holes cars have that you put fuel in?

Or maybe leave him out in a sunny place. Maybe he's solar-powered, like one of those old-timey calculator.

He's kinda small, so I don't think he runs on fuel... probably a battery, but nothing seems to come open or apart-- at least not without some work. [Which is the reason he has the screwdriver] I just don't want to break him. Uh, more than he already is.

[Clint snorts out a laugh] Wow, solar power isn't that old-timey.

Do you have any idea who made him? What model or make he is? Maybe you can find his manual somewhere...?

[Teasingly:] You sound old. Did I hit a nerve?

No idea, I kinda just started checking this place out and I found him discarded somewhere, he has some engraving, but it's all in binary and i'm not the guy that reads that kinda stuff.

[Scoff] I'm not that old.

There's got to be someone here who reads the stuff! Maybe you should send a new message with the binary code, include a picture or two, maybe, and summon the techies and computer nerds. What do you think'll work as bait?

Yeah, that's what they all say. Careful, or you might start to wrinkle and have the marks of those sarcastic smiles carved into your face forever. [Very theatrically said, the verbal equivalent of shining a flashlight under his chin and fluttering fingers.]

... no, but seriously, are there robots where you're from?

"Hey I have a dead robot" seems to have worked well enough. If all else fails they gotta have a repair shop around here somewhere. I just didn't bring much more than coffee money this time around. [Trust Clint to use his CALL device to bring him here just for the diners.]

Well, yeah, but most of them are super advanced. And I'm really not the [finger quotes here] "technology guy".

Oh. ... right, not that common.

[Technology is a biiit bit more advanced in his world, so a robot doesn't immediately register as super hi-tech or anything...]

You should stock up, then, just in case. You never know what might happen, right?

... oh, right! You're in the City of Tomorrow? Have you tried checking any, like... I don't know, have you tried seeing if maybe they have a... like, an antique shop or something?

[He doesn't know what to call these things, okay, he lived a very sheltered, ritzy life and poking around stores for things other than clothes is strange.]

... hand-me-downs? Where do people sell those? ... you sell hand-me-downs, right? Used things?

[He's got all his terms wrong and that "you" sounds a tad bit more condescending than necessary. You are dealing with a Grade A rich brat. Sorry, Clint. At least he's trying to be helpful and not intentionally rude?]

... hn, at any rate, someone who deals with old things might be able to clue you in— they might recognize what make it is, at least, and once you do that, you're on your way to finding a manual for it. Many have digital copies these days, so I'd imagine they'd all have them as a prerequisite there!

I admit to not having a good history with them either.

But there are some of my sisters back home who work with what could be considered advanced technology. If your friend is unable to fix it, I can bring it home with me for a short time to see if they can do anything for it.

Have you tried locating its power source?

I'm not sure it's that important, I just... kinda feel bad for the little guy, dying at my feel like that. [Dying might be a little dramatic, since it's a robot but--]

I looked for a bit, I can't tell if it needs new batteries or I just plug it in somewhere-- I couldn't get it open.

[Ooh. Hello, stud.

Stud, of course, being the robot.

Holtzmann leans forward to peer intently at the screen, propping her chin up on her hand.]

I might have an idea or two, if Tech Support 1.0 doesn't work out.

[Wow lady, you just look like the sort of person that wants to be elbow deep in robots.]

If it works or not, I think it at least needs a little doctoring-- [Robot friend has definitely seen better days.]

I'm more of a nuke doctor than a robot doctor.

[But she still wants to play with the robot.]

That's... not reassuring, actually. But I guess even Nuke's get the sniffles.

And do you not want someone around who knows what to do when that happens?

I do my best to avoid most things involving nuclear anything. Once bitten yanno?

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[02] CALL.net : VIDEO | UN: Hawkguy

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did you want something in particular to happen the robot or just going with the flow?

Nah, I just make up stuff as I go. No plans

un: galeas

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video | un: unleashthefalcon

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[audio; un: ghostprince]

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[... why did that last comment get such an unfitting icon... sorry about that!]

video, un DianaOfThemyscira

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